Carbon offsets, anyone?

Might not be that easy, huh?

On GW consensus yet again

Dr. Tim Ball and Tom Harris add to the doubts of anthropogenic global warming because of new NASA climate pronouncements. But the hypocrisy and dishonesty continue . . .

Imagine basing a country’s energy and economic policy on an incomplete, unproven theory — a theory based entirely on computer models in which one minor variable is considered the sole driver for the entire global climate system.

This is precisely what former Vice President Al Gore, Senate Environment Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer and others want their nation to do.

Read on.

Update: Noel Sheppard, economist, questions Hansen also. He isn't talking as a climatologist, but his point makes perfect sense.

UpdateBlogged with Flock

PC

There is a proposed legislation in the US that would lump together childbirth and abortion together. The bill "would permit a uniform, neutral term to be used to describe all forms of medically-assisted reproductive choice." The two procedures will fall under the term "fetal relocation".

Read guest blogger Henrietta Tavish on Dawn Patrol September 18.
Let's see how fast RP catches on.

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Global warming test

Take the real Global Warming Test. Go check this out.

And if you have the time, see what the Science and Public Policy Institute have to say. Must read.

And another one wants debate:

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Grandpa Sim

The 13th of September was my paternal grandfather's birthday. My second name Simeon is taken from his name. I am the only Simeon Millan left in this world. Y'see, my Dad's eldest brother was Simeon Jr., a lawyer, who was appointed to the bench, but had to stop his training because he was diagnosed with liver cancer. He also passed away about 2 years ago. I do not have any cousins who are named Simeon.


About two years ago I was on a two-week work program in Singapore, and yesterday I looked over some photos I had of that trip. I saw this picture (me behind the wheel(s) of a yellow Ferrari). What struck me this time around was that the license plate of the ferrari giallo shows SFM1999Y. These are the initials of my grandpa's name: Simeon Feri Millan

Cool!

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Where is the consensus?

Yet again, consensus on global warming continues to be disputed. Thanks to ST for the link.
Here's the link.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12  /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
A new analysis of peer-reviewed literature reveals
that more than 500 scientists have published
evidence refuting at least one element of current
man-made global warming scares. More than 300 of
the scientists found evidence that 1) a natural
moderate 1,500-year climate cycle has produced more
than a dozen global warmings similar to ours since
the last Ice Age and/or that 2) our Modern Warming
is linked strongly to variations in the sun's
irradiance. "This data and the list of scientists
make a mockery of recent claims that a scientific
consensus blames humans as the primary cause of
global temperature increases since 1850,"
said Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Dennis Avery.

Read the link? Go on, but don't tell me I didn't warn you.

When Leticia Velasquez guest-blogged 'Special motherhood is a call to sanctity'at Dawn Eden's blog, I missed clicking on one link.  Today, I did.  Touched.  Want to be touched?  At.your.own.risk. 

Movie to see this fall.

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Erap and Masha fall

Didn't want to add anything to the obvious:  Erap guilty of plunder.  But wanted to say something about Erap and Masha in the same post.  Here goes.

Erap, guilty of plunder.
Masha is down to #4.

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"Educating communities at war"

My writer-friend Nono Montalvan wrote in the Philippine Daily Inquirer of September 3 "Educating communities at war"

"MANILA, Philippines - They narrated their stories to me as passionately as they felt about their work. If in war there are combatants, the men facing me were combatants too, but of the more profound variety, for they were certainly waging a battle for the hearts and minds of young school children. They were principals and school superintendents coming from the new province of Sharif Kabungsuwan. There were both Muslims and Christians in the group but as they told me, religious affiliations didn’t matter to them at all for they were all focused on their role in the communities they serve. That had become an understatement by the time they had told me their story..."

We and many others are fortunate not to come face to face with war. Although I was very close to a firefight only twice, I have seen the ravages of war as I grew up in southern and central Mindanao. The memories are not so easily shooed away, like flies pestering a sweaty horse.

Read the rest here and see how you can, in your own little way, make life easier for them.

Two friends win in the same weekend

Tiger Woods wins the BMW Championship by 2, while his friend Roger Federer wins the US Open for the 4th straight time (12 Grand Slams overall).

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Oh Justine!

Not even close!
Justine wins 6-1, 6-3 over Svetlana in the finals of the US Open. She did not drop a set at all in this year's edition. She improves 15-2 against Kuznetsova.

Finals, here I come!

Justine in the finals

Justine's going to be in the finals at the US Open after winning in straight sets over Venus Williams (7-6, 6-4), the only woman to have beaten the Williams sisters in the same tournament since Martina Hingis did the feat in the Australian Open in 2001. More importanly though is that Justine will try to win her 7th Grand Slam against 4th seed Svetzlana Kuznetsova.

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Flock

Trying this Flock software. Seems easy to use.

Blogged with Flock

Rainwater

A US environmental agency says: World's dams are 'contributing to global warming'

Kid you not. Here's the lead on Jessica Marszalek's story of Sept. 4:

THE world's dams are contributing millions of tonnes of harmful greenhouse gases and spurring on global warming, according to a US environmental agency. International Rivers Network executive director Patrick McCully today told Brisbane's Riversymposium rotting vegetation and fish found in dams produced surprising amounts of methane - 25 times stronger than carbon dioxide.

The rest is here.

That won't be as bad if we abide by Sheryl Crow's (yes, The Sheryl Crow) advice early this year:
Use one square of your toilet paper every trip to the loo.

When did I ever kid you? See. Still not believe? Here.

I don't know how her adopted son will be like?

Of course, in the end she says it was a joke and that at least it allowed people to start talking about global warming. heh!
For what it's worth. At.your.own.risk.

The myth of dangerous anthropogenic climate change

I quote the last paragraph of the abstract of RM Carter in his The Myth of Dangerous Human-Caused Climate Change. RM Carter is a Professor at the Marine Geophysical Laboratory (Node C) of James Cook University, Queensland.

"The issue now is no longer climate change as such, the reality of which will always be with us. Rather, the issues are, first, the failure of the free press to inform the public about the true facts of human-caused climate change and of the dangers posed by natural climate change. And, second, the vested interests held by many of the groups of warming alarmists. These interests include not only the obvious commercial ones, but also the many scientists and science managers who have discounted or remained silent about the huge uncertainties of the human-caused global warming hypothesis because it suited them to do so. Public opinion will soon demand an explanation as to why experienced editors and hardened investigative journalists, worldwide, have melted before the blowtorch of self-induced guilt, political correctness and special interest expediency that marks the sophisms of global warming alarmists."

You can read the pdf of the study here.

The Great Global Warming Swindle, huh?

11th Hour to cause Chapter 11 for Leo? Maybe not.

Leo's Eco Movie Bombs
By Roger Friedman in FoxNews

It's a good thing Leonardo DiCaprio made so much money from "Titanic" a decade ago.

His environmental documentary, "The 11th Hour," has been a total bust at the box office. After 18 days in release, the film has grossed only $417,913 from ticket sales. The 90-minute snore-fest is playing on 111 screens this week, but that number is likely to be reduced this Friday. The film will be sent to DVD heaven after that.

By comparison, Al Gore and Davis Guggenheim's similar but far more engaging "An Inconvenient Truth" had already made $3.5 million by its 18th day of release.

I hesitated to say before "11th Hour" actually opened how mind-numbingly dull it was for fear that I would ruin it for those interested in the subject of global warming. But at Cannes, when the film by Nadia Conners and Leila Conners Petersen was shown to journalists, nearly the entire room fell asleep.

A Russian filmmaker told us afterward that she was the only person in the room who was awake at one point.

I can believe it. "The 11th Hour" is grindingly boring. Basically, a series of scientists, one after another, warn the audience that the world is coming to an end. These talking heads are interspersed with stock footage of melting glaciers. The film has the effect of Ambien — with no hangover post-nap.

And this certainly is not meant to belittle the idea of global warming on my part. Last week, we met an Australian civil engineer whose specialty is the environment. He told us he had just flown over Mount Kilimanjaro and was quite surprised by what he had seen.

"There's very little snow," this scientist told us. "I was shocked. Something is very wrong and we're not doing anything about it."

Unfortunately, "The 11th Hour" is not going to win over any converts to the cause. It's also not going to earn what it cost to make. Luckily, DiCaprio is rich, rich, rich thanks to "Titanic" and a slew of other hits like "The Aviator," "The Departed" and "Catch Me If You Can." He won't feel a thing.

My guess is that this was his last foray into the documentary world.

Three's a treat

Justine wins for the third consecutive time in a Grand Slam quarterfinals against Serena Williams. She beat Serena 7-6, 6-1 at the US Open.

Justine could go up against Venus Williams in a semifinal match if Venus wins her quarters assignment.

How's that, GWA?

The Global Warming Alarmists will have a new car in their sights (the gas-guzzler Hummer has been a fave): the 2008 Honda Accord. Why? It's going DIESEL. Don't forget to click on the rest of the story. Oh well, here's the link.

Cousin Taipan writes

My cousin Taipan writes about the so-called Marshal Plan for Mindanao. There is?

All bark, no bite
By Taipan Millan
One Small Voice

THERE WAS plenty of talk about a so-called Marshall Plan for Mindanao. The idea was copied, albeit in much smaller terms that there is mention of the word Mini, from the huge US effort to rebuild Europe after the Second World War.

The concept is that a plan shall be drawn to implement in Mindanao a set of programs and projects focusing on infrastructure, education, and other major concerns.

The scheme is that this plan shall be funded by countries like the US and those in Europe, Southeast Asia, and other rich nations. It shall be massive in scale so as to immensely fast track rehabilitation and substantially jumpstart development.

Coming from no less than the Speaker of the House, with an accompanying commitment of allocating a counterpart fund, this is indeed music to the ears.

Thus, almost immediately after the grand pronouncement, the Mindanao block of the House threw its full support to the idea, echoing the possibility that this might just be what will finally make Mindanao the "Land OF Fulfillment" instead of the plain, old "Land of Promise."

But after issuing these very hopeful statements, nothing has been heard of any plan, Marshall or otherwise. This is of course not to say that nothing has come out of the idea. We may one day be surprised by a sudden barrage and bombardment of money for anything and everything. We wish.

But this early, there are observations that we must hope are false because they are threatening to make Mindanao the "Land of Unfulfilled Promises."

First, there is no such existing plan at all, and no individual or group has been seriously tasked or sincerely assigned to come up with such plan.

Second, there are currently no donors or sponsors who have signified support for such a plan that currently does not exist, and no official call or formal solicitation has been made to raise said funds.

Third, aside from the initial motherhood statements, the Speaker of the House has neither repeated nor reiterated the idea even at least to mention the source of the counterpart funds that he has committed.

And aside from the general avowal of support, the Mindanao block of the House has not followed up or followed through with the idea, even at least to mention that they will pour in their pork barrel or a part of it for this effort.

Fourth, given that this idea was hatched in the first place in relation to the never-ending armed conflict, it is not even clear if the use of the word Mindanao covers the whole island or just those areas where there is or was war, or if it refers to the fight against separatists, secessionists, insurgents or terrorists.

Fifth, considering that corollary to this idea is the grant of a general amnesty for all combatants and enemies of the state, it is not even sure if both parties are amenable to this arrangement of one party admitting to the commission of a crime and the other party forgiving without punishment.

There are countless of other observations that can be identified but the above are enough to cast a doubt as to the ultimate realization of this so-called Marshall Plan for Mindanao.

This is not being negative and pessimistic. This is being truthful and realistic.

Hopefully, something will come out of this idea other than just raising our hopes and just lifting our expectations. Hopefully, this will not end up like all the countless other plans that have been let loose? All bark, no bite.

Comments are most welcome. Please send them to attytaipanmillan@gmail.com.

What's wrong with this picture?

What's wrong with AFP?

Tuesday August 14, 2007: An elderly Iraqi woman shows two bullets which she says hit her house following an early coalition forces raid in the predominantly Shiite Baghdad suburb of Sadr City. At least 175 people were slaughtered on Tuesday and more than 200 wounded when four suicide truck bombs targeted people from an ancient religious sect in northern Iraq, officials said.(AFP/Wissam al-Okaili)

Everyone (except AFP?) knows that bullets fired don't look like this. Unless one throws these bullets. But why do that?

Update: AFP now knows as it changed the accompanying caption to this image.

But this is a Yahoo! News cache image.

Newsweek: uhm, sorry

Newsweek contributing editor Robert J. Samuelson sort of apologizes for their global warming deniers story. Good for them.

Independence Art Reef

The Independence Art Reef centerpiece artwork made by my cousin Kublai was finally deployed. Here's the story.
My previous post here.

Lucky 13?

Tiger Woods in a few hours will start his final round of the 2007 PGA Championship, leading the field at -7, 3 shots ahead of Ames. Tiger's 12-0 whenever he led after 54 holes. Would it be a lucky 13 for him? It will probably end up the way statistics play up. Another stat at play here: he is 7-0 over his final round partner. Question to ask is: who is going to be runner-up?

Update: It's Woody Austin. Tiger as always finished ahead at -8. His 13th major, 13-0 whenever he led after three days. 31 years old when he won his 13th (better than all-time fave Jack Nicklaus who won 13 at 35).

Aba, galante siya!

Why am I not surprised?
MM quotes:

Responding to a refusal by city leaders to declare the city a sanctuary for illegal immigrants, more than a dozen people gathered outside City Hall on Monday night to denounce recent immigration raids, accusing federal officials of “terrorizing” immigrant communities and breaking up families.

A coalition of local immigrant rights groups, including the Orange County Alliance for Immigrants Rights and the Front Against the Raids, announced a planned program to create a hot line that will notify people where and when immigration raids will take place. The program would also coordinate a support system for the families of deportee targets.

“We want to have a more organized effort to counter these attacks,” said Jaime Conteras, a 20-year-old Filipino immigrant who now lives in Santa Ana. “We cannot let people trample on our rights.”

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When do you stop to help?

On the way to work this morning, just before 8am, I saw a man, may just be a kid really, dying from what appeared to be a gunshot wound in the left side of his head. Traffic slowed, but moving. Many people were looking, too shocked perhaps, or knowing that he was going to die of his wound. I usually sit behind the driver in the company car, and as we passed by that kid (must have been buying something from that sari-sari store when he was shot), I shifted towards the right side of the car to see a better view, thinking that the kid was already dead. He wasn't. But only near death. We did not stop any more. Should we have stopped? Get him to the hospital?

I've seen dead people, from accidents, etc. I was in the bedside of a boy many years ago in the regional hospital ER (our former company driver hit him earlier in the day), operating the ambo bag. He was dying too. When the chief resident arrived, he declared him dead. Today was quite different. I did not see that kid die, but I knew he wasn't going to make it. A murder victim isn't quite the same as a victim of a car accident.

I heard that police aren't ruling out "fraternity-related".

The science is settled

Kid you not. The science surrounding global warming is settled. Two German scientists prove it.


Global Warming at Odds With Science

Phil Brennan, NewsMax.com
Monday, Aug. 6, 2007

Reprint Information

Hillary, Obama Take Heat From Rivals Giuliani: I’ll Beat a Clinton/Obama Ticket Gore: Polluters Manipulate Climate Info Schwarzenegger to Appeal Video Game Ruling Zogby; Americans Worried About Chinese Goods

Global warming fanatics insist that "the science is settled" regarding this contentious issue and they're right — two German scientist have settled it once and for all by proving conclusively that there is no such thing as a "greenhouse effect" in global climate.

They've also proven that there can be no way of accurately measuring average global temperature in the way it is now done. CO2 cannot play the role attributed to it by the supporters of the global warming theory, and the very idea violates the laws of thermodynamics.

Another author adds his name to the growing list of people who want a debate on global warming with Al Gore. Dennis Avery.

And more on the celebs' do as I say, not what I do.

August 6, 1945

About 65 years ago to the day, the first Atomic Bomb was detonated over Hiroshima. I was fortunate to visit Hiroshima for a training program in 2001 with some others from ASEAN countries (countries mostly occupied by the Japanese in World War I). The city hosted dinner for us together with other ASEANers who were Hiroshima residents. I remember the Hiroshima pizza (Okonomiyaki, a pan-fried Japanese dish cooked with various ingredients similar to a pancake or pizza, which means “cook what you like, the way you like”); the Japanese girl who danced the Sakura; and the Japanese lady architect who was working for the city planning office who asked me a most intriguing question: Is it true that you in the Philippines hate the Japanese? Whoa. How do you answer that?

We did not get to eat much. Not because the food wasn't great, nor wasn't enough. We just had a lot of talking to do. The Pinoys later went out to get us a real meal: McDonalds. To go. Everyone else went out also because they too had not much to eat.


Hiroshima also has the Peace Memorial (Genbaku or A-Bomb Dome), which was the only structure left standing -- it was the Prefectural Industrial Promotional Hall then, later renamed Genbaku. Topmost photo.

The Genbaku is now part of a memorial complex that commemorates the bombing. The complex has a long building some distance from the Genbaku that shows artifacts of the bombing. Not a very happy place. Some of our colleagues, the women especially, did not finish viewing everything.

The before and after presentation:

Ultimate Global Warming Challenge

Here's a chance to win USD100,000.00. It's very easy (you have to pay 15 bucks though). Or not.

GW alarmists find ally in Newsweek

Newsweek added its voice among the GW alarmists in its The Truth About Denial.

The over-used deny-to-get-oil-money slant: Since the late 1980s, this well-coordinated, well-funded campaign by contrarian scientists, free-market think tanks and industry has created a paralyzing fog of doubt around climate change. Through advertisements, op-eds, lobbying and media attention, greenhouse doubters (they hate being called deniers) argued first that the world is not warming; measurements indicating otherwise are flawed, they said. Then they claimed that any warming is natural, not caused by human activities. Now they contend that the looming warming will be minuscule and harmless.

But not so fast. Read Noel Sheppard's to this Newsweek Disgrace.

Read Clive Crook's take on the IPCC. To. Feel. Better.

Global Warming and Catholics

Here's Dr. Jeff Mirus on Catholic Culture

Global Warming and Catholics
Posted Jul. 22, 2007 5:21 PM || by Dr. Jeff Mirus

By now it is a commonplace of counter-cultural reporting that concern about global warming is as much the latest secularist crisis of salvation as it is anything else. Should Catholics be concerned about it, one way or another?

While the scientific community is generally agreed that the globe is in a warming trend, scientists are sharply divided on whether human activity is a significant contributor to this trend. Many believe that the most consistent interpretation of the evidence is that we are simply experiencing the kind of cyclical change that has been going on for as along as we can read the records of the earth. There have long been well-documented mini-cycles as well as major cycles that take about 1500 years to complete. Moreover, it is highly likely that the cooling portions of these cycles have been far harder on humanity than the warming portions.

When you balance the conflicting evidence against the recurring pattern of alarmism which has been characteristic of secularists over the past fifty years or so, one has to wonder. I can still remember when the population bomb went off and the religion of tiny families was born, from which we have slipped into no families at all. And in the 1970’s “everybody” was convinced we were heading for a new ice age. The fear-mongering concerning global warming comes from the same crowd, a crowd with unfortunately wide representation in the media and, therefore, in politics. This crowd is currently busy attempting to eliminate all contrary evidence and opposing opinion from the mainstream media, academia and political life.

Catholics, of course, are as free to analyze the evidence as anyone else, and can reach their own conclusions. If we become convinced that contemporary human behavior should be changed to contribute to a solution to global warming, we will have the support of a long Catholic tradition of material detachment, responsible stewardship, and concern for the poor. And if we become convinced that the only real concern is the behavior of wealthy secularists who like to usurp the role of savior, then we will still have the support of a long tradition of material detachment, responsible stewardship, and concern for the poor.

Meanwhile, perhaps we can also take consolation from the fact that nobody is willing to pay for the astronomically expensive policies proposed by the demagogues. And surely we ought to recognize (and oppose) a preferential option for the rich in those proposals that would enable the very wealthy Al Gores of the world to buy “global warming credits”, in effect paying a fee to continue living as if they don’t really care about the planet. If we’re facing a crisis, let’s face it like Catholics. And if we’re not, let’s face that like Catholics too. Have I mentioned material detachment, responsible stewardship and concern for the poor?

Take the GREEN Pledge

This is the GREENer Pledge courtesy of Steven Milloy (JunkScience.com):

Taking the GREEN pledge!
I’m joining JunkScience.com making our world GREENer!
I will (check items that apply):

[ ] Increase personal use of ethanol derived from grape biomass and various grains and cereals
[ ] Use more solar energy by taking longer beach vacations
[ ] Only work Saturday and Sunday, making all other days weekend to reduce driving
[ ] Open canned sodas slower to reduce rate of CO2 emissions
[ ] Gain weight - fat people are composed of more carbon than skinny people, thus keeping more carbon out of the environment
[ ] Reduce CO2-emissions by doing as little exercise as possible
[ ] Reduce global methane emissions by eating more farm animals
[ ] Avoid spicy foods to reduce personal emissions
[ ] Campaign to sequester Congress and the U.N.
[ ] Recycle environmentalists into biofuels
[ ] Lobby Congress to fund flying carpet research to replace jet travel
[ ] Help promote greater fuel efficiency by lobbying Congress to repeal the Law of Gravity

Will YOU take the pledge?

WCKGD?

Kevin Garnett is now a Celtic. In a 1 for 7 deal, KG became a Celtic to join Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Let's see what this big triumvirate can do. The Celtics' 16 championships is still the record to beat in the NBA, but they have not won one since 1986 (I remember that series, watched in the Philippines over the FEN feed from Clark -- those were the days, huh?) with that year's big triumvirate Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish. Foxnews says: The Celtics won their last championship, the third with the original Big Three of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, in 1986. Two members of that club orchestrated Tuesday's blockbuster trade - Celtics executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge and Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale.

Consensus

So what is it really?
In April, scientists say: Global warming may spur wind shear, sap hurricanes
Now they say: Tropical storms doubled due to global warming, study says

So what is it really?
I thought we have consensus.

Read Wizbang and Iowa Voice for better understanding.

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Are you ready to change the way you live?

Are you ready?

If YES, make this pledge:





















The Goracle has not. 130 days since he was asked to make the pledge.
He is not the only one.

Enough

Cebu's Sunstar's headline today reads: But not in Cebu: ‘supply enough’

This was VECO's response to questions raised about the possibility of power outages in Cebu, in the light of projections that Manila will be suffering again from outages in the coming months because of the lack of water due to the effects of dry weather.

Ei, why did we have two outages in my area last night (one at 8pm and the other at 10pm)? Power was restored in no more than 10 minutes, though. ;-)

On another note, REP. Pablo “Pabling” Garcia (Cebu, 2nd district) said yesterday: “I’d like to set the record straight. Nobody asked me to withdraw, we were simply not given the chance to enter the race… We have lost the battle but, as they say, our dreams will never die.”

Nothing wrong with that, noh? Yes. My only beef is that news reports immediately after the "elections" of officers of the House of Representatives and the day after said that he asked not to be nominated anymore.

Why does anybody have to clarify reports? Why not get it right the first time?

Volunteers needed. Hurry! or not.

Count me out of this. But if you like, sige na, sali na!

Here's what they say though:

VHEMT (pronounced vehement) is a movement not an organization. It's a movement advanced by people who care about life on planet Earth. We're not just a bunch of misanthropes and anti-social, Malthusian misfits, taking morbid delight whenever disaster strikes humans. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Voluntary human extinction is the humanitarian alternative to human disasters.

We don't carry on about how the human race has shown itself to be a greedy, amoral parasite on the once-healthy face of this planet. That type of negativity offers no solution to the inexorable horrors which human activity is causing.

Rather, The Movement presents an encouraging alternative to the callous exploitation and wholesale destruction of Earth's ecology.

As VHEMT Volunteers know, the hopeful alternative to the extinction of millions of species of plants and animals is the voluntary extinction of one species: Homo sapiens... us.

Each time another one of us decides to not add another one of us to the burgeoning billions already squatting on this ravaged planet, another ray of hope shines through the gloom.

When every human chooses to stop breeding, Earth's biosphere will be allowed to return to its former glory, and all remaining creatures will be free to live, die, evolve (if they believe in evolution), and will perhaps pass away, as so many of Nature's "experiments" have done throughout the eons.

It's going to take all of us going.

Kublai in his element

A webgrab picture and caption from Sunstar Davao of July 25 shows my prolific sculptor cousin Kublai Millan.

Sculptor Kublai Millan works on the details of his sculpture for the centerpiece of the Independence artificial reef project of the Aquamarine Protection and Preservation Alliance, which will be deployed inside the eight-rayed art reef already set up off Paradise Island Beach Resort. (Sun.Star Davao/Stella A. Estremera)

Whoa!

“If, back in the mid-1990s, we knew what we know today about climate, Kyoto would almost certainly not exist, because we would have concluded it was not necessary.” ...

“‘Climate change is real ’ is a meaningless phrase used repeatedly by activists to convince the public that a climate catastrophe is looming and humanity is the cause.Neither of these fears is justified. Global climate changes occur all the time due to natural causes and the human impact still remains impossible to distinguish from this natural ‘noise.’”

60 Scientists Call on Harper to Revisit the Science of Global Warming
“Open Kyoto to debate”
An open letter to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Financial Post, Thursday, April 6, 2006

Here they go again. The link.

UK's new Science Museum head now also advocates a human solution to man-made global warming. Come to think of this, it is not too far off from the proposal to require people to stop breathing for a few seconds every now and then. In the end, it is all about population control, don't you think?

If they did this long ago, perhaps as they say, we wouldn't have this man-made GW problem. Then again, this, and this, and this wouldn't be news because they would not have happened.

Pray for the burglars

My only sister sent me an SMS that read: We were burglarized yesterday while we were out-of-town. Thank God that we were not in any danger. Please pray for the burglars because they are in dire need.

Initially I thought how naive she could get. I mean, if they were burglars (especially if they did the burgling to support "nasty habits"), they should be (^*%$#@(*&^. And I mean really (^*%$#@(*&^.

But then I became more edified. True, we really have to pray for them. They could really be in dire straits. Then let SOCO do their job, and pass what they find to the police. They may not catch them, but at least we get to pray for those burglars.

Where is the outrage?

When "government forces" are tagged as responsible for abductions and killings, the outrage from many is deafening. When "government forces" are abducted and killed or hurt (like the 14 few and proud Marines who were killed and mutilated last week), there is only silence. Is it because they deserved to die by doing their job? Or by being in the Armed Forces, they ought to die? I do not remember the Commission on Human Rights saying anything about it? Where is the fact-finding mission? Are they afraid of these wayward Islamist perpetrators (common criminals really)? MSM reported it, and that is good. But what about the MSM columnists? Very few.

Human Security Act

A day and twenty seven years ago, Ronald Reagan accepted the Republican Party nomination for President. In his inaugural address in 1981, Pres. Reagan included these words:

• As for the enemies of freedom, those who are potential adversaries, they will be reminded that peace is the highest aspiration of the American people. We will negotiate for it, sacrifice for it; we will not surrender for it, now or ever.
• Our forbearance should never be misunderstood. Our reluctance for conflict should not be misjudged as a failure of will. When action is required to preserve our national security, we will act. We will maintain sufficient strength to prevail if need be, knowing that if we do so we have the best chance of never having to use that strength.
• Above all, we must realize that no arsenal or no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today's world do not have. It is a weapon that we as Americans do have. Let that be understood by those who practice terrorism and prey upon their neighbors.

With all the hype (what hype? who's hyping?) about the Philippines Human Security Act of 2007, these words are good food for thought. Read the whole speech here. You may also read the Human Security Act of 2007 here. Read the comments at your own risk.

You never know

Here is a link to the story of Jessica Osborne. As I am into fundraising, this story is another proof that fundraising is indeed friendraising. Be pleasant and do your work well. You'll never know what awaits you.

Federer in, Tiger out

Roger that. Roger Federer won his 5th straight Wimbledon, equaling Borg's.

Tiger wasn't so lucky (although it was also statistics at work, as he wasn't in the lead after three days) at the inaugural AT&T National. He handed the award to South Korean KJ Choi (who a few weeks back also received an award from legend Jack Nicklaus).

And BTW, a post by BluegrassHindu at MM's says that grain used for bio-fuels might actually feed more people than produce fuel:

On July 6th, 2007 at 2:43 pm, BluegrassHindu said:

Here is a neat fact bio-fuel will increase world hunger :) what is the compassionate lefts answer to that ?

Fact : The grain required to fill a 25-gallon SUV gas tank with ethanol will feed one person for a year. The grain needed to fill that same tank every two weeks over a year will feed 26 people.

Upset at Wimby

Marion Bartoli described it best when she said, "A match can turn easily. On a good day, I can beat everybody, and I proved it today." She came back from a set and break down to win 1-6, 7-5, 6-1 over Justine Henin. She now faces Venus Williams in the finals.

Andy Roddick was also sent packing.

It could mean nothing

A little trivia. The Wimbledon 2007 semifinal matches are between Henin and Bartoli and between Ivanovic and VWilliams. Do you see that there are 16 seeds in between Henin (1) and Bartoli (18)? Between Ivanovic (6) and VWilliams (23)? Also 16. Hmmm. Oh and look at the time of posting: 15:16.

Live Earth

He-whose-son-could-be-in-the-slammer (in fairness, the son was driving an environment-friendly Prius) is promoting Live Earth in the weekend and is getting all the hype and coverage at US broadcasting's NBC. Unfair promotion, some would say. Steve Milloy says it is not at all surprising. Read what he has to say.

Ms. Lucy talks of hope

Lucy Gomez talks of hope in her July 1 column in Philstar. She was in one of my classes at UP and I'd be the first to say I did not get to know her that much. Only since she started writing, and then I read her at times, did I get a glimpse. Then again, perhaps she wasn't like this then. Read on.

What I know about hope
LOVE LUCY By Lucy Gomez

Within the pages of one the many fairy-tale books I treasured as a little girl was the story of a poor little girl and a carved wooden flower. A fairy told the kindhearted girl to hold out the carved flower under the heat of the sun three days in a row and all her wishes would come true. She wished for a better house and delicious food for herself and her mama, and that came true. She wished for toys, candies, nice dresses and shoes to match, little bows and a bone for her little white dog. It all happened for her.

...

Going for the underdog

Going for the underdog isn't so bad.

This is why I'd bet on the underdog in this next "all-American QF matchup." All-American? Well, Masha has lived and trained in the US longer than she has ever lived and trained in Russia. Of course, she's Russian blood. And favored to win over Venus. So I go for Venus.

Update: Venus scores an upset, "easy-as-you-like 6-1 6-3 win" and without a single break point in a lopsided match. Masha true to form. Cannot sustain.

But, for the life of me, I cannot go for the underdog in this next QF matchup. Just. Can't.
Update: 6-4 3-6 6-3 Justine.

Means a lot

Read in the news: MCCI launches family program. But, it talks of the push for family planning. How one word could make the difference. How would it go if: MCCI launches family planning program? Of course, that is one word too long for a title.

Henin first

Justine Henin is first into the quarterfinals at Wimbledon 2007. She won over Patty Schnyder, 6-2, 6-2. She faces the winner in the Serena Williams - Daniela Hantuchova 4th round match.

NGO Day

Attended an NGO forum called NGO Day, sponsored by PBSP and Microsoft (of course they had to make a pitch for their relevant softwares).

Keynote speaker was Mayan Quebral, who is one of my idols in "friendraising", and who is ED of Venture for Fund Raising.

It was a joy to also see very familiar faces. Joy because they never tire doing what they love to do best. It was also good to hear that what we have been doing are still effective methods in sustainability. Then there are new ways of doing things which we can try out for ourselves.

I sat in a special interest session (there were 4 different ones simultaneously) on database management and donor research. Funny that I was in a lecture being given by someone much younger than me. Though that was nothing really. It didn't help much however that he was from La Salle. He only had one thing to say about Ateneo: that one of La Salle's biggest donors is an Atenean (while he did not say the reason, we all know that this Atenean was "snubbed" by Ateneo). I think he also said this to sort of even things up as Mayan mentioned earlier that Mr. John chose to give to Ateneo, rather unusual for someone who was more inclined to "greener" pastures.

These gatherings of NGO's are always welcome too as usually there are some stories, success stories, good practices stories that are presented. We really like that. In an ocean of negative stories from many media, goodnews stories make for good gatherings. One participant in the open forum reacted that the stories paint a rather rosy picture of reality as opposed to what we read in the newspapers, to which another reacted: Don't read newspapers. Or you probably read the wrong newspaper. I tend to think the first suggestion was more like it, hehe. I thought that he was new to the NGO movement. Because I must say that we in the not-for-profit, NGO sector find it really important to hear good news. It keeps us hopeful always. There just isn't any room for discouragement in our line of work.

Another point taken was the need to put controls in governance. Heck, to run the organization as a business, not like a business. This was also as a reaction to one of the presentors, who after telling us their success stories, also confessed that they are hoping that what they have done will not all go pfft, as they were recently faced with resignations of 5 key personnel; a review of the incident points to fund mismanagement, and a more thorough audit is in the works.

Another issue taken was the role of government. It was pointed that NGO's like to act as if government did not exist. But they also have the role of checking on government and to also help government. NGO's also accept the fact that there are also many in government who are virtuous, and NGO's role is to find them and enter partnerships with them.

There was also a little tense moment when a person from a workers rights advocacy group gave a spiel that was a little critical of corporate management (there were reps of corporate foundations whom he asked whether their mother companies were "good" to their workers, even as their foundations were practicing corporate social responsibility programs for communities and causes outside of the mother companies). Funny, later, at the end of the forum, when his name was picked from the raffle box, and he won a Vista-ready desktop PC and a licensed Vista OS from a corporate donor. You would think he would not accept. He accepted (the PC goes to the organization), and said that he wasn't really anti-business but was just talking about social justice. I did not understand him, but maybe that justified his accepting the raffle prize.

Of course, there was occasion to talk to some friends. I talked to two groups whom we just might have some cooperative projects going for us. Nice.

I would have liked to have won the PC for my office. Oh, well, I never win in raffles, so events happened as they should have.

St. Josemaria

St. Josemaria
Originally uploaded by asmillan3

Mass in honor of St. Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei.
Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, June 26
Taken after the Mass

What?

During (Al Gore's) tenure as vice president, America's carbon dioxide emissions shot up far faster than at any time in modern history - by 15 per cent, compared to just 1.65 per cent during President Bush's first term. Kid you not. Read. Of course, he also sort of hinted that he should have been President.

St Josemaria's feastday

Today, 26th of June is the anniversary of Saint Josemaría's death in 1975 and is now also his feastday. There will be Holy Masses celebrated in his honor in many parishes/churches all over the world. In Cebu, Bishop Isabelo Abarquez will be the main celebrant at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral at 6pm. Other places in Cebu where masses will be offered: Bl. Pedro Calungsod Shrine with Fr. Ilde Leyson at 6:30pm and St Joseph Parish (Mabolo) with Msgr. Kintanar at 6pm.

He meets his match

Al Gore was offered a wager, USD 10,000 worth. As a lover of statistics, I like to see how this ends. That is if Al Gore accepts. I'd go for J. Scott. How do we add to the wager?

Pedxing and skywalk 2

Perhaps . . . Cebu City's most disregarded traffic sign 2. 1 is here.

What about the 18,000+?

Senator-elect Antonio Trillanes said after his proclamation, that his election was a people's victory. I also heard some news reports and reporters that said that Trillanes's election was the will of the Filipino people.

Granted, that he got more than 11 million votes. But what is that compared to the more than 29 million Filipinos who actually voted or the more than 42 million Filipino registered voters? PDF.

Well, well. About 62% of those who voted DID NOT VOTE for him. About 74% of all registered voters DID NOT VOTE (and some COULD NOT VOTE) for him? What will of the people are we talking about?

Then again, even topnotcher Loren Legarda only had about 18 million votes. What does this show then? That there are much more Filipinos who do not like any one Senator?

Where will you be in 2100?

A group of US scientists have warned that sea-level increases this century resulting from global warming should be higher than what a UN panel on climate change estimated recently. They said that the rise by 2100 should be in meters, and not between 18 and 59 centimeters as the UN Panel published in a February report that predicts sea levels increasing. Be afraid, be very afraid.

They do not say how much this rise is due to human activity, so they're playing safe. Thing is, they have the guts to say this knowing that they won't be around to see what actually happens. Come to think of it, I wouldn't be around either.

Where were you 20 years ago?

Remember: Ronald Reagan's famous "tear down this wall" speech 20 years ago. Thanks ST for the heads up.

First they were bitter, now they're happier?

Ayala Land a couple of years ago started its real estate project called Amara. I thought it was a weird name for a good project. Amara means bitter in Italian. Must be Spanish, but a search couldn't get me a translation.

Then I saw amarra. Maybe that was it. True enough. In their website, it says: Derived from the Spanish word that means mooring rope used to anchor ships at port, Amara connotes home where a family will find safe harbor. Why did they not just use Amarra?

As if to redeem themselves (not really, heh), Ayala (finally! finally!) started its project in Cagayan de Oro. It is called Alegria Hills. Now that is something to be happy about.

Nadal does his own hat trick

Rafa Nadal had his own hat trick at the 2007 French Open when he beat Roger Federer in 4 sets in this their third Roland Garros finals match-up. Rafa is really King of Clay.

Justine makes it three in a row

Justine wins the 2007 French Open with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Ivanovic.

She completes the hat trick last achieved by Monica Seles in 90-92.  This is also Justine's 6th Grand Slam, putting her ahead of Martina Hingis and Venus Williams.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Hep hep Henin

Yep. Justine wins her semifinal match at the 2007 French Open, making her on track to be the second woman to win three in a row after Monica Seles did three in the last decade.

We await the finals against Masha-killer Ivanovic.

Henin wins first set

Henin wins the first set of her seminfinal game. 6-2. Leads 4-2 in the second set.

Henin on track (as of now)

Henin is on track to the finals, leading Jankovic 4-1 of the first set.
Boo-hoo: Masha loses in a lopsided match against 7th seed Ivanovic (6-2, 6-1).

Henin sails past Serena

Justine Henin entered the semis at Roland Garros as she saw off a subdued Serena Williams 6-4 6-3. She will play Jelena Jankovic in the semi-finals when she will seek to extend her Open-era record of winning 31 consecutive sets in Paris dating back to 2005. Henin beat Williams for the first time since their 2003 semi-final.

A finals match against Masha is possible as Masha enters the other semis against Ana Ivanovic.

Henin wins to set up Serena clash

My my!

Henin has won 29 consecutive sets at Roland Garros

Defending champion Justine Henin meets American Serena Williams in the French Open quarterfinals after both won their fourth-round matches.

Masha overcame two match points against Patty. A quote from her, "It's pretty hard being a tennis player and Mother Theresa at the same time and that's just the way it is," after being called for gamesmanship (again, for taking too long between shots in the final game).

Kublai

If you are in Davao City, with some time in your hands, visit my cousin Kublai's art gallery at Ponce Suites (his Mom Min and her older brother own this small hotel). Kublai finished Fine Arts at UPD, and has busied himself as a sculptor and painter.

He made the huge durian sculpture at the Davao International Airport (pictured left) and Sultan Kudarat town's kampilan statue. He is also "famous" for his sculptures in the Enigmata Treehouse Galeri.

He has been commissioned to do the main sculptures of what will be the biggest church in Mindanao in Tagum City. He will make a 50-foot statue of the risen Christ.

About 2 years ago

About two years ago, I was in Tagaytay, hoping that the Rossoneri would win their finals against the Reds.

The day ended with a Reds win and me having a bum stomach from Yellow Cab Pizza.

Here's a pic from my phlog.

Lock down

They get results in America. Took about a year, but they'll be in lock down soon.
My call from my blog last year still stands.

Next year again?

Paolo Maldini captained the Rossoneri to another CL finals win. This is his second. Franz Beckenbauer has three finals win as captain of Bayern Munchen in the 70's (consecutive). Will Paolo get to captain again next year?

Black makes the difference

The Rossoneri (although they were in their white) won over the Reds in the finals of the UEFA Champions League in Athens last night, thanks to two goals by Filippo Inzaghi, one in each half. They gave up one goal at the 88.
Read here. Or here about what it means for captain Maldini Or here for what it is for Filippo. And here for Ancelotti. Of course, you must see acmilan.com too and don't miss the flash presentation (7 wins in Champions League).

AUGURI! TU SEI TUTTA LA MIA VITA!

Tonight

How cool is that

Ademar writes "Fighting poverty".
He/She begins with a quote from Bo Derek.
And ends with a quote from the Bible (KJV).
I couldn't pull that off. He/She did. How cool is that?

Tomorrow

hear ye hear ye

Welcome the new converts. Any more?
Climate Momentum Shifting: Prominent Scientists Reverse Belief in Man-made Global Warming - Now Skeptics!

Cost of corruption

The Philippines is losing about USD 2B a year, or about PhP100B annually. If instead of losing that to corruption, that amount is distributed to all the families in the Philippines (about 20M), each family will receive about P5K subsidy from government. If that amount is distributed to families living in poverty, the amount of subsidy becomes even greater. If that amount is distributed among families who can start their own businesses, the capital could be sizeable. Enough to allow for greater business success. If only . . .

He's got a point

Bobby Schindler takes time to explain some pro-life and disability issues tied to her sister's case.

Data-mining

Then bad (if used to flush out terrorists), now good (if used to know more about our customers).
Read.

Now the link

One global warming alarmist now finds the link between population control and global warming / carbon dioxide output. What else is new? That has always been the link they want to make. I propose thus: we should get rid of the older ones, say 50 and above. Am sure they have a lot more cabon dioxide output than children. Any volunteeers?

BTW, doesn't Al Gore have 4 children?

True to form

First Gentleman orders his lawyers to drop all his libel suits against journalists.  Journalists seem to say Thanks, but no thanks.  Let's continue our class suit against FG.  See you in court.  There was only one I heard who said something like Thanks.  Let's end this.  Ramon Tulfo.  I just don't remember if he joined the class suit, however.

Cory's phone bugged.  She wasn't surprised.  No one is.  Malacanang says we do not know anything about it.  Opposition says it is government's doing.  The pros say it is opposition's gimmick.

And watching the tv news and clips, I am more and more convinced that we do not know how to preserve the scene of the crime.  I mean, almost everyone, contaminated evidence.  PLDT, the police, Cory herself, media, even my batchmate Ricky now with ANC, holding evidence or possible pieces of evidence.  Whew!

It only takes 1 II

ST links us to the story of George. While we look for more heroes, here is one worth reading about.

Why one who is not our kind could possibly protect us from harm makes us wonder why our kind would do many things to harm us. Like this. Or this.

Was it necessary?

A local daily reports on a person who shot himself yesterday and fell from his perch three stories up. Some police officers say that the shooting seemed like it was accidental. The on-line edition (did not see the printed version yet) shows two vidcaps of the actual shooting. Was that really necessary? It's bad enough the person died. To show the vidcaps was not warranted, I believe. Remember how NBC got flak for showing the VT shooter videos -- and they were not even showing the actual shootings but just his rants and poses? Remember also how CNN got flak for showing the AQ-provided video of live sniper shootings of American soldiers in Iraq?

Sorry I won't link to local daily's page. Up to you to find it.

It only takes 1

The Rossoneri go up against ManU at San Siro tonight in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal. ManU won the first leg in Old Trafford 3-2. As ACM got 2 away goals, they only need to win 1-0 for the right to go into the finals against Liverpool FC, who "knocked English rivals Chelsea FC out of the UEFA Champions League 4-1 on penalties to reach a second final in three seasons on a dramatic night at Anfield." (uefa.com)

Update: Not only 1. They scored 3 to ManU's . . . 0. ManU never saw what hit them.