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By Bohol Chronicle

A daughter of a former Bohol governor was the first to file her certificate of candidacy for the May 2010 elections.

Dr. Mutya Kismet Tirol-Macuno filed her certificate of candidacy with the Commission on Elections during the first day of the 12-day registration period of candidates for both local and national.

Macuno, a physician by profession, is running for board member in the 2nd congressional district, to succeed her mother, Prov'l Board Member Amalia Tirol who is eyeing the mayoralty seat of Ubay town.

Dr. Macuno is the eldest daughter of former Gov. David B. Tirol, then known as Bohol's political wonder boy.

Provincial Comelec Supervisor Lavaria said candidates for the coming elections can register up to Nov. 31 which is the last day for filing of their certificates of candidacies.

This is the first time that the deadline for filing of the COCs is way ahead than the usual time due to the computerization of the ballots for next year's elections.

The names of the candidates will have to be encoded in time for the first automated counting of election returns.

By Bohol Chronicle

The provincial government appeared yielding to Philippine Long Distance Telecommunication's persuasion of reducing its PhP14.2 million debt to the province after the Sangguniang Panlallawigan gave the go-signal last week to the governor for a meager payment through a Memorandum of Agreement.

This developed following the approval of a Provincial Resolution by the SP that authorizes the governor to represent the Province and sign the MOA with PLDT, to accept donation, to set-up a trust fund
and for the company to waiver its rights and interest of the building.

The settlement over the liabilities of the PLDT over rental charges of the building and lot it occupied along Marapao Street , this city, has been stalled for quite sometime due to disagreement between Capitol and PLDT.

The giant telecommunications total debt it owes to the province from 1993 up to the present totals to a whooping P14,247,060.00, including surcharges and interests based on the computation of the provincial treasurer's office. According to PTO's computation, PLDT owed the provincial government of the rent income in the total amount (due) of P8,338,000.00 covering the period March 1993 to October 2008.

Surcharges and interests earned amounted to P1,778,000.00 and P4,131,060.00, respectively, during the same period.     

PLDT, however, insisted it only wants to pay P3,234,719.11, which, in the words of Board Member Atty. Aster Apalisok-Piollo, "is highly disadvantageous" to the provincial government.

The Government Properties
committee of the SP presided over by chairperson Board Member Amalia R. Tirol with BM Piollo and Alfonso Damalerio II, committee vice-chairperson and member, respectively, had been conducting meetings to come up with recommendations with provincial legal officer Atty. Handel Lagunay and PLDT's representative Edwin Rubi, the company's supervisor.

Mayweather bisaya interview 2009
Interview with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

For a certain kind of worm, the sweet life may also be the short life.

New research suggests that added sugar in their diet robs the creatures of 20 percent of their life span.

It's unclear what the findings mean for humans, but they raise questions about the impact of diets high in sugar, according to the study authors, who report their findings in the November issue of the journal Cell Metabolism.

In the study, researchers added a small amount of glucose -- sugar -- to the diet of worms known as C. elegans. The worms normally eat bacteria.

The worms had shorter lives, apparently because of the sugar's effect on the worms' insulin signals, according to the report.

One of the researchers, Cynthia Kenyon of the University of California at San Francisco, said the worms and people are actually similar in the way their bodies handle insulin.

"In the early '90s, we discovered mutations that could double the normal life span of worms," Kenyon said in a news release from the journal's publisher. Those mutations involved internal signals regarding insulin, she explained.

The researchers noted that although the research is in its early stages, it's possible that a low-glycemic index -- one that doesn't quickly boost blood-sugar levels -- could boost longevity.

Scientists are already at work on related research, trying to understand how tightly restricted diets -- in which animals eat much less than they normally would -- helps them live longer. - Healthday News

Supplemental fund appropriations of the city government this year have reached a total of P129 million after the city council approved on Friday the fourth supplemental budget, with almost no questions asked, bypassing legislative procedures.

Expressing his "strong personal disgust" on the "absence of common decency" by some of his colleagues in the majority bloc, opposition City Councilor Zenaido "Djingo" Rama walked out of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) session hall after he was barred to ask questions to City Budget Officer Rosemarie Palma and declared "out of order" by fellow lawmaker Danilo Bantugan.
        
Rama, interviewed by the Chronicle minutes after staging a walkout, said the SP is being "systematically stripped of its oversight functions to ensure that public funds are being spent efficiently in line with priority programs and projects of the city government".

Showing documents concerning the latest supplemental appropriation amounting to P13,831,544, Rama pointed out that the SP Committee on Appropriation chaired by City Councilor Oscar Glovasa held a meeting to discuss the proposed supplemental budget on November 13 but the city mayor sent a letter requesting for the additional fund addressed to the SP on November 17, or four days after.

Moreover, the committee resolved to adopt an appropriation ordinance approving Supplemental Budget No. 4 on November 18 when it should have been presented to the SP in session for referral to Glovasa's committee.

"This is a very glaring disregard of legislative procedure. How can the committee on appropriation deliberate on the mayor's request for a supplemental budget when there has been no formal request from the chief executive?" Rama asked.

Rama added that even without a formal budget hearing on the committee level, the majority bloc succeeded to include the request for the extra budget during Friday's SP session where it breezed through approval on first, second and final reading.

Facebook can be a double-edged sword, a Canadian woman learned when an insurance company cut her health benefits, claiming she was healthy after seeing pictures of her smiling in bikini at the beach.

Nathalie Blanchard, 29, took long-term sick leave from her job at IBM in Bromont, Quebec, more than a year ago for severe depression. She was receiving monthly benefits from her insurance company, Manulife.

When Blanchard called Manulife to inquire why the payments dried up, the insurance company said that "I'm available to work, because of Facebook," she told CBC television.

She said that Manulife cited several pictures Blanchard had posted on her social networking website page, including some showing her enjoying herself during a male strip-tease show at a Chippendales bar, celebrating her birthday and bathing in the sun.

Based on these postings, the firm claimed Blanchard was no longer depressed. - Agence France-Presse

By Felipe V. Celino
Inquirer Visayas

Controversial former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn "Jocjoc" Bolante said broadcaster Korina Sanchez-Roxas should not meddling in local politics and stop acting like a "queen" of Capiz.

Bolante, who has expressed intention to run for governor in Capiz under his local party Ugyon Kita Capiz, said Sanchez-Roxas did not know anything about the local political dynamics and should stay out of it.

Bolante was reacting to a statement made by Sanchez-Roxas in a forum in Dumarao town on Nov. 17 where she told Capiceños to support the chosen candidates of her husband and Liberal Party’s vice presidential bet, Senator Mar Roxas, and not those with records of corruption and those who have been investigated by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

In his blocktime radio program over RMN-DyVR Saturday, Bolante said Sanchez-Roxas was not a "credible" person to castigate former Roxas allies because she was new to the Roxas family.

"Delicadeza dictates that she should stay away from these problems especially that the persons involved were related to the Roxases," Bolante said.

By Frinston Lim
Inquirer Mindanao

Former Miss Universe Margarita “Margie” Moran-Floirendo is running for the top elective post in Davao del Norte, her husband, former Representative Antonio “Tonyboy” Floirendo Jr. said.

Margie’s entry into politics puts her on a collision course with former political allies.

Speaking before the local media during his father’s 94th birthday on Friday, Floirendo Jr. said defections of formidable allies in District 1 to the Liberal party drained the Lakas-Kampi-CMD of possible candidates who could challenge incumbent Governor Rodolfo del Rosario.

The governor on Wednesday officially left Lakas-Kampi and took his oath before Senator and vice presidential aspirant Manuel “Mar” Roxas II as a new LP recruit.

“Walang gustong pumayag kaya si Margie na lang ang patatakbuhin ko (Nobody wanted to run for Lakas-Kampi so I decided to field Margie),” Floirendo said.

By Christian V. Esguerra
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Having all but lost congressional hopeful Manny Pacquiao to the Nacionalista Party, Malacañang made it clear, on Sunday, that it would make no effort to win him back.

But Gabriel Claudio, President Macapagal-Arroyo’s political adviser, gave the international boxing icon a piece of unsolicited advice, saying it would be better if he would stay away from any political party in his bid to win a congressional seat in 2010.
“If NP is interested in getting Manny Pacquiao, we will not try to compete with them or make a counter-offer,” he said in a text message.

(However, an information gathered by the Philippine Daily Inquirer from a source in the Lakas-Kampi-CMD showed that the party’s presidential aspirant Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has been exerting effort to keep Pacquiao as an ally of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD.)

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the administration would not take it against Pacquiao if he would run under the banner of Senator Manuel Villar’s NP in the 2010 elections.

“This is something between Manny Villar and Manny Pacquiao,” he said in his weekly media forum aired at government-run DzRB. “We will not interfere and we will not take it against (him) if that happens.”

By Michael Lim Ubac
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Is there a deal in the making between boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao and Nacionalista Party (NP) standard-bearer Sen. Manny Villar?

Aiming to knock out his rivals in the presidential race this early in the game, Villar has invited Pacquiao to carry out his planned run for a seat in the House representing the province of Sarangani under the NP banner.

Villar met with Pacquiao at the Manila Hotel on Friday, where the head honchos of Solar Sports Entertainment hosted a dinner to celebrate the Filipino hero’s Nov. 17 victory over Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas.

On saturday after the swearing in of former Batangas Gov. Armando Sanchez and 176 local officials as new NP members in Batangas City, Villar confirmed to some reporters that he spoke with Pacquiao during the dinner.

“Kasama natin si Manny. Siya ang kandidato natin sa Sarangani (Manny is with us. He is our candidate in Sarangani),” Villar said.

To the request of the Inquirer for clarification, Villar said he was leaving it to Pacquiao to make the formal announcement “out of respect for him.”

For his innovative “Kariton Klasrum” (pushcart classroom) Filipino educator Efren Peñaflorida has been awarded by CNN as “2009 Hero of the Year.”

Peñaflorida was awarded during the CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. He received his award from American actress Eva Mendes. He bested nine other nominees from different countries for the Hero of the Year award. The nominees were initially selected by a panel of 14 “Blue Panel” luminaries but the Hero of the Year award is given to the one with the most number of online votes in the CNN Heroes website.

Peñaflorida would be the first Filipino to become a nominee of the annual CNN Heroes awards and the first to Filipino to win the top prize.

The project, already in its third year, is a tribute by the international news organization to selfless humanitarian acts of individuals from different countries.

In his acceptance speech, quoted by CNN, Peñaflorida said: “Our planet is filled with heroes, young and old, rich and poor, man, woman of different colors, shapes and sizes. We are one great tapestry. Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need.”

"So to each and every person inside in this theater and for those who are watching at home, the hero in you is waiting to be unleashed. Serve, serve well, serve others above yourself and be happy to serve. As I always tell to my co-volunteers ... you are the change that you dream as I am the change that I dream and collectively we are the change that this world needs to be."

Peñaflorida will receive $100,000. This will be used to fund his work in the Dynamic Teen Company (DTC), a volunteer organization that he put up to conduct his “Kariton Klasrum” program. more: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20091122-237752/Filipino-declared-Hero-of-the-Year-by-CNN

At least seven people have been killed in two bomb blasts in India's north-eastern state of Assam, police say.

The explosions happened within minutes in Nalbari, 70km (43 miles) from the state capital, Guwahati.

Police said the two devices were mounted on bicycles left near a Nalbari police station and some 25 other people were hurt, reports said.

The police suspect separatist militants from the United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa) carried out the blasts.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for Sunday's attacks. - BBC

The Food and Drug Administration approved them, your doctor prescribes them, and you see them advertised on TV-so your medications must be safe, right? Then why is Consumers Union bothering to publish alerts about drug hazards?

More than half of all prescription drugs cause adverse effectsâ€"some serious or fatalâ€"that aren't detected until after the FDA approves them, sometimes many years later. Such delayed detection contributes to the high number of drug-related injuries in the U.S. In 2008 alone, the FDA received more than 100,000 reports of serious injuries related to adverse drug events, an increase of about 25 percent over the previous year, according to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices.

Some of the delay is inevitable: It's simply not possible to detect every risk before doctors start prescribing a drug. Doing so would require clinical trials that would be prohibitively large, long, and costly.

In addition, the U.S. system for identifying drug risks before approval is flawedâ€"and the one for spotting them afterward is even worse. The 2007 FDA Amendments Act promised many changes in the drug-safety system, but whether they will be sufficient, even if the agency uses its new powers effectively, remains to be seen. - Consumerreports.org

Physical or emotional abuse during childhood could speed up the body's ageing process, US research suggests.

A team from Brown University focused on telomeres, the protective caps on the chromosomes that keep a cell's DNA stable but shorten with age.

They found the telomeres of 31 people who had reported abuse as children tended to shorten more rapidly, speeding up cells' ageing process.

Experts cautioned that the study needed to be replicated on a larger scale.

The study is featured in Biological Psychiatry.

Lead researcher Dr Audrey Tyrka said: "It gives us a hint that early developmental experiences may have profound effects on biology that can influence cellular mechanisms at a very basic level."

Telomeres are relatively short sections of specialised DNA that sit at the ends of all our chromosomes.

They have been compared to the plastic tips at the ends of shoelaces that prevent the laces from unravelling. - BBC

A Fitting Gift to Bohol Island State University
By Loy Palapos

      The Alturas Drum and Bugle Corps Showdown takes another bow today to celebrate the 24th anniversary of Alturas Supermarket Corporation, the superstore that revolutionized the grocery wholesale and retail business in the Province of Bohol and the City of Tagbilaran. Now on its 22nd year, the Alturas Drum and Bugle Corps Showdown takes center stage as it entertains more than 30, 000 people who line up the streets and queue to the CPG Sports Complex to witness “The Greatest Show in Town”. With 18 contingents coming from the Visayas and Mindanao, today won’t just be an ordinary day.

      One man who is persistently pursued the objectives of the Showdown is Mr. Lorenzo Sarigumba, Dean of Cultural Affairs of the Bohol Island State University. A casual meeting with the gifted musician and mentor at the Island City Mall last Wednesday, November 18, ended with this interview.   
LMP: How long have you been involved in music? When and how did you   know you have musical talent?

LTS: I was involved in music during my elementary grades. It was then when  my father, who is a musician, taught me how to sing the solfeo. A Solfeo  is the basic learning of note reading and singing. I learned that I have  talent

   in music during my secondary days in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary when my fellow seminarians considered me a musician because I can read notes very well and can accompany them with their songs using guitar or keyboards during masses, music practices and  leisure times.

LMP: What did you do to nurture your musical talent?

LTS: I do not hesitate to help anybody who needs my services, like composing and arranging songs and being an accompanist during big activities, where Music is involved. I also did self-studies on almost all musical instruments. It has been my passion, not just an inclination. I enjoy  music. Music is a part of my life.

LMP: What makes the Municipality of Loboc conducive to musical development?

LTS: Because of the musical talents handed down from generation to  generation, Loboc now is considered the musical capital of Bohol. Loboc is  great in playing musical instruments, great in choir singing and great when

Music is involved. In these recent years, there existed plenty of  talented musicians who served as trainors. This is also being taken care of by the Loboc Music Foundation, some friends and benefactors that help in acquiring different kinds of wind instruments to be used by our young potential musicians. The Loboc Music Foundation initiates Music Education from note-reading up to playing musical instruments to all interested children, for free.

LMP: How long have you been associated with CVSCAFT/ BISU? What are the  subjects you have taught so far?

LTS: I started my teaching career in BISU, formerly CVSCAFT, on November  15, 1987. I taught P.E., Music, Philosophy and some Masteral Arts  Subjects. Then I was designated as the Dean of Cultural Affairs from 2003  up to the present. I am also given the task as the Director of Sports and  Cultural Affairs of the entire BISU system. I am also the trainor of the  school’s all-student band and the drum and bugle corps.

LMP: The “Alturas Dance and Bugle Corps Showdown” started in 1987. Were  you already involved in the first competition? What was your role?

LTS: I was not yet involved in the first competition since I just starting teaching  but I already witnessed BSAT as the champion during the 1st competition.  I remember it was Mrs. Grace Chiu who acted as the trainor and  choreographer.

LMP: Did you win in your first Showdown? What was your feeling?

LTS: I was assigned as trainor of the DBC in 1989. It was my first taste of  being a champion. It was a great feeling because I had given fame and honor to the school.

LMP: The Showdown has been on for 22 years. How many times did you win  the Championship Trophy? What effect did these winnings have on you?

LTS: The school won 12 times in this Alturas DBC. Honestly speaking, I  consider myself one of the great trainors of Drum and Bugle Corps and I  am known not only in the Visayas but also in Mindanao. Lots of schools  are asking for my services as trainor of their Drum and Bugle Corps. It’s  unfortunate that I don’t have enough time to accommodate all requests.

LMP: How about your students? Did these championships have a positive effect  on them? In what particular ways?

LTS: My students are very proud of themselves because not all schools can  have this achievement. They are proud they study in BSAT, CVSCAFT, now BISU. It is always a wholesome feeling to be a part of a winning  team.

LMP: Of the many prize winning performances your Corps made in the past,  which one is most unforgettable for you? Why?

LTS: I remember one instance when BSAT won the competition with only myself and my son, Rex Anthony Sarigumba as the trainor and choreographer. The father-son combination developed farther our aesthetic sense, but most important was the bonding we had.

LMP: I know that you love music. How about your students, especially the  Corps members? Do they imbibe the love of music and learn fast under your tutelage?

LTS: By the time I was the trainor of DBC in 1987 up to 2007, it was a great  surprise on my part as trainor to observe the instrumentalists learn very  fast. I kept on asking myself the reason why they are such, until after I  deliberated that maybe it was because the members of the DBC are a  congregation of screened students who are intelligent, disciplined and  respectful. These members are not really musicians. They started with no  knowledge in Music but because of these traits mentioned, they learned  fast. And perhaps, the method I see is effective.

LMP: What problems have you encountered in imparting the love and  knowledge of music to your students? How do you solve these problems?

LTS: So far, I have not encountered any major problems in imparting love and  knowledge of music to my student. I feel lucky in this situation.

LMP: Name the advantages CVSCAFT / BISU has over the other participants of  the Showdown.

LTS: Being near the contest venue, our school has a great edge over the other contingents because it is very easy for us to transport all our needed backdrops, handyprops and all other paraphernalia to the Garcia complex which is the venue of the competition. Besides, I am not the only one involved in training the students. We have a team coming from different disciplines who share their knowledge.

LMP: As per your observation, what have your students learned by being  members of your Drum and Bugle Corps?

LTS: My DBC members have learned the spirit of camaraderie, patience, and  endurance, respect and love to other members and to the school. Some  members who are also inclined to Music and were considered some of the  active members are now already hired as trainors of other school DBCs.  Some members also who are not anymore connected with the school still  exhibit their interest by forming another corps who becomes popular not  only in the city of Tagbilaran and Bohol also outside the province of Bohol.  They call themselves as the Pentagon. This is a legacy I feel so honored  to be a part of. We mentors don’t stay forever. Others must take over,  and it

         is happening.

LMP: What happens if a member of your group neglects his classes in favor of  being a part of the Corps, thereby neglecting his academic pursuits?

LTS: The administration sees to it that the members of the DBC will not neglect their classes. We schedule our practices during Saturdays. The Deans of the different department only grant these members to practice rigidly one week before the competition. We never run out of focus, in so far as  the student’s goals concerned.

LMP: What about the other members of the Faculty who are not involved in any  aspect of the Corps, are they supportive?

LTS: The school has spent thousands of pesos for this competition. In as much  as the school participated in this activity, all are in full support; even those  teachers who are not directly involved.

LMP: How about the administration? Do you have problems with some  administrators regarding your Drum and Bugle Corps?

LTS: The administration, especially the SUC President Dr. Elpidio T. Magante, the

         College Director, Fernando Restificar, the Dean of Instructions, Dr.  Regucivilla A. Bobar, the Administrative Officer, Dr. Trinidad A. Castolo,  the Academic Deans, Prof. Ambrocio Orillos, Dr. Zina Sayson, Dr.  Lilibeth Castil, Dr. Aida Casas and other deans of the different  departments

         are all supportive in this activity. I have no problem with any  of them.

LMP: How about you, how does the Alturas Drum and Bugle Corps Showdown  affect your profession as a Teacher? As a Musician?

LTS: As a consistent champion of the Alturas Drum and Bugle Corps Showdown, this helps in my promotion; because in SUC (State Universities and Colleges) achievements count much. I became a very popular musician. Nobody buys popularity. It happens to people with talents.

LMP: Do you believe that this annual Showdown should go on? Why?

LTS: I belive that this annual showdown should go on. On the part of the  Alturas Group of Companies, it is one way of showing or letting the  community feel that the company is expressing social responsibility. It is  considered such because the proceeds of this will go to the people who  are in need of financial help.

LMP: As far as youth development is concerned, do you believe the Showdown  is effective? Why?

LTS: It is very effective as far as youth development is concerned because it  helps our students not to be involved in drugs and other bad influences  because they keep themselves busy by practicing. We can encourage  students to become musicians. There are those who didn’t know they  have

         inclination to music, until they join the Corps.

LMP: Do you expect to win again in the 22nd “Alturas Drum and Bugle Corps  Showdown”?

LTS: We have spent much, we have prepared much, and we sacrificed much,  so it is our wish to win again. With God’s blessings, of course!

      Mr. Lorenzo Sarigumba stands alone as a pillar in fostering the development of students through the Drum and Bugle Corps. He understands that whatever talent an individual has, should be enhanced and shared. God has given a person talent that should be used for His greater glory. A man with talent should be grateful he has been singled out to possess it. But it should not be for himself alone, nor should it be utilized for evil purposes. Nor abused.

      The Alturas Drum and Bugle Corps Showdown, now on its 22nd year, is a part of his being an individual and a professional. The Showdown has become a showcase for his and his students talents, intelligence, and wisdom. Winning in the Showdown this afternoon would be his fitting gift to BISU (Bohol Island State University) as the institution soars high in its mission to untie technological knowledge to its students, and graduate productive professionals in a highly competitive world. 

By Sunday Post

The defection of V-Gov. Julius Ceasar Herrera and Provincial Administrator Tomas Abapo Jr. will not deter him from remaining in the tight embrace of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s Lakas Kampi-CMD.

The President is the president-emeritus of the ruling coalition.
This according to Gov. Erico Aumentado in an interview last night.
He said with all the projects poured by the GMA administration in Bohol, he found no plausible reason to desert the President.

Saying he was just showing his gratitude to President GMA, the governor said that what this administration has done to Bohol in terms of projects was unprecedented in the annals of local governance.

Under Aumentado’s watch, Bohol was a recipient of mega projects that cost billions of pesos in taxpayers’ money.

The governor was asked to react on news reports emanating from Manila announcing the defection of Herrera and Abapo before Sen. Manuel Villar of Nacionalista Party.

Citing his loyalty to the party that catapulted him to power nine years ago, Aumentado said he respected Herrera’s decision.

He debunked speculations that with Herrera’s desertion of the administration party, his own defection to the NP is not far behind. Suspicions were on Aumentado that he is a Villar Trojan horse in the ruling coalition.

Asked what prompted the two to bolt the ruling party, Aumentado said the “war of attrition between Herrera and Cong. Edgar Chatto must have took a heavy toll on the vice governor’s patience that he jumped the gun” on the appointing power.

But Herrera’s decision to leave the party relieved Aumentado of the king size headache of choosing who between the two that merits his choice as Bohol gubernatorial candidate.

The two gubernatorial protagonists for Bohol representing Lakas are considered trusted allies of the governor that he hard time choosing who among the two.

Aumentado was reported to be agonizing at the prospect of endorsing either one of the two vital allies in the prosecution of high-impact projects in Bohol. 
With Herrera out of the picture, Chatto is now a virtual shoo-in in the Lakas official nomination.

As Lakas regional chairman and provincial interim chair of the ruling party, Gov. Aumentado will eventually have the free hand to recommend his choice for Bohol governor, vice governor and the three congressmen. 
Calling it as official endorsement representing the Lakas Kampi-CMD, Aumentado said he will submit the list to the national  Lakas directorate for its final approval.

As to the other Lakas candidate like Chatto’s choice for vice governor who is Cong. Roberto Cajes, the provincial party leadership will also submit his name to the Lakas national directorate.

The same Lakas stalwarts like Aumentado who is running for his old Congress seat in the second district, Catigbian Mayor Roberto Salinas of the first district and Agriculture Sec. Arthur Yap in the third district, their names will also be endorsed for Lakas nomination by the provincial party leadership. 

Facebook has threatened legal action against a service that sells friends on the social networking site.

It said it would take the action against marketing firm USocial unless it stopped violating Facebook's rights.

It also wanted USocial to stop helping members break the site's terms and conditions, specifically letting people profit from their profile.

In response, USocial agreed to a change in its practices but would not shut down its service.

Facebook sent Cease and Desist letters to USocial claiming that the way the marketing firm operates violates its rights by sending spam, using web tools to harvest pages, getting login names and by accessing accounts that did not belong to the marketing firm.

Customers of USocial use it to boost follower and friend numbers on social network sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

On micro-blogging site Twitter, followers can be bought in blocks starting at £53 for 1,000. The biggest block USocial is selling is 100,000 people. - BBC

"Rural women produce half the world's food and, in developing countries, between 60 and 80 percent of food crops â€" yet they own only 1 percent of the farmland," Dr. Gayle told the Africa and Global Health Subcommittee of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. "In sub-Saharan Africa, women account for an estimated 70 percent of smallholder farmers and 60 percent globally."

The hearing, focused on recently released details of the administration's Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative, comes on the heels of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization announcement that the number of hungry people around the world has eclipsed 1 billion.

Dr. Gayle reminded members of the subcommittee that a majority of the hungry are women and girls. Help them gain access to information and resources, however, and the world will turn the tide against chronic hunger, she said. - Care.org

By Rene Ciria-Cruz

Seeing how Filipinos raved about Manny Pacquiao as a symbol of what, in the words of many a fan, “Filipinos are capable of achieving,” a friend asked me, “Aren’t Filipinos relying too much on Pacquiao to build their national self-esteem? That’s too much of a burden for one man to bear.”

My friend is right; it’s too much. After all, Pacquiao is only a welterweight. My friend also can’t be blamed for getting the impression that Filipinos just seem to go crazy for their “Gloved One.”

Pacquiao’s every victory in the ring becomes a virtual national holiday in his homeland. “The National Fist,” we call him. Even Muslim secessionist guerrillas, who bristle at being called Filipinos, reportedly take a break from combat to watch his fights on satellite TV. Then, after Pacquiao TKO’d Miguel Cotto last Saturday to gain the welterweight crown, his compatriot horde in the arena just went wild. One Filipino fan even held a Philippine flag with the message “Pacquiao for President.”

American promoter Bob Arum charged that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is scared to fight Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, who could ruin his unbeaten ring record of 40 victories.

The 32-year-old American was undoubtedly the pound-for-pound king before his retirement but Pacquiao’s continued success as he rises up the weights now has him firmly in the argument with opinion now split on who is the better fighter.

Mayweather insisted he was the better man earlier this week, and he said Pacquiao was afraid to face him.

“You have to understand Mayweather’s psyche. Psychologically he may not be prepared to do this fight,” said Arum in an interview with Planet-f1.com.

“Now this is me being an amateur psychologist, but Mayweather is so tied up with the fact that nobody has beaten him, that he has a zero on his record, I don’t know if he would be willing to go into the ring with anybody that could jeopardize that zero.” - Philippine Star

If you could only listen to one CD for the rest of your life, what would you choose and why?

The captain of a ship seized earlier this week off the Seychelles has died of gunshot wounds he suffered during the hijacking, Somali pirates say.

They say the captain, whose name is not yet known, died on Tuesday.

The MV Theresa VIII, a Singaporean-operated tanker with a crew of 28 North Koreans - was seized about 180 nautical miles north-west of the Seychelles.

The news comes as Somali pirates attacked a US-flagged ship for the second time.

Crew from the MV Maersk Alabama had returned fire after pirates had fired automatic weapons at the ship, about 350 nautical miles east of Somalia, the EU's naval force said. There were no casualties reported. - BBC

Do you think so?

The trial of a husband accused of murdering his wife as they slept in a camper van has heard he killed her while he dreamt she was an intruder.

Christine Thomas, 57, was killed in Aberporth, Ceredigion, in July 2008.

Swansea Crown Court heard Brian Thomas, 59, of Neath, accepts he killed her but says he has a sleep disorder which had been triggered by "boy racer activity".

Jurors have been told they can reach a verdict of not guilty or of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Prosecuting barrister Paul Thomas QC, in his opening words to the jury on Tuesday morning, described the case as "highly unusual".

He described how Mr Thomas killed his wife, his childhood sweetheart, because he had dreamt she was a man who had broken into their motor home.

The court was told Mr Thomas's disorder meant he was not in control of his actions when he strangled his partner of 40 years. - bbc

"Pacquiao won with yet another epic performance. The pride of the Philippines has now become the pride of all boxing. The Puerto Rican Cotto, one tough customer, was reduced to spending the last four or five rounds simply running, surviving, maybe hoping for enough energy for one lucky shot. He has now taken his seventh title, a record, in seven weight divisions. Henry Armstrong became legendary for that, and Pacquiao might be even better." - Bill Dwyre, LA Times

Gloria Arroyo's gang has started courting Manny Pacquiao for the boxer to be part of the senatorial lineup. Here goes the opportunistic administration. Should Manny Pacquiao run for Senator?

      A sexagenarian was killed a few hours after he was bitten by a snake in Mabini town.

      The victim was identified as one Simeon Vallecer, 73, a native of Barangay San Rafael, Mabini.

      Initial reports said Vallecer was resting on a bed with his grandchild at noon time last Nov. 7 when he felt something moving on his feet.

      Vallecer initially did not give it a serious thought but when he tried to brush it aside, he was bitten instead.

      The victim immediately stood up just in time to see the snake about to strike his grandchild.

      Vallecer, however, was able to get his bolo and fight off the snake and kill it before it could bite the child.

      The snake, a Philippine cobra, locally known as banakon, is feared for its venomous bite.

      Last Sunday’s attack was the latest death in this town attributed to the snake since 2005.

      Vallecer’s neighbors brought him to a local medicine man who administered treatment to him.

      A few hours after the treatment, the victim felt better and narrated the incident to his neighbors.

      The victim felt thirsty and drank water but started to feel weak until he eventually died.

      According to those in the know, drinking water is not immediately allowed to victims of snake bite.

      Vallecer was the 13th reported fatality of the Philippine cobra in Mabini since 2005.

      The town is surrounded by forested areas and mountains believed to be favorite habitat of the dangerous snake. - Sunday Post

Dwyane Wade Dunks On Anderson Varejao (True HD 720p)
Dwayne Wade's Kodak Moment

Untreatable vision problems are associated with a shorter life span, Australian researchers have found.

Their study confirms previous findings that had linked vision impairment with an increased risk of death from such factors as accidental injury, depression, a low body mass index, slow walking speeds, a greater likelihood of falls, lower levels of physical activity, cardiovascular disease, dementia and cancer.

At the start of the study, which included 3,654 people age 49 and older, participants who were female, 75 and older and underweight were the most likely to have non-correctable impaired vision.

According to the findings, published in the October issue of the journal Archives of Ophthalmology, 1,273 study participants died in the 13 years after the study began. The researchers noted that people with non-correctable impaired vision had a higher risk for dying in that time period, and the association was strongest for those younger than 75.

The study "revealed greater effects of non-correctable visual impairment on mortality risk, with both direct and indirect effects," wrote Michael J. Karpa, of the Westmead Millennium Institute in Sydney, and his colleagues. "Of mortality risk markers examined, only disability in walking demonstrated a significant indirect pathway for the link between visual impairment and mortality."

The researchers concluded that the study "reaffirms that visual impairment is associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality."

"Disability in walking may represent an important indirect pathway to mortality for persons with visual impairment, and adjusting for this factor in statistical analysis may overadjust for the indirect effect of visual impairment on mortality risk," they wrote. "The impact of visual impairment on mortality may in fact be greater than that reported from previous studies that have used traditional statistical models." - HealthDay News

from Sun Star
An actor and game show host has formally agreed Friday to be the running mate of Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, the administration bet in 2010’s presidential election.

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno announced that Lakas-Kampi-CMD has picked actor Edu Manzano to be Teodoro’s vice presidential candidate.

"The Manny Pacquiao Blog". Click here for stories and updates on the Filipino boxing champ.

"The person who has accepted the challenge of standing beside Secretary Teodoro in the quest to become the next president of the Republic of the Philippines and the next vice-president of the Republic of the Philippines, no other than former OMB chairman Edu Manzano," Puno announced.

Puno, who took the credit of persuading the actor-politician to accept the offer, made the surprise announcement at a press conference in Shangri-La Makati Friday.

Manzano admitted that he had been discussing with Puno on his possible tandem with Teodoro over two months ago.

Manzano is the former chairman of the Optical Media Board (OMB), the anti-piracy arm of the Arroyo administration.

Behind the Fighter Manny Pacquiao, the Fight for His Favor
By GREG BISHOP, New York Times

LOS ANGELES â€" The condominium looks like a fraternity house, not the resting place for boxing royalty. Stained carpets cover the floor. Dartboards hang from the wall. Bowls of food, half-eaten leftovers, line the kitchen.

Manny Pacquiao, one of the best boxers in the world, sleeps here. But he does not sleep alone.

Pacquiao, who faces Miguel Cotto in a welterweight title fight Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, does not do anything alone.

His entourage â€" swollen, dysfunctional and, in his mind, necessary â€" makes sure of that. On a recent visit, while Pacquiao slept upstairs, one member did the laundry. Another surfed the Internet. Yet another sprawled on the couch, his booming snores interrupting another otherwise peaceful morning for Team Pacquiao.

“They’re all competing to be golden boy for the day,” said Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer. “Clean his pool. Take his shoes off. They will do anything for Manny Pacquiao.”

Roach paused, unable to suppress his laughter.

“I’m telling you,” he continued, “the funniest thing is, whoever is on the best terms with Manny at that moment sleeps closest to him, at the foot of his bed.”

More than anything, they wait. They wait for Pacquiao to wake up, to eat, to spar, to sing, sign autographs, do interviews, act, shop.

Before one sparring session last month, members of the entourage arrived early, fetched towels, cleared the gym and debated what type of Gatorade their employer would prefer, finally settling on orange. When word came that Pacquiao was sleeping, that he might not practice, they waited, dozens of lives affected by the whimsical decisions of one man.

Team Pacquiao has perfected the art of functional dysfunction. The entourage consists of trainers, assistants to the trainers, advisers, assistants to the advisers, cooks, dishwashers, car washers, drivers, publicists, gofers and security.

Its size varies, as do assignments and sleeping arrangements, members shuffling from bunk beds to twin beds to the foot of the most important bed. Usually, at least 20 aid in Pacquiao’s routines.

“I see new guys every day,” said Joe Ramos, an assistant. “Guys who I don’t even know who they are, or what they do.”

Pacquiao craves companionship, seeking comfort in numbers. He said he likes good company, which explains why he sleeps in the condo while the sprawling house he owns nearby sits mostly empty, leaves in the pool, ants in the kitchen.

Confidants believe this stems from his childhood, when he grew up so poor in the Philippines that his younger brother, Bobby, described each day as “survival mode.” The path to reclaimed youth includes all of the activities Pacquiao missed, like darts, billiards, basketball and marathon karaoke sessions.

Pacquiao tolerates little disrespect based on placement in his hierarchy, another policy produced by his upbringing.

He once sold doughnuts on the street. So when Ramos suggested they find less expensive alternatives for washing his car, noting that Pacquiao paid a man at Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, where he trains, $200 three times a week, Pacquiao warned Ramos never to eliminate the job of someone trying to earn a living.

This leads to tasks that overlap, filled by people who perform the same function. Or people who perform essentially no function.

“There’s a lot going on,” said Rob Peters, the head of the security detail. “You have to know who everybody is, what they do. It’s almost like I need a chart.”

The entourage compares itself to a large family, but the daily competition for Pacquiao’s affection and power makes this brood competitive and intense. Winners receive perks, like riding in the car with Pacquiao, or sitting next to him while he eats.

They say they must fight to prove themselves, and while they do not mean this literally, sometimes fisticuffs occur. Recently in the Philippines, two members of Team Pacquiao, the adviser Michael Koncz and the conditioning coach Alex Ariza, came to blows over the coveted corner slots for Saturday’s bout.

Koncz said the fight was overblown and that he always operates with Pacquiao’s best interests at the forefront. Ariza said Koncz remains at the center of the team’s conflicts, whether attempting to have Roach fired, or failing to give credit to others, two charges Koncz dismissed.

During training, an unidentified culprit hung a sign inside the gym. It read: The meeting for the Mike Koncz Fan Club has been canceled. Roach claimed no knowledge of the sign’s source. But he was in no hurry to remove it. “I don’t know if he’s socially maladjusted, or if it’s just an ineptness to socialize,” Ariza said of Koncz on Wednesday in Las Vegas. “I know it sounds funny, but I’m serious. He’s caused disarray.”

Referring to Pacquiao, Roach added: “I know this: Alex doesn’t cut his meat for him. Mike Koncz does.”

Such is life in what may be the strangest entourage in sports. For as complex as their interactions with one another are, each member of the entourage has his own relationship with Pacquiao. And he is the only man each answers to.

There is Buboy Fernandez, Pacquiao’s childhood friend, who worked as a janitor in Pacquiao’s first gym. Fernandez once handled the duties now performed by 15 men, like washing his boss’s socks, or holding a rice cooker near the vent in a hotel so staff could not smell food being prepared. His reward? His own room in the condo.

There is Koncz, who, despite the criticism, still holds significant sway, particularly in regard to Pacquiao’s finances. There is Peters, the security guard and Boston sports fan who must turn away families seeking autographs. There is Ramos, who handles tickets. He secured 500 for Saturday’s fight alone and still heard complaints from folks who wanted 30 instead of 29.

The worst job?

“The cook,” Pacquiao said. “Because there are so many. He must cook a lot.”

What concerns Ariza are those who take advantage, the hangers-on who can pay for their own tickets but choose not to, who spend all day waiting to pitch Pacquiao their products, who receive something and still want more.

Sometimes Pacquiao sequesters himself inside his bedroom, waiting for the living room to clear. Most nights, Peters stops by to expedite the process.

“The downfall of Manny Pacquiao, if there is one, will be his kindness and generosity,” Koncz said. “At some point, I fear that’s going to catch up to him.”

On Tuesday in Las Vegas, Pacquiao conducted interviews inside a trailer. When he finished, someone grabbed a jacket and helped him put it on. Someone else stood at the bottom of the stairs, in case he fell. Someone else started the team bus, each seat filled.

Off they went, the dysfunctional entourage that still manages to function, the boxer surrounded by his staff.

Sleeping arrangements, at least for some, were still to be decided.

US basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has gone public with his fight against a rare form of leukemia, urging regular doctor visits and improved health care for the poor.

Abdul-Jabbar, a six-time most valuable player who retired from the National Basketball Association in 1989 with a record in points scored and a slew of other titles, told CNN Tuesday he has been diagnosed with a blood cancer known as chronic myelogenous leukemia.

The 62-year-old said he first learned of his condition in December 2008 after suffering unusual hot flashes, and has been coping well with treatment.

"I'm doing very well," he said. "But you have to find a specialist that understands your condition. You have to get your blood checked regularly. And you have to take your medication.

"If you do that, you can manage this particular form of leukemia and live a very productive life with minimal intrusion into the things that you love to do," he said.

Abdul-Jabbar, who has become a spokesman for the company that makes the drugs that are treating his leukemia, also urged people to "see a doctor regularly, go for regular checkups... get regular bloodwork done.

"I think someone in my position who gets public attention can do a lot of good because a lot of people are faced with this condition and they think it's a death sentence," he told CNN. - Agence France Presse

Unemployed Americans are four times more likely than those with jobs to report symptoms of severe mental illness, such as major depression, according to a new national survey that reveals the mental health toll of the recession.

The poll of 1,002 adults aged 18 and older also found that people with jobs who were forced to accept work changes, such as reduced hours or pay cuts, were twice as likely to have symptoms.

The findings were released to coincide with Mental Illness Awareness Week (Oct. 4 to 10) and National Depression Screening Day (Oct. . The survey was conducted last month for Mental Health America, the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Depression Is Real Coalition.

"This survey clearly shows that economic difficulties are placing the public's mental health at serious risk, and we need affirmative action to address these medical problems," David L. Shern, president and CEO of Mental Health America, said in a news release. "Individuals confronting these problems should seek help for their problems -- talk to their doctor, trusted friend or advisor or mental health professional."

"Unemployment today stands at almost 10 percent. Nationwide, we face a mental health crisis as well as an economic crisis," Michael J. Fitzpatrick, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said in the news release. - Health News

By Michael Lim Ubac
Philippine Daily Inquirer

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is “answerable” for the “stinking” $329-million National Broadband Network (NBN) deal with China’s ZTE Corp., according to a report by a Senate investigating panel led by the blue ribbon committee.

In the report that was made public Tuesday at a press conference by blue ribbon chair Sen. Richard Gordon, the joint committee sought the impeachment of Ms Arroyo and the prosecution by the Ombudsman of 11 others, including her husband Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, for allegedly conspiring to defraud the government in exchange for “kickbacks” from the since scrapped contract.

Asked what impeachable offense Ms Arroyo had committed, Gordon said she had violated her oath of office which was a “culpable violation of the Constitution.”

He cited Section 5 of Article 7, which provides that the President must “preserve and defend the Constitution, execute its laws, do justice to every man.”

She should have “control” of all executive departments.

“Her acts in this case reveal that her performance of presidential duty has been wanting. Unfortunately, you can see the litany of errors of the President. Apparently, she wasn’t able to crack the whip on her people,” said the senator.

Gordon said Congress could still impeach Ms Arroyo to strip her of immunity from suit as President.

“She has to explain and answer at the proper time,” he said, pointing out that Ms Arroyo could be held accountable even “after her term.”

The man behind the 2002 sniper attacks in and around Washington DC is about to be put to death, after a last-ditch appeal was thrown out.

John Allen Muhammad's lawyers say he is mentally ill, but Virginia Governor Tim Kaine rejected a plea for clemency.

On Monday, the US Supreme Court quashed an appeal for a stay of execution.

Muhammad, 48, will face a lethal injection for the murder of Dean Harold Meyers, one of 10 people killed during the attacks.

Muhammad's accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, who was 17 at the time of the shootings, is serving a life sentence in jail.

The pair killed 10 people during three weeks of attacks in Maryland, Washington and Virginia.

Muhammad is due to be put to death at the Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Virginia. - BBC News


Skilled marksman Muhammad picked off victims with a high-powered rifle

An ex-US astronaut accused of attacking and trying to kidnap a love rival has been given a year's probation after pleading guilty to lesser charges.

Lisa Nowak, 46, admitted two charges in connection with the February 2007 incident in a deal with prosecutors.

Police said the former Nasa mission specialist drove across the United States to confront her rival for the love of a space shuttle pilot.

Her trial had been due to start next month.

Ms Nowak, a navy captain, was sacked by Nasa after the incident. She flew on a space shuttle mission in 2006.

'Sincerely sorry'

The former astronaut was arrested on 5 February 2007 after driving more than 1,000 miles from Houston to Orlando International Airport.

She went to confront Colleen Shipman, then an air force captain, over her relationship with Nasa astronaut Bill Oefelein - with whom Ms Nowak had had a three-year relationship. - BBC

BBC News:

A US judge has ordered South Carolina not to issue a vehicle number plate with a Christian image and slogan.

The state legislature had approved a licence plate with a cross in front of a stained glass window and the words "I Believe" written along the top.

District Judge Cameron Currie said that the plate violated the First Amendment, which enshrines the separation of church and state.

A similar bid by a group in Florida last year did not pass state lawmakers.

'Unconstitutional'

The case was brought by Americans United, which backs the separation of church and state, on behalf of several individuals and Hindu and American-Arab groups.

It began after Lt Governor Andre Bauer helped pass legislation allowing the number plate in early 2008.

Describing it as a "freedom of speech issue", he argued that given the state already permitted 103 speciality vehicle plates it was "ridiculous" that there was not one for Christians.

According to local media reports, several hundred people had registered to buy the plate.

Mr Ichihashi is thought to have recently had plastic surgery

The only suspect in the murder of British teacher Lindsay Ann Hawker has been arrested by police in Japan, the Foreign Office has confirmed.

Tatsuya Ichihashi, 30, is being held in police custody in Osaka.

Miss Hawker, 22, from Brandon, near Coventry, was buried in a sand-filled bath at the suspect's Tokyo flat in March 2007, but Ichihashi disappeared.

Her father, Bill Hawker, said: "The chief investigator office told me we always get our man and they have done."

'Hard battle'

Mr Hawker added: "He never gave up Ichihashi. He ran away from the scene of the crime, he was running away today when he was caught. He has no remorse and I hope the Japanese society give him the maximum penalty."

Mr Hawker said it had been "a long, hard battle" for the family.

"We have worked tirelessly as a family and have never given in for our daughter," he added.

"We wanted justice and we have finally got it."
   
At a press conference at their home, Mr Hawker praised Japanese police who, he said, "after a very bungled start" to his daughter's murder "had got their man".

He said the family was relieved and added: "I can go down to my daughter's grave this afternoon to tell her." - BBC News


Lindsay Ann Hawker
Timeline: Lindsay Ann Hawker murder

from the bohol chronicle

Proposals of two business groups to undertake a major reclamation project in Panglao Island comes under the scrutiny of provincial lawmakers who vowed the plan will have to go through the "eye of the needle".

Meanwhile, 87 percent of Boholanos do not approve the offshore reclamation in a random radio survey over dyRD's top-rated "Radyo Merkado" yesterday.

Majority of the respondents said it becomes very impractical to reclaim what is naturally part of the sea when there remains a vast idle lot in Panglao as well as in the other coastal towns here.

"The environmental impact should not be sacrificed simply because we want progress," a respondent stressed as he vowed to tap environmental groups to mount a strong protest against the proposed gigantic reclamation project.

The proponents proposed for a joint venture agreement with the provincial government, where the latter would be rewarded over P400 million, as equity in the multi-billion undertaking.

The project would see the reclamation of Panglao Bay to build five islands and gain a 600-hectare stretch of a new coastal tourism hub with hotels and resorts, entertainment, leisure, activity and residential areas.

"Our developer will not come in if there are controversies or environmental ramifications of the scheme," according to the proponents.
         
He said that the group is tapping the expertise of world-renowned master planner WATG which specializes in environmental and sustainable designs.

"The Panglao reclamation project will definitely be a model in environmental management despite fears that this will have adverse impact on marine biodiversity in the area," the group explained

The group is strictly following a process before presenting their proposal to the local government unit of Panglao and apply for a permit at the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA).

He added that going through the SP is a step towards forging a joint venture agreement with the provincial government.

Reclaiming Panglao's shores is absolutely a stupid idea of blood-sucking, money-hungry politicians and businessmen in Bohol.

Tissue created in a laboratory has been used to completely replace the erectile tissue of the penis in animals.

The advance raises hopes of being able to restore full function to human penises that have been damaged by injury or disease.

Rabbits given the engineered tissue by the scientists from Wake Forest University in North Carolina had normal sexual function and produced offspring.

The study appears online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Professor Anthony Atala said: "Further studies are required, of course, but our results are encouraging and suggest that the technology has considerable potential for patients who need penile reconstruction.

"Our hope is that patients with congenital abnormalities, penile cancer, traumatic injury and some cases of erectile dysfunction will benefit from this technology in the future."

Reconstructing damaged or diseased penile erectile tissue is a tough challenge because of the tissue's complex structure and function.-BBC

A court was played a 10 minute recording of a Wearside couple whose nightly sex sessions were said to have ruined the lives of neighbours.

Caroline and Steve Cartwright's love making was described as "murder" and "unnatural" at Newcastle Crown Court.

Mrs Cartwright, 48, from Washington, is appealing against a conviction for breaching a noise abatement notice against the couple.

A judge and two magistrates adjourned the hearing until Tuesday.

Mrs Cartwright is using Article 8 of the Human Rights Act to argue she has a right to "respect for her private and family life".

'Considerable pain'

Next door neighbour Rachel O'Connor told the court she was frequently late for work because she overslept having been awake most of the night because of the noise.

She said: "It is not very pleasant living there and it has been quite stressful.-BBC

Women with curvy figures are likely to be brighter than waif-like counterparts and may well produce more intelligent offspring, a US study suggests.

Researchers studied 16,000 women and girls and found the more voluptuous performed better on cognitive tests - as did their children.

The bigger the difference between a woman's waist and hips the better.

Researchers writing in Evolution and Human Behaviour speculated this was to do with fatty acids found on the hips.

In this area, the fat is likely to be the much touted Omega-3, which could improve the woman's own mental abilities as well as those of her child during pregnancy.

Men respond to the double enticement of both an intelligent partner and an intelligent child, the researchers at the Universities of Pittsburgh and California said. -BBC

For lessons in how to spend millions, Russian billionaires are a good place to start.

It is considerably over budget at a reported $1.2bn (£722m) but Roman Abramovich's yacht is a fine example of how not to scrimp.

The Eclipse - which resembles the floating home of a James Bond villain - is almost the length of two football pitches.

It is said 70 crew members are needed to run the yacht. Security on board is so tight there are missile defence and intruder detection systems, as well as a system which can detect paparazzi cameras.

It also has two helipads, 11 guest cabins, two swimming pools (one of which can be drained and converted into a dance floor), three launch boats, an aquarium and a mini-submarine. - Marie Jackson, BBC Special Report

World leaders are due to join thousands of people to mark 20 years since the Berlin Wall's fall, an event that paved the way for the end of the Cold War.

The main celebrations in the city will be at the Brandenburg Gate - the symbol of German reunification in 1990.

Giant dominoes will be toppled to show how Communist governments in Eastern Europe fell one after another in 1989.

Communist East Germany erected the 155km (96-mile) concrete Wall in 1961 to encircle West Berlin.

It was put up to prevent East Germans from fleeing into the capitalist enclave.

More than 100 people are believed to have been killed at the Wall while trying to escape.

The barrier was unexpectedly opened on 9 November 1989, following weeks of pro-democracy protests.

Meanwhile, Guenter Schabowski - the former East German official whose casual public comments are widely thought to have led to the fall of the Wall - has admitted that there was a breakdown in communication with his party boss Egon Krenz about an announcement of new travel regulations for East Germans.

He told the BBC that he did not regret his so-called blunder because it led to the divided Germany being reunited peacefully. - bbc news

Past Questions of U.S. Citizenship Test

   1. What are the colors of our flag?

      Answer :Red, white and blue
   2. How many stars are there on our flag?

      Answer :50
   3. What color are the stars on our flag?

      Answer :white
   4. What do the stars on the flag mean?

      Answer : is one star for each state in the Union. Each star represents a state.
   5. How many stripes are on the flag?

      Answer :13
   6. What color are the stripes?

      Answer :Red and white
   7. What do the stripes on the flag mean?

      Answer :They represent the original 13 states
   8. How many states are there in the union?

      Answer :50
   9. What do we celebrate on the 4th of July?

      Answer :Independence Day
  10. What is the date of Independence Day?

      Answer :July 4, 1776
  11. Independence Day celebrates independence from whom?

      Answer :England
  12. What country did we fight during the Revolutionary War?

      Answer :England
  13. Who was the first President of the United States?

      Answer :George Washington
  14. Who is the President of the United States today?

      Answer :William Jefferson Clinton
  15. Who is the Vice President of the United States today?

      Answer :Albert Gore

By Sun Star Cebu

A mother has gone to court to compel a private hospital in Cebu City to discharge her infant, despite half a million pesos in unpaid hospital bills since her delivery last July.

Maria Lourdes Farro filed a special proceeding for habeas corpus before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) against Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital. She said it refused to
discharge her baby until she settles P503,000 in hospital bills.

Farro asked the court to issue a writ of habeas corpus, directing the hospital management to release her child without further delay.

Despite repeated attempts to reach them, no Cebu Doctors’ officials or counsel were available yesterday to comment.

In her petition, Farro said she was admitted to Cebu Doctors for a pulmonary infection and bleeding. She prematurely gave birth to her son last July 22, 2009.

Because the infant was prematurely born, he was placed in the hospital’s Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit. Farro told the court she was then discharged on July 24, while her baby remained in the hospital for further treatment.

On Oct. 16, 2009, Dr. Potenciano Larrazabal, president of Cebu Doctors, informed Farro about the management’s plan to transfer the baby to the pediatric ward.

By Mia E. Abellana
Sun.Star Staff Reporter

In A hurry to get home to his convent, a parish priest drowned while trying to cross a river in Tabogon, Cebu last Thursday night.

The body of Rev. Fr. Antonio Damalerio, 51, the town’s parish priest, was found early yesterday morning about two kilometers from where he was last seen.

Damalerio was with two companions and just came from Barangay Canao-canao for a religious meeting.

About 9 p.m., Damalerio and his altar boy John Rey Compra and secretary Joel Figuracion, 22, decided to go home to Barangay Poblacion some 10 kilometers away.

According to Tabogon Mayor Roy Ornopia, residents tried to warn Damalerio because the river’s spillway in Barangay Labangon was overflowing after heavy rains Thursday night.

He asked Figuracion to see for himself if it was safe to pass the spillway. Figuracion also reportedly asked Damalerio not to cross the river.

But the priest pushed his multicab forward. He was in a hurry because he reportedly forgot to lock his room in the rectory.

The strong current was too much for the multicab, which was washed away.

Compra and Figu-racion jumped out of the multicab and swam to shore. Figuracion held Damalerio’s hand, but it slipped because the current was too strong.

He told police Dama-lerio, who was bigger than him, was too heavy.

Damalerio’s body was found by a rescue team comprising tanods and policemen some two kilometers away from the spillway.

The multicab remained within the vicinity of the spillway, some 20 meters away.

PO1 Ronnie Alivio of the Tabogon Police Station said Damalerio had slight scratches and wounds on his body, which is believed to have been caused by rocks in the river.

Ornopia ordered Damalerio’s body brought to a hospital for examination.

Before he was assigned in Tabogon about a year ago, Damalerio served in Alang-alang, Mandaue City.

He hails from Bara-ngay Sta. Cruz in Calape, Bohol.

SunStar Superbalita - NAPANITAN ang ulo sa usa ka habal-habal drayber human nga gipuspusan siya og magahi nga butang sa duha ka mga tawo kinsa nagpaka-arong-ingnong mga pasahero sa Polomolok, South Cotabato, Sabado sa gabii.

Ang biktima nahidangat sa balay tambalanan sa dakbayan sa General Santos ug giila nga si George Manglapus, 45 anyos, ug molupyo sa Uppler Klinan, Polomolok, South Cotabato.

Sa taho sa Bombo Radyo General Santos kagahapon sa buntag, aduna'y gihatod nga pasahero ang biktima sa Cannery Site sa Polomolok alas 6 ang takna sa gabii. Apan pagpabalik niya sa highway sa maong lugar, duha ka wa mailhing mga lalaki kinsa naghulat sa usa ka waiting shed ang mipara kaniya.

Sa pagtuo nga mosakay ang maong mga tawo, mihunong ang biktima apan kalit lamang siyang gipuspusan og magahi nga butang ngadto sa likod nga bahin sa iyang ulo sa usa sa mga suspetsado.

SunStar SuperBalita - PATAY ang usa ka mag-uuma human kini gitigbas, gidunggab ug giputlan pa og kinatawo didto sa probinsiya sa Cotabato.

Ang kapulisan nag-ila sa biktima nga si Rico Edillo, 56 anyos, minyo ug molupyo sa Purok Uno, Barangay New Cebu, Makilala.

Sa report gikan Cotabato Police Provincial Office, nasayran nga alas 5:40 sa hapon, Biyernes, nakit-an ang patay nga lawas sa biktima kilid sa sementeryo sa Makilala.

Ang lawas sa biktima nabulit sa samad tinigbasan, gibusdakan pa ang ulo niini og bato, wala pa matagbaw ang mga suspek giputol ang kinatawo niini ug gipakaon ngadto kaniya.

Matud ni Robilla, nga sa wala pa gipatay ang iyang uyoan may nakalalis kining mga tawo sa ilang dapit gumikan sa away sa yuta nga ilang giugmad.

Sunstar Superbalita - USA ka unit sa Krizia taxi ang naugdaw human mibuto ang tangke sa Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) samtang nagdagan sa alas 10:30 sa buntag niadtong Sabado.

Ang insidente nahitabo atubangan sa Angel House Hardware sa Crossing Ulas, Barangay Talomo Proper, siyudad sa Davao.

Ang taxi nagdala sa plate number LWK-714 nga gimaneho ni Banito Dulce Amora, 58, minyo, nagpuyo sa New Loon, Barangay Mintal, distrito sa Tugbok.

Sa imbestigasyon ni SPO1 Policarpo Ballenas sa Talomo Police Station, si Amora nagbutyag nga samtang nagdagan ang iyang gimanehong taxi sa maong lugar iyang namatikdan nga miaso ang panel board niini.

Suma sa mga nakasaksi sa maong insidente, ang drayber mihunong dayon misunod ang masipang buto sa tangke sa LPG mao misilaob ang maong taxi.

Mga sakop sa Talomo Fire Station daling miresponde sa maong insidente mao nga napalong ang kalayo.

Mga bombero nagsulti nga mokabat sa P60,000.00 ang kantidad sa danyos sa maong sunog.

Mga imbestigador nagbutyag nga electrical faulty wiring ang hinungdan sa maong sunog busa nagpahimangno sila sa tanang mga drayber nga sigurohong maayo ang mga wiring sa ilang mga sakyanan sa dili pa mobiyahe.

Sunstar SuperBalita- Nakuha ang kwarta ug personal nga gamit sa usa ka lalaki human giunay pagtulis sa iyang higala kagahapon mga alas 2:00 sa kadlawon sa Dolorez-Corales Avenue ning siyudad sa Cagayan de Oro.

Giposposan pa ang ulo og bato sa biktima nga mao si Romy Miake, 30, minyo, taga Brgy 23 ning siyudad sa Cagayan de Oro.

Nasayran nga nagbaklay ang maghigala kinsa wala maila ang panglan apan ang hitsura lamang niini niadtong higayona dihang paghidangat sa ngitngit nga bahin wala nabantayn sa biktima nga kalit lang siyang giposposan og bato sa ulo hinungdan sa pagkaligid ni Miake.

Human sa gihimong pagpospos gikuha dayon sa suspetsado ang iyang cash nga kwarta mobalor og P5,000.00 uban sa iyang cellphone human dali nga misibat.

Gitabang ang biktima ug gidala sa Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) kinsa padayon pang giatiman sa mga doktor.

Matud sa pipila ka personahe sa NMMC nga nahinabi ning mantalaan nga wala magdahom ang biktima nga unayon siya pagtulis sa iyang higala labina nga pipila na ka higayon silang nag-uban niini.

Ni Stephanie Viovicente-Berganio
SunStar Superbalita

LAING kaso na usab sa paghikog ang nahitabo kagahapon mga alas 4:00 sa kadlawon sa Macanhan, Carmen ning siyudad sa Cagayan de Oro.

Si Jessielou Lumantas, 22, dalaga, lumad nga taga siyudad sa Gingoog ang nakaplagan nga milala og Zonrox sulod sa kwarto.

Sa gihimong pakighinabi sa Sun.Star Superbalita ngadto kang Jocelyn, kinsa paryente sa biktima ug gisak-an niini samtang nagtrabaho sa usa ka dakong establismento ning siyudad.

Gisaysay ni Jocelyn nga nakamatikod siya nga magul-anon kaayo ang iyang pag-umangkon tungod sa problema niini sa pamilya.

Kanunay nga manawag ang inahan nga mangayo og kwarta kay lisod kaayo ang kahimtang ug aduna pay upat ka gagmayng mga manghod.

Nasayran nga halos walay mabilin sa sweldo niini sa
pagtrabaho kay sige ipadala sa iyang ginikanan.

"Wala gani siyay gasto sa among balay ug wala lang sab sa akoa bisan naa siyay sweldo kay buotan man sab nga bata ug walay samok," matud ni Jocelyn.

Sa wala pa nahitabo ang paghikog nakasulti kini nga nangihanglan kini og kwarta aron na usab ipadala sa ginikanan niini kay nasakit ang manghod sa biktima.

Sun Star SuperBalita

NAMATIKDAN sa usa ka kostumer ang usa ka cellophane nga gisudlan og fetus sulod sa pansayan sa Ororama Supercenter, Cogon ning siyudad sa Cagayan de Oro.

Hinungdan nga gitawag niini ang sekyu sa maong establismento nga mao si Michael Jacalan ug nagpatabang.

Gisaysay ni Merlita Soriano, ang kostumer nga nakakita sa puya nga nakurat kini pag-ayo dihang pagsulod sa pansayan nagkadugo ang salog ug adunay cellophane sulod sa bowl.

Tungod niini, nagpatabang si Soriano sa sekyu ug gitan-aw nga usa kini ka fetus dayon nagdesisyon nga iturn-over ang puya sa Police Station 2 (PS2) sa Cogon.

Matud sa mga pulis nga nahinabi sa Sun.Star Superbalita nga dili pa maklaro ang hitsura sa puya ug gibana-bana lamang nilang nga anaa pa kini sa tulo o upat ka bulan.

DO NOT PROCRASTINATE AND NEVER REGRET.

Do not waste time in protracted wondering "Should I or Shouldn't I?" days, weeks, months, and years may be wasted in that futile mental debating. You can never plan enough because you can never anticipate all future happenings. Always remember, God has His own plan too for you. Value your time and do the things that need to be done. It does not matter if you fail the first time. You can learn from your mistakes and succeed the next time. Sitting back and worrying will lead to nothing. Learn from your mistakes, but do not brood over the past. Do not regret. Whatever happened was destined to happen only that way. Take it as the will of God. You do not have the power to alter the course of God's will. Why cry over a spilt milk?

NEVER LEAVE THE MIND VACANT

An empty mind is the devil's workshop. All evil actions start in the vacant mind. Keep your mind occupied in something positive, something worthwhile. Actively follow a hobby. Do something that holds your interest, You must decide what you value more: money or peace of mind. Your hobby, like social work or church work, may not always earn you more money, but you will have a sense of fulfillment and achievement. Even when you are resting physically, occupy yourself in healthy reading or mental chanting of God's name.

MEDITATE REGULARLY.

Meditation calms the mind and gets rid of disturbing thoughts. This is the highest state of peace of mind. Try and experience it yourself. If you meditate earnestly for half an hour everyday, your mind will tend to become peaceful during the remaining twenty- three and half-hours. Your mind will not be easily disturbed as it was before. You would benefit by gradually increasing the period of daily meditation. You may think that this will interfere with your daily work. On the contrary, this will increase your efficiency and you will be able to produce better results in less time.

DO NOT BITE OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW.

We often tend to take more responsibilities than we are capable of carrying out. This is done to satisfy our ego. Know your limitations. Why take on additional loads that may create more worries? You cannot gain peace of mind by expanding your external activities. Reduce your material engagements and spend time in prayer, introspection and meditation. This will reduce those thoughts in your mind that make you restless. Uncluttered mind will produce greater peace of mind.

ENDURE WHAT CANNOT BE CURED

Everyday we face numerous inconveniences, ailments, irritations, and accidents that are beyond our control. If we cannot control them or change them, we must learn to put up with these things. We must learn to endure them cheerfully thinking "God wills it so, so be it." God's plan is beyond our comprehension. Believe in it and you will gain in terms of patience, inner strength and will power.

CHANGE YOURSELF ACCORDING TO THE ENVIRONMENT

If you try to change the environment single-handedly, the chances are you will fall. Instead, change yourself to suit your environment. As you do this, even the environment, which has been unfriendly to you, will mysteriously change and seem congenial and harmonious.

DO NOT BE JEALOUS

We all have experienced how jealousy can disturb our peace of mind. You know that you work harder than your colleagues in the office, but sometimes they get promotions, you do not. You started a business several years ago, but you are not as successful as your neighbor whose business is only one year old. There are several examples like these in everyday life. Should you be jealous? No. If you are destined to be rich, nothing in the world can stop you. If you are not so destined, no one can stop you either. Nothing will be gained by blaming others for your misfortune. Jealousy will not get you anywhere; it will only take away your peace of mind.

DO NOT CRAVE FOR RECOGNITION

This world is full of selfish people. They seldom praise anybody without selfish motives. They may praise you today because you're in power, but no sooner than you are powerless, they will forget your achievement and will start finding faults in you. Why do you wish to kill yourself in striving for their recognition? Their recognition is not worth their aggravation. Do your duties ethically and sincerely and leave the rest to God. - forwarded email

FORGIVE AND FORGET

We often develop ill feelings inside our heart for the person who insults us or harms us. We nurture grievances. This in turn results in loss of sleep, development of stomach ulcers, and high blood pressure. This insult or injury was done once, but nourishing of grievance goes on forever by constantly remembering it. Get over this bad habit. Believe in the justice of God. Let Him judge the act of the one who insulted you. Life is too short to waste in such trifles. Forgive, forget and march on. Love flourishes in giving and forgiving. - forwarded email

DO NOT INTERFERE IN OTHER'S BUSINESS UNLESS ASKED

Most of us create our own problems by interfering too often in other people's affairs. We do so because somehow we have convinced ourselves that our way is the best way, our logic is the perfect logic and those who do not conform to our thinking must be criticized and steered to the right direction (our direction). This thinking denies the existence of individuality and consequently the existence of God. God has created us in a unique way. No two human beings can think or act in exactly the same way. All men act the way they do because God within them prompts them that way. There is God to look after everything. Why are you bothered? Mind your own business and you will keep your peace. - source: forwarded email

1. The wise man prays to God for the deliverance from fear, not for safety from danger.

2. If something is wrong, fix it if you can. But train yourself not to worry. Worry never fixes anything.

3. The best cure for worry is to go forth and try to lift with one's sympathy the gloom of somebody else.

4. The best and most beautiful things cannot be seen or touched, they must be felt with the heart.

5. With God in charge, everything will work out for the best in the end.

Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States, but you can reduce your risk by eating a heart-healthy diet.

The National Women's Health Information Center offers these suggestions:

• Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole-grain foods.
  Opt for low-fat or no-fat dairy products.
  Choose lean, healthy proteins, such as chicken or turkey without the skin, fish, nuts and beans.
  Limit your intake of saturated and trans fats, found in many forms of butter, fatty meats, fast food, desserts and creamy condiments such as mayonnaise.
  Reduce cholesterol in your diet, found in organ meats, pork and sausage, and whole-fat dairy products.
  Avoid foods that are high in salt (sodium) and sugar.

-- Diana Kohnle

New research suggests that men -- especially married white men -- are much more likely to develop noise-induced hearing loss than women. But there's some good news: Another study finds that older men who take high doses of folate can decrease their risk of hearing loss by 20 percent.

The figures regarding hearing loss in men and women come from a study of hearing-test data from 5,290 people aged 20 to 69. An estimated 13 percent of them will suffer from noise-induced hearing loss, which researchers think affects about 24 million Americans.

The condition, caused by exposure to loud noise, is preventable.

Among the subjects, men were two-and-a-half times more likely than women to develop this type of hearing loss. Married, non-Hispanic white men had the highest risk, the study authors pointed out.

In another study, researchers found that increased doses of antioxidant vitamins don't improve a man's chances of avoiding hearing loss. But folate -- a type of vitamin B -- reduced the risk by 20 percent in men older than 60.

The findings came from a study of 3,559 men with hearing loss. Higher doses of antioxidant vitamins, such as vitamins C, E and beta carotene, had no effect, the researchers said.

Foods with high levels of folate include leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce and asparagus; dried or fresh beans; peas; liver products; and fortified cereal products.

The researchers pointed out that their study is the largest to look into links between diet and hearing loss. - Health Day News

By Amy R. Remo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Retailers of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) Sunday said they may be forced to stop selling cooking gas should the government continue to impose price caps on petroleum products until next month.

“We are opposing [Executive Order No. 839] because there is another pending increase coming from the international market next month,” LPG Marketers Association (LPGMA) president Arnel Ty said in a phone interview.

Although it was still too early to determine the exact increase for next month, Ty said his group was expecting the international contract price of LPG to increase by $30 to $40 per metric ton in December due largely to a surge in demand during Christmas.
“If the EO is still in place, we may have a problem because no business would want to sell at a loss. The risk then is us being forced not to sell LPG products so as not to incur huge losses,” Ty said.

EO 839 has frozen prices of petroleum products in Luzon at their Oct. 15 levels due to the devastation wrought by storms in a large swath of the country’s main island.

At the Oct. 15 levels, prices of an 11-kilogram LPG tank should be between P530 and P580.

Ty said member companies had been supporting the implementation of the executive order since last month, even if LPG’s international contract price rose by $75 to $660 per MT in November, compared with the previous month’s level.

“We admit that we have moved our price upward, but still based on the legal amount of the suggested retail price (SRP). We just followed the highest SRP as of Oct. 15, which was P580 per tank,” Ty said.

BBC: Children brought up according to "tough love" principles are more successful in life, according to a study.

The think tank Demos says a balance of warmth and discipline improved social skills more than an laissez-faire, authoritarian or disengaged upbringing.

It says children aged five with "tough love" parents were twice as likely to show good character capabilities.

Report author Jen Lexmond said: "It is confidence, warmth and consistent discipline that matter most."

Life chances

According to the report, qualities such as application, self-regulation and empathy were more likely to be developed in children whose parents employed a "tough love" approach.

It found that these qualities made "a vital contribution to life chances, mobility and opportunity".

The report said these characteristics were profoundly shaped in pre-school years.

By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter

(HealthDay News) -- Air pollution is already linked to respiratory and cardiovascular ills, and now researchers say the dirty air you breathe may also cause appendicitis.

Authors of a new study published in the Oct. 5 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that cases of appendicitis go up when the air is dirtier.

"This makes us think about the underlying cause of appendicitis that could potentially be linked to air pollution," said Dr. Gilaad G. Kaplan, senior author of the study and assistant professor of medicine in the division of gastroenterology at the University of Calgary in Alberta. "Air pollution is a modifiable risk factor. If these findings are confirmed and we are able to legislate better air pollution control, cleaner air, then potentially we could prevent more cases of appendicitis."

But at this early point in the research, the implications are not so clear-cut, warned another expert.

"It's provocative, but there's a huge difference between correlating any number of factors with a disease and proving that any of these factors might actually cause a disease, and this study fails to show causation," said Dr. F. Paul Buckley III, assistant professor of surgery at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine and a surgeon at Scott & White Healthcare Round Rock, Texas.

"Do we all want to decrease pollution? Yes. Is that going to decrease the incidence of appendicitis? I doubt it," said Buckley.

Parts of the findings were presented at a conference a year ago.

No one really knows why appendicitis, or swelling and infection of the appendix, occurs.

Appendicitis cases rose significantly in the late 19th century and early 20th century, as industrialization took hold. Cases declined in the middle and later parts of the last century, at about the time clean air legislation gained headway. Meanwhile, countries that are just now industrializing have increasing rates of the condition, the study authors stated.

A prevailing theory is that appendicitis occurs when the opening to the appendix, a pouch-like organ attached to the large intestine, gets blocked. Specifically, some experts believe that lower fiber intake among citizens of industrialized countries leads to obstruction of the appendix by the stool.

But that doesn't explain the decreased incidence of appendicitis in the second half of the 20th century, Kaplan said.

Air pollution is already linked with a wide range of health conditions, most notably respiratory diseases and cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke.

Kaplan and his colleagues looked at more than 5,000 adults who were hospitalized in Calgary with appendicitis between April 1, 1999, and the end of 2006. This data was cross-referenced with an analysis of air pollutants the week prior to the admissions.

"We found that individuals were more likely to come in with appendicitis in weeks with higher concentrations of air pollutants, specifically ozone and nitrogen dioxide," Kaplan said.

More appendicitis admissions took place during Canada's warmest months (April through September, when people are more likely to be outdoors), and men seemed more likely to be affected by air pollutants than women. It's unclear why this gender difference exists, the researchers said.

Kaplan theorizes that inflammation may explain the link -- if it proves to exist -- between air quality and appendicitis.

"It's speculative, but air pollution might be driving inflammation which triggers appendicitis," he said. "We're a few steps away before we can make that statement. We need to confirm and replicate these findings."

Kaplan and his co-authors plan more studies in multiple cities in Canada.

Last year, Forbes magazine rated Calgary as the world's cleanest city and Baku, Azerbaijan, as the dirtiest.

Pacquiao to face Cotto in Nov.
pacquiao calling shots in boxing...

Cotto-Pacquiao Is On - ESPN
espn reports

Please get more info about Caritas. Expensive lang.

Aduna bay secret ang Victoria's Secret? 

By MICHAEL R. CRITTENDEN, Wall Street Journal

U.S. regulators closed five more banks on Friday, reaching 120 for the year, as souring loans and the lingering effects of last year's financial crisis continued to weigh on the nation's financial institutions.

San Francisco-based United Commercial Bank became the fifth and largest bank to be taken over by regulators on Friday evening, as annual failures hit levels not seen since the savings and loan crisis of the early 1990s. There were 25 bank failures in 2008, and three in 2007.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said in a release that East West Bank of Pasadena, Calif., would take over United Commercial's roughly $7.5 billion in deposits, as well as $10.2 billion in assets. The deal includes all of United Commercial's branches in the U.S., a branch in Hong Kong, and a subsidiary headquartered in Shanghai, China.

The agency said that it would continue to protect the bank's domestic deposits, while Hong Kong deposits would be covered by the Hong Kong Deposit Protection Scheme. U.S. regulators are also working with their counterparts in China on the bank's operations in that country, the agency said.

The failure is estimated to cost the FDIC's deposit insurance fund an estimated $1.4 billion. That's represents a significant hit for the fund, which has come under increasing pressure this year as failure costs have topped the agency's initial loss projections. Federal regulators are currently considering a proposal that would have U.S. banks pay three years worth of premiums in advance in order to raise $45 billion to provide more liquidity to the fund.

Senior doctors are calling for human tissue to be routinely kept for genetic testing in cases where young people die without explanation.

They say the DNA from such samples may reveal an unsuspected inherited condition and save relatives' lives.

One doctor said pathologists should be encouraged to take the tissue and ask for consent later if necessary.

But the Human Tissue Authority said it was "alarmed" about public calls for practitioners to break the law.

The Human Tissue Act requires that appropriate consent is in place before the tissue is removed from a deceased person.

Dr Mary Sheppard, of the Royal Society of Medicine's pathology section and a leading expert on Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD), said some coroners did ask relatives already but others felt it was not part of their remit.

She said: "If coroners routinely requested consent from the family to retain material for DNA testing at autopsies we would be able to find out far more about how the person died and possibly prevent other deaths in the same family." - BBC

I just read: "How To Give Your Woman A Screaming Orgasm." Penis size was not mentioned in the book.

GPS used to preserve ants' nests
Conservationists in Northumberland have used satellite technology to pinpoint 69 rare ants' nests before work to fell thousands of trees begins.

The nests, made of conifer needles, are home to the hairy northern wood ant.

The Forestry Commission is removing 10,000 tonnes of conifer planted in the 20th Century to restore the area to its ancient roots as an oak wood.

Foresters will be provided with the nests' GPS co-ordinates to ensure they do not damage them.

from Boston Globe: On Tuesday, “Sesame Street,’’ the PBS kids’ show that spawned Elmo, Bert, and Ernie, and an entire Muppet menagerie, celebrates its 40th birthday. Born in the era of Woodstock and “Captain Kangaroo,’’ it is simply the most revered and influential children’s television show ever. Hundreds of academic papers have dissected its cultural and educational importance. Millions of parents, teachers, and preschoolers have embraced its educational and entertainment values. With its unique blend of literacy, diversity, and lunacy, “Sesame Street’’ is an irreplaceable original, a late-’60s artifact that has stayed forever young. When Google put Big Bird on its homepage this week, it was a heartfelt salute from New Media giant to Old.

BBC News: Islamists in southern Somalia have stoned a man to death for adultery but spared his pregnant girlfriend until she gives birth.

Abas Hussein Abdirahman, 33, was killed in front of a crowd of some 300 people in the port town of Merka.

An official from the al-Shabab group said the woman would be killed after she has had her baby.

Islamist groups run much of southern Somalia, while the UN-backed government only control parts of the capital.

This is the third time Islamists have stoned a person to death for adultery in the past year.

Al-Shabab official Sheikh Suldan Aala Mohamed said Mr Abdirahman had confessed to adultery before an Islamic court.

By Malou Mangahas, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism

A FORTNIGHT ago in her ninth State of the Nation Address, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo fired sharp, staccato broadsides at her critics, and in a tone bold and boastful declared: “I am falsely accused, without proof, of using my position for personal profit.”

“There isn’t a day,” she said, “I do not work at my job or a waking moment when I do not think through a work-related problem. Even my critics cannot begrudge the long hours I put in.”

“A president must be on the job 24/7, ready for any contingency, any crisis, anywhere, anytime,” Arroyo continued, because “the people deserve a government that works just as hard as they do.”

By all indications, President Arroyo has worked very hard. In fact, she has worked so hard that during her first years as president, official records show her declared wealth as growing faster, and by amounts much bigger, than the combined growth in the declared wealth of three presidents before her. Full article at http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/08/10/09/can-president-arroyo-explain-her-wealth

By Antone Gonsalves
InformationWeek

Samsung unveiled a multi-chip memory package that it claims is the thinnest ever, for smartphones, portable media players, laptops and other mobile electronics.

The package measures just 0.02 of an inch thick and packs 32 GB of storage. The device is 40% thinner and lighter than a conventional memory package, according to the vendor.

The new device features a significantly thinner "bare" die, or chip, that measures half the thickness of a conventional die, Samsung said. The package comprises eight stacked NAND flash chips, built using a 30-nanometer production process.

In developing the super-thin dies, Samsung said it overcame the limits of conventional technology that led to an unacceptable drop in production yields when chips were less than 30 micrometres thick. The new dies are half that amount and will double the storage capacity in the same size memory package used today.

Pareha sa Panglao Airport nga hapit na pud traynta (30) ka tuig nga plano-plano. Mahuman nalang si Arroyo sa iyang termino ug si Aumentado moretiro, ang airport naimpatso.

Sun Star SuperBalita

Dili makatuo ang 56 anyos nga babaye human giunay pagpaak sa iyang binuhing onggoy niadtong Martes mga alas 10:00 sa buntag sa Brgy. Mala-iba, lungsod sa Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.

Nadala sa Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) ning siyudad sa Cagayan de Oro si Anesita Valdez, minyo, sa susamang dapit.

Matud sa usa ka sa personahe sa NMMC nga igo lang gibadlong niini ang onggoy tungod kay gihawiran man niini ug dili buhian ang buhok sa iyang apo hinungdan nga nagpatabang ang iyang apo. Gibadlong ni Valdez apan kalit lang siyang gipaak ug gikawras niini sa nawong og bukton nga bahin.

Tungod niini dali nga gidala ang biktima sa NMMC nga padayon pang giobserbahan ang kahimtang ning panahona.

Nasayran nga upat na ka tuig nga giatiman ni Valdez ang onggoy ug dili kini makatuo nga unayon siya niini pagpaak.

TALANDUGON ang kahimtang sa usa ka lalaki human giluba sa kaugalingon nga asawa kagahapon mga alas 6:00 sa buntag sa Patag ning siyudad sa Cagayan de Oro.

Ni Stephanie Viovicente-Berganio, Sun Star Superbalita

Giila ang biktima nga mao si Federico Palle, 35, minyo, sa susamang dapit kinsa giluba sa asawa nga mao si Angela, 33.

Si Angela nga nahinabi sa Sun.Star Superbalita dili makatuo nga iyang nahimo ang maong salaod sa kaugalingon nga bana.

Nasayran nga nagkabikil ang magtiayon tungod kay gipangayoan kini sa biktima og kuwarta aron ipalit og usa ka kilo nga bugas apan kalit lang nga nasuko si Federico.

Nasakitan ang asawa tungod kay pagkaon man nila ang iyang gipangayo hinungdan gibati og kasuko ug tungod sa kasuko nikuha kini og kutsilyo dayon deretso nga giluba ang iyang bana hinungdan nga maayong pagkaigo sa dughan nga bahin niini.

Ni Stephanie Viovicente-Berganio, Sun Star

DILI na mahitsura ang nawong sa usa ka lalaki ug wala na ang duha ka mga mata dihang napalgan nga nagbitay sa punoan sa kahoy kagahapon mga alas 12:30 sa udto sa Corrales Avenue Corner, CM Recto ning siyudad sa Cagayan de Oro.

Gibuboan pa og grasa ang tibuok parte sa lawas sa biktima hinungdan nga ang gisul-ob niini dili na masuta ang kolor.

Samtang naabhak na usab ang nawong niini.

Ang biktima nagluhod ug gihiktan ang liog og pisi nga gihikot punoan sa kahoy. Kini base sa nakita sa Sun.Star Superbalita atol sa pakisusi sa maong dapit.

Si PO3 Marvin Bolanio sa Police Station 2 (PS2) sa Cogon nibutyag sa Sun.Star Superbalita nga usa ka construction worker ang nitaho sa ilang buhatan ug nipahibalo nga aduna kini nakitang patayng lalaki nga nagbitay sa kahoy.

Gibutyag sa maong construction worker nga nalabyan niini ang biktima niadtong petsa 1 sa hapon apan wala lamang gitaho sa kapolisan.

Hadlok si-i pud ug way buho. Magsige lang ug dumbol-dumbol nga way kapadulngan.

Dili pud seguro magtumo-tumo ning tulo ka anak kung dili pa tinuod ang hitabo. Sa mata sa korte, guilty beyond reasonable doubt ning amahana.

Sun Star Superbalita

DESIDIDO ang usa ka inahan nga pasakaan og kaso ang anak human siya giposposan og botelya sa ilimnong makahubog niadtong Lunes mga alas 9:30 sa gabii sa Lawesbra, Lapasan ning siyudad sa Cagayan de Oro.

Nilandig sa Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) si Julieta (bansagon gipugngan human nihangyo ning mantalaan) kinsa nakaangkon ug dakong samad sa likod ug sa ulo nga bahin human giposposan sa anak nga si Catherine, 19.

Sa pakighinabi sa Sun.Star Superbalita ngadto kang Julieta siya miingon nga gikasab-an niya ang iyang anak tungod kay sugod pa niadtong petsa uno ning bulan nilakaw na ug petsa 2 sa gabii miuli nga hubog.

Tungod niini kalit lang nasuko si Catherine ug nikuha og botelya dayon deretso nga giposposan ang iyang inahan tungod sa pagpangasaba. Naigo ang likod sa inahan ug ang ulo nga bahin.

"Maayo man among relasyon sa akong anak wala gani ko nagdahom nga iya kong bunalan og botelya."

Ni Stephanie Viovicente-Berganio
Sun Star

GIHIMAKAK sa amahan ang akusasyon nga pagpanglugos sa iyang tulo ka mga anak sa Barangay Musi-Musi lungsod sa Balingasag, Misamis Oriental.

Nagtingkagol sa Misamis Oriental Provincial Jail (MOPJ) si Jonathan, 36, minyo, lumad nga taga Los Banson, lungsod sa Jasaan human gipasakaan og kasong pagpanglugos sa iyang tulo ka anak nga mao si sila si Jessa, 17; Ana, 6, ug Liza, 1 anyos (tinuod nga ngalan gipugngan) mga mulopyo sa maong dapit.

Si Jonathan nga nahinabi sa Sun.Star Superbalita hugot nga nihimakak sa akusasyon batok sa maong pagpanglugos.

Gibutyag sa amahan nga gimahal niya pag-ayo ang iyang mga anak ug dili niya mahimo ang maong alegasiyon.

Apan nasayran nga ang anak nga si Ana ang nitug-an sa iyang maestra kabahin sa gihimong paghinol ug paglugos niini pipila na ka adlaw ang nilabay sa mismong puloy-anan human bag-o lang nahidangat sa maong lugar ang 6 anyos aron didto mo-eskwela.

Giingong ang 17 anyos nga anak niini nagpuyo sa iyang ayaan tungod sa gihimo sa ilang amahan kanila.

Nitumaw usab ang taho nga lakip sa gilugos niini ang usa ka tuig nga anak pinaagi sa paggamit sa kamot sa suspetsado.

Apan ang tanang akusasyon gihimakak sa suspetsado gani dihang gisikop kini sa kapolisan niadtong Biyernes nisuway kini sa paghikog sulod sa prisuhan gamit ang panapton tungod kay dili niini madawat ang tanang akusasyon.

"Wala gyod na nako gibuhat, kay palangga nako akong mga anak ug naningkamot ko nga mahatag ilang gusto," matud ni Jonathan.

Gani, nagmarka pa ang hiniktan sa iyang liog nga nasapon sa kaubang piniriso hinungdan nga napugngan ang paghikog.

Pagpangisda ug pagmahneho og sikad ang panginabuhi ni Jonathan diin niadtong Biyernes gikan pa kini sa iyang pagpamasahero dihang kalit nga gisikop sa kapolisan sa Balingasag Police Station.

Nasayran nga wala masayod ang inahan sa biktima nga anaa lamang sa puloy-anan ug dili kini makatuo sa gihimo sa iyang bana ug naglibog pa ning panahona.

Ni Joy Romares-Sevilla
Sun Star

GISI ang sinina sa usa ka pulis human siya gidumog sa iyang silingang hubog kinsa iyang gipakalma sa dihang nagmaoy sa ilang lugar sa Barangay Apopong, dakbayan sa General Santos, Miyerkules sa gabii.

Buot mopasaka og kaso ni PO2 Maximo Ferolin, sakop sa Philippine National Police (PNP), nadestino sa Fatima Police Station, ug molupyo sa Lanton, Barangay Apopong, ning siyudad sa iyang silingan nga si Edilberto Cuaton, hamtong ang pangidaron.

Sa taho nga nahipus sa Makar Police Station, usa ka Mary Jane Maghaso, silingan sa biktimang pulis ang nangayo og tabang sa uwahi human nga gigukod sa suspetsado ang iyang anak (ngalan wa gibutyag) alas 8 sa gabii.

Angkon ni Maghaso, gipasanginlan sa suspetsado ang iyang anak nga usa ka k******n hinungdan nga gigukod kini sa uwahi.

Wa nagduha-duha si Ferolin ug gisuwayan niya og pakalma ang suspetsado apan nasuko ang uwahi ug kalit lamang siyang gidumog hinungdan nga naligid siya sa yuta ug nagisi ang iyang suot nga t-shirt.

Question of the day: why did you leave your last job?

Some people would say "Globaso."

Woman Allergic to Husband's Semen
By Michelle Burford

In 2005, newlyweds Julie and Mike Boyde of Ambridge, Pennsylvania spent their wedding night at a bed and breakfast, where, for the first time since becoming a couple, they had intercourse without a condom. Immediately afterward, Julie was in excruciating pain. Doctors would eventually diagnose her with a rare and incurable disorder known as seminal plasma hypersensitivity, meaning Julie is allergic to her husband's sperm.

She tells her story in a riveting new episode of Discovery Health's "Strange Sex," a documentary that follows women who are struggling to overcome sexual disorders, including involuntary orgasm and sexsomnia -- engaging in sexual intercourse while asleep.

Which character from any film, television show, or book would you most like to take on a date and why?

BBC

A US army major has opened fire on fellow soldiers at the Fort Hood military base in Texas, killing 12 people and injuring 31, officials say.

Base commander Lt Gen Bob Cone said that the gunman had not been killed, as earlier stated, but was in custody.

Two other suspects were questioned, but the army now says only one gunman was involved in the incident.

Lt Gen Cone said the motive for the shooting was not known. One of the dead was a policeman, others were soldiers.

President Barack Obama described it as "a horrific outburst of violence".

I wonder whether Dubai's tallest building has been included as one of the structures flattened in the movie.

By Leila Salaverria
Philippine Daily Inquirer

An ally of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has broached an idea that would ensure she is out of Malacañang by June next year but keep her close enough to the Palace to make her critics still nervous.

Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez Thursday suggested that Ms Arroyo run for vice president in May 2010, so that she could continue to push for the fiscal reforms and crucial legislation that have eluded her during her current term.

“It would be best if you could convince her to run for vice president,” Suarez said at the Serye forum. “You have a vice president with the experience and caliber of GMA, you will be an asset to whoever will be the president.”

Suarez, who noted a public perception that he had Ms Arroyo’s ear, was asked if he had raised the matter within the administration’s Lakas-Kampi-CMD party.

“There was no serious discussion about her running for that (vice presidency),” he said.

It's not an issue whether it's PAL or Cebu Pacific. Ang issue is the way of saying things. Ang gipasabot diri mao nga kadtong person nga gihimong pananglitan diri nanghinambog nga PAL iyang gisakyan. Ug nga kung Cebu Pacific ka, second-class citizen kay sa iyang tan-aw. That's the issue. It's the attitude of the heart of the person nga milutaw when he compared PAL and Cebu Pacific.

Ang issue pud sa ikaduha dili ang pag-binisaya or pag-iningles. Kung basahon ang first post sa thread, naghisgot kini ug pagpakarong-ingnon. Wala hisguti kung unsa nga language, Tagalog ba, Bisaya, or English.

It's always the way of saying things that show a person's vanity and arrogance.

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