MikeLigalig.com

Good morning/afternoon guys!!

Today is the 20th of November and I just finished my last class. Today begins our 1 week break: Thanksgiving break.I'm getting ready to drive home to New Jersey to be reunited with my mother, father, brother Don and Andre and my sister Lorraine. I cant wait to go home because I get to see my Uncle Steve, Ante Beth and my little cousin Stephen as well. I hope that everyone else is enjoying their day and that their week be filled with love and happiness that only family can provide. Happy Thanksgiving guys! I probably wont be online for the rest of the week because I have so much stuff to do back home. Take care guys.

Always,
Lorenzo

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the satisfaction for our sins.

~John 4:19~

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy.
Love is never boastful, nor conceited, nor rude;
It is not self-seeking, nor easily angered.
It keeps no record of wrongdoing.
It does not delight in evil,
But rejoices in the truth.
It always protects, trusts, hopes, and preserves.
There is nothing love cannot face;
There is no limit to its faith, hope, and endurance.
In a word, there are three things that last forever:
Faith, hope, and love;
But the greatest of them all is love.

-- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Every man alone is sincere.  At the entrance of a second person, hypocrisy begins.  We parry and fend the approach of our fellow-man by compliments, by gossip, by amusements, by affairs.  We cover up our thought from him under a hundred folds. 
~Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Friendship," Essays, 1841

Konnichiwa Orchid-senpai!
Beautiful pictures of Nagano, Japan. The land of the rising sun is definitely elegant in its own right.

Quote from: grazie7y on November 21, 2007, 01:12:04 AM

The cake? ehehehhe That's just white cake with strawberry filling.  White cake is close to low fat cake coz there's no egg yolks.  I can only play with the liquid - instead of using water, i use champagne.    I compensate nlang sa Strawberry filling.  What's your favorite cake flavor, Dong Enzo?

Mmmm!!! Ate Ging you are gifted with the gift of sweet cooking! you need to teach me how to cook such wonderful cakes sometime, ha? kai so i can cook some for my friends and family pood! hahaha!!!!
Favorite cake?? Well thats tough, 'te, kai i love all kinds. Pero id have to say marble cake, yup! With vanilla icing on top. Lamiii kaayo na!! My mom usually cooks bico cakes for me whenever i come back to visit--so that is also a favorite Haha sus! now you know my 'weakness'.

Ate Ging thanks ha!
Happy Thanksgiving break to all of you!

With Love,

My other greater half would have to be Christ Jesus, who sustains me. I call on him whenever I am down, or whenever I need support, never failing is he to come to my aid, no matter the circumstance. For so he loved me that I was born. Separate from him, shall I never be.

Friends will always be there for you, Agnes. Dont worry, ha, just try again next time and I am absolutely sure you will do fine. We love you, Agnes!!

Your TB brotha,

OMG, Hahahahaaha!!!!!

hahaha di uy! average ra ko! ikaw man ang smart uy!!
Ate Ging, what flavor is that cake?

I'm going to try this.

The Mexicans are good people, but cannot compare to the thick blood of the Filipino. We are born fighters.
Head hunters, as we were called by the Spaniards and 'Lords of the Seas' by Chinese traders in the 12-16th centuries.

Excellent use of figurative language, Sir GEC. I bow before your brilliance in such comparatives! Always I learn something new from your literary styles, which is so lovely.

Glory, Glory, Glory to God in the Highest!

ate Ging!! you're such a beautiful person uy! with all these cakes..now im getting hungry! haha
Uyyy so yummy!


PS. Happy Anniversary 'te Lumine!! Make sure you get ondoy Matt some jackets ha! cold na raba dinha no?

God bless those who are afflicted, and may the government come to the aid of those affected soon. I hope and pray that we will be spared of the damage that Bangladesh experienced this past week.

Stay safe, people of Bohol.

Your statements towards other members in here, which were clearly directed towards Filipina women--and of members who I know dearly--garnered my stiff attention. I have read your posts prior to this and most of your posts have very rigid indignation towards Filipinas, regarding them as 'philippine persons who go abroad' in such negative ways that demean the morality of our people. Clearly you know that as a person I am not the one to throw the first stone, nor am I the one to condemn anyone, however, when you ushered those posts in regards to Filipina women, you engaged my own anger. Members in here are my family, and when you were arguing with them and filled them with annoyance, I had to do something--I am not the one to stand around and watch my loved ones get attacked while retaining  sobriety during the heat of the moment. Nay. You call it an attack, i refute that declaration as I believe in my firmest conviction that it was you who cast the first stone, and surely you cannot infer to us that you are sinless or guiltless;  your posts are very negative and from reading the responses of the Tubag Bohol members, I realized that you were in great err. If you expect similar treatment, initiate it first. Claro que si? Comprende?
I reiterate to you, I mean every single word that I said in the  circumstance that it was given. For me to acquiesce my stance would be unbecoming of me. I cannot take back what I said in that thread, because I meant every single word. And I stand with my decision. I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request.

Happy anniversary, 'te Lumine!!

Warm Regards,
Bran Lorenzo

Heres another one; formal military attire.

Bloody imperialists...
I cannot forgive the United States aggressive expansion in the 1st Philippine Republic and silencing the nationalist discourse of our nation under the auspices of El President Generallisimo Emilio Aguinaldo and his staff.

Bloody imperialists, imo.
Shouldn't have been there in the first place.

These are Revolutionistas, I have much respect for these men.
Viva!

Is that a home-made cannon supported by two wooden wheels?
I've read stories about filipino-made cannons used by the Philippine Revolutionary Army against the Spanish Army and the Americans on both the Philippine Revolutionary War and the Philippine-American War.

I would like to know when I told you that. Since you paraphrased me in your excerpt here.
Whatever i said in prior posts, I meant every word in considerable respect to the circumstance it was given .

Snore? No?

C'mon share!!

Have you ever been surprised before? And if you have, how so?

So, what kinds of brands do you wear?

Polo, American Eagle, Tommy, DB, Armani, Versace, etc etc.

So when you hang out with your close knit of friends, how do you contribute to the group dynamic? Are you the clown? The leader? The motivator? The silly one?

So...............>>>

I agree.

There are those who are 'rich' in materialistic things, but are 'empty' inside.

Hahaha! That is my aunt!! The younger sister of my father, Engineer 'Rico' Lucino Sr.
Glad to know that you know my aunt! Thanks for information, tho, Fiel. ^_^

If you see my Auntie Wella sometime this week, tell her that Bran-Bran sends her warm regards!
It would be nice too if you could get her to sign up for TB!

Truly  Yours,
Lorenzo "Bran"

Good luck to the candidates!

-A. Lorenzo




A Treatise On Insanity

The compilations of works and experiences were written by Philippe Pinel, who was a psychiatrist during the late 18th to the early 19th century contributed greatly to the development of the medical philosophy of Moral Treatment. Pinel is regarded by history as the “father of modern psychiatry” and one of the founders of Moral Treatment, or otherwise known as Moral Therapy, whose goal was to cure insanity by titillating the intellectual properties and emotional properties of the patient, rather than physically and psychologically punishing the patient. Unlike the physicians of the time, Pinel tried to break away from the conservative and chained techniques of medical treatments on lunatics and this can be manifested in his works La Bicetre as well as in the asylum for destitute women known as Salpetriere.


Prior to his positions as a physician in these two asylums, he played a significant role in the development of the French Revolution as he was an editor of the Gazette de Sate, and joined the intellectual life of the salons, even meeting the acquaintance of men such as Cabanis and Condorcet, both of whom would play a key role in the Revolution. It is evident that Pinel was influenced by the concepts of the Enlightenment, particularly the works of Locke, Voltaire and medical thinkers such as William Battie, who published the Treatise on Madness in 1758. One can see the manifestation in Pinel’s works as well as how he addresses his patients.

Like many physicians in Europe, Pinel was an advocate of the Enlightenment and its humanitarian reforms instead of the ancient regimen of medical physicians during pre-Revolutionary France. He saw his patients as individuals worthy of inclusion in the human fraternity, under the auspices of Revolutionary ideology and philosophy. Pinel followed the dead of Pussin and made it known that patients should be treated with kindness and mercy rather than chains and physical abuse, and unchained the residents of La Bicetre, allowing them to wander freely around the hospital grounds. Additionally, his Moral Treatment also mandated that patient’s quarters should be sunny and well ventilated instead of being dark dungeons. After he made similar reforms in La Salpetriere, his students and followers would later establish 10 new mental hospitals throughout France while complying with the ideology of Moral Treatment.

Pinel’s history as an editor for a paper, medical physician, director of two large asylums and one who had some manner of political clout in the revolution is manifested in his writings in A Treatise on Insanity. His choice of words and linguistic skills are that of a skilled writer, and subjective reasoning are quintessential to that of the late 18th century, particularly regarding his view on personal rights and fraternal bonds. He writes A Treatise on Insanity namely because of his personal abhoration towards the works on the deranged and lunatics, namely is seen in page 166 of the book Medicine and Western Civilization, “On my entrance upon the duties of that hospital, everything presented to me the appearance of chaos and confusion. Some of my unfortunate patients laboured under the horrors of most gloomy and desponding melancholy,” and his innate will to change that status quo as seen in page 167, “I determined upon adopting such a variety of measures, both as to discipline and treatment, as my patients required and my limited opportunity permitted.” By this he regards to his system of Moral Treatment, which would then become the founding pillar of modern psychiatry in therapeutic communities and occupational therapy.

From reading Philippe Pinel’s work, I can’t help but realize that he writes this book as a personal witness to the horrid conditions of medicine in the past, and writes to be heard by future generations of physicians, to influence the future of psychiatry and in the overall treatment of patients not just as cases, but as human beings. He tries to instill in the writer a sympathetic view towards the patient, through the specific cases he mentions and the lives that could have been saved had Moral Treatment been utilize. He writes, like all medical authors before him, to shed light in understanding of human mind concerning insanity and what can be done to help the situation. This can be seen in paged 168, “The facts which I have thus collected are now submitted to the consideration of the public, in the form of a regular treatise. Few subjects in medicine are so intimately connected with the history and philosophy of the human mind as insanity. There are still fewer where there are so many errors to rectify and so many prejudices to remove. It is on the other hand to be lamented, that regular physicians have indulged in a blind routine of inefficient treatment, that regular physicians have indulged in a blind routine of inefficient treatment, and have allowed themselves to be confined within the fairy circle of agement of the mind. Thus, too generally, has the philosophy of this disease, by which I mean the history of its symptoms, of its progress, of its varieties, and of its treatment in and out of hospitals, been most strangely neglected.”

Some of the outside factors that might be shaping and influencing Philippe Pinel’s approach towards the treatment of deranged patients are the Enlightenment, the understanding of social etiquette, and the political discourse in his time, namely the fall of an absolute monarchy and the rise of a republican government. Considering the fact that Pinel was an editor for gazette that helped spread revolutionary and enlightenment ideas, it isn’t surprising that he implemented those same revolutionary ideals towards his patients in La Bicetre and La Saltpetriere. An example of this was how he freed all his patients from the chains of bondage that once contained them, he dictated that all cells be well-lit, as well as cleaned and allowed the patients to wander about the hospital grounds. This correlates to the core enlightenment ideals of the universal rights of humans, and manifested the new ways of the Republic, considering that the old custom of beating patients, chaining patients and placing them in dark dungeons were prevalent during the age of the absolute monarchy.

This of course is an example of how Pinel’s procedures were affected by political discourse, one example of this was when the governor came to the asylum and told the patients of their innate rights as fraternal brothers and dictated to them to tear down the images of the Virgin Mary, which once was revered by the patients prior to the Revolution. Pinel allowed this to happen, and made witness of how the humanity of the deranged was still intact, and made point of the progress of Moral Treatment. Pinel’s view stressed that mental disorder was not due to physical distortion of the human brain, but by hyper imaginations, by sensitivities and stressed the necessity to treat the patient with sympathy and patience in order to titillate their intellect and moral will vis-à-vis Moral Treatment.

From reading Michael Gonzales’ The Mexican Revolution 1910-1940, I realized that one of its flaws was that there was a failure in going in depth in certain topics that were in the book. One example of this was that although the author states that the Mexican Revolution was popular and agrarian-based, he doesn’t support this by not citing specific examples of socio-economic factors. It would have been better had Gonzales given social and cultural accounts of his points by giving specific examples instead of being so wide-scoped in the end. What I mean by this is that Gonzales effectively summarizes the contributions of revolutionary leaders such as Francisco I. Madero, Pancho Villa, Emiliano Zapata, Alvaro Obregon and Venustiano Carranza, as well as President Diaz, but doesn’t go into the socioeconomic factors of these characters. From reading the biography of the book as well as knowing Gonzales was responsible for writing prior works that covered labor as well as economic topics, it was rather disappointing that Gonzales didn’t make reference to those in this book.
   
I would say that the book’s weakness is its strength, what I mean by this is that it effectively covers amount of history within a limited amount of space, however it is this time constraint that makes the book weak in terms of specifics. Due to such a massive time line covered, it leads to factual errors to manifest, such is observed in page 93 when Gonzales stated that the Bernardo Reyes revolt occurred in 1912, when realistically it began in 1911. These are minor examples of how Gonzales’ broad-aspect focus and evasion of specific detail undermines the work. Essentially, I think that the book would have been better had Gonzales cited more examples and stories that could have strengthened the motives of Zapata, Madero and other revolutionary leaders. 

Review by: A. Lorenzo



In the book A Tale of Two Cities, we review the French Revolution as seen through the eyes of Charles Dickens, which is seen in such a negative light. Dickens is rather effective in showing how Dickens views the French Revolution. Charles Dickens’ use of words and characterization of the antagonists and protagonists embellishes his views of the French Revolution, which is keenly negative, from our readings. There are rather many instances in which Dickens compares the cities of London and Paris, in which Paris seemed to be filled with seemingly fanatical obsession with ‘ Equality, Liberty and Fraternity,’ and retribution against the aristocracy, which led to the deaths of thousands. This book, to me, is a rather nationalistic book that describes the present situation of England during that time period with the loss of the American Colonies, religious prophecies and economic worries.

Dickens’ indirect emphasis of Britain as a nation that holds its bearings is manifested successfully when he compares the British situation with the excessive spending of an already bankrupt France, massive political and populatory unrest, which would later result in the erection of the ‘French Revolution’. In other words, London is a city that is described as a beacon of stability and the upholding of the Royal Monarchy in forms of political checks and balances, whereas in France, the country seems completely anarchic, with the deposition of the monarchy and the arrival of the ‘Reign of Terror’. Dickens best summarizes this comparison in his excerpt, “ It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness.”  That excerpt was a rather beautiful in that it correlates the positive with London and the negative aspects with Paris; quite understandable because at the same time the Reign of Terror was occurring in France.

From the quaint excerpts throughout this book, Dickens excels in the use of figurative language to illustrate his vision of the French Revolution. One particular excerpt that uses effective imagery is in the last passage of page 213 in the book, “muskets were being distributed so were cartridges, powder and ball, bars of iron and wood, knives and axes, pikes every weapon that distracted ingenuity could discover of devise.”  This excerpt by Dickens showcases the vigilantism and violence that covered the very air of Paris, France. This very fear of unchecked revolutionariasm, which Dickens, an Englishman, knew too well as the American War for Independence struck home. However, the French Revolution was different and rather unique in its own right; its total brutality, its control of the hordes of Parisians, which were unfathomable for some was an alarming wake up call for the Great Britain.

One thing that Dickens excels in this book is his correlation of the French Revolution and all the devastating natural disasters that could befall on a nation state and a people. This can be observed in an excerpt where Dickens describes the intensity of revolutionaries in taking the Bastille, “As a whirlpool of boiling waters has a centre point, so all this raging circled round Defarge’s wine-shop, and every human drop in the caldron had a tendency to be sucked towards the vortex.”  Dickens further describes the onslaught of the French Revolution in graver tones as in the last passage of page 218 describing the ‘people’s fury’, “The sea of black and threatening waters, and of destructive upheaving of wave against wave, whose depths were yet unfathomed and whose forces were yet unknown. The remorseless sea of turbulently swaying shapes, voices of vengeance, and faces hardened in the furnaces of suffering until the touch of pity could make no mark on them.”  Dickens paints some kind of cooperation between the people and illustrates how deeply interwoven the Parisians were; specially with the use of identifying factors such as ‘Jacque 1, Jacque 2 etc’; thus showcasing how there was no individualism in this time period, but rather a sense of pluralism and ‘oneness’ within the ranks of the people.

The French Revolution was indeed painted in grave tones by Charles Dickens, with his excellent examples of imagery to paint the gravity of this political phenomenon. From the specific examples of Dickens throughout this book, one concludes that there is indeed some kind of nationalist sentiment in comparing the stability of London and England to the state of anarchy and orderlessness in Paris and France in general.

Fiel, do you know Director Ma. Lucino?

Religious Discourse In Colonial Mexico: A Comparative Between the Spanish Inquisition and the Inquisition in Colonial Mexico

Allegheny College Department of History

By: Albrando Lorenzo Lucino Jr, BS, BA

During the process of researching the religious establishments in colonial New Spain and the other viceroyalties in the south, I came across the topic of the Inquisition in the New World as a tool to control the inhabitants of the Spanish dominions. From prior knowledge through my research in my original topic, I became rather interested in the religious discourse of Colonial New Spain and the reasons why the Spanish throne and the Catholic Church utilized the Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition. This in its own right led me to study the Spanish Inquisition itself in the Peninsula through primary as well as secondary sources and compare the institution of the Inquisition in Spain proper during the late 15th to 16th centuries to the Inquisition in Colonial New Spain, particularly present day Mexico during the 17th to 19th centuries.

The Inquisition in both Spain and Colonial Mexico, targeted those who were of different religious backgrounds, those who practiced customs deemed heretical by the Roman Catholic Ecclesiarchy through the blessings of Rome. The Inquisition also targeted not only non-Catholics, but those who were of a different ethnicity who challenged the authority of the ‘Catholic Spanish Kingdom’. In Spain, immediately after the Reconquista, it was the Moors as well as the Jews who were specifically targeted by the Holy Office of the Inquisition; and in New Spain respectively, non-catholic Indians, Mulattoes as well as Jews who fled Spain to the new world were targeted during the early 16th to the 17th centuries by the Episcopal Inquisition. From the 18th to the early 19th centuries, the Holy Office of the Inquisition targeted mostly Mestizoes, mulattoes and some Indians who continued to utilize idolatry as well as mystic and paganistic rituals aside from the Spanish-patronized Roman Catholicism. Indeed there was evidently religious discourse in New Spain, but to fully understand the religious discourse in Spain and New Spain, one has to define and understand the meaning of ‘Inquisition’, which in the Latin “Inquisitos” means to inquire and understand.

The Inquisition was a Roman Catholic tribunal for discovery and punishment of heresy, which was marked by the severity of questioning and punishment and lack of rights afforded to the accused. Initially a tribunal would open at a location and an edict of grace would be published calling upon those who are conscious of heresy to confess; after a period of grace, the tribunal officers could make accusations. Those accused of heresy were sentenced at an auto-da-fe, Act of Faith. Clergyman would sit at the proceedings and would deliver the punishments. Punishments included confinement to dungeons, physical abuse and torture. Those who reconciled with the church were still punished and many had their property confiscated, as well as were banished from public life. Those who never confessed were burned at the stake without strangulation; those who did confess were strangled first. There is a historical reason for the inquisition in Europe, primarily due to the rampant heretical cults during the dark ages and the ever looming threat of Islam.

An example of this is when the Turks in 1480 attacked the south Italian city of Otranto. 12,000 people were killed, the rest made slaves. The Turks killed every cleric in the city and sawed the archbishop in two. So Queen Isabella sent a fleet to Italy. In September of 1480, when it was clear the Turks might do the same to any coastal city, King Ferdinand V and Queen Isabella established the Inquisition. During this period, the West was in danger of following the fate of Constantinople and falling under the sword of Islam. It was under this threat that the Pope Sixtus IV authorized the Spanish Inquisition in 1478 if it should be needed. The kings of Spain, Isabella and Ferdinand, instituted it two years later. The establishment of the Spanish Inquisition led to the forced conversion of Jews and Muslims to Christianity. These so called new converts or in Spanish, Conversos (Secret Jews) and New Christians were targeted because of their close relations to the Jewish community, many of whom were Jews in all but their name. It was the fear of Jewish influence that led Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand to write a petition to the Pope asking permission to start an Inquisition in Spain. In 1483 Tomas de Torquemada became the inquisitor-general for most of Spain, he set tribunals in many cities. Also heading the Inquisition in Spain were two Dominican monks, Miguel de Morillo and Juan de San Martin. It should also be noted that during the span of the Spanish inquisition, more than 13,000 Conversos were put on trial during the first 12 years of the Spanish Inquisition. Hoping to eliminate ties between the Jewish community and Conversos, the Jews of Spain were expelled in 1492, many fleeing to Eastern Europe, to Portugal and others fleeing to the New World. An estimated 31,912 heretics were burned at the stake, 17,659 were burned in effigy and 291,450 made reconciliations in the Spanish Inquisition. In Portugal, about 40,000 cases were tried, although only 1,800 were burned, the rest made penance.

The Inquisition in Colonial New Spain in a way is an extension of the Spanish Inquisition in that many of the targeted people by the Episcopal Inquisition were Jews or Conversos who were thought to have been secretly maintaining the Jewish lifestyle. Such a large wave of Conversos migrated to the new world that triggered the attention of the Holy Office; Due to the shortage of secular clergy in the New World, the pope issued the Bull Omnimoda in 1522, and granted special permission to the prelates of the monastic orders in the New World to perform, in the absence of bishops in the vicinity, all Episcopal functions except ordination. Torquemada's organizational and administrative abilities and his zeal for the preservation of the faith set the course of the Spanish Inquisition for the 341 years of its existence. As the activities of the Holy Office expanded, it became necessary to establish branches throughout Spain and the New World with the Suprema as the head office. The need of a tribunal of the Holy Office in Mexico was expressed as early as 1532. In fact, the first auto de fé in Mexico was held in October 1528, with Fray Vicente de Santa Maria presiding. Two Jews were burned at the stake, and two others were reconciled. On January 25, 1569, Philip II decreed the establishment of the first two formal Dominican tribunals in the New World, one for New Spain (Mexico) and one for Peru. They were known by the full title of "El Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisición". Clearly it is evident that throughout the existence of El Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisicion, the 16th and 17th centuries focused primarily in the pin pointing of Jews who hid under the banner of Catholicism such as the Carvajal family. Luis de Carvajal y de la Cueva, known as "el Conquistador", governor of the New Kingdom of León in northern Mexico, was arrested at the behest of the Inquisition and by personal order of the viceroy of New Spain. Carvajal and his wife Guiomar were of partial New Christian descent. Personally, Carvajal was the devoutest of Catholics. Unknown to him, his wife was a secret Jewess; his sister Francisca and her husband, Francisco Rodríguez de Matos, both of whom he had brought to Mexico, were committed judaizers. Examples like these indicates the ‘completeness’ of the Inquisition in New Spain in weeding out not only Judaizers, but those who were related to Jews and or sympathized that faith.

Unlike the Spanish inquisition that took place in the peninsula, the Inquisition in Colonial Mexico had two phases that clearly defines the religious discourse in society. The first phase of the Colonial Inquisition revolved around the targeting of members of jewery, which subsided in extremity in the 18th century. The second phase of the Inquisition was on the contrary race-practice based in that the Inquisition targeted blacks, mulattoes as well as Indios for the most part during the late 18th to the early 19th centuries. In the racially mixed Mexican society of the first part of the 18th century Mulattoes and Blacks stood out as the object of most acts of repression on the part of the civil and ecclesiastical authorities. For an idea of the attitudes generated by those in power towards Blacks and Mulattoes in Mexican colonial society, one has to take into account the interrelation of religion, politics, and the concept of social order in Mexican colonial society. Viceroy Marqués de Mancera requested the collaboration of the Inquisition in 1660 to suppress Black slave insurrectionary moves. Blacks and Mulattoes, both free and slave, were the object of Inquisitorial persecutions right after periods of anti-Conversos (i.e. anti-Portuguese) trials. In reference to the notice given to the Tribunal about the incident in 1665 of a group of Blacks who had toasted "a nuestra salud, y a que el año que viene, governemos este Reyno," a directive of Viceroy Mancera orders the officials of the Inquisition to use their powers of secrecy to preempt any attempt of rebellion.

Unfortunately for the indigenous natives of Colonial Mexico, they too were targeted by the Holy Office of the Inquisition in Colonial New Spain. The Holy Office of the Inquisition that had tried Indians focused primarily on grounds of recurrent idolatry, and religious syncretism. During the remainder of the colonial period and until 1818, the Holy Office continued to investigate Indian transgressions against orthodoxy and to provide the modern researcher with unique documentation for the study of mixture of religious beliefs. Though countless numbers of indios were tried and given punishment in accordance to religious orthodoxy; punishing those of chanting old pagan prayers for good agriculture, sodomy activity, sorcery as well as superstition. An example of this was in the 17th century when the Inquisition charged the daughter of an Indian Governor of Tlaltelolco, of sorcery and dispensing superstitious rites. Such examples of Indian and mestizo religious discourse permeated throughout the Colonial Mexico and exists to this day. To this day, the Catholic rituals are linked with clearly paganistic idolatry and superstitious beliefs upheld by the indios and Mestizoes; surviving the threat of the Inquisition through the centuries. The same can also be said about the Inquisition in Spain. Though the Inquisitorial staff in Spain targeted people active in the Jewish faith, and dispensed punishment against such, the faith remained strong on some people and resisted the actions of inquisition; many converting to Christianity but secretly practicing the faith.

It is evident that the Inquisition in Spain and in Colonial Mexico were utilized to strengthen the catholic identity of the kingdom as well as to strengthen the power of the state; the inquisition in a way proved as a political tool to silence those who would have subverted the power of the Spanish monarchy and correct those who would not convert to Catholicism. Both inquisitions targeted those who were considered subverters and led to the forced conversion of masses, both inquisitions targeted the threat of Judaism and as an effect to both inquisitions, religious discourse and religious resistance took effect and formed pockets of resistance to the ecclesiarchy (Converts who still practiced Judaism in Spain; Indians who practiced Catholicism yet maintained indigenous pagan idolatry, prayers and mysticism. The main difference that can be noted is that it was the Inquisition in New Spain that had multiple phases targeting Jews at first, then mulattoes, negroes as well as Indians and Mestizoes as society progressed whereas the Inquisition in Spain primarily targeted heretics who were practicing Muslims and Jews, which eventually died off in the 18th and 19th centuries when the Enlightenment took effect. The Inquisition in New Spain retained its importance as a matter of controlling the population, and became a political tool until independence. One can say that the dualist nature of Mexican Roman Catholicism within the Indian communities as well as most Mexicans is a product of the Inquisition’s effect in religious discourse.

Happy Birthday, Sig!

welcome!

Amazing. Look at the plant biota...

These are members of the pro-American macabees. They fought against members of the Revolutionary Army and acted as scouts for the Americans.

Thanks for sharing this Mike.

Interesting article.

Interesting input, GEC, I didnt think about the promotion of Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and other archangels into seraphims after the battle; good point. Though the lies and deceits of Satan and his demons make their manifestations in the world of man, I believe in my firmest conviction that the Lord God allows this to happen to test the faith of men. Though Satan's presence in the world is firm, his powers are limited--as he himself needs to ask the permission of God in order to tempt man. One example of this is in JOB 2:1 where the devil had to ask permission from the Lord God to assail Job in order to test his faith. God allowed it. And we know that though Job was afflicted with the loss of his family, possessions, his firm faith in the righteousness of God is a model for all mankind. So pleased was the Lord God in such faith and such conviction that the Lord God, who is boundless of mercy--and forgiveness--and where nothing is impossible, blessed Job with a new family, a rich flock, and the grace of long life. The Lord takes, yet the Lord Gives.

I do agree with you GEC, that Lucifer and his demons continue to tempt the souls of men--scourging the world for lost souls. However, through the graces of Christ and the blessings of the Lord of boundless mercy, and of infinite forgiveness and love, will continue to shine light to those in his need. He tests our faith, and this is where free will is tested. Even if such tests comes in the guise of the devil and his demons.

However, such testing is only to determine the faithful and non-faithful. The second coming of Christ Jesus, who is Lord and Saviour and the only begotten son of God the Father, will finalize the judgment of GOD. The doom of our time lies with the Lucifer/Satan and his demons and those who court their favor. Was it not the Lord God who said,

    And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day." 
In the day of judgment “…the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
John 8:44

Quote from: ms da binsi on November 19, 2007, 12:51:03 PM
Im just feeling lucky, any other words can't describe, that's all...
I love you guys...
Thanks for being my family...
   

AMEN.

Give thanks to what we are given in our every day lives; because there are always those who are in need. Glory to GOD for his providing nature.

LoL! Are you hungry, 'te?

Stolen

by Dashboard Confessionals

http://youtube.com/watch?v=epHN4uSHox0&feature=related

If You Leave

by OMD

http://youtube.com/watch?v=XJfKyHR5-1M

when you feel better, maybe you can share

Cheer up Svetlana~

For me, im feeling happy a bit because tomorrow is the last day before Thanksgiving Break!
Sad because i wont be able to see someone for another 6 days...

What are other people's views in this?

Quote from: Bohol Bol-anon on November 20, 2007, 10:51:56 AM
Bran, there are things that are beyond our comprehension. There are things I wish to ask from God but I let Him to be the God and accept my humanity and my limitations. He is GOD after all and no one can question Him.

Bran, my question is: If God knew that Lucifer would rebel him in the end, then why did He create this angel in the first place? God is omnipotent and omniscience and there is nothing beyond the reach of His infinite power. He knows the past, the present, and the future. So He must have known beforehand that Lucifer would rebel Him. So if He knew this in advance, then why did He still create Lucifer and give this angel the loftiest beauty and supremacy among the millions or billions of angels in heaven?

In a split of a second, God can even wipe out Lucifer and all his legions of followers from the face of the universe, yet God allows their existence.

Again, God is God. There are things that He alone has the understanding. I am His creation and He is my creator.

Yes Mike. I agree totally.

These mysteries of the bible are so deep and trying to comprehend all its meaning is truly impossible. I am humbled by the Lord God--for that he is so great that he can humble the greatest of all the angels. He merely thinks it--and it is so. Such power..such majesty..I cannot help but fear the Lord God....

Kummusta pare,

Blessed are you who believes in HIM and contemplates on the word of God through the Holy Bible. I am merely interested and intrigued in the dogma of the bible--the histories that occur in it--and the transgressions of the Angel Lucifer that led to his eventual demise. For me, I find it very interesting in the discourse between the Father who is God and the Child, who is Lucifer, who was the first creation. He was the greatest Angelic being that came from the will of God, given the splendor as the guardian cherub before the Throne of the Most High, was the highest of all Seraphim prior to his fall (even Archangel Michael answered to him). He was referred as 'Son of Dawn' as he drew the flaming sword of God and headed the Garden of Eden. He was loved by God, adored by Him, yet this wasn't enough for Lucifer.

I ponder to myself of this: WHY?

Ezekiel states that Lucifer was of supreme brilliance; even his name--taken in hebraic "Luc-fer" means "Light Bearer" as he bore the Light of God; he was the personal representative of God; the worlds and matter were created from the command of God--and it was Lucifer who was there to make sure that the commands of God were made true. Perhaps, it was in this moment--that Lucifer thought that he could do the same things as God--as Lucifer was given the POWER of God to create light, darkness, matter, and other angelic beings. Perhaps it was in this time that Lucifer thought he could be like GOD. His pride was his demise. It is unbelievable that Lucifer had the audacity to declare war against God, and fooled the angelic beings to follow him in the war to usurp the throne of God. But how? He was given the beatific vision of God? How can one choose to reject the blessings that is the full communion with the MOST HIGH? How can he reject perfect bliss? Such answers will remain a mystery-- One reason why I am intrigued by this, is that when I asked my pastor about this, we had a conversation ending in him saying "I really do not know for sure about the details". There is considerable debate about the schism of terra even in halls of the Vatican.

For me, it is  learning process, Pare.

Cheers!

wohooooooo!!

I'm actually driving back to New Jersey tomorrow; Thanksgiving break all this week.
Happy THANKSGIVING DAY! To everyone!

What privileges did Lucifer enjoy prior to his Rebellion?

     

You were in Eden,
       the garden of God;
       every precious stone adorned you:
       ruby, topaz and emerald,
       chrysolite, onyx and jasper,
       sapphire, [a] turquoise and beryl. 
       Your settings and mountings [c] were made of gold;
       on the day you were created they were prepared.

Ezekiel 28:13


Did God create Lucifer with the seed of sin in his heart, so that it was only a matter of time before he became a "devil?"

You were blameless in your ways
       from the day you were created
       till wickedness was found in you.

Ezekiel 28:15


What was the cause of Lucifer's desire to rebel against God?

Through your widespread trade
       you were filled with violence,
       and you sinned.
       So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God,
       and I expelled you, O guardian cherub,
       from among the fiery stones.

Your heart became proud
       on account of your beauty,
       and you corrupted your wisdom
       because of your splendor.
       So I threw you to the earth;
       I made a spectacle of you before kings.
Ezekiel 28:16-17

I read an article posted by Mike several days ago which concerned the status on human genetics and cloning. It was an article that interested me as I have a very interesting view concerning that discourse. I was wonder what the respectable and intelligent minds of our very own Tubag Bohol thought about it. Do you think it is morally wrong? ethically wrong? Or do you think that it is essential for the progress and advancement of human civilization? Do you think that ethos and mores can be pushed aside for the good of the entire race?

I will share my own views later. Please, share your views on this rather interesting, and controversial topic.

Cheers,
Lorenzo

Haha joke ra uy!
But yea its really odd calling Dr. Marsh 'Dr. Marsh' because he's only 25!
Despite his age tho, 'te, he's a pretty well known neurobiologist--he's currently working on neurotoxins--revolving analysis of dopamine levels.

hahaha! i will behave. promise.

Quote from: ms da binsi on November 18, 2007, 01:36:36 PM
They call it culture shocked!...

I saw a lot of Flips (as i call it) in Cali nga mga blond kaajo ang mga mata pero intawon ang hitsura

Kanang Pinoy who dont want to be recognized as Pinoy, all I can say bulok na sila, you know why? (mediocre children of very hard working parents, and mostly tagalogs, )

i have an american Forum who praised the Filipino talents so very much... ang pinoy kuno are very bright...

it only happen nga we belong to a bad government but still we have a beautiful country kuno...

Bayat, ang mga hambugeros are the people who are silingan sa Pinas... OMG, ang compettition nila incomparable!

and it goes through the next generation, mao nga nahimo ang flip-ness/ fil-amness...

mabasahan ta sa Shuwakimz ani mo pakpak gyud to...which is true... i cant blame her for these...

C2 i also have friends who became very materialistic...i dont associate with them anymore...hassle and stressfull!

i live my life as simple as i could, bahala na sila...

Amen! Amen!
I cant begin to count how many times my professors ask if I'm a Filipino because apparently most of the Filipino students they had that were research assistants were 'above par' and 'extremely diligent' in work. I am unworthy of such praise, but it does say alot when your own professors tell you about Filipino college students who retain this tradition of excellence.

Lets not be embarrassed of our roots, instead, let us be proud of who we are and where we come from!

hahaha! do you want me to your number to him as well? LOL!!!!

Very Cute

^_^ shes one of the 6 people here right now, lol.

Quote from: emlegaspo on November 17, 2007, 08:50:24 AM
14th Birthday.

You're the same age as my little brother; happy be-lated birthday!

hahaha so i hear so i hear :PP

I'm just happy Rutgers crushed Pitt today by 4 points. THANK GOD!
Else, i would've lost 5 bucks, hahaha. But yea---good luck to them dawgs, yo!

So hows your weekend, 'te?

For me...im taking a break from hanging out with my friends LOL! We have like 6 people in our apartment and we were trying to mix cognac, rum, tequila and vodka together earlier...hahahaha..BAD combo.
Sige, sige,,

HAHAHA!!! So how was your day, Tita Belle?? I missed talking to you uy!
Are you liking this weather?

Btw...who won in today's game? Michigan State or Penn State?

Quote from: C2H4 on November 18, 2007, 10:52:49 AM
Dong, I tried to read it para makahatag pud ko'g input,

pero wala nakaya sa akong power, naglabad akong ulo...

it's beyond my comprehension...

with that being said,

say Hi to Dr. Marsh for me

You're too humble, 'te. This is nothing for a graduate pharmacist as yourself, but I will give your regards to Dr. Marsh when I see him this monday. He'll ask who tho; what should I say ?

lol, naa uy, naa'y Bol-anon has

joke!

Pare!!!! Your Mama looks soooooo much like my Lola Nating!! I think I can cry if i continue to look at that picture...because it brings me memories of my late Lola...

God Bless your Mama!! Please give her Ten Thousand Hugs from Me!!

Lucifer--Before the Fall..


The Archangel Michael; highest of all the Seraphim--and one who stands before the Throne of the Most High---casting down the Fallen Angel, Lucifer and his followers.



Michael casting down Lucifer and the fallen ones--"Devils".



One thing that intrigues me, is th schism in Heaven between the Angelic hosts of heaven. It is said in the bible that 1/3 of all the Angels in Heaven sided with Lucifer and did battle with the forces of God, led by the Archangel Michael and the remaining 2/3rds of all the Angels. The outcome was definite and absolute, the forces of Michael cast down Lucifer from heaven,,,
+++++++

    "And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon who was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

    Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down ... Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them!

    Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.

    Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.

    So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.

    And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." (Revelation 12:7-17)
++++++


One thing that I am also intrigued is the question of : WHY?
The Angel Lucifer (May He Be Rebuked by the Most High) was created first, given life and existence by the will of Tri-God Head, loved by God and reigned over all other angels in the vast expanse of the sky. Clearly, as God's first creation, Lucifer must have realized the full power and the infinite wisdom, and might of the Lord God. Yet he defied the will of God. Why? How?

Lucifer and the Angels were given the beatific vision of the FACE of GOD. Beatific vision is the eternal and complete happiness, a complete wholeness and union with God. SO pure and HOLY is the beatific vision that when one sees the Face of God, the body will immediately die and the soul will return to the Maker to be Judged. Even Moses (Blessed is the prophet of the Lord God) was subject to such; when he saw the burning bush, his hair turned white--as he was in the presence of the MOST HIGH.  To be given the face of God is to be given the GRACE of God. Yet in that presence, Lucifer, still was able to rebel. How so? Why did he choose to become the antithesis of the MOST HIGH??

I read this part of the Bible the other day and gave chills down to my bones---of the audacity of the Devil. To Defy God and to think that he ACTUALLY thought he could be GOD...

++++++++
For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.

And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.

And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve,

That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!

The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers.

He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth.

The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.

Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us.

Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?

Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of dawn! how art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations!

For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.


Yet thou shalt be brought down to Sheol, to the sides of the pit.

They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?

All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house.

But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet.

Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.

Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.

For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD.

I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts.

The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:

That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders.

This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations.

For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden.

Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.

And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant.

Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved: for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times.

What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.

ISIAIAH 14: 1-31

Happy Birthday Lola!!!!!!!!!!
God Bless you and keep your strength always, may the good Lord be with you, and strengthen you.

In His Most Holy Name,,,

Extraction is done. Waiting now for the spectrometer to start working...

Some pictures I took this week--progress is going--


Senior Research Assistant, Holly ( PHD doctoral Student in Conservational Limnology)


Core machine.


Dried stratified limnological sediments (prior to being crushed vis-a-vis mortar and pestal)


Drying Oven










Analysis for dry weight

Quote from: C2H4 on November 16, 2007, 03:20:58 PM
You're into Oceanic scents diay pud, dodong?

Yes. And yourself?

Quote from: orChidsNroSes on November 17, 2007, 07:33:15 AM
Spain...........I love to go to Spain...

I second that! I'd love to visit Mother Spain, as well....

Beautiful pictures. Saudi looks so clean.

She's a close friend Amigo-Amiga mi sa International Club ug sa chess club diri, kai we always have a game of chess (i usually let her defeat me, pero there are times where i hunt her--hahaha--very competitive girl--strong willed jud). She's very sweet kaayo, she has the cutest Chinese accent
We didnt' do anything special, 'te, just went to the city, took some pics, sight seeing. Went to a restaurant and stopped by a swing dance club for a bit.

Quote from: Bambi on November 17, 2007, 10:11:57 AM
Hi Pare,

Thanks for the great video.

Is that really true that here in America daghan na kaajong "Hambugueros Filipinos"? Ijahay na lang ug kompetensyahan? Wa nay tinabangay?  It is sad that we are known to be the "HF" type. Could be the reason that....nakurat sa kahayahay kay gakigan man sa kapobrehon?  I just heard about this a Filipina neighbor before who has a relatives over there.

Pretty much, 'te Ethyl explained it perfectly. Filipinos here in America change not because they are bad people, but they are pressured to compete with other Americans. Here in the United States, there is a huge force to compete with each other; where the manifestation of social darwinism is observed. There is a belief that the more you make, the higher you are in the work force, the better you are as compared to others. In the United States, theres a colloquial saying that we all share , 'its a doggy dog world' which means you have to defend yourself.

Filipinos are so pressured to prove themselves to white-Americans, black-Americans etc that whenever they see another fellow Filipino, they sometimes want to show off their feats and success to experience some kind of self gratification. Such is typical of not only Filipino-Americans, but of most Asian-Americans and other immigrant Americans. The same can be said about Indian-Americans, Chinese-Americans, Korean-Americans, Mexican-Americans, etc.

Is it the same in Germany? and other European countries?

cute song!

Chocolate lang

I got her chocolates, lol. Devoured it on the drive to Pittsburgh.

Last weekend, I went camping with some people and one with a special friend 
Cold, cold, cold! She even took my comforter! 










my tent..


My partner. Stealing my comforter.

Quote from: Rose Gardener on November 17, 2007, 06:37:52 PM
Hi ! a friend just emailed me a link to this site and i'm tickled pink to see that there is a forum where boholanos can gather and hang out. WOW ! You guys have done a wonderful job with this place...wish I discovered this sooner.

About me, I'm a born and bred Boholana currently based here in Houston, Texas. My mom instilled a love for plants in me and I grew up tending to her orchid collection. I love gardening and I collect Roses and other fragrant flowers. Yes, I have a sampaguita growing in my backyard here in Houston ! HA !

hope to have fun times here and get updates from home.

last visit :

September 16-20, 2007

Greetings!!! Ante Lestie? Is that you?

I think i know who GEC is..

Dear Sir Gec of man and passion
Where and why dost thee convey such ration..
Thy bosom holds such trite intrigue amongst the populace
Fainting and dashing thy own ediface

Convey to us, dear Splendid GEC
Tell us who you are, wht the HEC!

Good night everyone!! enjoy your weekend! Gotta go to Pittsburgh!
ah...partayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!

Quote from: Happy on November 17, 2007, 06:26:46 AM
nindota pud nimo goal dong oi, tarunga bja ug pili ang nanay ni dong Branbran jr. ha!

hahaha mao na im hunting around

..haha di diay mo maka feel sa inner urges? Ako, even tho seriouso ko sa ahong work and goals--naa jud nang deep in me that yearns to be a father. When one of my friend's had a son i was able to carry their son for the first time--and for that brief moment--i pictured myself holding my own son. My goal is to carry and hold my son in the future...my own little ondoy Bran-Bran Jr. hahahaha..with the same kulut kulut bohok and a cute-na-cute tambokikoy face as his Daddy

Hahahaha honest uy! I feel my clock ticking...22 and i have an inner urge to be a father already.

Unexplainable feeling..

Mao ba? i like number 9.

im open to everything, pero okey ko with medical student if naa ba dinhi. I want to study bones with them..

One important thing::

Despite the facade of machisimo and paternal strength, men are uber-sensitive. Be gentle to men, dear ladies, and pamper them like babies...in return...they will give you their hearts. Ayaw pa bogol-bogol-on...

Any boholana medical students in here??

You know Sir Gec, the longer you make women yearn for you...the harder and fiercer they get..lol! They crave your identity...i can feel it. Don't give in, Sir Gec. Be strong. Oh dear champion of Tubag Bohol...

Love is very fragile, time can either strengthen it...or can weaken it. I believe love comes and goes...TRUE love is permanent. No matter where, when, and how...just is.

smile always with your loved one..kai it sets the mood

I need an advice. I've asked out my friend on a date for this weekend, im taking her out to a restaurant, and then taking her to a swing dance club. What should I get her as a gift? Chocolate or roses?

Thanks guys!

(to the men in the forum)


***ayaw pa hadlok, tell the truth***

++

So yea, what annoys you the most about women? Go ahead..

It is very sad, as many are too quick to adopt the American way of life and take up American culture instead of the culture of their fathers and mothers. It is a shame....but it is typical when regarding the greater force that is 'Americanization'.

So what about you guys? Any countries you have in mind??? 

Another country that I'd like to visit is definitely Mexico. Areas that I'd like to visit in Mexico include Mexico City (Districto Federal), and the Aztec sites in central and eastern Mexico. A mixture of pre-hispanic Meso-American and Spanish architecture......Mexico.

My interest in Mexico is purely historical as well as cultural attraction. As one who is an avid reader of Filipino history, Mexico or as it was known by Imperial Spain as 'Nuevo Espana' (New Spain) and the Philippine Islands were actually placed in judicial administration by the Viceroyalty of New Spain. The historic Galleon Trade of Mexico and the Philippines was one that developed both nations (rich and spices of the Philippines were used to build the ports of Vera Cruz and Accapulco--as well as filled the pockets of the Spanish). Historically, since the colonization of the Philippines by Spain in 1565 till the independence of Mexico from Spain in 1821, the Philippines and New Spain (Mexico) was one political entity in the greater sphere of the Spanish Empire.


Regal Mexico! Brother-state of the Philippines

Mexican National Cathedral (built on top of the site of Tenochtitlan after Don Hernando Cortes the Great destroyed the Aztec capital)


Palacio de Viceroy. Regal architecture that once housed the Viceroy of New Spain (Mexico). Traditional architecture of the Spanish Empire.


Greater Mexico City

++++++


17th century Mexican Cathedral in Verana, Mexico
-The architecture is that of classic Spanish architecture during the Baroque Era (firmly influenced by Milanese architecture); one notices that it is similar to that of the Qiapao Church in the Philippines.

Qiapao Church in Philippines of similar architecture as in Mexico.

++++++

Meso-American Culture



The Aztec pyramids of Cholula (central Mexico)


The glorious remains of Aztec buildings and mastery of geometrics. A glorious past, present and future.


Aztec people of Mexico...

What an honor, Ms. Fiel Angeli Espejo Araoarao! Thank You for doing that and shedding more light on our beautiful island to these Korean nationals. May there be increased Philippine-Korean interaction in the future!

You have my sincere respect and gratitude.

CANBERRA (Reuters) - A coroner urged the Australian government on Friday to seek war crimes charges against former Indonesian military officers over the 1975 killing of five Australian newsmen during Indonesia's invasion of East Timor.

New South Wales state deputy coroner Dorelle Pinch ruled the five Australians, known as the Balibo five, had been deliberately tracked and killed by Indonesian forces who were moving into Balibo, just across the border in East Timor, in October 1975 ahead of a full invasion of the former Portuguese colony.

"The journalists were not incidental casualties in the fighting, they were captured, then deliberately killed despite protesting their status," Pinch ruled on Friday.

Her finding is at odds with Indonesia's long-held version that the newsmen were killed in crossfire during a firefight at Balibo.

Pinch named former Indonesian Special Forces captain Yunus Yosfiah, a retired general and now a senior Indonesian lawmaker, as the man who ordered the killings to stop any reports that special forces were involved in the attack on Balibo.

She also said there was strong circumstantial evidence that the orders to kill the newsmen came ultimately from the head of the Indonesian special forces, Major-General Benny Murdani.

Indonesia said the coroner's finding would not change its position.

"The coroner's court has a very limited jurisdiction and its decision won't change our stance about what happened," Foreign Ministry spokesman Kristiarto Legowo told a news conference. "It won't change our position that it is a closed case."

The Indonesian military said the coroner's verdict was an Australian domestic affair.

"I wonder how did they (the coroner) come up with such a conclusion," military spokesman Sagom Tamboen said.

"For us, our own resolution to past cases in East Timor is the best way," he said, referring to Indonesia's rights tribunal for East Timor abuses and the truth commission set up by Dili and Jakarta.

All military and police officers charged in the rights tribunal were either acquitted or had their convictions overturned on appeal.

In March, Pinch issued a warrant for Yunus's arrest after he refused to come to Australia to give evidence in the case.

Yunus, who was information minister in the cabinet of former president B.J. Habibie, has called his accusers liars.

Another former Indonesian army officer whom the coroner said took part in the killings, Christoforus da Silva, is thought to be living in retirement on Flores island.

Murdani, who was armed forces chief between 1983 and 1988, died three years ago.

TENSION

The deaths of the Balibo five -- Greg Shackleton, Tony Stewart, Gary Cunningham, Brian Peters and Malcolm Rennie -- have been a long-running source of tension between Australia and Indonesia, with relatives accusing both countries of a cover-up.

Pinch said she would now ask the Australian government to consider pursuing war crimes charges against those involved.

Her finding ends a 30-year campaign by relatives of the dead journalists and cameramen, who believed the men were deliberately killed.

"Proper respect has now been paid to these Australian citizens who have been brushed aside," Shackleton's widow Shirley told reporters outside the court.

Pinch ruled there was no evidence to support claims the Australian government had advance notice of Indonesia's plan to invade East Timor after the withdrawal of the territory's former Portuguese rulers.

The invasion led to 24 years of Indonesian control of East Timor, a country of about 920,000 people which voted in 1999 to break free of Indonesian rule and which gained full independence in 2002.

Pinch also recommended that Australian and Indonesian authorities work together to find the remains of the five men and return them to Australia for burial.

KINSHASA (Reuters) - Humanitarian agencies in the east of Democratic Republic of Congo have secured the release of more than 200 child soldiers from pro-government militia, the U.N. children's agency UNICEF said on Friday.

t said the release of the 232 children, whose average age was 14, followed a campaign against the recruitment and use of children by armed groups operating in Congo's east, where conflict has driven thousands of civilians from their homes.

The children were freed from the ranks of local Mai Mai militia through the efforts of UNICEF and Save the Children working in collaboration with the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC).

"The majority of the 232 children are currently in transitory care facilities and awaiting family reunification, UNICEF said in a statement from Congo's eastern North Kivu province, posted on the agency's Web site.

Those freed included 182 children from the Mai Mai Baleine Brigade in Beni in North Kivu last week, it added.

UNICEF's Pernille Ironside told Reuters the agency was able to take charge of the 182 when the Mai Mai brigade came out of the bush to join a program integrating its fighters into the national army. The release of the rest of the children was negotiated directly with other militia units, she said.

While it welcomed the release, UNICEF said hundreds of children remained with armed groups and forces in the Congo, where national elections last year have failed to halt intertwined conflicts in the east of the country

"UNICEF is calling on all armed groups and forces to release these children immediately into the care of child protection agencies," the U.N. agency said.

North Kivu province has experienced successive outbreaks of fighting in recent months involving the Congolese army, the forces of a renegade Tutsi general, Rwandan Hutu rebels and Mai Mai militiamen who say they work with the government army.

The army last month threatened to act against a Mai Mai group in North Kivu, saying it was hindering its operations.

Congolese President Joseph Kabila, who won elections in the vast, former Belgian colony last year, has vowed to pacify the violent east, where rebel groups and militias are still killing and looting after the end of the country's 1998-2003 war.

QUILLAGUA, Chile - Residents of this tiny desert town expressed hope Friday that their first visit ever by a Chilean president will spur recovery after a huge earthquake damaged dozens of homes.

Touring the region the day before, President Michelle Bachelet promised that within 15 days the most urgent housing problems would be solved in Quillagua, where about half of the hamlet's 60 homes were damaged.

"We had strong earthquakes here before," said resident Erwin Delgado. "Let's hope this time we will really be helped after her visit."

But others worried that the damage could be tough to overcome in rapidly shrinking Quillagua, where decades of nearby copper mining have reduced river levels and contaminated what little water still flows, making small farming difficult. Today it is home to just 100 mostly elderly residents, down from several hundred a decade ago.

"There are no jobs here," said Jorge Mena, director of the local school which has only seven students left. "The only ones with an assured salary were the paramedic and myself."

All told, the quake killed 2 people, injured more than 150 and left 15,000 homeless in northern Chile, officials say.

Locals have taken to calling it a "hypocrite quake," saying many houses have an intact front but are badly damaged inside. Residents have demanded â€" and Bachelet promised â€" government vouchers to rebuild.

The government airlifted an additional 30 tons of aid to the region Friday including food, tents, mattresses, blankets, medicines and other emergency supplies. But residents complained that water is scarce and they lack receptacles to store water being distributed by military trucks.

Health officials were vaccinating more than 14,000 children against hepatitis in the hard-hit cities of Tocopilla and Maria Elena.

Frequent aftershocks continued to rattle nerves, and many frightened residents were still sleeping outside or in their cars. University of Chile seismologist Carlos Aranda said such activity is normal after a large quake and could last for a couple of months.