The ultimate Pro-RH Bill Combox Guide against Prolifers

I LOL'ed at Matthew Archbold's post in NCR entitled "The Anti-Catholic's Guide to Catholic Comboxes". It gave me an idea to come up with a Top 10 List to guide Pro-RH Bill advocates in haranguing prolifers in the comboxes. Here goes

The ultimate Pro-RH Bill Combox Guide against Prolifers

10. Let the women decide for their own bodies, don't worry we are indoctrinating them.
9. What outdated views you have. Did you not know that St Augustine favored abortion? I am atheist by the way.
8. Unscientific! It's just a clump of cells, and my science says life starts at implantation, you clump!
7. You just do not understand separation of church and state, yeah we redefined that too.
6. Sure it causes breast cancer that kills, but its good for the cervix.
5. Your morality is different from my morality! (it sounds better in Tagalog).
4. Overpopulation !!! Who cares about steadily decreasing TFRs anyway?
3. We must be right because 90% of Filipinos are in favor (from surveys they don't understand)
2. You crazy prolife bigots are devoid of arguments and just resort to name-calling and character assassination. You #%@*# !!!!

1. The WHO said so, why don't you just adore everything they say? ...oops

IT'S MY BODY!!!

IT'S MY BODY!!!

5-YEAR OLD: It's my body!
Mother: Stop that nonsense. Take a bath!

10-YEAR OLD: It's my body!
Mother: I'm telling you one last time. Take a bath!

15-YEAR OLD: It's my body!
Father: Sure, but I still won't give you money to buy 3 nose-rings!

20-YEAR OLD: It's my body!
Unborn: Sure, but what about me?

90-YEAR OLD: It's my body!
Grandson: Sure pops. But please take a bath!
/

Top 10 reasons why I oppose the RH bill

Top 10 reasons why I oppose the RH bill
(to be taken with a grain of salt)

#10. I can't understand, for the life of me, why they call it 'Reproductive Health Bill' in the first place.

#9. The 'right' to free contraceptives sounds like a right to hit oneself over the head.

#8. The 'It's my own body, my choice' seems like an excuse not to take a bath.

#7. The Gabriela folks are making Diego Silang turn in his grave.

#6. These same folks utterly failed in the basic course 'Philippine Constitution 101'

#5. The country is indeed overpopulated. By corrupt people. Eh di sana 'walang mahirap'.

#4. Who says they are the ONLY ones for reducing maternal deaths? Oh come on.

#3. Pope Edsel Lagman is clueless on Humanae Vitae.

#2. Fertilization equals implantation sure sounds like malicious disinformation.

AND THE #1 REASON...

#1. I don't like Janet Garin's dress either.
/

Que horror

Luistro tries Chavacano, calls students ‘servants'

Ordering the students to return to their classes after the brief program, Luistro said: “Maga muchachos y muchachas, entra ya ustedes na clase.”

His words came as a shocker to the more than 600-strong crowd, including teachers, principals, supervisors and students.

Abelardo Brutas Jr., principal of Lubigan National High School and secretary-general of the Teachers Organization of the Philippines Public Sector (TOPPS), said he was shocked to hear the secretary calling the students servants. “I am from Luzon and muchacho or muchacha means househelper, katulong, alipin,” Brutas said.

...Claretian Missionary Father Angel Calvo said Luistro might have thought that Chavacano is Spanish and had them mixed up.
Calvo, himself a Spaniard, said that in Spanish, “muchacho” and “muchacha” mean “adolescent boy and girl, [respectively].” But in Chavacano, they mean servant.

Still, Calvo said Luistro should have said in pure Spanish: “Muchachos y muchachas, vuelvan a vuestras clases.”

In an interview, Luistro apologized for the mistake. “Sorry, I forgot my Spanish. It was an innocent mistake,” he said...
/
I took up Spanish subjects in elementary as well as 12 units in college. In elementary, we used to pray the rosary in Spanish. Although I cannot carry a decent conversation in that language, I understand well enough (having grown up in Manila) that "muchacha" stands for a helper/servant in a deprecatory sort of way. Probably had something to do with the culture wrought by the domineering Spaniards at the time. If Sec Luistro were quite older, he would have understood. The word is almost never used now, to my knowledge. In most households the helper is called 'katulong' (helper) or 'kasambahay' (kasama sa bahay). In our own household, our children fondly call our female helpers "ate", a term commonly used for older female siblings.

To put it simply, Sec Luistro was lost in translation. One has to be very careful with this kind of thing. For example, there are many bible translations that do not convey the actual sense of the original Hebrew or Greek texts. In like manner, there are even occurrences of official Vatican translations of the original encyclicals that contain faulty English translations. When one becomes confused, it is best to study the entire context, or seek the original texts and attempt an exegesis if one is so qualified. In this case, I understand Sec Luistro's context. I suppose his next message to the students should be: "When you are unsure of something, study it more deeply. Do not assume a false sense of confidence. Yet as you make mistakes, like what I embarrassingly did, apologize readily, stand corrected, and learn from the experience. The latter is the true mark of an educated person.".

I feel so sorry for Education Secretary Luistro's blooper. It was an innocent mistake alright.

Que lastima.
or should I say: Que horror.

Excommunication by Fax

CBCP reminds Aquino about excommunication

CBCP head denies excommunication threat

‘Excommunication’ threats can boomerang on Church – senators

"The opposition against the RH (reproductive health bill) is too premature. A hearing has yet to be held and they are already against it. The Church and President Aquino are already fighting over it when we don’t even know the final form of the bill being pushed. It’s not even in first base,’" said Senator Joker Arroyo in an interview with dzBB radio.
[Oh c'mon Sir Joker. opposition premature?? The bill reached 3rd reading last Congress and it was just re-filed. Re-filed, get that?]

Senator Edgardo Angara said the threat of excommunication was an "argument by those without an argument, if you can’t say anything, just make threats.’"
[Without an argument?? I think all this time, Senator Angara was hiding behind a rock]

He [Joker Arroyo] said threatening excommunication could boomerang on the Church especially if Congress enacted the RH bill. "Will the Church have the guts to excommunicate the majority of congressmen and senators who voted for it?’"
[In other words, Sir Joker issues a challenge: C'mon I dare you to excommunicate all of us!]

If there is any premature, and pointless talk going around, it is about the perceived threat of excommunication. There is no threat of excommunication as clarified by CBCP.

"While the prevailing sentiment of a number of bishops was that of dismay and frustration over the reported stance of the President regarding artificial contraceptives, excommunication has not been contemplated by the CBCP," said [CBCP President Bishop] Odchimar.

Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales... also said that the threat of the CBCP to excommunicate the President was not true. Rosales even blamed media for the controversy, saying that they merely made up the issue, according to a report by Radyo Inquirer.

“Gawa-gawa ng media ang issue [Media has made up the issue] and it is not true that Aquino will be excommunicated,” Rosales was quoted as saying on Radyo Inquirer.

While Senators Angara and Arroyo seem to have taken a cocksure and arrogant stance, Senator Miriam Santiago seems to have taken the issue quite seriously, or comically, depending on which way you look at it. Reacting to the excommunication issue, she wrote a letter (yes, wrote a letter!) to CBCP President Nereo Odchimar basically saying : please don't excommunicate me. Part of her letter reads:

"May I respectfully submit that the penalty of excommunication for pro-RH (reproductive health) legislators, who are merely exercising the preferential option for the poor under liberation theology, would be too extreme and disproportionate. It will raise constitutional issues about church-state relationship."

The mere mention of the word "Liberation Theology" is a dead give-away that her arguments in the letter is totally off the wall. She throws in for good measure inane arguments such as "The natural-law theory is already obsolete" and the usual but boring "we are bound to follow our conscience faithfully in all our activity".

She ends her letter by saying "So please do not excommunicate President Aquino, myself, and those similarly situated. Thank you very much."

Haha. It's just like going to confession and seeking absolution through a letter. Bishop Odchimar would do well to fax her back a letter, stating:

"Dear Madam Senator, You are hereby excommunicated right this very moment. Best regards,"
/

Flag-raising: FAIL

RP flag blooper in New York not intentional—US embassy

Aquino: Inverted RP flag an honest mistake

‘Critics have nothing better to do’ — Aquino

SAN FRANCISCO, California — President Aquino dismissed the protests over the wrong way the Philippine flag was displayed during the 2nd Asean-US Summit at the Waldorf Astoria in New York.

“Some people just don’t have anything to do,” Aquino said in a not-so-subtle swipe at those who criticized the inverted Philippine flag during the summit.
/
Aha. Napikon. The US embassy already came up with the statement that the upside-down flag was an “honest mistake”. I think it was a funny one too, although I suppose there were a lot of red faces on the US Embassy side. It appears the flag has no fine print on top which says: this side up.

I guess the whole incident just deserved an honest to goodness laugh. Imagine, all the while that Obama and Aquino were having a dialogue, the Philippine flag was set upside down. Was it supposed to be a combative dialogue? Surely, I don't see the error as disrespect, just a silly albeit honest mistake. “A person is not perfect. Sooner or later, he would make a mistake,” Aquino said in defense. So, it seems he already apologized in behalf of the guilty who has not yet been identified. Pero, kailangan pa rin imbestigahan ito! We should not take this sitting down! The culprits must be found! Ibitin ng patiwarik ang may kasalanan! Nyahaha.

The Big Boink theory

Stephen Hawking: God didn't create universe

Yeah, the same renowned scientist who said "if we want to survive beyond the next century, our future is in space".

This time, Stephen Hawking argues in a new book that ""the universe can and will create itself from nothing", banishing a divine creator from physics.

"Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist,...It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper [fuse] and set the universe going," he writes.

So gravity started it all. But then who/what created gravity? Hawkins doesn't say.

His latest comments suggest he has broken away from previous views he has expressed on religion.
Previously, he wrote that the laws of physics meant it was simply not necessary to believe that God had intervened in the Big Bang.

He wrote in A Brief History ... "If we discover a complete theory, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason -- for then we should know the mind of God.".

Very interesting. Imagine human reason discovering everything, even the mind of God. That is pretty much spectacular, considering science has not yet discovered the cure for the common cold. Or why babies are revived with the mere touch of a mother. Our why ball pens tend to disappear into thin air.

Last time I heard, God said He created everything. That is, God created everything except Stephen Hawkins. Methinks that is true because of the immutable law of "tit-for-tat".
/

Knockout funny

This video clip from an old Charlie Chaplin film is so rocking hilarious I just had to share it.



h/t sunnyday

To space or beyond

Mankind must abandon earth or face extinction!

LONDON—Mankind's only chance of long-term survival lies in colonizing space, as humans drain Earth of resources and face a terrifying array of new threats, warned British scientist Stephen Hawking on Monday…

"Our population and our use of the finite resources of planet Earth are growing exponentially, along with our technical ability to change the environment for good or ill."…

If we want to survive beyond the next century, "our future is in space," added the scientist.

"That is why I'm in favor of manned, or should I say 'personed', space flight."…
/
Shiver me timbers! The stuff of Michael Crichton sci-fi novels now approaches reality. Only this time, the doomsday scenario is predicted by a real McCoy – renowned British scientist Stephen Hawking who predicts the dire future even while not forgetting to be politically correct: ‘personed’ space flight. At least we’re sure it won’t be a monkey piloting the spacecraft of the future, but who knows? At the rate the secular world has been redefining the biological and fundamental norms of society, we really can’t be sure what a ‘person’ would mean in the future, can we.

At any rate, we are given one century to conquer space because we are steadily burning out ourselves and the earth! The ‘terrifying array of threats’ will slowly but surely snuff life as we know it on earth. In the next few decades, the population will continue to grow but will peak out by the year 2100. This development will finally make the doomsday Malthusians happy (yes, they’re still around) , but big companies like Toys-R-Us would be wiped out of the economy. So will an entire gamut of industries catering to kids like Infant formula, disposable diapers, McDonalds Kiddie meals, and the like. No wonder because at this time, there are almost no kids around, and the average worldwide age would be at about 45 years of age. Meanwhile, the world-wide shortage of goods starts to makes its presence felt, starting with the scarcity of commodities like adult diapers, rheumatism medication, hearing aids, and false teeth adhesives. From its peak in 2100, the world population now starts at a rapid decline, owing further to science’s utter failure to discover how to make same-sex unions (hugely popular at this time) produce natural offspring. Like Hawkins predicted, mankind (or is it personkind?) will at this time find the limits of its technical ability to change the environment (along with changing the nature of humans, of course). Meanwhile, Singapore is still at it. The country is now offering 10 billion dollars to its citizens for every child they bring into the world. It is probably a tad late anyway, because Singapore at this time will have a country population of exactly 1,003 people – 90% of whom are senior citizens.

But wait. At this time, a heretofore small and insignificant country in the Far East, the Philippines, has emerged as the new world super-power! While the rest of the world has been grappling with its myriad problems, the Philippines has quickly made giant strides in super-technology, while maintaining its population at a healthy, replacement level. Its emergence as a world power can be traced to its bucking the trend of disastrous ‘postmodernism’ with the heroic efforts of an innovative, value-oriented, and incorruptible administration starting in the year 2010. Unlike the rest of the world, this country has shunned contraceptive mentality and concentrated in tapping the productivity of its best resource – its people. Also in large part due to the migration of Filipinos around the world, key leadership positions were cornered by the best and brightest Filipinos in their various countries of residencies. The best scientists of the world, now young Filipinos, were able to solve the fuel and food problems of the whole world! Thanks to the ingenuity of these scientists, one grain of palay can now grow into 100 sacks of rice. A single super-solar cell can now light the whole of Metro Manila. Global warming has finally been conquered. It is now the year 2110, and there is no more need to conquer outer space!!! Stephen Hawking was right about the problems of the world, but he grossly underestimated the resilience and ingenuity of these hardy people from a small country in the Far East.

Meanwhile in local politics, Congressman Lagman XXVI, Jr., has refiled the controversial RH-bill on the very first day of the opening of the 214th session of Congress, year 2110. Reminded that this is the RH bill's 204th try for legislative approval, Lagman XXVI, Jr, replied: "We'll have it passed this time around. We have the numbers. If not, we will have it passed on the moon".
/

The real neighbor

(Lk 10:25-37 - The Good Samaritan)

A man appears before St. Peter at the pearly gates. "Have you ever done anything of particular merit?" St. Peter asks.
"Well, I can think of one thing," the man offers. "Once, on a trip to the Black Hills, out in South Dakota, I came upon a gang of high-testosterone bikers who were threatening a young woman. I directed them to leave her alone, but they wouldn't listen. So I approached the largest and most heavily tattooed biker.
I smacked him on the head, kicked his bike over, ripped out his nose ring and threw it on the ground.
And I told him: "Leave her alone now or you'll answer to me!'"
St. Peter was impressed: "When did this happen?"

"Just a few minutes ago."
/

There was this other unusual incident which happened on my tour of Barcelona. There I was happily strolling in the vicinity where stands one of Antonio Gaudi's famous architectures. I was by myself taking short clips with my videocam when three casually-dressed Spanish ladies approached me. What could these ladies want with me I wondered, as I quickly dispelled the crazy thought that they may have been attracted by my good looks.They started talking to me in rapid Catalan as one grabbed my arm and the other stretched her hand with palm upwards, while the third pointed a sharp-looking object at me. Oh my God I prayed, this is a stickup even as I protested: "No hay! no tengo dinero!". Suddenly a very tall Spaniard in a business suit interfered, warding off the three intrepid ladies: "que pasa! que pasa!!". The three would-be robbers scampered out of sight as they were intimidated by the over six-foot tall Spaniard in the business suit with matching briefcase. I uttered my profuse "gracias, gracias" to him even as I quickly walked away from the scene. After a few steps I glanced backwards to get a good look at my knight in shining suit, but he was nowhere to be seen anymore. He had vanished just as quickly as he appeared.

The parable of the Good Samaritan is a most popular parable with an enduring message. It is a parable that was Jesus' answer to the legalistic question: "Who is my neighbor?". On deeper reflection, it becomes apparent that Jesus has turned the question upside down. It was not anymore a question of "Who is my neighbor", but more a question of "How am I as a neighbor?". The question is about our own persons, and not about how we categorize people. Today's modern translations say "the Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight". Exegetes would assert that the original Hebrew texts portrayed a stronger emotion. Upon seeing the wounded man left half-dead, the Samaritan felt his heart wrenched open, with a Hebrew reference to a mother's womb and maternal care. The original texts actually convey that the Samaritan was viscerally moved by compassion and love. His heart was wrenched open. It did not matter who he was helping. It can be a stranger, a relative, a town mate, a countryman, a foreigner...and yes, it can even be a naive tourist strolling around taking pictures. For all its lessons, the parable of the Good Samaritan eventually points us to love rightly and to become more like Him - who loved us all first.

DepEd's SexEd fumbles...

DepEd stops sex education program

MANILA, June 22, 2010—The government on Tuesday put on hold the teaching of sex education in public schools amid strong opposition from the country’s influential Catholic Church.

Education Secretary Mona Valisno said the implementation of the controversial program is postponed until after consultations with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

“We decided to hold sex education module in abeyance until a final decision is made on the consulting process,” Valisno said...
/
Mighty strange the way DepEd blew hot and cold on this issue. They couldn't have been intimidated by the class suit filed by CBCP lawyer Jo Imbong in behalf of parents. The DepEd chief herself claimed the decision to suspend the implementation had nothing to do with the case filed against them.In fact, she already went ahead with the sex ed program without waiting for the consultations to transpire and then suddenly stopped it. So, what gives? Most likely, they ran into problems that they were not prepared to handle. To illustrate, a typical field account goes as follows:

(In a grade 6 classroom)

Teacher Pedro: Ok class, the lesson for today is about pregnancy.
Does anyone know what pregnancy means?...Juanita! stop talking there!
Now stand up and answer my question!

Juanita (stands up): er, what question sir?

Teacher Pedro: Hmmp. I asked what does pregnancy mean.

Juanita: Pregnancy means...when my mother expects a baby and her tummy grows bigger?

Teacher Pedro: Well, yes...but pregnancy can also happen to to any female, not just to married mothers. In fact it can also happen to you! When a male and a female engages in irresponsible sex, the female can get pregnant.

Juanita: But teacher, what does irresponsible sex mean?

Teacher Pedro: It means when you are too young and not yet ready to get pregnant, having sex is irresponsible.

Juanita: But teacher, does it mean absolutely not having sex until you are older and ready to be pregnant?

Teacher Pedro: Yes...as much as possible. Now when you really, really, really cannot help it...there are ways where you can actually enjoy sex without getting pregnant. Yes, for example there is a preventive device called 'condom'. In fact I have an actual specimen of a condom here... (holds it up and shows it to the class) -- this is supposed to be worn by the males during sex to prevent the female partner from getting pregnant. It is 85% effective...

Juanita: My, what an interesting device! It looks like a party balloon! How is it used to prevent pregnancy? Teacher, please give us an actual demonstration.

Class: Yes! Yes!! Show and tell ! Demonstrate to us by wearing it please, sir Pedro. Sige na sir !!!

Teacher Pedro: Class...DISMISSED !!!
/

Medicines or not: lost in translation

Cabral unfazed by case to be filed by herbal firms

MANILA, Philippines - Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral is unfazed by the graft case filed against her before the Office of the Ombudsman by a group of manufacturers of herbal and dietary products over the translation of a warning sign on product packages.

“I’m not bothered. All we did was translate it from English to Filipino so that it can be understood by most Filipinos. Why don’t they want the public to understand? Does it mean that they are thriving on deceit?” Cabral told The STAR.

The case stemmed from an administrative order of the Department of Health (DOH) issued last March 18 to replace the warning “No Approved Therapeutic Claims” on the labels of herbal and dietary products to “Mahalagang Paalala:
Ang (name of product) Ay Hindi Gamot at Hindi Dapat Gamiting Panggamot sa Anumang Uri ng Sakit.”

In its complaint, the Chamber of Herbal Industries of the Philippines Inc. claimed that the order had caused the industry some P47.4 million in damages and injury in the form of cancelled advertisements and wasted advertising and promotional materials, excluding losses in sales...
/

Hmm. Why pick on herbals? I think Sec. Cabral should go all the way and make mandatory the translations of warnings on all other products as well.

English - "Cigarette smoking is dangerous to your health"
Tagalog - "Ang paninigarilyo ay delikado sa iyong kalusugan, kahit presidente ka pa."

English - "Drink moderately"
Tagalog - "Uminom nang katamtaman lamang, kasi parang yosi din yan."

English - "Trust Condoms"
Tagalog - " 85% lamang ang bisa nito, at hindi ito gamot sa AIDS. Sa madali't salita, pwede mo ring ikamatay."

English - "Condoms is supergood medicine"
Tagalog - "Ah ewan!"
/

Prepared for Baptism?

The Baptism of the Lord
(Luke 3:15-16, 21-22)

Before performing a baptism, the priest approached the young father and said solemnly:

"Baptism is a serious step. Are you prepared for it?"

"I think so," the man replied. "My wife has made appetizers and we have a caterer coming to provide plenty of cookies and cakes for all of our guests."

"I don't mean that," the priest responded. "I mean, are you prepared spiritually?"
/
Jesus' baptism in the river Jordan heralded his public ministry.
In his book Jesus of Nazareth, Pope Benedict XVI relates the theological dimension of Jesus' baptism:

"Because of the cross and resurrection it becomes clear to Christians what had occurred: Jesus took on his shoulders the weight of the sin of all humanity; he took it with him into the Jordan. From the beginning of his activity he takes the place of sinners. There begins the anticipation of the cross...Thus one understands the reason why in his own discourses Jesus uses the word baptism to refer to his own death. (Matt 10:38; Luke 12:50)".

To us followers in turn, baptism refers to our own initiation into Christianity. It opens to us the one true path to salvation, by the grace of God. Thus in CCC 1214: This sacrament is called Baptism, after the central rite by which it is carried out: to baptize (Greek baptizein) means to "plunge" or "immerse"; the "plunge" into the water symbolizes the catechumen's burial into Christ's death, from which he rises up by resurrection with him, as "a new creature.".

Yet we still need to cooperate with God's grace freely given, as CCC 1254 says "... faith must grow after Baptism...for this reason the Church celebrates each year at the Easter Vigil the renewal of baptismal promises. Preparation for Baptism leads only to the threshold of new life.." and in CCC 1255 : "For the grace of Baptism to unfold, the parents' help is important..."

And that is why before performing the baptism, the above priest asked the young father:

"I mean, are you prepared spiritually?".

To which the young father replied: "Oh sure, I’ve got a keg of beer and a case of whiskey.".

ODDS AND ENDS 9/5

Japan first lady’s quirky personality

Says she met Tom Cruise in previous life

TOKYO — Japan’s next prime minister might be nicknamed "the alien," but it’s his soon-to-be first lady who claims to have had a close encounter with another world.

Miyuki Hatoyama, a former actress and wife of Yukio Hatoyama—who will likely be sworn in as Japan’s prime minister on Sept. 16—promises to become one of Japan’s most colorful first ladies ever.

She says Tom Cruise was really a Japanese and they have met in a previous life. She claims her soul has traveled to Venus on a UFO.

[Oh yeah. I heard his previous name was Tomiyuki Cruisama.]
/

Palace tells Singson to behave

MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) Malacañang advised Deputy National Security Adviser Luis "Chavit'' Singson on Friday to conduct himself well in the face of accusations he recently beat up his live-in partner.

"We advise Undersecretary Singson to behave accordingly as an upright citizen and to submit himself to due process of law,'' Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said at a news briefing.

[A high government official beats his common-law wife black and blue, and Malacañang advises him to "behave". It's like he was caught dipping his hands in the cookie jar. I wonder what Malacañang does if her pet government officials really, I mean really, "misbehave".
I suppose they will to be made to stand in the corner.]
/

Arroyo use prayer to deal with low ratings

MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo turns to prayer if she feels down over her consistently low approval ratings.

"If it does, she has not shown it,'' Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said Friday when asked if the low approval and trust ratings bothered the President.

And thanks to her "strong faith'' and a prayerful life, Arroyo has managed to deal with this, and focus on her job, Remonde told reporters at a Malacañang news briefing.

"She finds strength and solace in her very strong faith as a person. As we all know, the President is a very prayerful person. She attends Mass and makes confession every day,'' he said.

[Ehem]
/

Pacquiao aiming to conquer political ring

MANILA - Philippine boxing hero Manny Pacquiao declared Friday he was determined to run for Congress next year despite a previous election defeat and a looming bout with three-time world champion Miguel Cotto.

Pacquiao, popularly known as "Pacman", told reporters he had enough time to train for his fight against Cotto in November and then campaign for a seat in the lower house, with national elections slated for May next year.

"It (my election campaign) will still push through. Nothing has changed," said Pacquiao, who has set up his own party, the People's Champ Movement.

[Then there was this previous interview on Pacquiao's political plans.]

REPORTER: Manny, pag ne-elect ka sa Congress, anong BILL ang ipo-propose mo?
MANNY: BILL? Anung BILL? Yung tomotonog tuwing tapos ng rawnd nang bukseng?

A written explanation for tardiness

A production floor employee sent in this written apology to his supervisor who demanded a written explanation for his tardiness (unedited, below). Reading the explanation, I found it hard not to sympathize with the person. I also found it hard suppressing a few laughs.

"I am verry sorry for my tardiness. it was a honest mistake on my part but not intentioned to done.

Due to the verry bad weather condition, day after the noted late "tardies" on August 5, 2009, it became hard for me to get a ride back home. And some part of my way home are verry traffic and same are high tide so that I got home late. Anyway, my calltime a day after noted late is 1200nn to 945pm. I got home around 1200mn but its not all reason why I got late, its because my alarm clock wasn't rang so that I got late to wakeup but still I move fast and get my things. Without taking a bat I still go to work thinking of my commitment to [our company] my first and last job...

Thank you very much for your kind consideration and understanding."

Thank you too for making my day.

Odds and ends 8/09

Microsoft apologizes for changing race in photo


Aha! Caught cheating eh? These naughty MS guys changed the black face with a white face and now they get a red face. Something's hilariously wrong if one looks closely. Of course, they forgot to change the color of the hands. Then the head of the white guy seems unnaturally too big, his neck seems too short, and he appears to look at a different direction. The result is eggs on Microsoft faces. I mean, they got lots of money to hire and photograph new models, why bother to fake it? It would be easy quite enough to pose again for them, yes?

Puzzle Time (1)

HOW WILL YOU SURVIVE IN THIS SITUATION?




Think...


Think...


Think more...


Give up?...

Answer here.

Of smart questions and Obamacare

In one of the prolife workshops I attended quite a spell ago, I remember a group case study brought up for discussion.

A deadly virus outbreak has suddenly contaminated the earth and some survivors were fortunate enough to avoid the fatal contamination by holing up in securely-sealed habitable underground chambers. In one such chamber, there are 10 people holed up waiting for the virus outbreak to end. These people are composed of the following: 1) a scientist, 2) an eminent educator, 3) a priest, 4) a young bright boy, 5) a physician, 6) a young pretty girl, 7) an old woman, 8) a pregnant mother, 9) her husband, and 10) you. The virus outbreak is estimated to clear up in 100 days, after which the survivors in underground chambers can safely move out.

Unfortunately, the food stocked in this particular chamber where you among these 10 people are holed up can only accommodate to feed 5 people in 100 days. You have been recognized as the natural leader of the group, and as one of the 10, has been unanimously elected to decide your group's fate. You are obviously faced with the hard decision of choosing who among you should stay in the chamber and survive by partaking of the food sufficient enough to feed only 5 people comfortably for 100 days. The rest would be immediately let out of the chamber to fatally face the virus outbreak and die immediately.

What would you do? If you had to choose, whom would you choose and why?

In this case study, it would be easy to drawn into debating the practical needs of the majority, based upon the the relative "worth" of each person. The root question that seems apparent goes like: "Who are the persons who deserve to die more than others?". The question appears challenging, except when one questions the very question itself. Why can't the available food be stretched so that ALL ten people may eat and live?

Apparently, a similar question of the first sort haunts the controversial health reform program being pushed by Obama. Ex-governor Sarah Palin asks the questions here.

"Who will suffer the most when they ration care? The sick, the elderly, and the disabled, of course," the former vice presidential candidate wrote on her Facebook page.

"The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's 'death panel' so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their 'level of productivity in society,' whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil," Palin wrote.

The America I know is a super rich, first-world superpower country that is capable of taking care of ALL its citizens, with more than enough spare to give aid to less developed countries. Maybe it is a matter of not asking the right questions. I have yet to hear a smart politician convincingly defend the proposed health care program against the charges of fatally marginalizing the sick, elderly and disabled. Speaking of smart politicians, here's an oldie but goodie, slightly revised.
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There were four men in an airplane: The pilot, a smart politician, a priest, and a boy scout.

They were flying along when the plane started to crash. Noticing that there were only three parachutes, the pilot grabbed a parachute and jumped out, saying: "I have to live to report this accident".

Now with only two left, the smart politician said "I have to live so I should go ahead too. I am a very smart public servant and the world needs me to save it.", so he grabs a parachute and jumps out.

The priest turns to the boy scout and says, "Son, I've lived my life and I know where I'm going, so you go ahead and take the last parachute."

The boy scout replied, "No, we can both go. The smart politician took my backpack".

Odds and Ends - 6/18

Australian police review Taser use after man dies

BRISBANE (AP) – Police in Queensland state are reviewing their use of Tasers in connection with the death of a man last week who was stunned up to 28 times during a standoff with police.

Stunned 28 times! Mate, that's no elephant out there.
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PETA wishes Obama hadn't swatted that fly

WASHINGTON (AP) – The group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants the flyswatter in chief to try taking a more humane attitude the next time he's bedeviled by a fly in the White House.

[The President swatted a fly dead when it bothered it during a recent interview]

PETA is sending President Barack Obama a 'Katcha Bug Humane Bug Catcher', a device that allows users to trap a house fly and then release it outside.

"We support compassion even for the most curious, smallest and least sympathetic animals," PETA spokesman Bruce Friedrich said Wednesday. "We believe that people, where they can be compassionate, should be, for all animals."

Compassion...to the smallest..animals. Oh sure, sure. Now if we only had a group such as PETU (People for the Ethical Treatment of the Unborn) to similarly petition Obama.
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Erap: I was just joking on congressional bid

MANILA, Philippines -- Former president Joseph Estrada clarified today that he was only kidding when he said he will run for a congressional seat in 2010 if President Arroyo does the same.

"Alam mo yung napalabas yan, biro-biro lang yun. Bakit ako kakandidatong congresman eh di naman matutuloy ang con-ass (constituent assembly) na yan?" Estrada said in a radio interview.

Tumpak! (lol!)

Until the end of age

Sunday - June 7, 2009
Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Mat 28:16-20
..."Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."
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"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
In the Great Commission, Jesus directs His disciples to "Go and make disciples of all nations", and assures them that "I am with you always, until the end of the age". It was a commission that was destined to be fulfilled throughout the ages. In addition to this, we must remember from last Sunday's Gospel that Jesus promised "I will send you the Spirit of Truth" (Jn 15:26). In conjunction with these, we must also remember that Jesus promised "the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it (my church)". (Mt 16:18). So, when some people claim that the church that Christ founded apostatized sometime after the death of the last apostle, they simply refuse to pay attention to Jesus' words. The One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church persists and will continue to persist to the end of days simply because Jesus said so, whether some people like it or not. We cannot just skip over some key verses in the scriptures, or else we will be in deep trouble.

To illustrate, there is this story of the preacher whose worn-out bible was missing some pages in the book of Genesis. One Sunday, he faced his congregation to read his text that was missing one page from the story of the great flood.
"Noah took unto himself a wife," he began, "and she was"...
- he turned the page to continue -
..."three hundred cubits long, fifty wide and thirty nigh."