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Tiffany Johnson
September 17

This is the coolest guy he rescues stray dogs and every morning he takes them for a train ride by our building, i finally got the courage up to ask if I could take his pic! Love this and had to share!

you trained your dog well, bai hubs.

wow, and this was in 2013?  it seemed so current (dated august 4, 2015) in the fb post i came across.     

President Putin did, during his introductory remarks to a meeting of the Board of the Federal Migration Service in January 2012, speak words somewhat similar to the sentiments expressed in the item reproduced above, but with much more moderated language and a much less inflammatory tone:

On the whole, the adaptation of guest workers is a separate and comprehensive issue. We must create the conditions for immigrants to normally integrate into our society, learn Russian and, of course, respect our culture and traditions and abide by Russian law. In this regard, I believe that the decision to make learning the Russian language compulsory and administer exams is well grounded. To do so, we will need to carry out major organisational work and introduce corresponding legislative amendments. I'd like to ask the Federal Migration Service and other departments to submit specific proposals to the government. These proposals should be openly discussed with ethnic minorities as well as public and religious organisations. This should be mandatory for all guest workers regardless of their future employment.

Last updated:   11 June 2015

http://www.snopes.com/

There is no evidence that President Putin gave any such speech, however. The Speeches and Transcripts section of the official Russian presidential web site records no Putin speech of that nature on 4 February 2013 (or any other date up to April 2013, when this item first appeared), nor does a record or mention of anything like this speech appear elsewhere on that site or in any news accounts (Russian or foreign) published since then.

Moreover, this item is highly reminiscent (and appears to be a variant form of) an opinion piece originally written by an U.S. Air Force veteran shortly after the 9/11 attacks in 2001, versions of which have falsely been attributed to various world leaders (primarily the prime ministers of Australia and the UK) in the intervening years.

Origins:   This April 2013 item purports to reproduce a speech given by Russian president Vladimir Putin to the State Duma (the lower house of Russia's Federal Assembly) in which he demanded that minorities living in Russia (particularly Muslims) speak Russian and conform to Russian culture and laws and urged the Russian legislature to "have in mind the Russian national interest first" in order to avoid Muslims' "taking over Russia." At the conclusion of this speech he reportedly received a "five-minute standing ovation" from the gathered members of the assembly.

Claim:   A February 2013 speech by Russian president Vladimir Putin demanded that Muslim immigrants speak Russian and conform to Russian culture.



FALSE



Example:   [Collected via e-mail, April 2013]

The following was sent to me in an email. Please verify truth.

On February 04, 2013, Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, addressed the Duma, (Russian Parliament), and gave a speech about the tensions with minorities in Russia:

"In Russia live Russians. Any minority, from anywhere, if it wants to live in Russia, to work and eat in Russia, should speak Russian, and should respect the Russian laws. If they prefer Sharia Law, and live the life of Muslims then we advise them to go to those places where that's the state law. Russia does not need Muslim minorities. Minorities need Russia, and we will not grant them special privileges, or try to change our laws to fit their desires, no matter how loud they yell 'discrimination'. We will not tolerate disrespect of our Russian culture. We had better learn from the suicides of America, England, Holland and France, if we are to survive as a nation. The Muslims are taking over those countries and they will not take over Russia. The Russian customs and traditions are not compatible with the lack of culture or the primitive ways of Sharia Law and Muslims. When this honorable legislative body thinks of creating new laws, it should have in mind the Russian national interest first, observing that the Muslim minorities are not Russians.

The politicians in the Duma gave Putin a five minute standing ovation.

Vladimir Putin's speech - SHORTEST SPEECH EVER

On August 04, 2015, Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, addressed the Duma, (Russian Parliament), and gave a speech about the tensions with minorities in Russia:

In Russia, live like Russians. Any minority, from anywhere, if it wants to live in Russia, to work and eat in Russia, it should speak Russian, and should respect the Russian laws. If they prefer Sharia Law, and live the life of Muslim's then we advise them to go to those places where that's the state law.

Russia does not need Muslim minorities. Minorities need Russia, and we will not grant them special privileges, or try to change our laws to fit their desires, no matter how loud they yell 'discrimination'. We will not tolerate disrespect of our Russian culture. We better learn from the suicides of America, England, Holland and France, if we are to survive as a nation. The Muslims are taking over those countries and they will not take over Russia. The Russian customs and traditions are not compatible with the lack of culture or the primitive ways of Sharia Law and Muslims.

When this honourable legislative body thinks of creating new laws, it should have in mind the Russian national interest first, observing that the Muslims minorities are not Russians.

The politicians in the Duma gave Putin a five minute standing ovation.

-from Facebook, authorship attributed to "John Morrow"

aguy. kalooy sa doggie. giunsa kaha siya pagkahuman?

well, australia. excepting your change of heart, your treatment of 'boat people' migrants leaves much room to be desired. but you accepted camels in the 19th century to enslave them. and now this, the revenge of the camels. how about giving them australian citizenship?

Quote from: hubag bohol on September 21, 2015, 04:37:44 PM
Come on. Just maintain your healthy lifestyle, and you might very well exceed your life expectancy of 100,000 years...

i'm afraid, very afraid, that earth shall by then rendered too polluted because of me.

While the United States remains an incredible force in the world, there is no doubt that the combination of China and Russia represents a threat to US hegemony. So the US Administration will unquestionably wish to monitor the activities of China very closely, but any ability of the East Asian powerhouse to avoid such surveillance will certainly aid the position of China in the world.

With this in mind, there will be pressure on the United States to respond to China's gray zone activities, not merely with regard to monitoring and understanding them more clearly, but also by developing its own unique strategy. The United States certainly has the potential to leverage its superior capabilities, what remains to be seen is whether strategists in the US are capable of demonstrating the same level of geopolitical cunning and dexterity as their Chinese rivals.

http://www.valuewalk.com/

Gray zone response evolving

It is certainly the case that cyber attacks could ultimately result in death and destruction, but although the scale of the cyber warfare can be considered comparable to traditional war, the reality is that governments are still developing responses and expectations to such stratagems. China has taken full advantage of this uncertainty and gray area, with the United States still developing its policy in this arena.

The gray zone strategy of China can be considered particularly important, considering that the nation is probably the only real rival to US supremacy in the world. China and Russia have performed a clear allegiance in the last decade or so, as part of the BRICS grouping, and the two nations are increasingly acting in accordance on geopolitical issues.

The achievement of China to rapidly construct artificial islands in the disputed Spratlys earlier this year can certainly be seen as the latest Chinese gray zone victory. The audacity of the East Asian superpower to construct what are effectively military bases slap bang in the middle of an international waterway was shocking to the region and the United States administration, yet there have been minimal action against the Chinese policy in the region.

Washington ultimately responded through a statement by Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, that this was considered a rather limp effort considering the self-proclaimed military power of the US. Once upon a time, it was presumed that the United States could respond militarily to any situation without consideration, but it seems that the military might of China, coupled with its shrewd strategy in the region, has scuppered any US intelligence or ability to intervene.

Additionally, the attempts of China to engage in gray zone activities should not be considered limited to the South China Sea. Cyber attacks can certainly be considered part of this effort, and the Chinese state has sponsored numerous such efforts since the concept of state-sponsored cyber warfare became a mainstream media focus point.

China evades US surveillance

Such activities would naturally attract maritime surveillance, particularly from a major power such as the United States. It has already been reported that the US is monitoring Chinese manoeuvres in the region extremely closely, yet China has warded off this suspicion to a certain extent.

China has utilized cost-exchange ratio as a weapon against the United States. China has implemented a fleet of fishing boats, which have been internationally manoeuvring in order to create the risk of a collision. This previously drove a US surveillance ship by the name of Impeccable out of the region in 2009. China repeated his tactic in 2013, compelling the US cruiser worship Cowpens to abandon its observation of a Chinese naval exercise.

As the South China Sea situation develops, it is becoming a key theater in the ongoing geopolitical battle between the United States and China. There is no doubt that these two nations will remain in conflict with one another, at least figuratively, for the remainder of the 21st century, as both China and the United States have established themselves as economic powerhouses.

There is a huge debate regarding the way that this conflict will ultimately work out, but the existence of it is not seriously debated. The coming prominence of China was predicted by Zbgniew Brzezinski in his magnum opus, The Grand Chessboard, and many of the geopolitical themes that Brzezinski floated have indeed come to fruition at the beginning of the 21st century.

Meanwhile, China continues to implement the tactic of ordnance-free naval combat in the South China Sea, as its imperialistic strategy in the region develops. This has been evident for at least 12 months, since back in 2014 a significant flotilla of PRC escort vessels were utilized in order to protect a significant Chinese oil rig in the region. The Chinese policy at this time could certainly be considered hawkish, as it involved ramming Vietnamese boats, ultimately sinking one and forcing others to retire from the area in order to seek repair.

China's South Sea Strategy

The most notable example of this has been China's South China Sea strategy. In 2012, China began its manoeuvres in the region, establishing a permanent presence on the previously occupied Scarborough Shoal. Since then the Chinese effort in the South China Sea has become increasingly sustained and emboldened, and although the United States is clearly monitoring the region, the chances of any military retaliation at the time of writing seem to be fairly remote.

Officially, the actions of China in the region violate an agreement between Beijing and Manila that was previously brokered by Washington. But Beijing has suffered no real consequences for this breach, with the most serious outcome being diplomatic protests.

China Strategy Designed To Eject United States From Asia

Christopher Morris
September 20, 2015

As military manoeuvres between the United States and China continue, it seems that the East Asian powerhouse is beating the United States in the so-called ‘gray zone’. This may be an obtuse concept to many people, but the term gray zone refers to the attempts of a nation to make military gains at the expense of a strategic competitor via somewhat covert tactics. Although these tactics may be aggressive, they are still ultimately intended to remain below the level that usually constitutes conventional military retaliation.

from joe america---

My own personal wariness as to Grace Poe’s allegiance is a product of her deeds. It is cerebral more than emotional.

Judging by her deeds . . . not heritage . . . Grace Poe’s allegiance is fickle. It is fluid. It goes with expediency, not principle. Her avid willingness to criticize the standing government displays an odd lack of pride in the Philippines and the Aquino Administration’s considerable accomplishments.

Well, it’s much like her ability to offer up oaths here and there, on citizenship. To drop and swap allegiances as they suit her. Allegiance seems to be a tool for her, for her goals.

Her deeds, her words, here in the Philippines, in public office as a Senator, reflect that fluidity:

What patriotic senator would insert herself into Philippine foreign affairs and suggest a change in direction is to be expected with regard to America, unless it is because the statement would be popular among Filipinos? [“Grace Poe: PHL shouldn’t rely on US in West Philippine Sea dispute“; GMA News Online]

What realm of sacrifice for nation is embodied in her willingness to decline the offer of the Vice Presidency graciously presented by President Aquino?
What was gained from the Mamasapano hearings she chaired with Senator Escudero? A political result castigating the President, generals in tears, secrets dumped into public view, integrity of earnest peace negotiators questioned, and the BBL in tatters. No healing. No uplift of the nation. It is a rather peculiar way to demonstrate care-taking of nation. But it was great for her popularity as she surfed deftly onto the Mamasapano rage.
What was the meaning of her statement (again with Senator Escudero) saying that she did not support the BBL, a statement recanted the next day by Senator Escudero? What is the good Senator FOR, I often wonder. [“Poe, Escudero say they’re against BBL, lifting of limits“; Inquirer]

What was gained by her refusal to support law and order over a reckless Iglesia ni Cristo church seeking to avoid a police investigation by staging a mass protest?

So I look for dedication to the Philippines, and I see political play, angling for popularity rather than what is good for the nation.  I’m wary.
To tell the truth, I suspect that for many Filipinos, such logic will be irrelevant. What will be relevant is the widespread love/hate relationship that Filipinos have with the US, the hate attached to the history of a brutal Philippine American War and its attendant racism, the insult of occupancy, destruction of Manila in WW II, and US support of the brutal Marcos regime.

Their reaction, I suspect, will be simple. And visceral.

“Americans in the Palace?”

“No way.”

That is likely to be the toughest hurdle for Senator Poe to overcome.

for the complete article: http://joeam.com/2015/09/14/the-lion-about-to-roar-at-grace-poe-americans-in-the-palace/

Quote from: islander on August 15, 2015, 09:05:40 PM
if only grace accepts being vice-president to mar roxas meantime. if only she stops listening to the ambitious and, yes, untrustworthy chiz escudero, one of two senators who love their voices, who may end up as her political albatross. (i wholly agree with the stand of senator serge osmeña and some others as regards escudero.)

it has come to pass. grace is loyal to escudero.

Quote from: islander on August 15, 2015, 09:06:55 PM
if senator grace poe decides to run for president with senator chiz escudero as her vice, we can kiss our hopes goodbye. binay may make it.

i now hope this does not come to pass.

Poe may declare herself an independent candidate, but her choice for vice president brings with him some of the worst baggage of traditional politics. Citizenship might not even prove to be her undoing, merely her judgment on the kind of point man she wants to be by her side in the race to Malacañang.

http://opinion.inquirer.net/

The man is a politician’s politician, apparently cold-blooded and ruthless in pursuit of his interests. After Estrada’s ouster, he was among a cabal of young congressmen who engineered the near-impeachment of then Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. on the feeblest of grounds. In the 2010 presidential election, he initially declared support for the Aquino-Roxas tandem but eventually campaigned for Binay as VP. He has been credited for Binay’s upset win. Now he and Binay are no longer on good terms, because he has once again jumped fences and latched on to someone who has made a dent in the public consciousness.

But Escudero? He stood by Joseph Estrada throughout the revelations of the latter’s corruption and perfidy as president. True, he railed against the venality of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, but his selective campaign proves that when it comes to basic good governance, he can overlook the monumental faults of a patron and ally and take up the anticorruption mantle only when it’s convenient to do so.

Poe contrasts herself from her putative rivals by touting her unsullied record. Vice President Jejomar Binay is compromised by a raft of corruption charges. Mar Roxas, the Liberal Party’s standard-bearer, is weighed down by the many blunders of the Aquino administration, from the outlawed Disbursement Acceleration Program to the Mamasapano tragedy and the daily traffic hell. Poe’s sensible stand on many raging issues has earned her plaudits from the public; that stand, along with her clean persona and intimate connections with show biz royalty, and despite her glaring lapse vis-à-vis the controversy involving the Iglesia ni Cristo, has made her a viable “presidentiable” to many.

But he does bring to the equation something with which Palin likewise burdened McCain: the question of why. Why would McCain choose an unfit running mate for vice president? And Poe: Why would she pick a man whose track record appears, on many points, at odds with the image and advocacies she has cultivated, and which led to the steep rise in public esteem that arguably has given her the impetus to consider gunning for the presidency?

When your choice of presidential running mate turns out to be a fiasco, naturally your ability to judge character comes under a cloud. McCain, before then a celebrated war hero admired for his maverick views on many of the hot-button issues that have traditionally divided American politics, was suddenly seen by many as a cynical, reckless man who, in pursuit of his ambitions, would go so far as to put his country in potential danger by choosing a glib and flashy but highly unqualified running mate. The duo would go on to lose the race, and McCain will forever be associated with the singular embarrassment that is Palin.

There’s a lesson here somewhere for Sen. Grace Poe, who has not only declared her intention to run for president in 2016 but, this early, also revealed her choice of running mate: Sen. Francis Escudero. To be sure, Escudero is no Palin; smart and articulate especially when talking in Filipino, he has displayed a basic grasp of certain pressing issues. Whatever point one could raise about him, ignorance is not one of them.

EDITORIAL

Poe’s Palin?

Philippine Daily Inquirer
September 19th, 2015

“In choosing Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, John McCain has chosen for the future,” said former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani in 2008, when McCain and Palin ran against the tandem of Barack Obama and Joseph Biden for the presidency and vice presidency, respectively, of the United States.

The world knows how that pronouncement laughably panned out. After a blazing first few weeks during which she energized the Republican base with her image as a tough-talking, family-values-oriented politician who also happened to be a glamorous woman, Palin proved to be a spectacularly problematic candidateâ€"callow, vacuous, ill-informed, clearly unfit to occupy a position that is a heartbeat away from the most powerful and consequential job in the world. As pundit Andrew Sullivan put it then, “The only non-negotiable criterion for the vice presidency is an ability at a moment’s notice to become the president, if the worst happens. Palin fails by that criterion.”

Quote from: vrglguapo on September 15, 2015, 04:45:35 PM
Naa ko ana mag lihoklihok ang kamot.

ang ako battery-operated nga naguba. arang gyod hinoon ning made in china.

apir!

layo pa kaayo ang atong mga public utility drivers nga ma-edukar ani. sa una, pasahero ko ug jeepney sa cebu, ug mao ni akong na-witness:

the jeepney was running at breakneck speed during rush hour---

conductor (after seeing a girl on a wheelchair and a limping male companion who appeared to be her boyfriend): ayaw na pasakya; galanganlangan.

as if that was not bad enough...

driver (who stopped directly in front of them to take in a commuter without a disability): hoy, paoyab-oyab pa mo nga puro mo bakol... mag-unsa man tawon mo sa katre?

sickening.

may pagka-badlongon gyod hinoon ning akong mingkay. bag-o pa na siya nakong gipatomar ug diatabs, tua, kaon na pod.

aguy. hadlok ug mag-engkwentro nga di tuyoon ang mga hubog ang ug migrants nga medyo di makasabot unsa gyod ning hubog. in the natural course of things, migrants would naturally be at their best behavior. but if a desperate man is forced to defend himself...

a wounded trapped animal is at its fiercest. beware. 

nagkurog akong tuhod. i'm too old for this...

cry, islander, cry. huhuhuhu.

vietnam also has dog farms.

may all dog-eaters start to bark.  (bow-wow-wow china, bow-wow-wow koreas; bow-wow-wow vietnam, bow-wow-wow northern philippines...)

and what is meant by "sabotage the election"? will such sabotage involve having a pro-china candidate win and then giving him one of the contentious islands in the west philippine sea as a prize, to be made into a family hacienda complete with an airport?

so what happens when taiwan's up and coming elections has a pro-beijing candidate as a winner?  will our OMRs remain trustworthy, if that word be applicable at all?

Quote from: hubag bohol on September 19, 2015, 11:57:04 PMThe research paper said, "By estimating the combined and relative mass of PG 1302-102's black holes, they narrow down the pair's predicted crash time to between 20,000 and 350,000 years from now with a best estimate of 100,000 years. (The predicted crash time by Graham's team was 10,000 to several million years from now with a best estimate of 250,000 years)."

i'm afraid i won't be around to experience this.

"It was breathtaking," she said. "It’s like a sign of God."

Though users on social media have various theories on what caused the light formation, including aliens or UFOs, experts said the stunning view was caused by a rare weather phenomenon called "cloud iridescence."



The colorful luminescence is caused by the sun's light being refracted by water droplets and ice crystals in the cloud, said, Eladio Solano, a meteorologist with Costa Rica's National Meteorological Institute, according to Costa Rica media outlet Teletica News.


A rare fire rainbow appeared above an island in South Carolina.

The phenomenon produced a similar sky spectacle in South Carolina last month that was dubbed a "fire rainbow."

http://abcnews.go.com/

INSTAGRAM MORALES2CHELO_

Resident Joey Petit told ABC News today that he and his family were at the playground in Escazu for an Independence Day festival when his 11-year-old son, Ariel Joseph Petit first noticed the strange cloud.

"He immediately grabbed the camera and started taking video and photos," he said. "We were just so amazed. We had no idea what it was and we'd never seen anything like it."

Another Escazu resident, Jessie Montealegre, said she was also was amazed by the sky phenomenon.

Mysterious Iridescent 'End of Times' Cloud Phenomenon Spotted in Costa Rica

By AVIANNE TAN 
Sep 17, 2015

http://abcnews.go.com/video/embed?id=33836533'
Ariel Joseph Petit

An iridescent, multi-hued cloud phenomenon was recently spotted in Costa Rica skies, and residents were left awestruck and mystified.

The spectacle in the sky was reported this past Tuesday afternoon in numerous cities including, San Jose, Parrita, Pavas, Escazu and Hatillo. Coincidentally, the sighting occurred on the country's Independence Day.

Many witnesses took to social media to post photos and video of the luminous cloud formation, with some even noting that it looked like an "end of times" scene.

The mystery has not been solved completely, however. The video shows how smaller rocks move, but no one has ever seen the gigantic playa boulders budge an inch. Another process may be at work on the biggest rocks, according to Jim Norris, an engineer and member of the team.



"I know there are people who like the mystery of it and will probably be somewhat disappointed that we've solved it," Norris said. "It's a fascinating process, and in many ways I hope that there's more to be discovered. Never say never."

Benjamin Radford, M.Ed., is Deputy Editor of Skeptical Inquirer science magazine and author of seven books including Scientific Paranormal Investigation: How to Solve Unexplained Mysteries. His website is www.BenjaminRadford.com.

http://www.livescience.com/

Fortunately, the technology exists to investigate the mystery remotely. In 2013, a team of scientists using rocks with motion-activated GPS units and time-lapse photography captured the first video footage of the stones creeping across the desert floor.  [Related: High-Tech Sleuthing Cracks Mystery of Death Valley's Moving Rocks]


Look closely
Credit: Jim Norris
The rock on the left side of the photograph is about to move, bulldozed by ice.

It turns out that jagged plates of thin ice, resembling panels of broken glass, bulldoze the rocks across the flooded playa. Driven by gentle winds, the rocks seem to hydroplane atop the fluffy, wet mud. The scientists revealed their findings in the Aug. 27 issue of the journal PLOS One.

Shy stones

Though such explanations are plausible, they were very difficult to prove since no one had actually seen or recorded the stones' movements. Understandably, no one has volunteered to spend every minute of their lives â€" day and night for several years â€" enduring temperatures that can reach well above 100 degrees F (37 C), hoping to see a stone move. Furthermore, Racetrack Playa is almost three miles long and over a mile wide (4.8 by 1.6 kilometers). A person of course can't be everywhere at once, and would have to pick one or two rocks to closely and continually monitor just in case they happen to suddenly move. And can you imagine the frustration if someone spent two years watching a non-moving rock, only to later learn that several other rocks on another part of the lakebed had moved while they weren't watching?


New tracks
Credit: Jim Norris
Parallel trails carved in the wet playa mud.

"I took a small rock and put it in a piece of Tupperware, and filled it with water so there was an inch of water with a bit of the rock sticking out," Lorenz told Smithsonian.com.

After putting the container in the freezer, Lorenz ended up with a small slab of ice with a rock embedded in it. By placing the ice-bound rock in a large tray of water with sand at the bottom, all he had to do was gently blow on the rock to get it to move across the water. And as the ice-embedded rock moved, it scraped a trail in the sand at the tray's bottom.

The most likely solution to the mystery involves a combination of wind, temperature and water. Although Racetrack Playa is a dry lakebed, it is not always dry; in fact, water collects on the surface after rainfall or when snow from surrounding peaks melts. Brian Dunning, a California researcher who discussed this mystery on his Skeptoid podcast, notes that when water is present and the temperature falls below freezing â€" as it sometimes does â€" a thin sheet of ice is created: "Solid ice, moving with the surface of the lake and with the inertia of a whole surrounding ice sheet, would have no trouble pushing a rock along the slick muddy floor... As the wind shifts and the flow ebbs, these ice floes drag the rocks across the slippery mud surface in zig-zagging paths, even moving heavy rocks and sometimes dragging some but washing past others nearby."


On the playa
Credit: Richard Norris
Biologist Richard Norris stands next to a Racetrack Playa rock trail that may have formed in the late 1990s.

NASA researcher Ralph Lorenz became intrigued by the enigmatic stones while studying Death Valley weather conditions. He developed a tabletop experiment to show how the rocks might glide across the surface of the lakebed.

(...)

Several theories have been proposed to explain this curious phenomenon, including some sort of localized, unknown magnetic effect. This theory has been discounted for a variety of reasons including that many of the stones do not contain significant amounts of magnetic elements such as iron, and that the stones should gradually assemble in one place â€" which they don't. Some have suggested that the strong winds that blow through the area might move the rocks after the lakebed has become slick.

so she's aiming for the highest public office in the land.  and she's tagging chiz escudero along.  striking while the iron is hot?  disappointed here.  senator osmeña's analysis may yet come to pass.       

gabok ug mga utok gyod tingali ang mga tawo nga nakahunahuna ani. may the orangutans be handsomer and more intelligent than these savages.

from a recent past, somewhere else in the world:


Tamil refugees attempting to escape the fighting between government forces and the Tamil Tigers in 2009 EPA/Sri Lankan Army media unit

"Refugees have to move if they are to save their lives or preserve their freedom. They have no protection from their own state -- indeed it is often their own government that is threatening to persecute them. If other countries do not let them in and do not help them once they are in, then they may be condemning them to death -- or to an intolerable life in the shadows, without sustenance and without rights,

So which term should you use?

The United Nations notes that both groups are present in Europe and at its shores. It's safe to call all of them migrants because each is migrating, but many of them -- especially those fleeing Afghanistan, Eritrea, Syria and Iraq -- are also refugees.

CNN's Eliott C. McLaughlin contributed to this report.

http://edition.cnn.com/

A migrant is someone who chooses to resettle to another country in search of a better life.

For example, those fleeing poverty in Nigeria, looking for work in Europe, would not have refugee status and would be considered migrants.

Not all migrants then are refugees, but refugees can fall under the migrant umbrella. One of the major differences between the two designations is that while migrants may seek to escape harsh conditions of their own, refugees could face imprisonment, deprivation of basic rights, physical injury or worse.

A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her home country because of armed conflict or persecution. Syrians are a prime example.

The U.N.'s definition of refugee is someone who, "owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country."

Migrants, however, are processed under the receiving country's immigration laws. So, ultimately, these terms have major implications for those seeking asylum and the countries being asked to grant it.

Migrant vs. refugee: What's the difference?

By Michael Martinez, CNN
September 8, 2015

Refugees are forced to flee their home countries because of armed conflict or persecution

Migrants are people who choose to resettle to another country in search of a better life

(CNN)The difference between a migrant and a refugee marks a crucial distinction for European countries receiving new arrivals.

Refugees, as defined under the 1951 Refugee Convention, are entitled to basic rights under international law, including the right not to be immediately deported and sent back into harm's way.

"The practice of granting asylum to people fleeing persecution in foreign lands is one of the earliest hallmarks of civilization," according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. "References to it have been found in texts written 3,500 years ago, during the blossoming of the great early empires in the Middle East such as the Hittites, Babylonians, Assyrians and ancient Egyptians."

it looks like the problem keeps changing and expanding thus.

puyra gaba gyod tuod ning ilang gutter language.

Quote from: hubag bohol on September 15, 2015, 02:47:37 AMGidason ni Sumangyay nga love triangle ang pabilo sa krimen human nasayran sa asawa nga dili diay siya ang forever sa iyang bana. (OB)

ano ba yan. pwede baya siyang forever. ikalima lang siya nga bathala.

Sometimes both paws are raised, though this is unusual

Maneki-neko with motorized arm beckons customers to buy lottery tickets in Tokyo, Japan

History

Some believe the maneki-neko originated in Osaka, while some insist it was Tokyo (then named Edo). Maneki-neko first appeared during the later part of the Edo period in Japan. In 1876, during the Meiji era, it was mentioned in a newspaper article, and there is evidence that kimono-clad maneki-neko were distributed at a shrine in Osaka during this time. A 1902 advertisement for maneki-neko indicates that by the turn of the century they were popular.

Beyond this the exact origins of maneki-neko are uncertain, though several folktales offer explanations.

Others have noted the similarities between the maneki-neko's gesture and that of a cat washing its face. There is a Japanese belief that a cat washing its face means a visitor will soon arrive. This belief may in turn be related to an even older Chinese proverb that states that if a cat washes its face, it will rain. Thus, it is possible a belief arose that a figure of a cat washing its face would bring in customers.


Fushimi clay doll by Tanka

more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maneki-neko

Some of the sculptures are electric or battery-powered and have a slow-moving paw beckoning. The maneki-neko is sometimes also called the welcoming cat, lucky cat, money cat, happy cat, beckoning cat, or fortune cat in English.


Gold-colored maneki-neko with solar-powered continuously beckoning arm

Maneki-neko come in different colors, styles and degrees of ornateness. Common colors are white, black, gold and sometimes red. In addition to ceramic figurines, maneki-neko can be found as keychains, piggy banks, air fresheners, house-plant pots, and miscellaneous ornaments, as well as large statues. It is also called the "Chinese lucky cat" in some cases due to its huge popularity among Chinese merchants.


A Maneki-neko in Chinese style

The maneki-neko (Japanese, literally "beckoning cat") is a common Japanese figurine (lucky charm, talisman) which is often believed to bring good luck to the owner.



In modern times, they are usually made of ceramic or plastic. The figurine depicts a cat (traditionally a calico Japanese Bobtail) beckoning with an upright paw, and is usually displayedâ€"often at the entranceâ€"of shops, restaurants, pachinko parlors, and other businesses.

babay, maliya!

ball. singular.

di na ako! mabara man sad atong tutonlan ana. and we thought ang mga singkit ray medyo barbaric ug kinan-an...

Quote from: islander on September 14, 2015, 07:02:36 PM
Unlike countries in Western Europe, which have long histories of accepting immigrants from diverse cultures, the former communist states tend to be highly homogeneous. Poland, for instance, is 98 percent white and 94 percent Catholic.

even the most charitable of societies would have a lot of coping to do with this reality on the ground. hypothetically, would muslim countries find it easy to accept hundreds of thousands of catholics who intend to become their citizens? just asking.

Talking by phone while driving from a conference in Poland, Robert Biedron, the mayor of Slupsk, said he was ashamed of the reaction of many to the plight of the migrants.



“Here I am, driving on a road that was built with European Union money,” Biedron said. “It was built with money taken from taxpayers in Italy and Germany and France. Now we refuse to do our part? I am really ashamed.”

RICK LYMAN

http://www.seattletimes.com/
images from various online sources

Unlike countries in Western Europe, which have long histories of accepting immigrants from diverse cultures, the former communist states tend to be highly homogeneous. Poland, for instance, is 98 percent white and 94 percent Catholic.



“And the countries that have very little diversity are some of the most virulently against refugees,” said Andrew Stroehlein, European media director for Human Rights Watch.

There is also widespread disappointment with the pace of economic change since communism’s fall, and a sense that the countries are too poor to offer substantial support to immigrants.

Few migrants, in fact, are particularly interested in settling in Eastern Europe, preferring to head to Germany or Scandinavia, where social-welfare benefits are higher, employment opportunities greater and immigrant communities better established. In that sense, migrants are aligned with leaders in Eastern and Central European capitals, who frequently argue that the 28-member bloc should focus first on securing its borders and figuring out a way to end the war in Syria before talking about mandatory quotas for accepting refugees.



But as often as not, the political discourse has quickly moved toward a wariness of accepting racial and religious diversity.

“This refugee flow has outraged the right wing,” said Kenneth Roth of Human Rights Watch. “If you scratch the surface, why are they so upset? It’s not about jobs or the ability to manage them or social welfare. What it is really about is that they are Muslim.”

When joining the EU â€" as the former communist countries have done since 2004 â€" nations are asked to pledge support to a raft of European values, including open markets, transparent government, respect for an independent media, open borders, cultural diversity, protection of minorities and a rejection of xenophobia.

But the reality is that the former communist states have proved sluggish in absorbing many of these values and practicing them. Oligarchs, cronyism and endemic corruption remain a part of daily life in many of the countries, media freedom is in decline while rising nationalism and populist political movements have stirred anti-immigrant tensions.



“People must remember that Poland has been transitioning from communism for only 25 years,” Lech Walesa, who led that country’s independence movement, said in an interview. “Our salaries and houses are still smaller than those in the West. Many people here don’t believe that they have anything to share with migrants. Especially that they see that migrants are often well-dressed, sometimes better than many Poles.”

Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico

Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, says his country will accept only Christian refugees as it would be “false solidarity” to force Muslims to settle in a country without a single mosque. Viktor Orban, Hungary’s hard-line prime minister, calls the influx a “rebellion by illegal migrants” and vows a fresh crackdown this week.


Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orban

The discord has further unsettled a union already shaky from struggles over the euro and the Greek financial crisis and now facing a historic influx of people attracted by Europe’s relative peace and prosperity.

When EU representatives meet again Monday to take up a proposal for allocating refugees among them, Central and Eastern European nations are likely to be the most vocal opponents. Their stance â€" reflecting a mix of powerful far-right movements, nationalism, racial and religious prejudices and economic arguments that they are less able to afford to take in outsiders than their wealthier neighbors â€" is the latest evidence of the cultural and political divides that persist between East and West.

New rift emerges as Eastern Europe resists aid for migrants

Originally published September 12, 2015

The discord has further unsettled a union already shaky from struggles over the euro and the Greek financial crisis and now facing a historic influx of people attracted by Europe’s relative peace and prosperity.

By RICK LYMAN
The New York Times

WARSAW, Poland â€" Even though the former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe have been asked to accept just a fraction of the refugees that Germany and other nations are taking, their resistance now stands as the main impediment to a unified European response to the crisis.

Poland’s new president, Andrzej Duda, has complained about “dictates” from the European Union (EU) to accept migrants flowing onto the continent from the Middle East and Africa.


Poland’s new president, Andrzej Duda

lost? how can that boyhood be lost? he stuck to it, if i may say.

Why aren't Gulf countries taking in refugees?

Since oil-rich Gulf states are close to Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, they'd help absorb some of the refugees, right?

Wrong.

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates have each given millions of dollars to the United Nations to help Syrian refugees. But they haven't housed any of them, according to Amnesty International.

"We've been asking that not only the borders of the region are open, but that all other borders -- especially in the developed world -- are also open," said Antonio Guterres, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

Abdul Khaleq Abdulla, a retired professor from United Arab Emirates University, said Gulf states have security on their minds.

"Having refugees also feeds into ISIS' appeal," Abdulla said. "And it feeds into the violence in the region, which is already the most violent region on Earth. So all in all, anything that goes in the neighborhood impacts the security and the stability of the Arab Gulf states who are by far the most stable and the most secure."

And those Gulf states aren't party to the international treaty -- so technically, they don't have to help.



CNN's Becky Anderson and Arwa Damon contributed to this report.

http://edition.cnn.com/

What rights do refugees have?

In addition to not getting sent back to their home countries, refugees have several other rights, including:

- The right to not be punished for illegally entering countries that signed on to the treaty

- The right to housing

- The right to work

- Access to education

- Access to public assistance

- Access to courts

- The right to get identification and travel documents

How many refugees has Europe taken in this year?

Well over 366,000 refugees have crossed the Mediterranean Sea to Europe this year, the UNHCR said. Another 2,800 attempted the journey, but either died or disappeared.

The vast majority of refugees come from three countries: Iraq, where migrants are fleeing the brutality of ISIS; Afghanistan, which has been devastated by war; and Syria, where civilians are grappling with both ISIS and indiscriminate attacks in the country's civil war.

Who has signed on to the treaty?

Over the past several decades, 142 states have signed on to both the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 protocol.

Hungary is one of the signatories. But it has been criticized by migrants and activists who say refugees are left in decrepit conditions as they await transfer. Now, Hungary is erecting a fence at the Serbian border to help control the flow of migrants.

Countries outside of Europe are also stepping up to handle the current flood of refugees. Venezuela, which signed on to the 1967 protocol, said it will take in 20,000 refugees. Australia said it has absorbed 4,500 refugees from Syria and Iraq over the past year.

Noticeably absent from the list: the Gulf states of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

What does the treaty say?

The 1951 Refugee Convention was adopted after World War II, when hundreds of thousands of refugees were displaced across Europe.

The treaty defines what refugees are -- those who is seeking refuge from persecution. It also gives them a very important right -- the right to not be sent back home into harm's way, except under extreme circumstances.

"Since, by definition, refugees are not protected by their own governments, the international community steps in to ensure they are safe and protected," said the UNHCR, the United Nations' refugee agency.

The treaty was amended in 1967, in part to include refugees from around the world.

And according to the provisions, "refugees deserve, as a minimum, the same standards of treatment enjoyed by other foreign nationals in a given country and, in many cases, the same treatment as nationals," the UNHCR said.

The agency said more than 50 million refugees have been resettled.

Are countries obligated to take in refugees? In some cases, yes

By Holly Yan, CNN
September 9, 2015

Story highlights

More than 140 countries are party to an international treaty on refugees

Under the treaty, refugees can enter any member state and won't be sent back home

Oil-rich Gulf states have given money to the refugee crisis, but haven't offered to settle refugees

(CNN)Hundreds of thousands of migrants are pounding on Europe's invisible doors -- dirty, exhausted and desperate to escape the daily carnage in their homelands.

But their arrival also puts a strain on European resources. Germany expects to take in 800,000 refugees and says it will spend at least 6 billion euros ($6.7 billion). Austria, which received 16,000 migrants in just two days, said it won't be able to keep up with this pace.

At the same time, several oil-rich Arab nations closer to the conflict zones have come under harsh criticism because they've taken in virtually no refugees.

So are countries obligated to house refugees? If so, why?

For the most part, it boils down to an international treaty.

ask lang gani ko. daghan man god nang toilets. siyaro na man pod ug wa gyoy mo-flush. adto ra ko sa kalibonan uy. tungaw ray makakita, and i need privacy. i've no intention to deposit gold in a museum.

Emgoldex claims it changed its name because it is no longer based in Dubai and has instead set up its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

"Since Emgoldex is no longer with DMCC Dubai, the company changed their name as Global Intergold, an online gold store," Global Intergold stated.

-from http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2015/07/14/emgoldex-renamed-418936

si hubag one hour ago...

i've seen these somewhere in a small north pacific country. nakatungtong pa kog usa ani for a photo ops. i ended up bringing home a stray kitten who kept following us.

btw, the japanese bunkers in that place were more fascinating. there's not much to rusting tanks.

the fastest way to deal with this kind of invasion is to name these chinese turtles as philippine turtles. the south china sea, or at least a part of it, is now the west philippine sea, right?

Quote from: hubag bohol on September 13, 2015, 08:30:38 PM
Basin ang taga Panay ray nakahunahuna og imbento sa estorya. Tikalon lang gid haw...

uh-huh...

But still, these studies are contested, though History per se is limited to "written" historical accounts, the legend is considered "spoken" historical account and part and parcel of Filipino Culture. The legend is an important part of the life, culture and identity of Ilonggo people and inhabitants of Panay Island.

(from http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php/Legend_of_the_Ten_Bornean_Datus)

the usual s.o.p. applies here as in any other investment: invest only money you can afford to lose.

mo-flush ba nang tanan?

Homo naledi

puryang babayhana. looy ang mga anak tawon.

Quote from: hubag bohol on September 10, 2015, 07:21:39 PM
Agoi, sinaw jud diay kaayo, ha!

anong ibig sabihin nga sinaw ug lubot? opaw ba kay sinaw.

aguy. hasta mga bata intawon. would to god that this would never happen to us, filipinos.

The studies which have been published in the journal Elife also indicate that these individuals were capable of ritual behaviour.

The species, which has been named naledi, has been classified in the grouping, or genus, Homo, to which modern humans belong.

The researchers who made the find have not been able to find out how long ago these creatures lived - but the scientist who led the team, Prof Lee Berger, told BBC News that he believed they could be among the first of our kind (genus Homo) and could have lived in Africa up to three million years ago.

more at http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-34192447