Palin Comparison

My pro-life blogs have all lit up with McCain's choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Good move Mr. McCain. Now, Biden pales in comparison. Obama blinked on this one for sure. Any "toldjaso" from Hillary?

Palin, who belongs to Feminists for Life, also came out in the news early this year when she gave birth to a son who was diagnosed early in her pregnancy to have Down Syndrome. She's also known to have sued the Bush Administration for declaring the polar bear in Alaska as endangered species.

From: Dawn

Obama, face Down

Jill Stanek, who will certainly have something to say about McCain veep pick, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, on her blog, wrote earlier today in an e-mail (links are my addition):

Palin chose life for her baby with Down syndrome.

Obama relegated these babies to death despite testimony that at least one aborted-alive Down's baby had been abandoned to die in a hospital soiled-utility room.

As a friend of mine says, the choice between good and evil could not be more obvious this election. May the best man and woman win.

From: MM

James Pethokoukis sends the 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Sarah Palin:

. Sarah Louise Palin (nee Heath) was born Feb., 1964, in Sandpoint, Idaho. Her family moved to Alaska when Sarah was an infant. Her father, Chuck, is a retired schoolteacher.

2. She attended Wasilla High School where she played point guard on the state champion basketball team. Her nickname was “Sarah Barracuda.”

3. Palin graduated in 1987 from the University of Idaho with a degree in journalism. She worked briefly as a sports reporter in Anchorage.

4. She refers to her husband, Todd, as the “First Dude.” He’s worked as a commercial fisherman and as a production operator on the North Slope for BP. He enjoys snowmobiling and has won the Tesoro Iron Dog, billed as the world’s longest snowmobile race, four times.

5. Palin and her husband have five children, Bristol, Piper, Track, Willow, and Trig. Trig, born in 2008, has been diagnosed with Down syndrome. Her son Track joined the army in 2007.

6. Her favorite meal is moose stew.

7. She comes from a family of outdoor enthusiasts. Her parents, Chuck and Sally Heath, enjoy hunting and fishing, and have both completed marathons.

8. Palin was named Miss Wasilla in 1984 and was a runner-up for Miss Alaska. In 1996 she was elected mayor of Wasilla.

9. She’s a lifetime NRA member and enjoys hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling.

10. Elected in 2006, she’s Alaska’s first female governor and the youngest governor elected in the state.

Read also the lifesitenews.com article about Gov. Palin as McCain's running mate.

They come in 3's

Have you ever heard of the belief that plane crashes come in 3's? I have. The other day, I heard the comment again, after hearing that a plane crashed in Kyrgyzstan. This comes about a week after a plane crashed in Madrid. He asked: what will be the third crash of the "series"?

I believe this is the answer: a Philippine Air Force C-130 plane crashed into the Davao Gulf near Davao City. It is said that this plane was one of at least two C-130's in operation with the PAF.

Keep them in your prayers.

Early in August, I took some photos from my seat after I boarded the PAL Express flight that I took from Cagayan de Oro to Cebu. I took photos of a couple of Hueys, a Bronco OV-10 bomber, and the left wing of a C-130 that was being boarded by probably military types and their dependents or sick people -- nothing unusual really.

Would it have been this C-130? Here's one photo: airman checking the plane's fuel?

Sir Sid!

A friend and classmate from high school, Sean, shot three video-messages of our former mentor-teacher at Dole Philippines School.

This first video is in YouTube.

I will upload the video later on this post.

L.I.E.S.

As I stopped by my must-read pro-life blog Jill Stanek, I saw this (excerpts below) by one of the readers of Jill's blog (HisMan):

In analyzing and meditating on Jill's post today, I have invented a new acronym for the MSM. My goal was to capture and express what they do and who they are in as few lettes as possible. I've got to confess, it wasn't difficult, however, it is so right on the money, so easy to remember, so market friendly, I must claim ownership of it amd copyright it. Here it is:

L.I.E.S

It stands for Left In Extreme Spin. It is representative of what a liberal media is willing to do at every level when they realize that their annointed one is in danger of being exposed as one who lies and therefore, be disqualified, i.e., not elected, as one ready and fit to lead the Free World.

So, the LIES lies to expose their LIAR or Leftist In Altered Reality, aka, Barack Obama (another acronym or should I say acrimony I now copyright). Ah, the LIES of a LIAR, aka the Chigago Tribune, Washigton Post, Time, Newsday, Huffington Post, MSNBC, CNN, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

So, the LIES conspires not by exposing the LIAR, as is their sacred duty confirmed by the shedding of blood in wars past, the LIES add to the pile of lies by attacking the revealer of truth, necessitating more LIES. The downward spiral of LIES begins, while we reminisce the tale of one Dan Rather, the poster boy for the LIES.

The context of this is that mainstream media (over in the US) have not picked-up on one of the more important issues that hound Obamessiah (here, here, here, here, and here, among many who have reported or commented).

Or even if they did, they care very little, or give their own theories as to why O did what he did and continues to believe (as if they are protecting him?).

Despite what some might say that I shouldn't really care about what is happening in the US, I do care; what with the Pinoy's penchant of imitating what the Americans think and do.

Deal a Card

I link to the July 24 article of Orson Scott Card, by way of Bettnet.com, where he writes about "the travesty of courts redefining marriage as well as giving free rein to abortion."

Here's the irony: There is no branch of government with the authority to redefine marriage. Marriage is older than government. Its meaning is universal: It is the permanent or semipermanent bond between a man and a woman, establishing responsibilities between the couple and any children that ensue.

The laws concerning marriage did not create marriage, they merely attempted to solve problems in such areas as inheritance, property, paternity, divorce, adoption and so on.

If the government passed a law declaring that grey was now green, and asphalt was specifically designated as a botanical organism, would that make all our streets into "greenery" and all our parking lots into "parks"?

If a court declared that from now on, "blind" and "sighted" would be synonyms, would that mean that it would be safe for blind people to drive cars?

No matter how sexually attracted a man might be toward other men, or a woman toward other women, and no matter how close the bonds of affection and friendship might be within same-sex couples, there is no act of court or Congress that can make these relationships the same as the coupling between a man and a woman.

This is a permanent fact of nature.

Card says more in the article, a sort of kick-to-the-butt of government pandering to those on the left of the marriage debate. He talks of the American society and government, but what he says could very well play out in the Philippines if we leave these sinistrine advocates and their pundits to wreak havoc.

If America becomes a place where our children are taken from us by law and forced to attend schools where they are taught that cohabitation is as good as marriage, that motherhood doesn't require a husband or father, and that homosexuality is as valid a choice as heterosexuality for their future lives, then why in the world should married people continue to accept the authority of such a government?

What these dictator-judges do not seem to understand is that their authority extends only as far as people choose to obey them.

How long before married people answer the dictators thus: Regardless of law, marriage has only one definition, and any government that attempts to change it is my mortal enemy. I will act to destroy that government and bring it down, so it can be replaced with a government that will respect and support marriage, and help me raise my children in a society where they will expect to marry in their turn.

Biological imperatives trump laws. American government cannot fight against marriage and hope to endure. If the Constitution is defined in such a way as to destroy the privileged position of marriage, it is that insane Constitution, not marriage, that will die.

TESDA Kabalikat Award 2008

Here's the award (institution category) ...

Kabalikat Award

Update: My colleague from CITE, Roy, who was at the awarding ceremony in Manila, says that we got the National Kabalikat Award 2008 for the Institution Category.

Today, the Philippines's Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will hand out the 2008 Kabalikat Award. According to the TESDA website:

The Kabalikat Award is an annual institutional award hosted by TESDA. This Award aims to recognize and honor outstanding partners in the promotion and enhancement of technical education and skills development.

The Award is conferred to outstanding local government units, institutions and industry for their contributions in the promotion and development of the country’s middle level manpower. Said contribution maybe in the form of technology/competency sharing, donation of training machines and trainees, on the job training and social support services to manpower development.

My school, CITE, is one of the nominees. We will know soon if we get the National Kabalikat Award. If we do, CITE will have won it twice in ten years (the first time we got it was in 1998).

Over my pay grade

What? Thought this was supposed to be about Mark Spitz?
Ooops, sorry . . .

Imagine if he weren't born at all.

I thought he would be silent after Michael's good showing at Beijing.

Mark Spitz, winner of 7 swimming golds in one Olympics (1972 Munich Olympics), a record only very recently broken by Michael Phelps, told the New York Daily News that he could have matched fellow swimmer Michael Phelps stride for stride if the two legends swam against each other in their primes.

I believe him. Heck, he may even beat Michael. Of course, in all humility, Mark also says that Michael could even win some more in 2012.

Mark Spitz is still the best -- he who "was a true amateur in a tiny Speedo bikini with a hirsute body to slow him down" against Michael who "is a well-paid, vitamin/electrolyte/magic protein-engorged professional encased in a second-skin cheater's uniform." (from Debbie Schlussel)

He was my idol. So much that I even usurped his name, partly -- when I'd sign up for anything, I'd use Pitz.

That is, until some friends combined my first name and nickname, and started calling me Armpitz.

They can't beat me at swimming so they call me names -- stick and stones ... Just kidding guys!

WYDSYD redux

"Our world has grown weary of greed, exploitation and division, of the tedium of false idols and piecemeal responses, and the pain of false promises. Our hearts and minds are yearning for a vision of life where love endures, where gifts are shared, where unity is built, where freedom finds meaning in truth, and where identity is found in respectful communion."

Pope Benedict XVI, Sydney Harbour, July 17

H/T: Zenit

Prodigal Son

Touching story of conversion. It's a start.
H/T: Dawn

Not seeing the sun

While in my last semester at university, I lived in Lauan Study Center, which had a residence hall for about 16. One of the residents was a teacher in one of the private schools in Metro Manila. For five days in a week, he would not see the sun from the residence hall. He would leave the center before sunrise to catch the school bus, and he would arrive back at the center after night fall. It wasn't surprising as back then traffic in Metro Manila was bad, as is now. Present day: Probably there are those who also do not see the sunrise, say, from Mactan on weekdays, as they have to bring their sons to school in the "mainland."

On the last day of July, the feast of St. Ignatius -- no connection to this blog really, but just to say that that day would have been, if I were still in university, a school holiday for me and the rest of my schoolmates -- I did not see the sun in and from Cebu.

But instead of the need to take the bus somewhere, I had to take the plane to Manila on the 4am flight and back to Cebu on the last flight out at 1915.

I had to catch the Holy Mass celebrated by the Prelate of Opus Dei at the University of Asia and the Pacific at 630am. I was with four others from Cebu and we made it there, with time to spare. Later in the morning, I also attended a get-together with the Prelate at one of the auditoriums of the University. After lunch with the guys from Cebu, we also had the opportunity to be in a short get-together with the Prelate in the place where he stayed in Quezon City.

The Prelate was in the Philippines on a pastoral visit of about 5 days. Here's a recap of his get-together on July 29.

Bishop Javier Echevarría, the Prelate of Opus Dei, spoke to more than 10,000 members of Opus Dei, their families and friends at an hour-long get-together at the SMX Convention Center on July 29. He had arrived from Sydney on July 27 for a five-day pastoral visit to the Philippines.

Carbon footprint .. err... crater

He has a house like this that "since taking steps to make his home more environmentally-friendly last June, (he) devours an average of 17,768 kWh per month –-1,638 kWh more energy per month than before the renovations – at a cost of $16,533. By comparison, the average American household consumes 11,040 kWh in an entire year, according to the Energy Information Administration."

He has a fleet of cars (SUV's and Town Cars included) when he goes to and from his speaking engagements about the inconvenient truths.

He also has a houseboat called Bio-Solar One (BS1, go figure!).

Massive carbon crater. Do as I say, not as I do.

Prisoner Shipment

I was watching the news about the problem of "overstaying" prisoners at the Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center. The report and also quoting the warden said that this was caused by the suspension of the operations of the passenger ships of Sulpicio Lines. Without the boat operations of Sulpicio (which the warden says offers the cheapest rates and the least strict in policies, whatever that means), BBRC cannot make the SHIPMENT of prisoners to the National Penitentiary.

Yep, SHIPMENT.

He should have used a better term. It is as if prisoners are like commodities (including animals) that need to be shipped. Even for all the wrong that they have done, prisoners are still human, and thus have rights.

Using "transfer" would have been more acceptable.

Or was it all a matter of the English language.