tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-304750492024-03-08T07:27:32.175+09:00BLOGALOGblogging the blogs, logging the logs, in a cybertrudge trail to infiniticityyernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-87900782439269337552011-09-04T21:51:00.005+09:002011-09-07T05:17:11.886+09:00The Importance of Economics<span style="font-style: italic;">(This is an essay for Social Science 1 at Bohol Island State University)</span>
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<br /><span class="answerbag_vibrant">Economics is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.</span> It applies this scientific principles on a social context wherein people makes choices on how to exploit resources based on availability and necessity.
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<br />The earliest discussion on economics dates back to the ancient Greek society where the first democratic impetus originated. Back then, such discussion was not separate from Philosophy since the dynamics of a slave society places such intellectual discourse only at the academics. It was not until the Industrial Revolution where social realities made it imperative to establish focus on exploitation of resources that it became a discipline on its own.
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<br />In the advent of Capitalism, economics became indispensable. Since capitalism nurtures social consumerism, economics graduated from being an academic subject into being an everyday sociopolitical reality.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Household</span>
<br />While ancient feudal societies are governed by the master-servant distribution of wealth system down to a single family, modern household has become an economic front line all by itself. It has become the basic unit of economic activity wherein production and consumption of resources are planned and processed.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Business</span>
<br />The most obvious beneficiary of economics as a discipline is business. From small entrepreneurs to multinational corporations, economics is not only indispensable but is actually the lifeblood of its system.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nation Building</span>
<br />While politics dominated national policies until recent history, economics is emerging to be the single most important issue any aspiring national politician must knowledgeable about. This is because, with the onset of free enterprise and globalization, the exploitation of resources by nations has become brutally competitive. Such is so that any national policy without sound economic vision is deemed weak or untenable.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Globalization</span>
<br />The international embrace of free trades and the principles of free enterprise has ushered in a new era of globalization. Now we not only talk about economies of individual nation or region or group of nations, the term global economy was born. For nations the economic relationships between nations have become so intertwined that the failings of one will inevitably affect the other. Thus the term global economy, to stress the point that we are one global economy. Thus was the case of the Asian Financial Crisis which started in Thailand, and the recent Global Economic Crisis, which started in the US.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">E-conomics</span>
<br />Another interesting modern development is the emergence of virtual economy. This is with the onset of e-commerce... eBay, PayPal, Amazon, Google AdSense, even marketing through Facebook and Twitter... this new dynamics builds a new dimension to the term economy which at times challenges the established principles of modern economics as applied to physical realities.
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<br />The importance of economics in all facets of modern human condition cannot be overstated. We live in a world of competition and as such our processes of production and consumption are governed by the dynamics no less extensively studied and examined by the discipline called Economics.
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<br />yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-44987937577379841732011-09-04T01:06:00.007+09:002011-09-04T04:44:28.327+09:00Russia's Power Greed<h1 class="story-header"><span style="font-size:60%;"></span></h1><blockquote><h1 class="story-header"><span style="font-size:60%;">Russia's Lavrov condemns EU oil sanctions on Syria</span></h1><span style="font-style: italic;">extracted from BBC.co.uk
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<br /></span>Russia has condemned the EU's move to step up sanctions on Syria by banning imports of its oil, amid ongoing protests against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad. <p>Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the sanctions would "lead to nothing good". </p> <p>Oil accounts for about 25% of Syria's income and EU member states take about 95% of its oil exports.</p> <p>At least 14 people were reportedly killed on Friday as protesters again came out in force across the country.</p> <p>Activists said seven had died in suburbs of the capital Damascus, four in the central city of Homs, and another three in Deir al-Zour in the east.</p> <p>The United Nations says more than 2,200 people have been killed since pro-democracy demonstrations began in mid-March.</p></blockquote><p><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></p><p>I had my first-hand experience of <span style="">the depth of soviet-era Russian indoctrination when I had a chance to work with a Kazakh and an Uzbekh at a meat processing plant in South Korea. If we Filipinos are so effectively indoctrinated by the Americans to the point that at some point we almost see them as gods, that is exactly how these former soviets still regard Russia. They see Russia as a moral icon and the west as the evil antagonist.</span></p><p><span style="">It is precisely this lingering psyche in the masses of their former dominions that Russia would like to tap as they strive hard to muscle through geopolitics and reposition themselves as the balancing superpower to the US giant. Together with China, apparently it has succeeded in, not exactly balancing, but providing resistance to the western dominance in international politics.</span></p><p><span style="">In the advent of the Arab Spring, this resistance was put on a new stage. While the west are eager to cash in on the revolution in the name of freedom and democracy (the usual rhetoric), albeit selfishly careful and selective, Russia and China chose to argue on the side of stability and sovereignty (the usual rhetoric too). While China's position can be interpreted as driven by its sense of integrity and political consistency with domestic policies and national security, Russia's is something else. With a market economy dominated by mafia magnates and a party system swarmed with oligarchs, the spirit of its politics is more of a predator. In that sense, its motivation is almost just identical with that of the west: the acquisition of as much of the the world's resources as it can, not only for domestic consumption but for economic opportunities.</span></p><p><span style="">The Arab Spring is ripe with such opportunities. The west saw that, albeit nervously, and Russia saw that too. So we have two opposing positions with almost exactly the same motivation. The difference is the west's policies is subject to the scrutiny of an open society while Russia only answers to its ruling party. Thus it was only natural for the west to take the position they took simply because it is where the moral sympathies of their constituent lies. Can we say the same of Russia?
<br /></span></p><p><span style="">Would we venture to say that Russians does not feel for the hundreds of Syrians braving the self-imposed frontlines of the Assad's army, all in the name of freedom and democratic change? Scores die each day Russia flaunts its security council veto power just so, as they say, Assad be given more time to reform. Are we to believe ordinary Russians are as impervious to arbitrary murder and blatant disregard of human dignity as its government? I seriously doubt it.</span></p><p><span style="font-style">As the Arab Spring rages, this Russia will be gradually unmasked. If Libya is any lesson, the tide cannot be against the people's real and pure hunger for empowerment and liberation. What Russia's resistance only provides is the more likelihood of more and greater violence within Syria, which may translate to more innocent lives wasted and families shattered as a full blown and potentially protracted armed insurrection becomes increasingly imminent.
<br /></span></p>yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-88292580002077923272011-09-03T22:59:00.005+09:002011-09-04T01:05:04.432+09:00Accountability of Religious Institutions<h1 class="story-header"><span style="font-size:80%;"></span></h1><blockquote><h1 class="story-header"><span style="font-size:80%;">Vatican rejects cover-up claims over Cloyne report</span></h1><p class="introduction">The Vatican has rejected claims by Irish PM Enda Kenny that it sabotaged efforts by Irish bishops to report child-molesting priests to police.</p> <p>It follows the damning Cloyne Report that showed how allegations of clerical sex-abuse in Cork had been covered up.</p> <p>In a speech to parliament in July, Mr Kenny accused the Church of putting its reputation ahead of abuse victims.</p> <p>The Vatican said it was "sorry and ashamed" over the scandal but said his claims were "unfounded". </p> <p>"The Holy See is deeply concerned at the findings of the commission of inquiry concerning grave failures in the ecclesiastical governance of the diocese of Cloyne," said the Vatican, <a href="http://press.catholica.va/news_services/bulletin/news/27974.php?index=27974&lang=en">in a detailed response to the allegations</a>.</p> <p>"The Holy See... in no way hampered or sought to interfere in any inquiry into cases of child sex abuse in the Diocese of Cloyne."</p> <p>"Furthermore, at no stage did the Holy See seek to interfere with Irish civil law or impede the civil authority in the exercise of its duties." </p></blockquote><p></p>The church has been at the political front line in Philippine politics lately with the RH Bill debate and the art fiasco at CCP. Consequently, their political involvement brings to surface the other issues that has been haunting the church both locally and abroad. That includes the sexual scandals.
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<br />I have been at various times involved with church activities being a Catholic by baptism and once a Filipino in a foreign land. And I have been well aware of the church's tendency to appeal to faith when faced with such damning embarrassment. I mean, for an institution that is suppose to transcend humanity into profound spirituality, they are emerging to be as humanly defensive like any other. For example, there was this case of a closet gay priest in one of the towns in our province. He had been victimizing male 'sakristans' (church assistants) since who the hell knows... until he came across a faithful 'sakristan' that just cannot stomach it. The case became high profile in the province, landing more than once at the headlines of local publications. Did the priest went to jail, despite the glaring reality of it? Not a second! What happened was the priest got reprimanded and then transferred to another diocese in another province. And that was first degree sexual abuse.
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<br />While the government itself fails both at protecting its citizens and upholding the primacy of civil authority over religion, the church itself is guilty of systematically aiding a criminal to instead protect and uphold the primacy of its reputation, influence and social standing.
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<br />The above article is simply an example of how adept and eloquent the church is at upholding its social standing.
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<br />What's happening in Ireland has been going in the Philippines perhaps even at the inception of the Catholic church into its precolonial society. It is high time to bring it to light and put political determination to an issue that have always been drowned by the faithful influence of the Catholic church in a predominantly catholic country.
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<br />No religious institution, catholic or not, should have advantage in law simply because their standing is society is such that it can hasten favors and special treatment.
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<br />Click <a href="http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Cloyne_Rpt_Intro.pdf/Files/Cloyne_Rpt_Intro.pdf">here </a>to read the complete text of the Cloyne Report.
<br />yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-61281802313388597442007-06-18T00:05:00.000+09:002011-09-03T07:07:52.206+09:00Shocking and Horrific<h2 class="content-title"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></h2><blockquote><h2 class="content-title"><span style="font-size:130%;">Teachers Condemn Killing of Witness on Maguindanao Fraud</span></h2> <!-- start main content --> <div class="taxonomy_image"> </div> <!-- google_ad_section_start --><p><strong>BY EMILY VITAL<br />Bulatlat<br />Posted June 15, 2007, 6:22 p.m.</strong></p> <p>Members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) held a picket rally June 15 to condemn the killing of Musa Dimasidsing, one of the witnesses on Maguindanao fraud. </p> <p>The protesters held a short program in front of Palacio del Gobernador in Intramuros, Manila where the Commission on Elections (Comelec) holds offices. </p> <p>Dimasidsing is the Maguindanao school district supervisor who was shot dead by unidentified men, June 9 in Pikit, North Cotabato. He was one of the whistleblowers who exposed vote-rigging in the province. </p> <p>In a statement, ACT Secretary General France Castro said, "Musa Dimasidsing represents the noblest of our profession, someone who spoke the truth."</p> <p>ACT Chairperson Antonio Tinio holds the Comelec accountable for the death of Dimasidsing. Tinio said the Comelec failed to provide protection for the slain teacher. </p> <p>Tinio added, "[Comelec Chair Benjamin] Abalos has been antagonistic, if not hostile, to the witnesses who have attested to the massive fraud in Maguindanao. At the same time, he has shielded the Comelec personnel who are prime suspects in the election rigging." </p> <p>The Comelec announced that the hearing on Maguindano will be transferred to Cotabato City. <span style="font-size:78%;"><strong style="font-style: italic;">Bulatlat</strong></span></p></blockquote><p><strong></strong></p>Those who make peaceful clamor for change impossible only makes a violent option inevitable.<br /><br />Filipinos maybe are indifferent but I don't think they are already numb enough not to take notice.<br /><br />The moment for a real revolutionary opportunity is ripening.yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-87679699335623021522007-04-07T01:01:00.000+09:002011-09-03T07:09:27.048+09:00Disecting Jelousy<span style="font-size:130%;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-size:130%;"> Jealousy</span><br /> <br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Definitions</span><br /><br />As with many of relationship topics, a certain amount of attention to what we mean by particular words is helpful and often necessary when discussing jealousy.<br /><br />It is important to distinguish jealousy from envy. To oversimplify, jealousy is angry, envy is wistful. Jealousy is destructive, envy rarely is.<br /><br />Insecurity, as used below, just means a lack of security. It does not imply that the insecure person is bad, or good. It does not imply that the insecurity is warranted or unwarranted. It simply means that the person is not secure, either in themselves, their relationship, or what have you.<br />Jealousy is Insecurity<br /><br />This is an important point. Feelings of jealousy always appear to stem from one's sense that something about their life is not secure, e.g., is uncertain or in danger.<br /><br />Several readers have objected to this particular point because they believe that insecurity is necessarily pejorative. That's not what I mean by the word. (I'd love a better word, but I don't have one.) It could be that this lack of security is very well founded--that the partner is about to run off with 'the other woman'. Is it okay to be bothered by that? Of course it is.<br /><br />In some cases, the insecurity is not founded on realistic dangers to the relationship. If that is really the case, then you (the jealous partner) may wish to consider where your insecurities are coming from. Solving those sorts of insecurities isn't easy, but until you do you'll continue to face those feelings.<br /><br />Since we tend to become more secure in relationships as they become more stable with time, you may find that time is your ally in dealing with jealousy.<br />Polyamory can be a Breeding Ground for Insecurity<br /><br />For those of us entering polyamory from a world in which monogamy is the standard, polyamory is fertile ground for situations which test the security of a person in the strength and security of their relationship with another partner. Society is extremely good at creating and enforcing monogamous expectations, and these expectations can promote feelings of insecurity.<br /><br />Of course, some situations are easier to handle than others.<br /><br />Infatuation and/or NRE (New Relationship Energy) often makes this worse. In a new relationship, there's already some reason to be less certain of how the relationship will work out (you know the person less well.) Now add in the fact that you, yourself, are perhaps a bit obsessed with your new partner (infatuation can be like that), and mix that in with a poly relationship (your partner may have other relationships that need time and energy), and you can easily see how it could be more difficult to maintain a sense of safety early on.<br /><br />Of course, being infatuated with a new partner A can affect the energy you put into a preexisting relationship as well, and that can similarly cause stress on your existing partner(s).<br /><br />A particular situation that many people I know find difficult is social situations in which several of a person P's partners are present at the same social event. This sort of situation can invite comparisons, and are more difficult for many people to handle at first than seeing people separately. If P's partner Q has several partners as well, and so on, the dynamics can be quite complex, and sometimes unpleasant.<br /><br />On the other hand, I don't want to say that polyamory is all about being insecure. Quite the contrary. After a while, you may very well find that you feel more secure in your relationship with your partner. In many ways, being polyamorous the last few years has really improved my level of security greatly, both in my relationships and to a lesser extent outside of them as well.<br />An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure<br /><br />There are things you can do to mitigate or help existing insecurities. There are things you can do to avoid insecurities before they happen. The latter things tend to be cheaper and more effective.<br /><br />If a partner does something which triggers the insecurity of the other, that insecurity can feel like a breach of trust, and that is very difficult to heal. In particular, these feelings often come up in relationships that are attempting to transition from a monogamous to a polyamorous model. So, avoiding breaking trust in the first place is pretty important.<br /><br />You can avoid the loss of trust to some effect through preparation. If you set your limits with the goal of avoiding insecurity, if you make avoiding the creation of insecurity a goal, then mistakes or misunderstandings can be dealt with in an environment that is still sending the right messages... and trust may not be as damaged.<br /><br />Consider your needs and commitments, too, before setting limits. If you have two new partners, you might reasonably decide that you're not willing to treat one partner at a disadvantage to another in order to avoid jealousy in the second. So, be clear with all your partners what you are willing to commit to and what you aren't, and if you stick by those commitments, you'll build a sense of trust with your partners.<br /><br />Trust is a very important thing to keep in mind for people trying to successfully make the transition from monogamy to polyamory. In those cases, I strongly recommend going very slow, communicating often, and giving some care to both people's comfort when it comes to deciding how quickly to make the transition. In my case, I'd say that the transition from monogamy to the form of poly I practice involved a year of (as it turned out) my partner slowly releasing me from limits that we'd carefully negotiated--but that process happened with her at the throttle, because her comfort was important to me, our relationship was important to me. And because of that we had a very smooth comfortable transition, and I had a lot of fun in the meantime. You might say: "A year??? That's way too long!" My response is this: if we'd gone faster, it would've either taken longer (because my wife wouldn't've been comfortable) or it would have damaged our relationship. Wasn't worth the price for me.<br /><br />Of course, it is possible to agree (together) to try and push a limit, e.g., to try it out and see whether it does create insecurity in a partner. For some people, in some circumstances, this is easier than waiting. To the extent that this agreement is within the goals of both partners, even 'mistakes' here again aren't as likely to create dangerous levels of insecurity because they are mutually agreed upon.<br />Don't Deny Jealousy, Deal with It<br /><br />Okay, let's say you've found that you are jealous. It's not going to be easy, but what can you do to solve it?<br /><br />One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to try and hide it (in the long term, that doesn't mean you have to display it at the moment you feel it.) Jealousy is usually a signal of something needing fixing, and ignoring that usually only makes things worse.<br /><br />Instead, I would suggest asking yourself "What do I feel insecure about?" Do I feel unattractive or uninteresting myself? Do I doubt the other persons love for me? Their physical attraction? Do I doubt that I can have the type of relationship I want?<br /><br />Once you've figured out what the core discomfort is, then it's appropriate to ask yourself if your fears are well-founded. If it is, perhaps talking to your partner about what you are afraid of and why you believe your fears are well-founded makes sense.<br /><br />A different case is where you are pretty sure that your fears are unwarranted, but you just feel insecure (often about yourself more than the relationship) anyhow. That, in my experience, is a more difficult case, and it's hard to know precisely what to do about it, but I have been there, and part of what worked for me lies in the story behind the next item....<br />Security is a Habit<br /><br />In my first secondary relationship, I was very much in love with a wonderful woman J who had several partners, and there was a distinct mismatch of interest. There was definitely interest both ways, but I was far more involved than she was. Over time I found that that, coupled with some difficulties she had communicating the level of her interest in me, combined with my own inexperience, led me to feel generally crappy about myself. Unattractive, uninteresting, uninspiring.<br /><br />Eventually I realized I'd go nuts if that continued. (I should've just left the relationship, but that's another matter.) Instead I chose to try and find a way to work on my core insecurity. I tried an idea a friend of mine suggested that sounded crazy--but I was desperate enough to try it. He suggested just trying to aggressively use the intellectual brain to keep fighting emotional insecure feelings. E.g., if I felt unattractive, to remember and focus on things in my life that showed that I really was.<br /><br />I found this to be somewhat difficult at first, but the really interesting part to me is that as little as two or three weeks in I started finding that my brain would come to my defense more and more automatically when I felt insecure. And as it did, more and more, I also starting feeling insecure less and less often. I would say it was a month of hard work, another month of a little bit of tuning-up now and then... and all of a sudden being secure has become sort of a habit for me. Strange, I know, but it is what happened.<br />Other Ways of Dealing with Unfounded Fears<br /><br />Therapy can be another good way of dealing with unfounded internal fears, especially so if you can find a therapist who isn't biased against polyamory. Unfortunately, there is often a personal stigma attached to doing something like this, and that is truly unfortunate. It doesn't make you a bad, broken person to see a therapist. Instead, it makes you someone who wants to be happy, and is willing to work towards making that goal come true.<br /><br />Sometimes its helpful to avoid some sorts of situations, or to at least distract yourself from the elements of the situation that cause you to feel jealous. If your partner and their other partner are paying a lot of attention to each other at a party, perhaps you might find it more comfortable to be in a different room, or to focus on talking to someone else.<br /><br />In other cases, sometimes it's enough that I focus on the feelings of my partner. Back at that party, if I know that my partner and their partner haven't seen each other in a month, and I can see how happy them being together makes my partner, sometimes just feeling happy for her through my love for her is enough to make me feel comfortable and happy again. This can be hard to do, no question... but it can pay off as well if you can manage to put aside your fears and focus on your partner.<br /><br />For example, I have a new partner A. She has another partner K. K recently sent me a note in which she said that although she did feel jealous of A and I now and then, she could see that I was good for our common partner, and she was glad that I was around, and that seeing how I was helping A made it easier for her. As a bonus, K's letter deeply moved both me (and, when I told her about it, A), and the resulting expressions of caring all around made everyone feel a lot more comfortable.<br /><br />Sometimes jealous feelings can be triggered because we have unspoken expectations of our partner that aren't met. You went out the last three Tuesdays, but then your partner wasn't available the next. If you find yourself expecting something unspoken (often a hard thing to realize), you may find it helpful to sometimes ask your partner how they feel about that ("We're you thinking we should make a habit out of going out on Tuesday?"). By clarifying your partners intentions, you'll be less likely to end up feeling disappointed and hurt.<br /><br />Jealous Feelings vs. Jealous Actions<br /><br />Unfortunately, it is all too common that jealous feelings get translated into actions. While I have the greatest sympathy for people who feel jealous in different situations, and while I understand that those feelings can be painful, I have little patience with people who use those feelings as an excuse for inappropriate, overly dramatic, or violent behavior. Such behavior is at best unacceptable, often unethical, and, when it becomes violent, illegal. And in general the pattern of such relationships is that they get worse.<br /><br />Are you in a relationship in which your partner constantly makes false accusations about your intentions because of his or her jealous feelings? Do these accusations proceed into arguments, or, worse yet, violence? Does your partner seem to fear you having friends, having a job? Do they try and control your life? If any of this sounds familiar to you, you aren't dealing with jealousy, you are dealing with abuse. Domestic violence. Battering.<br /><br />These words refer to more than physical violence. They also refer to a whole relationship pattern in which the abused partner begins giving up power and independence to the abuser because of the threat of the abusers actions, whether those actions are premeditated or not. Abusers are not necessarily proud of what they do, many of them are simply unable to control their own actions. In many cases, abusers are survivors of abuse themselves. But that doesn't make it right, that doesn't make it tolerable.<br /><br />As a rule, peaceful negotiation techniques and counseling have a poor record of turning violent relationships into healthy ones. If you are in such a relationship, in particular if you find that the situation is worsening, even slowly, you may be in danger, and my heartfelt advice at this point is that you get out now.<br /><br />Why are my feelings so strong on this subject? Perhaps it's the letter in my inbox right now from a person who tried to work through an abusive relationship, and is now trying to work through the damage the SWAT team did to the house when they had to be called to deal with the abuser.<br /><br />It doesn't matter if you are gay, straight, bi, transgendered, Lesbian, white, black, brown, green, or polka-dotted, male, female, whatever, abusive relationships happen in every segment of the population.<br /><br />Nobody deserves to be treated abusively.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">from <span style="font-style: italic;">http://joe.bi.org/jealousy.html </span>(before your thoughts get kinky, no i'm straight!)</span><br /></blockquote>posted it here for personal perusal. need one. i don't only have to get myself together, i also have to learn... shhhhhhh...yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-51000152328525089572007-04-01T03:15:00.000+09:002011-09-03T07:09:27.049+09:00Anatomy of Lustfound this article while i enter in the search string "anatomy of lust" at google search engine. never mind asking me why i did... just click on the link, read and see something...<br /><br /><h1 align="center"><a href="http://www.ldolphin.org/lust.html">The War Within: An Anatomy Of Lust</a></h1><div style="text-align: center;">(name of author withheld. taken from Leadership Magazine, (c) 1982. it's because of that copyright that i took the caution of not outright reprinting it here. anyway its just a click away...)<br /></div><br />discover the science and religion behind the itch at our loins and satin skin.yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-64608143269393208312007-03-29T22:15:00.000+09:002011-09-03T07:09:43.165+09:00Jesus Legends: Beyond The Predetermination of TruthThis entry is an extract from the synopsis of Holgen Kersten's book entitled <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Jesus Lived in India</span> written by Dr Ramesh Manocha & Anna Potts. Read and shed the parameters of your faith.<br /><br /><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote>The Russian scholar, Nicolai Notovich, was the first to suggest that Christ may have gone to India. In 1887, Notovich, a Russian scholar and Orientalist, arrived in Kashmir during one of several journeys to the Orient. At the Zoji-la pass Notovich was a guest in a Buddhist monastery, where a monk told him of the bhodisattva saint called "Issa". Notovich was stunned by the remarkable parallels of Issa's teachings and martyrdom with that of Christ's life, teachings and crucifixion. <p><span class="bodycopy">For about sixteen years, Christ travelled through Turkey, Persia, Western Europe and possibly England. He finally arrived with Mary to a place near Kashmir, where she died. After many years in Kashmir, teaching to an appreciative population, who venerated him as a great prophet, reformer and saint, he died and was buried in a tomb in Kashmir itself. </span></p> <p><span class="bodycopy">The first step in Christ's trail after the Crucifixion is found in the Persian scholar F. Mohammed's historical work "Jami-ut-tuwarik" which tells of Christ's arrival in the kingdom of Nisibis, by royal invitation. (Nisibis is today known as Nusaybin in Turkey) . This is reiterated in the Imam Abu Jafar Muhammed's "Tafsi-Ibn-i-Jamir at-tubri." Kersten found that in both Turkey and Persia there are ancient stories of a saint called "Yuz Asaf" ("Leader of the Healed"), whose behaviour, miracles and teachings are remarkably similar to that of Christ. </span></p> <p><span class="bodycopy">The many Islamic and Hindu historical works recording local history and legends of kings, noblemen and saints of the areas thought to be travelled by Jesus also give evidence of a Christ like man; the Koran, for example, refers to Christ as "Issar". Further east, the Kurdish tribes of Eastern Anatolia have several stories describing Christ's stay in Eastern Turkey after his resurrection. These traditional legends have been ignored by the theological community. </span></p> <p><span class="bodycopy">Kersten also suggests that prior to Christ's mission in the Middle East, he may have been exposed to Buddhist teachings in Egypt. After his birth in Bethlehem, his family fled to Egypt to avoid Herod's persecution. Surprisingly some scholars now acknowledge that Buddhist schools probably existed in Alexandria long before the Christian era. </span></p> <p><span class="bodycopy">More clues are drawn from the Apocrypha. These are texts said to have been written by the Apostles but which are not officially accepted by the Church. Indeed, the Church regards them as heresy since a substantial amount of the Apocrypha directly contradicts Church dogma and theology. The Apocryphal 'Acts of Thomas', for example, tell how Christ met Thomas several times after the Crucifixion. In fact they tell us how Christ sent Thomas to teach his spirituality in India. This is corroborated by evidence found in the form of stone inscriptions at Fatehpur Sikri, near the Taj Mahal, in Northern India. They include "Agrapha", which are sayings of Christ that don't exist in the mainstream Bible. Their grammatical form is most similar to that of the Apocryphal gospel of Thomas. This is but one example giving credibility to the idea that texts not recognised by the Church hold important clues about Christ's true life and his teachings. </span></p> <p><span class="bodycopy">In tracing Christ's movements to India and beyond, Kersten also discovered that many of his teachings, which have been gradually edited out of the modern Bible were originally Eastern in nature. Principles such as karma and re-incarnation, for example, were common knowledge then, and seem to have been reaffirmed by Christ. Imagine the implications that this discovery holds for Western Christianity and its churches, who have kept Christ in their doctrinal top pockets and have constrained the entire Western culture within the narrow teachings of blind faith, organised religion and original sin! </span></p> <p><span class="bodycopy">Further clues are cited from The Apocryphal Acts of Thomas, and the Gospel of Thomas which are of Syrian origin and have been dated to the 4th Century AD, or possibly earlier. They are Gnostic Scriptures and despite the evidence indicating their authenticity, they are not given credence by mainstream theologians. In these texts Thomas tells of Christ's appearance in Andrapolis, Paphlagonia (today known as in the extreme north of Anatolia) as a guest of the King of Andrappa. There he met with Thomas who had arrived separately. It is at Andrapolis that Christ entreated Thomas to go to India to begin spreading his teachings. It seems that Christ and Mary then moved along the West coast of Turkey, proof of this could be an old stopping place for travellers called the "Home of Mary", found along the ancient silk route. From here Christ could easily have entered Europe via France. He may have even travelled as far as the British Isles, for in England there is an ancient oak tree called the "Hallowed Tree" which (says local legend) was planted by Christ himself. </span></p> <p><span class="bodycopy">In his travels through Persia (today's Iran) Christ became known as Yuz Asaf (leader of the Healed). We know this because a Kashmiri historical document confirms that Isa (the Koranic name for Christ) was in fact also known as Yuz Asaf. The Jami - uf - Tamarik, Volume II, tells that Yuz Asaf visited Masslige, where he attended the grave of Shem, Noah's son. There are various other accounts such as Agha Mustafa's "Awhali Shahaii-i-paras" that tell of Yuz Asaf's travels and teachings all over Persia. It seems that Yuz Asaf blessed Afghanistan and Pakistan with his presence also. There are for example two plains in Eastern Afghanistan near Gazni and Galalabad, bearing the name of the prophet Yuz Asaf. Again in the Apocryphal Acts of Thomas, Thomas says that he and Christ attended the Court of King Gundafor of Taxila (now Pakistan), in about 47AD, and that eventually both the King and his brother accepted Christ's teachings. Kersten claims that there are more than twenty one historical documents that bear witness to the existence of Jesus in Kashmir, where he was known also as Yuz Asaf and Issa. For example the Bhavishyat Mahapurana (volume 9 verses 17-32) contains an account of Issa-Masih (Jesus the Messiah). It describes Christ's arrival in the Kashmir region of India and his encounter with King Shalivahana, who ruled the Kushan area (39-50AD), and who entertained Christ as a guest for some time. </span></p> <p><span class="bodycopy">{Christ's life in India, after the crucifixion, challenges current Church teachings at their very foundation. The theology of Saint Paul, the major influence on modern Christianity, is empty fanaticism in the light of this discovery.| </span></p> <p><span class="bodycopy">The historian Mullah Nadini (1413) also recounts a story of Yuz Asaf who was a contemporary to King Gopadatta, and confirms that he also used the name Issar, ie. Jesus. There is also much historical truth in the towns and villages of Northern India to prove that Jesus and his mother Mary spent time in the area. For instance, at the border of a small town called Mari, there is nearby a mountain called Pindi Point, upon which is an old tomb called Mai Mari da Asthan or "The final resting place of Mary". The tomb is said to be very old and local Muslims venerate it as the grave of Issa's (ie Christ's) Mother. The tomb itself is oriented East-West consistent with the Jewish tradition, despite the fact it is within a Muslim area. Assuming its antiquity, such a tomb could not be Hindu either since the Hindus contemporary to Christ cremated their dead and scattered their ashes as do Hindus today. </span></p> <p><span class="bodycopy">Following Christ's trail into Kashmir, 40km south of Srinagar, between the villages of Naugam and Nilmge is a meadow called Yuz-Marg (the meadow of Yuz Asaf, ie. Jesus). Then there is the sacred building called Aish Muqam, 60km south east of Srinagar and 12km from Bij Bihara. "Aish" says Kersten is derived from "Issa" and "Muqam" place of rest or repose. Within the Aish Muqam is a sacred relic called the 'Moses Rod' or the 'Jesus Rod', which local legend says, belonged to Moses himself. Christ is said to also have held it, perhaps to confirm his Mosaic heritage. Above the town of Srinagar is a temple known as "The Throne of Solomon", which dates back to at least 1000BC, which King Gopadatta had restored at about the same time as Christ's advent. The restoration was done by a Persian architect who personally left four inscriptions on the side steps of the temple. The third and fourth inscription read: "At this time Yuz Asaf announced his prophetic calling in Year 50 and 4" and "He is Jesus -- Prophet of the Sons of Israel"! Herein lies a powerful confirmation of Kersten's theory. Kersten suggests that Christ may have travelled to the South of India also, finally returning to Kashmir to die at the age of approximately 80 years. Christ's tomb, says Kersten, lies in Srinagar's old town in a building called Rozabal. "Rozabal" is an abbreviation of Rauza Bal, meaning "tomb of a prophet". At the entrance there is an inscription explaining that Yuz Asaf is buried along with another Moslem saint. Both have gravestones which are oriented in North-South direction, according to Moslem tradition. However, through a small opening the true burial chamber can be seen, in which there is the Sarcophagus of Yuz Asaf in East-West (Jewish) orientation! </span></p> <p><span class="bodycopy">According to Professor Hassnain, who has studied this tomb, there are carved footprints on the grave stones and when closely examined, carved images of a crucifix and a rosary. The footprints of Yuz Asaf have what appear to be scars represented on both feet, if one assumes that they are crucifixion scars, then their position is consistent with the scars shown in the Turin Shroud (left foot nailed over right). Crucifixion was not practised in Asia, so it is quite possible that they were inflicted elsewhere, such as the Middle East. The tomb is called by some as "Hazrat Issa Sahib" or "Tomb of the Lord Master Jesus". Ancient records acknowledge the existence of the tomb as long ago as 112AD. The Grand Mufti, a prominent Muslim Cleric, himself has confirmed that Hazrat Isa Sahib is indeed the tomb of Yuz Asaf! </span></p> <p><span class="bodycopy">Thus Kersten deduces that the tomb of Jesus Christ Himself is in Kashmir! </span></p> <p><span class="bodycopy">The implications of Kersten's discovery are monumental. Christ's life in India, after the crucifixion, challenges current Church teachings at their very foundation. The theology of Saint Paul, the major influence on modern Christianity, is empty fanaticism in the light of this discovery. Threatened also are the doctrines of obedience to the Church, original sin, salvation through blind faith and the non-existence of reincarnation, etc. Yet these ideas underlie the morality and ethics, (or lack of them), that govern the entire Western social structure, from the legal system to medical health care schemes. It is no wonder that the modern Churches and their secular interests refuse to consider such a proposition as Kersten's!</span></p></blockquote></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"It is simply of vital importance to find again the path to the sources, to the eternal and central truths of Christ's message, which has been shaken almost beyond recognition by the profane ambitions of more or less secular institutions arrogating to themselves a religious authority. This is an attempt to open a way to a new future, firmly founded in the true spiritual and religious sources of the past"</span>. - Holgen Kersten</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></p></blockquote>The search for truth is both a calling and a gift.yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-74565277298928120072007-03-28T21:30:00.000+09:002011-09-03T07:11:01.352+09:00Persia, Up Close and Comical<span style="font-size:130%;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-size:130%;"> Washington diary: Inside Iran</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;" class="byl"> By Matt Frei </span> <br /> <span class="byd"><span style="font-style: italic;"> BBC News, Washington</span><br /><br /></span></span><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><b>Almost exactly five years ago I was lucky enough to be granted a journalist visa to Iran.</b> </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;"> I am not being facetious.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"> Journalist visas are like gold dust and Iran is a memorable country to visit. </span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">There's the majesty of Isfahan with its blue mosques, giant squares and scented bazaars; the ancient courtyard mansions of Kashan; the sophistication of Tehran, where beautiful women are forced to wear headscarves and anoraks in public and look like supermodels masquerading as spies. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">Like all other journalists I made my weekly pilgrimage to the Friday prayer meeting at Tehran University. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">Tens of thousands of students and other devotees converged in what could best be described as a giant car-park covered with the kind of roof you expect to find in an aircraft hangar. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">We were allowed onto a viewing gallery. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">Below us, the veterans of the Islamic revolution, the heavies from the Revolutionary Guard and thousands of students wearing the white clothes of would-be martyrs listened to Iran's spiritual leader Ayatollah Khamenei berate the Great Satan - America - and its understudy the Little Satan - Britain - for their aggression. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><b>'Axis of evil'</b> </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">Afghanistan had already been invaded. Iraq was next on the list. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">Iran had just been named by President Bush as a founding member of the axis of evil. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">So, even a cursory glance at the map and American troop movements would have created a lump in the average Iranian throat.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"> A well-dressed man in his 30s wandered up to me. He looked angry. "How dare you call as an axis of evil?" he said in Farsi and waited for our translator to deliver every word of his diatribe. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">"What about your President Bush?" he soldiered on. "He's a top-class aggressor!" </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">Then he looked around and motioned me to come and stand behind a pillar. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">He leant so close to me I could smell the tobacco and garlic on his breath. My personal space was definitely being invaded and I was pondering options. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">"There is a joke doing the rounds," he suddenly said in a whisper and in perfect English. "If only the B-52s [bombers] could stop off in Tehran before going on to Kabul. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">"After all, it is on the way!" He motioned to the ayatollahs on the podium next to us. "We can't get rid of them without your help!" </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;"><b>Chewing the fat</b> </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">Later in the day I came across a similar if less brazen view. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">The editor of a 'liberal' newspaper which had been shut down no fewer than seven times and reopened under a different name told me he approved of sanctions because they would put pressure on the regime. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">Military action, he said, would be counter-productive. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">We were invited to attend an editorial board meeting. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">The discussion ranged from domestic issues, like the latest arrests of human rights activists, to the turmoil on Tehran's nascent stock market and the war in Afghanistan and how the regime was not sure whether to thank the US for getting rid of its old enemy the Taleban or be afraid of Uncle Sam's designs on the region. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">As far as I could tell through the translation, the conversation was sophisticated, funny and relaxed - scribblers chewing the fat. It could have been London or Washington. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;"><b>Pelted with eggs</b> </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">Here's the point: Iran is complicated, mercurial and rife with internal divisions.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"> President Ahmadinejad is no Saddam Hussein, even if he has hosted a "Holocaust Denial" conference, and does want to develop a nuclear capability. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">Saddam Hussein personally shot people he didn't like. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">The president of Iran has been pelted by unruly students with eggs and insults and no-one was shot. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">I'm not saying he's been grossly misunderstood. I am saying that Iran is far less monolithic than many in Washington like to think. The trick is to sweat out the differences.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"> Today Iran is more isolated than it has been for a long time. Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan are lining up with Israel to work against the thing they fear most - a Persian nuke. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">Consider that among the last words uttered by Saddam Hussein, of all people, before the noose tightened around his neck: "Damn the Americans and damn the Persians!" </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">The Russians are annoyed because the Iranians won't pay their dues on the nuclear reactor at Busher. This is hardly ideological opposition, but it's better than nothing. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">The Chinese are voting with the other members of the UN Security Council against Iran even though they can't get enough Iranian light crude. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">The pressure may be working but it isn't enough. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><b>Lure with iPods</b> </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">If I were the US government I would issue Iran with 10,000 student visas and 1,000 technology grants to Silicon Valley. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">Iran boasts five million college students with higher degrees, the largest proportion in the Middle East. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">Instead of encouraging them to turn into head-bashing extremists I would seduce them into becoming head-banging, iPod-wearing computer geeks.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"> Unfortunately none of this will ever happen. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">Even if the administration thought of it, the Democrats, flexing their muscles on Capitol Hill or positioning themselves to race for the White House, would oppose it. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">They were, after all, the ones who kicked up a stink about the Dubai ports deal even though the Gulf States actually quite like America and Dubai is already the biggest US naval base overseas. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">But subtlety doesn't play well in election campaigns. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">What's more, the rhetoric coming from the US is music to Tehran's ears. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">Every time there's a tiff the price of oil inches above $65 a barrel, making the Iranian government a little bit richer still. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">So - with US Iran policy struck in a groove, Tehran thriving on adversity, an extra US carrier group in the Gulf, the Revolutionary Guards building IEDs [bombs] for Shia death squads in Iraq and the Israelis feeling distinctly twitchy about the prospect of a nuclear Iran - the stars are dangerously aligned for a show-down, even if the White House and Tehran don't actually want one. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">Now imagine "an event", an unforeseen crisis that pushes everyone to the brink - like 15 British sailors being held hostage by the Revolutionary Guard Navy in the Shatt al-Arab waterway. </span></p></blockquote>i like the way the author paints the landscape of the MidEast situation... and i like the way he concluded it. comic but pointed.yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-90755933939512074002007-02-16T02:49:00.000+09:002011-09-03T07:09:27.049+09:00Setting Spirit FreeWATCH AND DISCERN!!!<br /><embed src="http://www.metacafe.com/fplayer/277085/everyone_must_see_this.swf" width="400" height="345" wmode="transparent" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed><br><font size = 1><a href="http://www.metacafe.com/watch/277085/everyone_must_see_this/"></a></font>yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-28152073232626781492007-01-05T00:18:00.000+09:002011-09-03T07:09:27.049+09:00Relationships: Blessing or Curse<center><h3></h3></center><blockquote><center><h3>SINGLE and SATISFIED </h3> <h2><span style="font-size:85%;">by <a href="http://www2.blogger.com/about/staff/obenauer.html">Sherry Obenauer M.Ed., M.A.</a></span></h2></center> <p style="text-align: justify;">What's wrong with being single? A whole lot if you go by what you see around you. Whether you visit a bookstore or a library, watch television, go to the movies, listen to friends and family, adopt the values of society, or read the newspaper, messages about couplehood prevail. Little is spoken about being single, except as a condition to avoid like the plague. In the dawn of a new millennium, it's time to say what being single is really all about. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Visit any bookstore and you'll find dozens of books about relationships; how to keep them together, how to grieve the loss of a loved one, how to find and keep the "perfect" mate, how to satisfy your lover sexually, and the list goes on and on. Rarely will you find books on being single unless they relate to healing some aspect of yourself in preparation for a relationship. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Or, to take time alone to discover why you're scaring people away. The majority of movies, soap operas, daytime talk shows and television dramas revolve around love relationships. Boy meets girl, boy beats up bad guys to save girl, boy marries girl and lives happily ever after are all stock images served up by Hollywood. Even action films try to sneak in sexual tension between the protagonists. Sexless soap operas do not exist. There's so much steam, it's pornographic. Every talk show has a weekly episode that examines relationships. Jerry Springer is renowned for sensationalizing combating couples while Oprah prefers to concentrate on deepening existing relationships. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Even newspapers, whose primary purpose is to inform citizens of world events include a personals section with want-ads of lonely singles desperately seeking a mate. Cities are littered with singles clubs and discotheques that aim to pair people up, even if it's just for a one-night stand. Society expects every man and woman to wed, preferably before the age of 30, and to have at least one child (two is perfect). Even though the term "old maid" is no longer politically correct, many still respond with surprise if an older woman remains unhitched. Single women are supposed to date regularly. If not, friends, family, and coworkers love to set singles up with blind dates (and we all know how satisfying those are). The message couldn't be clearer. It's not okay to be alone. Sometimes, singles are excluded from "couples" nights or activities or they're advised to "bring a friend." </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Being in a loving relationship has its benefits, no doubt about it. Someone to talk to at any given moment, someone to rub your sore shoulders after a hard day's work, someone to do things with, someone to keep you warm at night, someone to buy you gifts at Christmas time and Valentine's Day, someone to make you feel special, and someone to whisper "sweet nothings" in your ear. And don't forget, someone to satisfy those pervasive sexual desires. Financially, couples are better off than individuals, and child-rearing is a lot easier with two parents. Also, being in a relationship helps us feel "normal." You don't have to worry about playing the dating game or trying to figure yourself out (maybe); you're okay because someone else says you are. Right? </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Is there anything wrong with being in a relationship? Of course not, if both parties feel the same way towards one another and share the same commitment, values, and goals. A relationship can be terrific if both people are in touch with who they and their partners are and are okay with being alone. A dyad is great if both people share honestly with each other and are relatively healthy (for who of us is totally healthy 100% of the time?). Couplehood can be marvelous as long as there is mutual respect and some communication and conflict- management skills. Unfortunately, few relationships share all of these points leaving many people dissatisfied. What about being single? Typically, society views it as being out of our control. If we're single, it's because someone left us or doesn't want us. Seldom seen as a choice, loneliness is more often seen as boring, depressing, sad, negative, and something to remain in for only a short period of time or to be altogether avoided if possible. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Socially inept recluses isolated in dimly lit rooms devoid of furniture and warmth, lacking friends and family, hating their jobs and life in general are the usual way in which single people are portrayed. Or, single people (typically men) are seen as bar flies, squandering money, buying outlandish gifts for themselves (to make up for dwindling self-confidence), and engaging in meaningless acts of sex with strangers. Either way, singles lack a positive image. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">However, being single can be a life-saving, rejuvenating experience. In fact, one can't truly be successful in a relationship without being single for a time. Being single allows us to do what we want, when we want, and with whom we want without having to answer to anyone. Being single allows us to take full responsibility for paying our bills, cleaning and decorating, cooking our meals, planning our activities, and entertaining ourselves. It allows us the time to sit in quiet solitude, to run naked around the living room, to belch as loud as we want, and secretly watch shows that no one else would actually ever admit to watching. This is because we have more time on our hands and are not avoiding looking at ourselves by focusing our energies on someone else. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Basically, being single affords each of us the opportunity to discover who we are, what we do and don't like, how we deal with things, what we want out of life, what our expectations are, what our potentials and limitations are, what energizes and empowers us, and what discourages and disappoints us. The goal of being alone should not be to prepare us for couplehood. Rather, the goal of being single should be to learn to fulfill ourselves, to meet our needs, and to develop as a human being regardless of whether or not we choose to enter into a relationship. By learning to love and care for ourselves, we diminish the risk of starving for someone else to fill the void within our souls; a void that only we can truly fill. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The purpose of entering into a relationship should be to share oneself with another person as opposed to trying to get from someone what is lacking in ourselves.</span> Expecting someone else to fill in the gaps usually results in grave disappointments , a sense of failure, and endless resentment. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Being in an unhealthy relationship is no more admirable than being alone and isolated. However, choosing to be single can be just as satisfying (if not more so) than thriving in a healthy relationship. With the advent of increased divorces, delayed marriages, fewer births, and growing female independence, more and more people will find themselves single. So, why not make the most of it? Sit back, have a soda, and try belching as loud as you can! You'll never know what you can accomplish until you try!</p></blockquote><p> </p> this is my first entry for this year. is it a coincidence or does it says something?!... hmp...yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-59596223921051511732006-12-22T19:42:00.000+09:002011-09-03T07:11:01.352+09:00Uncle Sam The Bully<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;"> US cancels Philippine exercises<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><b>The US has cancelled an annual joint military exercise with the Philippines over the detention of a US marine convicted of rape, officials say.</b> </span><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">A Philippine court has refused to return Lance Corporal Daniel Smith to US custody while he appeals - defying an agreement between the two countries. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">L/Cpl Smith was sentenced by a Manila court to 40 years in prison earlier this month over the rape of a woman. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">The case has sparked strong protests from women's and left-wing groups. <!-- E SF --> </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">The annual Balikatan exercise was due to take place in February, and would have involved about 5,000 US soldiers and 3,000 Filipino troops. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">A US embassy spokesman confirmed its cancellation was as a result of the "current custody issue that's still working its way through the Philippine judicial system." </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">"Until the government and the courts ensure the Philippines is in full compliance with the VFA (visiting forces agreement), it would not be prudent to bring additional US troops to the Philippines at this time," Matt Lussenhop added. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">Under the VFA agreement, US troops accused of crimes should remain at the US embassy until all "legal processes" are completed. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;"><b>Protests</b> </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">Earlier this week, a court rejected a petition that L/Cpl Smith be transferred from his Manila jail to the US embassy to wait out his appeal.<br /></span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">Smith had been taking part in joint military exercises in November last year when he was arrested and charged along with three others. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">The 21-year-old from St Louis, Missouri, was found guilty of raping a woman in a van at the former US base of Subic Bay, west of Manila. He insisted the sex was consensual. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">The three other defendants were cleared. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">The case created strong emotions in the Philippines, with protesters often appearing at the courtroom during the trial.</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></p><p> </p>Until when shall our country be laid subordinate to the whims of US self-serving interest?! Until when shall we be pawns to Uncle Sam's neo-colonial maneuvers?... Until when shall we be intimidated by US bullying and economic blackmails?!<br /><p> </p>yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-60278821926998200742006-11-14T17:17:00.000+09:002006-11-22T20:00:52.723+09:00Behind Our Backs<div style="text-align: center;"><b></b></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Philippines – South Korea social security agreement forged<br /><br /></b><img style="width: 353px; height: 236px;" src="http://www.sss.gov.ph/images/2006sem1/rp_korea_big.jpg" border="2" /></div><p></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>The Philippines and South Korea recently signed a bilateral agreement providing for social security protection to their respective citizens in either country. The signing ceremonies were held last December 15, 2005 at the Ceremonial Hall of Malacañang Palace, with Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo and Minister Ban Ki-Moon of the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) inking the agreement.</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"> The bilateral social security agreement was finalized after two rounds of negotiations. The first round was held in Manila on July 12-13, 2005 with SSS EVP and Chief Actuary Horacio T. Templo heading the Philippine delegation, and MOFAT Director Jang Myung-soo leading the five-man Korean delegation. Others in the Philippine panel were SSS SVP Amador Monteiro, VP Judy Frances See, Atty. Roberto Bautista, and representatives from PhilHealth, GSIS, POEA, and DFA.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"> The next round was then held in Seoul, South Korea on November 3-4, with SSS EVP Horacio T. Templo again heading the Philippine delegation, and accompanied by SVP Felicidad Gutierrez of GSIS, Atty. Roberto B. Bautista of SSS, and officials from the Philippine Embassy in Korea. This time, the head of the Korean delegation was MOFAT Director Jin Kyu Jeong.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"> After many detailed discussions, the bilateral social security agreement was finalized and its signing was then timed with the Philippine visit of South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun last December 2005.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"> Under the agreement, entitlement to social security benefits pertains to retirement, disability, and death/survivorship benefits. As for coverage, Filipinos working under contract in Korea under the Korean Industrial Training System and the Employment Permit System shall continue to be covered under the Philippine SSS, but those not under contract in the two systems shall be covered by the Korean National Pension System (NPS). There shall also be equality of treatment, such that a Filipino covered by the NPS, including his beneficiaries, shall be eligible for social security benefits under the same conditions as a Korean national in Korea. Moreover, a person shall continue to receive his benefits wherever he decides to reside, whether in the Philippines, Korea, or any other country.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"> In order to determine eligibility for benefits, the contributions and creditable periods of members in both countries shall be totalized, but excluding overlaps. As such, payment of benefits shall be pro-rated, wherein each country shall pay a fraction of the benefit due from their respective system in proportion to the member’s actual contributions or creditable periods. There shall also be mutual administrative assistance wherein covered members or beneficiaries may file their claim with the designated liaison agencies of either the Philippines or Korea, which shall extend the necessary assistance in processing claims. As part of the administrative agreement, both sides shall exchange pertinent statistics, require the medical examination of claimants, and formulate the necessary liaison forms.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"> The agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the third month following the month in which the contracting parties receive written notification from the other that they have complied with all legal requirements under their respective legislation. For the Philippines, this means that the bilateral agreement must have been ratified by the President and concurred by the Senate.</p> <p> </p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >30 January 2006</span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ></span><br />hah! <span style="font-style: italic;">(... is not all i can say, but... hah!)</span>yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-1461658162967631412006-10-19T11:50:00.000+09:002011-09-03T07:11:01.353+09:00Psyche of Desperation<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;"> One-third support 'some torture'</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Nearly a third of people worldwide back the use of torture in prisons in some circumstances, a BBC survey suggests. </span><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">Although 59% were opposed to torture, 29% thought it acceptable to use some degree of torture to combat terrorism. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">While most polled in the US are against torture, opposition there is less robust than in Europe and elsewhere. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">More than 27,000 people in 25 countries were asked if torture was acceptable if it could provide information to save innocent lives. <!-- E SF --> </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">Some 36% of those questioned in the US agreed that this use of torture was acceptable, while 58% were unwilling to compromise on human rights.<br /></span></p><span style="font-size:85%;">"The dominant view around the world is that terrorism does not warrant bending the rules against torture," said Steven Kull, director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA), whose organisation helped conduct the survey.<br /><br />...<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;">Other countries that polled higher levels of acceptance of the use of torture include Iraq (42%), the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Philippines (40%)</span>, Indonesia (40%), Russia (37%) and China (37%).</span><br /><br />...<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><b>Source: BBC/Globescan/PIPA</b></span></span></span></blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"><b></b></span></span></span>i am both surprised and appalled by the mention of Philippines in this article. god! we almost equalled Iraq. while the saner majority of our people still has descent respect for life, it is very disturbing that for a country that has witnessed and subjected to such violent method many times in its history, almost a half of its population favor its use. torture is a shortcut to justice my doing the unjust. it proposes to save lives by degrading it. this psyche is a clear indication of our hopelessness as a nation. we crave for a just society but we haven't been getting it through our civilized front. we've become desperate.<br /><br />god help us...yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-77894870097554233082006-09-29T01:39:00.000+09:002011-09-03T07:07:52.206+09:00Extra-Judicial Killing in the Philippines: A Symptom<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >UN Rights Body Hears Raps vs Arroyo Government</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">By Bulatlat</span><br /><br />The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva has been in session to receive and deliberate on complaints filed by several people’s organizations in the Philippines against the Arroyo government for the string of extra-judicial killings, abductions and other human rights violations.<br /><br />Although the complaints focus on major unsolved killings and enforced disappearances, latest reports show that the number of summary executions allegedly perpetrated by Arroyo military, police and paramilitary forces has reached 755 and 184 for enforced disappearances. The figures do not include other types of crimes against humanity reportedly perpetrated by the Arroyo security forces including torture, forcible evacuation of villages, illegal arrests and others.<br /><br />The complaints could go all the way to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and thereafter for appropriate action. As an organ of the UN General Assembly, the 47-member UNHRC may vote to suspend the membership of the Philippines in the said council for gross and systematic violations of human rights.<br /><br />Appearing before the UNHRC and in sessions presided by UN special rapporteurs and working groups this week were Marie Hilao-Enriquez, secretary general of Karapatan (Alliance for the Advancement of Peoples’ Rights); Edre Olalia, human rights lawyer from the Counsels for the Defense of Civil Liberties (CODAL); Danilo Ramos, secretary general of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP or Peasant Movement in the Philippines); Rhoda Dalang of the Cordillera People’s Alliance (CPA); and Tess Vistro, secretary general of Amihan (Women Peasant Union).<br /><br />The non-government delegation assailed on Sept. 22 the Arroyo government in its reply to a statement made by the UN-accredited Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) and Forum Asia calling the attention of the Council to the rising cases of extrajudicial executions in the Philippines.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">‘Actions of state agents’</span><br /><br />The Arroyo government replied thus: “There is a need to distinguish between actions of state agents made in the course of their duties and common crimes or those committed for personal ends. It should be only after proper court trial that certain offenses are classified conclusively as human rights violations…In other words, accusation should not be equivalent to conviction.”<br /><br />The Philippine government, the delegates said, is trying to hide its culpability in these violations by insinuating that the extrajudicial executions going on in the country are cases involving "actions made by state agents in the course of their duties, common crimes or those committed for personal ends."<br /><br />This shows a very dangerous tack made by the Arroyo government to wash its hands off responsibility in these cases of extrajudicial executions, lawyer Olalia said in a message received by Bulatlat.<br /><br />“If we will go by the Philippine government's meaning of human rights violations as only those cases that have undergone ‘proper court trial’ before they are ‘classified conclusively as human rights violations,’ then this would deny the plain reality of extra-judicial executions happening in the country,” Olalia added.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">No moral right</span><br /><br />The statement by the Philippine government, the delegation also said, further supports the view that it has no moral right to sit as a member of the Human Rights Council.<br /><br />“Sweeping under the rug its responsibility in the horrible number of extrajudicial executions makes the Philippine government a very poor example of a state occupying such a position in the international body tasked to uphold the respect for and protection of human rights. Its twisted understanding of or negation of such of human rights violations will lead to more impunity and more killings. It has disgraced the Council and even undermines the role of UN mechanisms to address human rights violations,” the group said.<br /><br />Complaints on the human rights violations were filed with the UNHRC, the delegation said, after exhausting all legal remedies in the Philippines without any results and because of the evident attempts by the alleged perpetrators not only to whitewash investigations but also to intimidate eyewitnesses as well as families of the victims.<br /><br />The UNHRC was formed through a resolution of the UN General Assembly on March 5 this year replacing the UN Commission on Human Rights. Its mandate is to ensure that all member-states of the UN comply with their human rights obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Political Rights and other human rights instruments.<br /><br />Based on complaints which may be filed by individual victims or NGOs against their own national governments, the UNHRC may recommend to the UN General Assembly any appropriate action.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >© 2006 Bulatlat ■ Alipato Media Center</span></blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">KASAMAKO</span> a migrant workers org in South Korea affiliated to <span style="font-style: italic;">Migrante</span> held a signature campaign at Hyehwa-dong Catholic Church last Sunday September 24, 2006 in support to a petition for the Philippine government to give justice to the increasing number of extra-judicial killings of political activists and pro-poor volunteers in the Philippines. Pictures of the assassinated persons litter accross the Hyehwa Bulletin Wall. What strucked me the most is that many of those killed are very young... some almost child-like.<br /><br />How can these poor souls have been metted with violence for their pristine idealisms? How can this killing machine justify their politics by silencing opposition through murdering such delicate creatures whose only fault is that they follow the deepest convictions of their young awareness?<br /><br />One passerby asked what these signature campaign in Korea could do to influence the authorities in the Philippines when they don't even hear the voices of those over there suffering the real everyday battle of being a Filipino? Good question.yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-3475916087203604362006-09-16T15:27:00.000+09:002011-09-03T07:09:27.050+09:00Violence and Religion<blockquote>"Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">- Emperor Manuel II Paleologos of the Byzantine Empire (an Orthodox Christian empire) as quoted by Pope Benedict XVI.</span></blockquote>It is outrageous to me how the Islamic world, especially the islamists, tend to always speak in passionate deffensiveness instead of participating in a civilized forum of intelligent debate for the sake of world reconciliation of faiths. Yes, it may be a huge lack of enlightened judgment that the Pope chose to quote a questionable personality as Emperor Paleologos, but this should be taken in the context of the purpose of the speech where the said quotation was extracted from. The Muslims' tendency to always feel (and think) the 'victim' isn't helping reach a better perception of their religion. Instead, it exposes their collective insecurity and their tendency to act passionately, emotionally and thus violently, against any word or action they perceive as antagonistic to Islam. Their being too reactionary instead of being progressive is the biggest obstacle why the gap between Islam and Christianity remains significantly underexplored.<br /><br />I know there are many decent Muslim intellectuals out there. I wonder why their voice is so often drowned by the rhetorics of the extremists and the bang of the bomb.yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-16313117365233985982006-09-12T01:52:00.000+09:002011-09-03T07:07:52.207+09:00Korea In The Philippines<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></span></b></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> Baguio</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> City: The New Korean Province?</span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"> <span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Arial;" >In </span> <span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Arial;" >Baguio</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Arial;" >, the influx of Korean nationals has caught some attention. </span> <span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Arial;" >Baguio</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Arial;" > now is host to almost 10,000 Koreans. At first, only teenagers came here to study the English language. Most of them stayed for two months during their vacation from school in Korea</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Arial;" >. Then they started to study full-time in </span> <span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Arial;" >Baguio</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Arial;" > universities. Before long the Koreans started coming to </span> <span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Arial;" >Baguio</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Arial;" > with their whole families.</span><b><span style=";font-family:Arial;" > </span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b> <span style=";font-family:Arial;" >BY ANGELA MALICDEM<br /> Northern Dispatch</span><i><span style=";font-family:Arial;" ><br /> Posted by Bulatlat</span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">BAGUIO CITY (246 kms north of Manila). <i>Anyung Ha Seyo, me</i>aning good day in Korean, is fast becoming the new catch phrase of the local people of Baguio. This is the result of the rapid growth of the Korean population in the city.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Rewind six to seven years ago. I recall that back then, one can count the Korean nationals roaming the streets of Baguio. The only known Korean establishment was the Gin Go Gae, a Korean restaurant. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">There was a beauty parlor along Mabini Street owned by a seemingly lonely middle-aged Korean lady, where other Koreans regularly had their hair done. Almost all of them went out of the shop with curly hair of brownish red color.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">I was high school back then. I remember teasing and mocking the young Koreans when we see them along the streets. We all remember them as funky teenagers wearing super-bright clothes, bangle earrings and most of all, those big pointy shoes. I think the Meteor</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span> <span style="font-size:100%;">Garden haircut also originated from them. But of course, we considered that weird rather than cool back then.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">That was back then. Today, we see Koreans almost everywhere. From our TV screens to our streets, Koreans are truly everywhere. The Koreanovela craze was ignited by that tear-jerker <i>Endless Love</i>. We all fell in love with the series <i>Lovers in Paris</i>. We took some lessons in herbology from Jang Geum in <i>Jewel in the Palace</i>. We even have Sandara Park, a Korean winner of a Filipino talent search, for the <i>krung-krung</i> fashion culture. Sandro Oh, also a Korean, hosts a lifestyle show representing the elitist side of the Filipino community.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">In Baguio, the influx of Korean nationals has caught some attention. Baguio now is host to almost 10,000 Koreans. At first, only teenagers came here, to study the English language. Most of them stayed for two months during their vacation from school in Korea. Then they started to study full-time in Baguio universities. Before long the Koreans started coming to Baguio with their whole families. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Mrs. Susan Seo moved to Baguio two years ago along with her three daughters. Her husband stayed in </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Korea</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> to take care of their business. Life in </span> <span style="font-size:100%;">Baguio is much less expensive, she said while painstakingly correcting her own English. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">The school is cheap, the food is cheap, she added. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">She explained that she wanted her kids to learn proper English to prepare them for Canada. Most Koreans see the Philippines as a training ground preparatory to migration to Canada or Europe. This is the ultimate Korean dream, Ji Hye, Mrs. Seo's eldest daughter said. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">This may be the reason for the sudden boom of English learning schools in the city. At first, Koreans hired individual Filipino tutors to teach them at the convenience of their own home. But the English schools offered better curriculum than individual tutors.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Some Koreans also come here for the resurrection of our souls. Most of them are missionaries who travel around the world to teach people about Christianity. Mrs. Deborah Kil is a pastor's wife. She and her family are here for a period of two years to teach bible lessons in their church. We are the children of God and we try to bring our brothers and sisters together, she said. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Her children are currently enrolled in a Korean-owned school here in Baguio. She ridicules even the fellow Koreans she sees in the streets of Baguio who seemingly live a liberated life. I pity them. I pity their mothers, she exclaimed. She added that most Korean teenagers want to live far from their homes just to feel free. In Korea, she explained, the schools are very strict that's why they feel free when they come here. But she tolerates this behavior. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Mrs. Kil and her family will soon leave for </span><span style="font-size:100%;">China</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> to continue their missionary work. </span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10;"><b> </b></span></p>Filipinos are flocking to Korea with the onset of the EPS Program and Koreans are flocking to the Philippines with the onset of their English craze... isn't it a wonder?!!! amazing.yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com57tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-53204856574536234552006-09-11T00:08:00.000+09:002011-09-03T07:12:03.132+09:00The Dawn Over The Pinoy Rock Scene: A Reviewer's Review<a rel="bookmark" href="http://thedawnrocks.multiply.com/journal/item/15"></a><blockquote><a rel="bookmark" href="http://thedawnrocks.multiply.com/journal/item/15">A review by a UP Student</a><div class="itemsubsub">Posted by <a href="http://thedawnrocks.multiply.com/">The Dawn</a> on Aug 12, '06 11:17 PM for everyone</div> <span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;font-size:+1;"><i><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><b>Tulad Ng Dati<br /></b><span style="font-size:85%;">by Haydee Bellen<br /><br /></span></i></span> I just came from watching the Cinemalaya Best Picture Awardee <b>"Tulad ng Dati"</b> at the UP Film Center. I was actually given the option to watch it either today or on Thursday. Most people egged me on to watch it then, because The Dawn will be there <i>daw.</i><br /><br />I finally decided to watch it today, because 1) it was on an earlier time slot, and 2) I honestly didn't really feel like it was imperative to go just because the band will be there. To be frank about it, the only affection I have for The Dawn exists because of a handful of their songs that I like, and because Kiko Reyes holds a special place in my heart just because he's cute, and sorry Niña, but his speaking voice is so rich you can just make love to the voice itself.<br /><br />However, all that became irrelevant even as early as the opening sequence. I won't go into a whole slew of praises for the film; I think it's already been established that it's friggin' good. Read the reviews.<br /><br />More than the movie itself (which brought me to tears at some point--more on that later), I found it interesting to note the difference between watching a movie like this in a commercial cinema and an in-campus one. For a minute here, let me wax sentimental for a bit, because I really appreciate collective laughter, and more than that, I appreciate it when I'm one of the few who got the punchline. I love that people clapped at the right places, whooped out loud at one of the final scenes, and I'm sure if we all knew the lyrics and werent too reluctant to embarass ourselves, we'd have sung along to everything. You also get to hear people from the back row talking about the technical aspects, and you'd immediately know that they're film students, there to write a review for some class.<br /><br />But when the lights turn back on, and the crowd dissipates until only a handful are left, it's a wonderful feeling to be able to sit back and look at the happy expressions on everyone's faces. "Tulad ng Dati" gave its audience the opportunity to feel as though they were given a free pass to peek into this primarily private story of a band of brothers. The whole experience was not merely of watching any other "independent" film release; it honestly felt more like all of us got a glimpse into something far bigger than just the lives of four or five or six people. To say it was mostly all-encompassing would be an overstatement though. It wasn't. It was just a piece of our local music scene's history intermingling with the present, and yet, intensely personal that at certain points, guilt kicks in. You're seeing something raw, and yet, it's handed to you.<br /><br />Ping Medina was, of course, superb. You only have to watch the eyes, and you're hooked. He became Teddy Diaz for a bit, albeit a little whimsical, but it was his lines that hit the most. One of them has become my new e-mail signature. It goes:<br /><br /><i><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ping: </span>"'Ano gagawin mo kung may nawala sayo?"<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jett:</span> "Hahanapin."<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ping:</span> "Eh pag hindi mo mahanap?"<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jett:</span> "Papalitan."<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ping:</span> "Eh pag hindi mapalitan?"<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jett: </span>"Kakalimutan."<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ping</span>: "Eh kung hindi makalimutan?"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jett:</span> "....Tatanggapin".</i><br /><br /><b>PANALO.</b><br /><br />The whole night came full circle for me when the screening was over, and people like Zach Lucero, Aia de Leon, and Karl Roy started filtering out from the hall. I have always felt more at home with this genre of music than any other, not because all the others are crap, but because rock/alternative always does it for me. It almost always hits home, and getting to watch a great band play live is otherworldly and exhilirating. It's not being a groupie, it's not being a fan, it's just basically being able to transcend the distance between your place in the crowd and the stage.<br /><br />This is a good time for OPM. You always hear people feeling nostalgic about the early days, and a lot of people still feel wistful whenever they hear some ditty from a band like The Eraserheads. It's because music like theirs doesn't rot in just one generation's psyche. Ergo, good music will still be good music no matter what year it is. And with a lot of good bands coming out of the woodwork, some even coming from the provinces, it's a great time to bring some good music out onto the airwaves.<br /><br />I'm assuming that "Tulad ng Dati" is an indication that we're starting to move on from always being nostalgic about songs from the past, once in a lifetime concerts, and bands that have long since rested their laurels. <span style="font-weight: bold;">We're moving on. And it's a good thing.</span><br /><br />--------------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;font-size:+1;"><i><span style="font-size:85%;">Written by a UP Student who watched the recent showing at the UP Film Institute. We found this on her blog <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://haidster.livejournal.com/110196.html">http://haidster.livejournal.com/110196.html</a></span></span></i></span> </blockquote>intelligent review. intelligent look at a band... and i like the way the reviewer transcends her appreciation of pinoy rock music into a perspective rarely arrived at by most critics.yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-61898608702233180392006-09-02T14:48:00.000+09:002011-09-03T07:11:01.353+09:00A Sweet Story of Terror<blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">Radicalising Europe's young Muslims</span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"> By Peter Taylor</span><br />Reporter, BBC series Al Qaeda: Time To Talk?<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Europe has become a hunting ground for al-Qaeda recruits. Largely disillusioned with US foreign policy, several young Muslims are making the journey east, some to become suicide bombers.<br /><br />In his new television series, Peter Taylor talks to a woman in Paris whose life was turned upside-down when her boyfriend went to fight in Iraq.</span><br /><br />Barbara had known Peter since their schooldays.<br /><br />"He was the clown in the classroom, always making everyone laugh," she told me.<br /><br />"He was very gentle and always had time for everybody. He was like a big brother and protected me at that time."<br /><br />Peter was like any other French teenager.<br /><br />He enjoyed sport, hanging out with his friends and listening to French and American rap music.<br /><br />The fact that Peter was a North African Muslim and Barbara was a white French teenager, half Christian and half Jewish, was not an issue for either of them.<br /><br />Buttes Chaumont, the area where both lived in Paris, was reasonably well integrated and not the powder keg that the notorious banlieues of Paris were later to become.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Pulling away</span><br /><br />In time, Barbara and Peter started going out together. <br /><br />Barbara always respected Peter's religion and it never got in the way of their relationship.<br /><br />He used to pray at home, fasted at Ramadan, and behaved just like other Muslims.<br /><br />Then gradually things began to change.<br /><br />One day he told her he was going to catch up with his prayers at the mosque since he could not do them all while he was working.<br /><br />The mosque in question was a makeshift adjunct to a hostel for North Africans in Buttes Chaumont.<br /><br />The self-proclaimed imam there was a charismatic 22-year-old French Algerian called Farid Benyettou who, despite being barely out of his teens, exercised a powerful influence over many of the local young Muslims.<br /><br />Three of his acolytes went to Iraq and died while carrying out suicide missions.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Changed personality</span><br /><br />Barbara knew little about Benyettou except he was gradually taking Peter away from her. <br /><br />Soon Peter swapped his cool street gear for Islamic dress.<br /><br />Going to the cinema and restaurants, which they had always enjoyed doing, was out.<br /><br />So was sex.<br /><br />"What bothered him was that we had an intimate relationship out of wedlock," she said. "So I said if that's the only thing that's bothering you, we could stop."<br /><br />But for Peter that was not enough.<br /><br />Soon, touching each other, kissing and holding hands was ruled out. <br /><br /> Again, Barbara did not fight it as she loved him.<br /><br />They spent hours talking on the phone until Peter told her that his "professor" had told him it was forbidden if Peter was alone.<br /><br />They then carried on their relationship over the internet, until that too was vetoed.<br /><br />Peter was told he could never be alone with Barbara.<br /><br />"First we sat at the table next to each other, then he moved to the sofa, then a bit further away. He moved away from me progressively."<br /><br />Barbara even offered to convert to Islam but Peter rejected the offer.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Abu Ghraib</span><br /><br />In May 2004, Peter said he was going to Syria for a few months to have a holiday, learn Arabic and study Islam in greater depth.<br /><br />His mother, to whom he was close, gave the trip her blessing on condition he kept in regular touch.<br /><br />At first he was true to his word via an internet cafe in Damascus, until he said he was going to a village with no internet access. <br /><br />There was silence for several months.<br /><br />One day in November, the phone rang.<br /><br />It was Peter, although he never said where he was calling from.<br /><br />When he hung up, Barbara checked the country code on the internet and discovered he was in Iraq.<br /><br />That was the last Barbara heard until the Ministry of Foreign Affairs telephoned and said they had been informed by the US authorities that Peter had been arrested on 2 December, 2004, in Falluja - around the time of the American onslaught.<br /><br />The caller told Barbara that Peter had no ID. At first he had been held in a local detention camp and then transferred to Abu Ghraib prison in August 2005.<br /><br />Last July, she learned that Peter had been sentenced by an Iraqi court to 15 years in gaol.<br /><br />I asked how she felt about those who had led Peter down the road to Jihad.<br /><br />"I'm furious. They took advantage of him. His youth was wasted, his life was wasted and my life and his mum's life were wasted.<br /><br />"When he comes back, I don't know if I'll hug him or hit him." Barbara will have a long wait. </blockquote><br />to somebody raised in christian and western orientation and moral system, islamism and particularly the jihadist's logic is utterly appalling if not incomprehensible. this story is only a tiny glimpse of the horror we face today in consequence to the rift between two cultures and their continued and progressing inability to reconcile each other.<br /><br />between western state-entities and islamist state-networks, where do we ordinary citizens of the world stand? are we just going to sit down and watch the world get polarized into either camps and wait until the so-called 'war of cilivizations' explodes right before our doorsteps?... or is there really anything we can do at all?!yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-78218755145821616212006-08-30T23:19:00.000+09:002011-09-03T07:07:52.207+09:00Philippines: The Show Must Go On<blockquote> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Statement of Unity</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Bukluran Para sa Katotohanan</span><br /><br /> We come from all walks of life, from different political, cultural, and economic persuasions, different points of view. But in diversity, we find a cause for unity. That cause for unity is our common objective to secure the truth.<br /><br /> We all seek the truth. We want the truth to come out. And yet every means for seeking the truth has been frustrated; every avenue for arriving at the truth has been blocked; and every opportunity to find the truth is being closed.<br /><br /> Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s response to our call for the truth has been to suppress evidence, hide her accomplices, engage in a grand cover-up, sow fear, foment distrust and use every instrument at her disposal to encourage division among our people.<br /><br /> We will not be divided in these critical times.<br /><br /> We say with one voice, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo must go. For the good of the country, she must go. For the sake of our nation’s future, she must go. For the preservation of hope as a motive force in our national life, she must go.<br /><br /> We are united by the belief that this crisis must be resolved in a manner that is peaceful and democratic. Without the truth, there cannot be peace; without the truth, there is no genuine democracy. The truth must set our nation free.<br /><br /> Unite for the truth. Demand the truth. Defend the truth.<br /><br /> Kami ay ang Bukluran Para sa Katotohanan.<br /><br /> Action for Economic Reforms<br /> AKBAYAN Citizen’s Action Party<br /> Ateneo Concerned Faculty and Youth<br /> Bangon, Pilipinas<br /> Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN)<br /> Be Not Afraid<br /> Black & White Movement<br /> Citizens for TRUTH (Transparency, Responsibility, Unity, Trust, Hope)<br /> Citizens for Truth, Resignation, Impeachment, or Ouster (C4T)<br /> Coalition for National Solidarity<br /> Counsels for the Defense of Civil Liberties (CODAL)<br /> De La Salle<br /> FPJP Movement<br /> Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC)<br /> Interfaith Movement for Truth, Justice and Genuine Change (IFM)<br /> Kilusan ng Makabansang Ekonomiya (KME)<br /> Laban ng Masa<br /> Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)<br /> Peoples Assembly for Genuine Alternatives to Social Apathy (PAG-ASA)<br /> Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP)<br /> Reporma<br /> Union of Muslims for Morality and Truth (UMMAT)<br /> United Opposition (UNO)<br /> Unity for Truth and Justice<br /> UP AWARE<br /> UP Diliman Student Council (UPD USC)<br /> White Ribbon Movement<br /> Women March<br /> Youth DARE</blockquote><br /><br />there's nothing new about the statement. i mean, let ate glo take notice of that <span style="font-style: italic;">(or does she really bother?!)</span>. what is noticeable to me is the broadness of this so-called bukluran. multi-sectoral, 'ika nga. a spectrum far broader than perhaps the anti-erap movement. you have to ask what has the opposition been missing?! and the answer to that defines the futility of the present alliance, the strategic highground of the administration and the key to breaking through the political sandbags of gloria.yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-1156247327714814502006-08-22T20:00:00.000+09:002011-09-03T07:11:01.354+09:00Unmasking An Icon<blockquote><p><strong>Che Guevara should be scorned — not worn</strong><br /><em>By Ryan Clancy</em><br /><br />Che Guevara is everywhere these days. Not literally. He is, after all, dead. But 38 years after meeting his demise in the Bolivian jungle, the communist revolutionary has re-emerged as a pop culture icon. In dorm rooms, on the runways of Paris and on merchandising kitsch, the legendary Alberto Korda image of a beret-clad Guevara is the epitome of cool. Don't be surprised if during tonight's trick-or-treating, Che shows up among the goblins. He's that ubiquitous. Hollywood has taken notice, too. Last year's indie hit The Motorcycle Diaries, which traced Che's youthful wanderlust trip across South America, is soon to be followed by a major studio production featuring Benicio Del Toro. </p><p>Che's rock star status will probably be fleeting. Just ask Motley Crüe. But long after Jay-Z stops rapping, "I'm like Che Guevara with bling on," Che will retain the exalted position he has held since the Vietnam War as a symbol of peace and justice. And that is a problem. Che demanded worldwide revolution, even if it meant a stream of death and misery. He said the utopia that could be built on the ashes of the old world would make the suffering worthwhile. That's why he advocated a nuclear exchange during the Cuban missile crisis. </p><p>In fact, if you read through Che's speeches, with his constant refrain of glorious martyrdom, they're remarkably similar to another well-known "revolutionary" — the tall, bearded one holed up somewhere on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.<br />Che hated the United States and the global free market system that sustained it. Just ask him. "Let us sum up our hopes for victory: total destruction of imperialism by eliminating its firmest bulwark, the oppression exercised by the United States of America." </p><p>If Che's world vision had prevailed, it's safe to say that Apple founder Steve Jobs would have never brought us the iPod. After all, it's tough to innovate when you're stuck behind a donkey farming turnips for the proletariat. </p><p>For those who sell Che merchandise, this history is beside the point. Yakov Grinberg, a 20-year-old clerk at Freaks, a shop in Manhattan's trendy East Village, freely concedes: "Most of these people obviously have no idea what they're wearing." </p><p>Che isn't the only erstwhile commie scoring cool points either. Chairman Mao and the Soviet hammer-and-sickle are showing up on hipster gear as well. Who knew that bread lines were the new black? </p><p>Against this backdrop of ignorance, it's not surprising that Che, as a populist symbol of uncompromising defiance who stood up for the poor and oppressed, transcends the real Che — the one who said judicial review for executions was an "archaic bourgeoisie detail." </p><p>What then are we to make of Che Guevara? Che apologists insist he fought "for the<br />people." But when it came to the basics of helping "the people," such as not killing them, he was less than stellar. </p><p>Most historians agree upon one fact, however, that can shape our understanding of Che. He was a loser. Big time. I'm talking McGovern in '72, Saddam in '91 and the Chicago Cubs every year since '08. </p><p>Che fomented unrest in Argentina, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Haiti, Panama and the African Congo, and every expedition was an abject failure. His single enduring political achievement, Cuba, is not even threatening enough to make the Axis of Evil. </p><p>So, instead of Che being held up as a beacon of peace and justice, let us hereafter revel in his futility. He'll be an exemplar of the idea that hard work does not always pay off. In fact, I already have a new shirt in mind. Take the same iconic picture of Che and just add the heading, "I tried to conquer the evil Yankee imperialists and<br />all I got was this stupid T-shirt."<br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Ryan Clancy is a freelance writer living in New York City. This <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2005-10-30-guevara-edit_x.htm">article</a> is extracted from USAToday.com.</span></em></p><p align="left"></p></blockquote><br />i too am a personal admirer of Che, not because I fully know or appreciate his legacy, but because his person manages to embody one of the greatest struggle of modern society. the aspirations and frustrations of the struggle against the structures of capitalism and its consequences to modern man and living.<br /><br />communism, yes, as it turned out, is a failed project. especially to the marxist purists. that is saying in witness to the apparent fall of deficient commie states and the consequent rise of free market enterprise into the so-called free trade blahblah con globalization. but is 'communism' the only answer to capitalism? while Che was an ardent communist, perhaps brutally if you say so, but he is also a passionate humanist. he doesn't only espose nuclear gift exchange, but he gives his sweat and blood to the people whose suffering crashes before him in his days as a rural medical practitioner.<br /><br />while Che's communism makes him a 'big time' loser, i think it was his humanism that makes his symbol survives and miraculously wields so much power nowadays. humanism, i should say then, should be the counterbalance to the destructive propensities of the capitalist system and not any utopian political ideology (<em>nor the emerging rightist theocratic ideology of both Bush and Bin Ladden)</em>.<br /><br />by the way, the absence of iPod in our lives sounds scary don't you think...yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-1155837301180217432006-08-18T02:48:00.000+09:002011-09-03T07:11:01.354+09:00Apocalyptic Blogging<blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Analysis of the Latest Global Happenings</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Robin MacArthur, New Jersey.</span><br /><br />Friday, August 18, 2006 2:35:09 AM<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">How DEMOcracy in Iraq will DEMOlish the Middle East</span><br /><br />• Elections are held in Iraq in December 2005<br />• Violence continues after election day in Terror attacks aimed at Shiites<br />• Wrangling of the Shiites with Sunnis and Kurds for the formation of an United Iraqi administration<br />• Terrorists blow off Shiites Mosques, explode car bombs in Shiite localities.<br />• Shiite-Sunni Civil War gradually begins in Iraq but is restrained by Shiite clerics.<br />• Shiite clerics want to rule the whole of Iraq and not the Southern Shiite rump and call for calm to keep Iraq united under their rule (we have reached this stage today)<br />• New Shiite dominated administration is formed and calls for phased pullout of US forces<br />• US forces begin a phased pullout<br />• They re-locate outside the cities in isolated fortified camps<br />• Sunni Terrorists blow off Iraqi parliament, Presidential palace, Prime Minister’s residence<br />• Terrorists assassinate Ministers, Parliamentarians<br />• Sunni Terrorists blow off Shiites Mosques at Najaf and Karbala, assassinate Al Hakim, and Moqtada Al Sadr who are important Shiites leaders and clerics.<br />• A full scale civil war starts between the Sunni dominated insurgents and the new Shiite led Iraqi military dominated by the late Al Hakim’s Badr Brigades and aided by the late Al Sadr’s Mahdi Militia<br />• Iran sends in insurgents to back Shiites<br />• Saudis, Syrians, Egyptians, Kuwaitis, Palestinians send in insurgents to back Sunnis<br />• Saudis and Kuwaitis call for US action to stop Iran from intensifying the Iraqi civil war<br />• Israel bombs Iranian nuke facilities to neutralize Iran.<br />• Iran tries to crash missiles into Israel and Europe<br />• Internal rebellion breaks out in Iran<br />• US special forces start operating inside Iran to topple Mullah regime<br />• Iranian/Hezbollah forces stage terrorist attacks in Israel and in the West<br />• US launches an air blitz of Iran followed by a land invasion and sets up a new regime<br />• The son of the late Shah of Iran returns to Iran as a private citizen<br />• Shiite -Hezbollah led terror attacks across the West and Israel intensify<br />• Israel invades Lebanon to wipe out the Hezbollah threat<br />• Egypt/Syria threaten Israel with serious consequences.<br />• Terrorist attacks originating from Gaza intensify in Israel<br />• Israel warns Syria with military action<br />• Mega terror attack inside Israel<br />• Israel declares Syria to be culpable and launches a swift land and air assault on Syria<br />• Syria appeals for Arab military action to save itself<br />• Egypt faces a civil war with sections of the Egyptian Military under the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood launch a insurrection against the Mubarak administration.<br />• Pressurized by Syria and Egypt, Saudi Arabia starts feeble military action against Israel<br />• Israel overruns Northern Saudi Arabia and Syria in a pincer movement to join up with US forces stationed in Iraq and occupies Damascus.<br />• US forces enter Syria from Syrian-Iraqi border in the North, join up with Israeli military<br />• After the conquest of Syria, Israel turns on Egypt to help the pro Mubarak forces and annexes Sinai, crosses Suez Canal and threatens Cairo that is now in the hands of the Muslim brotherhood led Military junta.<br />• Another spectacular terror attack inside Israel with Dirty Bombs. Suspects traced to Saudi backed insurgents.<br />• Sustained IAF (Israel Air Force) nuke strike on Saudi cities, Mecca, Medina, Mena, Jiddah Riyadh, taken off the map.<br />• Upheaval in the entire Arab world<br />• Western diplomats and businessmen attacked, kidnapped, beheaded<br />• Anti-American riots in Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia.<br />• Musharraf and Yudhyono regimes under tremendous pressure to give up pro-US stance<br />• Musharraf assassinated by pro-Jihadi elements in Army due to his association with the US. The Jihadis last straw being his helping the Americans in finding Iran's nuke sites as a trade off for letting AQ Khan off the hook. But Mushy's gamble does not pay off, as he loses his job and life.<br />• Jihadi regime in Pakistan ups hostility with India<br />• Jihadis succeed in smuggling nuclear devices in the US and exploding them simultaneously<br />• US army takes over US administration, suspends constitution<br />• US military regime blockades the UN and declares it persona non-grata<br />• US enters into emergency war council with Russia and Britain<br />• The triple alliance starts nuclear bombing military targets across the Islamic world<br />• Pakistani nukes taken out in first strike<br />• Pakistan explodes some nuke devices on India<br />• Indian retaliation wipes off Pakistan off the map - death toll in South Asia is over half a billion<br />• Widespread Hindu-Muslim riots in India on the lines of the Gujarat riots of 2002. Muslim population decimated, Hindus and Christians also suffer heavy death toll.<br />• Nuclear campaign launched by the triple alliance intensifies as many cities in the Islamic world are taken off the map to wipe off the air forces.<br />• Seaports in the Islamic world crippled to decapitate the navies<br />• Radiation causes second wave of deaths. The toll in secondary deaths more than three billion<br />• More than half of the fatalities are Muslims.<br />• Almost the entire population in the Muslim world is decimated.<br />• China joins war against Islam, wipes off Muslim (Ughir) population in Eastern Turkestan<br />• Muslims in Europe launch a wave of terror attacks in European capitals<br />• Conditions in Europe very disturbed in a civil war like situation<br />• Right wing coups in France, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Denmark. The new regimes join the triple alliance<br />• Widespread anti-Muslim riots in Europe aided by the militaries of those countries and NATO forces<br />• Domestic military action against Muslims in Europe intensifies as European militaries do combing operations to flush out Muslims<br />• The post-war Muslim population worldwide now accounts for only one percent of the global population concentrated mostly in Europe<br />• Military action ends, US, Britain and Russia announce reconstruction plan for the world<br />• Islam outlawed across the globe<br />• Residual Muslims worldwide embrace Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism. Judaism<br />• Humanity enters post-Islamic phase.<br /><br />This write-up has been compiled based on analysis by Seymour Hersh and information at the following sites; Stratfor.org, Rand.org, Military.com</blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">extracted from <a href="http://hindutva.org/">http://hindutva.org/</a></span><br /><br />funny and funny and funny... i'm laughing because if doomsday visions are real, or at least even in part turned out to be tenable, there'd be nothing to laugh about it afterwards.yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-1155160172514634232006-08-10T06:43:00.000+09:002011-09-03T07:11:29.732+09:00Unsung Filipino Marks in World Affairs<blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">Filipinos Build a Movement for Justice in the Asparagus Fields</span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">by Salomon, Larry</span> <br /><br />Mention of the conditions faced by California farm workers invariably calls attention to Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers Union (UFW) in the 1960s and 1970s. But the UFW was not the first successful farm worker union in U.S. history. Filipino farm workers built a movement for justice in the fields when the treatment of agricultural workers was at its worst, decades before the UFW.<br /><br />California's diversified agricultural production of more than 300 commodities made farming a lucrative industry for the state's agribusiness elite in the 1920s. Farmers realized early on that by using cheap, unorganized migratory labor -- mainly Chinese, Japanese, Mexican and Filipino -- they could keep the cost of production down.<br /><br />Largely as a result of grower recruiting in the Philippines and Hawaii, where thousands of young Filipinos worked in the sugar fields, the California Filipino population grew from only five in 1900 to over 30,000 by 1930, when Filipino workers made up nearly 15 percent of all California agricultural workers.<br /><br />The influx of predominately male laborers became concentrated in particular areas and on particular crops. Filipinos comprised nearly the entire asparagus-picking work force in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys and handled over 80 percent of the Salinas Valley lettuce crop. They were also employed in fruit picking, rice harvesting, sugar beet cultivation, grape picking, celery planting and general ranch labor.<br /><br />As the newest recruits into the labor force, Filipino workers were paid the lowest wages in the industry, and in the case of certain crops like asparagus, growers found it more profitable to work more laborers per acre, ensuring efficient and more productive harvesting. Of course, this profit-making strategy also had the effect of decreasing the already low wages of the workers.<br /><br />Typically paternalistic and complacent, the big growers believed that labor organization was too complex for young Filipinos to master. Apparently, the growers were ignorant of labor history in Hawaii, where Filipino and Japanese laborers went on strike in 1919. Three thousand workers stood fast, demanding that sugar planters pay higher wages, provide an eight-hour work day, create an insurance fund for retired employees and give paid maternity leave. Despite attempts by the white owners to break the strike by importing laborers from other countries, the workers won most of their demands.<br /><br />So when conditions demanded a similar response in California's fields, many Filipino workers had the organizing sophistication and experience, having already been involved in work slow-downs, stoppages and full-fledged strikes.<br /><br />THE FILIPINO LABOR MENACE<br /><br />White American Federation of Labor (AFL) leaders were startled by the aggressive pro-union stance of Filipino workers, but AFL leaders made it clear that the "Filipino labor menace" could not be included in their unions. The rejection of Filipino farm workers by the mainstream labor movement led organizers to build their own unions.<br /><br />Though most of the early attempts at unionization, such as the Filipino Labor Association of Stockton and the Filipino United Labor Economic Endeavor, were small in membership and politically ineffective, they exploded the myth of a docile Asian labor force and set the stage for a larger movement.<br /><br />The drive to organize was given a sharp prod by local white civic organizations like the American Legion, which were aided by the police and the media and provoked violent mob riots aimed at Filipinos throughout the state. "In many ways it was a crime to be a Filipino in California," explains union organizer and writer Carlos Bulosan. Filipino labor leaders believed that the right to demand better wages would lead to social equality.<br /><br />The struggle for better working conditions was given a decided boost when a group of Filipino farm workers organized the Agricultural Workers League in 1930. The organization was set up to initiate large-scale unionization of Filipino workers and threaten field owners with the real possibility of paralyzing strikes.<br /><br />With the seeds planted, unionization moved forward. In 1933 Rufo Canete and other Filipino labor leaders met in Salinas and formed the Filipino Labor Union (FLU). In less than a year, the FLU launched a drive to organize farm workers of all nationalities around the goals of an increased minimum wage (to 35 cents per hour), an eight-hour day, employment without racial discrimination, recognition of the union as a bargaining agent and the abolition of labor contractors.<br /><br />Under the leadership of Canete, D.L. Marcuelo, Johnny Estigoy, Nick Losada and others, the FLU grew rapidly to seven chapters and over 2,000 members. Soon after the demands were rejected, the FLU called the first strike. Almost 7,000 men and women employed in the lettuce fields and packing sheds in Salinas went on strike. The Salinas Lettuce Strike completely shut down the lucrative industry and the union's demands were soon granted.<br /><br />With renewed strength, the Filipino labor movement began finding recognition from the AFL and the California Federation of Labor. Some progress was made, but constant intimidation of union leaders by white vigilante mobs across the West Coast reinforced the need for unions with an active interest in protecting people of color. Canete's own camp was burned to the ground by terrorists in 1935.<br /><br />In 1938 representatives from all the Filipino organizations on the Pacific Coast voted to form the Filipino Agricultural Laborers Association. However, Filipino organizers such as Francisco Varona, Macario Bautista and Lamberto Malinab believed inclusion of all farmworkers was critical, and invited Mexican workers and other ethnic groups into their ranks. They later changed the union's name to the Federated Agricultural Laborers Association (FALA).<br /><br />In 1939 FALA won its most significant victory with a successful strike of the asparagus industry. After a one-day stoppage involving thousands of workers, all 258 growers signed an agreement guaranteeing unprecedented worker rights. The success in the asparagus industry prompted other victories in the celery, brussels sprouts and garlic fields from San Mateo to San Benito counties. By 1940, there were nearly 30,000 FALA members.<br /><br />A decade later, after the decline of FALA, Philip Vera Cruz, Larry Dulay Itliong and Pete Velasco picked up the struggle with a new Filipino farm labor movement. Itliong was a key organizer and later the vice president of the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC). AWOC, formed in 1959 by the AFL-CIO (the CIO was far more receptive to the needs of Filipino labor), led the first grape strike in Delano in 1965. AWOC and Cesar Chavez's small National Farm Workers Association would soon combine their efforts under the banner of the United Farm Workers, opening a new era of farm-worker organizing.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Article copyright: Center for Third World Organizing.</blockquote> </span><br /><br />Alam ba natin to? Habang nagbabasa ako at conscious na ito ay isang artikulo mula sa Estados Unidos, feeling ko tuloy bigla ako naging proud na isang manggagawang Pinoy.yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-1154019814472619152006-07-28T01:36:00.000+09:002011-09-03T07:11:01.355+09:00Christian Nationalism<blockquote><blockquote>"Among liberals, there is always talk about fascism and there's a kind of agreement that you can't talk about it more publicly without sounding like a lunatic. You don't want to sound like you're comparing Bush to Hitler. We have no language to talk about the intermediate stages of this kind of thing. But there are these really unmistakable parallels to fascism, not as a government system, but to fascism in its early stages. Before fascism is a government, it's a movement. It's not born in power, it comes to power. I think it's time to talk about fascism or another word for it. Christian Nationalism is one way to talk about it. But there are things that are going on that are not normal, they're not politics usual."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Michelle Goldberg</span><br />Auuthor, <span style="font-style:italic;">Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism</span></blockquote><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://alternet.org/story/38830/">The Growing Threat of Right-Wing Christians</a></span><br />by Onnesha Roychoudhuri, AlterNet. Posted July 19, 2006.</blockquote><br /><br />Reactive articles regarding the Israeli maneuver in Gaza and Lebanon swarms the web nowadays. I was actually doing away from them when I was surfing a counterculture site when this came accross my eyes. I didn't take the article seriously at first until little by little i saw the point of the interviewee surfacing at each answer. The particular answer i quoted above highlights the alarm this article has brought to me. I believe this truly needs a serious examination not only by the citizens of the most powerful country in the world but also to the people influenced and affected by its policies.<br /><br />Could there be any parallel to this <span style="font-style:italic;">'Christian Nationalism'</span> in the only Christian nation in Asia?yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-1153329279445992152006-07-20T02:03:00.000+09:002011-09-03T07:07:52.207+09:00Multilingual Pinas<blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">"The Philippines is a multilingual nation. But up to now, we only see English and this Tagalog, self-styled as "Filipino" being the language of literacy and the academe in our schools. What about our Cebuano, Ilocano, Bicol, Kapampangan, Hiligaynon? Why schools are continually repressing the use of these languages in their respective regions when in fact, they are as capable as Tagalog self-styled as Filipino? Actually, what we are producing in these regions are graduates who are literate more in Tagalog and English than in their native languages. What a shame! Foreigners would be puzzled: How come you are an Ilocano but you can not read and write Iloco properly? How come you are a Pampango but you don't know a bit of Pampango literature?"</span></blockquote><br /><br />found this on a <a href="http://www.gov.ph/forum/thread.asp?rootID=37344&catID=6">forum</a>. it's another idea i've long toyed with. i even thought of someday starting a sort of dictionary/thesaurus website for all Filipino languages wherein each vernacular can be translated into all the others. perhaps it can be promoted in the domestic academe and cultural entities. i think it's an idea that really needs a serious look by our educational institutions. after all, language is a treasure.yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30475049.post-1153245720544344292006-07-19T02:49:00.000+09:002011-09-03T07:07:52.208+09:00Ang Pinas Bago Naging Pilipinas, Philippines, Filipinas, atbp.finally i found one intelligent site that not only talks but scholarly delves into the past of our country way beyond our shamelessly limited textbooks made available to us. <a href="http://www.bibingka.com/dahon/">A Philippine Leaf</a> is an honest to goodness site done by an independent self-made scholar named <a href="http://www.bibingka.com/dahon/hector/hector.htm">Hector Santos</a> dedicated to scientifically tracing the history of the 'philippines' through ancient artifacts and other archaelogical evidences.<br /><br />sa lahat ng gustong malaman ang ating pinagmulan higit pa sa itinuro ng kasulukayang kurikulum ng ating mga paaralan, subukan nyo itong basahin at tuklasin ang ating sariling yamang kultural.yernelghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09865853457640220816noreply@blogger.com2