Opening Ceremonies before the Kickoff
The Saskatchewan Rough Riders wearing green was ahead of the game up to the last second when the goofiest screwup happened—they had too many men in the field. This gave the Montreal Alouettes another chance to make the field goal that won the game.
With Three Sopranos—
Three Sopranos sing Cantique Noel
(Best viewed on Real Player. Click on blue caption “Three Sopranos sing Cantique Noel”, adjust real player on view/normal mode/zoom double size)
The conductor is Andre Rieu. The dvd is “Christmas Around The World”.
Let Gloria run for Congress.
Let Erap run for President.
Let history run its course.
The reults would be conclusive.
Just remember, people, Congress might suddenly turn itself into a Legislative Assembly for Parliament
even without your vote.
So vote wisely for your congressman.
Any of the presidentables is okay.
All of them promise not to steal.
Naturally.
The evidence being collected and was collected are being stored with the Department of Justice, not with those who collected these.
Now why does this thought send shivers up my spine? 
Tremendous effort is required to train children for a choir. They are unable to sit still for more than 3o minutes at a time. But the rewards are great if and when discipline is attained, because children have a natural tunnel-like tone. Together they can sing notes in a perfect single tone effect. Consequently there is no more need to harmonize, as is usually done for adult singers who are unable to sing in singular tones.
The Nagasaki Children’s Choir have achieved both discipline and perfect singularity in tone. Much more, they’re cute.
This is the latest one you sent.
And now that the DILG SEC, Puno, and the PNP, and the AFP are meticulously gathering info and at the same time taking control of the Maguindanao Province, what the people may want to know is the one significant thing that will bring the Ampatuans down for good.
And this may be answered by the question ; ‘What is the source of their wealth?’
Do they have a license to dip into the coffers of the Treasury of the Philippine Government? Are they stealing from the govt via skimming from the taxes? Or are their pay checks padded? Are they engaged in corruption or illegal drug trafficking? Extortion?
Therefore, after the preventive suspension of the Ampatuans, the government auditors should get in to look at their books, both their official and personal books!
And, Dod-gammit, take the time to freeze their bank assets!
It’s about time he did. I have always said that anything and everything that happens inside the country is his concern, him being the Secretary of the Department of Interior. Much more, the Department he heads includes the Local Governments—or the DILG.
If his powers are taken into a strict perspective, he should have encompassing powers which are subject to censure only by the President. He should have been the equivalent of an Inspector General overseeing the work of the other members of the Cabinet. This is what his title suggests.
In reality, he does not have authority over the municipalities, or that authority which has been supplemented on his Interior portfolio. He holds responsibility over the combined portfolio of the Interior and Local Government.
It is time he assumed this authority. Otherwise he becomes a drab, sparkle-less decoration up a christmas tree.
Perhaps now he can assume the actual responsibilityof the position with its conconittant practicable authority.
The blame for this political situation should be put on the people who conjured up and passed the autonomous government for the ARRM.
Autonomy spells dynasty and power, and reeks with violence and hatred.
Autonomy creates monsters. The government should do some backtracking on this.
The Ampatuan domain was built under goverment eyes and with government help.
The prisoner may be in danger of getting harmed by families and friends and not from his enemies. Contact with the prisoner should be limited to phone conversations only. Clothes renewal should be carefully inspected for sewn in transfers.
it is nigh impossible to mass a hundred men at a point to abduct an entourage as large as 50 innocent people. It would take a whole lot of planning and logistics to undertake such an operation as the Maguindanao massacre, unless the hundred men ( basically company size) belong to one fixed formation. Moreover, the operation was done in a short, efficient surgical process, leaving behind very little traces of the work.
I opine that a mayor wouldn’t be able to plan and lead such an operation. Pay it forward, perhaps, but not lead. Arrange for a backhoe to be there sometime before, but not lead the operation. A Captain’s savvy may be required for this, unless this sort of thing was done so many times before.
Which leads us to the very significant questions : Were the hundred men wearing camouflage uniforms? Did they take their time to molest the women? Were there arguments between abductors and abductees regarding the abduction?
Have they unearthed bodies of people identified as coming from the other provinces?
OK, OK, so that has been declared for that region.
This is another of those feeble decrees with feeble enforcement!
Why hasn’t the Army and the PNP disarmed the people? Are these law enforcement people the ones intimidated by the murders and the beheadings? What are they authorized to do anyway, sell their weapons to the bandits?
Who is supposed to carry the big stick in that region?
What may satisfy the anxious Filipinos is the Commander-In-Chief going on broadcast tv to give the people a summary of the events and what the govt is doing about them. The people deserve to know.
That was a Black Day for both Philippine Politics and Media.
At least 45 of them in one vehicle entourage were stopped on the road, diverted to a place and mercilessly massacred. The women were raped. This hellish murders were politically motivated. Suspected is the ruling family of the Ampatuans. The victims were members of the political rival Magandadatu family who were on the way to file the candidacy for the upcoming elections. The murderers were starting to bury the bodies using a govt backhoe when the army personnel arrived.
This is what the country should expect if these people are left to govern themselves. Perhaps it would be best for the Administration to forget the distinction between the members of the Abu Sayyaf, the kidnappers, the private armies, and the milf. These members shift from one group to another with seamless effort. It would also be best to ignore the peace talks. Let the government take over the region as it should, under the Constitution. Damn the peace talks, this is war!.
But where were the Army and the PNP when this massacre was going on? Wasn”t there supposed to be an escort for these procession? How large a government force do we keep down there? How much in budget money do they eat? Some heads should roll! SOME HEADS SHOULD ROLL, and I wouldn’t mean only those coddlers who wear uniforms.
An emergency state, or literally, martial law that is declared on the region would be applicable but this would be feeble if a naval blockade is not in place. The sea is the escape route, and by now the murderers have already fled this way. It might even be best if a naval officer is put in charge of the land forces and the PNP. Newer methods might be in order. The Army is supposed to ACT, not merely REACT. It should HINDER and DETER!
If we are people who consider the muslims as equals, then let us treat them as equals. Right now we are handling them with kid gloves, giving them a lot of leeway that they don’t deserve. How many of these muslim kidnappers, rapists, murderers, and terrorists have we hanged, or even punished or splashed with pork oil?
And if other muslims say that these muslim extremists are not their brother muslims, why don’t they raise arms against them? After all, these extremists are giving the whole muslim world their bad reputation!
Right?
RIGHT!
Switch from US dollars to gold.
The Calibration Room, or more commonly called the CR.
Hinaing Ng Mga Drayber
O ‘Sekutib ng Kumpanyang Langis,
Pati na ang inyong Kawangis,
Dinggin ang aming pagnanangis
Dama na namin ang bigat at bangis
Pamamalakad ng inyong bisnis
Saglit lamang nyo pinagbigyan ang prais pris.
Sa aming pasada namalaging perhwisyo
Gasolina’t disel, pagtataas ng presyo.
Draybing ang aming napiling opisyo
Huwag sanang ituring ito’y simpleng bisyo
Sa mga pasahero ang aming serbisyo.
Nangangailangan ito ng malaking sakripisyo
Lalung-lalo na sa nagsusuot ng ngiping fustisho.
‘Sensiya na kung sa lansangan kami ay magtrobol
Bitbit ang plakard sa protesta’y may pagka-dedbol.
Tadyak ng boundary ang aming tambol
Atas nito ang aming pinanghahabol.
Disel at gasolina sana’y laging abelabol
At ang inyong tubo’y gawing risonabol.
(Tipa ni Cool_Ambo, sino pa!)
on us who keep minding other people’s business.
So what if Manny is “left turning”, that’s his problem. This does not concern any of us. So what business is it of us. Shame!
Kahiya-hiya kayo. Usisero na tsismoso pa! Naturingan pa namang kayong edukado. Hindi naman siguro kaisa-isang pangyayari ito. Marami namang gumagawa nito, maski na hindi mayaman at hindi tanyag mayroon silang ‘other woman’. Minsan pa nga ‘other women’.
Maganda naman di hamak itong si Krista, a! Teka, nagsasama pa ba si Jinkee at Manny? Magkatabi pa ba sila kung matulog? Ano ang sabi da ng nanay na si Aling Cha-Cha? Di ba siya nagagalit sa mga kalintikan na ito?
Balitaan naman nyo ako kung nalalaman nyo!
Tremendous energy goes with a heavy punch. More so if it misses, because recovering from a missed punch draws more energy than the throw. A boxer that throws more misses than hits becomes easily tired and frustrated, and allows himself to be explicably turned into a punching bag.
Manny Pacquiao obliged Cotto and proceeded to turn the latter’s face into a pulp. Manny has the ability to throw another punch even before he recovers from his first punch. This produces the much-vaunted Pacquiao windmill attack.
This punch that brought Cotto’s first down was a confidence builder for Manny. After this Manny just ignored Cotto’s punching prowess and waded in, sometimes engaging Cotto in toe-to-toe-exchanges.
Using the Flash Elorde weave and the Floyd Patterson peek-a-boo style, Pacquiao threw Cotto off balance most of the time, while his straight jabs hit the mark on Cotto’s face.
What impressed me more than his classy performance was his hitherto unrevealed compassion in the boxing game. Seen in this photo is a two-second pause in the fight. He was looking at the referee in what appeared to be an effort to ask him to stop the fight. Cotto had nothing more to give.
In return, Manny Pacquiao has made another friend of another foe.
Yup! This fight was an obra maestra, a masterpiece. Perhaps this is so because Manny Pacquiao has turned himself into one masterpiece. Him and Freddie Roach did.
Some party, eh?
The neighbors did not complain about the noise.
Of course, they were in that party!
The United States Secretary of State…
Strong, Resolute…..
Well-rounded, well-informed…..
A sense of humor……
And she looks great, too!
Drugs are labeled ‘timed release’ when its ingredients are dissolved at differnt intervals in the stomach. This gives an effect of ‘extended relief.
Malacanang has replaced its executive order to effect a price freeze on oil products to one which regulates both the price and the profits of the oil companies via timed effectivity.
The price of oil products will increase gradually from the point when it was frozen (and the oil companies are losing money) to a point when the oil companies will have made profits and recovered from that point when it lost money.
In other words, the price of oil products will increase by stages until the oil companies would have attained full profit recovery. This should work.
Now why did we not think of this before? (ehem!)
Knowing full well how Filipinos interpret the laws (and treaties) by testing its fringes and limits, I wouldn’t consider the Visiting Forces Agreement as a formal treaty wherein both parties would be liable under international law this being an international treaty.
Having said that, the Visiting Forces agreement is merely an agreement, and some things will not be as binding as a formal international treaty. Filipinos do have a penchant for being ‘pilosopos’ and may look for goodies out of words smaller than the small print.
The VFA was introduced when the Philippines all but protested against all the treaties involving American military bases. An agreement was then formulated which satisfied both the US and the Philippines and this agreement is the VFA.
The small American contingents ‘visiting’ the Philippines provide a security cover for the islands. It also provides a a scouting/reconaissance/observation force for the US which still guards from an attack similar to that at Pearl Harbor.
The American VFA forces that regularly visits the Philippines is mostly beneficial to the country and has little benefit to the Americans but being a standby force just in case.
However, I do not think the Philippine lawmakers would have any qualms if the American contingent would be composed mostly of square-jawed, determined sentries like this one :
