Written by: Dayanghirang , Danny

Thursday, 30 July 2009 issue of MINDANAO TIMES

EVEN before the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Gloria Macapagal–Arroyo  protest actions have been held across the country, one could come to a conclusion that her administration is not well received by the people.

It is unfortunate that due to her unpopularity, her accomplishments are eclipsed by the numerous scandals of her nine-year term in office. The doubt of the people on the present administration is so deeply rooted that any achievement of the President’s administration would appear insignificant. Any major triumph of the administration would have no impact on the public’s opinion on the President. This is the result of the people’s mistrust.

The most elemental and probably the most important feature for any institution is trust.  Trust is necessary to cultivate loyalty and respect for the leaders of any organization. It is sad to say that most of people have lost their faith on the current administration. When the element of trust is missing, all actions taken would only amount to further criticisms.  The distrust and skepticism of the people could cripple the administration and would be the cause of its collapse.

PGMA, in her SONA, has made it clear that she does not only work hard but she has done her best for the people of the Philippines. She also mentioned that her every waking hour is devoted to solving the problems and issues that our country has faced and would eventually confront. She further stated that the Philippines in 2008 weathered a succession of global crises in fuel, in food, then in finance and finally the economy in a global recession, never losing focus and with economic fundamentals intact.

The President has given her answer to the numerous criticisms lobbed against her administration. The beating she has taken from her political adversaries was addressed by questions on whether their claims had any basis or proof instead of being transparent and answering the issues head on. She even taunted that the fears and suspicions of her political rivals are based on nothing and that they were even afraid of their own shadows.

The question now is whether the public had bought what PGMA said in her SONA. But only time can tell if the perception of the people has changed after the SONA. Like all rulers and presidents, history will ultimately be the judge of this administration.

Indie music label Cumbancha and production company Tantra World Wide announced today that their new music and adventure series Music Voyager will begin broadcasting in February 2010 on PBS through American Public Television, on Nat Geo Music & Adventure and other international television and broadband outlets. The series follows host Jacob Edgar as he explores the globe in search of unexpected adventures and surprising discoveries that unveil the magic and mystery of music from near and far. With local musicians as his guide, Edgar tastes exotic and occasionally ghastly food, visits off-the-beaten path attractions and parties the night away at amazing concerts in hidden venues that only the locals know. Along the way, viewers are rewarded with a VIP pass to nightclubs, festivals, recording studios and rehearsal rooms, experiencing an ear-opening journey along the world’s musical heartbeat.

In the first three thirty minute episodes of this ongoing series, Edgar travels to India, a country of extremes, where ancient history and tradition are colliding head on with the modern world. Edgar visits Mumbai, the capital of India’s entertainment industry, where he meets Kailash Kher and Sona, two of the country’s biggest stars, travels to Rajasthan where the music is as colorful and soulful as its surroundings, and explores Delhi’s vibrant and inventive underground rock, pop and electronica scene.

The next three segments bring viewers to Jamaica, one of the world’s great musical destinations. Edgar goes beyond the tourist resorts and beaches that attract most visitors, to explore the past, present and future of Jamaica’s vibrant music. He visits with some of the country’s top young reggae stars, looks at classic genres such as mento, ska and rocksteady then dives into the scorching dancehall scene. Tarrus Riley, Richie Spice, Etana, Elephant Man, Marcia Griffiths and Ernest Ranglin are just a few of the intriguing artists Edgar meets along the journey.

In the following three episodes, Edgar travels to one of the most exotic and unusual locations of all – Los Angeles – for the Road to a GRAMMY® special. In the build up to the star-studded awards ceremony, Music Voyager will travel across the US and beyond to visit five nominees for the 52^nd GRAMMY Awards and invite them to give viewers an exclusive look at their personal background and inspirations. An interactive, broadband social media campaign will allow global visitors to meet the nominees, share in the anticipation, and even influence the filming of the broadcast as it progresses.

The Music Voyager series is produced by Colorado-based Tantra World Wide, whose credits include The Music Box, The Abraham Song, The RockStar Diaries, as well as numerous music videos and live music projects across four continents. TantraWW specializes in leading edge multiple-platform productions that expand the role of traditional media to include broadband, interactive and other cutting edge experiences for its target audience.

Host Jacob Edgar’s travels as the music researcher for acclaimed label Putumayo World Music and president of successful indie label Cumbancha have taken him to dozens of countries and hundreds of the world’s greatest international music festivals, showcases and performance venues in search of exceptional musical talents. Edgar’s journeys to remote Caribbean villages, trendy Parisian nightclubs, sultry Brazilian samba schools, rocking Indian jam sessions, the recording studios of Havana and many other adventures, have earned him unique access to the world of music, and now viewers of the Music Voyager are able to come along for the ride.

Submitted by Cumbancha

The level of just trivial details that Cisco demands can be simply daunting. You see, Cisco doesn’t want you to know how to implement a technology. It’s assumed you know how to google/bing search for a how to guide and follow it. Just replacing the example’s IP addresses with your own. Cisco doesn’t even want you to know how it work. They want you to know the details to a level where you can quote the stages, RFC numbers and even quote subtle linguistics differences in the terminology between protocols.

Lets start on chapter 1 of the Authorized Self Study Guide, BSCI 3rd edition shall we. On page 5 we his this sentence. “Cisco has introduced the Intelligent Information Network (IIN) strategy along with the Service-Oriented Network Architecture  (SONA) framework that guides the evolution of enterprise networks toward an IIN”

There are two little descriptors here that scare the hell out of me, because you know Cisco is going to test you on those subtle pieces of language.

IIN is a strategy
SONA is a framework

Let simplify the language a bit.

Strategy – “a plan, method, or series of maneuvers or stratagems for obtaining a specific goal or result”
Framework –“ A set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality”

So it would seem SONA is a concept, something you can’t touch. While IIN is an actual actionable plan with specific bench marks.

Fotojahi saagiks on täna sõna. Sõna on võimas relv, millega saab nii mõndagi korda saata või takistada. Hea sõna kellegi suust õigel ajal võib ka tuju tõsta. Ussisõnu praegusel ajal keegi vist enam ei taipa.

Hoiatussõnad. Tallink hoiatab M/s Superstari reisijaid suitsetamise ohtudest.

Sama hoiatus M/s Stari suitsutekil.

Kui sul veab, võid laeval tuvastada kellegi Twitterist tutava. Sõna võtab @eimarveldre.

Teed suu lahti, lendavad häälikud  siia maailma. Häälikuid, mis kokku liites sõna moodustavas, on raske pildile saada. Võtad pliiatsi, märgid need üles ja ongi mida pildistada. Ka teiste kirjutatud ja tehtud sõna. Ûhte sõna.

Kui palju sõnu maailmas on, on kindlasti raske kokku liita, seepärast oleks tore teada, mil moel ja miks just see sõna su pildile sattus.

Palun andke ka ideid järgmiste fotojahtide teemadeks. Kirjutage need palun  kommentaari.

Oma fotosaagi aga võid lingitada Mister Linkyle.  On vist ütlematagi selge, et käige vaatamas ka teiste pilte ja viitage oma postituses siia fotojahi päevikusse. Tänud!

Etong balita ni Gloc9: nakipagbugbugan si Onin. Haha!

Lyrics after the cut.

Balita
Gloc9 feat. Gab Alipe of UrbanDub

Lapit mga kaibigan at makinig kayo
ako’y may dala dalang balita galing sa bayan ko
nais kong ipamahagi ang mga kwento
at mga pangyayaring nagaganap sa lupang pinangako
ako ay pilipino sa isip at sa gawa
ngunit bakit mga pinuno puro lamang salita
isang gobyernong kayang sikmurain at matawa
na may pamilyang kumakain ng kulang sa dalawang
beses sa isang araw minsan wala ngang pang lugaw

bakit ganito kababaw isang pagkaing nilangaw
ang dadamputin at kakainin ng batang gutom
alam ba ng mga husgado at lahat ng hukom
na meron mas masahol pa sa hatol ng kamatayan
yan ay ikay maging mahirap sa sarili mong bayan
mga bata na ang dapat na ginagaway maglaro
bagkos ay agos ng pawis at magbanat ng buto
upang kumita ng ilang pirasong pisong madungis
kalyo sa kamay at paa na manhid sa matulis
hindi manika ang hawak ng kanyang mumunting braso
bagkos isang taong gulang na kapatid at may baso sa harapan
nagbabakasakaling lagyan baryang
pambili ng tinapay na pang laman sa tiyan
mga pinunong bago mamatay at magkasakit sa sarap ng buhay
sakin kayo ay makinig

Duul mga kaigsuunan ugpaminaw kamo
duna koy dala nga mga balita gikan sa banwa ko
gusto ko nga ipahibalo ang mga istorya
nga nagagahitabu sa banwagisa nato

mga bakal na dumudura ng apoy at ng tingga
tangan tangan at balot ng kasuotang pang digma
bakit di mapagtugma ang mayaman at dukha
sa pananaw ang kapalit ay hapis at pag luluksa
pareparehong sundalo muslim man o kristiyano
ilan man ang masawi di mo alam sinong panalo
walang panalo dahil sa huli tayo ang talo pinoy
ang nasa loob ng ataol na sinarado yan ba talaga
ang sumpa dito sa lupang pinangako respeto’t pagmamahalan
ay pilit na tinatago lawing hindi makadapo may pakpak na limitado
at nakakulong sa seldang may walang susing kandado
kailan kaya matatapos ang pag agos ng dugo
at ang kapayapaay mahawakan ng buong buo
yan ba ang kwento o tanong na pilit na humahawi sa bawat taong bahagi
ng watawat ng hinabi

Duul mga kaigsuunan ugpaminaw kamo
duna koy dala nga mga balita gikan sa banwa ko
gusto ko nga ipahibalo ang mga istorya
nga nagagahitabu sa banwagisa nato

Just woke up to find IBRO emails in my inbox. When i took a glance, i noticed the upcoming Conference/workshop in Sharm El-Shaikh this December. What brightened my day is that i found that we in egypt have a neuroscience group. Looks like they are a bunch of professors in Suez and Fayoum. The group is headed by Prof. Ahmed Gohar the Fayoum University President.

This is a good omen for my neuroscience career i am pursuing.. or hoping to start pursuing after i pass my exams – InshaAllah -.

Looks like i won’t be attending this conference because of my final exams.

Here are some interesting links:

The Conference page on IBRO:

http://sona.ibro.info/Pub/Pub_Main_Display.asp?LC_Docs_ID=4370

Neuroscience Group of Egypt:

http://www.fayoum.edu.eg/nge/index.html

SONA page on IBRO:

http://sona.ibro.info/Pub/Pub_Front.asp

Actress Sona Hot Stills In Australia Tour Exclusive Photo Gallery

Sona who is well known for her glamour roles is also a good dancer and a business woman. Apart from all these things she is a very affectionate girl.

For example, she recently went to Australia in search of her relatives. Since Sona is an Anglo Indian, most of her close relatives including grand father and grand mother are settled in Australia. So Sona wanted to see them.

She took the next flight to Australia. She met her relatives and spent a few a days with them. She had also visited the museum, spooky studio and sexy pubs in Australia.

When asked her whether she had gone to Australia to slim down, she got angry and said,” Why should I travel that far to reduce my weight? I have got my own gym in my house. If I exercise for one month regularly I can lose my weight easily.
But my fans like me to look like this. So I have decided to be fluffy. Photos of Hollywood actresses were displayed in a bar in Australia. I was surprised to see my photo also displayed among them.”

Om SathGuru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thiruvadikkae

The different Tirthas in Arunachala

Gowri enquired about the true origin of the Tirthas.

She asked: “Which of the Tirthas here are invisible and which are visible?”

Gautama continued: The Indra Tirtha is situated in the east. Indra got rid of the sin of killing a Brahmin by bathing in it. The Brahma Tirtha is situated in the quarter of Agni (South east). Agni’s sin of seducing the wives of others was removed by bathing in it. On the south is the Yama Tirtha; Yama was saved from the fear of Brahmastra by bathing in it. On the southwest is the Nairta (Niruthi) Tirtha; the rishis conquered the bhutas and vetals by bathing in it. On the west is Varuna Tirtha; Varuna obtained an ever full quiver by bathing in it. On the Northwest is the Vayu Tirtha; Vayu attained the power of becoming the life-breathe of the world by bathing in it. On the North is the Sona Tirtha; Chandra was cured of consumption by bathing in it. On the Northeast is the Isanya Tirtha; Vishnu attained Goddess Mahalakshmi for wife by bathing in it.

In the days of yore, Markandeya bowed down to Isvara and prayed: O Sambho! Mahadeva! Lord of the universe! You must tell me the means of bringing together at this place all the various Tirthas.

Lord Shiva said: All the Tirthas abide unseen in MY presence at the time of MY worship and adore ME. You need not go anywhere seeking Tirthas. At that time of MY worship all the Tirthas come together to this place. Therefore devotees, all sages and Devas may see the congregation of all Tirthas here immediately after naivedya is offered to ME.

Gautama continued: Parvathi! In olden days Shiva described to Markandeya the means of seeing all the Tirthas. All the sacred Tirthas are visible in front of Shiva at the time of worship. On hearing the words of Sage Gautama, Gowri was pleased and said: the goal of MY life has been attained by ME. By duly learning from you the means of worshiping the wonderful Tirthas on earth. Shiva HIMSELF has commanded ME to do penance at Arunachala (Annamalai).

Since when did Imanhorn become a Gloria critic. HMM

Been covering her SONA lies I mean speech and her misdeed during Ondoy and swallowing vomit.

And she never fails to disgust me. While our nation is scrambling to procure emergency disaster funds which she apparently guzzled up during her travels abroad, she sinks to an all time low with her facebook ad.

How much does a facebook ad costs? It depends, but starting up an ad costs $5 and additional costs for targetting a population (Her ads have been appearing in Mindanao) and the costs rise as more people click on the ads or view the ads.  To summarize it up, GMA is set to burn serious money for a face book ad. If she goes CPC, every click costs like any where from $0.1 to $0.7 if she goes CPM, the costs being higher as she would have to pay for ever 1000 views. Facebook has nearly 3 million users and climbing so imagine the pesos to dollars the ad has to pay.

And if she serves bull crap that the ad is made by her detractrors, maybe I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt, that is, if she says sorry.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s 2009 State of the Nation Address

Jump to the 1:00 mark and try to keep your seething anger in.

“As a country in the path of typhoons and in the Pacific Rim of Fire, we must be as prepared as the latest technology permits to anticipate natural calamities when that is possible; to extend immediate and effective relief when it is not….The mapping of flood- and landslide-prone areas is almost complete. Early warning, forecasting and monitoring systems have been improved, with weather tracking facilities in Subic, Tagaytay, Mactan, Mindanao, Pampanga….

We have worked on flood control infrastructure like those for Pinatubo, Agno, Laoag, and Abucay, which will pump the run off waters from Quezon City and Tondo flooding Sampaloc. This will help relieve hundreds of hectares in this old city of its age-old woe….

Patuloy naman iyong sa Camanava, dagdag sa Pinatubo, Iloilo, Pasig-Marikina, Bicol River Basin, at mga river basin ng Mindanao.”

Now where the f*ck are all those things?

She holds a SONA!

Some part of my mind kept tickling me. Tickle as in being brushed by thorns and suddenly I remembered an earlier post! Talk about swallowing your word, GMA must have indigestion by now.

Excerpt form the SONA 2009 of GMA

(sarcastic applause) As a country in the path of typhoons and in the Pacific Rim of Fire, we must be prepared as the latest technology permits to anticipate natural calamities when that is possible; to extend immediate and effective relief when it is not; the mapping of flood-and-landslide-prone areas is almost complete. Early warning, forecasting and monitoring systems have been improved, with weather-tracking facilities in Subic, Tagaytay, Mactan, Mindanao, Pampanga. We have worked on flood control infrastructure like those for Pinatubo, Agno, Laoag, and Abucay, which will pump the run off waters from Quezon City and Tondo flooding Sampaloc. This will help relieve hundreds of hectares in this old city of its age-old woe. (sarcastic applause) Patuloy naman yung sa CAMANAVA, dagdag sa Pinatubo, Iloilo, Pasig-Marikina, Bicol River Basin, at saka river basin ng Mindanao.

One word… ONDOY

Dunno if this is all true, but Inquirer is a national newspaper.

The promise/words swallowed, gulped, devoured, chomped etc.

Palace to do repacking only; long lines irk Arroyo
By Christian V. Esguerra, Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:17:00 09/30/2009

Filed Under: Ondoy, Flood, Disasters & Accidents, Government Aid
Most Read
MANILA, Philippines—She ordered the Palace thrown open to the common folk, and was annoyed at what she saw.

A long stretch of impoverished Filipinos peeking through the gates of the Kalayaan compound under the intense afternoon heat was the sight that greeted President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo a day after she issued her unprecedented order.

It was apparently the closest that her staff could get to the planned National Relief Operations Center on the Palace grounds to help victims of Tropical Storm “Ondoy” (international codename: Ketsana).

The President beheld the scene when she arrived at Kalayaan Hall at around 1:30 p.m. from a Cabinet meeting in Camp Aguinaldo. Her face turning sour, she ordered the Palace guards to immediately let the people in.

Hermogenes Esperon, Ms Arroyo’s chief of staff, tried to downplay his boss’ annoyance, saying: “She just didn’t want to see the people lined up outside.”

About an hour later, the number of people expecting relief goods swelled to around 500. Many of them were women and kids dressed in tattered clothes and slippers.

An old man in a wheelchair fell in line, at the end of which volunteers distributed nothing more than hamburger buns.

Repacking center only

Esperon said there was an apparent miscommunication: Malacañang was not supposed to be an evacuation center, as was announced on Monday.

“This is a repacking center, meaning we will receive donations, repack them, then send them to evacuation centers where the flood victims are,” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. “If they want to receive relief goods, they should go to the evacuation centers.”

But it was Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita who announced that offices at the Kalayaan buildings could be used to temporarily house flood victims.

To avoid disappointing those who came, many of whom were from communities just outside Malacañang, volunteers handed out pieces of bread and soft drinks.

By 3:30 p.m., most of them were filing out of Kalayaan.

Next the promise/word regurgitated, vomited, spat out,  belched etc. (damage control)

Arroyo opens Palace: ‘Grace’ comes to evacuees
By TJ Burgonio
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:08:00 10/01/2009

Filed Under: Ondoy, Flood, Disasters & Accidents, Government, Evacuation(General)

MANILA, Philippines—In an unexpected change of heart, Malacañang has opened its doors to squatters who fled rising floodwaters brought about by Tropical Storm “Ondoy” (international codename: Ketsana) and a fire that hit their community in Quezon City on Saturday.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo gave the go-signal after her surprise visit to the evacuees at Diosdado Macapagal Elementary School in Barangay Tatalon on Tuesday night. She coaxed them to leave the crowded evacuation center and take shelter in Malacañang. (kaplastikan!)

If necessary, even the Ceremonial Hall in Malacañang, where the President hosts the vin d’honneur for foreign dignitaries, will be open to the victims if only to ease congestion at temporary shelters elsewhere.

“All of us are not prepared for this. Everything was done in a scramble,” Press Secretary Cerge Remonde told reporters about the change of plans. “It was a work in progress. We adjust as we go along.”

On Monday, officials announced that Malacañang would serve as an evacuation center. But shocked by the long queues of evacuees the next day, they declared that it would only be used to repack relief goods for distribution to evacuation centers.

Ceremonial Hall, too

Starting Tuesday midnight, 17 families or 103 people who came in buses from Tatalon occupied the ground and second floors of Malacañang’s five-story Mabini Hall, which houses the Office of the Executive Secretary.

Some 700 families were forced to leave their homes due to the rising floodwaters and a fire, and seek shelter at Diosdado Macapagal Elementary School, according to social workers.

“The idea is to reduce the crowd in the evacuation center and prevent diseases,” said social welfare officer Cindy Calma.

Mabini Hall can accommodate at least 100 families or 500 people from Tatalon or Pasig City, according to Secretary Hermogenes Esperon of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS).

“We are addressing the overflow of evacuees from the evacuation centers,” he told reporters.

If necessary, the carpeted Ceremonial Hall may also be open to 10 families or 50 people, Esperon said.

He pointed out that their stay in Malacañang would depend on how soon the situation would normalize so that they could return home.

Relief items

The evacuees were supplied with clean bedding and mattress, used clothes, and a regular supply of meals and bottled water, a far cry from the dire conditions in evacuation centers, where they slept on cardboard boxes and jostled for bags of relief goods.

“We had fried chicken for dinner and breakfast. Here, the grace comes to us,” Jessica Regoro, 38, a mother of four young girls, said in an interview.

Jessica and her husband Edgar, a delivery boy at an auto supply shop in Binondo, Manila, and their children had narrowly escaped death as Ondoy struck Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

As floodwaters engulfed the first floor of their house in Tatalon, they climbed to the second floor and stayed there. But at nightfall, a fire broke out in the neighborhood, forcing them to climb to the rooftop and escaped by hopping onto the rooftops of their neighbors’ houses.

“It was really a tragedy. We’re lucky to be alive,” Regoro said. They failed to salvage anything from their home, she said.

Reluctant first-timers

Although it was the first time they went to Malacañang, no thanks to the storm, they weren’t too thrilled to go around.

“We’d rather stay here. We’re ashamed to roam around. That’s what we miss most about the evacuation center. There we can go around, and go home, and come back,” Regoro said.

Wednesday morning, the weary, sleepless evacuees lay huddled against the wall on opposite wings of the building, mostly catching sleep and fielding questions from volunteer students.

At the nearby Kalayaan Hall, over a hundred students, including Indians from the University of Perpetual Help in Las Piñas City, stuffed packs of bread and bottles of mineral into bags, and loaded them into cardboard boxes to be transported by Army trucks to the evacuation centers.

Luli in charge

Ms Arroyo’s daughter, Ma. Evangeline Lourdes “Luli” Arroyo-Bernas, was on top of the situation, occasionally giving orders through a megaphone. She wore a black shirt, shorts and slippers.

“We have so far dispatched close to 15,000 individual packs. But the priority destinations are … evacuation centers in Marikina, Pasig, Taytay and Cainta where some of our countrymen haven’t eaten for two days,” Esperon said.

As usual, her promises were all airs like her SONA 2009 speech. With her dangling Malacanang grounds as a safe refuge and callous

Cookie Aydinan, PMS director, said bottled water, canned goods, personal hygiene products, and baby milk were needed in most evacuation centers.

Oh well, thanks for changing your fickle mind and helping people for a change.

de

::
buen dharma
::

Dy’s family is directly affected.

Imagine swimming across neck level water to cross the street to safety.

Imagine everything you own being washed away in front of your face.

Imagine having no insurance to help soften the blow.

Related news:

Anger as Philippines flood death toll rises – ABC

Twitter, Facebook help Philippines flood survivors flee

Not related, but Philippines related:

Video by my friend Manny about what some kids think about the president of the Philippines.

Posting that video is a bit unfair here. No government would be ready for this disaster. Though it does hurt that the government has failed to evict squatters who fill canals where flood water would usually go.

EXTREME HATRED. With the general feeling of hate in Davao City for House Speaker Prospero Nograles aptly captured in this photo by ace photog Keith Bacongco, what’s Nogie’s chance in his fight for the mayoralty in 2010 against Vice Mayor Sara Duterte? Here, militant groups sum up their anger for the Speaker in massive rallies timed with the last SONA of President Arroyo.