Here we have yet more proof that the Europeans, whom we once deigned to lecture on the “virtues of democracy”, have long since surpassed us in that.

From Der Spiegel:

Labor Minister Franz Josef Jung resigned from Angela Merkel’s cabinet on Friday. In a brief statement Jung said he was taking “political responsibility” for having misinformed the German public due to, he claims, a lack of knowledge regarding civilian casualties stemming from a Sept. 4 airstrike Afghanistan.

You see, in Germany, when politicians are caught blatantly lying to their constituencies, they do the right thing and step down. The amazing aspect of this is that, by American standards, Josef Jung’s transgression was exceedingly minor – he merely lied about the effects of one airstrike in Afghanistan. Following the strike, Jung claimed that there were no “civilian casualties”, but later it came to light that there were tens or hundreds, many of them children. For that he resigned.

Now can you even imagine something like that happening in America? We have grown so desensitized to the constant stream of mendacity from our leaders that it is difficult to grow angry over any one lie. Warrantless  wiretapping, “We Do Not Torture”, Weapons of Mass Destruction, “existential threats”, secret detentions, the Saddam-Al Qaeda link, and the list goes on and on and on. Yet not only do our leaders routinely inform us that no investigations into these lies will be forthcoming, no popular outrage seems to exist over them.

And Jung isn’t the only one to have been let go:

The debacle has made things difficult for Germany’s new Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg. He is reported to have “exploded” when he first learned of the report — when he was contacted by Bild on Wednesday for a comment. He immediately called in the General Inspector Schneidhan to see if he was aware of the report. Once it was clear that he had known about it, there was little choice but for him to resign. Peter Wichert, the deputy defense minister, was also fired.

We in America are a long way off from that kind of democracy.

My god! Avec toute cette propagande à 2 balles cette campagne de sensibilisation pertinente octroyé par les médias depuis quelques semaines,  j’en arrive maintenant à me questionner si je n’écris pas pour rien. Vous savez, ce virus hivernal destructeur qui sévit et qui massacre sans pitié jeunes et moins jeunes? Suis-je le seul qui a survécu à cette grippe atomique qu’est le H1N1?

Il faut dire que j’ai pas pris aucune chance: ma chère mère, infirmière de profession, avait pris soin de me voler quelques doses du précieux antidote. J’ai donc affiné mes plus belles seringues aiguilles et je m’en suis shooté une dans l’oeil pis une dans l’cul. Y parait que ça fesse plus.

Alors pour les quelques rescapés encore sur cette belle planète, ben je sais pas trop quoi vous dire… Dansez?

Erol Alkan & Boys Noize – Waves (mp3)

Et pour ceux qui auraient vu leur famille/amis décimée par le vilain microbe, et bien, pleurez-les avec la version piano de cette même chanson interpreté par, vous l’aurez deviné, M. Gonzales.

Erol Alkan & Boys Noize – Waves (Chilly Gonzales Piano Remake) (mp3)

Gonzales Website
Erol Alkan Website
Boys Noize Website

Previously, Zest Air would send promos and airline updates via email. I noticed that they haven’t sent me one for the past few months. You would really have to visit their website for promo updates. Fortunately I was able to see some of their refreshing new ideas. They have posted the selling and travel dates for their promos. Moreover, they now offer packages for travelers like me! Check out some of the latest happenings from Zest Air!

Important Zest Air promo sell and travel dates to remember for 2010:

Zest Air New Year Sale

Selling period is from January 3 to 5, 2010

Travel period is from June 15 to November 15, 2010

The Love Seats Sale

Selling period is from February 12 to 14, 2010

Travel period is from June 15 to November 15, 2010

Summer Madness Sale

Selling period is April 1 to 7, 2010

Travel period is from June 15 to November 15, 2010

Mid-year Sale

Selling period is from June 1 to 7, 2010

Travel period is from July 1 to November 15, 2010

Zest Air Annual Sale

Selling Period is August 1 to 3, 2010

Travel Period is September 1 to 30, 2010

Halloween Sale

Selling period is  October 27 to November 2, 2010

Travel period is from November 1 to December 10, 2010

Early Christmas Sale

Selling Period is  November 23 to 30, 2010

Travel Period is from January 15 to March 15, 2011

IMPORTANT NOTICE: For all booking made and finalized before October 16, 2009, kindly click the image for the new flight numbers. It is important that you reconfirm your flight bookings through their hotline or ticket offices within 24 hours prior to the day of your flight to avoid inconveniences.

For those who want to travel stress-free, you simply have to book the package offerings from Zest Air. I believe the package rates are valid until March 30, 2010 and it already includes round-trip airfares, 3 days and 2 nights accommodations, daily set breakfasts and the 12% VAT.  It resembles the packages of PAL called PALakbayan and I guess that’s how Zest Air came up with their new product. So check them out!!!

To book your flights or for more details you may log-on to Zest Air’s website at anytime. You may also call their hotline at +632-855-3333 or email through leadagent@zestair.com.ph.

For inquiries and feedbacks you may email Customer Service Center at customerrelations@zestair.com.ph.

Biyahe na!!!

Apresentando: Gonzales e Gonzalinho

Arriba!!

Darayonan Lodge

Darayonan is a Cuyonon word that means a place to stay. The lodge is situated in a residential part of Coron town, strategically located along the National Highway. Darayonan Lodge aims to provide its guests with clean and comfortable rooms, good food and quality service. Aside from that, one has options on choosing the rooms to stay at: in the native bamboo, sawali and banig set-up or in the modern concrete and tile two-story building.

Darayonan Lodge is an accredited tourist inn by the Philippine Department of Tourism. It has played host to a number of VIP’s and celebrities, the most notable of whom are Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and then U.S. Ambassador Francis Ricciardone.  In fact, Congressman Baham Mitra was amongst the guests of the lodge during our stay from October 21-24, 2009.

What is striking about this place aside from its homey atmosphere is the owner’s love for the arts. It definitely is a reflection of the owner’s strive in achieving perfection in everything. From the lodge’s interior decorations to the food being served for each meal. He personally goes over every little details right before being served or handed over to the guests. We stayed here for 4 days and 3 nights; and it was a part of the overwhelming positive experiences that I have had during my stay in Coron, Palawan.

The place is clean all the time! They see to it that the rooms and private comfort rooms get cleaned everyday during your stay. They also make sure that the entire lodge is spic and span all throughout the day. I have never seen any litter at all in my entire stay.

The facilities in this lodge pass the normal standards of travellers: hot and cold shower, all air-conditioned rooms, centralized water system. It’s like you never left home at all. I’ve had a comfortable stay at this lodge.

It’s also probably the only lodge that includes breakfast for two along with the daily room charge. And what’s more, drinking water and coffee is unlimited, no extra charge. I should say that staying at Darayonan is really a value for your money.

Darayonan Lodge has facilities and amenities as follows:

Cafe which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner

Choice of fan or air-conditioned rooms

Queen-sized beds, single-sized beds plus two extra beds if necessary

21″  colored television sets on all their rooms

Refrigerator/Mini Bar

Closets

Writing desk cum dresser with mirror

Bigger rooms with higher ceiling

Bigger bathroom

Veranda

Darayonan Lodge not only offers bed and breakfast for travelers. In fact, they also  arrange tours/trips for you so you’d have a grand vacation for you or your family or even with your friends.  They have enticing packages which includes everything (accommodations/rooms, land transfers from and to Busuanga, food and tours) and you won’t have to worry a single thing about your vacation. Every single detail of your vacation will be taken cared of  at rates that would suit your budget. Group or barkada packages also await travelers who  wish to visit Coron in groups or together with their families and loved ones. Darayonan Lodge does not have a website at this point in time. So if you like to get price quotes for your stay with them, you may get in touch with the owners through these contact numbers:

Chin Fernandez owner of Darayonan Lodge

Location:  132 National Highway, Barangay Poblacion 1, Coron, Palawan

Cellphone: +639178811151

Landline: +6327443209

Email: dipulao@gmail.com

Walka Marcosa Rene Maidany z Williamem Gonzalesem. Pojedynek odbył się 21 listopada 2009 roku w Sunchales.

Przecena w sklepie Pretorian – sprawdź teraz!

I’m not capable of listening to music I love without playing it for other people.  Rather than forcing you to ride with me in my Escort with the busted out sound system or taking up your lunch break with homemade mixtapes, I thought I’d just leave the songs I love the most each weekend here for you to soak up at your leisure.  Here’s the first installment.  Be sure to stay tuned through the end, since this set ends with my FAVORITE SONG OF THE YEAR.

1.  Brand Nubian – “Step To The Rear”

Grand Puba is a monster.  A monster, friends.

2.  Black Sheep – “Similak Child”

We’re keeping it Native for the first chunk of this post.  Like a lot of whiteboys, ATCQ was my first hip hop obsession, which later spilled over into the entire Native Tongues clique.  I figured it might be a safe place to start for people who say they like every kind of music except from rap and country.  Things might get a little rougher later.

3.  Poor Righteous Teachers – “Word Is Bond”

More “conscious” rap from New Jersey’s finest.  Check that 808.

4.  K.M.D. – “Humrush”

A little Daisy Age DOOM.

5.  Bill Evans – “Theme From Spartacus”

Bill Evans is one of the two pianists on the jazz album that nearly everyone has, Miles Davis’s “Kind of Blue.”  He’s also my favorite pianist, and this is from “Conversations With Myself,” where he overdubs take after take, yielding the cascading sound you hear here.  It works on the entire album, but this one grabbed me from the first time I heard it.

6.  Gonzales – “Gogol”

Gonzales is Chilly Gonzales, who is apparently a rapper, though I’ve never heard him do that.  He plays piano on both of Leslie Feist’s albums.  His playing and compositional style reminds me of Vince Guaraldi (the guy from the Peanuts cartoons).

7.  Feist – “Limit To Your Love”

Speaking of Leslie Feist.  This is what a great record sounds like after the hype has left it alone.  See also: Fleet Foxes, Vampire Weekend, The Strokes, The Police, et al.

8.  Benjy Ferree – “Private Honeymoon”

Such a weird, lovely song.

9.  David Amram – “Theme From Manchurian Candidate (Jazz Version)”

Keeping the weird and lovely thing going.  This is from the Sinatra version of the movie.  Oddly, the only way you can get this now is if you buy a package album with the music from the Denzel Washington version of the movie, which is all bland “suspense strings.”  I don’t know why they’d choose to cast the modern recording in such an unflattering light.

10.  Dusty Springfield – “No Easy Way Down”

Sigh.

11.  O.V. Wright – “I’m Going Home (To Live With God)

From O.V.’s years with the Hi Records band – the same one you can hear on every Al Green and Ann Peebles record.

12.  Aretha Franklin – “You’re All I Need To Get By”

This is my favorite Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell song, written by Ashford and Simpson.  Tammi sung it in a wheelchair because a brain tumor had immobilized her.  Marvin loved Tammi and Tammi loved Marvin.  I’m convinced of it.  But, obviously, this is Aretha’s version of it.  It’s irritating to me how she tries to cram in the R.E.S.P.E.C.T. reference, but I love the way she sings and plays it.

13.  Jamie Lidell – “Another Day”

Jamie Lidell is my modern-day hero.  I wasn’t sure it was possible to make soul music nowadays without sounding derivative and unoriginal, but Jamie proves that you can always find new space to express yourself within an existing idiom.  Innovation is great, but it’s not the only valid form of self-expression.

14.  Wale ft. Bun B – “Mirrors”

From Wale’s underwhelming but occasionally great full length album.  Bun B is a legend, and he just gobbles up poor Wale here.  I thought of this one because Jamie Lidell and Mark Ronson (the producer) seem to be among a handful of white English folks who’ve been listening to a lot of Motown and Atlantic records lately.

15.  G-Side – “So Wonderful”

There’s gonna be more of this Southern stuff later on.  The beats on this (free!) album are absolutely unlike anything else I’m hearing in hip-hop right now, and G-Side are passionate rappers who don’t just rap about rapping (I’m looking at you, Royce).

16.  Robyn/Royksopp – “The Girl and the Robot”

Royksopp don’t deserve Robyn.  Robyn is, hands-down, the best melody writer/pop lyricist going right now.  I would throw down a few bucks just to hear what she sings in the shower each morning.  Don’t get me wrong, Royksopp have created a sturdy ladder for her to climb, but I’ve heard the rest of their album, and they don’t reach heights anything like this anywhere else on it.  Robyn could take over the world and her sheer soul power would remain intact, which I honestly can’t say about anyone else right now.  Even Kelly Clarkson, who appears to be bulletproof.

Here are our additional photos taken during our Coron Island hopping. Enjoy!

]]> http://themorbidangel.wordpress.com/2009/11/20/why-i-left-my-heart-in-coron-photos/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:52:42 +0000 themorbidangel http://themorbidangel.wordpress.com/2009/11/20/why-i-left-my-heart-in-coron-photos/

For the reviews click here.

]]> http://themorbidangel.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/planning-my-trip-to-cagayan-de-oro-camiguin-leg/ Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:13:02 +0000 themorbidangel http://themorbidangel.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/planning-my-trip-to-cagayan-de-oro-camiguin-leg/

Planning My Trip To Cagayan de Oro – Camiguin

Cagayan de Oro is a part of the province of Misamis Oriental, one of the provinces in Northern Mindanao. Nature tripping is a never-ending possibility in Misamis Oriental. From watersports and fine beaches to cave exploration and ethnic settlements, the list of nature-communing endeavors to be experienced in the province is longer than enough to fill a lifetime’s itinerary.

Seas and beaches offer a limitless aqua adventure. Go scuba diving at Duka Bay and Mantangale, also a primary dolphin and whale shark watching destination. Find glorious hideaways in the white sand beaches of Midway Beach, Maputi White Beach, and Opol Beach Fronts. Go white water rafting and tubing in the rapids of Cagayan de Oro River, one of the longest rivers in Mindanao. Or simply get picture-happy at the San Isidro/Sagpolon, Palalan, and Tiklas waterfalls as well as Sapong Spring and the Cold Spring at Lagonglong.

white-water rafting at Cagayan de Oro

Moreover, it was a good thing that Cebu Pacific Air offered their Piso Rates, which I thought of Cagayan de Oro being my first choice! A multitude of choices await the nature love and adventurer. in us. The Gardens of Malasag Eco-Tourism Village in Cagayan de Oro, a cultural village in a botanical setting, is home to Region 10’s tribal communities and endemic plants and trees. Also in Cagayan de Oro is Macahambus Cave, a historical site dating back to the 1900s. Initao Cave is home to the split-nose bat and the Initao National Park is a forest reserve with a natural limestone formation and marine life. Shift into a more relaxed pace at the Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club, situated along Lumbia Road in Cagayan de Oro. Or explore this city’s museums, from the Xavier University Museum showcasing Muslim-Bukidnon culture to the La Castilla Museum featuring household heirlooms.

We have set our travel dates as June 16-19, 2010 for the Cagayan de Oro – Camiguin leg. I have been dreaming of going to this place eversince. The only thing that hampers me is the budget. Good thing, Sheila allowed herself to be immersed with the captivating beauty of this place. And so the hunt is on for the best bargains around CdO and Camiguin.

How Do I Get To Cagayan de Oro?

There are several ways on getting to Cagayan de Oro. The most popular are as follows:

a. By Air – since we’re coming from Manila, there are only 2 airlines that I know of that can fly you daily straight from Manila to Lumbia, Cagayan de Oro. The estimated flight duration is 1 hour and 35 minutes. The regular fares are really expensive by the way, but I’ll be posting their promo rates from time to time so please take time to read.

• Philippine Airlines – PAL does not have any promo offerings at the time that I was planning to book my flight. Their regular round trip rates to CdO is Php4592.00. Wow! Very expensive!
• Cebu Pacific Air – Cebu Pac recently launched (I believe that was in November) their 2-day Piso Fare to all of their destinations and I was lucky enough to be able to book for me and Sheila. Our round trip tickets cost us only Php312.00 each. That’s a great value for money indeed! Their regular round trip fare actually costs Php 4270.56. Konti lang ang difference sa PAL.

b. By Sea – the only shipping line that I know of is the SuperFerry. The travel duration takes almost 2 days aboard SuperFerry12. Their e-ticket for a roundtrip Mega Value aircon accommodation with food costs Php2989.81. It is quite cheaper than the traveling by air but it would take almost 2 days before you reach your destination. SuperFerry has promos from time to time, like their Todo Tawad promo where fares can go as low as Php500 on one way. But at this time, no promos offerings for Cagayan de Oro destination. Moreover, they have schedules for their trips. According to their website, their trips are Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday only.

c. By Land – The city has two bus terminals. The West Bound terminal caters to trips going to Iligan, Ozamiz, Pagadian and Zamboanga while the Agora Terminal caters to trips going to Gingoog, Butuan, Malaybalay, Valencia, Wao, Kidapawan, Davao and Camiguin Island (via Balingoan Port). Agora has a reputation among residents as being a somewhat more dangerous place than the rest of this peaceful safe city–don’t let it stop you from using the bus service, but don’t hang around Agora at night longer than you need to and keep cameras/phones tucked in.

The Itinerary For Cagayan de Oro-Camiguin Trip

This is the proposed itinerary for our Cdo-Camiguin Leg. Please note that this is subject to change depending on participants’ concerns, which is only Sheila and Me.

Day 1 Arrival at Cagayan de Oro

This is our arrival day at Cagayan de Oro City. Sheila and I will be on seperate flights, so just like what happened with me in Busuanga, I would have to wait for Sheila’s arrival. Today’s activity will definitely have to be the white-water rafting. This is actually 3 hours and most of the package that I have seen range anywhere from Php700-1000 and this does not include the lunch yet. I guess we’d have to eat lunch prior to the rafting. For this adventure, I found Rafting Adventure Philippines. This was one of the agencies showcased in the Philippine Travel Mart held last September 2009 in Megamall. Their website features all of their activities including the rates for the adventure. I chose their Group Rafting which is described as follows:

Group Rafting Trips

Get hyped and gear up your day as you go paddling the wild waters of the spectacular Cagayan de Oro River while building up amity with in your friends, officemates and colleagues in your companies. We customized your river trip by doing “Team Building” activities along the way. This trip is good for firms, big groups and company outings.

Regular Rate:

Beginners Php700/pax

Advance Php1000/pax

Packages are negotiable

Inclusion:

Free Transportation vice-versa

Safety Gears (Helmets, Buoyancy aid, Paddle) and

Dry bags for valuable things (e.g. mobile phones, wallets, wrist watches, cameras, etc.)

Schedule: Any day of the week

1st Trip: 8:00 a.m.

2nd Trip: 12:00 noon

What to wear and bring?

Beach Attire preferably quick dry clothes

Rash guards or Long sleeves

Extra Clothes and Toiletries

Personal Zip locks

Aqua Shoes, Sandals or Slippers (preferably with straps)

Sun blocks or Sun screens

SLR or Digital Camera’s (dry bag will be provided) and

Your Sense of Humor

Other options for the day which can be squeezed into our 1st day would be a trip to Macahambus Adventure Park. Adventures lined up for this park includes rappel and zip-line across trees a hundred feet above ground. If we still have time we can probably drop by the Mapawa Nature Park which is ideal for horseback riding, biking, zipline and nature trekking. After all these adventures, we can try to experience CdO’s NIGHTLIFE!

Day 02: Welcome Camiguin Island!

I was told that there are a lot of things and places to visit at Camiguin. Moreover, there are also several beautiful resorts to stay at which is really easy on the budget. Since we’ll be staying for one night in Camiguin, I will also have to look for a resort who allows one night of stay, probably one of the cheaper ones in the area. Here’s a 2-day Camiguin Island tour schedule I saw online that could fit into ours:

7:15AM, ETD Balingoan Pier Cagayan De Oro

Note: Ferry schedule 7:15am, 9:00am, 10:15am, 1:15pm, 2:50pm, 4:15pm

8:15AM, ETA Benoni Pier Camiguin

8:30AM – 8:30PM, have a day tour of these tourist spots, arranged chronologically as follows:

1. Sto Niño Cold Springs (swimming)

2. Soda Water Pool (swimming)

3. Old Guiob Church Ruins (sightseeing)

4. Sunken Cemetery (can dive here)

5. Stations of the Cross/Walkway (sightseeing)

6. Mt Hibok Hibok Volcano (sightseeing)

7. Katibawasan Falls (swimming)

8. Mambajao Market (“palengke”)

9. Vjandep Restaurant & Bakeshop (must try! Pastel)

10. Ardent Hot Springs (swimming)

11. Pabua’s Cottage (cook food that came from Mambajao Market, dinner)

The Following Day 3:

6:00AM, Wake-up call

7:00AM, off to White Island Camiguin

7:15AM, ETA White Island Camiguin

Note: Make sure to bring food and shade

11:00AM, ETD White Island Camiguin

12:00Noon, ETD hotel to Beroni Pier going to CDO

1:00PM, ETA Beroni Pier

1:15PM, ETD Beroni Pier

2:00PM, ETA Balingoan Pier CDO

2:30PM, Lunch

And the rest of the day would have to be used for exploring more of Cagayan de Oro. I heard that ukay-ukay in CdO is one of the best. So I’ll never let this ukay-ukay opp pass by!

Day 4: A Trip To Nearby Iligan City

Tinago Falls is a waterfall in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. It is one of the main tourist attractions in Iligan, a city known as the City of Majestic Waterfalls. Legend has it that there once lived an influential and powerful Sultan Agok and her wife. They were appointed by their people as their king and queen. But they become too proud of themselves and became selfish rulers of their kingdom. When the sultan’s wife was pregnant, an enchantress, disguised as a beggar, begged for their help but instead they exiled and rejected her. Because of this, the enchantress cursed the couple that the child will become ugly but they did not took it seriously and permanently banished the enchantress.

Tinago Falls in Iligan City

When the child was born, the child did become ugly. The couple was sad and disappointed, expecting the baby to be as lovely as her mother. They hid the child in a cave to avoid embarrassment and named the baby Tin-ag, which means “hidden face”. They visited and took care of the baby in the cave. When the child grew up, she came out of the cave and became amazed at what she saw. The enchantress, who cursed her parents, saw her and made an offer to transform her into something of great beauty and splendor. She accepted the offer and became the Tinago Falls.

Going to Iligan City takes about an estimated 1.5 hours by bus from Cagayan de Oro City. It is located in a deep ravine in Barangay Ditucalan, Iligan City. Other falls to see would be the Maria Cristina Falls along the Agus River. Both are sources of hydro-electric power for most of Mindanao.

]]> http://themorbidangel.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/philippine-airlines-triple-seven-promo/ Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:56:07 +0000 themorbidangel http://themorbidangel.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/philippine-airlines-triple-seven-promo/

Triple Seven Special Promo

In celebration of the first Boeing 777ER delivery, Philippine Airlines brings you the lucky sevens! Enjoy the PHP777 and PHP1777 special domestic fares. Traveling period is from December 1 to 25, 2009 and February 1 to March 15, 2010. Selling and ticketing period is only from Novemberj 19-25, 2009.

Please refer to table below for the ALL-IN fares INCLUSIVE of V.A.T. but Exclusive of Aviation Security Fee (ASF):

*For as low as PHP 777

Between MANILA and BACOLOD, CEBU, DUMAGUETE, ILOILO, KALIBO, LAOAG, LEGASPI, PUERTO PRINCESA, TACLOBAN, TAGBILARAN and ROXAS

*For as low as PHP 777

Between CEBU and DAVAO

*For as low as PHP 1,777

Between MANILA and BUTUAN, CAGAYAN DE ORO, COTABATO, DAVAO, DIPOLOG, GENERAL SANTOS, OZAMIZ and ZAMBOANGA

Hurry Book now! Limited seats only! You may also call PAL Reservations at (02) 855-8888, Cebu: (032) 340-0191 or your travel agent.

Conditions of Travel:

Application

* Valid for one way and combinable for roundtrip travel on economy class

* Restricted for sale/ticketing in the Philippines

* Tickets must be issued within 24 hours after booking. Last day of ticket issuance is on 25 November 2009

Reservation/Payment/Ticketing

* Open-dated and Go Show not allowed

* Tickets are non-refundable. Upgrading to higher fare is permitted; however, the original fare paid remains non-refundable

* Re-issuance is allowed at PHP 600 per ticket

* No Show Surcharge is PHP 600 per sector

* Rebooking penalty is PHP 600 per sector

Other Discounts

* No other discounts apply except for Senior Citizen and Infant w/o seat

Note: Senior Citizen discounts are not available through our online booking facility. Only purchases made at the Philippine-based ticket offices may avail of the discount.

Miscellaneous Provisions

* Not eligible to earn Miles with PAL Mabuhay Miles

* 15 kilos baggage allowance

Ascension Parish Market Stats for October 2009

Monthly Sales were 88  units. Comparison to last month:  Decreased 27%  from 121 units.  Comparison to this month last year: Decrease 6% from 94 Units.

Average Sold Price was $205,143.  Comparison to last month:  Increased  7% from $191,622.  Comparison to this month last year: Decreased 5% from $215,793.

Current Inventory is 6.56 months.  Comparison to last month:  Increased from 4.76 months.  Comparison to this month last year: Decreased from 8.54 months.

Average Days on Market were 86.  Comparison to last month:  Increased from 83 days.  Comparison to this month last year: Decreased from 97 days.

So what do all these numbers mean?  In a nutshell, it means that the historic fall/holiday slow down has begun.  Most of the first time home buyer’s purchased earlier because the tax credit was due to expire on November 30, 2009.  I think we will continue to see our slow down over the holidays.  On November 6, 2009  it was announced that the tax credit was extended until April 30, 2010 and there was an expansion for “long time resident” purchasers of $6,500.  This should spark some more interest but I wonder if people will wait until after the holidays.

The good thing about the holidays coming up is this.  The sellers putting their homes on the market are serious sellers.  They need to move and will price their properties appropriately.  The buyers that are out looking are also serious.  They are not the spring time buyers just out enjoying the weather.

Average Sales prices are back up.  They are closer to the 12 month average which is $211,985.

Enjoy your holidays and don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have.

These stats are for areas 90,91 & 92 in Ascension Parish. Information used from Greater Baton Rouge MLS.  They include only single family dwellings.  Mobile home and land sales are not part of these numbers.  If you would like information on either of these, feel free to let me know.

A recent posting at genqueries.com was for Don Raney’s book on his ancestor and the first settler in Wood County, Martin Varner.

Don is a friend of the society and has presented programs here for us. He is a genealogist who teaches genealogy classes at a local college where he lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

His book is available for $25.00 plus $5.00 shipping and handling by mail to Don Raney, 1506 Comanche Trail, Garland, TX 75043. Make checks to Don Raney.

Varner was an early settler of Indian Territory, Spanish Texas, a member of Austin Colony’s “Old 300,” a soldier at the Battle of San Jacinto, and, as noted, the first settler in the area that is now Wood County. He died a tragic death after an altercation in an argument over debt with Simon Gonzales of Wood County. Gonzales shot Varner and Varner’s son Stephen Austin Varner. The son died instantly and Varner, the elder, a few days later. Varner, with the help of a slave managed to kill Gonzales.

Don Raney’s book, 432 hard-bound pages with 27 pages of maps and photographs, is titled: “Martin Varner, Texas Pioneer: 1785-1844 (Brazoria, Lamar, and Wood Co., Texas).

An Arkansas police officer shot four times during a traffic stop has been released from the hospital, while the man accused of shooting him remained in the Tucumcari jail on Tuesday night.

Police said Tristan Honey, 25, of Fort Smith, Ark., surrendered to New Mexico Port of Entry Officer Daniel Gonzales at 6:15 p.m. Sunday in San Jon. Honey is being held in the Quay County Detention Center on $1 million bond.

Fort Smith police spokesman Sgt. Levin Risley said Cpl. Barney Parsons was shot during an early-morning traffic stop on Saturday. Officials said his injuries could have been worse but Parsons was wearing a bullet-proof vest.

Fort Smith television station KFSM reported on its Web site that Parsons was released from the hospital Tuesday. The TV station reported Arkansas officials were scheduled to be in Tucumcari on Wednesday to return Honey to Fort Smith.

Officials said Parsons was shot in the chest, leg and foot.

A news release from New Mexico State Police reported Honey “for an unknown reason jumped out of his vehicle and opened fire on Parsons with a handgun” after a traffic stop.

Officials believe Honey then drove his vehicle until he reached the Port of Entry in San Jon on Sunday. The TV station’s Web site reported Honey turned himself in after learning from relatives that he was wanted by police.

Some media reports indicate others may have been in the vehicle with Honey when the officer was shot.

Parsons is a 24-year veteran assigned to the Patrol Operations Unit of the Fort Smith Police Department.

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