Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Vice Ganda-Jessica Soho
Not the right reporter to mess with. Maybe if it was Ruby Rodriguez, it wouldn't have appeared so obscene as she is also a comedian. For sure she wouldn't mind. What's even worse is that Vice Ganda clearly trivialized the issue of rape, which is not only rampant but is already a hugely disturbing reality that plagues our society these days. I love Vice Ganda. I used to watch her often. But these days, maybe he has become too familiar with the stage and the fame that it brings. The world of stand up comedy has a tradition of their own, I'm not talking about norms and standards, but then again it is a world that they get to share with others outside of it, after all it makes them earn a living. I hope he takes his responsibility seriously because so many in our younger generation are watching him, too. What Jessica Sojo has to say: 
"Rape is not a joke and should never be material for a comedy concert. I thank all those who shared my hurt and expressed their support but this should not be about me but about the rape victims who suffer tremendously from this terrible crime. The horrors they go through are unspeakable and should never be taken lightly, especially by way of a cruel joke."
"Rape is not a joke and should never be material for a comedy concert. I thank all those who shared my hurt and expressed their support but this should not be about me but about the rape victims who suffer tremendously from this terrible crime. The horrors they go through are unspeakable and should never be taken lightly, especially by way of a cruel joke."
definitely wrong dad to mess with
UFC fan uses guillotine choke to hold off attempted carjacker after watching UFC 160
Adam Levine: 'I hate this country'
Adam Levine: 'I hate this country' remark roils fans
Adam Levine: 'I hate this country' was caught on a hot mic during Tuesday's episode of 'The Voice.' Levine explained his remark, sort of, in several tweets.
Well, this is the world of tweeters and youtube and fb...
Well, this is the world of tweeters and youtube and fb...
Kate Upton 'furious' over Victoria's Secret photos
Kate Upton was allegedly shocked to see old photos of herself modelling in the Victoria's Secret catalogue after they claimed they would ''never'' use her. I'd feel the same if I were her. Hey, now that she's Kate Upton already?
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Dan Brown’s ‘gates of hell’
Read an interesting article written by one of our contributors in the magazine.
By Churchill Aguilar
HERE’S a part of Dan Brown’s new book “Inferno” which painted a horrific picture about our capital city. He writes: “When the group settled in the city of Manila—the most densely populated city on earth—she could only gasp in horror. She had never seen poverty on this scale. For every one person Sienna fed, there were hundreds more who gazed at her with desolate eyes. Manila had six-hour traffic jams, suffocating pollution, and a horrifying sex trade whose workers consisted primarily of young children… All around her she could see humanity overrun by its primal instinct for survival. When they face desperation… human beings become animals.
“‘I’ve run through the gates of hell.’”
Although this is a fictitious book, it nevertheless besmirched our image in the international scene, the kind that can affect our tourism business and in turn our economy.
Dan Brown is a world renowned writer and he is so good at what he does that he could even distort the views of the world towards the most established religion––Catholicism that is. And if something like equating Manila with the gates of hell gets through without an inch of effort from us of disproving it, then a permanent damage may just be at hand. With a thriving economy like ours as we bounce back from bad leaderships, the last thing we want is anything that will lessen the confidence of our investors in participating in our journey to progress.
So are we going to allow such an arrogant writer to tarnish our country’s image in the name of literature with horrible implications towards our development? I say not. Good thing the MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino publicly protested on this. He writes to Dan Brown and I quote “While we are aware that yours is a work of fiction, we are greatly disappointed by your inaccurate portrayal of our beloved metropolis. We are displeased of how you have used Manila as a venue and source of a character’s breakdown and trauma, much more her disillusionment in humanity.” Funny because while I was expecting the Malacanang to be the first to react to such book or at least the Department of Tourism, it was Tolentino who stood up to protect our dignity as a nation.
The likes of him is what we need. The likes of him is what we should all be. This is an upfront insult not only to Manila but to all of us Filipinos. Are we a nation overrun by the primal instinct of survival? Are we in desperation? Are we becoming like animals? Yes, we have traffic jam problems, yes we have sex trade problems and yes we have pollution problems, but aren’t all countries having too? True, we are a poor country, I do not deny that. But in the midst of our poverty I say we still are the most dignified of races with a very strong sense of respect for the elders. Compared to Dan Brown’s country, our kids don’t shout at our parents, we also do not have cases of children going to schools and killing their classmates. We surely have a lower rate of suicide compared to his. And by far, we are way happier than his people, in fact we are one of the happiest people on earth. We can find more smiles here in one day than in a whole year in America combined.
So really, where are the gates of hell now?
By Churchill Aguilar
HERE’S a part of Dan Brown’s new book “Inferno” which painted a horrific picture about our capital city. He writes: “When the group settled in the city of Manila—the most densely populated city on earth—she could only gasp in horror. She had never seen poverty on this scale. For every one person Sienna fed, there were hundreds more who gazed at her with desolate eyes. Manila had six-hour traffic jams, suffocating pollution, and a horrifying sex trade whose workers consisted primarily of young children… All around her she could see humanity overrun by its primal instinct for survival. When they face desperation… human beings become animals.
“‘I’ve run through the gates of hell.’”
Although this is a fictitious book, it nevertheless besmirched our image in the international scene, the kind that can affect our tourism business and in turn our economy.
Dan Brown is a world renowned writer and he is so good at what he does that he could even distort the views of the world towards the most established religion––Catholicism that is. And if something like equating Manila with the gates of hell gets through without an inch of effort from us of disproving it, then a permanent damage may just be at hand. With a thriving economy like ours as we bounce back from bad leaderships, the last thing we want is anything that will lessen the confidence of our investors in participating in our journey to progress.
So are we going to allow such an arrogant writer to tarnish our country’s image in the name of literature with horrible implications towards our development? I say not. Good thing the MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino publicly protested on this. He writes to Dan Brown and I quote “While we are aware that yours is a work of fiction, we are greatly disappointed by your inaccurate portrayal of our beloved metropolis. We are displeased of how you have used Manila as a venue and source of a character’s breakdown and trauma, much more her disillusionment in humanity.” Funny because while I was expecting the Malacanang to be the first to react to such book or at least the Department of Tourism, it was Tolentino who stood up to protect our dignity as a nation.
The likes of him is what we need. The likes of him is what we should all be. This is an upfront insult not only to Manila but to all of us Filipinos. Are we a nation overrun by the primal instinct of survival? Are we in desperation? Are we becoming like animals? Yes, we have traffic jam problems, yes we have sex trade problems and yes we have pollution problems, but aren’t all countries having too? True, we are a poor country, I do not deny that. But in the midst of our poverty I say we still are the most dignified of races with a very strong sense of respect for the elders. Compared to Dan Brown’s country, our kids don’t shout at our parents, we also do not have cases of children going to schools and killing their classmates. We surely have a lower rate of suicide compared to his. And by far, we are way happier than his people, in fact we are one of the happiest people on earth. We can find more smiles here in one day than in a whole year in America combined.
So really, where are the gates of hell now?
Imperfections are beautiful
"I feel like women should be really real and raw and it doesn't happen anymore [in fashion photographs]," she told Fashionista.com, crediting designer/photographer Johan Lindeberg for his unconventional approach. "I love that feeling of, you know, we are women, we are so different, our imperfections are what make us unique and beautiful. He gets that. He's not trying to retouch you or put a pretty light on you. He's not like 'you gotta look a certain way.' He's like, 'you are you' so now I'm gonna just be here with a camera, so express yourself how you like." (source: www.yahoo.com) -Gisele Bundchen
ATTA GIRL!! I look forward to the day when I read beauty magazines with real women on their cover, real, unedited, no make up. Real and alive. Not some eerie looking mannequins. It speaks so much about how we should be treating the ones around us, about how we should look at life, and how we should be treating ourselves. These days more and more women are becoming aware that looking at beauty magazines makes them a lot uglier than they already feel about themselves. Tragically, most of these women end up spending so much time being depressed about it, or spending so much money to try and do something about it. I saw on TV the other day about a doctor saying "These beauty procedures are not called vanity. They help women feel good about themselves and that is really something." Oh really???
Monday, May 27, 2013
Depression in Children
Can Children Really Suffer From Depression?
Yes. Childhood depression is different from the normal "blues" and everyday emotions that occur as a child develops. Just because a child seems sad, doesn't necessarily mean he or she has significant depression. If the sadness becomes persistent, or if disruptive behavior that interferes with normal social activities, interests, schoolwork, or family life develops, it may indicate that he or she has a depressive illness. Keep in mind that while depression is a serious illness, it is also a treatable one.
How Can I Tell if My Child Is Depressed?
The symptoms of depression in children vary. It is often undiagnosed and untreated because they are passed off as normal emotional and psychological changes that occur during growth. Early medical studies focused on "masked" depression, where a child's depressed mood was evidenced by acting out or angry behavior. While this does occur, particularly in younger children, many children display sadness or low mood similar to adults who are depressed. The primary symptoms of depression revolve around sadness, a feeling of hopelessness, and mood changes.
Signs and symptoms of depression in children include:
- Irritability or anger.
- Continuous feelings of sadness and hopelessness.
- Social withdrawal.
- Increased sensitivity to rejection.
- Changes in appetite -- either increased or decreased.
- Changes in sleep -- sleeplessness or excessive sleep.
- Vocal outbursts or crying.
- Difficulty concentrating.
- Fatigue and low energy.
- Physical complaints (such as stomachaches, headaches) that don't respond to treatment.
- Reduced ability to function during events and activities at home or with friends, in school, extracurricular activities, and in other hobbies or interests.
- Feelings of worthlessness or guilt.
- Impaired thinking or concentration.
- Thoughts of death or suicide.
Not all children have all of these symptoms. In fact, most will display different symptoms at different times and in different settings. Although some children may continue to function reasonably well in structured environments, most kids with significant depression will suffer a noticeable change in social activities, loss of interest in school and poor academic performance, or a change in appearance. Children may also begin using drugs or alcohol, especially if they are over the age of 12.
Although relatively rare in youths under 12, young children do attempt suicide -- and may do so impulsively when they are upset or angry. Girls are more likely to attempt suicide, but boys are more likely to actually kill themselves when they make an attempt. Children with a family history of violence, alcohol abuse, or physical or sexual abuse are at greater risk for suicide, as are those with depressive symptoms.
http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-children
John Hammons Dies; Hotel Developer Was 94
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Officials: Man shoots daughter with 3 kids in home
Scary news I read on yahoo today:
OROSI, Calif. (AP) — A California man shot his two adult daughters on Monday, killing one and critically injuring the other before apparently committing suicide while his three young grandchildren were in the home, authorities said.
An 8-year-old girl called to report gunfire before dawn, and deputies arrived to find 63-year-oldAnthony Alvarez dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the Tulare County Sheriff's Department said in a statement.
Jennifer Kimble, 37, was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds. She was the daughter of Alvarez and the mother of the three children in the home — two boys ages 13 and 11, and the 8-year-old girl.
Kimble's sister Valerie Alvarez, 33, had at least one gunshot wound and was flown to a Fresno hospital in critical condition. She was stabilized and having surgery, sheriff's spokeswoman Sgt. Chris Douglass said.
The investigation was continuing and autopsies were planned later in the week.
Douglass said investigators did not doubt that Anthony Alvarez had shot his daughters and turned the gun on himself.
"It's a very cut-and-dried case," she said.
No information was released on a possible motive.
The children were unharmed and reunited with their father, who was at work during the shootings, authorities said.
The shootings occurred on a residential street of small stucco homes in Orosi, a town of about 9,000 people in California's Central Valley about 20 miles southeast of Fresno.
Kimble worked in the cafeteria of an elementary school one street over from the house and was a dedicated, caring employee, according to her supervisor there.
"I'm just as surprised as anyone else right now," Brenda Lightfoot-Handy, director of food services at Palm Elementary, told the Fresno Bee. "I'm just trying to process this.
www.yahoo.com
Sunday, May 26, 2013
THE FISHING WARS
THE FISHING WARS
BY FR SHAY CULLEN
BY FR SHAY CULLEN
Last week, a Taiwanese fisherman died when a Philippine Coast Guard patrol boat open-fired after one of the four Taiwanese fishing vessels reportedly tried to ram the coast guard vessel. The incident occurred 43 nautical miles east of Balintang Island, in the West Philippine Sea, well inside the 200 mile limit.
Recently, the Chinese government sent a fleet of 30 fishing boats to the hotly disputed area around the Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea which it claims as its territory. Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines reject these claims. The area is rich in marine life and possibly, oil and natural gas. The Philippines has made a formal complaint under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and a UN tribunal will examine and rule on the complaint. China is very annoyed about that.
The Fishing Wars are beginning to heat up. It is not only oil and gas that are being contsted. Fish are needed to feed the growing world population, now at seven billion, estimated to reach nine billion by 2050. How to feed them all is the big question. The imbalance of resource allocation leaves one billion people, mostly children, hungry every day and several more billions struggling to survive on two dollars a day, some on even less. It’s not a fair just world.
The planet's resource of fish is among the most prized. Many think it is free and there for the catching, but how wrong they are. The fish stocks are being decimated by destructive wasteful over-fishing and ocean pollution and will not be there much longer.
As I write this, I am looking online at a digital population clock that is running like a slot machine spinning its numbers non-stop (http://countrymeters.info/en/World). As I watch, the number of new births is rapidly increasing, dozens by the seconds. The death rate is not keeping pace. Modern medicine keeps the old alive longer. The biggest population growth is in Asia and the Southern hemisphere, China is the most populous (1.3 billion) and is aggressively expanding its power and sending fishing fleets into the seas and disputed waters to supply fish to feed all these people.
Recently, the Chinese government sent a fleet of 30 fishing boats to the hotly disputed area around the Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea which it claims as its territory. Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines reject these claims. The area is rich in marine life and possibly, oil and natural gas. The Philippines has made a formal complaint under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and a UN tribunal will examine and rule on the complaint. China is very annoyed about that.
The Fishing Wars are beginning to heat up. It is not only oil and gas that are being contsted. Fish are needed to feed the growing world population, now at seven billion, estimated to reach nine billion by 2050. How to feed them all is the big question. The imbalance of resource allocation leaves one billion people, mostly children, hungry every day and several more billions struggling to survive on two dollars a day, some on even less. It’s not a fair just world.
The planet's resource of fish is among the most prized. Many think it is free and there for the catching, but how wrong they are. The fish stocks are being decimated by destructive wasteful over-fishing and ocean pollution and will not be there much longer.
As I write this, I am looking online at a digital population clock that is running like a slot machine spinning its numbers non-stop (http://countrymeters.info/en/World). As I watch, the number of new births is rapidly increasing, dozens by the seconds. The death rate is not keeping pace. Modern medicine keeps the old alive longer. The biggest population growth is in Asia and the Southern hemisphere, China is the most populous (1.3 billion) and is aggressively expanding its power and sending fishing fleets into the seas and disputed waters to supply fish to feed all these people.
China and Peru are the biggest fishing nations followed by the USA and Japan. China eats most of what their ships catch. Peru is the next biggest fishing nation but consumes hardly any and exports most to Japan. Russia sends factory ships to the Pacific to harvest millions of tons of fish. The Philippines is number ten on the list of fishing nations and consumess most of its catch. In Europe, Scotland and Spain have perhaps the biggest fleets of the North Atlantic where fish stocks are collapsing. But bans on catching certain fish species are helping the fish to recover.
The planet as it is now is being misused, exploited, and over-heated and may not be able to sustain such a huge population. This week, the planet has reached the highest level of CO2 gas in the atmosphere in more than three million years and the planet was hot. A report published last week says huge declines in the plants and animals will be devastating as world temperatures continue to rise. The poorer developing countries will be the hardest hit, as of now, world food supplies are at their lowest level in 40 years. Several nations are leasing land in developing countries by millions of hectares to grow food, not for the hungry local populations but to feed their own.
Some scientists and biologists predict that the oceans could be without fish in 25 years. The over-fishing is killing the oceans as a source of healthy protein. The United Nations report (SOFIA) on the state of the world's fisheries and aquaculture has established that as much as 80% of the oceans’ fishing grounds are fully- or over-exploited and on the edge of being depleted, which eans they are in a state of collapse and will reach a tipping point when there are not enough fish left to breed and replenish themselves. Some species are already extinct or nearly so. North Atlantic herring are on the edge of extinction from non-stop fishing. Cod is endangered because cod feeds on herring and it too is over-fished. A series of 'Cod Wars' erupted in the 1950s and 1970s and almost turned violent when Iceland banned cod fishing within 100 kilometers of its coast. The cod are slowly recovering. Strict controls on the amount that can be landed must be enforced. We humans have to act now to save the oceans and their fish before a full collapse of most species occurs. Soon it will be all over and unhealthy chemical-based fish farming is all that will be left. shaycullen@preda.org
(Fr Shay’s columns are published in The Manila Times, in publications in Ireland, the UK, Hong Kong, and online.)
Need Help, Contact: predainfo@preda.org (please do not send email to predair@info.com.ph and/or preda@info.com.ph as these email addresses are no longer the official email addresses of Preda)
Mailing address: PREDA Foundation, Inc., PO Box 68, 2200 Olongapo City.
(Fr Shay’s columns are published in The Manila Times, in publications in Ireland, the UK, Hong Kong, and online.)
Need Help, Contact: predainfo@preda.org (please do not send email to predair@info.com.ph and/or preda@info.com.ph as these email addresses are no longer the official email addresses of Preda)
Mailing address: PREDA Foundation, Inc., PO Box 68, 2200 Olongapo City.
Physical address: Preda Main Center, Upper Kalaklan, Subic Bay, 2200 Olongapo City, Philippines
E-mail: shaycullen@preda.org, emmanueldrewery@preda.org
E-mail: shaycullen@preda.org, emmanueldrewery@preda.org
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