MikeLigalig.com

while i love all the songs of the cascades, there's always something like prima inter pares, hehe.  'there's a reason' is my most favorite.  please listen to the violin accompaniment, plucking part included, lorenz.  supercalli gyod. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYXzzrDoH2U#

some kind of wake up call, or eye-opener, in case...

“do what you love and you won’t work a day in your life”

In my last class of college, my accounting professor left our class with this story to close:

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village.  An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.

“Not very long,” answered the Mexican.

“But then, why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more?” asked the American.

The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.

The American asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”

“I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs … I have a full life.”

The American interrupted, “I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you!  You should start by fishing longer every day.  You can then sell the extra fish you catch.  With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat.

“And after that?” asked the Mexican.

With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers.  Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant.  You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City!  From there you can direct your huge new enterprise.”

“How long would that take?” asked the Mexican.

“Twenty, perhaps 25 years,” replied the American.

“And after that?” the Mexican asked.

“Afterwards?  That’s when it gets really interesting,” answered the American, laughing.  “When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!”

“Millions?  Really?  And after that?”

“After that you’ll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends.”

http://cfkchronicles.wordpress.com/


-posted in tb under 7 Signs that You Hate Your Job, « Reply #23 on: March 20, 2012, 06:52:28 PM

Quote from: chicogon on May 04, 2012, 05:29:38 AM
Not much but more than I need.

and this, for me, is the best way.  luckily, my needs are simple.  luckier still, the banana republic shares such simple needs.

Quote from: Lorenzo on May 04, 2012, 02:25:37 PM
The peace of God permeates and abides in one's soul during Eucharistic adoration gives you a sense of peace that is not of this world.

it did, i swear(!) it did.  and it truly was not of this world.  i hope to be able to open up and hold on to such grace, always.

Quote from: Lorenzo on May 04, 2012, 12:40:43 PM
By far, the best place for contemplation and "One on One Time" with the Lord Jesus Christ.

aaahhh, my type.  so spare, so beautiful. 

a few years ago, when my brother was on the throes of death, my sis-in-law texted me, who was far away, to go to the nearest blessed sacrament.  i knew where a 24-hour open tabernacle was; i walked all the way to that church, crying.  as i faced the monstrance with the eucharist in the open tabernacle, i realized i didn't know what to pray.  so i talked and mumbled to a presence that i felt was just right there, in front of me.  it was like talking to the best of best friends.  a certain kind of warmth spread all over me, starting from the head.  it was soothing.  there and then, i learned to accept the unacceptable. 

Quote from: Lorenzo on May 04, 2012, 12:38:59 PM

what's this, lorenz?  any message from that stone arrangement?

naa sad diay multilevel marketing sa internet?  whew!  mlm is the kind of marketing that begs for the participation of the whole population of, say, cebu city.  way kalainan sa ponzi scheme. 

nakaapil kog mlm sa una kay pugoso kaayo among family friend gamay na lay kuwang paakon among kiting ug sunod-sunod.  naka-speech pod tawon ko on a big stage in makati as a success story.  problema lang kay akong banana republic ray tigpalit sa products.  wa koy nabaligya, wa koy na-recruit nga downline.  kapuliki mig gamit sa products pila ka tuig, hahaha, aw, huhuhu diay.

maayo gani ni (this thread) kay soft recruitment ang style ug pindot-pindot ray required.  mora hinoon ug di kabayad ug hospital bills ang earnings ani tingali kun motuskig atong mga tudlo ug pinindot.         

naa sad bayay angkonay ug territories and islets didto sa middle east.  wa pa lang sila magtinutokay kay di man intsik ang kaatbang.  anyways, depending on the paper that one reads, and depending on where a map is printed, it's either persian gulf (crediting iran) or the arabian gulf (crediting the arab countries).  two names for the same body of water, the same parehas sa atoa.   

libog sad bitaw akong kutaw... bag-o pa sad ko nakahibawo nga naa diay west philippine sea, karon pang panahona nga frontal nga nangangkon ang china sa atong bato-bato sa baybayon.

Quote from: chicogon on May 03, 2012, 11:53:48 AM
Maoy ako anig mamuwak ni sunod pohon... 

may puruhan, fr chic.  anha sa ilong mogawas.

maayo gani kay di ta dinhi mahimong magsabunotay.  dugay ra untang nahurot ning bunot sa akong ulo.

magkita ning duha tagay man gyoy linugdangan ani ba.  pinot noir, ha?  puro na man lang gyod mo mga milyonaryo... puwede pod hennessy xo.

miserable, maybe, but bai hubag can always wait for the spinoff, like a 'how to be poor' thread for the select few among us.  

Quote from: TUBAGBOHOL.com on May 02, 2012, 10:32:55 PM
A report stated that initially, Dr. Luzmininda Monico of the Naguilian District Hospital tagged the intake of spoiled food taken by the victims caused by excessive heat of summer prevailing as the reason for the food poisoning.

Quote from: hubag bohol on May 03, 2012, 10:39:55 PM
Can somebody (doctor or grammarian) explain this to me, please?

because i'm neither doctor nor grammarian, let me just share my understanding of this oversight by the philippine news agency...

1) dr. luzmininda monico of the naguilian district hospital had put a price, probably at a bargain, on some kind of spoiled food that guests at a wedding helped themselves to.

2) those who partook of the food are called victims.  those who did not are called zombies.

3) the heat of summer, meaning the country's current temperature caused by environmental degradation, is the excess, ab initio, of the bargain food.

4) it is not advisable to have a feast just because there is a wedding.  more so if it's a mass wedding because the food will be just as massed.

5) salmonella typhimurium, salmonella enteritidis, e.coli and gastroenteritis are not psalms nor offshoots of the latin high mass nor precedents of  domine, miserere nobis or kyrie eleison.

di na lang nako dugangan kay moabot unya ko sa ukraine.  adto unya ko masakpan sa chinese school of fish from marlborough shoalin.

for the complete cable about china's historical claims to the south china sea as not being subject to UNCLOS, with thanks to wikileaks, here's the link:

http://www.cablegatesearch.net/cable.php?id=08BEIJING3499

why won't china go for international arbitration?

China skirts UN pact

Although China is a signatory to the 1982 UN Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), it will not attempt to verify its claims before the mechanism, said the MFA official as quoted by the US memo.

"China will not refer its SCS [South China Sea] claim to dispute settlement procedures established in UNCLOS,  because, Yin said, 'it is not in China's tradition' to submit  to such compulsory or binding decision mechanisms," the cable said.

"When queried as to why China acceded to UNCLOS, Yin commented that China became a signatory nation because neighboring countries in the SCS joined, and China believes its SCS claim is not threatened by UNCLOS," it added.

excerpts from http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/-depth/04/20/12/wikileaks-cable-china-cant-prove-spratlys-claim

still on china's so-called historical claim of the west philippine sea (south china sea or SCS; i.e. including the spratlys and scarborough shoal), and why it's a lame claim:

Cable 08BEIJING3499, sent to Washington by the US embassy in Beijing in September 9, 2008, said a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) official and a local scholar could not identify specific historical records to justify China's "Nine Dashes" claim that covers the whole Spratlys and areas within other countries' exclusive economic zones (EEZs).

MFA Department of Treaty and Law Oceans and Law of the Sea Division Deputy Director Yin Wenqiang told a US embassy political officer on August 30, 2008 that "China has indisputable sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea and the adjacent waters."

However, the US official said "Yin admitted he is not aware of the historical basis for the 'Nine Dashes'" and only mentioned unspecified "Chinese historical documents" that indicate the basis for China's claims on territory west of the Philippines, according to the cable.

more at: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/-depth/04/20/12/wikileaks-cable-china-cant-prove-spratlys-claim

Quote from: Lorenzo on May 03, 2012, 04:17:20 PM
According to Deng, Scarborough Shoal â€" known as Huanyan island in Chinese â€" is historically part of China, and it is against the international law for the government of the Philippines to call for international arbitration regarding Chinese territory.

it was the late national artist nick joaquin, i think, who wrote years ago that if the philippines go by china's line of historical claims over the spratlys (a claim repeated over the scarborough shoal), then the philippines may as well allow china to claim historical rights over the whole country where antique chinese jars have been dug. 

it looks like china won't go for international arbitration because it's the philippines that has the legal and moral claim.  so the chinese want bilateral talks only, which seem more unilateral because they've been dictating that the philippines toe their line. 

Quote from: hubag bohol on March 12, 2012, 09:17:24 PM
Akong tan-aw ani, nganong invest2x man kunohay ka? Sa ato pa, you have money to spare. Ihatag na lang kaha ni ni Botoy, sure ka pa nga nagamit ni, drop by drop...

buyag nimo, toy.  mao bitaw nang munamunang tigom aron di mahutdan ug diyot.

which comes first, the chicken or the egg?  do we need to have money first so there's something to get educated on, or is it the other way around? 

the philippines won't allow it because the shoal is within our EEZ, the international community won't allow it because no single country should exercise full control of the second most used sea lane in the world, which is what china may be up to with its 9-dash claim.  a localized armed conflict could mean china ending up fully controlling the area.  the international community will see to it that it won't happen.  well, even the biggest and strongest of school bullies would need some friends.

as for vietnam, it's not for nothing that it has the distinction of being the only country that defeated the u.s. in a war.

"Vietnam is no pushover. It may not have much of a navy, but it has repeatedly demonstrated that it isn't afraid of China. To show Beijing that it is prepared for a fight, Hanoi has ordered six Kilo-class Russian submarines (which will enter service in a few years)," Pei said. Hanoi has also dramatically enhanced its ties with the United States to ensure its security. (http://www.wantchinatimes.com/) 

oops, di diay tantong milagro.

more skyland miracle:

thus must china not dive into a pool of boiling water, or an empty pool like the philippines for that matter.

on diplomatese:

DIPLOMATS, LIKE all practitioners of a specialized craft, have their own parlance, and in diplomacy, as elsewhere, things are not always what they seem.


The occasion was the bicentennial of the Treaty of Paris, when Sir Brian Urquhart, the United Nations' peacekeeper extraordinaire, gave an address at the Smithsonian Institution.

In a list of ''some don'ts for workers for peace,'' he cited this: ''Don't dive into an empty pool. This may create a temporary sensation, but it will leave you stunned and incapable of further action. It is equally inadvisable to dive into a pool of boiling water.''

-excerpts from ON LANGUAGE; Diplomatese, by Alvaro de Soto, a Peruvian career diplomat, who was executive assistant to Javier Perez de Cuellar, Secretary General of the United Nations; September 10, 1989, The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/

it has rubbed too many neighbors the wrong way that contemplating such attacks may be beyond it at the moment.  the blustery statements in different forums are nothing unless they are official statements.  we can even make our own blustery statements to match theirs right here in tb (till banning do us fart, eeekkk).

meanwhile, it's interesting to go through the diplomatic language of the official statements on what were bilaterally concluded during the recent 2+2 meeting in the u.s. (del rosario and gazmin + clinton and panetta).  those statements are to be expected. 

these things i find interesting because language couched in diplomatese may carry veiled threats between the lines.  'won't take sides but the mutual defense treaty is respected; smooth international navigation in the area, etc.'  it looks like in international relations, calling a spade a heart is the name of the game.     

Quote from: Lorenzo on May 03, 2012, 11:13:15 AM
Is this in Thailand, Isles?

yes, lorenz.  at the skyland in thailand.

“A SNAPPER couldn’t believe his luck when he landed this incredible shot of what looks like an ANGEL in the clouds.

The heavenly vision appeared as photographer Isres Chorphaka visited a temple in Thailand.

The 51-year-old feared it was going to rain when he saw the ominous grey clouds closing in.

But he was stunned when sunrays streaked through the gaps in the edges and formed the stunning picture.

Isres had been visiting the Grand Palace in Bangkok when the phenomenon happened.

He said: “I went with one of my friends to take photos at the palace’s Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

“After a few hours we decided to leave and when we were almost at the exit I saw the sky was going to close like it was going to rain.

“Sunrays sneaked though gaps between clouds. It was so beautiful so I stopped and took photos.

“Suddenly clouds moved further and formed an angel-like formation over the Grand Palace.

“It was incredible, I said to my friend, ‘Look, the angel blesses us’.

more at: http://baminoo.com/a-heavenly-angel-shape-appears-in-a-cloud/

Quote from: Lorenzo on May 03, 2012, 11:39:52 AM
If China and Philippines have a full armed conflict, do you think that the Chinese will encourage rebellious groups such as the NPA, MILF, MNLF to engage the Philippine Armed Forces?

at their own peril.  they may end up courting armed rebellion against the politburo.  how about... 'today the philippine government, tomorrow the chinese government' for these armed rebels?

Quote from: Lorenzo on May 03, 2012, 11:33:39 AM
If China wanted to, if she sent tactical bombers to bomb Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, Davao etc, it would take air superiority and control Philippine Air Space.

it won't.  like any other nation with enough patriotic pride, it wouldn't want to be ridiculous.  what they're having now is plain bluster (like a dog barking; barking dogs don't bite).  besides, should the ridiculous happen (the barking dog would accidentally bite), imagine all the nations that could be dragged into it.  no, china is not that stupid.  it may be stupid, but not that stupid.   

that day of september 16, 1991:

TWO things are certain about September 16, 1991--the day the Senate voted to close down US bases on Philippine soil: it rained heavily and the vote, for good or ill, changed the country's destiny.

Political activist Renato Constantino Jr., who was at Liwasang Bonifacio on that day, said the government brought a crowd of "more than 100,000" to pressure the Senate to ratify the extension of the RP-US Bases Treaty.

"But the rain chased them away. They melted away," he said at a lunch commemorating the historic vote. While this was happening, he said, the crowd picketing against the treaty swelled to around 40,000.

He said that he met a mother and her daughter there, drenched in the rain but with warm smiles. "They were not there with any mass organization, they just wanted the bases out," he said.

-excerpts and data from "Senators remember day when they rejected US bases treaty" by Jonathan de Santos, Friday, September 16, 2011, http://www.sunstar.com.ph/

Former senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr.: "Go ahead. Do your worst and we shall do our best."  (He had said then that he voted against the bill even though it would have left the Philippines weaker militarily.)

Former senator Wigberto Tanada:  [The treaty had to be junked because] "national freedom cannot be postponed and the dignity and honor of the Filipino people cannot continue to be trampled."

Former senator Orlando Mercado, who served as Defense secretary under Estrada:  "Today, we have only ourselves to blame and to praise."

what they said after 20 years:

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile: "...the decision struck a blow for national sovereignty."  "We collectively echoed the sentiment of the Filipino people to unshackle themselves."

Former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada: "Our finest hour."

Former senator Victor Ziga: "One of my proudest moments because the Senate had been able to resist fancy rhetoric and cheap propaganda."

Former senator Agapito Aquino: "Each of the 12 senators who voted against the treaty, paid a heavy price. Now called the Magnificent 12, they were derided then as the Dirty Dozen and accused of being out of touch with the rest of the country."  (On why he had to go against Malacanang, which had been pushing for ratification): "I love my country more than I love my President."

why the Magnificent 12 voted against the continuation of the US military presence in the country:

1) The anti-bases movement had been agitating to close down the bases over fears that the US was keeping nuclear weapons in its bases in defiance of the Philippine Constitution.

2) Activists had also been protesting against the basis because it supported militarization of the Philippines and American gunboat diplomacy in Asia.

3) Prostitution and other vices that the bases brought.

[These reasons] had people stand in front of the old Senate building to pressure the senators [to close down the bases on Philippine soil on September 16, 1991], according to Ma. Socorro Diokno of the Jose W. Diokno Foundation.

the Magnificent 12 (or the Dirty Dozen for those who believed "they are out of touch with the rest of the country"):

Former senators Agapito Aquino, Sotero Laurel II, Ernesto Maceda Jr., Orlando Mercado, Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Rene Saguisag, Jovito Salonga, Wigberto Tanada, and Victor Ziga; current Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, former President Joseph Estrada, and former Vice President Teofisto Guingona III.

obviously, only octogenarian senate president juan ponce enrile is still in the senate.

'long, kamatikod man tingali ka nga nagkagamay ang value sa dollar against the philippine peso.  wa man ko sa negosyo ug foreign exchange, pero pagka way lami sad ani uy.  with my meager dollar accounts, mora ra man ko anig nagtigom aron mogamay ang tinigom.  nalibog na hinoon ko kun motuo ba ko gihapon sa giingon ni banana republic nga kun naa koy dollars unya di pa gamiton, save them na lang una.  what's your take on this?     

i have the luxury of having this once every two months, raqz, at 80 pesos a pop.  not bad.  i feel neat soon after.  nidangop ko ani kay di na man ko makaibot sa akong kilay kun di mag-reading glasses.  karon, kun naay glasses, unsaon na lang pag-ibot.  nadaot ug samot ang mata ug binasa sa tb, hahaha!

'Hacker wars' continue

The Scarborough standoff has spawned tit-for-tat Internet attacks by hackers from the 2 countries.

This week, alleged hackers from China tried to bring down the websites of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and other Philippine government agencies through distributed denial-of-service attacks (DDOS).

DOST Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO) executive director Louis Casambre said they noticed a sudden surge in the server web traffic in several government websites early Monday morning and Tuesday night.

He said the incidents show an "intent to overwhelm" Philippine government websites' servers.

Meanwhile, hackers from the Philippines are retaliating by defacing Chinese websites.

Members of hackers groups such as "PrivateX," "Anonymous #OccupyPhilippines" and "Anonymous Butuan" have left messages on Chinese websites.

"You may continue bullying our country's waters but we will not tolerate you from intimidating our own cyber shores. Those defacements are just a mere response to what you have initially started. We are not trying to start anything. We are just trying to tell you that we do not want to be bullied in our own cyberspace too," one message said.

The DOST has urged Filipino hackers to stop their attacks.

Casambre added that the DOST cannot do anything yet and China has not made an official request for help from the Philippine government to stop the attacks on Chinese websites. - with reports from Jing Castañeda and Pia Gutierrez, ABS-CBN News; ANC

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

May 11 protests

Meanwhile, a Filipino-American leader is urging Filipinos worldwide to join next week's protests against China.
   
For the group US Pinoys for Good Governance, now is the time to stand up to what it calls as China's bullying at Scarborough Shoal.

"I'm calling on the global Pinoys who are concerned about this intrusion of China and who are singing the national anthem, 'Sa manlulupig, di ka pasisiil', let's stand up and show up on Friday, May 11," said the group's leader, Loida Nicolas Lewis.

Filipinos in the US, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, and other countries are expected to launch protests in front of Chinese embassies and consulates, Lewis told ANC on Wednesday.

"The international family of nations should see that this big wannabe worldpower China, is not following international law," she said.

Lewis will lead the protests in New York.

In Manila, the rallies will be spearheaded by partylist group Akbayan.

At the Foreign Affairs Department, officials asserted that the Philippine will stand its ground at Scarborough Shoal.

While the US refuses to take sides in the territorial dispute, the DFA said Manila's key ally will not tolerate the use of force and that it shares the Philippine position that the standoff must be resolved legally and peacefully.

More Chinese ships arrive at Scarborough Shoal

ABS-CBNnews.com
05/03/2012

MANILA, Philippines - There's still no end in sight to the Scarborough Shoal standoff, as more Chinese boats have arrived at the disputed territory.

There are now 14 Chinese vessels in the area, which is located just 124 nautical miles off Zambales, according to Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command spokesman Capt. Aurello Kigis.

He said the foreign ships include 3 maritime surveillance ships and a fisheries law enforcement command vessel.

The Philippines has deployed the Coast Guard's BRP Edsa Dos and a ship from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to the area.

There were 6 other Filipino fishing vessels in the area last Sunday, but it is not known how many have remained as of Wednesday.

Kigis said the Armed Forces of the Philippines continues to monitor the area to protect the Philippines' territorial integrity.

He declined to comment on the rising number of Chinese ships at the shoal, which is locally known as Panatag.

Quote from: chicogon on May 01, 2012, 01:44:31 PM
Kadaot sa Tsina didto man padung sa LOSLOS = League Of Sino Leverages Of the Sea 

piyawsingi.  siyopawa man god ana nila uy.  kalayo ra nila sa shoal.  irokon man gyod ta. 

am i missing something here?  cebuano man god ang akong bana.  wa man tawoy nitagad nakong bol-anon.

OT: orchids was really something, judging from her posts.  how lucky for TB to have had her.

don't look down sa perfect places for contemplation kay ngilo sa tuhod.  look up.

where's the house of the rising sun here?  the one that's been a ruin of many a poor boy?

now this is scary.  ang kilay giilisan ug vine?  ugh.  bahalag rabong akong kilay.

the news item's phrase "the victims, who include men, women and children" got me curious.  were there other victims then, aside from men, women and children, like, say, vampires, cats, dogs, etc.?  the word "include" actually did me in.  it implies that there could be other victims aside from the three gender and age demographics mentioned.  just a stray thought...  

faet.  nanghunaw tingali sa inodoro?  jawk.

meanwhile, the roman catholic church continued to stand strong and veered towards aggiornamento.  here i sit.  amen.

To protect the authority of the Pope and the Church, as well as to maintain the doctrine of indulgences, ecclesiastical officials convinced Charles V that Luther was a threat and persuaded him to authorize his condemnation by the Holy Roman Empire. Luther escaped arrest and remained in seclusion at Wartburg castle for several years where he continued to write and translate the New Testament into German.

While the Edict was harsh, Charles was so preoccupied with political and military concerns elsewhere that it was never enforced. Eventually Luther was allowed to return to public life and became instrumental in laying the groundwork for the Protestant Reformation. (wikipedia)

Whoever first printed that speech and added the famous phrase apparently wanted very much to stand by it. Luther could hardly have minded.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/

Without "Here I stand," is Luther's shining moment forever dulled, like the March on Washington without "I have a dream" or the Gettysburg Address without "Four score and seven years"? Hardly. In his seminal Luther: Man Between God and the Devil (English edition Yale, 1989), Reformation scholar Heiko Oberman renders Luther's speech like this:

    Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures or by evident reason-for I can believe neither pope nor councils alone, as it is clear that they have erred repeatedly and contradicted themselves-I consider myself convicted by the testimony of Holy Scripture, which is my basis; my conscience is captive to the Word of God. Thus I cannot and will not recant, because acting against one's conscience is neither safe nor sound. God help me. Amen.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/

"Luther asserted that his conscience was captive to the Word of God and that he could not go against conscience. This was not, however, a modern plea for the supremacy of the individual conscience or for religious freedom. Though already excommunicated by Rome, Luther saw himself as a sworn teacher of Scripture who must advocate the right of all Christians to hear and live by the gospel."

http://www.christianitytoday.com/

A second misunderstanding arises when the words "Here I stand" are quoted as evidence of Luther's modern stand against the medieval powers of church and empire. Luther's speech was not a defiant, solitary protest, but a calm, reasoned account of why he had written the books piled on the table before him and why he could not recant their content.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/

The speech story apparently received some quick touch-up treatment. Dr. Scott H. Hendrix, author of Luther and the Papacy: Stages in a Reformation Conflict (Fortress, 1981) writes:

    In April 1521, Luther appeared before Emperor Charles V to defend what he had taught and written. At the end of his speech, the story goes, he spoke the famous words, "Here I stand; I can do no other. God help me."

    The earliest printed version of Luther's address added these words, which were not recorded on the spot. It's possible they are genuine, but for almost a half century now, most scholars have believed they were probably not spoken by Luther.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/

Luther is sometimes also quoted as saying: "Here I stand. I can do no other". Recent scholars consider the evidence for these words to be unreliable, since they were inserted before "May God help me" only in later versions of the speech and not recorded in witness accounts of the proceedings. (wikipedia)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xQsCtpcj_E#

excerpt:

Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. Here I stand.  I can do no other. May God help me. Amen.

In 1520 Luther developed his ideas further.

In July 1520, Leo X issued a papal Bull - "Exsurge Domine". This condemned Luther’s beliefs and ordered the public burning of Luther’s work. Luther was ordered to recant on the threat of excommunication. Luther burnt a copy of the Bull in Wittenburg and the book of canon law. Interestingly, the Bull condemned Luther as the "bull who has got into the vineyard"......(Leo had a healthy liking for wine).

In July 1521, Luther was formally excommunicated and Charles was ordered to enforce this by the pope. Charles V was a devout catholic but he could not risk antagonising the German princes and public due to Luther’s popularity in the northern states. Charles condemned Luther’s beliefs and forbade the publication of his works. Luther was summoned to Worms to defend his case before an Imperial Diet. Luther set out from Wittenburg on April 1521 on a triumphal journey but aware that John Hus had been granted safe conduct by the authorities but had been condemned and burnt at the stake.

It was at Worms that Luther made his "Here I Stand" speech.

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/

is there a single thesis of these 95 theses that could make one honestly say that martin luther was unchristian?

91. If, therefore, indulgences were preached according to the spirit and intention of the pope, all these doubts would be readily resolved. Indeed, they would not exist.

92. Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, "Peace, peace," and there is no peace! (Jer 6:14)

93. Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, "Cross, cross," and there is no cross!

94. Christians should be exhorted to be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through penalties, death and hell.

95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven through many tribulations rather than through the false security of peace (Acts 14:22).

http://www.reformed.org/

81. This unbridled preaching of indulgences makes it difficult even for learned men to rescue the reverence which is due the pope from slander or from the shrewd questions of the laity.

82. Such as: "Why does not the pope empty purgatory for the sake of holy love and the dire need of the souls that are there if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the sake of miserable money with which to build a church? The former reason would be most just; the latter is most trivial.

83. Again, "Why are funeral and anniversary masses for the dead continued and why does he not return or permit the withdrawal of the endowments founded for them, since it is wrong to pray for the redeemed?"

84. Again, "What is this new piety of God and the pope that for a consideration of money they permit a man who is impious and their enemy to buy out of purgatory the pious soul of a friend of God and do not rather, because of the need of that pious and beloved soul, free it for pure love's sake?"

85. Again, "Why are the penitential canons, long since abrogated and dead in actual fact and through disuse, now satisfied by the granting of indulgences as though they were still alive and in force?"

86. Again, "Why does not the pope, whose wealth is today greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build this one basilica of St. Peter with his own money rather than with the money of poor believers?"

87. Again, "What does the pope remit or grant to those who by perfect contrition already have a right to full remission and blessings?"

88. Again, "What greater blessing could come to the church than if the pope were to bestow these remissions and blessings on every believer a hundred times a day, as he now does but once?"

89. "Since the pope seeks the salvation of souls rather than money by his indulgences, why does he suspend the indulgences and pardons previously granted when they have equal efficacy?"

90. To repress these very sharp arguments of the laity by force alone, and not to resolve them by giving reasons, is to expose the church and the pope to the ridicule of their enemies and to make Christians unhappy.

http://www.reformed.org/

71. Let him who speaks against the truth concerning papal indulgences be anathema and accursed.

72. But let him who guards against the lust and license of the indulgence preachers be blessed.

73. Just as the pope justly thunders against those who by any means whatever contrive harm to the sale of indulgences.

74. Much more does he intend to thunder against those who use indulgences as a pretext to contrive harm to holy love and truth.

75. To consider papal indulgences so great that they could absolve a man even if he had done the impossible and had violated the mother of God is madness.

76. We say on the contrary that papal indulgences cannot remove the very least of venial sins as far as guilt is concerned.

77. To say that even St. Peter if he were now pope, could not grant greater graces is blasphemy against St. Peter and the pope.

78. We say on the contrary that even the present pope, or any pope whatsoever, has greater graces at his disposal, that is, the gospel, spiritual powers, gifts of healing, etc., as it is written, 1 Co 12[:28].

79. To say that the cross emblazoned with the papal coat of arms, and set up by the indulgence preachers is equal in worth to the cross of Christ is blasphemy.

80. The bishops, curates, and theologians who permit such talk to be spread among the people will have to answer for this.

http://www.reformed.org/

61. For it is clear that the pope's power is of itself sufficient for the remission of penalties and cases reserved by himself.

62. The true treasure of the church is the most holy gospel of the glory and grace of God.

63. But this treasure is naturally most odious, for it makes the first to be last (Mt. 20:16).

64. On the other hand, the treasure of indulgences is naturally most acceptable, for it makes the last to be first.

65. Therefore the treasures of the gospel are nets with which one formerly fished for men of wealth.

66. The treasures of indulgences are nets with which one now fishes for the wealth of men.

67. The indulgences which the demagogues acclaim as the greatest graces are actually understood to be such only insofar as they promote gain.

68. They are nevertheless in truth the most insignificant graces when compared with the grace of God and the piety of the cross.

69. Bishops and curates are bound to admit the commissaries of papal indulgences with all reverence.

70. But they are much more bound to strain their eyes and ears lest these men preach their own dreams instead of what the pope has commissioned.

http://www.reformed.org/

51. Christians are to be taught that the pope would and should wish to give of his own money, even though he had to sell the basilica of St. Peter, to many of those from whom certain hawkers of indulgences cajole money.

52. It is vain to trust in salvation by indulgence letters, even though the indulgence commissary, or even the pope, were to offer his soul as security.

53. They are the enemies of Christ and the pope who forbid altogether the preaching of the Word of God in some churches in order that indulgences may be preached in others.

54. Injury is done to the Word of God when, in the same sermon, an equal or larger amount of time is devoted to indulgences than to the Word.

55. It is certainly the pope's sentiment that if indulgences, which are a very insignificant thing, are celebrated with one bell, one procession, and one ceremony, then the gospel, which is the very greatest thing, should be preached with a hundred bells, a hundred processions, a hundred ceremonies.

56. The true treasures of the church, out of which the pope distributes indulgences, are not sufficiently discussed or known among the people of Christ.

57. That indulgences are not temporal treasures is certainly clear, for many indulgence sellers do not distribute them freely but only gather them.

58. Nor are they the merits of Christ and the saints, for, even without the pope, the latter always work grace for the inner man, and the cross, death, and hell for the outer man.

59. St. Lawrence said that the poor of the church were the treasures of the church, but he spoke according to the usage of the word in his own time.

60. Without want of consideration we say that the keys of the church, given by the merits of Christ, are that treasure.

http://www.reformed.org/

41. Papal indulgences must be preached with caution, lest people erroneously think that they are preferable to other good works of love.

42. Christians are to be taught that the pope does not intend that the buying of indulgences should in any way be compared with works of mercy.

43. Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends to the needy does a better deed than he who buys indulgences.

44. Because love grows by works of love, man thereby becomes better. Man does not, however, become better by means of indulgences but is merely freed from penalties.

45. Christians are to be taught that he who sees a needy man and passes him by, yet gives his money for indulgences, does not buy papal indulgences but God's wrath.

46. Christians are to be taught that, unless they have more than they need, they must reserve enough for their family needs and by no means squander it on indulgences.

47. Christians are to be taught that they buying of indulgences is a matter of free choice, not commanded.

48 Christians are to be taught that the pope, in granting indulgences, needs and thus desires their devout prayer more than their money.

49. Christians are to be taught that papal indulgences are useful only if they do not put their trust in them, but very harmful if they lose their fear of God because of them.

50. Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the indulgence preachers, he would rather that the basilica of St. Peter were burned to ashes than built up with the skin, flesh, and bones of his sheep.

http://www.reformed.org/

31. The man who actually buys indulgences is as rare as he who is really penitent; indeed, he is exceedingly rare.

32. Those who believe that they can be certain of their salvation because they have indulgence letters will be eternally damned, together with their teachers.

33. Men must especially be on guard against those who say that the pope's pardons are that inestimable gift of God by which man is reconciled to him.

34. For the graces of indulgences are concerned only with the penalties of sacramental satisfaction established by man.

35. They who teach that contrition is not necessary on the part of those who intend to buy souls out of purgatory or to buy confessional privileges preach unchristian doctrine.

36. Any truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without indulgence letters.

37. Any true Christian, whether living or dead, participates in all the blessings of Christ and the church; and this is granted him by God, even without indulgence letters.

38. Nevertheless, papal remission and blessing are by no means to be disregarded, for they are, as I have said (Thesis 6), the proclamation of the divine remission.

39. It is very difficult, even for the most learned theologians, at one and the same time to commend to the people the bounty of indulgences and the need of true contrition.

40. A Christian who is truly contrite seeks and loves to pay penalties for his sins; the bounty of indulgences, however, relaxes penalties and causes men to hate them -- at least it furnishes occasion for hating them.

http://www.reformed.org/

21. Thus those indulgence preachers are in error who say that a man is absolved from every penalty and saved by papal indulgences.

22. As a matter of fact, the pope remits to souls in purgatory no penalty which, according to canon law, they should have paid in this life.

23. If remission of all penalties whatsoever could be granted to anyone at all, certainly it would be granted only to the most perfect, that is, to very few.

24. For this reason most people are necessarily deceived by that indiscriminate and high-sounding promise of release from penalty.

25. That power which the pope has in general over purgatory corresponds to the power which any bishop or curate has in a particular way in his own diocese and parish.

26. The pope does very well when he grants remission to souls in purgatory, not by the power of the keys, which he does not have, but by way of intercession for them.

27. They preach only human doctrines who say that as soon as the money clinks into the money chest, the soul flies out of purgatory.

28. It is certain that when money clinks in the money chest, greed and avarice can be increased; but when the church intercedes, the result is in the hands of God alone.

29. Who knows whether all souls in purgatory wish to be redeemed, since we have exceptions in St. Severinus and St. Paschal, as related in a legend.

30. No one is sure of the integrity of his own contrition, much less of having received plenary remission.

http://www.reformed.org/

11. Those tares of changing the canonical penalty to the penalty of purgatory were evidently sown while the bishops slept (Mt 13:25).

12. In former times canonical penalties were imposed, not after, but before absolution, as tests of true contrition.

13. The dying are freed by death from all penalties, are already dead as far as the canon laws are concerned, and have a right to be released from them.

14. Imperfect piety or love on the part of the dying person necessarily brings with it great fear; and the smaller the love, the greater the fear.

15. This fear or horror is sufficient in itself, to say nothing of other things, to constitute the penalty of purgatory, since it is very near to the horror of despair.

16. Hell, purgatory, and heaven seem to differ the same as despair, fear, and assurance of salvation.

17. It seems as though for the souls in purgatory fear should necessarily decrease and love increase.

18. Furthermore, it does not seem proved, either by reason or by Scripture, that souls in purgatory are outside the state of merit, that is, unable to grow in love.

19. Nor does it seem proved that souls in purgatory, at least not all of them, are certain and assured of their own salvation, even if we ourselves may be entirely certain of it.

20. Therefore the pope, when he uses the words "plenary remission of all penalties," does not actually mean "all penalties," but only those imposed by himself.

http://www.reformed.org/

THE 95 THESES
by Martin Luther

    1. When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, "Repent" (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.

    2. This word cannot be understood as referring to the sacrament of penance, that is, confession and satisfaction, as administered by the clergy.

    3. Yet it does not mean solely inner repentance; such inner repentance is worthless unless it produces various outward mortification of the flesh.

    4. The penalty of sin remains as long as the hatred of self (that is, true inner repentance), namely till our entrance into the kingdom of heaven.

    5. The pope neither desires nor is able to remit any penalties except those imposed by his own authority or that of the canons.

    6. The pope cannot remit any guilt, except by declaring and showing that it has been remitted by God; or, to be sure, by remitting guilt in cases reserved to his judgment. If his right to grant remission in these cases were disregarded, the guilt would certainly remain unforgiven.

    7. God remits guilt to no one unless at the same time he humbles him in all things and makes him submissive to the vicar, the priest.

    8. The penitential canons are imposed only on the living, and, according to the canons themselves, nothing should be imposed on the dying.

    9. Therefore the Holy Spirit through the pope is kind to us insofar as the pope in his decrees always makes exception of the article of death and of necessity.

    10. Those priests act ignorantly and wickedly who, in the case of the dying, reserve canonical penalties for purgatory.

http://www.reformed.org/

In July 1519, Luther met the famous German theologian John Eck.  Eck accused Luther of being a Hussite.  Luther said that the doctrine of Hus had contained some truths and that he should not have been condemned.  Luther had now moved well beyond his original position in that 1) he denied the authority of the popes 2) he denied the authority of the general councils and 3) he re-iterated "justification by faith alone."

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/

The Archbishop of Mainz, Albrecht of Brandenburg-Hohenzollern under whom Tetzel (John Tetzel, the indulgences salesman) was operating, sent a copy to Rome requesting that Luther be prohibited from expanding on his ideas.  Wittenburg was in the archbishop’s diocese. Pope Leo X assumed that it was a "monkish quarrel".  He did not hold this view once he read the copy.  He summoned Luther to Rome to answer charges of heresy and rebelling against church authority.  The man appointed to lead the church’s attack against Luther was Cardinal Cajetan - a major intellect in the Catholic Church.  Cajetan was also Papal legate in Germany.

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/

In October 1517, Luther pinned his "95 Theses" to a church door in Wittenburg.  This was his views on indulgences.  There was nothing unusual about this process.  It was the standard practice to put up an idea you had for others to read and then to comment on.  Luther’s work was.  His thoughts were not a direct attack on the Catholic Church rather an attack on Tetzel and indulgences.  What happened next is unclear. Someone took down the pamphlet and translated it into German and had it printed.  Once in circulation the "95 Theses" gained much attention.  In fact, so much attention that Luther tried to withdraw the pamphlet but he was too late.

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/

di gyod hinoon lalim ning pagkadato ni manny pacquiao.  tiaw ba god poy iagig sinumbagay.  as for manny the senator, well, nagpadato una sa real estate usa nilansar.  sa na-senador na, the story is old hat.  for the curious, here's one of the reasons: "Manny Villar blameless?" by Solita Collas-Monsod, http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20100130-250236/Manny-Villar-blameless

monsod is one of the most credible columnists around, wa na lay labot sa iyang pagka-ngilngig nga economist, professor, and former socio-economic planning secretary during the term of president cory.  this particular column of hers convinced me all the more never to include the family name villar on my ballot. 

like mother, like daughter


madonna the mother, "kiniskisan" ang kilay


artist frida kahlo and her famous "wa kiskisi" eyebrows


kun si mona lisa hinoon, di gyod ko kaingon nga naghuramentada

akong sabot sa kiskis ug kilay, kanang shaved gyod tanan aron drowingan ug lain.  naa pa ba diay ni karon?  huramentada ra man ang akong nahibaw-an nga magpakiskis ug kilay.  di pa gyod ni drowingan ug lain.  as-is-where-is ra kuno nga gikiskis. 

kadaghan, like myself, ibton lang ang stray hair para limpyo tan-awon, parehag mustache nga gi-trim.

[Martin Luther's] translation of the Bible into the vernacular (instead of Latin) made it more accessible, causing a tremendous impact on the church and on German culture.  It fostered the development of a standard version of the German language, added several principles to the art of translation, and influenced the translation into English of the King James Bible.  His hymns influenced the development of singing in churches.  His marriage to Katharina von Bora set a model for the practice of clerical marriage, allowing Protestant priests to marry.

In his later years, while suffering from several illnesses and deteriorating health, Luther became increasingly antisemitic, writing that Jewish homes should be destroyed, their synagogues burned, money confiscated and liberty curtailed. These statements have contributed to his controversial status. (wikipedia)

Martin Luther

Martin Luther (10 November 1483 â€" 18 February 1546) was a German monk, priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation.  He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money.  He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517.  His refusal to retract all of his writings at the demand of Pope Leo X in 1520 and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms in 1521 resulted in his excommunication by the Pope and condemnation as an outlaw by the Emperor.

Luther taught that salvation is not earned by good deeds but received only as a free gift of God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ as redeemer from sin.  His theology challenged the authority of the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge and opposed sacerdotalism by considering all baptized Christians to be a holy priesthood.  Those who identify with Luther's teachings are called Lutherans. (wikipedia)

the background

At the start of the [16th century], the Roman Catholic Church was all powerful in western Europe. There was no legal alternative. The Catholic Church jealously guarded its position and anybody who was deemed to have gone against the Catholic Church was labelled a heretic and burnt at the stake. The Catholic Church did not tolerate any deviance from its teachings as any appearance of ‘going soft’ might have been interpreted as a sign of weakness which would be exploited.

The Catholic Church [at that time] raised revenue, among others, through:

Relics: These were officially sanctioned by the Vatican. They were pieces of straw, hay, white feathers from a dove, pieces of the cross etc. that could be sold to people as the things that had been the nearest to Jesus on Earth. The money raised went straight to the church and to the Vatican. These holy relics were keenly sought after as the people saw their purchase as a way of pleasing God. It also showed that you had honored Him by spending your money on relics associated with his son.

Indulgences: These were ‘certificates’ produced in bulk that had been pre-signed by the pope which pardoned a person’s sins and gave you access to heaven. Basically if you knew that you had sinned you would wait until a pardoner was in your region selling an indulgence and purchase one as the pope, being God’s representative on Earth, would forgive your sins and you would be pardoned. This industry was later expanded to allow people to buy an indulgence for a dead relative who might be in purgatory or Hell and relieve that relative of his sins. By doing this you would be seen by the Catholic Church of committing a Christian act and this would elevate your status in the eyes of God.

Pilgrimages: These were very much supported by the Catholic Church as a pilgrim would end up at a place of worship that was owned by the Catholic Church and money could be made by the sale of badges, holy water, certificates to prove you had been etc. and completed your journey.

It was the issue of indulgences that angered Martin Luther into speaking out against them - potentially a very dangerous thing to do.

(excerpts from Roman Catholic Church in 1500, http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/

first things first, i am a catholic.  i am a catholic interested in church history; any church, any faith.  given the chance, i wish to have the patience and the time to learn more the history and development of various faiths.  so far, i only have the inclination, not the time and the patience.

since the 95 theses of martin luther had been mentioned many times in another thread in this board, what else is there to do but look for the 95 theses once and for all.  why this tract came to be and why it led to church reformation seems very interesting indeed.

enough of sounding defensive.   

to partly satisfy my personal curiosity...  am i glad the wiki is just a click away.

A number of erroneous views have been stated regarding the council's role in establishing the biblical canon. In fact, there is no record of any discussion of the biblical canon at the council at all.  The development of the biblical canon took centuries, and was nearly complete (with exceptions known as the Antilegomena, written texts whose authenticity or value is disputed) by the time the Muratorian fragment was written.

In 331 Constantine commissioned fifty Bibles for the Church of Constantinople, but little else is known, though it has been speculated that this may have provided motivation for canon lists. In Jerome's Prologue to Judith he claims that the Book of Judith was "found by the Nicene Council to have been counted among the number of the Sacred Scriptures".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Council_of_Nicaea

Quote from: Lorenzo on May 02, 2012, 11:07:40 AM
What took hundreds of years for the COUNCIL OF NICEA to promulgate and to form , Luther's heresy tried to subvert with the tearing of a few pages.

ugh, lorenz, please.  i hope you don't really mean what i understand your statement to be.  no member of the council of nicea, first or second, could have lived that long. 

in other words, racism seems ingrained in all races, in varying degrees, and i take care to point out that it's in varying degrees, from the most benign to the most rabid and destructive, judging from the posted personal observations and experiences. 

there's always this difference that is credited to the color of one's skin or one's nationality.  too bad, but that is very real.

in the philippines, we may take it for granted, but isn't it racism when we jokingly say that caucasians give off a bad smell?  or that older caucasians who walk our streets are suspected, derisively, as pedophiles?  can we blame marlon brando who once declared that filipinos are sly (and that's his experience with filipinos in the u.s.).  oh, it's easy to react with righteous indignation that we are victims of racism.  but if we look closer at the mirror, we can be racists too, after all.  thus it's safe enough to say that racism is universal. 

now let's hear it from the martians...

         

here's an interesting reply to the question of whether or not the catholic bible uses the septuagint:

Although the Septuagint was the normative Old Testament for most of the infant Christian world, Jerome made his translation of the Vulgate from the Hebrew text while still including all of the books of the Septuagint (meaning he did not drop the 7 that are not in the Masoretic text of the rabbis).  I think modern translations try to use both the Hebrew and the Greek to try to get the best rendering possible.  So does the Catholic Bible use the Septuagint?  Yes and No.  We follow its canon but are not slavishly devoted to its text. (Andreas Hofer, http://forums.catholic.com/)

One day you're the cock of the walk, the next a feather duster.

                                                                      -Piers Morgan

What is the ITLOS?

The International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea is the court created under UNCLOS to settle disputes between states. These include matters regarding the interpretation or application of the Convention, and other issues that may be submitted to it for adjudication by the parties. It also has the power to issue advisory opinions.

The Tribunal has 21 judges from various states and is based in Hamburg, Germany.

Has the ITLOS resolved any case so far?

To date, 19 cases have been submitted to the Tribunal. Two cases are pending before the Tribunal.

One of the cases handled by the ITLOS was the complaint from New Zealand and Australia regarding Japan’s experimental fishing program, which they said resulted in the overfishing of Bluefin Tuna. ITLOS provisionally ordered the parties to keep catches to the level they had agreed on, and to refrain from conducting fishing programs.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/

References & relevant links suggested by GMA News:

UNCLOS and EEZ
ITLOS
UNCLOS membership
History of UNCLOS

What are the penalties for failure to comply with the provisions of UNCLOS?

In case of disputes, states are mandated to settle their dispute by peaceful means. This may be done through an arbitration procedure of their choice. If no settlement is reached through an arbiter, they can bring the case to the ITLOS, the International Court of Justice (the tribunal of the United Nations), or a special tribunal. These tribunals mete out the penalties, which may be in the form of payment of reparations.

What are the main provisions of the treaty?

The UNCLOS provides for the following:

Baseline â€" Determined by connecting points on the coastline from a large map, this is the starting point for measuring the maritime territory of a coastal state.

Territorial sea â€" This is the belt of sea 12 nautical miles from the baseline. In this area, the coastal state exercises sovereign rights and may arrest foreign ships.

Contiguous Zone â€" This is the maritime area not exceeding 24 nautical miles from the baselines. The coastal state exercises authority over this area to the extent necessary to prevent infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration, or sanitation authority over its territorial waters. This is a response to the practice of foreign ships lingering beyond a state’s territorial sea, and thus beyond its criminal jurisdiction, where they commit acts inimical to the coastal state.

Exclusive Economic Zone or EEZ â€" This is the maritime area within 200 nautical miles from a country’s baseline. Within the EEZ, the coastal state has rights over the economic resources of the sea, seabed, and subsoil to the exclusion of other states. However, other nations have the right of navigation and overflight over this area, subject to the regulation of the coastal state.

Continental Shelf â€" This is the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas adjacent to the coastal state but outside the territorial sea. The continental shelf extends 200 nautical miles, and in some cases may extend up to 350 miles, following the natural prolongation of the soil. The coastal state has the right to explore and exploit the natural resources in this area, but this right does not extend to other materials such as shipwrecks.

When did the agreement come into force?

After eight years of negotiations, the convention concluded in 1982 and came into force as a binding treaty in 1994.

Who are the members of UNCLOS?

As of June 2011, the Convention had 162 signatories. The Philippines signed it on May 8, 1984, while China signed it on June 7, 1996.

What was the rationale for UNCLOS?

In the past, the three-mile rule was traditionally used by coastal states to determine the limits of their territorial waters. After World War II, however, states began extending their control beyond previous limits.

In 1945, due to domestic oil demands, the United States claimed the right to harvest the natural resources in its continental shelf. Chile, Peru, and Ecuador asserted sovereign rights over a 200-mile zone, hoping to limit the access of foreign fishing fleets and prevent the depletion of fish stocks in their adjacent seas.

Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Venezuela, and some Eastern European countries claimed 12 miles as part of their territorial seas. Meanwhile, archipelagic nations such as Indonesia and the Philippines asserted the right to dominion over the waters that separated their islands.

Because of this multitude of claims and counterclaims, the UNCLOS became necessary to resolve conflicts among countries over the seas adjacent to their coasts.

What is the UNCLOS?

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), also known as the Law of the Sea Treaty, is the international agreement that defined the limits of the territorial seas of nations and the areas in which they could exploit marine resources.

It also established the rules for the use of the high seas for international navigation, and outlined the rights and responsibilities of nations in the protection of the marine environment.

What you need to know about the UNCLOS, the ITLOS, and the EEZ

By AILEEN ESTOQUIA
GMA News
April 25, 2012

After two weeks, there is still no end in sight to the standoff between Philippine and Chinese vessels at the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal. Located west of Masinloc in Zambales province, the resource-rich cluster of reefs and islets is within the territorial limits of the Philippines, but China has also laid historical claim to the area.

GMA News Online has prepared the primer below, which explains some of the most frequently used terms by officials, to help readers navigate the jargon-laden statements from both sides of the continuing conflict in the west Philippine Sea.

Quote from: chicogon on April 30, 2012, 10:54:56 PM
Bohol to establish BATTERY CENTERS. So far, EVER READY is the only company to say YES. Duracel soon to follow... 

hahaha!  sabagay, mahimo man pod tingaling weapon of mass destruction ang battery.

Quote from: Lorenzo on April 30, 2012, 09:51:15 PM
Yea, a pretty good movie , Isles. I watched this with my mom and dad and by the end, ning hilakhilak sila duha.

sila ra?  if you ended up giggling, i better tell your babycakes to watch out!

Quote from: enadespinosa on April 30, 2012, 09:56:27 PM
Buotan na ko ron bai kay basin mosunod sa akong yapak akong anak mao nga iwas na ko sa mga babaye bai.

oh, no.  mamaldito ra diay ka tungod sa baye?

bear brand family diay mo.

Quote from: enadespinosa on April 30, 2012, 06:46:50 PM
The best thing to do to react immmediately is bring this dispute to the international criminal court in Hague.

di lagi mosugot ang mga wakang.  klaro man silang pildi gyod.  mao nga nag-warn kintahay sila sa philippines "not to internationalize the issue".

Quote from: TUBAGBOHOL.com on April 30, 2012, 06:43:33 PM
who knows the future? we may never know but we can speculate.

mantinir lang usa ta ron ug tinutokay nga way pamilok.

Increasing presence

Lacierda said the government remains hopeful it can continue dialoguing with its Chinese counterparts.

However, he also said the government is still discussing the possibility of increasing Philippine presence at the area.

“It is important we maintain our presence ... As to whether we will augment our presence there, (it) is still being discussed,” he said.

He said the Palace will defer the matter to the DFA and the Philippine Coast Guard. - VVP, GMA News

http://www.gmanetwork.com/

Palace: PHL to continue documenting ‘bullying’

In Malacañang, meanwhile, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the Philippine government will continue to document China’s alleged acts of “bullying” in the area.

“We are documenting the various actions taken by the Chinese vessels. This is (in) order to make sure we are able to determine with sufficient evidence the actions taken by Chinese vessels if we need to bring this up to international tribunals or third parties ... so there will be no conflict on evidence,” he said on government-run dzRB radio.

He said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Philippine Coast Guard are going to document all the actions taken by the Chinese vessels.

Last Friday, an article posted on the Chinese government portal said China’s armed forces vowed to “fulfill their duty” to safeguard China’s territory in the South China Sea, called by the Philippines as the West Philippine Sea.

“China’s military forces will collaborate closely with related governing bodies, including fishery administration and maritime law enforcement, to jointly ensure the country’s maritime rights and interests,” Chinese defense ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng said in Beijing.

The Philippine-China standoff started earlier this April when Philippine military forces spotted Chinese fishing boats off Panatag Shoal.

However, before a Philippine Navy ship could move in to make arrests, two Chinese vessels blocked its path.

China claimed that the Philippine ship harassed the fishing vessels, adding that the area, which they called Huangyan Island, is Chinese territory.

Miriam: Chinese not likely to attack PHL over Panatag row

April 30, 2012

China will not likely use its military might against the Philippines despite its recent warnings over the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal issue, Senator Miriam Santiago said.

In an interview over radio dzBB on Sunday, Santiago said the chances of China using its military weapons to attack the Philippines are slim because “that would be completely silly and the Chinese are more intelligent than that.”

Santiago said China may just be trying to make the Philippines "retreat" on the issue as it is aware that an actual attack against Filipinos may trigger an international backlash.

“It will be condemned by the entire world lalo ang European Union dahil masyadong maselan," Santiago said.

"In the United Nations charter alone, violence is already condemned. There is the International Criminal Court, nakalagay na isang malaking krimen ang genocide, ipapatay mo lahat na tao sa ibang bansa o war crimes or crimes against humanity,” Santiago said.