MikeLigalig.com

Quote from: lumine on June 07, 2007, 07:21:15 PM
26. moadto sa dagat human fiesta kay daghan pa salin-salin.

27. isimba ang bag-o na sinina.

Kinasaktohan. Ipasimba sa Nanay ang bag-ong sinina. Dili palambhan una. Ligo sa dagat human fiesta is an SOS.

Mahal, mahal, but it's worth every penny.

Lumine, you may visit the resort's website at www.flower-beach.com 

An Indian friend and classmate in my MBA class would always comment, often in the middle of a heated conversation among classmates, "Times change. People change." I don't believe in what he has been saying.

But just recently I got a brief message, so brief you could read it in a second, from what I believed as "friend" whom I have not seen for half a decade. I was expecting this person would write and share something newsy like latest stories about life and work. And I was also expecting that this soul would ask the universal "how are you" thing. None of these things were found in this person's digital missive.

I just deleted the message after I read it. I didn't bother to reply. I was the one who first wrote to this person because it was a special day for this soul.

No, I was not offended that this individual wrote like one who wanted to eat an instant noodle. It was the salutation manner that slashed my sensitive heart. Will you be happy receiving a letter with "Hi there, Hi all, Hello there, Hey"? Well, if this person was a perfect stranger, the salutation style would have been perfectly acceptable to me, though I always admonish my Business English students never to use "generic salutation" in all types of their letters because this is very impersonal.

This person has known me for many years and we studied in the same school so I was expecting that this soul would address me "Mike" even without the Hi, Hello, Hey, or even just "To Mike." Or better, "Attention Mike" with  "To Whom This May Concern."

I was hurt. I thought this person was a friend. A friend will always call you by your name. Do you agree with me?

I will now delete the name of this person in my friendster list.


P.S. Later I was informed that this person is already living somewhere in the other side of the planet. Maybe "nidako na sab ang ulo." Read my previous post: "How to Declare War Against an Arrogant Filipino."

Yesterday I went to the Immigration Office of Thailand, about 70 kms from where I live. My student visa will expire on June 10, 2007. So the visa had to be renewed.

When I got my visa back, I was told by our student affairs office head that the Immigration official made a mistake on my passport. There it was. The extension date was June 10, 2007. The same year? It should be June 10, 2008. Thank God he noticed it.

This is a simple mistake but it gave me a journalistic lesson: "Always double check."

Like when you post new topics or make comments in Tubag Bohol, it would be nice if you could double check or review what you have written before you hit "Post" or "Save."

Since ako ang nagsuwat, dili ka nako tug-anan, Yadz. In other word: "secret." Wala ra. Nanglakaw ra.

Mao gyud unta ang unahon bisan sa national government. But look at the situation. Ang una mao ang dam, bridge, road, new buildings. Why? Sa agriculture, dili kasapi ang mga politiko. Let's admit it. Tua ang kwarta sa infrastructure wala sa agriculture.

Our new member gulle_brms is living in Canada.

We hope she would introduce herself to us and tell us her real name.

We invite our members and guests to read her comment on the link below:

http://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=481.msg840#msg840

I just know that Cesar Montano grew up in Manila, not in Bohol. Boholanos in Bohol think he was raised in Baclayon.


Salamat sa suggestion, Cap!

Asa na category nato ibutang? Let me know and I will set up the category. Maybe sa Buko Salad ug Halo-halo.

We are pleased to announce that we have a Tubag Bohol member who is based in California.

I just know of his location. I don't know his name and I hope he would formally introduce himself under our "Tell Us About Yourself" category.

Thanks Frog70 for your presence here.

Padayon ta mga Bol-anon!

We are pleased to announce that we have a Tubag Bohol member who is based in Japan.

I call her sister. Her name is Aya. She has other names, but I won't tell you. 

Two December ago she sent me a dozen of CDs from Japan and a lot of other goodies, including an organizer. That was a complete surprise. 

To Ate Aya, how was your recent Bohol trip?

Tubag Bohol member bearing the name "prestigious girl" is based in France.

To prestigious girl, we're glad that you keep coming back to our site.

Read her first post here:

http://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=29.msg434#msg434

To our new Tubag Bohol contributor, bol-anon-ko-nyor, I have a feeling that you are so grateful to God of being a Bol-anon.

Salamat sa imong pakig-uban kanamo dinhi alang sa atong pag-inambitay sa mga sugyot ug huna-huna alang sa pagpalambo sa atong minahal nga lalawigan.

bol-anon-ko-nyor is based in the Philippines - somewhere in the north, if Tubag Bohol GPS is accurate.

Our new friend, Julai, has joined us. The group is complete now. We have Bulan and we have Julai. And next month is July.

Julai is based in Norway. She said she missed Bohol terribly.


   
Where is Chin? Chin, you may now give her your welcome drink.

Bobby Cericos, the man I so admire. Welcome to Tubag Bohol. We're happy you are here.

Sir Bob, a renowned Filipino architect whose principles and concepts have captured the attention of World Bank executives, is an ABS-CBN Bayani Awardee for his exemplary works as chairman of the Special People Inc. Foundation.

Salamat Sir Bob for posting your thoughts here in Tubag Bohol. I miss our endless coffee talks.

------------------------
Let me share with you this news item I wrote in January 2006.

Group against acquisition of Loboc water rights, fears tourism setback

A group of Loboc residents has filed an opposition manifesto before the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) to the water rights application of Sta. Clara International Corporation, who had acquired from government the 120-megawatt Loboc Hydroelectric Plant (LHP).

The United Lobocanons for Reconstruction (ULR) said they were shocked of Sta. Clara's move which they learned from a news report of the Bohol Chronicle.

"Were it not for the newspaper report, the application in question as well as the proceedings thereon by the (NWRB) would have gone unnoticed by the Boholanos and the prospective oppositors," said Engineer Petronilo Sarigumba, ULR president, in an opposition paper filed before the NWRB Manila.

"It (the acquisition) should have gone the same way as the sale of the Loboc Hydroelectric Plant which came without the knowledge of the Boholano community," Sarigumba, through lawyer Artemio Cabatos, said.

At US $1.42 million, Sta. Clara silently bought the power plant on July 14, 2005, and the entire Boholano community, except for one or two provincial officials, was not aware of the transaction.

The Loboc plant, considered a "modest asset," was the fourth power generation asset of the government that was privatized, in line with Republic Act No. 9136, or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA).

Roberto "Bobby" Cericos, chairman of the Special People Inc. Foundation (SPIF), told the Chronicle that he prompted the filing of the opposition manifesto after reading an item of the Chronicle.

"The application for water rights was done silently, and the public did not know about until it came out in the paper," Cericos said. "We have reasons to doubt."

"The people may not be aware of the extent of the negative impact of Sta. Clara's move once it has acquired the water rights," he said. "It may be too late before we make any concrete move."

There are reports that if Sta. Clara acquired the water rights of the Loboc River, the corporation could use that right in controlling the tourism activities of the town. Loboc River has been popular here and abroad for its pristine water and splendid tour package.

Cericos questioned why Sta. Clara is bent on acquiring the water rights when it is clear that its acquisition of the power plant is only limited to power generation asset.

In the manifesto, ULR said that what was covered by the alleged sale of the Loboc Hydroelectric Plant unto and in favor of Sta. Clara Corporation is but "the power generation asset."

"The contract," the group said, "did not include, as it could not legally include, water permit or water rights which cannot lawfully be covered by the asset privatization program of government."

ULR pointed out that the acquisition by Sta. Clara of power plant was "fraught with legal infirmities" "Sta. Clara Corporation is not lawfully entitled to any Water Right or Water Permit," the group said.

If I may add, Lumine's husband is a Belgian poet.

Lumine is a happy mother...

We are pleased to announce the presence of one of Bohol's young brilliant lawyers, now a Tubag Bohol contributor.

I still need his permission if he wants his true name to be revealed here.

Attorney, salamat sa imong pagpakabana alang sa Bohol.

Padayon ta.

All for the love of Bohol!


P.S. Where is Chin? It's her turn now.

Tubag Bohol welcomes prinsesasadagat. You can find her in my friendster list.

I hope she would enjoy Chin's musings here.

prinsesasadagat has been an avid reader of Tubag Bohol until one day she couldn't resist not to comment on the chocolate question, so she joined us officially.

Shall I reveal her true name her? I will ask her permission first...

I'm waiting for Chin to give our prinsesasadagat a welcome drink. Chin, where are you?

Maricel, congratulations! You are now a Senior Member of Tubag Bohol.

Your next status is: Hero Member.

Padayon ta.

All for the love of Bohol!

To Lumine, Congratulations! You are now a Junior Member of Tubag Bohol.

Padayon!

All for the love of Bohol!

Our beautiful member from Buenavista now based in Brunei has become a Junior Member of Tubag Bohol.

Cheers! All for the Love of Bohol!

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Do you have the feeling that life is getting away from you, that there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done? Don't worry, it's not just you, the pace of city life really is speeding up.

A recent survey by the University of Hertfordshire and British Council found that city dwellers are walking 10 percent faster than in 1994. Singapore topped the list with locals rushing around 30 percent faster than they were in the early 1990's.

Deliberately slowing your walking pace in the city against this rising tide of rushaholics could see you swiftly swatted out of the way by irritable commuters, but just by toning down the nagging sense that you have to do more, and do it faster, can have plenty of long term benefits.

At least that's the belief of journalist and author Carl Honoré, a man whose own slow life epiphany came when he found himself speed reading bedtime stories to his son. His book "In Praise of Slow" champions the benefits of taking more time to consider things.

"We live in a world that is obsessed with speed that is stuck in fast forward. We often lose sight of the damage that this road-runner form of life does to us -- on our health, our diet, our work," he said.
Slowing, not slacking

If it all sounds to you like the musings from a slacker's manifesto, you're not yet in tune with the concept of the slow life. Resist the tug of technology: turn off your mobile, don't send that email just yet and try and forget, just for a few minutes, about the thousand tedious tasks that you feel need to be done.

Slowing down doesn't mean opting out or even downshifting, and reclaiming the term slow from pejorative uses is part of the (slow and steady) battle of people like Carl Honoré.

The stigma attached to slowing down equates it with an idleness at odds with the dominant work ethos of always doing more and doing it faster.

As well as the slow food movement, there are slow towns, aiming to improve the quality of life for inhabitants and making them more pleasant places to live. It's more a philosophical statement rather than a directive. Ludlow was the first UK town to achieve slow town status, but admittedly, life in this Shropshire market town has never been anything other than sedate.

"But why slow down when you can multi-task," you might ask? Well, multi-tasking is a flawed skill and there's been plenty of scientific research to prove it.

"Multi-tasking is going to slow you down, increasing the chances of mistakes," David E. Meyer, a cognitive scientist and director of the Brain, Cognition and Action Laboratory at the University of Michigan, told the New York Times. "Disruptions and interruptions are a bad deal from the standpoint of our ability to process information."

That's not to say that people who have trouble walking and chewing gum at the same time are more enlightened, but most people who have juggled a number of tasks at the same time won't need scientific research to confirm that by doing many things at once, you're less likely to do any of them well.
Have your head in the clouds

One man gently mocking the meaninglessness of modern life and taking things slower is Gavin Pretor-Pinney. As author of The Cloud Spotter's Handbook and co-founder of The Idler magazine he's literally reclaiming 'blue sky thinking' from business buzzword blabber.

His book was a best seller in the UK last year and there is now a web site called The Cloud Appreciation Society. While the book is filled with fascinating facts and anecdotes about clouds, it's just as much an exercise in contemplation and rejection of the accepted goals of modern life, something that fits well into the slow life canon.

"The speed at which clouds develop and change is so gradual; it's quite the opposite of the pace of life in the city. By spending a little time contemplating clouds, you're really forced to slow down. It's a kind of meteorological meditation," he says.

"Most people walk around looking at the floor, but the whole act of looking upwards is almost like a yogic exercise; you broaden your perspective and open your vision."

After ten years working as art director for The Idler magazine and doing other freelance graphics work to pay the rent he and co-founder Tom Hodgkinson decided to take a sabbatical for six months. As it's only produced twice a year, it only wiped out one issue.

"I did a flat swap with someone in Rome with the intention of doing absolutely nothing. I wrestled with all the psychological aspects of this, wondering if I was just being irresponsible and wasting half a year."

He ended up doing a lot of research for his book and found the whole experience of taking time out incredibly rewarding.

"By giving myself space and taking a break from thinking that I had to achieve something really let ideas take form. I ended up moving from being a designer to a writer and really pursuing my interests," he said.

Clouds have a universal appeal, as does taking a sabbatical from work. For many who can't afford this luxury, the benefits of taking time to appreciate the clouds or just giving yourself time to do something you really enjoy is always worth it.

As Carl Honoré says quite simply: "By slowing down at the right moments we do stuff better."

For Pretor-Pinney there is the irony is that while his cloud life is a fine practical example of The Idler ethos, he has found himself as the head of The Cloud Appreciation Society, an international association with more than 8,000 members in 45 countries.

"I spend so much time on it now that clouds have almost taken over my life, but it just goes to show that if instead of pursuing the money and you follow what you like doing and do it well, good things and even money will come from it."

Tips to live a slow life

# Drink more tea -- making a cup of tea is the perfect pursuit and displacement activity to idly consider absolutely nothing and everything. Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu called it an essential ingredient in the elixir of life, so it can't be bad.

# Walk more -- what could be better than moving at a pace nature intended and getting some fresh air round your chops. You'll see much more than by taking public transport or driving.

# Realize that time is nothing more than an abstract concept used to measure the distance between to points, it's futile and pointless to even consider 'beating' it, so don't try.

# Watch cricket - don't worry about the rules, it's a game that takes five days to play and at the end there often isn't a winning team. As a spectator sport it's as much about watching the grass grow as appreciating a fine cover drive.

# Take up cabinet making -- you can't rush a good piece of furniture. (cnn.com)

A NEW York man has sued the makers of a health drink, saying it has given him a permanent erection for the last two years.

Christopher Woods said he drank the vitamin-enriched Boost Plus, made by the Swiss-based Novartis pharmaceutical company, on June 5, 2004.

He woke up the next morning "with an erection that would not subside" and sought treatment of the condition, called severe priapism, court papers say.

Mr Woods, 29, had a penile implant to move blood from one area to another, according to the Associated Press.

The lawsuit filed yesterday said Mr Woods later had problems that required him to have blood vessels in his penis closed off, a procedure that lessens the likelihood of an erection.

Novartis's Boost Plus website described the drink as "a great-tasting, high calorie, nutritionally complete oral supplement for people who require extra energy and protein in a limited volume", in vanilla, chocolate and strawberry.

Mr Woods' lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, names Novartis Consumer Health Inc as a defendant.

A spokeswoman for Novartis said the company was aware of the lawsuit but would not comment. (news.com.au June 6, 2007)

Let us not belittle Cloud 9. It tastes better than KitKat. Ask Chin.

Quote from: mfrandsen on June 06, 2007, 08:49:05 PM
pareha jud ta, ako man sab gi ignore at first pero sa nadugay I tried to visit here and then register.. On my first day in this site, I spent 4 hours in front of the computer just to read and post in tubag bohol.. I think i can call that addicted too hehehe

once many become addicted with tubag bohol, our next move is to build a rehabilitation center for all tubag bohol addicts. thanks for your encouraging words. ako kanunay inyong alagad.

daghan kaayo falls sa bohol. dili lang kaayo sikat kay beaches and chocolate hills man ang priority sa promotion. and we have hundreds of awesome caves dotting around the province.

sa pilipinas lang nga makapamukaw ta sa silingan kung dunay kabilinggan. sa thailand, pareha pud. thais are friendly. i remember sa UK, dihay news early this year that a woman died two years ago, but walay nakahibalo nga in that house naay babaye gapuyo nga namatay na for two years. didto ra pud siya nadugta. i don't know why wala manimaho. perhaps tungod sa ka-busy sa mga tao, wala napud sila kapanimaho.

maayo lang ug wala nay dinamita. kusog ra ba dynamite fishing diha dapit sa northeastern bohol. sa amo pud sa anda kaniadto. my father is a policeman. sige ko kauban niya sauna manakop ug manenero (dynamite fishers).

you're right, Min. And most of the time we only come to admire our own place once we already away from home.

Wa pa mosubang ang bulan.

do you love bisayan poems? 

Yadz, all for the love of Bohol. and for the glory of God.

maajong gabii usab nimo diha, senyorito. maayo kay nahidangat ka na sa atong website. pwede ba mi makaandam ug sikwate para nimo?

wala na min kay matangtang man ang tunok pag patay na ang suwaki. patay na ni nga suwaki. must be more than a week under the sun.

When the sport of basketball was first invented, the game was played with a soccer ball.

The Republican Party is often referred to as the GOP, that stands for Grand Old Party.

On a standard telephone keypad, the letters T, U, and V are matched to the number 8.

The City of Hollywood was founded by a temperance society and only non-drinkers were allowed to live there.

A V8 engine is shaped like a "V" and has eight cylinders.

Manhole covers are round because that way they can not fall through the hole.

All insects have 3 pairs of legs.

Polar Bears have black skin.

Lady Godiva rode naked on a horse through the streets of Coventry to persuade her husband, Earl of Mercia, to reduce oppressive taxes.

Human sneeze particles have been clocked at more than 100 miles per hour.

Jonas Grumby was the name of the skipper on Gilligan's Island.

According to Ms. Post, if a soup bowl has two handles, you may use both hands to raise it delicately to your mouth.

Despite being one of the most successful touring bands in history, the Dead's only top ten single was 1987's "Touch of Grey".

Toni Morrison won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for fiction for her novel "Beloved", which Opra Winfrey made into a movie in 1998.

Contrary to its name, the Cubist art movement was not founded in Cuba, it originated in Paris in the early 20th century.

Electric eels can discharge with enough power to kill a horse, or you.

When facing forward on a ship, starboard is always to the right.

The wingspan of a Boeing 747 is longer than the Wright brothers' historic first flight.

Eagles mate in mid air.

Lined up in a row, it takes about two hundred million atoms to reach one inch.

A special day for mothers was first proposed by American poet Julia Ward Howe in 1872 and proclaimed a day of national observance by president Wilson in 1915.

Traditionally, the third wedding anniversary is called the leather anniversary.

The decathlon events are the triple jump, the 100 meter dash, shot put, high jump, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500 meter run.

Monica Lewinsky bought her infamous blue dress at The Gap.

Pink hearts, orange stars, yellow moons, and green clover were the original marshmallow pieces featured in the popular general mills cereal.

The 100 years war lasted 116 years, from 1337 to1453.

Capers are pickled flower buds.

The opposite sides of Las Vegas-standard dice always add up to seven.

The football huddle was first used in the 19th century by a team at a college for the deaf.

K stands for the element potassium on the periodic scale.

Alligators are able to out run humans, and can climb trees.

During the Neolithic revolution which began some 12,000 years ago, agricultural practices first appeared in human settlements all around the world.

The whip was the first man-made invention to break the sound barrier.

A football team and a soccer team field the same number of players.

Olympus Mons rises 16 miles above the Martian surface, making it the tallest geological formation known.

Margaret Thatcher held the office of prime minister of Great Britain longer than any other person in the 20th century.

Light travels at 187,000 miles per second, while sound travels at 1,100 feet per second.

Earnest Hemingway volunteered in the American Red Cross during the Spanish Civil War, where he was wounded from a mortar shell explosion and subsequently cared for by an American nurse.

The Teddy Bear was named after Teddy Roosevelt after he refused to kill a defenseless bear cub while on a hunting trip in Mississippi.

Stalagmites are the cone shaped deposits that rise from the floor of a cave.  Stalactites hand from the roof.

Harriet Tuabman a slave, born Araminta Ross, escaped in 1849, but secretly returned to slave territory 19 times to lead others including her own parents to freedom in the north, became know as "the Moses of her people".

Talk-show host Jerry Springer was elected mayor of Cincinnati by the largest margin in that city's history at the age of 33, in 1977.

The Earth is the closest planet to the sun to be orbited by a moon

Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest person ever to be president of the United States.

If the earth were the size of an apple, it would feel as smooth as a billiard ball.

One horsepower is equal to about 746 watts.

Presidents Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were both impeached by the House and acquitted by the senate.

Catgut is made from sheep, Hog, or Horse intestines, not from cats.

Identical twins do not have identical finger prints.

Tigers have striped skin as well as striped fur.

 A KLM 747-400 flight from Amsterdam to Australia carries an average of just over 1,000 kilograms of food, and some 1,324 litres of drink - from mineral water to wine and whisky.


AMERICAN AIRLINES saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first class.

Free travel trivia facts.

The abbreviation ORD for Chicago's O'Hare airport comes from the old name "Orchard Field."

KLM is the worlds' oldest airline established in 1919.   


According to the Air Transportation Association of America, about 1.8 million passengers are up in the sky over the US on 24,600 flights on an average day. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, now the world's busiest, handled 80.2 million passengers in 2000.


Cholulu de Rivadahia in Mexico is the largest pyramid in the world (177 feet tall and covers 25 acres) The most densely populated country is The Netherlands followed by Belgium, then Japan

The country with the most number of islands is Finland The country that is the largest producer of cork is Portugal


Tennessee is bordered by eight states This is more than any other USA state KY, MI, AR, MS, AL, GE, NC, VA

Damascus (or Dimashq) has the reputation of being the oldest city in the world, perhaps being settled as long ago as 8,000 BC.

The Eiffel Tower was officially opened March 31, 1889. The date refers to the day the flag was hoisted to the top of the Tower.

The Eiffel Tower was indeed designed by Gustave Eiffel (1832 - 1923).

The Tower uses 7,500,000 kilowatts each year with over 500,000 for illuminations. It was built for the Universal Exhibition held in Paris in celebration of the French Revolution.

In 2000 6,315,324 people visited La Tour Eiffel.

The three largest cities in South America are Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, and Rio de Janeiro.

Malaysia is the Asian nation that will be the home for the Petronas Towers, the tallest buildings in the world.

Istanbul in Turkey has spread to both sides of the Bosporus Straight and thus spans two continents.

Japanese tourists spend the most money per capita in foreign lands.

Chinese are the largest ethnic minority in Vietnam.

Paramount, a California town, was named after the major movie studio.

Chile is bordered by Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, and Argentina.

Africa is the continent that has the most countries represented in the U.N.

Kuwait is bordered by Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

The Mediterranean sea gets it's name from the Latin phrase meaning "sea in the middle of land".

Kenya is central to the books "Out of Africa" and "The Green Hills of Africa"

All swans and all sturgeons in England are property of the Queen.

A Cornish game hen is really a young chicken, usually 5 to 6 weeks of age, that weighs no more than 2 pounds.

A father Emperor penguin withstands the Antarctic cold for 60 days or more to protect his eggs, which he keeps on his feet, covered with a feathered flap.

Most father penguins lose about 25 pounds while they wait for their babies to hatch.

A woodpecker can peck twenty times a second.  Fun online bird facts and trivia.

Parrots, most famous of all talking birds, rarely acquire a vocabulary of more than twenty words, however Tymhoney Greys and African Greys have been know to carry vocabularies in excess of 100 words.

By feeding hens certain dyes they can be made to lay eggs with varicolored yolks.

Lovebirds are small parakeets who live in pairs.

Macaroni, Gentoo, Chinstrap and Emperor are types of penguins.

Owls have eyeballs that are tubular in shape, because of this, they cannot move their eyes.

Pet parrots can eat virtually any common "people-food" except for chocolate and avocados. Both of these are highly toxic to the parrot and can be fatal.

The average adult male ostrich, the world's largest living bird, weighs up to 345 pounds.

The fastest bird is the Spine-tailed swift, clocked at speeds of up to 220 miles per hour.

The hummingbird is the only bird that can hover and fly straight up, down, or backward!

The hummingbird, the loon, the swift, the kingfisher, and the grebe are all birds that cannot walk.

The largest bird egg in the world today is that of the ostrich. Ostrich eggs are from 6 to 8 inches long. Because of their size and the thickness of their shells, they take 40 minutes to hard-boil.

The most frequently seen birds at feeders across North America last winter were the Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch and American goldfinch, along with downy woodpeckers, blue jays, mourning doves, black-capped chickadees, house sparrows, northern cardinals and European starlings.

The Kiwi, national bird of New Zealand, can't fly. It lives in a hole in the ground, is almost blind, and lays only one egg each year. Despite this, it has survived for more than 70 million years.

The turkey was named for what was wrongly thought to be its country of origin.

In Massachusetts, it is illegal to feed ducks on Sunday between the hours of 5am and 12pm while humming.

If an average man had a metabolism comparable to that of a hummingbird he would have to eat 285 pounds of hamburger every day to maintain his weight.

Bowerbirds of Australia and New Guinea decorate their courting grounds with everything from beetle wings to car keys.


Since 1600, 109 species and subspecies of birds have become extinct.

Emus have double-plumed feathers, and they lay emerald/forest green eggs.

A hummingbird weighs less than a penny.

Percentage of bird species that are monogamous: 90

Ostriches stick their heads in the sand to look for water.

An eagle can kill a young deer and fly away with it.

A group of chickens is called a peep.

The longest recorded flight of a chicken is thirteen seconds. (triviaplaying.com)

Insect trivia facts. Most people would consider the largest insect to be the bulkiest, in this case the  Acteon Beetle (Megasoma acteon) from South America the males of which can be 9cms long by 5cms wide by 4cms thick Insect trivia and facts.

A one-day old baby cockroach, about the size of a spec of dust, can run almost as fast as its parents.

More human deaths have been attributed to fleas than all the wars ever fought. As carriers of the bubonic plague, fleas were responsible for killing one-third of the population of Europe in the 14th century.

Bees must collect the nectar from two thousand flowers to make one tablespoonful of honey.

A dragonfly has a lifespan of 24 hours.

Ants cannot chew their food, they move their jaws sideways, like scissors, to obtain the juices from the food.

There are more beetles than any other kind of creature in the world.

Crickets hear through their knees.

Most spiders belong to the orb weaver spider family, Family Aranidae. This is pronounced "A Rainy Day."

It is a misdemeanor to kill or threaten a butterfly -- so says City Ordinance No. 352 in Pacific Grove, California.

A flea expert is a pullicologist.

Dragonflies are one of the fastest insects, flying 50 to 60 mph.

The Madagascan Hissing Cockroach is one of the few insects who give birth to live young, rather than laying eggs.

In its entire lifetime, the average worker bee produces 1/12th teaspoon of honey.

Tapeworms range in size from about 0.04 inch to more than 50 feet in length.

Megaphragma caribea from Guadeloupe, measuring out at a huge 0.17 mm long, is now probably the smallest known insect in the world.

Scientist have recorded the otherwise inconspicuous Springtails at densities as high 100,000,000 per square meter in the ordinary farm soil of Iowa U.S.A.

In Africa swarms of Orthoptera ( Desert Locusts Schistocerca gregaria) may contain as many as 28,000,000,000 individuals.

The highest sustained ground speed recorded is that of the black cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon) which flies at speeds of between 97 and 113 km/h (60-70 mph)

The dehydrated larvae of the African chironomid Polypedilum vanderplanki were able to withstand exposure to liquid helium (-270 C) for up to 5 min. with a 100% survival rate

The "long-tailed" South African Scorpion (Hadogenes troglodytes) reaches a length of over 8 inches, and is probably the longest scorpion in the world.

The average scorpion probably lives three to five years, but some species undoubtedly live at least 10-15 years.

The world's largest roach (which lives in South America) is six inches long with a one-foot wingspan.

A cockroach can live a week without its head. The roach only dies because without a mouth, it can't drink water and dies of thirst.

Roaches can live without food for a month, but will only survive a week without water.

The House Fly is often a carrier of diseases, such as typhoid fever, cholera, dysentery, and anthrax.

The complete life-cycle of a house fly takes from 10 to 21 days. (triviaplaying.com)

Cats in Halifax, Nova Scotia, have a very high probability of having six toes.

A cat's jaws can not move sideways.

Pigs, walruses and light-colored horses can be sunburned.

Armadillos can be house broken.

Armadillos have four babies at a time, always all the same sex. They are perfect quadruplets, the fertilized cell split into quarters, resulting in four identical armadillos.

Armadillos get an average of 18.5 hours of sleep per day.

Armadillos can walk underwater. Fun animal facts.

Armadillos are the only animal besides humans that can get leprosy.

Police dogs are trained to react to commands in a foreign language; commonly German but more recently Hungarian or some other Slavic tongue.

A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.

Reindeer like to eat bananas.

The Pug dog is thought to have gotten it's name from looking like the pug monkey.

The newest dog breed is the Bull Boxer, first bred in the United states in 1990-91.

The only domestic animal not mentioned in the Bible is the cat.

A bear has 42 teeth.

A cat has four rows of whiskers.

When angered, the ears of Tazmanian devils turn a pinkish-red.

Porcupines float in water.

Giraffes have no vocal cords.

Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs only have about ten.

Mice, whales, elephants, giraffes and man all have seven neck vertebra.

Goat's eyes have rectangular pupils.

Murphy's Oil Soap is the chemical most commonly used to clean elephants.

Many hamsters only blink one eye at a time.

Hamsters love to eat crickets.

In the last 4000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.

Camel's milk does not curdle.

There are only two animals with blue tongues, the Black Bear and the Chow dog.

A 1,200-pound horse eats about seven times it's own weight each year.

A chimpanzee can learn to recognize itself in a mirror, but monkeys can't.

A cow gives nearly 200,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime.

A Holstein's spots are like a fingerprint or snowflake. No two cows have exactly the same pattern of spots.

A polecat is not a cat. It is a nocturnal European weasel.

A zebra is white with black stripes.

All pet hamsters are descended from a single female wild golden hamster found with a litter of 12 young in Syria in 1930.

An adult lion's roar can be heard up to five miles away, and warns off intruders or reunites scattered members of the pride.

Beaver teeth are so sharp that Native Americans once used them as knife blades.

Camels have three eyelids to protect themselves from blowing sand.

Catnip can affect lions and tigers as well as house cats. It excites them because it contains a chemical that resembles an excretion of the dominant female's urine.

Cheetahs make a chirping sound that is much like a bird's chirp or a dog's yelp. The sound is so an intense, it can be heard a mile away.

Despite its reputation for being finicky, the average cat consumes about 127,750 calories a year, nearly 28 times its own weight in food and the same amount again in liquids. In case you were wondering, cats cannot survive on a vegetarian diet.

Developed in Egypt about 5,000 years ago, the greyhound breed was known before the ninth century in England, where it was bred by aristocrats to hunt such small game as hares.

Dolphins sleep at night just below the surface of the water. They frequently rise to the surface for air.

During World War II, the very first bomb dropped on Berlin by the Allies killed the only elephant in the Berlin Zoo.

Elephant tusks grow throughout an elephant's life and can weigh more than 200 pounds. Among Asian elephants, only the males have tusks. Both sexes of African elephants have tusks.

The first bird domesticated by man was the goose.

There are more chickens in the world than people.

Chickens absorb vitamin-D through their combs from sunshine.

The average hen will lay 227 eggs a year

Roosters can't crow if they can't fully extend their necks.

A group of geese on the ground is gaggle, a group of geese in the air is skein.

A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.

Chickens that lay brown eggs have red ear lobes. There is a genetic link between the two.

The female pig is the fastest barnyard mama. Miss Piggy gestates in three months, three weeks, and three days.

The underside of a horse's hoof is called a frog. The frog peels off several times a year with new growth.

The placement of a donkey's eyes in its' head enables it to see all four feet at all times.

It is possible to lead a cow upstairs but not downstairs, because a cows' knees can't bend properly to walk back down.

Lots of animal trivia.

A female swine, or a sow, will always have a even number of teats or nipples, usually twelve.

A pig is a hog -- hog is a generic name for all swine -- but a hog is not a pig. In the terminology of hog raising, a pig is a baby hog less than ten weeks old. Source: "2201 Fascinating Facts"

Twelve or more cows are known as a "flink."

The longest recorded flight of a chicken is thirteen seconds.

A Holstein's spots are like fingerprints -- no two cows have the same pattern of spots.

A pig's orgasm lasts for 30 minutes.

A pig's penis is shaped like a corkscrew.

A pig's skin is thickest at the back -- 1/6 of an inch.

The "wild" horses of western North America are actually feral, not wild.

Over the average lifespan of 11 years, a dog will cost you $13,350.00.

When a female horse and male donkey mate, the offspring is called a mule, but when a male horse and female donkey mate, the offspring is called a hinny.

The way to get more mules is to mate a male donkey with a female horse.

A donkey will sink in quicksand but a mule won't.

Pigs, walruses and light-colored horses can be sunburned.

Today's cattle are descended from two species: wild aurochs -- fierce and agile herd animals that populated Asia, North Africa and Europe -- and eotragus -- anantelope-like, Asian forest creature.

Horses cannot vomit.

Goat's eyes have rectangular pupils.

A 1,200-pound horse eats about seven times it's own weight each year.

A capon is a castrated rooster.

A Cornish game hen is really a young chicken, usually 5 to 6 weeks of age, that weighs no more than 2 pounds.

A cow gives nearly 200,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime.

A Holstein's spots are like a fingerprint or snowflake. No two cows have exactly the same pattern of spots.

A normal cow's stomach has four compartments: the rumen, the recticulum (storage area), the omasum (where water is absorbed), and the abomasum ( the only compartment with digestive juices).

A quarter of the horses in the US died of a vast virus epidemic in 1872.

It is physically impossible for pigs to lookup into the sky.

Brown eggs come from hens with red feathers and red ear lobes; white eggs come from hens with white feathers and white ear lobes. Shell color is determined by the breed of hen and has no effect on its quality, nutrients or flavor.

Diamond is the hardest naturally occurring substance, and is also one of the most valuable natural substances. Diamonds are crystals formed almost entirely of carbon. Because of its hardness, the diamond is the most enduring of all gemstones. They are among the most costly jewels in the world, partly because they are rare, Only four important diamond fields have been found - in Africa, South America, India, and the Soviet Union.

In 1957, the Shipping port Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania, the first nuclear facility to generate electricity in the United States, went on line. (It was taken out of service in 1982.)

In 1982, in the first operation of its kind, doctors at the University of Utah Medical Center implanted a permanent artificial heart in the chest of retired dentist Dr. Barney Clark, who lived 112 days with the device.

Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature.

Mineral deposits in caves: The ones growing upward are stalagmites, the ones growing downward are stalactites.

Natural gas has no odor. The smell is added artificially so that leaks can be detected.

Prussic acid, in a crystalline powder called Zyklon B, was used to kill in Germany's gas chambers. The gas would paralyze the victim's lungs, causing them to suffocate.

Sea water, loaded with mineral salts, weighs about a pound and a half more per cubit foot than fresh water at the same temperature.

Ten per cent of the salt mined in the world each year is used to de-ice the roads in America.

The air we breathe is 78% nitrogen, 21.5% oxygen, .5% argon and other gases.

The Chinese were using aluminum to make things as early as 300 AD Western civilization didn't rediscover aluminum until 1827.

The Cullinan Diamond is the largest gem-quality diamond ever discovered. Found in 1905, the original 3,100 carats were cut to make jewels for the British Crown Jewels and the British Royal family's collection.

The largest gold nugget ever found weighed 172 lbs., 13 oz.

The largest hailstone ever recorded was 17.5 inches in diameter - bigger than a basketball.

The most abundant metal in the Earth's crust is aluminum.

The only rock that floats in water is pumice.

The three most common elements in the universe are 1) hydrogen; 2) helium; 3) oxygen.

The United States government keeps its supply of silver at the US Military Academy at West Point, NY.

A diamond will not dissolve in acid. The only thing that can destroy it is intense heat.

A lump of pure gold the size of a matchbox can be flattened into a sheet the size of a tennis court.

Absolutely pure gold is so soft that it can be molded with the hands.

An ounce of gold can be stretched into a wire 50 miles long.

Colored diamonds are caused by impurities such as nitrogen (yellow), boron (blue). With red diamonds being due to deformities in the structure of the stone, and green ones being the result of irradiation.

So far she's the only Filipina who has dared to offer her uterus... 

...blast from the past...
     
      To suppress the insurgency in Bohol and to retaliate and avenge their losses encountered in Kabantian pass, the Americans intensified their campaigns against the insurgents who were camping in the different parts of the province. They heard about the two insurgent encampments in Bohol. Valmoria's campsite was in the upper part of Lonoy somewhere in Boctol or Claveceta mountain range overlooking Sierra-Bullones. Lonoy is a hilly barrio of Jagna, more or less 10 kilometers from the poblacion. In going to the place, one has to always go upward, following narrow winding paths or chopped roads by the hills. Its terrain is a good ambush site along the route to the Boholano camps. On March 5, 1901 Miguel Valmoria received a communication from the general headquarters of Pedro Samson that the Americans had started moving towards his (Valmoria's) camp.

On the following day he ordered Captain Gregorio Caseñas to prepare everything because his camp (Caseñas')  will be first to be attacked. Believing that the American troops will pass through Lonoy, Jagna via a narrow path they dug trenches and foxholes at both sides, covered and camouflaged. In the trenches and foxholes there were more than four hundred patriots waiting for the zero hour. On the morning of March 8, 1901 two American platoons attacked the Boholanos from the rear while another two platoons one on each end of the pass served as blocking forces.

Betrayed by a fellow Boholano, a certain Francisco Salas guided the Americans to the position of the Boholanos along the path to the rear of the defenses. The Boholanos in the trenches caught in surprise, were not able to raise their spears, were either shot or bayoneted in the covered foxholes. Four hundred six were dead including Captain Caseñas. Only seven were able to escape. The Americans had olny three casualties.

         If we scan over the pages of the Philippine history we always associate our minds to Ferdinand Magellan who discovered the Philippines and the first white man to set foot on a brown man’s domain. As we peruse further to the subsequent pages we will be led to know of a brown man who became the foremost world diplomat and who courageously forged a treaty of friendship in a manner so unique in the annals of world diplomacy to a white man who made another expedition to the islands after Magellan was forced to drop anchor in Bohol shores and met Sikatuna due to bad weather.

          Datu Sikatuna, Bohol Chieftain, made a treaty of friendship with Captain Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, the Spanish conquistador in a native way by cutting a small incision in the arms of each and a few drops of blood were placed in separate cups containing wine and both chiefs drank the mixture. Thus, a bond of friendship was sealed in accordance with the native practice which is now known as "Sandugo" or Blood Compact.

          To perpetuate Sikatuna’s patriotic deeds, the Philippine government has established the Order of Sikatuna as the highest decoration accorded to persons who have fostered diplomatic relations with other countries. Everytime we hear about the Order of Sikatuna being bestowed by the President on any one for promoting world peace, the Boholanos are always honored. The Boholanos commemorate the Blood Compact every March 16 of every year to enliven the memory of Datu Sikatuna. (members.tripod.com/nitmart)

            In the early part of April 1942 Cebu was invaded by the Japanese. An aircraft carrier landed on the vicinity of the Jetafe waterfront. Thinking there was a landing, Philippine army stationed in Dat-an, Carmen, Bohol moved to Jetafe the whole night. Under the mantle of darkness, they took their most strategic position in camouflage hiding behind buri palm thickets. Aware of the movement of the Philippine Army the night before, an observation was made on the following morning. A Japanese reconnaisance plane made the observation over Jetafe. Philippine army in their strategic bivouac started shooting at the plane. Japanese planes started and dropped napalm and heavy bombs on the hiding place of the Filipino soldiers. From the carrier, large canon balls were fired, stripping the town. Coconut trees and tall vegetation were knocked down. After less than an hour of skirmishes, Filipino soldiers took cover in different directions but the Japanese planes followed them with machine guns. Several soldiers were killed right on the spot. The scattered turso of Lt. Pio Campos, the commanding officer, were found else where. Other soldiers were found dead on the nearby hills late in the evening by a rescue team led by Lt. Jaime Borja. (members.tripod.com/nitmart)

         The people of Bohol are said to be descendants of the last group of inhabitants who settled in the Philippines called Pintados (the tattooed ones).   Before the Spaniards arrived in 1521, Boholanos already had a culture of their own as evidenced by the artifacts dug at Mansasa, Tagbilaran, and in Dauis and Panglao using designs during the Ming dynasty (960-1279).  They  already had a system of writing but most of the materials used were perishable like leaves and bark.  They spoke a language similar to that of the nearby provinces.

          The name Bohol is thought to be derived from the name of the barrio of Bo-ol, a barangay found in Tagbilaran City which was among the first places toured by the Magellan expedition.  History has it that one of the Spanish ships of Magellan (the Concepcion) was burned in this province after Magellan was killed by Lapulapu in Mactan.  In 1565 Miguel Lopez de Legazpi anchored in Jagna, one of the eastern municipalities of Bohol.  He made a blood compact with the Chiefs Sikatuna and Sigala in a small village near the present capital of the province, Tagbilaran City, signifying they were blood brothers.  The province became a Jesuit mission in 1595.  At this time, Bohol was a part of the province of Cebu and was called a residencia. It became a separate politico-military province on July 22, 1854, together with the island province of Siquijor.  In 1879, there were 34 towns belonging to the province with a total population of  253,103.

          Two significant revolts were recorded during the Spanish regime.  The Tamblot Uprising in 1621 led by a native priest or "babaylan", and the Dagohoy Rebellion from 1744 to 1829 led by Francisco Dagohoy which is considered as the longest revolt recorded in the annals of Philippine history.  American forces seized the province in March 17, 1900.

          Bohol is the home province of the fourth President of the Republic of the Philippines, Carlos Polistico Garcia (1957-1960) who was born in the municipality of Talibon. (members.tripod.com/nitmart)

Francisco Dagohoy holds the distinction of having led the longest revolt (1744-1829) in the Philippines.


         There are no available records that contain information about his parentage, birthday and boyhood.

         Dagohoy's brother, a constable, was requested by the Jesuit.

         Gaspar Morales, who was in charge of the disrict of Inabangan, Bohol to go after and bring back a renegade indio who had fled to the mountains. The renegade killed Constable Dagohoy instead. When he heard of his brother's death, Francisco went to the mountain and brought his brother's body back to the village so that it could be given a Christian burial. Great was the disappointment of Francisco when Father Morales, in whose service his brother had lost his life, refused.

        The priest did not want to have the body buried in consecrated ground because he had been killed in a fight. Far three days the corpse remained unburied and rotting. Angered at this arbitrary and harsh treatment, Dagohoy swore vengeance on the Jesuits, and persuaded the natives of his district to join him. Soon he had about 3,Q00 men following him to the mountains. On their way they plundered a large and valuable Jesuit estate named San Xavier which was well stacked with cows, carabaos, horses? pigs, and other animals.

          In an inaccessible region in the mountains between Inabangan and Talibon, Dagohoy established his headquarters and proclaimed the independence of Bohol. Under his direction and supervision, the Boholano patriots fortified their stronghold with. trenches of big rocks. They built numerous dwellings for the families who joined their cause and cleared the surrounding forest to plant food crops. They plundered the lowlands for their other necessities.

          Dagohoy and his men sallied out in lightning raids on the lowland towns, assaulting the local Spanish garrisons, looting the churches, and slaughtering Spaniards, particularly the Jesuit priests. On January 24, 1745 one of Dagohoy's bold warriors killed Father Ciuseppe Lamberti, an italian Jesuit and parish priest of Jagna. Shortly after, the hated Father Morales was killed. Dagohoy's personal vengeance was fulfilled. But he continued his rebellion, for his armed movement was organized not merely to liquidate a personal enemy, but to regain the lost freedom of his people and to make his beloved Bohol once more a land of free men.

          The Spanish authorities were worried by the remarkable successes of Dagohoy. In 1747 Bishop Juan de Arrechedera of Manila, then acting governor-general, dispatched a Spanish expedition to Bohol under the command of Don Pedro Lechuga Dagohoy resisted this expedition and forced it to withdraw to Zamboanga. Later Bishop Line de Espeleta of Cebu, who became acting archbishop and governor-general, tried to pacify the rebels. But Dagohoy refused to listen to him The flames of rebellion rose higher than ever.

          The Recollects replaced the Jesuits, and Father Pedro de Santa Barbara, who was stationed in Baclayon, ascended the mountains to interview Dagohoy. He was welcomed and well treated, but Dagohoy courteously refused to give up Bohol's independence. Supplementing the peace efforts of the Recollects, Governor-General Jose Raon offered amnesty and pardon to Dagohoy and his followers if they would lay down their arms. Dagohoy spurned this offer, saying that his people were enjoying the good life of a free people.

          From 1744 to 1829, a long period of 85 years, the Boholanos successfully maintained their independence and preserved it with fierce courage and flaming partriotism. It seemed probable that Dagohoy died before the year 1829 in his mountain kingdom either of old age or of sickness. His followers, imbued by his indomitable courage and fearless heroism carried on the fight for independence. Twenty Spanish governors-general, from Gaspar de la Torre (1739-1745) to Mariano Ricafort (1825-1830), failed to suppress the libertarian struggle.

          The death of Dagohoy greatly weakened the cause of the Boholanos. Governor Ricafort, an able and energetic administrator, exerted efforts to conquer the island of Bohol. He dispatched strong expeditions to the island in May, 1827 and in April, 1828. The following year, Captain Manuel Sent, a veteran Spanish soldier conducted the last drive against the Bohol patriots.

          Missing Dagohoy's excellent leadership, the Boholanos made their last stand in the mountain of Boasa. Two brave brothers named Handog and Auag, commanded the patriots. They resisted the enemy with extreme courage, but their efforts were in vain. They also had three lieutenants who must have taken their place and at least one of them probably lived to the time of the surrender. They were Ignacio Aranez, Pedro Bagio and Bernabe Samonte. By August 31, 1829, the last flames of the rebellion were put out. Dagohoy's survivors agreed to recognize Spain's rule once more.

          According to Captain Sanz's combat report, 19,420 Boholanos surrendered while 3,000 fled to other provinces. More than 400 Bohol lanes died in action during the last battle.

          Governor Ricafort, himself a brave soldier, admired the fighting spirit of Dagohoy's men. With magnanimity, he pardoned them and allowed them to live in peace in the lowland villages, now the towns of Batuan, Balilihan, Catigbian, and Pilar.

          During the 85 years of Bohol's independence, the patriotic Boholanos lived as free and sovereign people. They did not render forced labor nor pay tribute. They suffered neither racial discrimination nor social humiliation from the hands of the Spaniards. Dagohoy was able to maintain a government. His rule was firm and just. He was obeyed and, respected by his people. Governing like the datus of the pre-Spanish era, he was the chief executive, the supreme judge, and the military generalissimo. He was assisted by the old men in peace affairs and by the military captains in war matters.

          A historical marker on Dagohoy's grave in the mountain fastness of Danao, Bohol has been installed in his honor.

Note: Thanks to Capitan Berong for the link to this archive.

Brain uses both neural 'teacher' and 'tinkerer' in learning

June 4, 2007

While most people need peace and quiet to cram for a test, the brain itself may need noise to learn, a recent MIT study suggests. In experiments with monkeys, the researchers found that neural activities in the brain gradually change, even when nothing new is being learned. Challenging the monkeys to adjust their task triggered systematic changes in their neural activities on top of this background "noise."

The researchers said their findings suggest a new theory of how the brain learns.

"What surprised us most was that the neural representation of movement seems to change even when behavior doesn't seem to change at all," said Sebastian Seung, professor of physics and computational neuroscience and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. "This was a surprising degree of instability in the brain's representation of the world."

Seung and Institute Professor Emilio Bizzi led the study, which was published in the May 24 issue of the journal Neuron. Lead author on the study was Uri Rokni, a postdoctoral fellow in Seung's laboratory.

In earlier work, Bizzi and colleagues measured neural activities in the motor cortex while monkeys manipulated a handle to move a cursor to targets on a screen. In control experiments, the monkeys had to move the cursor to targets in the same way they had been trained. In learning experiments, the monkeys had to adapt their movements to compensate for novel forces applied to the handle.

The scientists found that even when the monkeys were performing the familiar control task, their neural activities gradually changed over the course of the session.

To explore the significance of these background changes, Rokni analyzed the data from the learning component of Bizzi's experiments. He found he could distinguish learning-related neural changes from the background changes that occurred during the control experiments. From this analysis, Rokni developed a working theory that combined the concepts of a redundant neural network and that of a "noisy" brain.

"A good analogy to redundant circuitry, which accomplishes the same behavior by different wiring configurations, would be a piece of text, in which you can say the same thing with different words," Rokni explained. "Our theory holds that the learning brain has the equivalent of a 'teacher' and a 'tinkerer'--a learning signal and noise in the learning process, respectively.

"In producing a specific piece of text, the tinkerer just randomly changes the words, while the teacher continually corrects the text to make it have the right meaning. The teacher only cares about the meaning and not the precise wording. When the teacher and tinkerer work together, the text keeps changing but the meaning remains the same. For example, the tinkerer may change the sentence 'John is married' to 'John is single,' and the teacher may correct it to 'John is not single.'

"In the same way, learning in the brain has two components--error-correction and noise--so that even though the neural representation keeps changing, the behavior remains fixed. We think the tinkerer, that is the noise, is not merely a nuisance to the teacher but is actually helping the teacher explore new possibilities it wouldn't have considered otherwise."

To test this idea, Rokni constructed a mathematical model of a redundant cortical network that controls movement and used it to simulate the learning experiment with the monkeys. In this model, learning of the connections between neurons was assumed to be a considerably noisy process. "When we ran the simulation long enough, the performance became good, but the neural representation kept changing, very similar to the experiments," Rokni said.

According to Rokni, the concepts of redundant networks and "noisy learning" have important implications for neurobiology. "I don't think this concept of redundancy--that the brain can say the same thing in different ways--has really been fully appreciated until now," he said.

"More practically, people who are constructing devices that translate brain signals to operate such external devices as neural prostheses will have to take such constantly changing neural representations into account," said Rokni.

--Courtesy Howard Hughes Medical Institute (mit.edu)

Hi Julai,

Maayong pag-abot dinhi sa Tubag Bohol. Feel free to use any language. Ayaw lang pag-ininsik dinhi.
Ila-ila diay mo ni Maricel. She is based in Denmark now.

We hope to see you here everyday!

All for the love of Bohol,

Tubag Bohol... "We Listen" Team

Hi Julai,

Way sapayan. Hope you could invite your friends to register here. We are posting tons of information about Bohol.

We are happy that you are now a member.

Sincerely,
Mike

P.S. Congrats sa igsuon sa imo lola!

Quote from: yadz26 on June 05, 2007, 01:56:01 PM
Sinful is how women has always described chocolate. But despite so, do you know that 99% of all women love chocolate and that they may actually prefer chocolate more to than to sex?

What exactly about chocolate is it so wonderful? Well, in fact it is not just the women who love it but almost everybody would love it too. I believe you enjoy chocolate just as much? It always feels so nice to have it melted in your mouth, delivering its wonderful taste right through your tongue, doesn’t it?

Well its wonderful taste aside, chocolate contains phenylethylamine - the same chemical that is released in your brain when you fall in love; leading to that increase in the pounding of your heart, feeling of a sudden gush of excitement. “Love Chemical” is what some would call it. It is also believed by researcher that phenylethylamine in turn causes the brain to release mesolimbic dopamine in the pleasure centers of the brain, another chemical where its presence is at peak during an or****m.

Nevertheless, the sweetness from chocolate also triggers the release of endorphins. Think about those blissful feeling you had after a wonderful session of lovemaking. That is the effect from the production of endorphins in your body. Perhaps that is why some women actually remarked that they felt a feeling of elation when eating chocolate

source: ezinearticles.com

...guess, that explains everything!

Well, chocolate is a multi-billion dollar business. Companies can pay research articles and surveys in order to boost sales of chocolates. They call it business strategy.

When was the last time, Cel? Hadlok ka diabetes?

magmosketero kung di kadala ug Baygon katol. 

Lumine, if it is true in Belgium, it is also true in most parts of the world.

Si Goliat ug Esteban gihapon paborito. Pero dili na pareha karon ug kaniadto. Mas grabe gyud sauna. Sa amo sa Anda, dugay na ko wa ka dungog nga naay mangimbitar ug taga dyHP para mo-drama sa fiesta. Lahi ra man pud ang mga dramatista sa stage ug sa radio station. Lahi ra ang performance.

No. My turn has not come. But soon, God willing.

But the people in Manila have filed a petition with the Supreme Court, demanding that Tagalog be taught from Grade 1 to Grade 6. Kita pud seguro mga Bisaya should file a petition that Bisaya be taught in public elementary schools.

Nganong ipamugos ma nang Tagalog sa mga Bisaya? Mas daghan ang mga Filipino nga nagsulti ug Bisaya kay sa Tagalog.

Wa na sila kuyapi?

The most important things in this world are those you don't see.
What shall it profit for a man to gain the whole world but losses his soul.
Let us put our faith in Christ Jesus who saves us from doom.

13. mag-raincoat kung maligo sa dagat...
14. mangluod kung dili bisitahon sa fiesta...
15. dili mokaon ug restaurant kay didto ra gyud sa balay magluto...
16. mahadlok maligo ug biernes...
17. magpa-advertise sa newspaper kung naay achievement...
18. manawag sa mga silingan kung naay utan nangka...
19. dili moinom ug tubig sa gripo kay mineral gyud!
20. matulog magkulob kay kaminyoon...

kinsay mosumpay sa 21 to .... unlimited ni....

better invite your brother to join us here, so when your birthday comes he could also post his birthday greetings for you.

how about the political dynasty issue? what do you think about it, leo?

By Christine G. Dulnuan, National Historical Institute

1. Trading with the Chinese. 10th century. They dominated Philippine commerce from then on.

2. Arrival of Arab traders and missionaries. Mid-14th century. They conducted trade and preached Islam in Sulu that later spread to other parts of the country.

3. Arrival of Ferdinand Magellan. March 1521. It marked the beginning of Spanish interest in the Philippines as several Spanish expeditions followed.

4. First Mass in the Philippines. March 31, 1521. It was held in Limasawa, an island in Southern Leyte. Symbolized the conversion of many Filipinos to Roman Catholicism.

5. Death of Ferdinand Magellan. April 27, 1521.

6. Landing of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in Cebu. 1565. This marked the beginning of Spanish dominion in the Philippines as Legazpi later established the seat of Spanish colonial government in Manila.

7. Blood Compact. March 1565. Spanish Captain General Legazpi and Rajah Sikatuna performed the blood compact in Bohol as a sign of peace agreement between their parties.

8. First agreement for peace in the Philippines. June 4, 1565. Rajah Tupas and Legazpi signed this treaty of peace. Through the treaty, Cebu would recognize the Spanish government, which, on the other hand, would provide protection to Cebu in times of wars.

9. Construction of the Church and Convent of Santo Niño, the first Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines, in Cebu by Rev. Father Andres de Urdaneta. 1565. This marked the beginning of Roman Catholicism in the Philippines as Spanish priests from other religious orders followed. The priests played significant roles in developing the country as a Spanish colony.

10. Shipbuilding. Early 1600s. Ships were built on Biliran Island and later in Cavite.

11. Longest Revolt in history. 1744-1829. Francisco Dagohoy led this longest uprising in Bohol against the Spanish government.

12. British invasion of Manila. September 23, 1762. The British invaded and occupied Manila until March 1764, when the Seven-Year War in Europe ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. The treaty compelled the British to return Manila and its environs to Spain.

13. Tobacco Monopoly. 1781. The Spanish government established this for business purposes. It served as a big source of revenue for the Spanish government until it was closed in 1882. During the period, tobacco farms and cigarette plants in the country increased and employed many Filipinos as farmers and factory workers.

14. Surnames for Filipinos. November 21, 1849. Governor Narciso Claveria y Zaldua issued a decree that provided for the use of Spanish surnames by Filipinos to facilitate census, tax collection and administration.

15. Cofradia de San Jose. 1832-41. Founded as a religious cult which attracted many members and alarmed the government. It was disbanded after one of its prominent leaders, Apolinario de la Cruz or Hermano Pule, was killed by the government forces on November 4, 1841.

16. Quarantine Station. 1850s. The Spanish government established the Lazareto de Mariveles in Bataan as a way of checking and sanitizing passengers and cargoes of foreign ships from contagious diseases before they could enter Manila. The Americans continued this practice in 1902 by establishing quarantine services in ports of entry.

17. Sugar industry in the Philippines. 1859. Nicholas Loney from England pioneered the sugar industry that contributed to the economic growth of Iloilo and Panay.

18. Cavite Mutiny. January 20, 1872. Sergeant Lamadrid led artillery regiments and some naval crews in capturing the arsenal of Fort San Felipe in Cavite. The event was local in scope and easily quelled, but Spanish priests used it to implicate their enemies in the clergy, resulting in the execution of Fathers Mariano Gomes, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora.

19. Execution of Burgos, Gomes and Zamora. February 17, 1872. The three priests, known in history as Gomburza, were garroted by the Spaniards in connection with the Cavite Mutiny.

20. Founding of La Solidaridad. 1889. The Filipino propagandists in Spain established this as the organ of the Propaganda Movement. Graciano Lopez Jaena and Marcelo H. del Pilar served as editors. It published essays and articles in Spanish expressing the Filipino demands for reforms in the Philippines. One of the writers was Jose Rizal.

21. Telephone system. 1890. The first telephone system in the Philippines is inaugurated. In 1906 the government put provincial telephone systems. In 1928 PLDT was granted franchise for the entire Philippines.

22. Establishment of Masonic Nilad Lodge or "Logia Central y Delegada." 1891. Pedro Serrano Laktaw, Moises Salvador and Jose Ramos established this Masonic lodge that was approved by Grande Oriente Español on March 10, 1892. Other lodges followed. Many Katipuneros were members of the Masonry.

23. Construction of Manila-Dagupan Railroad. 1892. It hastened transportation from Manila to Dagupan. Used by revolutionists and by American soldiers during the revolution. Another railroad was constructed in Iloilo in the early 1900s.

24 Founding of the Katipunan. July 7, 1892. Andres Bonifacio, Ladislaw Diwa and Teodoro Plata composed the first triangle of the secret society.

25. Exile of Dr. Jose Rizal. July 17, 1892. Rizal arrived in Dapitan to serve his exile. This agitated many Filipinos to fight the Spanish colonial government. The hero contributed much to the development of Dapitan during his exile.

26. Discovery of the Kati-punan. August 19, 1892. Its discovery led to the government’s crackdown on suspected members and Bonifacio’s immediate declaration of war against the Spanish government.

27. Cry of Pugad Lawin. August 23, 1892. The Katipuneros gathered in Pugad Lawin, tore their cedulas and declared war against Spain.

28. Battle of Pinaglabanan. August 31, 1896. The first battle between the Katipuneros and Spanish forces in San Juan, Rizal. Over a hundred Katipuneros were killed.

29. Battle of Zapote Bridge. February 19, 1897. One of the major battles of the Philippine Revolution.

30. Tejeros Convention. March 22, 1897. The Kati-puneros belonging to the Magdaló and Magdiwang councils changed the Kati-punan into a revolutionary government and elected its officers. Subsequent events resulted in the execution of Andres Boni-facio in Maragondon.

31. Acta de Tejeros. March 24, 1897. Bonifacio nullified the results of the elections during the Tejeros Convention.

Lately, power connection in our campus has not been that stable because of intermittent onslaught of strong rain and wind. Unlike in Bohol, the place where I live in is but a vast expanse of rice fields, and anywhere you turn you couldn't spot any shadow of hills or mountains.

My laptop has been stripped of its built-in battery as it was already unreliable. If I use the battery, I couldn't use the keyboard.

I don't know why.

Had I known that it was the battery that prevented me from logging onto the computer, I would have not reinstalled Windows. Reinstalling Windows is a pain. All your installed programs and files have to be removed or transferred to another storage disk before the reinstallation procedure takes place.

Now every time there is power blackout, my laptop succumbs to total darkness, too. With the battery, you can still save your work, then shut  your notebook down. Without the battery, you are helpless when you want to salvage your work. And the worst scenario that could happen in your computer is that, because of the sudden death of the operating system, your computer may give up its last breath. And you will cry the whole day. And only your would-be wife in New York would console your digitally bruised heart. Who else?

I don't want that to happen. I have be in touch with a lot of people from around the world 18 hours a day without interruption. I have web clients who would request me to do this, to do that in the websites I made for them. And what will happen to Tubag Bohol if my laptop departs from me? Poor Mike, I don't have money to buy a new computer. There are bills to be paid. Tubag Bohol server is one.

Will I buy a new battery? Or will I buy a UPS? Uninterruptible Power Supply. I was wrong. I thought the meaning was Universal Power Saver. 

I chose the second option. Did I make the right decision?

I never knew that a UPS can be very heavy. I had to transport it from Bangkok to a Thai province where I am based.

Anyway, I am no longer afraid of brownouts. But there was one thing that had terrified me always. I was running out of storage space in my harddisk.

That concern was addressed last Sunday. I also bought a 120-gigabyte external harddrive, in addition to the UPS. I can now keep more Tubag Bohol materials outside my notebook. I spent 5,500 baht plus for these two important support gadgets.

When/If I can save money next month, I plan to buy a digital camera. I really felt bad that when I visited our province last April this year, after a year of ubiquitous silence, I had no camera with me. I could have taken thousands of images during my seven-day whirlwind stay in our province. My mind was still pregnant of Tubag Bohol concept at the time.

What else will I buy? Milk and tea - to keep me awake as I monitor the journey of Tubag Bohol.

By Christine G. Dulnuan, National Historical Institute

32. Naic Military Agreement. April 20, 1897. Bonifacio signed this document declaring the results of the elections during the Tejeros Convention null and void and established its own army separate from the Revolutionary Army formed during the convention. This led to his capture and later his execution in May of the same year.

33. Pact of Biyak-na-Bato. December 14, 1897. Signed by the Spanish government and the Filipino revolutionary leaders. This provided for the secession of hostilities between the two parties and the voluntary exile of revolutionary leaders in Hong Kong.

34. Uprising of Leon Kilat in Cebu. April 2, 1898. Leon Kilat (Pantaleon Villegas) led the uprising against the Spaniards in Cebu, which was suppressed after a week with the arrival of reinforcements from Iloilo and Manila. Leon Kilat continued his cause through guerrilla campaigns.

35. Battle of Manila Bay. May 1, 1898. The American naval fleets led by George Dewey fought against the Spanish fleet under General Patrocinio Montojo. This signaled America’s colonization of the Philippines.

36. Proclamation of Philippine Independence. June 12, 1898. General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed Philippine Independence in Kawit, Cavite. During the event, Marcha Nacional Filipina, which what would become the National Anthem composed by Julian Felipe, was played by the band of San Francisco de Malabon and the Philippine national flag was hoisted in public.

37. Bates Treaty Agreement. August 20, 1898. Signed in Mindanao between US Representative John C. Bates and the Filipino Muslim leaders Rajah Muda, Datu Calbi, Datu Joakanain and the Sulu Sultan, the agreement signified noninvolvement of the Muslims in the Filipino-American War.

38. Republic of Negros. November 5, 1898. Revolutionary forces under General Juan Anacleto Araneta proclaimed the Republic of Negros.

39. Cry of Santa Barbara. November 17, 1898. The revolutionists led by General Martin Delgado waved the Filipino flag and established the revolutionary government in Iloilo.

40. The Treaty of Paris. December 10, 1898. This was signed between the United States and Spain ceding Spanish colonies, including the Philippines, to America. The Americans received the right to colonize the Philippines after paying Spain $20 million.

41. Benevolent assimilation of the Philippines. 1898. President William McKinley proclaimed this as there was nothing left to do with the Philippines after the Spanish-American War but to take it as a colony.

42. Assassination of General Antonio Luna. June 5, 1899. General Luna and his aide Col. Paco Roman were assassinated by fellow revolutionists in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija. This event is considered one of the tragedies of the Revolution.

43. La Independencia newspaper published Jose Palma’s poem. September 3, 1899. The poem became the lyrics for the Marcha Nacional Filipina of Julian Felipe, thereby completing a national anthem for the Philippines. On September 22, 1943, the Commonwealth government adopted the flag and the anthem as national symbols.

44. Arrival of the Presbyterian Missionaries. April 21, 1899. They were the first group of Protestant missionaries to arrive and established missions in the Philippines. They established the first Protestant University in the Philippines, Silliman University, in August 1901.

45. Battle of Tirad Pass. December 2, 1899. General Gregorio del Pilar died in action while defending Tirad Pass from the Americans soldiers.

46. Balangiga Massacre. September 28, 1890. About 180 Filipinos attacked 72 American soldiers and killed many of them. Soon after, the Americans retaliated by killing every Filipino who refused to surrender and were capable of carrying arms, including 10-year-old boys. America’s pacification policy turned Samar into a "howling wilderness."

47. Capture of General Emilio Aguinaldo in Palanan, Isabela. March 23, 1901. The American colonial government considered this the end of the Revolution.

48. Public education system. 1901. The Philippine Commission passed Act 74 providing for the public education system, which includes the use of English as the medium of instruction, free primary education and a normal school for the training of teachers. The Thomasites arrived in the Philippines to serve as teachers. The normal school on Taft Avenue in Manila is now known as the Philippine Normal University.

49. Antisedition Law. October 1, 1901. The American colonial government passed Act 292 to quell armed nationalist sentiments during the era.

50. Founding of Union Obrero Democratica. 1902. This first labor federation in the country was established at Teatro Variedades in Sampaloc, Manila, with Isabelo de los Reyes as president and Hermenigildo Cruz as secretary. The organization celebrated Labor Day the following year.

51. Establishment of civil government. July 2, 1902. The US Congress signed the Cooper Bill that provided for the establishment of a civil government in the Philippines.

52. Iglesia Filipina Independiente (Philippine Independent Church). August 3, 1902. The first Filipino church independent of Rome to be established with Gregorio Aglipay as the first bishop. It was a result of the disparagement and prejudice felt by nationalistic priests.

53. Manila Electric Railway and Light Co. (Meralco). March 24, 1903. Granted franchise by the government to supply Manila and its environs with electricity and the electric street-railway system.

54. Pensionado Law. August 27, 1903. Act 854 provided for scholarship of Filipino students to universities in the United States and their return to the Philippines to serve in various fields, including government.

55. The first Labor Day rally in the Philippines. May 1, 1903. Organized by the Union Obrero Democratica de Filipinas. Thousands of participants marched to Malacañan to publicly demand for working conditions.

56. Philippine Constabulary School. February 19, 1905. It was first established at the Santa Lucia Barracks in Intramuros, transferred in 1908 in Baguio City as the Philippine Military Academy, and developed into a premier military school.

57. Inauguration of the first Philippine Assembly. October 16, 1907. It served as the lower house of a bicameral legislature with the Philippine Commission as the upper house.

58. Creation of the University of the Philippines. June 18, 1908. The country’s premier state university was created by Act 1870.

59. First court case of libel. October 30, 1908. El Renacimiento published in its editorial "Aves de Rapina" (Birds of Prey) about a man who preyed on his enemy the way an eagle, vulture, owl and a vampire do. American Secretary of the Interior Dean C. Worcester felt alluded to in the article and sued the paper’s editor and publisher Teodoro M. Kalaw and Martin Ocampo. Worcester won the case and the newspaper was closed.

60. Iglesia Evangelica Metodista en las Islas Filipinas. February 28, 1909. The first indigenous evangelical church in the Philippines founded by Nicolas Zamora as a result of the separation of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

61. Iglesia ni Cristo. 1914. An indigenous church founded by Felix Manalo. Its leaders are often wooed by politicians who are aware of the church’s tendency to vote by block.

62. Founding of Congreso Obrero de Filipinas. May 1, 1913. Organized by Hermenigildo Cruz, the organization battled for an eight-hour working day, abolition of child labor, just labor standards for women and liability of capitalists.

63. Flag Day. October 31, 1919. Proclaimed by the National Assembly.

64. National Federation of Women’s Clubs. 1921. It was organized primarily to advance the political rights of Filipino women and later on developed into an organization of women leaders for national development. Among its prominent members were Pilar Hidalgo Lim, Josefa Llanes Escoda and Trinidad F. Legarda.

65. Radio stations. June 1922. First serviced Manila and Pasay before they expanded to the provinces. Most of the stations were confiscated by the Japanese during the war.

Third of 3 Parts

By Christine G. Dulnuan, National Historical Institute

66. Communist Party of the Philippines. August 27, 1930. Crisanto Evangelista established the Party, which later merged with the Socialist Party of Pedro Abad Santos and composed the Hukbalahap during the Second World War. The government declared it illegal.

67. Inauguration of Rizal Monument. December 29, 1930. The monument to Jose Rizal was inaugurated at the Luneta (now Rizal Park).

68. Sakdalista movement. 1931. Underground socialist reform movement whose members were mostly peasants against the antinationalist policies of the government.

69. Tydings-McDuffie Law. March 25, 1934. This law, signed by Theodore Roosevelt, provided for the establishment of the transition period before America would eventually recognize Philippine Independence.

70. Inauguration of Commonwealth government. November 15, 1935. Manuel Quezon and Sergio Osmeña took the oath as President and Vice-President.

71. Commonwealth Constitution. 1935. Used to guide the Commonwealth government, cut off during the Japanese period and was restored after the war until 1973, when President Marcos ratified a new one.

72. Law on Women’s Suffrage. December 14, 1937. For the first time, Filipino women were given the right to vote during elections.

73. Japanese invasion. December 8, 1941. Japanese bombers attacked Clark Air Base and other American camps in Baguio City, Manila and Davao. This signaled the beginning of the Japanese Occupation in the Philippines.

74. Oath-taking at Malinta Tunnel, Corregidor. December 30, 1941. Manuel Quezon took his second term of office as President of the Commonwealth government.

75. New government under the Japanese. December 3, 1942. The Kapisanan sa Paglilingkod sa Bagong Pilipinas (Kalibapi) was established and elected Jose P. Laurel as President of the Philippines. This party, however, lasted only until 1945.

76. Tagalog as official language. June 7, 1940. President Manuel L. Quezon proclaimed Tagalog as one of the official languages in the Philippines starting July 4, 1946. Tagalog later became known as the Filipino language.

77. Fall of Manila. 1942. The Japanese forces led by Masaharu Homma occupied Manila.

78. Fall of Bataan. April 9, 1942. General Edward P. King surrendered to spare the lives of battle weary and outnumbered Filipino and American soldiers who were defending Bataan. They ran out of ammunition, supplies and had no reinforcements.

79. Fall of Corregidor. May 6, 1942. General Jonathan Wainwright surrendered the entire USAFFE in the Philippines to General Masaharu Homma of the Japanese Imperial Army.

80. Leyte landing. October 20, 1944. General Douglas MacArthur landed in Leyte Gulf with Sergio Osmeña Sr. and Carlos P. Romulo. This signaled the retaking of the Philippines from the Japanese soldiers. It was also a fulfillment of MacArthur’s promise in 1942 when he said "I shall return."

81. Sergio Osmeña succeeded President Quezon as President of the Commonwealth. August 1, 1944. President Quezon died of Tuberculosis while he was in the United States.

82. Makabayang Kalipunan ng mga Pilipino (Makapili). December 8, 1944. The Japanese used its members, composed of Filipinos, to inform on guerrilla sympathizers. Many of its members were prosecuted after the war for the atrocities they committed against the people.

83. Establishment of the Congress of Labor Organizations (CLO). March 16. 1945. The CLO, first called Committee of Labor Organizations, was a federation of labor organizations organized by former leaders of the Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa mga Hapon (Hukbalahap), which was forced to go underground when the government declared it illegal.

84. Liberation of Manila. 1945. The Americans entered Manila and liberated many Filipino and American internees at the University of Santo Tomas. Manila was devastated after the war. General Douglas MacArthur turned over the civilian government to Sergio Osmeña Sr.

85. United Nations membership. September 1945. The Philippines joined the United Nations.

86. Philippine Independence from America. July 4, 1946. America eventually let go of the Philippines.

87. Alto Broadcasting Network and DZXL-TV Channel 9. 1953. The first commercial television station that developed into what is now ABS-CBN.

88. Death of President Ramon Magsaysay. March 17, 1957. The President’s plane crashed in Manunggal, Cebu. His death grieved the Filipino people and caused an immediate transition of leadership in government.

89. Reestablishment of the Communist Party of the Philippines. December 27. 1968. Jose Ma. Sison reestablished the old communist party.

90. Martial law. September 21, 1972. President Ferdinand Marcos signed Proclamation 1081 declaring martial law to "save the Republic" from crime and violence. Marcos abolished the Congress and created the semiparliament Batasang Pambansa. It caused the takeover of many private businesses by the government, exile, disappearances and imprisonment of individuals critical of the government.

91. Assassination of Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino. August 21, 1983. The senator was assassinated at the Manila International Airport, now named in his honor.

92. COMELEC Employees’ Walk-Out. February 9, 1986. Thirty computer technicians of the Commission on Elections walked out of their jobs after they were ordered to cheat the election returns in favor of President Marcos.

93. Military mutiny. February 23, 1986. Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and AFP Vice Chief of Staff Fidel V. Ramos defected from the Marcos administration. People gathered at EDSA to protect them from pro-administration soldiers. Two days after, President Marcos went on exile to Hawaii.

94. Oath-taking of Corazon C. Aquino, the senator’s widow, and Salvador H. Laurel as President and Vice-President of the Philippines. February 25, 1986. They were sworn into office after the snap elections.

95. Return of presidential government. 1987. President Aquino appointed 48 members of the constitutional convention to draft the Constitution that restored democracy and abolished the Batasang Pambansa.

96. Military coup. August 28, 1987. The Reform the AFP Movement (RAM), led by Col. Gregorio Honasan, staged the coup, demanding the surrender of the Aquino government. The troops penetrated Camp Aguinaldo and Camp Crame but were repulsed by government forces. There were other failed coup attempts by the RAM (one in 1986, three attempts in 1987), Nationalist Army of the Philippines (NAP) in 1986, and the combined forces of RAM and NAP on December 1, 1989.

97. Inauguration of President Fidel V. Ramos and VP Joseph E. Estrada. June 30, 1992. President Ramos and VP Estrada were sworn in by Chief Justice Andres Narvasa at the Luneta Grandstand. FVR is the first president who comes from the Protestant faith.

98. Biggest case of corruption. September 24, 1993. Former first lady Imelda Marcos was convicted for the first time of corruption and sentenced to 24 years in prison. Few days earlier, the remains of former President Marcos who died in 1989 in Hawaii was finally entombed at their family mausoleum in Batac, Ilocos Sur.

99. First actor President of the Philippines. June 30, 1998. President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, best known as Erap, took his oath as the 13th President of the Philippines in Barasoain Church, Malolos, Bulacan.

100. End of the 20th Century and Millennium Watch. December 31, 2000. The Filipino Nation led by President Joseph Ejercito Estrada joined the whole world in welcoming the new millennium. The President called on Filipinos "to pray for global peace and brotherhood and to world as one in facing the challenges of the 21st Century."

hi Yadz, we hit the wrong key. thanks for pointing it out.

Pasyente: Doc, regular lagi ko malibang, kada alas siete sa buntag

Doctor: Maayo nuon na! Unya, unsa may problema?

Pasyente: Alas otso man gud ko maka-mata!

Congrats, you are now a Full Member of Tubag Bohol.

We're glad you're part of this growing community.

God, bless you...

12. ibilin ang tsinelas sa dili pa mosakay sa St. Jude... 

1. Boost your energy: stand up and pace while you talk on the phone or, even better, take a brisk ten-minute walk outside. Research shows that when people move faster, their metabolism speeds up, and the activity and sunlight are good for your focus, your mood, and the retention of information. Plus, because of “emotional contagion,” if you act energetic, you’ll help the people around you feel energetic, too.

2. Reach out to friends: make a lunch date or send an email to a friend you haven’t seen in a while. Having warm, close bonds with other people is one of the keys to happiness, so take the time to stay in touch. Somewhat surprisingly, it turns out that socializing boosts the moods not only of extroverts, but also of introverts.

3. Rid yourself of a nagging task: answer a difficult email, purchase something you need, or call to make that dentist’s appointment. Crossing an irksome chore off your to-do list will give you a big rush of energy and cheer, and you’ll be surprised that you procrastinated for so long.

4. Create a calmer environment: clear some physical and mental space around your desk by sorting papers, pitching junk, stowing supplies, sending out quick responses, filing, or even just making your piles neater. A large stack of little tasks can feel overwhelming, but often just a few minutes of work can make a sizeable dent. Try to get in the habit of using the “one minute rule”â€"i.e., never postpone any task that can be completed in less than one minute. An uncluttered environment will contribute to a more serene mood.

5. Lay the groundwork for some future fun: order a book you’ve been wanting to read (not something you think you should read) or plan a weekend excursion to a museum, hiking trail, sporting event, gardening store, movie theaterâ€"whatever sounds like fun. Studies show that having fun on a regular basis is a pillar of happiness, and anticipation is an important part of that pleasure. Try to involve friends or family, as well; people enjoy almost all activities more when they’re with other people than when they’re alone.

6. Do a good deed: make an email introduction of two people who could help each other, or set up a blind date, or shoot someone a piece of useful information or gratifying praise. Do good, feel goodâ€"this really works. Also, although we often believe that we act because of the way we feel, in fact, we often feel because of the way we act. When you act in a friendly way, you’ll strengthen your feelings of friendliness for other people.

7. Act happy: put a smile on your face right now, and keep smiling. Research shows that even an artificially induced smile has a positive influence on your emotionsâ€"turns out that just going through the motion of happiness brightens your mood. And if you’re smiling, other people will perceive you as being friendlier and more approachable.

Some people worry that wanting to be happier is a selfish goal. To the contrary. Studies show that happier people are more sociable, likeable, healthy, and productiveâ€"and they’re more inclined to help other people. So in working to boost your own happiness, you’re benefiting others as well. (happiness-project.com)

8. Read Tubag Bohol bisaya jokes.

sorry for the mixed-up text. our encoder is yet to learn basic microsoft word.

By June S. Blanco

GROUP of Chinese potato growers is eyeing Bohol to be a source of potatoes.

Shepherded by Carlson Chan, son of Ambassador Carlos Chan who President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo designated as Special Envoy to China , the group visited Bohol May 17-19.

Gov. Erico Aumentado immediately assembled Mayors Exuperio Lloren of Jagna, Myrna Schreurs of Garcia-Hernandez, Simplicio Maestrado Jr. of Sierra Bullones, Engr. Wilson Pajo of Pilar and Dr. Manuel Tan of Duero who sent a representative, as well as Provincial Agriculturist Liza Quirog for a working dinner at the Bohol Bee Farm. Quirog brought along a team of potato experts from the Bohol Agricultural Promotion Center headed by Engr. Eugene Cahiles to make the discussion substantive and extensive. To note, Aumentado had pooled these mayors at the Bohol Tropics Resort before where the Chans first broached the idea of potato growing.

Potatoes like cool climate but the type the Chans' company â€" Liwayway Marketing Corp. that manufactures the potato-based Oishi product line â€" is the small ones for making into chips in practically all flavors and variants. Aumentado chose the towns because the elevation of some of their barangays is conducive to growing plants that thrive best only in cool climate.

“Jagna has [Barangay] Mayana, Duero has Taytay, Garcia-Hernandez has Datag, Sierra Bullones has Cantaub while Pilar has Lundag,” the governor enumerated the likely places that may want to embark into massive potato planting. The Chans already gave the assurance that their need for potato is virtually limitless. Aside from the Philippines , the company has manufacturing plants in Vietnam, Myanmar, Hongkong and Shanghai with 12 across China.

The younger Chan had explained to the growers and to Liwayway's potato-sourcing in-charge that their Bohol trip is not merely a goodwill trip but primarily a working business trip. The team initially went to Datag and Mayana Friday to explore the potential for potatoes. Chan gave Aumentado a preliminary report that evening while Quirog has yet to submit her formal report, The team included Qui Da Cheng, Wang Jiu En, Zhao Jing Tai, Zhao Jing Cai, Lu Feng Chun, Xie Guang Xing and Chen Liang Yu.

a. Naturally, offer her free use of one of my kidneys. "Hello, we're so happy you followed mike's trail of breadcrumbs here. Can I offer you one of my kidneys? You don't have to decide now. You can consider it while you find your way around Tubag Bohol."

b. Threaten her into active participation. "If you don't post at least thrice a day, I shall google you, find out where you live, and tell your parents you went to my clinic for a sex change."

c. Grin, and let Mike do the welcoming. At 1:39 in the morning, this option seems to be the most appetizing.

Actually, the word is fiefdom. Welcome to Mike's fiefdom. Haha.

Please don't let me scare you. My name is Chin, and I'm the self-appointed welcoming committee. I was supposed to offer you my uterus (as a gesture of warm welcome), but Mike vehemently forbade it. I hope you have fun finding your way around!

Dear Bulan,

Welcome to Tubag Bohol. I am the self-appointed welcoming committee. My name is Chin. I should be hanging garlands on your neck now, but the best I could do at 1:55 in the morning is offer you a choice between my cornea or my kidney.

Please don't run out of this site screaming. I am the only scary person is. The others are very nice human beings, and they would be very happy if you'd make some noise around these parts, too. Enjoy exploring!

Peace, love, and bubble gum,
Chin

photo by Ryan Macalandag of flickr.com

photo by Ryan Macalandag of flickr.com

photo by Ryan Macalandag of flickr.com

photo by Ryan Macalandag of flickr.com

photo by Ryan Macalandag of flickr.com

Footnote: Delos Reyes is from Alicia, Bohol while Montano grew up in Baclayon, Bohol.

1. Do a good deed. This is as selfish as it is selfless; you’ll benefit as much as the person you’re helping. When I’m feeling low, thinking about the time I helped some friends get a book contract makes me feel much better than recalling every compliment I’ve ever received. In the same vein…

2. Make small gestures of good citizenship. Bring your old magazines to the gym so other people can read them. Help someone with a stroller. My current favorite: picking up trash that other people have left on the subway.

3. Keep a resolution. Not only will you benefit from exercising or cleaning out your garage, you’ll also get a boost from the mere fact that you made a commitment and stuck to it.

4. Become an expert. There’s great satisfaction in mastery. Pick a subject that interests you, and dig in deep: the American Revolution, the works of Chekhov, wine.

5. Boost your energy. Studies show that when you’re feeling energetic, you’re much more likely to feel good about yourself. For a quick shot of energy, take a brisk ten-minute walk (outside, if possible, where sunlight will also stimulate your brain), listen to some great music, or talk to a friend.

6. Challenge yourself physically. This tip doesn’t work for me, but I know that many people feel great after para-sailing, white-water rafting, bungee-jumping, or rollercoaster-riding. (happiness-project.com)

photo by Ryan Macalandag of flickr.com

photo by Ryan Macalandag of flickr.com

photo by Ryan Macalandag of flickr.com

photo by of flickr.com

photo by Ryan Macalandag of flickr.com

photo by Ryan Macalandag of flickr.com

photo by Ryan Macalandag of flickr.com

image by Ryan Macalandag of flickr.com
Bangus a la pobre at Gerry's Grill (located at BQ Mall)

photo by ryan macalandag of flickr.com
the photographer is a bol-anon

courtesy of ryan macalandag of flickr.com
the photographer lives in tagbilaran

photo courtesy of ryan macalandag of flickr.com

Tagbilaran as seen from the airplane: courtesy of kftf007 of flickr.com

from happiness-project.com

Yesterday I made the case that employers should care whether their employees are happy: happier people outscore their less-happy peers on performance and productivity.

So how can employers help make their employees happier?

Control
Research shows that people’s happiness is affected by their sense of control over their lives. Being able to do your own work in your own way, or to influence your environment, gives a big boost in satisfaction.

Employers can look for ways to amplify employees’ sense of control over their work, schedule, and environment. In particular…

Commuting
Bad commutes are a major source of unhappiness. People feel frustrated, powerless, and stressed.

Employers can consider whether telecommuting or staggered start/end times for work might be practicable, to allow people to avoid rush hours.

Wasted time
According to a recent study, one factor that most upset people’s daily moods was having tight work deadlines.

One way to free up work time to meet deadlines is to stop having long, inefficient meetings.

Employers can take a look at meetings â€" how often are they being called? Is anything actually being accomplished? Could conference calls substitute? One easy fix: have a meeting without chairs. In Bob Sutton's book The No A****le Rule (he also has a great blog), I read about a study which compared decisions made by groups where members STOOD during the meeting compared to decisions made where members SAT. Groups that stood took 34% less time, with no loss in quality. (Might cause a lot of grumbling, though.)

Social connection
Studies underscore the critical importance of social relationships to happiness. Also, interacting with others gives people a boost in mood â€" surprisingly, this is true even for introverts.

To foster strong connections among employees, employees can consider office designs that make social interactions more pleasant and convenient, encouraging office celebrations, like birthday or holiday parties, and other ways to help people have closer relationships.

Health and energy
Corporations pay a heavy cost for stress-related illnesses, such as hypertension, gastrointestinal problems, and substance abuse.

Employers can consider ways to bring down the stress level of the workplace. Employers can also take steps to educate and encourage folks to take steps that will help them manage stress:
Sleep â€" surprisingly, lack of sleep (which many of us take for granted as a part of daily life) is a major disrupter of people’s daily moods.
Exercise â€" exercise is one of the most effective and easiest ways of lifting people’s moods, and even a ten-minute walk will boost a person’s spirits.

An atmosphere of growth
People have a strong desire for growth, progress, and advancement in their lives.

Employers can consider creating benchmarks for people whose jobs don’t provide a sense of completion and accomplishment, providing opportunities for training so employees can expand their skills, giving employees a chance to take risks and enlarge their responsibilities.

Surprise!
Even a small treat can boost people’s happiness â€" and people get a bigger kick from an unexpected pleasure.

Employers can consider some kind of intermittent small benefit or give-away. This might seem kind of childish, but we've all seen adults scrambling for little freebies in very undignified ways. People love a treat.

But these suggestions don’t just hold for employers. We should all be trying to bring these elements into our own lives. Find a way to bring “an atmosphere of growth” into your day, get more sleep and exercise, make plans with friends, surprise your family with some little treat. (happiness-project.com)

Marissa Mayer
VP, Search Products and User Experience, Google

photo by R.J. Friedlander of flickr.com

Executive summary: Don't just cope with information -- revel in it.

I don't feel overwhelmed with information. I really like it. I use Gmail for my personal e-mail -- 15 to 20 e-mails a day -- but on my work e-mail I get as many as 700 to 800 a day, so I need something really fast.

I use an e-mail application called Pine, a Linux-based utility I started using in college. It's a very simple text-based mailer in a crunchy little terminal window with Courier fonts. I do marathon e-mail catch-up sessions, sometimes on a Saturday or Sunday. I'll just sit down and do e-mail for ten to 14 hours straight. I almost always have the radio or my TV on. I guess I'm a typical 25- to 35-year-old who's now really embracing the two-screen experience.

I'm very speed-sensitive. With TiVo, for example, I just seem to spend too much of my life looking at the PLEASE WAIT sign. I adore my cell phone, but there's just a second of delay when you answer it: Hello, hello? I do have a BlackBerry. I don't use it at work because we have wireless throughout the office. I like my laptop a lot more, especially now that I have an EVDO [broadband cellular] card that gives me online access almost everywhere.

I almost always have my laptop with me. It's sitting with me right now. We are a very laptop-friendly culture. It's not uncommon to walk into a meeting at Google where everyone has a laptop open.

To keep track of tasks, I have a little document called a task list. And in the same document there's a list for each person I work with or interact with, of what they're working on or what I expect from them. It's just a list in a text file. Using this, I can plan my day out the night before: "These are the five high-priority things to focus on." But at Google things can change pretty fast. This morning I had my list of what I thought I was going to do today, but now I'm doing entirely different things.

I've been trying to figure out how to make time that was previously unproductive productive. If I'm driving my car somewhere, I try to get a call in to my family and friends then. Or during dead time when I'm waiting in line, I will hop on my cell phone and get something done.

My day starts around 9 A.M. and meetings finish up around 8 P.M. After that I stay in the office to do action items and e-mail. I can get by on four to six hours of sleep. I pace myself by taking a week-long vacation every four months.

I have an assistant, Patty, who handles calls from the outside, answers e-mails, letters, and requests. She does a great job with scheduling. In an average week I'm getting scheduled into about 70 meetings, probably ten or 11 hours a day. On Friday, Patty lets me out early -- around 6, and I go up to San Francisco and do something interesting.

From 4 to 5:30 every day that I can, I'll sit at my desk to answer any question that shows up on my doorstep. We have a big sign-up sheet outside. We joke that we should get one of those deli number tickers -- "Now serving No. 68!" But we have nice couches and power for laptops and things outside the door where people wait.

The average seems to be around 13 people per day. Sometimes they show me mockups or new demos of ideas they want to advance. Sometimes they have a presentation they're working on. Or sometimes they just want to ask me a question about Google's overall management. Anything is fair game. So if they ask, "Why are we in China?" I try to answer as candidly as I can.

-- Interviewed by David Kirkpatrick (money.cnn.com)

    A FILIPINO lawyer taking up his LLM or master’s degree in law at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, will deliver the school’s commencement address on June 7.

    Oscar Franklin Barcelona Tan, a graduate of UP Law Class 2005, will address about 700 graduates. He is an associate, on study leave, at the ACCRA law office.

    His father, lawyer Edmundo L. Tan of the Tan Acut & Lopez Law firm, had no comment on Franklin’s selection by a select committee, but said, “I will be there in Harvard on June 7 to congratulate personally my son and to share the moment with him.”

    His mother, Dr. Jesusa Barcelona Tan, is a dermatology consultant at the Hospital of the Infant Jesus in Sampaloc, head of the photo-dermatology unit, and former chair of the Department of Dermatology at the Jose R.Reyes Medical Center of the Department of Health.

    In his draft speech, Oscar urges his 700 fellow graduates to transcend narrow nationalism. “My friends and this includes our American classmates who will soon lead the world’s lone superpower let us transcend our individual nationalities and affirm that we are citizens of the world,” he says. (sesantos.com)

Hundreds of Filipino temporary workers who come to Alberta each year to fill the labour shortage have no clue about our labour laws, says the new Philippine ambassador.

“They rush to come here, excited with the prospect of making money,” Ambassador Jose Brillantes told Sun Media. Most workers don’t research their rights and responsibilities as workers in Alberta, said the Ottawa-based diplomat, who was visiting Edmonton this week.

Some will remain with bad bosses who exploit them because they’re afraid they’ll be deported, she said.

Only the federal government can deport foreigners, an immigration official told hundreds of Filipinos in a seminar Thursday night at the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers.

Several of the Filipinos attending the seminar whispered in surprise at the news.

Welder Antonio Velando, 33, his brother and three other friends quit their jobs after a month working in Sherwood Park. He said they were forced to undergo training for jobs they didn’t apply for when they were recruited in the Philippines.

After a month of apprenticeship training they were forced to take the exam with only a two-day preparation.

“Our contract said we will be given six months of training before we take the exam,” Velando said in Tagalog.

Noreen Berkes of Alberta’s Labour Standard and Work Safety told the workers not to think they’re helpless.

“If you think your rights are being violated, call immigration,” Berkes said.

One of the most common problems, she said, was workers not being paid adequate overtime.

“Keep a record of your hours. You must protect yourself,” she told them.

Most workers did not know they should get a 4% of annual salary vacation pay if they didn’t take the time off and that they should be paid 2.5 times their regular wage for working statutory holidays.

“You tend to be content and happy if you’re given 1.5 times,” she said.

Recruiter Mirasol Cameron said some unscrupulous recruiters in the Philippines gouge prospective wokers by charging exorbitant placement fees.

She said sometimes workers are charged up to $8,000, enough to buy a house in the Phillipines.

And when workers are placed in Canada, she said most agencies “just forget about them.”

Her own company Staffix Inc. routinely follows up to see if the workers are satisfied with their jobs.

While charging a placement a fee is illegal in Canada, it is not in the Philippines, Brillantes said. But recruiters are only allowed to charge the amount equivalent to a month’s salary. His government is aware of violations in the Philippines and has jailed and fined many offenders, the diplomat said. (Renato Gandia, edmontonsun.com)

Police are investigating the deaths of two Chinese men and a Filipino, whose bodies were delivered from a fishing boat yesterday morning after two of them were allegedly murdered in the Philippine waters.

According to crew and agent of the Taiwanese registered vessel, the Chinese men were stabbed to death by the Filipino a day after he had joined the ship at high seas following a transfer from another vessel.

There were unconfirmed reports of the crew tying the Filipino up and him hitting his head, though other sources said he inflicted wounds on himself with the same knife he used to slay his fellow seamen.

The incident allegedly occurred in broad daylight while the three were working in Philippine waters on May 25. As a result of the incident the ship sailed straight to Suva port.

A Taifi Shipping Agency spokesperson, who requested anonymity, said while incidents like this were not uncommon, they were nevertheless shocked by the triple deaths and along with crew-members, could not fathom why the Filipino stabbed the men as they were not drunk nor was there a disagreement before the incident.

However, the agent did acknowledge there had always been "communication problems" with workers of various nationalities on vessels.

There were three other Filipinos, 18 Chinese and one Taiwanese national on board the Chien Chang at the time of the incident and tension was still high among crew members.

Police spokesman, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Ulaiasi Ravula said police were expecting to interview the captain and crew today.

He said forensic detectives had combed the vessel yesterday gathering evidence as part of their initial investigations.

ASP Ravula said a post mortem examination of the three seamen was expected to be done within two days because of the state they were in after being kept for more than a week in the vessel's refrigerator.

He confirmed the incident had been reported by Taifi Shipping on June 1, and that it had occurred inside Philippine waters.

The vessel would not leave port until all investigations were completed. (fijitimes.com 6/5/2007)