MikeLigalig.com

Rue du Bac, Miraculous Medal
Saint-Étienne-le-Laus, Paris

Other apparitions continue to be approved at the local level, e.g. the December, 2010 local approval of the 19th-century apparitions of Our Lady of Good Help, the first recognized apparition in the United States.

An authentic apparition is believed not to be a subjective experience, but a real and objective intervention of divine power. The purpose of such apparitions is to recall and emphasize some aspect of the Christian message.


Lúcia dos Santos (left) with her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto, at Fátima, Portugal, 1917

The church states that cures and other miraculous events are not the purpose of Marian apparitions, but exist primarily to validate and draw attention to the message. Apparitions of Mary are held as evidence of her continuing active presence in the life of the church, through which she "cares for the brethren of her son who still journey on earth." (wikipedia)

Catholic belief

According to the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church, the era of public revelation ended with the death of the last living Apostle.


Eternal Father painting the Virgin of Guadalupe. Anonymous, 18th century, an example of Roman Catholic Marian art related to an apparition.

A Marian apparition, if deemed genuine by Church authority, is treated as private revelation that may emphasize some facet of the received public revelation for a specific purpose, but it can never add anything new to the deposit of faith.

The Church may pronounce an apparition as worthy of belief, but belief is never required by divine faith.

The Holy See has officially confirmed the apparitions at:

Guadalupe
Saint-Étienne-le-Laus, Paris (Rue du Bac, Miraculous Medal)
La Salette
Lourdes
Fátima
Pontmain
Beauraing
Banneux

According to Father Salvatore M. Perrella of the Marianum Pontifical Institute in Rome, of the 295 reported apparitions studied by the Holy See through the centuries only 12 have been approved, the latest being the May 2008 approval of the 17th- and 18th-century apparitions of Our Lady of Laus. (wikipedia)

What is a Marian apparition?

A Marian apparition is a supernatural appearance by the Blessed Virgin Mary. The figure is often named after the town where it is reported, or on the sobriquet given to Mary on the occasion of the apparition. They have been interpreted in religious terms as theophanies.

Marian apparitions sometimes are reported to recur at the same site over an extended period of time. In the majority of Marian apparitions only one person or a few people report having witnessed the apparition. Exceptions to this include Zeitoun, Fatima and Assiut where thousands claimed to have seen her over a period of time. (wikipedia)

Very negative media articles together with sham "Holy Rose Petals" dealers, caused Teresita to leave the convent in the 1950s. This, together with the Church's negative report, kept these apparitions hidden for some 40 years.

As a consequence, the Church has now set up a new committee to investigate the apparitions.

For more information, please contact: Sr. Celine Gutierrez, ocd Shrine of Our Lady, Mary, Mediatrix of All Grace Torres St., Antipolo, Lipa City, Batangas, Philippines


http://www.christusrex.org/www1/apparitions/pr00013.htm (undated)

Our Lady warned that there would be persecutions; the convent was sealed, and the nuns could talk to no one outside of the convent.

In February 1990, a strange new phenomenon was reported in the Granja District of Lipa City. A white luminous outline of a female in prayer began to appear on one of the leaves of a tall coconut tree. It was visible only in the evenings. On May 21, 1990, Sr. Alphonse pleaded on her deathbed that the Mediatrix statue be again exposed in the chapel at the Carmelite convent. Her request was granted the very next day. It would be the first time the statue would be displayed for 40 years!

On January 24, 1991, rose petals began to fall straight from the sky again at the Carmelite convent in Lipa City. A few days later, six children playing in the garden at the convent saw the statue come to life.

It is also reported that Teresita received a Host for Holy Communion on her tongue from an angel on an occasion when she was unable to attend Mass because she was sick in bed. Teresita had other mystical experiences including visions of the Sacred Heart, a multitude of angels, St. Cecilia, St. Theresa of Lisieux, and many other saints. The seer was also seen to go into a state of unconsciousness, and then, while lying on the floor, enact the agony of Christ on the Cross. This phenomenon was witnessed by the prioress, Bishop Obviar, and members of the Carmel community at Lipa.

There was much commotion, and the Bishop and Mother Prioress were released of their jobs. The nuns were ordered to destroy all materials connected with the apparitions. They burned Teresita's diary, as well as the Mother Prioress'. The statue was also ordered to be destroyed, but the nuns kept it away, and saved it from destruction.


Our Lady Mediatrix of All Grace
Nostra Domina Mediatrix ad Tota Gratia
The original image of Our Lady, Mary Mediatrix of All Grace enshrined today in Carmel; Lipa, Batangas. (wikipedia image)

During the apparitions in 1948, Our Lady stressed humility, penance, prayers for the clergy and the Pope, and to pray the Rosary. Teresita reported that there was one secret for herself, one for the Carmel convent in Lipa City, one for China, and also one for the entire world.

Our Lady requested that a Mass be held on the 12th day of every month. Before She departed for the last time, the Blessed Virgin identified Herself as:

"I am the Mediatrix of All Grace".

There are accounts of a blue bird appearing at the vine where Our Lady appeared. There are also accounts of the spinning sun, heavy fragrance of roses, and showers of rose petals that had miraculous images of Christ, Mary, and other Holy Scenes on them. The rose petals (pictured) are reported to have remarkable curing powers.

some background:

Lipa, Philippines

"Our Lady, Mediatrix of All Grace"

[In] 1948 Our Blessed Mother appeared 19 times to a novice in the Carmelite order in Lipa City, Philippines. Our Lady first appeared to the novice, Teresita Castillo, in August, when she was in her cell.

While Teresita was praying in the convent garden on September 12, suddenly a vine began to shake. Our Lady appeared to the seer and requested that she kiss the earth and return to the same spot for fifteen consecutive days.

When Our Lady appeared, She was on a cloud, dressed in white, hands clasped, and a golden Rosary hanging from Her right hand. Her dress was very white, very simple, and had a narrow belt tied around Her. She was radiant with beauty.

Our Lady requested the vine to be blessed, and also requested that a statue was to be placed at the site of the apparition. These were all accomplished.

The Prayer

Most Blessed Virgin Mary, amid the crisis brought about by the territorial claims of China, we come to your presence seeking your queenly protection and motherly help. We pray for peace and the safety of the Philippines, as we keep in mind the spiritual welfare of those who advance their territorial claims to the detriment of the security of our country.

May the love of your Maternal Heart attract the Chinese people to your Son, Jesus. May your Immaculate Heart be the center from which the rays of the light and love for the Sacred Heart will radiate forth throughout China, becoming for them the unquenchable fountain from which the living water of the Divine Mercy will flow. Through your intercession, may the Lord grace the Chinese people with faith, hope and love, that by your maternal mediation of grace, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit will be worshipped and glorified in that vast expanse of land. (Adapted from a message of Jesus to Sister Lucy of Fatima as documented in a letter of the Seer to the Bishop of Gurza, May 27, 1943)

Remember O most gracious Virgin that the Philippines is your beloved “Pueblo Amante de Maria” and that we belong to you absolutely, totally, always and forever. We are all yours and all that we have is yours, O most loving Jesus through Mary, Mediatrix of All Grace. (Imprimatur: Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, June 19)


from http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/165735/cardinal-vidal-reveals-1949-secret-of-lipa-pray-hard-for-china

“It is thus to the Queen of Prophets under her title of Mediatrix of All Grace to whom we will have recourse in order to avert the buildup of tension and to check the territorial ambitions of this Asian superpower. It is by following this path of prayer and penance sounded out in Fatima and reiterated at Lipa that our beloved Philippines will be spared the scourge of war and the domination of a communist giant.

The Philippines cannot by any stretch of the imagination equal or overtake China in economic growth or prevail in a military confrontation. China can bring to bear its huge financial, material and human resources, as well as its advanced military capability in any struggle with a smaller and poorer country like the Philippines with its ill-equipped armed forces. The first and only line of defense the Philippines has is the mantle of protection provided by the Blessed Virgin Mary. Only She can help us! To whom then shall we go?

PURELY PERSONAL

Cardinal Vidal reveals 1949 ‘Secret of Lipa’: ‘Pray hard for China’

By: Josephine Darang
Philippine Daily Inquirer
July 13th, 2014


MARY Mediatrix of All Grace prophesied on Oct. 17, 1949, to Teresita Castillo that China wants to destroy the world, including the Philippines.

Cardinal Ricardo J. Vidal, archbishop emeritus of Cebu, has written to the Philippine bishops that on Oct. 17, 1949, Mary Mediatrix of All Grace appeared to Teresita Castillo and said, “Pray hard for China’s dream is to invade the whole world. The Philippines is one of its favorites. Money is the evil force that will lead the people of the world to destruction.”

Castillo was a young Carmelite nun then in Lipa City.  And the incident was known as the Lipa Apparitions.

Before becoming Cebu patriarch, Vidal was Lipa archbishop.

Vidal said the last part of the message “gives us a reason to be hopeful.” It read: “Prayers. Sacrifices, self-denials and the daily recitation of the Holy Rosary will soften the heart of my Son as I said before.”

maybe it's not too late for our own presidential wannabe binay to take a cue? who knows his son might follow suit, siya nga payongan pa intawon ug bodyguard bisag wa mag-uwan; shades of imelda.  the only difference is lalaki si junjun.  argh.

Uruguay bids farewell to Jose Mujica, its pauper president

Wyre Davies
Rio de Janeiro correspondent
1 March 2015

Jose Mujica is often referred to as the president most other countries would rather have, as Wyre Davies reports



Whatever your own particular "shade" of politics, it's impossible not to be impressed or beguiled by Jose "Pepe" Mujica.

There are idealistic, hard-working and honest politicians the world over - although cynics might argue they're a small minority - but none of them surely comes anywhere close to the outgoing Uruguayan president when it comes to living by one's principles.

It's not just for show. Mr Mujica's beat-up old VW Beetle is probably one of the most famous cars in the world and his decision to forgo the luxury of the Presidential Palace is not unique - his successor, Tabare Vazquez, will also probably elect to live at home.

But when you visit "Pepe" at his tiny, one-storey home on the outskirts of Montevideo you realise that the man is as good as his word.


Mr Mujica leaves office with Uruguay's economy in better shape than its bigger neighbours


Wearing what could best be described as "casual" clothes - I don't think he's ever been seen wearing a tie - Mr Mujica seats himself down on a simple wooden stool in front of a bookshelf that seems on the verge of collapsing under the weight of biographies and mementoes from his political adversaries and allies.



Books are important to the former guerrilla fighter who spent a total of 13 years in jail, two of them lying at the bottom of an old horse trough. It was an experience that almost broke him mentally and which shaped his transformation from fighter to politician.


more at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-31679475

the maritime game officially begins...

china actually did it earlier to the u.s.:

"Chinese navy ships entered U.S. territorial waters off Alaska in September, coming within 12 miles of the coastline during President Barack Obama's visit to the state, U.S. officials told CNN at the time.

The officials said that China's actions were consistent with "'innocent passage' under international maritime law."

Another U.S. defense official told CNN that the operation was "routine" and was in accordance with international law.

"We will fly, sail and operate anywhere in the world that international law allows," the official said.

"U.S. Freedom of Navigation operations are global in scope and executed against a wide range of excessive maritime claims, irrespective of the coastal state advancing the excessive claim," the official added.

His comments echoed those of State Department spokesman John Kirby, who said Monday that a country didn't need to consult another "when you are exercising the right of freedom of navigation in international waters." On Tuesday, Kirby reiterated his point and said it was "a right, it's a principle."

-more at http://edition.cnn.com/2015/10/27/asia/us-china-south-china-sea/index.html

Multifora Ramblers



Such a beautiful sight. The Multiflora rambling rose 'Goldfinch'. This one will only grow to 12 feet. It is fragrant, and spectacular even though it only has a short bloom period.



The Multiflora rambler 'Ghislaine de Feligonde' from France in 1916. This rose is often classed as a climber and it has confused me quite a bit. But no longer, because its parentage is 'Goldfinch x Seedling'. That's good enough for me. It's a Rambler. It's almost thornless, it is fragrant and its height is about 10 feet.



'Veilchenblau' Rambler 1909. This rambling rose will grow to 20 feet, is once-flowering with a moderate fragrance. It is a very popular rose.


If you love purple, this one is for you.  The lovely Wichurana Rosa 'Donau'.


Another Wichurana to finish with.  'American Pillar'. Will grow to 23 feet and was introduced into the USA in 1902. It has little or no fragrance, but just look what happens when it flowers just once. A whole bunch together. Perfect.


Close up of American Pillar


all-my-favourite-flower-names.com

Wichurana Ramblers


The Stunning Rose 'Albertine'

The Wichuranas are named after the German botanist Max Ernst Wichura (1817â€"1866). While the Wichuranas are beautiful and popular in themselves, they are also known to be the parents of 'Dorothy Perkins', the stunning 'Alberic Barbier', 'New Dawn' and 'Albertine'. 'Albertine' is a rose you will fall in love with at first sight.

Wichuranas are so determined to grow, that they will often take over everything in their path. Life with a Wichurana is not easy, unless you love regular pruning to save your pergola or even your house.  Be careful where you put them. My Banksia, however, was well-behaved and only reached the top of the plum tree in fifteen years. The other one I had was trained around a huge water tank. It looked so beautiful because it flowered at the same time as the Lily of the Valley below it. But I was very disappointed with the short bloom time. On the other hand, my Mum's Banksia Rose was so vigorous, she had to have it taken out.


The tough award winning Wichurana Rambler 'New Dawn'. AARS  Winner. 2000.

Not only is it easy to keep, it is very fragrant. It was developed in 1930 and is repeat flowering with 3" blooms and looks divine over an archway or a trellis against a wall. Modern climbers were based upon this very special rose which is a real winner among the disease resistant roses. This rose will grow to 18 feet. New Dawn was inducted into the Rose Hall of Fame in 1997.


Dorothy Perkins'.

The first rose ever to have been named after a person. Introduced in 1906 by Miller, who worked for Jackson and Perkins in the USA.


There's even a 'White Dorothy Perkins'


The beautiful Hybrid Wichurana Rose 'Alberic Barbier'


The beautiful Wichurana Rose 'Awakening'. Awakening is a sport of the sensational 'New Dawn'


Another Wichurana beauty: Francois Juranville



Rambling  Wichurana Banksia Rose. Named after Sir Joseph Banks' wife. This rambling Wichurana will grow to 20 feet in Spring. I have grown this but was disappointed by the short flowering period. However, if I had known more, I would have planted roses that flower at different times in succession such as planting ramblers with climbing roses timed to take over when one left off. Just as we plant annuals and perennials which flower at different times, we can also do the same with roses. It does take a lot of thinking and planning but the long term result will be amazing.

There are three different types of Ramblers: the Sempervirens, the Multiforas and the Wichurana Ramblers.

Sempervirens Ramblers



Rosa 'Adelaide d' Orleans'. Bred by Antoine Jacques in France 1826. Jacques was the head gardener to the Duc d'Orleans from 1842 to 1834, hence its name. This gorgeous Sempervirens rambling rose will grow from 14 - 15 feet. It is very fragrant and blooms in Spring. It is a wonderful cover for pergolas, arches and of course, for privacy. It has small, double pale pink blooms which are cup-shaped. Very pretty.



Another Sempervirens rambling rose, 'Felicite et Perpetue'. Also bred by Jacques in 1828. This rambler is extremely tough and disease resistant and its perfume is said to be like the Primrose. Apparently Felicite and Perpetue were twin sisters. The only rose named after two people.

The Rambling Rose has several unique qualities which sets it apart from the Climbing Rose. Ramblers are distinctly different from the Climbing Roses in that they have blooms in clusters of seven (the climbers have clusters of five) and their leaves are in groups of seven (the climbers have groups of five).


The Leaves of a Rambling Rose

Rambling roses have stems (canes) which are more flexible than the Climbers, so they are much easier to train on a trellis, over an archway, or even across the ground as a beautiful ground cover.

all images from various online sources including FB

The Catherine wheel or pinwheel is a type of firework consisting of a powder-filled spiral tube, or an angled rocket mounted with a pin through its centre. When ignited, it rotates quickly, producing a display of sparks and coloured flame.

The firework is named after Catherine of Alexandria who, according to Christian legend, was condemned to death by “breaking on the wheel”. When she touched the wheel it miraculously flew to pieces.

The largest Catherine wheel ever made was designed by the Lily Fireworks Factory of Mqabba, Malta. The Catherine wheel had a diameter of 32.044 m (105 ft 1.6 in), and was lit on 18 June 2011, the eve of the annual feast of Our Lady of the Lilies.


Catherine wheel at Qala, Malta

wikipedia

A cosmic Catherine wheel! Hubble captures dazzling image of a swirling starburst galaxy that lies 16 million light-years away



The image shows the galaxy Messier 94, which lies in the small northern constellation of the Hunting Dogs. Within the so-called starburst ring, new stars can be seen forming at a rapid rate. Experts say the cause of this peculiarly shaped star-forming region is likely a pressure wave going outwards from the centre of the galaxy, compressing the gas and dust in the outer region.

i've always used "wrack" in this context because "rack" reminds me of a home furniture (shoe rack, magazine rack, wine rack, etc.).

Some people prefer "nerve-wracking" because they associate it with wrecking - the wording "nervous wreck" is recorded as early as 1871.

It was always likely that rack and wrack should overlap. Wr- at the start of a word has been hard to pronounce from the time when w began to sound in Old English as it does today.

Other Germanic languages do not have this problem as they pronounce wr- as vr-. So does the Scots Doric dialect.

Some experts believe that increasingly either the two consonants were reversed (as in "Rwanda") or the w was silent. The latter is certainly what happened from the 18th century on.

Like the pronunciation, the meanings of racking and wracking are hardly far apart.

In the First Folio edition of Henry VI, a character is said to be: "Like a man new haled (newly hauled) from the Wrack."

Surely, "from the Rack"? Some later editions thought so. Or is it really "Wrack" meaning "punishment" or "destruction"? We cannot tell. And Shakespeare - who meant it to be said, not spelt - may not have cared.


Did Shakespeare mean Rack or Wrack - or didn't he care?

BBC

In Milton's Paradise Lost (1667) humanity's coming afflictions include "Joint-racking Rheums" while the expression "Racking your brains" goes back at least as far as 1680.

In the early 20th Century "nerve-wracking" also began to appear - in the Times it was in an advert in 1905, and a 1910 news report on Peary's planned polar expedition. The New York Times wrote "the air of America is invigorating and nerve-wracking" in 1908.

"Wrack" comes from another set of Germanic words with meanings shading from revenge into punishment and destruction, including "wreak" and "wreck".

The 14th Century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight sums up the history of Britain as "werre and wrake (war and wrack) and wonder".

Paradise Lost has heaven nearly "gone to wrack, with ruin overspred" - the phrase "wrack and ruin" had already been in use for 100 years.



"Wrack" as a word for seaweed seems to come from its being forced ashore like wreckage

The Vocabularist: Nerve-racking or nerve-wracking?

The Vocabularist
Words unpicked
27 October 2015


The poet Shelley used the phrase "nerve-racking" in a letter in 1812.


If something makes you very anxious is it nerve-racking or nerve-wracking?

The first recorded use of nerve-racking is in a letter by the poet Shelley in 1812, telling his friend he is glad to be away from the "nerve-racking and spirit-quelling metropolis".

But "rack" - from a family of English words to do with stretching - had long been used in connection with torture, and often applied to parts of the body.

Little harm

Prof Tim Key, from the Cancer Research UK and the University of Oxford, said: "This decision doesn't mean you need to stop eating any red and processed meat, but if you eat lots of it you may want to think about cutting down.

"Eating a bacon bap every once in a while isn't going to do much harm - having a healthy diet is all about moderation."

Dr Teresa Norat, one of the advisors to the WHO report and from Imperial College London, said there were many factors causing bowel cancer.

She told BBC News website: "People should limit consumption of red meat and avoid consuming processed meat, but they should also have a diet rich in fibre, from fruit and vegetables and maintain an adequate body weight throughout life and limit the consumption of alcohol and be physically active."

The industry body the Meat Advisory Panel said "avoiding red meat in the diet is not a protective strategy against cancer" and said the focus should be alcohol, smoking and body weight.

BBC

Red meat does have nutritional value too and is a major source of iron, zinc and vitamin B12.

However, the WHO said there was limited evidence that 100g of red meat a day increased the risk of cancer by 17%.

An eight ounce steak is 225g.


Thinkstock

The WHO said its findings were important for helping countries give balanced dietary advice.

How bad?

The WHO has come to the conclusion on the advice of its International Agency for Research on Cancer, which assesses the best available scientific evidence.

It has now placed processed meat in the same category as plutonium, but also alcohol as they definitely do cause cancer.

However, this does not mean they are equally dangerous. A bacon sandwich is not as bad as smoking.

"For an individual, the risk of developing colorectal (bowel) cancer because of their consumption of processed meat remains small, but this risk increases with the amount of meat consumed," Dr Kurt Straif from the WHO said.

Is processed meat going to kill me?

Estimates suggest 34,000 deaths from cancer every year could be down to diets high in processed meat.

In context

21%  of bowel cancers are caused by processed or red meat
86%  of lung cancers are caused by tobacco
19%  of all cancers caused by tobacco compared to
3%  of all cancers ascribed to red or processed meat

Source: Cancer Research UK
PA

That is in contrast to one million deaths from cancer caused by smoking and 600,000 attributed to alcohol each year.

It is the chemicals involved in the processing which could be increasing the risk of cancer. High temperature cooking, such as on a barbecue, can also create carcinogenic chemicals.

In the UK, around six out of every 100 people get bowel cancer at some point in their lives.

If they were all had an extra 50g of bacon a day for the rest of their lives then the risk would increase by 18% to around seven in 100 people getting bowel cancer.

"So that's one extra case of bowel cancer in all those 100 lifetime bacon-eaters," argued Sir David Spiegelhalter, a risk professor from the University of Cambridge.

What is processed meat?

Processed meat has been modified to either extend its shelf life or change the taste and the main methods are smoking, curing, or adding salt or preservatives.

Simply putting beef through a mincer does not mean the resulting mince is "processed" unless it is modified further.

Processed meat includes bacon, sausages, hot dogs, salami, corned beef, beef jerky and ham as well as canned meat and meat-based sauces.

Processed meats do cause cancer - WHO

26 October 2015


Thinkstock

Processed meats - such as bacon, sausages and ham - do cause cancer, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Its report said 50g of processed meat a day - less than two slices of bacon - increased the chance of developing colorectal cancer by 18%.
Meanwhile, it said red meats were "probably carcinogenic" but there was limited evidence.

The WHO did stress that meat also had health benefits.

Cancer Research UK said this was a reason to cut down rather than give up red and processed meats.

And added that an occasional bacon sandwich would do little harm.

USS Lassen


(US Navy photo)

#The ship is an Arleigh Burke class missile destroyer, which the US Navy says is among the most powerful destroyers ever built.

#It is 155m (509ft) long with a displacement of 9,145 tonnes when fully loaded.

#Crewed by a staff of about 330.

#It carries two Seahawk helicopters and uses the Aegis defence system.

#Weapons include Tomahawk missiles, RUM-139 Asroc anti-submarine missiles and surface-to-air missiles.

Source: US Navy
BBC

ooops...

***

Anecdotal evidence suggests that huge sums of money are being invested in this election by the two families to purchase the loyalty of community opinion-makers. In my home town, the Marcos family is said to have distributed bags of money to key families. Goods have been generously supplied to poor residents . . . tin and lumber and food.

(underscoring mine)

more at http://joeam.com/2015/10/22/binay-and-marcos-dumbing-down-the-philippines/

BINAY AND MARCOS: DUMBING DOWN THE PHILIPPINES

Posted by Joe America on October 22, 2015 · 249 Comments
stupid hollywood-elsewhere dot com


[Photo credit: hollywood-elsewhere.com]
____________

Let us start with an understanding of terms.

The term “dumbing down” originated in 1933 as movie-business slang, used by motion picture screenplay writers, meaning: “[to] revise so as to appeal to those of little education or intelligence”. [Wiki]

We have two national candidates who are engaged in dumbing down the Philippines. It is the only way they can get elected. Distinguished Senator Miriam Santiago has chosen one of them as her running mate, certifying that she is ever the jokester, always willing to tread the path less traveled.
The problem is, it is just not funny.

It is the choice between backward and forward.

The Binay and Marcos families want certain information taken out of the public record and new information placed in that record. By recasting the look of things, they seek to persuade a broad swath of the Philippine voting population to vote them into prominence in the 2016 election.

This, of course, is the exact opposite of what we commonly hold as virtues: honesty and transparency and raising the nation up, both economically and in terms of being an honorable and purposeful place. It is akin to propaganda of ill motive, or brainwashing. The two families seek to remove factual records from view and replace them with fictitious records.

The sea is a strategically vital waterway with shipping lanes through which about a third of all the world's traded oil passes, and the dispute has raised fears of clashes.

"We have been clear that we take no position on competing territorial sovereignty claims to land features in the South China Sea," the US defense official said.


Alleged on-going reclamation by China on Mischief Reef in the Spratly group of islands in the South China Sea, is shown in this aerial shot taken on May 11, 2015 (AFP Photo/Ritchie B. Tongo)

"We will fly, sail, and operate anywhere in the world that international law allows."

The official insisted that freedom of navigation operations, which are global in scope, are "not directed at any specific country."

Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam -- members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) -- also claim parts of the sea. Taiwan is a sixth claimant.

yahoo.com

"We are conducting routine operations in the South China Sea in accordance with international law," the official said.

"US forces operate in the Asia-Pacific region on a daily basis, including in the South China Sea."


A Philippine soldier patrols a beach on Pagasa Island (Thitu Island) in the Spratly group of islands in the South China Sea, west of Palawan, on May 11, 2015 (AFP Photo/Ritchie B. Tongo)

The official stressed that these operations are "distinct from the question of sovereignty over these islands."

Beijing insists it has sovereign rights to nearly all of the South China Sea, even waters close to the coasts of other states.

US warship sails near islands claimed by China: official

AFP
37 minutes ago (27 October 2015)


An airstrip appears to be constructed on Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea, as shown in this DigitalGlobe satellite image from April 2, 2015

Washington (AFP) - A US Navy destroyer navigated within 12 nautical miles of artificial islands China is building in the South China Sea, a US defense official said.

The USS Lassen sailed in waters surrounding at least one of the land formations claimed by China in the disputed Spratly Islands chain early Tuesday local time, the official told AFP.

Tensions have mounted since China transformed reefs in the area -- also claimed by several neighboring countries -- into small islands capable of supporting military facilities, a move the US says threatens freedom of navigation.

Washington has repeatedly said it does not recognize Chinese claims to territorial waters around the artificial islands.

The fact that there is a real clamor for Duterte shows more about the Philippines today than it does about the man.

There is a zeitgeist for change, a real yearning to stop corruption (which helped get Aquino elected in 2010), and a sizeable youth vote. At latest estimates, Comelec puts that to about 39 million potential voters.

For the Philippines' 100 million people with a median age of 22 years old, 2016 may herald the first social media elections. Up to 46 million Filipinos are on Facebook alone. With such a crowded field of presidential candidates, it's expected to take less than 20 million votes to win.

For Filipinos looking for an alternative to the status quo, someone with a track record of governance, someone who has courage and vision, Duterte seems to offer a possibility of real change.

Two questions remain: will he risk it and run? And will Comelec allow him to?

He says December 10 is his new deadline.

“If I’m there, wala ng indecisive, indecisive,” he said. “Putang ina, sumunod kayong lahat. When I say that you have to stop f***** the people’s money, stop it!” â€" Rappler.com

Contradiction 6: Decisive and indecisive about the presidency

Perhaps the biggest contradiction of the moment is how such a decisive man could be so indecisive about running for the Philippines’ top job.

He gave the reasons of family, health, funding and machinery â€" each of which he explained and then debunked as standing in his way. Sources close to Duterte say he’s still grappling with campaign funds, which he denied. Critics say #duterteserye, what many have called his back and forth, is a carefully planned tactic. While there may be some truth to that, the time we spent with him showed the reason may be more personal.

For someone concerned about legacy, what would happen if he tried and failed? For someone whose pride borders on arrogance, what if his lifelong lessons on leadership aren’t enough?

What seems clear is that he isn’t willing to settle, even if it means he is assassinated, which if he succeeds, he added, is a distinct possibility.

“I’m telling the Filipino people, huwag ako. It’s going to be bloody,” he said. “Because I will not sit there as President and just like any other regime, sabihin ko, iyan lang ang kaya ko … pero pag nilagay ninyo ako, do not f*** with me.”

https://youtu.be/cSSsafAMTpI

Contradiction 5: Sexist and gay rights supporter

Although he openly admits he’s a male chauvinist often shown in his sometimes sexist remarks, he put in place progressive policies, supporting and funding LGBT activists. He also supports gay marriage.

These positions remain controversial in Asia's largest Catholic nation - roughly 85% Christian, most Roman Catholic. In the early years, it took courage to stand up to the Church, which lobbied hard against reproductive health and sex education. Outside the Vatican, the Philippines is the only other place where divorce is illegal.

Contradiction 4: Womanizer and women's rights advocate

A known womanizer, Duterte has also funded and supports women’s rights. A lead activist for gender equality, Irene Santiago, says he has done much to empower women in Davao. Santiago gained global prominence as a key organizer of the Beijing Women's Conference in 1995, personally thanked by Hillary Clinton on the main stage.

Duterte supported the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill through the years it languished in Congress, pushing family planning and population control in his area of influence. In 2012, while Congress and the Church debated RH, Davao City was already giving out free contraceptives.

Contradiction 3: Leftist and dictator

The self-confessed leftist admits he is a dictator. It’s clear he has a vision for the country and that he built it on his lessons learned as Davao’s leader.

The Philippines under Duterte’s leadership would be a dictatorship because “if you become the president, you do not only change leaders, you have to change the Filipino himself.”

“Kasi ang Filipino ngayon, hindi mo masabihan na obey the law.” Duterte changes his tone (Today, you can't even tell the Filipino to obey the law). “Sabihin mo sa kanya, THIS is the law. Putang ina, pag hindi mo sinunod ang batas, putang ina ka sa akin.” (You ought to tell him: This is the law. You'd be damned if you did not follow the law, you'd be damned.)

Curses and expletives peppered his answers. Duterte is nothing but authentic. His years in power made him aware of what he wanted to say on the record and what he told us off the record â€" with a caveat that when the proper time came, we could release his insights. His honesty was refreshing.

He said that one of his first steps to eliminating corruption would to be to drop discretionary funds like the Priority Development Assistance Fund, known as the pork barrel. As president, he would only take his salary and would expect Congress to do the same. If lawmakers try to impeach him, he said he would not hesitate to shut it down.

“It’s going to be a dictatorship,” he added. “It’s the police and the military who will be the backbone. If they agree with you â€" if the right-thinking policemen and military men agree with you â€" then after 6 years, there will be a new set-up: maybe a federal type, less corruption, and a fresh air for the next generation.”

Could any of the presidential candidates â€" Vice President Jejomar Binay, former Secretary Mar Roxas, Senator Grace Poe and Senator Miriam Santiago â€" change the political structures in the Philippines?

“Anybody of them, you will still suffer,” he quickly answered before qualifying his statement. “I’m not saying they cannot hack it. What I’m saying is … I don’t know whether they can do what I said I could do.”

There are other interesting contradictions.

Contradiction 2: Are all killers equal?

Not all killers are equal and motives matter, giving some insight into why he has at the very least supported extrajudicial killings. Duterte makes a distinction between criminals and rebels, proudly saying that he “belongs to the Left.”

“They’re two different things,” he said. “One is for pocket, and the other one is ideology. Here is a rebel, and they’re fighting as a matter of principle. And here are idiots â€" the criminals. Because they line their pockets for gain. Personal gain. There’s no redeeming factor in killing people, robbing them, raping them.”

He reiterated he has no qualms about killing these killers and goes a step further.

“I must admit I have killed,” said Davao’s mayor, who said he is willing to do it to protect his people.

To understand Duterte’s appeal to Filipino voters, understand the context: that institutions are weak at best and law and order is patchy in many parts of the country. Violence is part of the political landscape, and it gets worse during elections.

The worst election-related violence in the world happened in the Philippines in November, 2009, when 58 people were killed, including the largest number of journalists killed in one instance.

For the 2010 presidential elections, the police say 155 people died, including 22 assassinated candidates.

Duterte said the way to stop the violence is to use violence, establish a rule of law, and change the overall political system.

He says it’s time to turn an oligarchic system run by the political elite upside down and act on the gap between the rich and the poor.

“Ayan, yang cliché na iyan: the poor is getting poorer; the rich is getting richer. They utter it every election. Every candidate. Why don’t you just do it? Just shut up, and just do it.

“Would you be able to do it?” I asked.

“I will,” he answered.

His supporters believe him because of what he did in Davao. They say his words mirror his actions. They point to his humble lifestyle and home, signs they add, that he is not corrupt.

Critics respond that there is a huge difference between running a city and running a country.

Contradiction 1: Breaking the law

Brusque but charming and confident, Duterte is a man of contradictions, starting with his insistence on maintaining the rule of law while at the same time being equally adamant about breaking the law to bring order.

Refreshingly and brutally frank, Duterte spelled everything out in our interview on October 22, 2015: “I had to act decisively. Let me just say there were things which I had to do because I had to do them. Nobody was going to do it for Davao City.”

“Like what,” I asked.

“Like the ones that people are crying about until now.”

“You’re talking human rights?” I asked. Duterte’s been implicated in extrajudicial killings and linked to what’s been called the Davao Death Squad, a vigilante group that many believe was responsible for the presumed deaths of more than 700 people who disappeared between 2005 and 2008.

“Yes, of course,” he answered. “It’s a public record that cases have been filed against me, and they say that my name was even in the High Commission of the Human Rights Commission of the United States. Well, that’s part of a day’s work, I would say.”

“Any regrets?” I followed up.

“None. None. If I will return to the original day then I would still do it because that’s the only way that I could keep the peace in Davao and how it could develop into what you see now.”

City officials boast that it’s one of only 3 areas in the world to have an Integrated Emergency Response System 911 (with Canada and parts of the US) that works and brings help within minutes.

There is tremendous respect and admiration for Duterte in Davao, where a movement that gathered millions of signatures â€" far more than its one-a-half million people - is pushing him to run for president in the 2016 elections.

Although he missed the deadline to file his candidacy, a technicality could allow him to still run. He says he has until December 10, 2015 to decide.

In public office since the people power revolt in 1986, he ran and won as mayor of Davao City in 1988 until he hit his 3-term limit in 1998. He then ran for the House of Representatives and represented the 1st District of Davao City. He was elected to his 4th term as mayor in Davao in 2001 and reelected again in 2004 and 2007. Hitting his term limit a second time, he ran as vice mayor to his daughter until he received a new mandate as mayor in 2013.

In terms of land mass, Davao is the world’s largest city, and Duterte’s leadership helped transform it from the chaos of the 1980’s â€" a safe haven for criminals and rebels â€" to what residents now proclaim as an oasis of peace today. IBM proudly announces that Davao is the first "smart city" in the Philippines, integrating technology and big data from public services for a real-time dashboard to better deal with crime prevention, emergency response, threat prevention & response and traffic management.

Duterte, his 6 contradictions and planned dictatorship

The reluctant presidential bet says he will make his final decision on December 10, 2015. But he warns that once he wins, 'Putang ina, sumunod kayong lahat.'



Maria A. Ressa
October 26, 2015

DAVAO CITY, Philippines â€" If 70-year-old Rodrigo Duterte became President of the Philippines, he would work to make 3 things happen. He counted them on the fingers of one hand: “I would stop corruption, stop criminality, and fix government,” he said forcefully.

Here’s what makes him different: he’s willing to kill to make that happen.

“When I said I’ll stop criminality, I’ll stop criminality,” said one of the Philippines’ longest serving mayors. “If I have to kill you, I’ll kill you. Personally.”

I held his gaze to see if he meant what he said. He did. His track record proves it.

He refused to leave the scene of the accident. A local reporter described the scene:


Russell Colburn @RussellANjax
SAD. Neighbors believe woman was walking her dog. This one has been lying down, alone near crash scene for some time
7:34 PM - 23 Oct 2015

He stayed at the crash site for hours â€" even after his owner’s body was removed. It must have made him feel close to her.


Source: ActionNewsJax

When Kelly’s family arrived, Paco was overjoyed to see humans he loved.



No doubt, he and Kelly’s family will need each other to help them recover from this horrible tragedy.

Feature image and h/t Action News Jax.
barkpost.com

Loyal Dog Refuses To Leave Site Of Horrific Car Accident That Took His Owner’s Life



Regina Lizik
24 October 2015

Police in Jacksonville, Florida found Kelly Black, 42, dead in the middle of the road this week. A tractor-trailer hit her, dragging her body into the road. Police believe the driver had no idea he had hit Kelly.

Kelly was walking her dog at the time of the accident. Her dog, Paco, was physically unharmed, but emotionally, his heart was broken.

Quote from: hubag bohol on July 03, 2014, 10:07:42 PM

Quote from: hubag bohol on February 28, 2014, 08:53:40 PM

han solo and chewbacca, long, long ago in a galaxy far away... cutie cute!

The question, "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?" has been used many times as a dismissal of medieval angelology in particular, and of scholasticism in general. The phrase has been used also to criticize figures such as Duns Scotus and Thomas Aquinas. Another variety of the question is: "How many angels can sit on the head of a pin?"

The need for rationality as complementary to faith was raised as an important point for Catholic theology at the Council of Trent.[2] The question has also been linked to the fall of Constantinople, with the imagery of scholars debating about minutiae while the Turkish besieged the city. In modern usage, it therefore has been used as a metaphor for wasting time debating topics of no practical value, or questions whose answers hold no intellectual consequence, while more urgent concerns pile up. (wikipedia)

Singapore, one of the worst hit, on Sunday urged fellow ASEAN members to take "firm and decisive action" against the lethal haze ahead of a group summit in Malaysia next month.

The city-state issued the call after Singaporean troops and firefighters returned from an international assistance mission in Indonesia's Sumatra island.

Experts say Typhoon Koppu, which passed over the northern tip of the Philippines last week, may have contributed to the problem in the archipelago by dragging the smoke across from Indonesia.


yahoo.com

Six flights to central and southern islands were cancelled or delayed Sunday due to the thickening smog, after thousands were left stranded over the past 10 days.

Pilots flying in the central city of Cebu could only see eight kilometres (five miles) ahead, said government weather observer John Agbay, adding that visibility was also impaired in the western island of Palawan.

Indonesian forest fires are an annual occurence, but dry weather has made them particularly bad this year and Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and Japan have all sent help to fight the blazes.

While the haze in the Philippines has been mild compared to other parts of Southeast Asia, the smoke has been largely unexpected as the islands affected lie thousands of kilometres away from the fires.

Philippines cancels flights, alerts hospitals over haze

25 October 2015


Thick haze, believed to be from Indonesia's forest fires, engulfs the city of Davao, on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao (AFP Photo/Dennis Jay Santos)

The Philippines cancelled flights and put hospitals on alert on Sunday, as its southern and central islands were covered by thickening haze from Indonesian forest fires.

International efforts to douse the blazes have done little to clear the air, and Filipino authorities warned ash levels were becoming increasingly dangerous in the southern islands.

"The department of health is advising those who have breathing problems or respiratory diseases to wear face masks in areas covered by haze," presidential spokesman Herminio Coloma told reporters.

Hospitals in the south were ready to receive anyone affected by the haze, he added.

images 6-23 from nydailynews.com