MikeLigalig.com

Quote from: Ginger on January 19, 2008, 04:38:05 AM
Sorry, dong.

LOL. ayaw pa sorry, Hazel. I'm guilty of it as well.

Friends who pray together, stay together.
Best friends for life. 

Oh I love it. A lake in the middle of the Alps. WoW

Gorgeous.

breakfast: frosted wheat and milk
went to the gym @ 7:30 AM- 8:20 AM
went to class from 9AM-12 PM
lunch: egg salad wrap and water

tonight: Gym @ 9:00 PM-10:00PM

Message: Never give up in life. Beyond the thickets in our lives, lies the TRUE adventure. Search for HIM. He WILL find you.

Oh how romantic. Thats definitely an anniversary destination.

Quote from: grazie7y on January 19, 2008, 04:34:36 AM
Naa ra ko dre gapahipi nalingaw sa injong storya!  Malingaw kaayo ko imong bisaya Dong oi!

Lingaw pood ko mo listen sa inyong estorya, 'te. Home away from home.

Aha! BI man na, 'te!

Kaw ha. BI jud ka nako.

ah mao ba. Ate, hope you do well on your exams next month, keep on studying and good luck!
Miss you a bunch.

My heart to you is given:
Oh, do give yours to me;
We'll lock them up together,
And throw away the key.
~ by Frederick Saunders ~


Cute pood.

Is that man-made or natural?

from what, Hazel?

Wahahahahaha!

Ah jati katawa jud ko dinhi sa lab. Ka ingoon sigoro ahong professor na bu-ang ko or something.

Ah bahala. Palamuuut man gud ni.

Where art thou, o cherished chemical reagent that fillest us with thy own glee and harmony.
Precious art thou to us, hide not thy whimsical and elucidating nature.

I miss you, 'te!

LOL!

Waray-Waray man gud! hahahahahaha!

Down its path.

Maupay nga aga birat

LOL! roflmao!

So beautiful.

LOL!!!

Quote from: Ginger on January 19, 2008, 03:37:21 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q322n-f3FlU&feature=related

Gold teeth and a curse for this town were all in my mouth.
Only, i don't know how they got out, dear.
Turn me back into the pet that i was when we met.
I was happier then with no mind-set.

And if you'd 'a took to me like
A gull takes to the wind.
Well, i'd 'a jumped from my tree
And i'd a danced like the king of the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would 'a fared well.

New slang when you notice the stripes, the dirt in your fries.
Hope it's right when you die, old and bony.
Dawn breaks like a bull through the hall,
Never should have called
But my head's to the wall and i'm lonely.

And if you'd 'a took to me like
A gull takes to the wind.
Well, i'd 'a jumped from my tree
And i'd a danced like the king of the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would 'a fared well.

God speed all the bakers at dawn may they all cut their thumbs,
And bleed into their buns 'till they melt away.

I'm looking in on the good life i might be doomed never to find.
Without a trust or flaming fields am i too dumb to refine?
And if you'd 'a took to me like
Well i'd a danced like the queen of the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would 'a fared well.

The music video is from the movie Garden State.

Great movie. Great song.

Thanks for sharing, Hazel.

 New research on mice shows the brain processes aggressive behavior as it does other rewards. Mice sought violence, in fact, picking fights for no apparent reason other than the rewarding feeling.

The mouse brain is thought to be analogous to the human brain in this study, which could shed light on our fascination with brutal sports as well as our own penchant for the classic bar brawl.

In fact, the researcher say, humans seem to crave violence just like they do sex, food or drugs.

Love to fight

Scientists have known that mice and other animals are drawn to fights. Until now, they didn't know how the brain was involved.

The new study, detailed online this week in the journal Psychopharmacology, reveals the same clusters of brain cells involved in other rewards are also behind the craving for violence.

"Aggression occurs among virtually all vertebrates and is necessary to get and keep important resources such as mates, territory and food," said study team member Craig Kennedy, professor of special education and pediatrics at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. "We have found that the reward pathway in the brain becomes engaged in response to an aggressive event and that dopamine is involved."

Mouse brawl

For the experiments, the researchers placed a pair of mice, one male and one female, in a cage. Then, the female was removed and a so-called male intruder mouse entered the cage. That triggered aggressive behavior in the resident male. The tell-tale signs of aggression included tail rattle, an aggressive sideways stance, boxing and biting.

After the initial scuffle ended, the resident male mouse was trained to nose-poke a target to get the intruder to return. Results showed the home mouse consistently poked the target and fought with the introduced mouse, indicating, the researchers say, that the aggressive encounter was seen as a reward.

"We learned from these experiments that an individual will intentionally seek out an aggressive encounter solely because they experience a rewarding sensation from it," Kennedy said.

To figure out whether the brain's reward pathway was involved, the scientists treated the home mice with a drug to block dopamine in certain parts of the brain known to be involved in rewards like food and drugs.

The treated mice were less likely to instigate the intruder's entry. “This shows for the first time that aggression, on its own, is motivating, and that the well-known positive reinforcer dopamine plays a critical role," Kennedy said.

Human violence

Kennedy explained that the experiments have implications for humans. The reward pathway in the brains of humans and mice are very similar, he said.

"Aggression is highly conserved in vertebrates in general and particularly in mammals," Kennedy told LiveScience. "Almost all mammals are aggressive in some way or another."

He added, "It serves a really useful evolutionary role probably, which is you defend territory; you defend your mate; if you're a female, you defend your offspring."

Even though it served a purpose for other animals, in modern human societies, Kennedy said, a propensity toward aggression is not beneficial and can be a problem.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iraq's army and police could be ready to take over security in all 18 provinces by the end of this year as the U.S. military moves toward a less prominent role in the country, U.S. officials said on Thursday.

"We look at it every month. We make recommendations. I think that if we continue along the path we're on now, we'll be able to do that by the end of 2008," Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, the No. 2 commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, said when asked when Iraqi forces could take the lead in all provinces.

He said that a joint operation under way led by Iraqi troops and supported by U.S. troops against al Qaeda militants in the northern city of Mosul was a model for the future.

"That's how I see our role frankly in the future here," he told Pentagon reporters via videolink from Baghdad.

Iraqi security forces are now in control of nine provinces after assuming control of Iraqi's southern oil hub, Basra, in December. Iraqi forces are also expected to take control in Anbar province, a one-time insurgent stronghold, as early as March.

The ability of Iraqi forces to take the lead in security operations is vital to President George W. Bush's plan to withdraw 20,000 U.S. troops by the middle of this year.

The troops were sent to Iraq last year in a bid to quell sectarian violence in a war now in its sixth year. With U.S. troop levels up to about 155,000 now, violence levels have since dropped sharply.

"All the evidence available to me now suggests we will be able to complete the drawdown," Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters separately.

"(It) remains my hope that the pace of the drawdowns in the second half of the year will be what it was in the first half of the year," he said.

Lt. Gen. James Dubik, commander of security transition in Iraq, told the U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee on Thursday that the number of Iraqi security forces, or ISF, could exceed 580,000 by the end of the year, up from the current 500,000.

But he also expressed caution about their abilities.

"Force structure and capability still lack a certain maturity. The ISF have not yet achieved self reliance in all area of logistics, maintenance and life support," he told the panel.

Odierno said he was confident the withdrawal of the five brigades will occur despite expectations for an upswing in insurgent attacks as militants respond to a new joint offensive known as Operation Phantom Phoenix.

The operation has killed or captured 92 "high-value individuals, according to the U.S. military.

"While we may see a short-term increase in violence in response to our operations in the weeks ahead, I expect Phantom Phoenix to contribute significantly to the population's security," Odierno said.

Gates' hopes for further reductions in U.S. forces this year will depend on a March assessment by the U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus.

"To predict now whether we can go lower or not is difficult and I would not want to make that prediction right now," Odierno said.

But Gates said the U.S. mission in Iraq has begun its planned transition to a more supportive role that would focus on border security and combating al Qaeda in Iraq. "That's ultimately where we are headed, and we have begun that process of transition," he said.

^ Bishops are critical pieces, Kyle.

What is advisable is to claim the center pieces with your front center pawns and a knight. Once the center is claimed, it is best to draw out the bishops as well as the rooks. The faster you draw out your major pieces, the faster the game concludes in your victory.

Keep on playing chess. It titillates the mind.

Exquisite!

Quote from: C2H4 on January 17, 2008, 09:58:42 AM
Hehehe, dong I got it at eBay. It is not an easy scent to love. It's either you love it or you hate it. Unique man gud iyang baho dong. Next time you're at the mall, try ug simhot ani, then tell me what you think. *wink*

Ate, I wore the cologne you bought me today. A woman, who I will not deny was very attractive, asked what scent it was. LOL. Immediately, I thought of you, 'te.

You are a great shopper, indeed.

Thanks for the chic-magnet. LOL!

Oh its perfect for you Ate. A game of golf lasts for hours, and depending on the golf course, excess walking is mandatory to cover ground. Its relaxing, and believe me it becomes very addictive.

Now We Are Free
[mp3tube]002d5944e7d05bcda82e457ca0c4d3ee[/mp3tube]

A gorgeous hit by Enya.
This song was the ending song in the movie, Gladiator, back in 2000.

This song is not only inspiring, soothing, but also deep.






"The LORD is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid?"
Psalm 27:1   

Quote from: Angie Gulle on January 18, 2008, 10:48:45 AM
Lorenzo..please post "The Mellinnium Prayer" na song by Cliff Richard...(Our Father Song na sya then ang tune is Auld Lange Syne)

As you requested, Angie.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=p1cG-4YSyhQ&feature=related

Hahaha. I swear I'm a gentle beast, pre.

Man you cracked me up with the Borat reference, LOL.
Remember the naked run in the hotel? puahahaha

late 19th century Dayak tribesmen. Notice the undeniable presence of Dong Shan culture; bronze age culture.
Physical phenotype suggests a similar linkage with 3rd wave Malay wave migrants to the present Philippines. (Mindanao, and southern Visayas).



Selang Unjang Keriss (Indonesian term); or Kriss (Filipino).
The preferred weaponry of the royalty, landed nobility, and armed squires.
Purely malay weapon.


Pedang Mandau. Preferred weapon of choice by Javanese Malays, and the Sulu Malays of southern Philippines.
Also used by the Mandau Dayaks of Northern Borneo. A famous 'head-hunting' weapon.

Hanunóo-Mangyan men ready for the wild pig hunt.


Tingang Deng, a Penan of Sarawak


Sakai children in Riau Swamps (Sumatra)


An Ot Danum woman cleaning pandan leaves for weaving. West Kalimantan.

A Batak man with a flying squirrel catch, Palawan (the Philippines)


A Batak man with a river eel on Tanabag river, Palawan


Riverine Bataks. Notice their Dong-Shan culture; the ancient Malayo culture that the Malay Race in the Philippines brought with them from their migration out of Southern China, some 5,000 years ago.


Bataks farming. Notice the clothing and outfits.


An old Palawan man playing the Kudlang, an old indigenous Malay-based instrument.


Hanunóo-Mangyan playing the traditional violin. Mindoro (The Philippines)


A Hanunóo-Mangyan woman weaving a cotton skirt

Quote from: Scott on January 17, 2008, 06:56:08 PM


The world travel pack has to wait and see  Palawan takes centerstage when more rooms and direct flights are in place.

Palawaan is foreign frontier for me. I've heard little about the region; their culture, language systems. Aside as being the last bastion of Philippine territory in the far-western arms of the Republic.

I hear there are numerous muslim communities in Palawan. Rebel activity is high, or so says the DILG.

Perhaps someone more learned about Palawan can elucidate us about Palawan and its peripheral territories.

All the facts about DNA and RNA  were known by the end of the 1940s. By that time it was also becoming clear that DNA was a genetic material and that it therefore stood at the very center of the study of life. Yet the three dimensional structure of DNA was unknown. For these reasons, several researchers dedicated themselves to finding this structure.

One of the scientists interested in DNA structure was Dr. Linus Pauling, a theoretical chemist at the California Institute of Technology. He was already famous for his studies on chemical bonding and for his elucidation of the alpha helix, held together by hydrogen bonds, laid the intellectual groundwork for the double-helix model of DNA proposed by Watson and Crick. Another group trying to find the structure of DNA included Maurice Wilkins, Rosalind Franklin, and their colleagues at King's College in London. They were using x-ray diffraction to analyze the three-dimensional structure of DNA. Finally, James Watson and Francis Crick entered  the race. Watson, still in his early twenties, but already holding a Ph.D degree from Indiana University, had come tot he Cavendish Laboratories in Cambridge, England, to learn about DNA. There he met Crick, a physicist who at age 35 was retraining as a molecular biologist. Watson and Crick performed no experiments themselves, their tactic was to use other groups' data to build a DNA model.

Erwin Chargaff was another very important contributor. We have already seen how his 1950 paper helped identify  DNA as the genetic material, but the paper contained another piece of information that was even more significant. Chargaff's studies of the base composition of DNAs from various sources revealed that the content of purines was always roughly equal to the content of pyrimidines. Furthermore, the amounts of adenine and thymine were always roughly equal, as were the amounts of guanine and cytosine. These findings, known as Chargaff's rules, provided a valuable foundation for Watson and Crick's model.

Perhaps the most crucial piece of the puzzle came from an X-RAY diffraction picture of DNA taken by Franklin in 1952- a picture that Wilkins shared with James Watson in London on January 30, 1953. The x-ray technique worked as follows:

The experimenter made a very concentrated, viscous solution of DNA, then reached in with a needle and pulled out a fiber. This was not a single molecule, but a whole batch of DNA molecules, forced into side-by-side alignment by the pulling action. Given the right relative humidity in the surrounding air, this fiber was enough like a crystal that it diffracted x-rays in an interpretable way. In fact, the x-ray diffraction pattern in Franklin's picture was so simple--a series of spots arranged in an X shape--that it indicated that the DNA structure itself must be very simple. By contrast, a complex, irregular molecule like a protein gives a complex x-ray diffraction pattern with many spots, rather like a surface peppered by a shotgun blast. Because DNA is very large, it can be simple only if it has a regular, repeating structure. And the simplest repeating shape that a long, thin molecule can assume is a corkscrew, or helix

Franklin's x-ray work strongly suggested that DNA was a helix. Not only that, it game some important information about the size and shape of the helix. In particular, the spacing between adjacent bands in an arm of the X is inversely  related to the overall repeat distance in the helix, 33.2 angstroms, and the spacing from the top of the X to the bottom is inversely related to the spacing between the repeated elements (base pairs) in the helix. However, even tough the Franklin picture told much about DNA, it presented a paradox:
DNA was a helix with a regular, repeating structure, but for DNA to serve its genetic function, it must have an irregular sequence of bases.

Watson and Crick saw a way to resolve this contradiction and satisfy Chargaff's rules at the same time:



DNA must be a double helix with its sugar-phosphate backbones on the outside and its bases on the inside. Moreover, the bases must be paired, with a purine in one strand always across from a pyrimidine in the other. This way the helix would be uniform; it would not have bulges where two large purines were paired or constrictions were two small pyrimidines were paired. Watson has joked about the reason he seized on a double helix, "I had decided to build two-chain models. Francis would have to agree. Even though he was a physicist, he knew that important biological objects come in pairs."




Watson and Crick and their brainchild. The Double Helix DNA strand.
The pioneers of genetic molecular biology. One of the greatest discoveries of man, bar none.

Omar Osama bin Laden, right, and his British wife Jane Felix-Brown, now known as Zaina Alsabah, 52 are seen during an interview with the Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 11, 2008. The 26-year-old son of the al-Qaida leader does not renounce his father in an interview with The Associated Press, but says there is a better way to defend Islam: Omar wants to be an 'ambassador for peace' between Muslims and the West.


Omar Osama bin Laden bears a striking resemblance to his notorious father â€" except for the dreadlocks that dangle halfway down his back. Then there's the black leather biker jacket. The 26-year-old does not renounce his father, al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, but in an interview with The Associated Press, he said there is better way to defend Islam than militancy: Omar wants to be an "ambassador for peace" between Muslims and the West.

Omar â€" one of bin Laden's 19 children â€" raised a tabloid storm last year when he married a 52-year-old British woman, Jane Felix-Browne, who took the name Zaina Alsabah. Now the couple say they want to be advocates, planning a 3,000-mile horse race across North Africa to draw attention to the cause of peace.

"It's about changing the ideas of the Western mind. A lot of people think Arabs â€" especially the bin Ladens, especially the sons of Osama â€" are all terrorists. This is not the truth," Omar told the AP last week at a cafe in a Cairo shopping mall.

Of course, many may have a hard time getting their mind around the idea of "bin Laden: peacenik."

"Omar thinks he can be a negotiator," said Alsabah, who is trying to bring her husband to Britain. "He's one of the only people who can do this in the world."

Omar lived with the al-Qaida leader in Sudan, then moved with him to Afghanistan in 1996.

There, Omar says he trained at an al-Qaida camp but in 2000 he decided there must be another way and he left his father, returning to his homeland of Saudi Arabia.

"I don't want to be in that situation to just fight. I like to find another way and this other way may be like we do now, talking," he said in English.

He suggested his father did not oppose his leaving â€" and Alsabah interjected that Omar was courageous in breaking away, but neither elaborated.

Although there is no way to confirm the details he describes of his childhood and upbringing, the strong family resemblance and Omar's knowledge of Osama's family life have convinced many of his lineage.

"Omar Bin Laden is the son of Osama bin Laden and his first wife, Najwa," a U.S. intelligence official said Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media. The official confirmed Omar was raised in Sudan and Afghanistan after his father was forced out of Saudi Arabia.

Omar and his wife insist they have not been bothered by Egyptian officials, who said Thursday that the terror leader's son did not pose a threat.

"He comes and goes just like any other tourist," said a security official, also speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. "He is taking a line that is totally different from him father."

Omar said he hasn't seen or been in contact with his father since leaving Afghanistan. "He doesn't have e-mail," Omar said. "He doesn't take a telephone ... if he had something like this, they will find him through satellites."

Omar doesn't criticize his father and says Osama bin Laden is just trying to defend the Islamic world.

"My father thinks he will be good for defending the Arab people and stop anyone from hurting the Arab or Muslim people any place in the world," he said, noting that the West didn't have a problem with his father when he was fighting the Russians in Afghanistan in the 1980s.

Omar is convinced a truce between the West and al-Qaida is possible.

"My father is asking for a truce but I don't think there is any government (that) respects him. At the same time they do not respect him, why everywhere in the world, they want to fight him? There is a contradiction," he said.

Osama bin Laden, believed to be in hiding in the Pakistan-Afghan border region, offered a truce to Europe in a 2004 audiotape and a conditional truce to the United States in a 2006 message. In November, he called on European nations to pull out of Afghanistan in a message seen by some experts as an effort to reach out to Europe.

But in a series of messages since last fall, he also has been calling for Muslims to rally around jihad, or "holy war," encouraging fighters in Iraq in particular to continue their battles with U.S. and Iraqi forces.

At least two of Osama bin Laden's sons, Hamza and Saad, are believed to have an active role in al-Qaida â€" with Hamza believed to be in the Pakistan-Afghan border zone and Saad thought to be in Iran, perhaps in Iranian custody.

But most of the al-Qaida leader's children, like Omar, live as legitimate businessmen. The family as a whole disowned Osama in 1994 when Saudi Arabia stripped him of his citizenship because of his militant activities.

The family is wealthy: Osama bin Laden's billionaire father Mohammed, who died in 1967, had more than 50 children and founded the Binladen Group, a construction conglomerate that gets many major building contracts in the kingdom.

Since leaving his father's side, Omar has lived in Saudi Arabia, where he runs a contracting company connected with the Binladen Group, but he spends much of his time in Egypt. It was during a desert horseback ride at the Pyramids of Giza that he met his wife.

Their marriage in April made them tabloid fodder, particularly in Britain, where headlines touted the "granny who married Osama bin Laden's son." Alsabah, who has married five times, has five grandchildren.

The couple has applied for a visa to Britain. And they are planning their endurance horse race across North Africa, which they hope to start in March. It is in the planning stages â€" they are seeking approval of governments along the route and need sponsors to help pay for the event and raise money for child victims of war.

Omar said they plan to ride 30 miles a day, with periodic weeklong rests in each country.

Teams from around the world will be encouraged to join in what the couple envisions as an equine version of the Paris-Dakar car rally. That rally was canceled this year due to fears over terrorist threats made by al-Qaida-affiliated groups in North Africa.

Omar, however, said he isn't worried.

"I heard the rally was stopped because of al-Qaida," he said. "I don't think they are going to stop me."

Scientists in California say they have produced embryos that are clones of two men, a potential step toward developing scientifically valuable stem cells. The new report documents embryos made with ordinary skin cells. But it's not the first time human cloned embryos have been made. In 2005, for example, scientists in Britain reported using embryonic stem cells to produce a cloned embryo. It matured enough to produce stem cells, but none were extracted.

Stem cells weren't produced by the new embryos either, and because of that, experts reacted coolly to the research.

"I found it difficult to determine what was substantially new," said Doug Melton of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. He said the "next big advance will be to create a human embryonic stem cell line" from cloned embryos. "This has yet to be achieved."

Dr. George Daley of the Harvard institute and Children's Hospital Boston called the new report interesting but agreed that "the real splash" will be when somebody creates stem cell lines from cloned human embryos.

"It's only a matter of time before some group succeeds," Daley said.

Korean scientist Hwang Woo-suk claimed a few years ago that he'd created such cell lines, but that turned out to be a fraud.

Dr. Samuel Wood, a co-author of the new paper and chief executive of Stemagen Corp. of La Jolla, Calif., said he and his colleagues are now attempting to produce stem cell lines from the embryos.

The work was published online Thursday by the journal Stem Cells.

Scientists say stem cells from cloned embryos could provide a valuable tool for studying diseases, screening drugs and, perhaps someday, creating transplant material to treat conditions like diabetes and Parkinson's disease.

But critics raise objections. The process "involves creating human lives in the laboratory solely to destroy them for alleged benefit to others," said Richard Doerflinger, spokesman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Citing the earlier work in Britain, he also said that as a scientific advancement, the new work was "very limited."

Other objections to cloning include concerns about health risks and exploitation if large numbers of women are asked to provide eggs.

Those objections are one reason that an alternative route to stem cells made headlines last November. Scientists reported a relatively simple way to turn skin cells directly into stem cells. This direct reprogramming carries a theoretical risk of cancer for the recipients of tissue from these cells, however, and many scientists have urged that work continue on the cloning technique as well.

The cloning approach involves inserting DNA from a person into an egg, and then growing the egg into an embryo about five days old before extracting the stem cells. At that stage, the embryo is a sphere of about 150 cells.

In the new work, researchers took skin cells from Wood and another volunteer and produced three embryos with DNA matching the men's. Further DNA testing on one of these embryos strengthened the case that it was a clone, researchers said.

Israeli troops killed a senior leader with Islamic Jihad Wednesday, an Israel Defense Forces spokesman said.

Soldiers were trying to arrest Walid Obeidi when they were met with gunfire and fired back, the spokesman said. The soldiers killed Obeidi and arrested another militant after the gun battle in the northern West Bank, the IDF said.

Obeidi led the military wing of the extremist Islamic Jihad in the West Bank.

Palestinian eyewitnesses said Israeli troops surrounded the house, in which Obeidi was hiding, about 3 a.m. When he came out, a heavy exchange of gunfire followed and Obeidi was killed, they said.

A day earlier, Israel carried out a day-long raid in Gaza that left at least 19 dead, according to Palestinian security sources.

The dead included Mahmoud al-Zahar, the son of a senior official of Hamas, a militant group that has been locked in a power struggle with the rival Fatah group. He died after an Israeli aircraft fired into a car that approached soldiers near Zeitoun neighborhood, according to Hamas security and medical sources.

Al-Zahar, a leading figure in the Hamas movement, served as the Palestinian foreign minister under the Hamas-led government before it was dissolved by Abbas last year.

As Tuesday's Israeli operation in northern Gaza was under way, snipers near the Gaza border shot and killed a kibbutz farmer, a volunteer from Ecuador, as he tended the fields, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

The British Council on Thursday denounced a Russian "campaign of intimidation," which it said had made it impossible to continue operating in two Russian cities.

he statement from the the British Council came after Russian authorities briefly detained the head of the council's St. Petersburg office this week and summoned local staff from the St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg offices for interviews.

The council said security officials also visited the staff at their homes.

"The interviews had little do do with their work and were clearly aimed at exerting undue pressure on innocent individuals," British Council Chief Executive Martin Davison said. "Our paramount consideration is the well-being of our staff and I feel we cannot continue our work without significant risk to them."

Davison said the British Council had suspended operations in both cities because Russia had made it impossible for them to continue operating.

The British Council is the cultural arm of the British Embassy and works to promote relations between Britain and Russia in education, science and the arts. It has offices in Moscow and several other Russian cities.

This month, Russia's Foreign Ministry ordered the St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg offices to shut, saying they were operating illegally and avoiding paying taxes.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Thursday that the British Council had complied with all tax laws and that Russia had failed to substantiate its allegations. He called Moscow's actions "reprehensible."

Miliband said 20 Russian members of the British Council staff had been summoned for interviews, and 10 were interviewed late at night at their homes after calls from the Russian tax police.

"These Russian citizens have chosen to offer their skills and hard work to promote cultural contact between the people of Russia and the UK," Miliband said. "As a result, they have been the subject of blatant intimidation from their own government.

"'Mr. Speaker, I think the whole House will agree that such actions are reprehensible."

Davison said it was wrong to draw the British Council, a cultural organization, into an international political dispute.

"I am bitterly disappointed that the Russian authorities have sought to limit our cultural and educational links at the very time when they can be of the most value," Davison said.

The dispute with the British Council is the latest in a diplomatic tit-for-tat that has been escalating since late 2006, when former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko was fatally poisoned in London.

Britain requested the extradition of its prime suspect in the case, Moscow-based businessman Andrei Lugovoi, but Russia refused to hand him over. Britain then expelled Russian diplomats from London, leading Russia to expel British diplomats from Moscow.

Last month, Russian authorities nearly pulled an exhibition of art from Russian museums that had been scheduled to open in London. The show went ahead after the British government sped up legislation guaranteeing the art's return.

Miliband said Russian officials have said privately that the actions stem from the Litvinenko murder.

"We regard as entirely separate issues Mr. Litvinenko's murder and the activities of the British Council," Miliband said.

Two anti-whaling activists who were seized by a Japanese whaling vessel two days ago have been handed over to Australian government officials on a ship in the Antarctic, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Thursday.

Australian citizen Benjamin Potts and British citizen Giles Lane, both members of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, jumped on board the Yushin Maru No. 2 Tuesday to deliver a letter saying the vessel was violating international law and Australian law by killing whales.

The anti-whaling group accused the crew of the Japanese vessel of kidnapping the men based on a video that showed Potts and Lane tied to the ship's railing. In the video, Japanese fishermen pace back and forth in front of them.

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith Wednesday did not answer questions about whether the men would be charged for their actions, stressing instead that the immediate priority was to retrieve them.

"I'm not going to give a running commentary on who's done what to whom and the various allegations and counter allegation," he said.

Smith said the Japanese government -- which formally approached Australia to assist in the transfer -- did not lay out any conditions for the transfer, in which the men were brought on board the Australian ship, the Oceanic Viking.

Sea Shepherd claims Japan's Institute for Cetacean Research, which is backing the operations, had said it would release the two activists if Sea Shepherd agrees to stop interfering in its whaling operations. The group says it will not agree to that demand.

he Japanese Fisheries Agency said Thursday it would readily hand over the two men.

But the agency charged that the Sea Shepherd members were the terrorists. At a news conference earlier, the agency released pictures of broken bottles they claim group members threw at the ship. They also released a photo of the two activists relaxing and drinking tea aboard the Yushin Maru.

"For some time, for 10, 15 minutes, I understand, they were tied to a GPS mast," Tomohiko Taniguchi of Japan's Foreign Ministry told CNN. "The Japanese crew members feared that two crew members from Sea Shepherd might do something violent."

He said Potts and Lane boarded the vessel without permission. Watson said the two boarded only after attempts to contact the ship by radio were unsuccessful.

apan has been hunting whales in the Antarctic and apparently plans to kill as many as 1,000 this winter. The killings are allowed under international law because their main purpose is scientific.

"We regard them as poachers," Watson said.

Welcome Washington, I mean, Shingtonwa.

Quote from: Kyle828 on January 17, 2008, 09:36:31 AM
I loved it. We are planning to go back next year. I want to go back to Badjang beach by Valencia. I was there for a short time not like last year almost every weekend. I just love the waterfalls and the swimming pool.

Im glad to know you liked it in my town. Kyle, you should have tried the kinilaw in Valencia. The seafood and dishes there is divine.

Yes, Ate. 5 years now. Excited ko kai our season begins in 3 months.
Ikaw 'te? Do you play golf?

Ya, how do i cancel it? LOL.

Hero

by Enrique Iglesias

[mp3tube]0848fa324d1825512e2bfc9f09ad5d9a[/mp3tube]

Thats a promise, Srta Guapita

Right now: A book on Molecular Biology; Research Methods and Statistics.
AND a glass of water.

This is going to be a controversial topic, yet one that has been in turmoil in my heart for the past few years. So I will release this in Tubag Bohol. The success of the medical community is undeniable, millions if not billions of lives have been saved due to progress in research, design and statistics of drugs, surgical procedures and therapy programs. Science, however, isn't a magic 'tool' that comes without a price nor is it a field of study that comes without blood, toil and sweat. Sacrifices have been made in order to prolong and continue the glories of scientific claim.

Do you, as intellectuals of Tubag Bohol, believe that medical science should be restricted from adopting procedures that are considered 'unethical' and 'unchristian'. Or do you believe that science should be allowed to proceed and take proper  actions deemed necessary to arrive to a positive and causative conclusion on a particular research? Hands free, so to say.

As a biologist, and one who engages in laboratory research on a daily process, I cannot help but realize how much we as a race and a people have limited ourselves and limited our ability to aid those in need while subscribing to some of the core ethical values in the field of science. I will admit that as a man of faith, and as a biologist who will be continuing to medical school, I feel torn between these two ideas. However, I personally believe that the use of fetal stem cells are crucial to research. Harvesting fetal stem cells are necessary considering the adaptability of the said cells; their ability to 'mold' to any specific cell tissue is magnanimous to any research. Within them, holds the the answer to why key proteins and enzymes aid in the transcription, and the translation of the said processes. Key issues that is revolved around this is the question of neural death, neuritic stasis of the Central and the peripheral nervous system, in particular.

Do you know that diseases such as Alzheimer's, visceral failures can be reversed? So much data can be accumulated if it was not for the prevailing and theme of negativity and distrust of medical science; and the limitations in place.

For one particular example, a study by Met life found that adults over the age of 55 years of age fear Alzheimer's more than carcinoma (cancer). But what is perhaps most frightening is that available treatments for the disease are by and large ineffective. Research from Georgetown University several years ago suggested that a new class of anti-Alzheimer's molecule, spirostenols, might undo some of the characteristic pathophysiology of Alzheimer affected brains. Further testing showed that one such molecule, Caprospinol, actually reversed the course of an Alzheimer like condition induced in rats.

The buildup of beta-amyloid plaque in the brain has been recognized as a hallmark sign of alzheimers for close to a century. Significant research points this to the build up as a causative factor in the development and progression of the disease. Until recently this hypothesis could not be tested definitely because the lack of treatments that eliminate beta-amyloid plaques.

However, current research have demonstrated in a rat animal model, used to test new innovative drugs for Alzheimer's disease, that Caprospinol clears amyloid plaque from the brain and restored memory. More impressively, treated rats perform as well or better in standardized  behavioral tests than healthy control animals. In addition to eliminating plaque, Caprospinol appears to reverse the damage to memory and cognition that amyloid plaque causes.
Medical research took rats that were normal and induced Alzheimer symptoms as well as induced beta amyloid plaques to form in their neural system; then they took those same rats and treated them with Caprospinol. The Caprospinol brought about significant positive changes in brain physiology. Neuritic plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, astrogliosis, microgliosis, neuronal death, and tissue shrinking were all either reversed or markedly improved.

The debate within the scientific community is to proceed with this. Human Testing.

The reason why I brought this up is because this particular example is an example of the positives in harvesting fetal stem cells, the production and development of Caprospinol was a result of using and implementing fetal stem cells in research. There are those in the religious and in the ethical sectors that want a ban of drugs such as Caprospinol due to the methods in acquiring it. I personally believe it is outrageous and ludicrous to prevent the march of science. Progress, is our right as a species, and a gift given to us by God Himself. Why limit our God-given right to save our own? Diba?

My friends, it is possible, with time and research and the use of fetal stem cells to cure and prevent myocardial infarction, the cloning of organ systems vis-a-vis the use of fetal stem cells. The possibility of reversing the ravages of time on the neural system; reversing and aiding in the re-growth of a damaged heart, liver, kidney. The possibility of inducing the protein translation and transcription of the myelin sheath that surrounds the axon in the Nervous system. The possibility of aiding of the re-calcificaiton of osteoblasts and osteoclasts (bones) and defy nature's law of aging.

What I am trying to say is, there is, medically-speaking, a way to literally enhance our life standards. Our life expectancy. Semi-immortality.

But how can we reach our full potential when there are so many restraints to the very science that has changed and altered the very world that we live in.

We take for granted the miraculous touch of medical science. The aspirin that we take to inhibit pain receptors, to decrease the symptoms of fever, to thin the blood and thereby reduce the possibility of a heart attack, the drugs such as lipitor, antispasmodics, laxatives, analgesics, antibiotics, antivirals, surgical procedures, visceral (organ) transplants, etc. All of this we all take for granted. But all of this, has been given to us not by ethical values, but by PURE and RAW medical scientific research. Practiced.

What say you, my brothers and sisters? What is your view?

Man who can Save Lives, Delay the inevitability of Total Death. A Man who can Sustain Physical Life with His mere hand.


Tonight in the dark I run my finger
down the scar that divides you in half.
You go on sleeping as you did at twelve or thirteen
when the surgeon, who spoke to your parents
but never to you, opened your chest
and admitted your heart to the room full of ordinary things:
the green haze of fluorescent lights, polished floors,
the hungry gossip we use to define our lives.
I wish I cold have been there that day
to watch as your heart with its malfunctioning valve
fixed as methodically as a carburetor.
I wish I could have seen the secret room inside your chest
cracked open and searched for treacheries.
I would have stood above you
and sewn your right side back to your left
with strong black thread, your heart in place
beneath my hand. I would not have faltered.
But for twenty years I waited to touch the long scar
that divides you like a highway.
For twenty years I waited for this night
when I, having taught myself the boldness of surgery,
could open you and fill you with the things I know:
my stories, my lies, the precision of my touch.

The child was saved. Thanks to the fast action of the American Army Medical Corp. You are right, Ms. Blue. If it wasn't for the female marine, the child probably would have been killed in the crossfire.


There is nothing stronger, in my personal view, than a Mother's Love.
A Mother will Do Anything for Her Child. Even sacrifice her own life.

I mean seriously, we men take everything for granted. Women bear the child in the womb for 9 months, and experience the pain of delivery. A Mother's Love, indeed.

Why did they separate?

Beautiful pictures, pre.

Again, your skills as a photographer precedes you.

Kyle you went to Badjang Springs in Valencia?

Hahaha that is your Kuya Lorenzo's hometown

Hope you liked it in Valencia.

I miss it like crazy.

mao ba. You must be accurate in pitching then. Ako bro, i played football for 3 years in high school; golf has always been a 'side passion' of mine. I've been golfing for almost 5 years now. Relaxing kaayo, pre.

Its also a chic-magnet sport.

LOL

I sometimes cannot believe how time has passed by. It was just like yesterday when I was still in high school, living at home, enjoying the good ol times in raising and 'Kuya-ing' my little Ondoy Don-Don and baby Ondoy Andre. Don was 10 years old when I left for college for the first time, and Andre was only 4 years old.

As my 4th year here at Allegheny College come winding down to a close, this is my last semester, it has struck me how much time has been taken from me and my brothers. Don is currently a freshman in St. Joseph's High School and is now 14, turning 15. Andre is a 3rd grader in St. Mary's School and is 8 turning 9.

I can still remember being 14 years old and visiting my mother after the delivery of Andre vis-a-vis C-section after a long 28 hour labor. Holding my dear Ondoy Andre for the first time on my arms. When we took him home, I can still remember calming him from his cries and feeding him his bottle of milk. Waking up in the middle of the night to pik-pik his lubut so he could go back to sleep; changing his diaper; seeing him crawl for the first time. Hearing him usher the word "Kuya-Kuya" for the first time. Times that I will never forget.

I can even still remember when I was 8 years old when my brother Don was born; and baby sitting him as well. LOL.

My baby brothers are growing before my very own eyes. The babies that I once could carry with my two arms at the same time, I cannot. They are growing too big for me.


My little munchkin. Andre.


My younger brother, Don-Don. He has grown so much this year; he towers his Ate Angel (20) while he is only 14. His voice is deeper now. Almost as deep as mine.

I can still remember him crawling to me calling for "Kuya Kuya" hahahaha. Time passes too fast. 

Oh you bet, lil bro. What I really want to do when I go back this summer is go scooba diving with the whale sharks. Ever seen them in Pamalican Island, Kyle?

They're a regal species of sharks, despite their size, that only consume plankton and zooplankton. Though they can swallow a man whole if they chose to.



Did you guys go whale sight seeing?

Look at the beautiful fauna of the Philippines. Species evolution and differentiation in the islands is marvelous; a biologists' 'must-travel' study site.

Stainless Steel, Medical Anatomy Kit. Surgical steel, can clean-cut any muscle.

Isn't she a beauty?

Thanks, Kyle.

So how did you like your stay in the Phils?

Problems related to excessive masturbation: Clinical Warnings.

Under most circumstances, masturbation is neither good nor bad

One recently published study reported that 87% of women and 95% of men have practiced masturbationâ€"but when done to extreme, it causes drastic changes in brain and body chemistry. Masturbating too much can over-stimulate acetylcholine/parasympathetic nervous functions and disrupt the liver’s release of enzymes that synthesize neurotransmitters acetylcholine, dopamine, and serotonin. Additionally, the liver’s ability to release enzymes that aid in hormone production is affected. As a result, the brain and adrenal glands produce too much dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and other hormones and neural transmitters.

Symptoms (also called Sexual Exhaustion) is distressing liver and nervous system functions, include youthful impotence/erectile dysfunction (including a soft or weak erection) and seminal leakage. While more than 30% of men have experienced impotence at one time or another, impotence in youth is more rare and can often be attributed to the above factors.

Over-masturbation can also cause problems such as seminal leakage, which can cause sperm to ooze or leak out of the penis with no accompanying erection. Both semen leakage and youthful impotence are embarrassing, uncomfortable, and signs of Sexual Exhaustion.

Semen leakage is a sign that the parasympathetic nerve, which keeps the ejaculation valve shut and holds the erection, is weakening as a result of over-masturbation. With a weakened nerve, maintaining an erection is a problem.


Lesson For All
Don't over-indulge. Keep everything in moderation.

Beautiful house!! And yummy looking food, yo!

LOL

Since the ladies of Tubag Bohol requested it, here are some male Spaniard models.






Augustin Gonzalez




Cesar Pereira




Iban Alonso del Castilleno




Ramon Acejas

You're welcome, Ate Ging.

Always my pleasure to help out if and whenever I can.

Quote from: grazie7y on January 17, 2008, 03:25:56 AM
Dong, you suggested to start with 20-25 lb barbells or dumbbells - Naku po, Dodong!!!  I can hardly carry 5 pounds much more 20 pounds!  That's why smiffy calls me "You are so bajot, Ate Ging!"  hahahahaha I have 2 4-lb dumbbells but I still have to look for those stinkers!  When I do the bike, I do jabbing and if I find those dumbbells, I will use them! 

Thanks a lot for the tips, Dong!

No problem, 'te. My dad actually does this routine and so far he shrank from wearing size XL shirts to L shirts. He used to weigh 230, now he is 198 and still loosing more weight. He doesnt even have a gut anymore, his chest is firm. He's been in the Okra diet for two and a half months. And pivotal to his weight loss has been daily weight lifting. Bench presses, inclined presses, dumbbells, barbels and squats.

Quote from: grazie7y on January 17, 2008, 03:25:56 AM
Dong, you suggested to start with 20-25 lb barbells or dumbbells - Naku po, Dodong!!!  I can hardly carry 5 pounds much more 20 pounds!  That's why smiffy calls me "You are so bajot, Ate Ging!"  hahahahaha I have 2 4-lb dumbbells but I still have to look for those stinkers!  When I do the bike, I do jabbing and if I find those dumbbells, I will use them! 

Thanks a lot for the tips, Dong!

hahaha!!! I was referring to the men, 'te.

But for you beautiful and raveshing ladies in here, id suggest you start with 5lb dumbbells.

Quote from: grazie7y on January 17, 2008, 08:40:36 AM
It's awfully cold today - low 30s but I bet not as bad diha sa inyo!  I went to an hour walk but when I got back, I was so hungry!  I opened one of my two butongs (you know, young coconut I got from Pinoy store over the weekend), and still I wasn't satisfied.  I saw the chocolate bar from Sis Asianfairy that I hid aron dili makaon pa unta.It was so, so good!  Oh well, I guess my 1-hour walk just went to the drain. tsk tsk tsk

Hey Dong, I meant to ask you, did you come across a study na gaining weight can be a viral infection?  Hahahahah I really want to blame my katambukan to the virus and not to my eating dysfunction!  I had my hair trimmed and I was browsing the Oprah magazine.  There was an article there about an Indian doctor finding the link of obesity to the avian virus.  If I remembered it right, his study was about viralobesity.  I was wondering if I am infected by this virus!

LOL!! Na drain diay imung calorie loss from your 1-hour walk, 'te?

Ah okey ra man pood na 'te.

I don't think you are infected with viral obesity, 'te, you were probably just hungry. Ang macromolecule that causes the 'viral obesity' craze is nothing more than a petty adenovirus. I've heard and read reports on it before, but the discovery is pretty new.

But if you are really concerned if you have it, just make sure to check your TG, CHOL and LDL-CHOL levels.

Na gutom ra sigoro ka, 'te.

Lovely pictures. Thanks for sharing with us, Kyle.
I just smile looking at them.

Hows Mike's mom doing?

Here is a perfect example of a backswing. The strut and stride of this individual is in perfect motion; notice how his right foot is in perfect stance, slightly slanted to the right. His left foot;  in slight curvature (one can notice his left calf muscle in erection).

This is what I call a perfect backswing golf stance.

Someday, 'te, I'll take you guys there.

Kummusta man ka dinha, 'te?
Hope your day was well.

Haha mao ba, bro. How long have you played baseball diay?

Quote from: asianfairy on January 17, 2008, 06:19:15 AM
And this special one below is from a very dear sis and friend in Sacramento.

Miabot sab ni the other day or gahapon bato? Lipay sab ko kaayo sa pagkadawat ani. Diha pay lain nga iyang gisend pero di na nako ibutang dire kay basin daghan maibog. :-)

Sis Ging, a million billion thanks for your thoughtfulness. God bless you always my friend.

ILYA!!

Beautiful!

Thanks man. Maybe someday we can have a game or two.


Do you play golf, bro?

So are you a novice, ace, rookie?

Lets talk about it.

So what do you like about golf? How's your form?

Neat looking shoes, yo.

Here's a recent acquisition:



Golf shoes for this coming Spring. Yours truly is part of the Allege College Men's Golf Team.
Hopefully these things have good traction as well as being aesthetic.

LOL

Siquijor looks beautiful.

The island is so small, can't they just be assimilated into the jurisdiction of Bohol?

Wow, California really looks scenic.

Have trust and faith in the miraculous love of the Blessed Santo Nino, Ate.

The Lord loves and revels in the company of little children. I have faith that the Lord, who is Infinite in Mercy, Love, and Blessings, will keep Ondoy Matt in good health. May the health care providers be sincere in the treatment of our youngest member.

But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
(Psalm 103:17)

Quote from: Scott on January 13, 2008, 08:20:40 PM
photoblog

from the archive

photography: RV Escatron
[

Quote from: Scott on January 13, 2008, 08:20:40 PM
photoblog

from the archive

photography: RV Escatron

Simply Gorgeous.

She is supposed to be Queen Juana, am I correct?

Wow! Beautiful pictures of the Sinulog Festival!

We had some too in our place in New Jersey.
The Blessed Santo Nino.

I hope Ondoy Matt is in good health. You are in my prayers, little guy. Get better soon in the arms of your mommy and daddy. God Bless your little heart. God Speed your fast recovery.

We pray Through Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who is Lord and Redeemer of the World.

Amen.

I will keep you, Ondoy Matt, in my prayers and benedictions to the Blessed Santo Nino de Cebu.

I dont know how I missed this thread. However, thank you for sharing with us, Brownman. God Bless Dr. Rizal for all of his works and contributions. The idol of many Filipino intelligentsias of the past, present and future.

My condolences to his family.

Happy New Years, Rob.

LoL. Keep on tapping those kegs, bro.

WE Miss you, Robbo. If you only knew..

My condolences to the family. Blessed be the Lord who will shine light on her. May she enjoy and bear witness to the glory of God in Life-ever-after.

My condolences to the Lim family.

Regards.

Usted es agradable, amigo. . Memorias. Las memorias mantendrán todo vivo. ¿Sí?

Mucho amor,

Beautiful romantic ballad by the Legendary Julio Iglesias.

Historia de Amor

[mp3tube]668339ad5a4a0c53a43966b514493645[/mp3tube]

Mis dolores del corazón. Esta canción habla la verdad. Encantador

Irreplaceable (Spanish Version): Irremplazable

[mp3tube]a1fd9a79820511c7306dbbd51e83ab2a[/mp3tube]

Great rendition.

Quote from: st. agnes on January 16, 2008, 01:56:55 PM
Vote nah!


)))) kinsa paman singles dire sa TB?

Haha kuyawa man pood ni uy gi akip man ko sa aning list. LOL!
Marriage isn't even in my mind, yet. Pero sigoro I can go 'hunting' after done with med school.

Who knows maybe the future Mrs. Lucino is still in Bohol

Thanks for the link, Mr. Bonite.

By: Dennis Bratcher

Wisdom Literature is a term applied to the Old Testament canonical books of Job,  Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes, and
sometimes to the Song of Songs (Song of Solomon).  It also includes the Apocryphal books of  Sirach (The Wisdom of Jesus ben Sira or Ecclesiasticus) and the Wisdom of Solomon.  These books all share characteristics and points of
view that are somewhat different than other biblical books, and those differences should be kept in mind when reading and studying them. Wisdom perspectives are also evident in other places in Scripture, such as the Psalms , the teachings of Jesus, and the Epistle of James. 

Wisdom is really an approach to life, a way of looking at the world and, for Israelites, a way of living out in very deliberate, rational ways their commitment to God.  While Wisdom's roots go back to the early days of Israelite history, it began to flower in the latter part of the Old Testament period, and flourished in the Intertestamental period and the era of the New Testament (400 BC to AD 100).

The wisdom perspectives did not replace the other two major strands of though in Ancient Israel, that of prophets and priests.  It was simply a different focus that was complementary with the other perspectives.  While it is easy for us to assume in reading the historical accounts of Samuel of Kings, or the prophetic writings of Amos or Jeremiah, that Israel lived in constant crisis.  Yet, if we stop and think about the time span of the major upheavals in Israel's history, there were many periods of several generations at a time where there was no crisis.  During those times there was not great prophetic voice booming "thus says the Lord."  There was just the daily routine of life that preoccupied most of the ordinary people of the land with the mundane questions of how to get along in life. 

They were simple questions of living:  how to discipline an unruly child, how to teach children what they need to know to survive as an adult, the dangers to the community of gossip and slander, the need for hard work and providing the necessities of life, why wicked people seem to prosper, the arrogance of sudden wealth.  These are all life questions that most of us face today in the course of living.  To realize that ancient Israelites faced these same questions, and grappled with them rationally from the perspective of experience and community wisdom, may say more to us today as modern Christians than we are used to hearing.  Perhaps listening carefully to the Wisdom traditions as Scripture may help us bring an "earthy" balance to our tendency to be preoccupied with the metaphysical and the supernatural as a way to live life daily.

Here are some very brief characteristics of Old Testament Wisdom perspectives.

Wisdom is concerned with everyday life, how to live well.

1.  Wisdom is concerned with the issues facing humanity in general, the typical and recurring aspects of life that face human beings on a daily basis. Much of the rest of Scripture is concerned with those unique events in history in which God reveals himself.

2.  Little interest in history, politics, God who acts, miracles, sin, forgiveness guilt; these things are not discounted, only that the concern is focused on daily living on what might be called the mundane aspects of life, such as raising children, providing economic security, finding the appropriate wife, etc.

3.  The world view is not mythical or cyclical, but it is concerned with stability and order, the status quo, especially in the social arena; the goal is to live in harmonious relationship with God, others, and the world.

4.  The perspectives of wisdom are not unique to Israelites, although in Israelite wisdom commitment to God is simply assumed (cf. Prov. 1:7).

5.  The focus is on interpersonal relationships, as well as reflective questions about the meaning of life and how to live it.

Wisdom does not appeal to revealed truth.

1.  It does not address the human condition from the divine perspective, but rather from the perspective of human needs and concerns, and in terms of what human beings can and should do to address those concerns.

2.  Wisdom attempts to give expression to the way things are; it is descriptive and not prescriptive, describing and defining the world and the existing social order as a means to live within both in productive ways.

3.  Wisdom thinking grapples with understanding the world, especially the physical and social environment in which they must live; as such, it is both reflective, rational, and concerned with knowledge.

4.  It is concerned with learning enough to be able to choose the proper course of action for well being in life, often expressed metaphorically as the "two ways" or the "two paths" (cf. Psa. 1).

Wisdom's claim to authority lies in tradition and observation

1.  There is no "thus says the Lord" grounding of authority in wisdom thinking; rather the truth of life is already there in God's creation awaiting discovery.

2.  Tradition represents the wisdom of experience, both in individuals and in the collective experiences of the community; preference is usually given to age and established and proven ways of doing things.

3.  Wisdom is grounded in social structures, such as the family, the "schools" of the wise elders, or the king and the royal court.

4.  Wisdom perspectives do not demand radical change, for example in dealing with social problems.

Israelite Wisdom is rooted in reverence and commitment to God

1.  The basic world view of Israelite wisdom is that God is Creator, both of his people and the physical world; everything else in wisdom arises from this conviction.

2.  As Creator, God has imbedded truth in all of creation; another way to say this is that all of creation reflects the wisdom, nature, and character of its creator, and therefore all of creation is a way to learn about God and his purposes for the world; creation is truly a "cosmos."

3.  Wisdom takes seriously the confession in Genesis that the created world is good; there is no hint of an evil physical world that would emerge later in Greek thinking.

4.  Human responsibility to God involves finding the truth of God in the world as reflected in how the world operates according to the harmony of its creator, and then living within that harmony of God's order.

5.  Being wise is to search for and maintain the order of God in the world in order to live well as God has created humanity to live; a "fool" is one who does not recognize God as creator and therefore does not seek to live according to the harmony of God's creation.

6.  The "way of wisdom" is an ethical system in which humanity is responsible for searching, finding, and doing the things necessary to secure their well being in God's world.

Proverb 2

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and wilt hide my commandments with thee,

That thy ear may hearken to wisdom: incline thy heart to know prudence.

For if thou shalt call for wisdom, and incline thy heart to prudence:

If thou shalt seek her as money, and shalt dig for her as for a treasure:

Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and shalt find the knowledge of God:

Because the Lord giveth wisdom: and out of his mouth cometh prudence and knowledge.

He wilt keep the salvation of the righteous, and protect them that walk in simplicity,

Keeping the paths of justice, and guarding the ways of saints.

Then shalt thou understand justice, and judgment, and equity, and every good path.

If wisdom shall enter into thy heart, and knowledge please thy soul:

Counsel shall keep thee, and prudence shall preserve thee,

That thou mayst be delivered from the evil way, and from the man that speaketh perverse things:

Who leave the right way, and walk by dark ways:

Who are glad when they have done evil, and rejoice in the most wicked things:

Whose ways are perverse, and their steps infamous.

That thou mayst be delivered from the strange woman, and from the stranger, who softeneth her words;

And forsaketh the guide of her youth,

And hath forgotten the covenant of her God: for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths to hell.

None that go in unto her, shall return again, neither shall they take hold of the paths of life.

That thou mayst walk in a good way: and mayst keep the paths of the just.

For they that are upright, shall dwell in the earth; and the simple shall continue in it.

But the wicked shall be destroyed from the earth: and they that do unjustly, shall be taken away from it.

Thank you for the well defined explanation, Mr. Tabaco.

You know what helps? Eating small meals. I personally eat 4 times a day, but they are small meals. Like an apple, a salad, etc. I know plenty of people who starve themselves in effort to 'loose' weight, but that in itself is the antithesis of weight loss and healthy practice.

By starving yourself or only 'eating once a day'  you are starving your body and confusing your digestive system; and slows metabolic growth and processes. Hence, when you do eat, your body will have a hard time to metabolize the consumed food, hence a manifestation in weight gain.

Don't starve yourself, eat regularly, the point I'm trying to stress is containing and controlling urges to 'cheat' or 'snack'. Believe me, ive been there, and done that. So far I've lost about 22 lbs through my dieting. What really helps is not excessive cardio work out, that merely stretches the body. What really is effective is weight lifting. You don't have to indulge in heavy weights, you can start of doing bench presses with 20 lbs, curls with 15 lbs, and working out your obliques, your trapezius, your intercostals, etc. Go slow.

For the beginners out there, i suggest starting with 20-25 lb barbells or dumbbells--maintain a fixed routine and when your feel your muscles ascertaining, then slowly increase the dumbbell weight. Muscles will get acclimated to a certain weight--keep on changing and increasing it to keep the momentum.

Don't exceed your physical limitations. Overdoing things can result to ligamental, tendon and muscular stress. Be realistic. Be faithful to the routine. And most of all, make sure you have a healthy balanced diet when engaging weight training.

Interesting article.

Usually, irregular and frequent defecation, more than the normal status quo, is a sign of IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), which affects men and women in the middle ages (above age 40). It is a common gastroenterological condition that is usually accompanied by Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Fibromyalgia, endometriosis etc. That is why IBS is often misdiagnosed.

The condition, as manifested in former Prime Minister Abe, is a natural process that comes with age. The body no longer is able to perform in the best of its ability, compared to that of the youth.

There are multiple treatments, however, ranging from homeopathic treatments, herbal treatments, and the more legitimate--the allopathic mandated chemical and enzymatic treatments. Treatment for IBS and surronding tertiary conditions can be treated vis-a-vis Laxatives and Antispasmodics.

If you are suffering the symptoms of IBS, which includes: frequent diarrhea, change in bowel habits as well as severe to mild constipation.

It is advisable that you see your local family practitioner or an Internal Medicine Specialist/Gastroenterologist. 

Quote from: Macky Ferniz on December 28, 2007, 02:21:50 AM
I wish to congratulate Ethel Gladys L. Bonite, daughter of Tubag Bohol's Engr. Elias ‘Dong’ Bonite who was offered half-scholarship in International Graduate University (IGU), Capitol Hills Campus, Washington D.C.

She will be taking up Masters Degree in Business Administration and Management.

She’s flying today, 27 December 2007 to USA via Korean Airlines and is reporting to IGU on January 3, 2008.

Ethel is a graduate of BS Mass Communications in Dominican College, San Juan Metro Manila.

I can imagine how proud a father is Dong right now.

Wish Ethel success in her new endeavor and hope one day she could be one of Bohol’s great achievers.

Congratulations to Ms. Ethel. More power to you and keep on shining!

Here's a recent favorite, nice beats.


Thats How I Like It

by Beyonce feat. JayZ

http://youtube.com/watch?v=XkXGs9JZnws&feature=related

Go Pac-Man!

Yummy ba?

I'll have to get that for a friend of mine then. Lolita Lempicka? Did you get it at Macy's? JC Penny's?

Quote from: benelynne on September 13, 2007, 03:53:59 PM
What improvements would you like to see in Tagbilaran City, Chocolate Hills, etc? What infrastructure or facilities will enhance the beauty of Bohol? How would Bohol be a more welcoming and attractive place?

The cessation of vote buying.

The rampant corruption in the municipalities is insidious.

Recently, Calvin Klein Obsession. Its musky yet has a sweet and light aroma to it. It's not as overbearing as Aramis Musk. The aroma is cool-scented like that of an early autumn afternoon.

So who drives with a portable GPS? Is it effective for you guys?