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diay bag-ong kaplag nga maoy kinaangayan i-post dinhi:



kuwang na lang ang bungot ni chongki ug mulligan.  magpaabot mi...

Quote from: Lorenzo on April 03, 2011, 10:34:16 PM
hehe. do you like his movies, isles?

his are classics.  truly great.

at last!  thanks, mol.  great to see the three of you together.  kaingon nakog cuatro cientos mo, apil si tigs.  tres cientos ra man diay kay magician man diay si tigs kay nag-disappearing act. 

can't wait to see hubag, bugsay and bolbuhol with you one day; kana kun tinuod ni sila nga human beings.  pilay pad sa unggoy kun aliens ni sila nga may pincers. 

by then, i hope that the eb is given more dimension by the presence of hofelina, fr chic, vrglguapo and lorenz.  yipeeeee!     

hah!  mamili ba diay tag unsay klase sa varicose veins... naa poy varicose veins nga teal ang kolor.  unya, kay wa may baye nga ang ngalan teal, violet na lay gipili aron maka-violeta, hahaha! 

mao ni ang kanahan ay:


kataposan namong kita nagkawo-kawo na man to...

mao ni ang cover sa iyang libro:

Quote from: hubag bohol on April 03, 2011, 06:47:40 AM
NGANO MAN DIAYG VIOLET ANG BARIKUS SA BAGTAK NI VIOLETA?
...
Bwahaha!

paskang gyod ni si yakiyeye, aka adonis durado...

nahibung si banana republic nganong namuwa ko ug nagluha, kaingon siyag unsay akong gihilakan.  wa na man god ko makaginhawag kinatawa, hahaha!

karon pa ko kabasa aning particular poem niya.  he certainly is a fresh voice in cebuano poetry; logic-based and sharp in his awareness of his environment... etc., etc.

kaila ko ani niya.  uroy kun magkita mi pohon, by chance, butangan ni nako (ug varicose veins ni violeta).  nausab hinoon akong perspective sa akong favorite color da.

Quote from: windgate on April 03, 2011, 11:42:16 PM
ot in ray guntan

g.a.n. - gunitan ani niya:



violet ra ba, duol-duol ug kolor sa varicose veins ni violeta, hahaha!

shellfish:  love 'em or leave 'em, oder was, kill them all and come back alone.

who cares about saway?  ang importante, ang gipalit.  abtan man kag siyam-siyam kun magkaromata, mawala ang pagka-sinabado sa ginamos.  wa ra ba ko kadungog nga naay ginamos nga siyam-siyam.  all for the love of valencia ginamos, ole!

Quote from: hubag bohol on April 04, 2011, 07:24:44 AM
In a way baliktad ni siya kay gamiton man nga birtud ang parte sa lawas sa patay...

somsilahcsam diay? 

basin nangabun-og pod...

vistabel illustrated:




"Flying Segbin"

benelynne illustrated:




"The good is the enemy of the best."




"Live out of your imagination, not your history."

hofelina illustrated:



"Look at the bright side of life."

raquelproud boholana illustrated:


"We may be surprised at the people we find in heaven. God has a soft spot for sinners. His standards are quite low."

islander illustrated:

"Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever."


"You might as well fall flat on your face as lean over too far backward."

hubag illustrated:



"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and erase all doubt."

Quote from: Vistabel on April 03, 2011, 02:25:48 AM
Selfishness is generally bad. Therefore, Love is bad because it is a selfish emotion.

point 1:  if you say "generally", it could also mean that "specifically" selfishness may not be bad.

point 2:  passion, which we often mistake for love, and one's desire for its fulfillment is what is intrinsically selfish.

point 3:  if it's selfish, could it be love?

point 4:  "love is not love till you give it away."  is that selfish?

ingna na lang gud ug good kay nangabuhi man tang tanan.

akira kurosawa, ahhh, he's a class by himself, whew!

he looks like a cross between robert de niro and keanu reeves.

unsa man pod nang collector ug tuway-tuway ug mga patay nga akong nadunggan sa cebu?  sakop ba ni sa maschalismos? 

lolo sa akong amigo collector ani kuno kaniadto.  nadatu pag-ayo.  problema lang kay ang buysit abot sa mga apo.  bisan kunog unsaon paningkamot sa iyang mga kaliwat, lupig pay sigeg daro nga way abot. 

naglabad akong ulo nga naminaw kay pagpangutana nako kun unsaon pagkolekta, manguykoy diay ug bag-ong linubong iyang lolo pagka-alas dose sa gabii, paniguro kay una man diay kunong mahilis ning tuway-tuway sa tuhod. 

wa pa tingali mag-ukang ay.

merman sad kuno ni ay:



na, hala, palingkura sa imong mermaid's chair...

kuyawag posing manoy uy...

Quote from: hubag bohol on April 03, 2011, 08:15:38 PM
He he, kulirez! Bura man ko anig giwitkan og ikog sa mermaid!

unsaon, bura man pod kag okoy.

Quote from: hubag bohol on April 03, 2011, 05:20:07 PM
Ang tag-iya sa computer maoy tiglaba. Basin isul-ob pud niya sa iyang kaugalingon usahay...

ikaw bay tag-iya ani niya?

re lorenz's ryan reynolds post:  mas angayan si ryan reynolds sa last picture nga naay bungot and coiffed hair.  angay siya magbungot kay taas siyag suwang.

wa na lay labot nga ma-trace nako ang imong source (daghan kog nakat-unan sa computer tungod sa tb), klaro kaayo ang facial expression ug ilong nga si abe lincoln ni.

Quote from: hubag bohol on April 03, 2011, 04:37:35 PM
He he, imoha tingali ni Ms. Isle, kay mao man ni ang imong favorite color, di ba?

hehe, wa pa ko makahunahuna ug order ani.  color ray ako, di ko sa design.  labaw pang di ko anang pakapin nga baye.

kay papildi ba diay ang mga doggie dogs...

all in the family---hair, smiles, and all.

Quote from: hubag bohol on April 03, 2011, 08:09:53 PM
He he, makasalig ka nga maayo kong motipig og tinagoan...

kaso lang, mabasa sa tibuok kalibotan, hehehe.

sige lang, basta ginamos sa valencia nga supplied ug ginamos distributor sa tagbilaran, the trip and the car are worth it.

Quote from: hubag bohol on April 02, 2011, 08:07:44 AM
Ang mga politiko munas ginhawa nga magpabilin sa limelight. Ang uban pud nga nangambisyon magpolitiko, naning pud nga maplastada ang ilang pangalan sa media...

ngiaow!  moapil na gani ang congressmen investigators, expect a long haul and tv paporma.  if the demolition job of abs-cbn on revillame were true, wow, bilib ko ani nga network.  kanunay pabor sa kinsay naa sa political power, morag iglesia ni cristo.

Quote from: hubag bohol on April 03, 2011, 06:30:17 AM
He he, atong himoong chorizo?

unya, mokaon ka?

Quote from: taga tigbao on April 02, 2011, 02:48:57 PM
Hunungon na pud unta sa Pilipinas ang pagdeport sa mga Chinese drug manufacturer dinhi nga madakpan.

about time.  sila ra ba diay ang magsigeg hangyo unya kita pay ma-bullied.  life sentence pod intawon sa atua nang chinese drug manufacturers no?

ganahan sad ang embalmer ani:

paskang... hahaha!  butdan man sad kog tijan ani.  naa pod diay morag bol-anon ug sense of humor diha...

hulagway, palihog, sa mga nag-eb sa manila gahapon!  asa na man, unsa man... nag-hangover pa?  hahaha!

yet there's a caveat.  it looks like china may not be alone, after all:

Academics and other qualified commentators sometimes identify potential superpowers thought to have a strong likelihood of being recognized as superpowers in the 21st century.  The record of such predictions has not been perfect.  For example in the 1980s some commentators thought Japan would become a superpower, due to its large GDP and high economic growth at the time.  However the prediction has not come to fruition.

Due to their large markets, growing military strength, and economic potential and influence in international affairs, the Federative Republic of Brazil, the People's Republic of China, the European Union, the Republic of India, and the Russian Federation, are among the powers which are most often cited as having the ability to influence future world politics and reach the status of superpower in the 21st century. While some believe one (or more) of these countries will replace the United States as a superpower, others believe they will rise to rival, but not replace, the United States.

Others have argued that the notion of a "superpower" is increasingly anachronistic in the 21st century as increased global integration and interdependence makes the projection of a superpower hard.

                                                                                      -Wikipedia, on “Potential Superpowers” (underscoring mine)

Quote from: hubag bohol on March 30, 2011, 07:25:05 PM
Despite the hyped talk of China's rise, most Americans operate on the assumption that the U.S. is still No. 1.

what makes a superpower?

A superpower is a state with a dominant position in the international system which has the ability to influence events and its own interests and project power on a worldwide scale to protect those interests. A superpower is traditionally considered to be a step higher than a great power.  (Wikipedia)

Prior to WWII; a powerful navy made a super power.  Without a navy, the country (nation) could not project it's military might (could not land armies on foreign lands).  After the invention (use) of the atomic bomb in 1945; a nation with the "bomb" was considered a super power.  By the 1960s a nation had to have BOTH a delivery system and the bomb in order to be classed as a super-power. Without some form of delivery system, atomic weapons were nearly useless (no country wanted them detonated on their own territory!).

The country has a large economy and is also a powerful country politically and militarily.  The country has an abundance of natural resources and nuclear power.  It also has a dominant position and ability to influence events and its own interests.  (Wikianswers; underscoring mine)

Quote from: chicogon on April 02, 2011, 11:31:36 PM

Bag-ong theme song napod ni, "O tsay na, u see... luv LiGong, Zili lyk " (Star Spangled Banner) 

sumpay kunohay sa star spangled banner, fr chic version:

"what so proudly we buy as the china's great products?"

Quote from: hubag bohol on April 03, 2011, 08:13:00 AM
Aw, alang sa kasagaran sa mga Pinoy wa may kalainan ang Hapon ug Insik...

na, ayaw na lang gyod ko paangkona nga nawong kog insik kay mogara unya ko kay superpower ascendant ra ba ning tsina, matod pa ni lorenz sa lain nga thread... dagko na ra bag ulo ning mga insik sa cebu (puwera sa maayo, opkors).

na hala, sige, pakigbayle mo ani niya.

ngeeeh!  bahala ba uroy; maayog kabaw...  bay di wi, tig-bodybuilding baya to si bugsay.

16 Agusan teachers, students kidnapped

BUTUAN CITY, Philippines  â€" Armed men identified as former rebel returnees kidnapped 16 people, most of them teachers, at a graduation ceremony in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur early Friday.

Prosperidad Mayor Alvin Magdamit said the teachers and students had just come from graduation rites in Barangay La Purisima when 10 armed men led by a certain Reyjoy Brital forcibly herded and brought them to the mountains.

Most of those kidnapped were teachers, but there were two children aged 10 and 13 in the group, officials said.

Brital allegedly demanded the release of fellow Manobo Ondo Perez and three other tribesmen who are being held at the Agusan del Sur jail on charges of kidnapping and illegal possession of firearms in connection with the December 2009 hostage-taking, in which 47 villagers were held for several days.

more at: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=672466&publicationSubCategoryId=63

Quote from: hubag bohol on April 01, 2011, 12:01:54 PM
Cool...

faet.  disqualified na diay ka, bai hubs?

Quote from: hubag bohol on April 01, 2011, 11:59:53 AM
"This is discrimination against women because they will not be allowed to marry men who are over 50 ... while Cambodian men can marry any foreign woman they choose," she said.

why, is there an 18-year-old cambodian man who married an over-50 foreign woman and was abused in his foreign bride's country by being fed to prostitution rings?  

i can hardly wait to see how this would pan out.

mag-unsa man kuno ni siya?  molaba ba kaha ni siya sa iyang lingerie?

Quote from: TUBAGBOHOL.com on April 03, 2011, 12:42:42 AM
Basin magsige ra ug pabolkit ang ligid aning motora kay sige kahiyos.

duda na hinoon kog puthaw ang ligid ani, o di ba inig andar mabali, ang bike na ang musakay sa bayeng moligid.

naa pa ni sa ato apil gyod ko, with the woods, tolerable cold weather and all.  

sa cebu city, sa celestial garden sa banawa hills with those gigantic stations of the cross, kausa ra ko nakaapil sa una kay napaslot ko sa kainit ug 10-kilometer walk.  

naa pod sa tabor hill sa talamban, cebu city.  arang-arang kay mahimog gabii ang way of the cross dinhi kay well-lighted.  duol pa gyod sa amo.  the latter is maintained by the order of the discalced agustinians (oad).  




celestial garden



tabor hill

Quote from: hubag bohol on April 01, 2011, 08:57:15 AM
Ang bike, oi...

Unya na kon mo-reduce na siya, kanang ang iyang paa parehas na kadak-a sa iyang bukton karon...

aw, kaingon nakog kun ang iyang paa mapareha na sa ligid sa bike...

Quote from: Lollapalooza on April 01, 2011, 12:57:50 PM

pangit na man siya karon oie... i miss his glory days...

tingalig naatlan lang nga wrong angle ang pagkuha ana nga picture, ms lolla.  kini, okay nimo? 

Quote from: hubag bohol on March 07, 2011, 11:36:18 AM
Kaila mo kinsa ni?

Dr. Theodore Kaczynski
PhD in Mathematics

aka the unabomber, now serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole, with bureau of prisons register number 04475â€"046 in adx florence in colorado.

Quote from: hubag bohol on April 01, 2011, 08:05:46 AM
Actually, she reminds me of a girl I used to know named Violet...

sounds like a pseudonym of a bar girl, which in today's euphemism in the philippine setting is called a g.r.o.

naa ba kahay mag-yoga ugma sa buntag atong nag-eb karon sa manila?

doing the yoga at the peak of a hangover:

Quote from: hubag bohol on April 02, 2011, 10:05:24 PM
He he, kakyut. Kahinumdom man lang pud tas atong mga sagabay nga wa nay patim-aw-patim-aw...

gimingaw na bitaw ta ni bugsay imong igzu sa?

Quote from: Lorenzo on April 01, 2011, 04:18:43 AM

everything is now made in China...

of course not.

Quote from: Lorenzo on March 31, 2011, 11:48:57 PM
The Chinese Civilization , yes. The three sovereigns (the three emperors): Fu Xi, Shennong, and Huang Di (the yellow emperor) indicates the first Chinese civilization in 2076  BC. This represents 4,000 years of continuous history. Of course there were other pre-historic civilizations in what is now China that were populated by the early Han people (the Han ethnic group composes the majority of the Chinese population).

This suggests that historically speaking as well as pre-historically speaking, the region of modern-day China has been occupied thousands of years prior to recorded Chinese history. (it is estimated that the earliest hominids in China date back from 250,000 to 2.2 million years ago).

Of course, materialism is not what matters in regards to national history / civilization, but the progress and the contribution that nation, that civilization has given to the region and the world.

Chinese civilization heavily influenced other east-asian civilizations. The Chinese Confucian culture, specifically, as well as Chinese written language and political processes , influenced the civilizations in Korea (Koryo, Koguryo, Pekjae kingdoms), the Japanese clans and eventual Japanese empire, as well as the Vietnamese Dai Viet Kingdoms.

You are right, material wealth is not everything, cultural and lingustic as well as political machinations also are worthy of note.

China contributed greatly in terms of culture to the region. Politically speaking, the Chinese concept of 'Dynastic Rule' and 'Dynastic Processes' was eventually adopted in neighboring Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. As well as extending its influences in Burma, Siam, Khmer Empire (Cambodia) and also in much of the Malay Kingdoms; all of which paid annual tribute to the Emperor of China.

In terms of national strength and progression (as well as historical premise), all things are taken into conisideration: history, culture, military, material growth.

heeere we go again... hohum.

bai di wi, you sound as sure as those seers who predicted the ascendancy of japan in the 1980s.

kataw-anan sad akong experience dinha sa mactan international airport.  nasaypan kong haponesa kay gawas pa sa akong hitsura nga morag si princess masako (hahaha!) nagsige pa gyod kog iningles.  dihay natumba nga bag sa akong tiil, naka-"aruy" man ko imbis "ouch"...

are you japanese, ma'am?  pangutana sa usa sa mga immigration officers.  bisaya tawon kong dako, tubag ko.  na, pakahibawo niya, ang tonto niingon dayon ug "hahaaay, paskong dako, wa na lang ba gyoy pahalipay...?"  smile na lang kog ingon nga "sige, bi, gai kog pinaskohan bi, kamo may sweldado... housewife ra man ko, tan-awa pa akong passport di ba dependent ang akong status..."

paunhanay lang ning kalibotana. 

and the greatest yogi of them all:

they're not alone...

feline yogis:

Quote from: BolBuhol on March 31, 2011, 09:04:59 PM
manogkomot sang mga kaonorang ni ingday

apili na lang ug manogsoyop sa iyang kadogoang.

diay duol-duol ug hitsura sa kang hubag, baye lang ni, di pareha sa iyaha nga morag laki nga gikagid:



antique red wooden spinning top

lahi lagi ni silag mga tunggoy... antique tingali nang kang bai hubs.



czech spinning top



japanese spinning tops

(images from wiki)

Quote from: chicogon on March 29, 2011, 11:47:32 AM
Kote!

Quote from: BolBuhol on March 31, 2011, 09:05:39 PM
kasing

pareha ra ba ning duha, lain-lain lang nga pinulongan?

Quote from: BolBuhol on March 31, 2011, 08:34:51 PM
mao gid sina mga kanta sang mga giptid tsild jejejejeje

o, sige.  patoo na ko.  giptid gyod tuod kay ka-unom nag-grade one.

the lady or the bike?  p.s. when will you marry her?

Quote from: cujo on March 31, 2011, 09:59:16 PM
Most men are color blind Ms. Isles...

though he missed indigo's color, at least this particular man got the color of his posted lady right; that is, if he's referring to the lady's attire and hair and not her skin.

Quote from: hubag bohol on March 31, 2011, 01:59:09 PM
Bwahaha! Lahi ra diay?

Na hala, ang imong fond memories mao diay ang violet nga bun-og sa daghang higayon nga gibukbok ka sa imong ginikanan tungod sa imong kamatinumanon...  

di tawon mobukbok akong ginikanan, no?  mobakos lang, hahaha.  mao nga fuschia akong labod, di violet.  ug di ko matinumanon.  sila ang matinumanon kay di mopatoo nako.

Quote from: taga tigbao on March 31, 2011, 03:49:21 PM
Arang ka klaro, nagsuot ug stockings nga skin tone.

korek.  pantyhose, specifically.  necessary ni sa mosul-ob ug mga attire nga high-cut sa hips, pareha anang iyaha.  kay kun wa ni, peligrong naay mamintanang di mao. 

naguba pod tingali ang mga security cameras.  magkinahanglan na gyod ug mga madame auring ang atong mga airports diay.

seriously, kapila na ko mogawas sa naia, wa baya ko makakita ug iro nga taga-k9.  mas naa pa sa pier sa cebu padung sa bohol.

nakamatikod sad ko, kandaiya ang mga airlines ug internal security.  so far in my experience super sa kaistrikto ang continental airlines, it's almost irritating.  dugay ang boarding kay binagsaon ug hagpat ang imong handcarried luggage, ngilngig nga bungkagay.  wa kaila sa akong dala nga masareal; nasaypan tingali nga bloke nga dollars o di ba solid nga heroin, gaduda intawon ang inspector kun iya bang i-hold.  diha ra nibuhi pag-ingon nakog tilawi pero bayri ko.     

Quote from: hubag bohol on March 31, 2011, 01:39:08 PM
Peculiarly, there are observers who bask in the reflected "glory" of this so-called ascendancy...

one even seems to be on the throes of first love with anything chinese.

Quote from: Lorenzo on March 31, 2011, 01:42:57 PM
the chinese confidence in their ascendency is legitimized. They are currently growing at an unprecedented rate of over 7% and continuing. their military spending is quite large, and at almost $100 Billion a year. In the past year, China's economy eclipsed Japan's (then the 2nd largest economy in the world) as the 2nd largest economy in the world.

China is growing. She continues to industrialize and modernize. She needs raw natural resources to fuel this growth. Her military will make sure that it will not be threatened (sino-indian war of 1962, sino-vietnamese war of 1979, chinese involvement in the korean war, chinese pacification of tibet, speak of her militant nature and unyielding determination to uphold Chinese interests in the region).

facts are facts.

talk of materialism... it is as if all that matters in a country is material wealth.

Quote from: Lorenzo on March 31, 2011, 01:35:56 PM
Isles, before rome was born, even before the etruscan kingdom sprouted in italium, CHINA was already there. Before the pyriamids of egypt were built, CHINA was already there.

Considering the capabilities that China has, its growth potential and her national dynamic, we can only hope that she will be a benevolent power and not a militant one. Most of Asia (if not all) will be at the mercy of her national will.

no question about the presence of china being there (you must mean chinese civilization).  but then it's not as if other nations weren't there when "china was there".  in fact, it's not as if rome just sprouted one day or the land now called the united states weren't there.  but come to think of it, what does your reminding me of china's ancient presence got to do with china's current perceived ascendancy, its attendant arrogance, imagined or otherwise, and its threat to u.s. hegemony? 

Quote from: BolBuhol on March 31, 2011, 08:56:24 PM
napking

traditional toy diay nimo ang napking kun maohon, bai bolbs.

maopaw kay sigeg katawa.

maopaw ang mobasa ani.

Quote from: BolBuhol on March 31, 2011, 08:51:17 PM
ano gid dats? dats may boy 

dats may beldyan brid, indi pan bolbuhol o binangkal.

Quote from: Ching on March 31, 2011, 08:50:36 PM
para Exorcism

fatay!  ubay-ubay gyod diay ta aning moaso kun mapiskan man galing anang naa sa mga botelya.

for your nails:



for your hair:



enjoy your new look!

Quote from: hubag bohol on March 31, 2011, 02:11:55 PM
Taym sa ra gud. Molupad ba diay si Van Helsing? 

molupad gud tingali kay molupad man iyang mga kaaway nga vampires.  unsaon man niya pag-fight kun di siya kagukod.  (hinoon, nakatulog man kong nitan-aw atong sineha nga ka wa gyoy lami, ambot unsay title ato.  saba kaayo ang sound sa dunggan, nipiyong na lang ko kay di man masirhan ang dunggan... mao nga nag-imagine na lang ko nga molupad si van helsing kay molupad man tong uban...)

Quote from: hubag bohol on March 31, 2011, 02:10:35 PM
Tinuod ni, oi. Nakakita kog parehas ani sa akong apohan, abi nakog apil ra to sa iyang carpentry tools...

burit.  gawas tingalig moingon ka nga kaliwat mog vampire fighters...

katoliko diay to si van helsing?  kay "van" man, unsa man to siya, dutch o belgian, as in van damme?  naa bay laing language sa continental europe nga mogamit ug "van" sa apelyido?

ah, sa ato pa, usa sa mga botelya naay lana nga maoy makahatag niya ug pako aron siya makalupad!?

legalese, as usual, is wrapped in language that allows lawyers to nitpick and get around with for loopholes.  unya, paapilon pa gyod ang children sa policy formulation and implementation as stipulated in section 2.a., hahaha!  ambot ba nila uy.  taktak man sad akong buhok ani una ko makasabot, if ever.   

kanang naa sa mga botelya mora lagi na ug oil scents para sa akong candle making.  kanang tulo ka talinis nga kahoy nga morag stakes kay morag para sa kasingkasing ni dracula.  kanang crossbow, ay, ambot, hinaot unta nga di na para rabbit hunting kay kagil-as paminawon.  bitaw uy, hinaot unta nga di ni tinuod, drawing ra ni.

Quote from: hubag bohol on March 31, 2011, 01:02:01 PM
Bwahaha! Wa to magmahay kay nilinya na unta pero nakahukom nga mokaratil pag-abot na sa iyang turno...

hahaha!  nihunghong ra ba to nako nga nagbitaranay pa usa mo, unya kay mas paspas man kuno ka nga nikaratil kay sa niya...

uy, kolol blind diay ka?  ang anyel kay blue, mao bitaw nga naay 'indigo blue' nga color.

Quote from: Lorenzo on March 31, 2011, 01:11:23 PM
Hahaha. Nice. Nice. Sashimi? Sushi? Miso Soup? Tempura?

Sake?!

sake, hands down.

Quote from: chicogon on March 31, 2011, 12:55:34 PM


Bunal na baleleng!!!

(to be sung)
     walhon ka, baleleng, klaro-karix
     nag-islander shirt pa gyod si fr chic, wooooohhhhh...
 

oh, no.  naabusohan ang akong favorite color.

the u.s. of a. still holds one of the things that gave it its current status:  as a nation of immigrants, it is strengthened by the contributions and talents of different cultures and races (as rome was when it was the center of power in ancient times).  unfortunately, the u.s. also has one of the things that bring down powerful nations (again, like rome at the peak of its grandeur): costly wars.    

this noise about the ascendancy of china is only adding to the current chinese confidence that veers on arrogance.  and most of the claims about china rising are made by american opinion makers and writers.  sure, the chinese hold over a trillion u.s. treasury securities.   but is the u.s. a hostage debtor?  i doubt it.  so yes, doomsday pronouncements may just be wake-up calls for policymakers.