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Nangasaba man si Manang...

He he, there is more to hold?

Bwahaha!

'The HUMAN Project' by Jason Silva

By Noli Ermitanio
Philippine Daily Inquirer
10:20 pm | Friday, February 1st, 2013


With the help of her family and some sleuthing of her own, a rape victim’s persistence finally paid off.

“Len” was 16 years old when sexually abused on March 3, 2001, by Cristobal Enero, who was found guilty of the crime and sentenced to 14 years in prison by the Makati Regional Trial Court four years later.

Despite the conviction, Len’s quest for justice was still far from over as the case was elevated to the Court of Appeals. Enero, who was able to post bail during the RTC trial, remained free.

Free, in fact, to find a wife and raise his own familyâ€"while Len continued to nurse her deep wounds. “It was a traumatic experience. It really crushed me inside,” she said in an interview with the Inquirer early this week.

According to the victim’s brother, Enero tried to offer money for the case to be dropped during the trial.

“I got my strength from my mother, who never left my side,” Len recalled. Her mom and her three siblings never failed to accompany her to the hearings as though to match Enero’s relatives who also came to court in droves as a show of support.

Seven years after the RTC decision, in a ruling issued on Jan. 25, the Court of Appeals upheld Enero’s guilty verdict.

This time, Len and brother made sure justice would no longer be delayed. They sought the assistance of a friend, SPO4 Joselito Beech of the Makati police, who then approached the warrants section in their behalf to expedite Enero’s arrest.

On Tuesday, the siblings started to do some spying of their own to help the police in tracking down the convict.

They went around on a motorbike to check Enero’s usual routes in Barangay Guadalupe Nuevo. They wore helmets, both for safety and to hide their faces from their target.

They took notes and even clocked his movements: At 5:30 p.m., he fetches his young child in school.

Finally, at 5:15 p.m. on Jan. 30 and with a help of a tip from the siblings, a Makati police team caught up with Enero on San Jose Street. The plan for the arrest was almost derailed because the convict took a detour and headed for the market first before going to the school.

Senior Insp. Ferdinand Yap Satorre, the team leader, marvelled at Len’s determination. “Hindi siya nagpatalo (She never conceded defeat),” the officer said.

As for Len, the victim who waited for 12 years for her rapist to land behind bars was just too happy about the outcome: “Now I can breathe easily. Justice was finally served.”

Don't womanize--peligro kang mabugha sa amahan, bana, karibal, ugbp.

2011 dismissal

Elemen, who was hired in October 2006 and was promoted to head live-in nanny two years later, was dismissed in February 2011, after Stone learned she had been paid overtime when traveling with the children and on holidays.

The lawsuit asks for an unspecified amount for unpaid wages, damages and penalties, and is seeking a trial by jury.

In 2011, the actress was ordered to pay $232,000 in compensation to a worker who injured his knee after slipping and falling in her backyard in 2006.

Comments only

“All we have is that Ms Stone made comments about Filipino food, Filipino accents,” said lawyer Daniel Gutenplan.

When the lawsuit was announced in May, the actress’s publicist slammed the legal action as “absurd,” claiming the ex-nanny was simply trying to “cash in” on Stone.

The lawsuit claimed the star equated being Filipino with being stupid, and ordered her not to speak in front of her children so they would not “talk like you.”

Stone also banned Elemen from reading the Bible in Stone’s home, even though she lived with her to look after the actress’s three children, and frequently traveled with them.

From August 2010, Elemen “was repeatedly subjected to derogatory comments and slurs by (Stone) related to her Filipino ethnicity and heritage,” said the 17-page lawsuit.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mary Strobel ruled that Elemen’s lawyers had provided enough evidence to support her allegations of harassment, failure to prevent harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination.

“We’re pleased the judge recognized that the plaintiff’s claims should proceed,” said lawyer Solomon Gresen, adding: “We look forward to our July trial date.”

The trial is tentatively set for July 30.

Stone’s lawyers sought to have the case dismissed, arguing that comments made by the actress did not amount to harassment.

Agence France-Presse
March 17, 2013 | 9:31 am



In this May 3, 2012, file photo, actress Sharon Stone arrives at A Better LA’s “In the Art of the City” event in Los Angeles. Stone was sued May 23, 2012, in Los Angeles by Erlinda T. Elemen, the actress’ former nanny for allegedly insulting her Filipino heritage and firing her after discovering Elemen had been paid overtime for working on family vacations and holidays. AP PHOTO/MATT SAYLES


LOS ANGELESâ€"A US judge cleared the way Friday for a former Filipino nanny of actress Sharon Stone to go to trial against the actress for wrongful dismissal and harassment, including racist abuse.

Lawyers for Erlinda Elemen, who worked as a live-in nanny for the “Basic Instinct” star until she was sacked in 2011, announced last year that she was suing the actress.

Quote from: islander on March 30, 2013, 01:17:12 PM
di na vibes daan ning mga bayhana. natiwasan lang tungod sa away sa ilang mga anak.

Naka-relate uroy...

"I wish I'd drunk more Champagne."
The dying words of John Maynard Keynes

Oftentimes, one loses the bet, the dreamed-of freedom remains unbought...

Sea stresses

Marababol said it might take five to 10 years before the clams could attract fish, depending on the stress level in the marine environment. He cited overfishing as one of the factors that slow down the process of rehabilitation.

Andres Bojos, of the BFAR regional office, acknowledged that fish catch in Bohol was dwindling, mainly due to illegal fishing. But he added that efforts to stop it had been doubled.

“It is not as rampant as before,” Bojos said.
Governor Chatto said the taclobo should not be harvested because their presence was meant to bring  the fish back. The clams are 8 years old and expected to lay millions of eggs a year.

Liza Quirog, head of SEEM, echoed the appeal of the governor to leave the taclobo alone. She said anyone who dares take them would face criminal charges.
Violators face 12 to 20 years imprisonment and a fine of P120,000. With a report from Veda Bongcalos

Incentives

Salutan said the clams served as incentives to local government units for acquiring Level 3 or 4 status in managing their MPAs.

Divers had to replant the creatures immediately because these can survive outside the sea for only 11 hours.

They belong to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Bohol, provincial police, 2nd Special Forces Battalion, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the provincial government’s Socio-Economic and Environmental Management (SEEM) and other local agencies and groups.

Even local dive shop operators and volunteers lent their motorized boats for the clam planting, said the PCG chief in Bohol, Cmdr. Agapito Bibat.

A Cebu-based marine biologist, Mario Marababol, said the presence of the giant clams could be a good indicator of a “healthy reef.” Aside from being a natural water filter, the shell of clams could attract sponges where fish could feed, he said.

Bolinao origin

The provincial government bought 101 giant clams, weighing 15 to 25 kilograms, from Bolinao town in Pangasinan at P4,000 each. Another batch of 100 is expected to arrive in Bohol in June.

Before the clams were airlifted to Bohol on board a C-130 plane of the Philippine Air Force, these were wrapped in “cacha” cloth and cellophane, and placed in Styrofoam boxes with oxygen, said Adelfa Salutan, sector head of the Coast Resource Management of the Bohol Environment Management Office.

The clams arrived at the Tagbilaran airport on Feb. 20.
Maj. Gen. Alan Luga, Armed Forces vice chief of staff, said this was the first time a military plane was used to transport the giant clams, as instructed by Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, AFP chief of staff.

Twenty of the taclobo were brought to the MPA in Bingag while the rest were distributed to the MPAs on Balicasag Island in Panglao town, Barangay Basdio in  Guindulman town, Barangay Badiang in Anda town and Barangay Lipata in Carlos P. Garcia town.

‘Taclobo’ a magnet for fish in Bohol
By Carmel Loise Matus
Inquirer Visayas
10:49 pm | Friday, March 8th, 2013


BOHOLâ€"Romeo Pogoso considers the presence of 20 giant clams in their coastal village in Dauis town in Bohol “a big risk.”

This meant that residents must now double their efforts to protect the “taclobo” in their Marine Protective Area (MPA) in Barangay Bingag, according to the village chair.

Thieves can sell the clams at P4,000 each, Pogoso said.

But it is one risk the community is willing to take, he said, because the marine creatures can help address the dwindling fish catch in the province.

Bingag, 30 minutes by car from the capital city of Tagbilaran, is one of the beneficiaries of the giant clam seeding program, which the provincial government launched in February. Gov. Edgar Chatto said the provincial government wanted to repopulate the seas of Bohol with the taclobo because these could bring fish back.

Reuters - Destroyed furniture and belongings are seen in a market in Sitkwin March 29, 2013. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun


Muslims vanish as Buddhist attacks approach Myanmar's biggest city. -- http://news.yahoo.com/

How does that stack up? All of these jobs have less than half the average pay for all occupations, which is $45,790. And the highest-paid workers in America, anesthesiologists, average more than 12 times the annual pay of the lowest-paid workers, shampooers.

Occupation  Average Annual Wage
Shampooers   $18,600
Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers   $18,720
Fast Food Cooks   $18,780
Dishwashers   $18,930
Counter Attendants, Cafeteria, Food Concession, and Coffee Shop   $19,430
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurants, Lounge and Coffee Shop   $19,570
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers   $19,690
Farm Workers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse   $19,990
Amusement and Recreation Attendants   $20,020
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers   $20,320

By Danielle Kurtzleben | U.S.News & World Report LP â€" 14 hrs ago


Here's another reason to start leaving bigger tips: the Labor Department's latest data on the how much American workers are paid.

Food service workers and their colleagues at bars and restaurants dominate the list of the lowest-paid professions, taking up six of the top 10 spots. Still, the people who shampoo your hair at the local salon take the top spot, at $18,600 per year. That's not much to live on, and if one of those workers is a single parent, it's not far above the poverty line, at around $15,800 for a single parent, according to the Census Bureau.

Below, the 10 lowest-paid workers as measured by average annual pay, according to Labor Department data from 2012:

So this important aspect of Religion and Mythology which depicts struggles, conflicts, adversaries and adversities is really communicating the universal spiritual idea of the Cosmic Battle between Good and Evil. This Cosmic dialectic is an important aspect of the divine and something which is manifest in the Universe, in the World around us and in our lives in an all pervading and ubiquitous manner. The process of the Cosmic Battle is really an essential feature of the transcendent template of God from which the imperfect images of the divine, that we all are, is stamped. This is an important message behind many of the Worlds Myths, if not most of them, ancient and contemporary. -- http://www.iawwai.com/

We gain an insight into the meaning and purpose of the Cosmic Battle when we examine some ideas which became incorporated into Christianity. People are generally familiar with the word Satan which is usually understood as the being who embodies pure Evil. Satan is actually a Hebrew word which means Adversary and didn't start off with the connotations that it would later acquire. Satan was translated into the Greek word for adversary, 'Diabolos' from which the word Devil was derived. In Islam again we find a similar term the Shaitan, which roughly means and is translated as 'The one who rebels.' So corresponding to the earlier discussion on the Cosmic Battle, again we have this theme of adversaries and opposition.

A clue to understanding the nature of the Cosmic Battle comes from examining the mythic character called Lucifer. The tale of Lucifer is of a fallen Angel, indeed the greatest of Angels, who was cast down from Heaven to become a figure of Evil. The reason for this varies according to different versions of the Myth. One interpretation is that he is cast down because of his pride. In another version he is thrown out of heaven for refusing to submit to God's creation man. The exact details of his demotion are less relevant to us than the meaning of his name which gives us an interesting perspective on the Cosmic Battle. For Lucifer means 'Bringer of Light'. That is the Prince of Darkness is also bringer of the New Dawn.

In Zoroastrianism we have descriptions of an eternal struggle between Ohrmazd and Ahriman, representing Good and Evil respectively. The Zoroastrian Scriptures describe this dialectic as happening transcendentally and Universally but also emphasizes that it is happening within every individual person as well.

In Islam we have the notion of Jihad which roughly translates as 'To Struggle in the Way of God'. Once the prophet Muhammad returned from a battle with his victorious army and declared that 'We have returned from the lesser Jihad to the greater Jihad'. This is interpreted by Muslim scholars to mean that the lesser Jihad was the struggle on the battlefield fought by the army, whereas the greater Jihad means the the struggle to create a better society. Muhammad is also quoted as saying that 'The most excellent Jihad is the perfection of character'. So again we find this notion of Cosmic Battle that happens on a battlefield and also within the mind or soul of the individual. Furthermore this Cosmic Battle between Good and Evil is also seen to been fought out in Society too.

On another level the Cosmic Battle may sometimes be depicted occurring literally on a scale that encompasses the entire Universe or all of creation. This would be the case with certain Creation Myths which often talk about the Universe or World coming into being after a titanic struggle between two opposing god like characters, one representing the good and the other representing perhaps chaos or evil. Out of this battle fought at the beginning of time, the whole of creation comes into being. So Myths are tales full of Adversaries, Adversity, Conflict and Opposing Forces; in this way they are expressing the Universal Spiritual notion of the Cosmic Battle between Good and Evil.

If we examine some of the spiritual ideas contained in the World's Religions then we can gain insights into the Nature of the Cosmic Battle and its purpose. This theme of a contest between two diametrically opposed forces or aspects of our being is found in the writings of just about all the great Faith Traditions of this planet.

The Cosmic Battle between Good and Evil, Light and Dark


If often Religion and Myth can be interpreted as spiritual allegory which communicates in coded form, truths about the sacred and eternal then one theme crops up again and again, in various guises, in the Religions and Myths of the World both ancient and modern. This is the notion of a Cosmic Battle and Eternal Struggle between Good and Evil or between the Light versus the Dark.

This theme can be found in Mythology in many ways and varieties, with a single Myth sometimes expressing the Battle between Good and Evil on many levels simultaneously . For instance the Cosmic Battle might be fought within the soul of an individual, often the hero of the Myth; while simultaneously the Mythic tale may also involve a struggle between warring armies also fighting the same Cosmic Battle except happening externally and on a larger scale.

Perspective

The most outgoing prospect of the plight between good and evil. The villain normally sees himself as doing the just thing, or he can also see himself as doing something that, in the end, will only satisfy himself. While one person sees himself doing right another will most assuredly say that whomever is doing wrong, and human nature will usually oppose it.

Good is a thing which will not hurt anyone but evil does it. --Wiki

The inner evil conflict

Alternatively called the heart of darkness, due to its prominence in the novel of the same name.

While certainly not as widely seen as the direct good vs. evil conflict, the concept of "individual vs. self" is often much more compelling to a reader/watcher, especially if it is the protagonist. In both literature and film, it requires well-written character development in order to truly succeed.

Conrad's version of the inner evil conflict, known as the Heart of Darkness, is a human's struggle with their own morals, and their own battle with their hidden evil. Although first chiefly used in the novel, this improved device was commonly used, as opposed to the old devices used in literature before the turn of the century. It is a conflict that exists outside of literature as well, making it a universal truth of the human condition.

Jewish and Christian literature

Writers from the earliest times have thematized the conflict between good and evil, understood, of course, in religious terms. In the Old Testament, Yahweh asks the prophet Jeremiah: "The heart is devious above all else; it is perverseâ€"who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9, NRSV). Compare also the Book of Job.

In addition to explicating classical myth and stories to reveal a hidden conflict between good and evil in them, they wrote into their own texts different versions of the conflict. The basic forms may be described as the apocalyptic, in which the writer describes real, social events (whether historical or imagined) as manifestations of the eternal conflict between God and Satan, good and evil â€" a struggle that, if controlled in the end by God's omnipotence, was nevertheless of deep importance for humans. In a different way, Christian writers could focus on the internal struggle to find or maintain belief. This literature is exemplified by the Psychomachia of Prudentius, whose title continues to signify great psychological turmoil, and supremely by Augustine of Hippo's Confessions, the model for countless later psychological biographies. Special mention might also be made of the Consolation of Philosophy of Boethius, a work that combines Platonic, Christian, and Stoic thought on the nature of suffering.

Classical tragedy

The form of tragedy described as best by Aristotle and exemplified by Oedipus the King is, properly, concerned more with the tragic operations of fate than with a thematized conflict between good and evil. Nevertheless, the conflict between the good and the flawed aspects of the tragic hero form an important part of tragic catharsis in Aristotle's theory. There is, moreover, the form of tragedy with a happy ending that, although denigrated from Aristotle, was quite common in antiquity. This form, perhaps best exemplified by the Alcestis of Euripides, ends with a hero or god decisively beating an evil character. Northrop Frye has suggested that this form of "tragedy" is, in fact, the basic template for melodrama.

The conflict between good and evil is one of the precepts of the Zoroastrian faith, first enshrined by Zarathustra over 3000 years ago. It is also one of the most common conventional themes in literature, and is sometimes considered to be a universal part of the human condition. There are several variations on this conflict, one being the battle between individuals or ideologies, with one side Good, the other Evil. Another variation is the inner struggle in characters (and by extension, humans in reality) between good and evil. Conrad defined all humans as having an "inner evil" or Heart of Darkness in his novella of the same name.

...or does it? 

Para seguro, die now, pay later...

Hmm, klaro...

Gas in the digestive tract: people belonging to a group that suffers from gas should avoid foods such as beans, legumes and artificial sweeteners. Dietary fibers are important for our general wellbeing and fats balance, but they increase production of intestinal gas, which must be taken into account before consuming them.

Symptoms can also be relieved by suitable drug treatment, such as preparations that relax intestinal muscles, the most common of which is Colotal, usually prescribed by a GP, or Zelmak, proven to alleviate stomach bulges. Some preparation drugs are available OTC without a prescription, such as non-bulking agents (active carbon), Simetikon and probiotics.

Some argue that alternative medicine, such as acupuncture, biofeedback and herbs that help create a ‘calm’ digestive system, better and more relaxed digestion, reduced gas and bulging, and general relaxation of the body and mind, is the best option. Probiotics can provide effective treatment for a considerable number of IBS symptoms, compared to conventional treatments that usually target a single symptom at a time.

Probiotics can be found today in many dietary supplements and various yogurts. In principle, yogurt is a natural habitat of bacteria because it serves as a buffer that provides bacteria with higher survival rates.

Recommended treatment methods

Since stress and pressure aggravate the symptoms of irritable bowel, it is recommended to relax and recognize that this disorder is not life threatening. Yoga, meditation or regular physical exercise such as long walks and swimming boost your vitality and serve as mind-relaxants. Hypnosis, for example, was found to be effective in IBS patients and abdominal bulges.

In terms of nutritional treatment, extensive trial and error is required here. A dietary change may be helpful, so you may want to consult a dietician and tailor a menu by examining various foods and their impact on the appearance of symptoms. Changes in lifestyle can also alleviate symptoms: try having many small meals during the day, regular exercise, and most importantly â€" relax.

Overall, a vegetable and fiber-rich diet is recommended when suffering from constipation or digestive irregularities, but since grains and dairy products can cause rejection and intolerance, you should avoid them altogether. It is recommended to limit consumption of sugars and yeasts. Studies have shown that many people suffer from sorbitol, lactose or gluten intolerance. Many other food ingredients stimulate the digestive system of IBS patients therefore an elimination test is advisable.

Physical manifestations of IBS

Constipation is a very common symptom among those who suffer from IBS. However, some patients may suffer from diarrhea related to disturbances in GI movement, or long periods of alternating constipation and diarrhea, a phenomenon defined as “digestive system disorder”. Another common complaint is gas, which causes discomfort.
 
We all have gad between 5-15 times a day, a third of which results from swallowed air and two thirds from decomposition outputs of intestinal bacteria. Assumptions about food intolerance have not been proven yet.

“My tummy looks like I’m about to give birth” is a familiar and common complaint among female IBS patients, who report shame, frustration, bruised self-confidence and impaired day-to-day functioning in view of their changed appearance and feeling uncomfortable in the presence other people.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
http://blog.strauss-group.com/


What is irritable bowel?

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or gastrointestinal discomfort is a symptom-based diagnosis characterized by chronic abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating, and alteration of bowel habits. These phenomena are highly common among the general population: 20%-30% are diagnosed patients, with women reporting the symptoms and seeking medical treatment three times as much as men.

IBS is a functional disorder unrelated to structural problems in the digestive system. It is a general title given to phenomena that have no organic explanation and are defined as “functional”. In such cases, solutions like acupuncture and dietary supplements with proven affect, like probiotics, have added value for patients.

What are the implications of IBS? In layman terms: over-stimulation of the intestines in response to hormonal changes, stress or food, that appear as a result of increased muscle response and a low pain threshold.

Contrary to what many people think, this is not a problem that “exists in our head”, nor is it a serious, life-threatening disease that signals the appearance of other serious conditions in the future. However, it certainly has a drastic affect on the quality of life of those who suffer from it.

The few who visit Turkmenistan can see this flaming crater. (Photo: RapidTravelChai / Flickr)

Other countries on the list, like Guinea Bissau (#14), Libya (#15), and East Timor (#18), have seen their reputations â€" and infrastructure â€" hobbled by recent wars or uprisings.

But not every country on the list is too dangerous or boring to visit. A few are simply effectively sealed off to the outside world.

All foreign visitors to North Korea (#16) are limited to a state-curated itinerary and must have an official government “minder” by their side at all times. But for the few Western tourists who venture into the country, that’s part of the appeal. “You will rarely get to see propaganda done more explicitly,” Garfors writes.

Except, perhaps, in Turkmenistan (#7), where visitors who brave the onerous Soviet-esque visa application process are rewarded with sites like a 50-foot golden statue of former dictator Saparmurat Niyazov in the capital Ashgabat, which rotates throughout the day to face the sun. But the country’s most indisputably impressive site is a massive flaming crater deep in the Karakum Desert. Measuring 230 feet across and almost 70 feet deep, the so-called “Door to Hell” has been burning continuously since Soviet scientists lit it on fire in 1971.

Obscure? Yes. But that's part of the charm.

As for the “too dangerous” countries, the list reads like a global primer in political conflict. For instance, despite its pristine national parks full of wild gorillas and elephants, the perpetually ungovernable Central African Republic (#23) is an unpopular destination for tourists. And its stock will likely continue to plummet â€" last week a rebel alliance seized the capital, Bangui, and the president fled to neighboring Cameroon.

Afghanistan (#10) also suffers from tourism-deflating instability, which keeps visitors away from its rugged peaks, ancient Buddhist monuments, and Islamic holy sites, including the 12th-century Minaret of Jam, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

“The Taliban have a message for foreign tourists who come to Afghanistan, especially if they are from any of the 50 countries that are part of the NATO-led coalition supporting the government: Big mistake,” writes The New York Times.

Indeed, most of the world’s least visited countries seem to fall in one of two categories. There are the Naurus, where you’ll puzzle over what to do, and the Somalias, where it’s simply too dangerous to do much of anything at all. (As Somalia’s Wikitravel page aptly notes, “the easiest method for staying safe in Somalia is not to go in the first place.”)

Most of the “nothing to do” countries are the crumbs that dust a map of the Pacific Ocean: the Federated States of Micronesia, the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, and Tuvalu. The latter shares with the Maldives the dubious distinction of having "highest elevation points" that are the lowest on earth â€" 15 feet above sea level. Visit while you can, as rising sea levels could make the island uninhabitable within a century.

By Ryan Lenora Brown | Christian Science Monitor â€" 10 hours ago


For some travelers, getting off the beaten path is a point of pride, a way to see the parts of the world that don’t make it into glossy guidebooks.

But how many of those same adventurous travelers would be willing to visit, say, Somalia?

About 500, it turns out. At least, that’s how many tourists found their way to the war-torn east African nation last year.

That makes Somalia the second-least visited country in the world, after the tiny pacific island nation Nauru, according to a recent list compiled by travel writer Gunnar Garfors from UN statistics.

Little Nauru â€" 8.1 square miles in size, population 9,378 â€" got just 200 visitors last year, and it’s pretty clear why.

“There is almost nothing to see there,” writes Garfors, “as most of the island … is a large open phosphate mine.”

Hmm, kabuotan jud sa nawong aning Booboy, morag priest material...

Hmm, puasa fare?

The society has understandably reacted coolly to Francis' election, reminding the pope that his namesake, St. Francis of Assisi, was told by Christ to go and "rebuild my church." For the society, that means rebuilding it in its own, pre-Vatican II vision.

The head of the society for South America, the Rev. Christian Bouchacourt, was less than generous in his assessment of Francis.

"He cultivates a militant humility, but can prove humiliating for the church," Bouchacourt said in a recent article, criticizing the "dilapidated" state of the clergy in Buenos Aires and the "disaster" of its seminary. "With him, we risk to see once again the Masses of Paul VI's pontificate, a far cry from Benedict XVI's efforts to restore to their honor the worthy liturgical ceremonies."

One of the key barometers of how traditionalists view Francis concerns his take on the pre-Vatican II Latin Mass. The Second Vatican Council, the 1962-65 meetings that brought the church into the modern world, allowed the celebration of the Mass in the vernacular rather than Latin. In the decades that followed, the so-called Tridentine Rite fell out of use almost entirely.

Traditionalist Catholics who were attached to the old rite blame many of the ills afflicting the Catholic Church today â€" a drop in priestly vocations, empty pews in Europe and beyond â€" on the liturgical abuses that they say have proliferated with the celebration of the new form of Mass.

In a bid to reach out to them, Benedict in 2007 relaxed restrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass. The move was aimed also at reconciling with a group of schismatic traditionalists, the Society of St. Pius X, who split from Rome precisely over the Vatican II reforms, in particular its call for Mass in the vernacular and outreach to other religions, especially Judaism and Islam.

Benedict took extraordinary measures to bring the society back under Rome's wing during his pontificate, but negotiations stalled.

In the face of the pope doing that very thing, Peters and many conservative and traditionalist commentators have found themselves trying to put the best face on a situation they clearly don't like yet can't do much about lest they be openly voicing dissent with the pope.

By Thursday evening, Peters was saying that Francis had merely "disregarded" the law â€" not violated it.

The Rev. John Zuhlsdorf, a traditionalist blogger who has never shied from picking fights with priests, bishops or cardinals when liturgical abuses are concerned, had to measure his comments when the purported abuser was the pope himself.

"Before liberals and traditionalists both have a spittle-flecked nutty, each for their own reasons, try to figure out what he is trying to do," Zuhlsdorf wrote in a conciliatory piece.

But, in characteristic form, he added: "What liberals forget in their present crowing is that even as Francis makes himself â€" and the church â€" more popular by projecting (a) compassionate image, he will simultaneously make it harder for them to criticize him when he reaffirms the doctrinal points they want him to overturn."

"People naturally imitate their leader. That's the whole point behind Jesus washing the disciples' feet. He was explicitly and intentionally setting an example for them," he said. "Pope Francis knows that he is setting an example."

The inclusion of women in the rite is problematic for some because it could be seen as an opening of sorts to women's ordination. The Catholic Church restricts the priesthood to men, arguing that Jesus and his 12 apostles were male.

Francis is clearly opposed to women's ordination. But by washing the feet of women, he jolted traditionalists who for years have been unbending in insisting that the ritual is for men only and proudly holding up as evidence documentation from the Vatican's liturgy office saying so.

"If someone is washing the feet of any females ... he is in violation of the Holy Thursday rubrics," Peters wrote in a 2006 article that he reposted earlier this month on his blog.

There were certainly none of those trappings on display Thursday at the Casal del Marmo juvenile detention facility in Rome, where the 76-year-old Francis got down on his knees to wash and kiss the feet of 12 inmates, two of them women. The rite re-enacts Jesus' washing of the feet of his 12 apostles during the Last Supper before his crucifixion, a sign of his love and service to them.

The church's liturgical law holds that only men can participate in the rite, given that Jesus' apostles were all male. Priests and bishops have routinely petitioned for exemptions to include women, but the law is clear.

Francis, however, is the church's chief lawmaker, so in theory he can do whatever he wants.

"The pope does not need anybody's permission to make exceptions to how ecclesiastical law relates to him," noted conservative columnist Jimmy Akin in the National Catholic Register. But Akin echoed concerns raised by canon lawyer Edward Peters, an adviser to the Vatican's high court, that Francis was setting a "questionable example" by simply ignoring the church's own rules.

Francis also raised traditional eyebrows when he refused the golden pectoral cross offered to him right after his election by Monsignor Guido Marini, the Vatican's liturgy guru who under Benedict became the symbol of Benedict's effort to restore the Gregorian chant and heavy silk brocaded vestments of the pre-Vatican II liturgy to papal Masses.

Marini has gamely stayed by Francis' side as the new pope puts his own stamp on Vatican Masses with no-nonsense vestments and easy off-the-cuff homilies. But there is widespread expectation that Francis will soon name a new master of liturgical ceremonies more in line with his priorities of bringing the church and its message of love and service to ordinary people without the "high church" trappings of his predecessor.

The night he was chosen pope, March 13, Francis emerged from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica without the ermine-rimmed red velvet cape, or mozzetta, used by popes past for official duties, wearing instead the simple white cassock of the papacy. The cape has since come to symbolize his rejection of the trappings of the papacy and to some degree the pontificate of Benedict XVI, since the German pontiff relished in resurrecting many of the liturgical vestments of his predecessors.

Francis also received the cardinals' pledges of obedience after his election not from a chair on a pedestal as popes normally do but rather standing, on their same level. For traditionalists who fondly recall the days when popes were carried on a sedan chair, that may have stung. In the days since, he has called for "intensified" dialogue with Islam â€" a gesture that rubs traditionalists the wrong way because they view such a heavy focus on interfaith dialogue as a sign of religious relativism.

One of the most-read traditionalist blogs, "Rorate Caeli," reacted to the foot-washing ceremony by declaring the death of Benedict's eight-year project to correct what he considered the botched interpretations of the Second Vatican Council's modernizing reforms.

"The official end of the reform of the reform â€" by example," "Rorate Caeli" lamented in its report on Francis' Holy Thursday ritual.

A like-minded commentator in Francis' native Argentina, Marcelo Gonzalez at International Catholic Panorama, reacted to Francis' election with this phrase: "The Horror." Gonzalez's beef? While serving as the archbishop of Buenos Aires, the then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio's efforts to revive the old Latin Mass so dear to Benedict and traditionalists were "non-existent."

Virtually everything he has done since being elected pope, every gesture, every decision, has rankled traditionalists in one way or another.

By NICOLE WINFIELD | Associated Press â€" 3 hrs ago



Associated Press/Gregorio Borgia - Pope Francis, right, looks up to the Crucifix during the Passion of Christ Mass inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Friday, March 29, 2013. Pope Francis began the Good Friday service at the Vatican with the Passion of Christ Mass and hours later will go to the ancient Colosseum in Rome for the traditional Way of the Cross procession. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)


VATICAN CITY (AP) â€" Pope Francis has won over many hearts and minds with his simple style and focus on serving the world's poorest, but he has devastated traditionalist Catholics who adored his predecessor, Benedict XVI, for restoring much of the traditional pomp to the papacy.

Francis' decision to disregard church law and wash the feet of two girls â€" a Serbian Muslim and an Italian Catholic â€" during a Holy Thursday ritual has become something of the final straw, evidence that Francis has little or no interest in one of the key priorities of Benedict's papacy: reviving the pre-Vatican II traditions of the Catholic Church.

Di ba hunit na?

Quote from: hubag bohol on March 30, 2013, 01:00:42 PM
Swimmers who brush into the invisible creatures usually require hospitalization, and two deaths were recorded in Australia in 2002. The Irukandji has been found as far north as the UKâ€"meaning that the invisible danger may be present almost everywhere.

Agoi, wa ba kaha ni mapadpad paingon diri sa kabaybayonan sa Bohol. Uso ra ba ron ang kaligo sa dagat kay ting-init na...

Sometimes it is not size, strength, or ferocity that makes an animal dangerous, but its obscurityâ€"allowing it to sneak past our senses until it is too late. While well-publicized warnings have long focused on deadly box jellyfish, another grave danger is presented to swimmers by the Irukandjiâ€"the “tiny killer.” Measuring only one cubic centimeter, this clear and nearly invisible creature floats aimlessly through the waves, trailing filaments up to two feet in length which carry venom one hundred times more potent than that of a cobra.

Swimmers who brush into the invisible creatures usually require hospitalization, and two deaths were recorded in Australia in 2002. The Irukandji has been found as far north as the UKâ€"meaning that the invisible danger may be present almost everywhere. -- http://listverse.com/

Quote from: hubag bohol on March 30, 2013, 12:54:37 PM
"Pakyas sa tibuok nakong kinabuhi. Karon ra unta ko naka-inom og pampatindog, wala pa gyud nahinayon," sulti sa engineer sa Sun.Star SuperBalita.

Bwahaha! Oops, sori, di angay kataw-an.

Agoi, unsaon na lang pagpahiyos sa gahi na unta...

Tagam si Engineer. Nagpa-ila man gud nga daghan og kwarta. Hmm, gikan galing sa Saudi...

Friday, February 22, 2013


USA ka engineer ang midangop sa kapulisan aron ireklamo ang usa ka commercial sex worker ug laing usa ka higala niini gumikan kay wala siya gilipay ibabaw sa kama.

Ang maong engineer gitago sa pangalan nga Romeo, 58, biyudo, negusyante, residente sa Kilometro 17, Amparo Village, Barangay Ilang, siyudad sa Davao.

Gireklamo mao ang commercial sex worker nga gitago sab sa pangalan nga Russel, hamtong, residente sa Barangay Wilfredo Aquino, Agdao District, ning siyudad.

Gisaysay ni Police Officer 2 (PO2) Edgar Lañohan, desk officer sa Sta. Ana Police Station, mireklamo ang maong engineer sanglit kay wala siya gilipay sa sex worker.

Nasayran nga niadtong Pebrero 15, 2013 nagkaila ang duruha pinaagi ni alyas Che Che, hamtong, residente sa Kawayan Drive, Barangay Matina Crossing nga higala ni Russel.

Nagkahigalaay sila Romeo, Russel ug Che-che kinsa nagustuhan sa engineer.

Giingon nga nangadto sila sa dakong Mall sa Ecoland diin nangaon ang tulo, dayon gipalitan ug mahalon nga tsinelas si Che-che nga nagkantidad ug P1,550.

Gihatagan pa siya sa engineer ug P3,500 bugti sa serbisyong sekswal ngadto kang Che-che.

Giingnan ang biktima ni Che-che nga pagka-ugma nalang sila maglingaw-lingaw ibabaw sa kama.

Tungod kay misalig siya, gibilin pa sa engineer ang iyang cellphone kang Russel aron duna silay kontak.

Kagahapon sa buntag, nasayran sa engineer nga dili mosugot si Che-che sa ilang kasabutang tungod kay tiguwang na ang enhenyero.

Tungod sa nahitabo, nasuko ang engineer dayon buot niyang kuhaon ang gibilin nga cellphone, apan dili kini ihatag ni Russel kung di siya bayaran ug P3,750.

Ang maong hitabo gireport sa pulis ug imbes bayaran si Russel sa kantidad nga iyang gipangayo, giposasan hinuon siya sa kapulisan. Si Che-che wala na sab nakita hangtud kagahapon.

"Pakyas sa tibuok nakong kinabuhi. Karon ra unta ko naka-inom og pampatindog, wala pa gyud nahinayon," sulti sa engineer sa Sun.Star SuperBalita.

Gibalhog karon si Russel sa detention cell sa presinto uno samtang ang engineer nagpaabot nga mabalik kaniya ang iyang nagasto lakip na ang cellphone. (Jeepy P. Compio)

All TB members are invited...





Pasalamat ta sa 3 ka TB members in the picture nga maoy nakapingwit ani. (Volunteers needed sa pagsugba...)

Agoi, ka war freak ba aning mga bayhana...

By Ivy C. Tejano
Wednesday, March 27, 2013


A MOTHER is facing charges for violation of Republic Act (RA) 7610, or Special Protection Against Child Abuse, after she hit the child whom her two boys tormented.

Prosecutor Stella Esparagoza-Camino found probable cause to charge the accused (name withheld), a resident of Barangay 5-A in Bankerohan, Davao City, based on the complaint/affidavit filed by the mother of the victim, an 11-year-old girl.

The charges will be filed in relation to RA 8369, or The Family Court.

In a resolution dated July 1, 2012, the victim related that she was playing with her brother when their neighbor, a boy, got mad at them because they did not allow him to join the game. The girl said their neighbor threw his slippers at her brother and twisted her arm.

She said she tried to help her brother but she was punched and hit with a stone by the neighbor’s brother. She cried in pain, which brought her mother out of the house, and who in turn ordered the two brothers to leave.

But the accused, the mother of the two brothers, attacked the girl’s mother. Amid the chaos, the accused grabbed the girl and threw her to a coconut tree. The girl sustained bruises and wounds.

The accused, in her affidavit, said it was the girl’s mother who started it all, claiming her son went home crying and saying that the other mother hit her with a broom.

She said she accosted the girl’s mother, but she just walked away. She ran after her and a brawl ensued. That was when the girl joined the fray, helping her mother kick and pull the accused’s hair.

But Esparagoza-Camino, in her resolution, said that based on the statements, a probable cause had existed to charge the accused for committing a child abuse.

She said the accused’s allegations in her counter-affidavit are matters of defense.

“It’s her defense which should be threshed out in a full blown trial. Let information for violation of RA 7610 be filed against the accused before the Regional Trial Court pursuant to RA 8369,” the prosecutor said.

http://thechive.com/

Tristan da Cunha is the most remote inhabited location on the planet. Located in the South Atlantic between Africa and South America, Trista de Cunha is 2,430 km from the island of its nearest neighbor, St. Helena, thus making it the most remote place on earth.

The island had a very lonely 270 inhabitants who live on this ex-volcano that rose out of the ocean about a million years ago.

The Agora issue elicited new public attention when one of the business partners of the consortium Kho Beng Sum reportedly revealed to former OIC governor Victor Dela Serna, one of the BOT agreement critics, that mayor Dan Lim is allegedly getting P12M yearly from the Chinese consortium.

In 2008, when the City Square was on its completion stage, three lawyers including Dela Serna, Alexander Lim, Zotico Ochavillo and a private businessman-former city councilor Zenaido “Djingo” Rama filed a case in court questioning the validity of the contract.

A complaint was also filed with the office of the Ombudsman Visayas citing City Mayor Dan Lim for violations of the Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, under R.A 3019.

Lawyer Gonzaga said “any public official, even if he is no longer in office, can be held accountable in offenses involving public funds. These are criminal cases and carries prison terms if finally convicted.”

The lawyer-candidate vowed to make public all transactions of the city government considering the heightened interest for probe; particularly on the rehabilitation- operate-transfer (ROT) agreement with a Chinese-Filipino consortium that constructed the City Square in 2008, on the site of the former Agora public market.

In the BOT contract which expands to 25 years, the consortium operates and manages the whole commercial building, including the parking lot and gives only to the city government a guaranteed amount of P5M yearly.

The city government gets only about P30 per square meter if based on the P5M it gets from the private consortium, while on the other hand, records have shown that the spaces at the City Square is being tented at P600 per square meter for spaces on the first floor, P400 for the second floor and P300 at the third floor.

Even if the rentable area is only 3,000 sq. m. the private operators (Chinese consortium) can still generate about P80M yearly as minimum income.

“This is grossly disadvantageous to the government, no questions about that. While BOT schemes are tested ways to spur the economy and part of the national government thrust to elicit joint partnership with the private sector, contracts like these should be transparent and not tainted with any suspicions,” Gonzaga added.

Political observers agreed that true change can only be attained in Gonzaga’s assumption to office; - but not with the two other candidates who are siblings of the outgoing mayor.

“Of course, Baba Yap, the nephew and Abe Lim the brother can never pursue any action against Dan Lim, that is given, as the saying goes: blood is thicker than water,” Gonzaga said sharing the same public sentiment.

The Gonzaga mayoralty bid is bolstered by a formidable runningmate, the former city vice mayor Jose Antonio “Toto” Veloso.

The power-packed line up for city councilors include: Pilo Bumaat, former bank manager; Jonas Cacho, aircraft engineer; Nato Concon, BS in accountancy; Greggy Gatal, UP Philosophy; Atty. Bryan Gaviola, Human Rights advocate; Aleckoy Lim, former board member and topnotch lawyer; LJ Lumayag, civic leader and entrepreneur; Dodong Polinar, former Bukidnon board member; Djingo Rama, former city councilor, crusader, best known as “Mr. Expose” and Betty Torralba, incumbent city councilor, champion of women’s rights.

http://www.theboholstandard.com/
Sunday, March 24, 2013


Liberal Party official candidate for city mayor here in Tagbilaran, lawyer Augustinus “Dodong” Gonzaga says he would push for a review of all contracts entered into by the city government if given the chance to serve as city mayor.

“As I have always reiterated, transparency and accountability is first and foremost in any governance before any change can be truly achieved,” Gonzaga said.

Gonzaga’s battle cry “Kausaban sa Tagbilaran” calls for change pursuant to the “Daang Matuwid” slogan of the Aquino administration. It has gained much support from the grassroots who have been long clamoring for deliverance from the present city rule under mayor Dan Lim.

Gonzaga is pitted with two other candidates; all related to outgoing mayor Dan Lim. John Geesnell “Baba” Yap is the mayor’s nephew while Dr. Abraham “Abe” Lim is a brother of the mayor.

Hmm, morag badibildir man diay tuod si doggy...