The Non Sequitur

Pilipino Priday

2005-09-30T14:29:00.000-07:00

I never knew that the Philippines is in the cloning business...

Philippines Close to Creating World's First Water Buffalo Clone
By Douglas Bakshian
Manila
29 September 2005

Researchers in the Philippines say they are close to creating the world's first water buffalo clone to help the nation's impoverished farmers and lower the country's dependency on imported milk.

At the Agriculture Department's Philippine Carabao Center, executive director Libertado Cruz says the process of transferring cloned embryos is under way, and he expects some live clones within 10 months.

He says Philippine dairy carabao, or water buffalo, produce in average of about eight liters of milk a day, while some Indian water buffalos produce up to 35 liters a day.

Philippine researchers have used cells from the ear of Bulgarian water buffalos and fused it with the eggs of the local buffalo in the cloning process. The Bulgarian animals are descendants of the high yielding breed from India.

Right now animals that produce 17 liters of milk are being cloned, but when the process is finalized, the 35-liter "super buffalo" will be cloned.

Sperm from the cloned super buffalo will be used in an insemination program to create more high-milk-producing animals. The goal is increased milk production in the Philippines.

Dr. Cruz says greater milk production will help feed the nation, as well as give farmers a new source of income.

"The Philippines is about 99 percent import-dependent on milk. We are spending on the average about $450 to $500 million U.S. dollars every year just to import milk and dairy products," he explained. " It would be a social contribution if we can help our local farmers produce this milk in the Philippines."

Dr. Cruz says that since Dolly the sheep, the first cloned animal, entered the world in 1997 cloning has become less expensive and easier. This has allowed the Philippines to undertake the program.

The carabao is an essential part of rural life in the Philippines and other parts of Southeast Asia. In addition to producing milk, buffaloes are used as draft animals and for meat.

Pilipino Priday

2005-09-23T13:40:00.000-07:00

The U.S. isn't the only place experiencing the wrath of god....

The death toll from two storms on Luzon island in the Philippines continues to rise.

Authorities say 20 people have died in various parts of the island, including Manila.

Our reporter in the capital, Shirley Escalante, says officials have declared a state of calamity in two areas on Luzon island.

Under Philippine law, a state of calamity allows for the immediate release of emergency funds.

Flooding has been reported in 28 towns and municipalities and more than 3,000 families have been evacuated.

Rescue and relief operations are underway.

http://www.abc.net.au/ra/news/stories/s1466810.htm

Pilipino Priday

2005-09-16T13:46:00.000-07:00

Philippines: Catholic Archbishop Denies Church Split over Arroyo Crisis
Catholic Archbishop of Cebu Ricardo Cardinal Vidal accused the Philippine media of causing dissention within the ranks of Church prelates.

Posted: Wednesday, September 14 , 2005, 11:55 (UK)

The Archbishop of Cebu in the Philippines denied yesterday that the Catholic Church had splintered over the worst political crisis to engulf President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Ricardo Cardinal Vidal instead accused the Philippine media of causing dissension within prelate ranks, reported INQ7. “It’s the media that are dividing us,” he told reporters. “You make it appear as though there’s infighting among us when there is none.”

Vidal, who was recently accused along with several other bishops of receiving considerable cash donations from the state-owned Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), called on the media to report truthfully rather than simply speculate.

Vidal admitted to receiving the cash donations, as did two other bishops, despite this going against normal church conduct. The Archbishop stressed, however, that the money had been used only for projects for the poor.

Ms Arroyo attended a Mass in Lipa at the invitation of bishops just before her departure for New York “in solidarity with the bishops”, said Media Secretary Cerge Remonde.

The 12-member permanent council of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines meets today to discuss the political situation in the country and formulate a response to calls for the Catholic Church to reverse its position of its July statement in which it made clear it would not join calls for Ms Arroyo’s resignation.

Impeachment complaints against the President for allegedly winning last year’s elections on fraudulent grounds were quashed in the House of Representatives last week.

Archbishop Paciano Aniceto of San Fernando City, a member on the CBCP council, however, said impeachment was an important “first step” in resolving the current political crisis.

“Let us not close our doors that easily. There are still alternatives. We are a people of hope,” said Aniceto, before calling on Filipinos to engage in “prayerful discernment so all of us will be enlightened”.

Representative Eduardo Zialcita of Paraňaque City, however, urged the CBCP to prevent prelates from issuing independent statements from the official position. Mr Zialcita, an Arroyo supporter, warned in a statement yesterday that “going against the CBCP stand is creating more confusion and divisiveness among the Catholic flock”.

Representative Jesli Lapus of Tarlac said: “The CBCP should serve as a calming voice amid the opposition’s refusal to abide by the House’s decision to dismiss the impeachment complaints against the President.

Senator Rodolfo Biazon said he was not surprised to see the Church and other religious denominations overstep legal boundaries, saying that politicians had given them the leeway to “meddle in state affairs”.

Maria Mackay
mmackay@christiantoday.com

Pilipino Priday

2005-08-26T12:51:00.000-07:00

I attended a business lunch with a salesperson the other day. To break the monotony of the sales pitch, I decided to switch gears and discuss our passions outside of work. I naturally babbled about how I love to cook. I love to try out new recipes--preferably French and Italian dishes--and watch the Food Network whenever I get a chance. Sometimes when I tell people I like to cook, they would ask if I make a great lumpia or pancit. I usually do not make Filipino food because if want it, I can always visit my mom. Besides, whenever I ask her how to make certain dishes, she's like, "I never measure it out. I just eyeball it." I am very much a follower of recipes so her saying to eyeball it never goes well with me.

My absolute FAVORITE Filipino dish is chicken adobo. I made it once out of this recipe I found from epicurious.com. It turned out fine, but it certainly does not compare to my mom's. In any case, below is the recipe. If anyone out there has any suggestions on how to make it better, please, please, PLEASE let me know.

Chicken Adobo

8 chicken drumsticks (or 4 drumsticks and 4 thighs; about 2 1/2 pounds total)
4 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce (preferably Kikkoman)
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 Turkish bay leaf or 1/2 California bay leaf

Accompaniment: cooked rice

Pat chicken dry. Coarsely chop garlic. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown chicken in 2 batches, about 8 minutes for each batch. With tongs transfer chicken as browned to a plate.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet and in remaining fat cook garlic over moderately low heat, stirring, until golden. Add vinegar, soy sauce, peppercorns, bay leaf, and chicken, with any juices that have accumulated on plate, and simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Remove lid and cook mixture over moderately low heat, turning chicken occasionally, until sauce is thickened and coats chicken, about 15 minutes.

Serve chicken with rice.

Serves 4

Pilipino Priday

2005-08-19T09:22:00.000-07:00

My friend and co-worker J is leaving me and our workplace to pursue a PhD in comparative literature. For those of you who are wondering what she plans on doing with a PhD in comparative literature, the answer is that she wants to be a professor.

The office decided to take her out to NoMI to bid her a fond farewell and wish her good luck with all her endeavors. For those of you who don't know, NoMI is a very posh, upscale restaurant located at the Park Hyatt off Michigan Avenue. The food is--in one word--FANTASTIC. I highly recommend going there for a special occassion as it is very pricey. In fact, I suggest having your office pay for it like ours did. In any case, while my stomach is still digesting the food I thought I would report about the latest White House new hire, Cristeta Comerford. Cristeta has been named the White House Executive Chef. Not only is she from the Philippines, but she is the first female executive chef to the White House. Congratulations to Christeta!

First Woman Is Selected as Executive Chef at White House
By MARIAN BURROS
Published: August 15, 2005
New York Times

Cristeta Comerford yesterday became the first woman to be named White House executive chef after a lengthy selection process.

Laura Bush, the first lady, said she was delighted that Ms. Comerford, who has been an assistant chef in the White House since the mid-90's, had accepted the job. "Her passion for cooking can be tasted in every bite of her delicious creations," Mrs. Bush said.

As a known quantity, Ms. Comerford, a naturalized citizen from the Philippines, had a certain advantage over outside applicants. "It's something Mrs. Bush had a comfort level with," said Susan Whitson, the first lady's press secretary. "She knew what she was capable of, and it was an opportunity to promote someone from within," which is another first for the choice.

Ms. Comerford, 41, who immediately left on vacation, was unavailable for comment but she had said in an earlier interview that she was very pleased to be considered.

Ms. Comerford's White House kitchen colleagues and Walter Scheib III, whom Mrs. Bush asked to resign as executive chef in February, got together yesterday afternoon at a bar in Georgetown to toast her success. "We're shooting the breeze and talking about how good it is that Cris got a promotion," Mr. Scheib said. "There's unbridled joy that Cris got the opportunity, and we've come to an agreement that she will do phenomenally well."

Since Mr. Scheib's departure, Ms. Comerford has been preparing meals for official dinners, private parties and family dinners - from huevos rancheros, the president's favorite Sunday breakfast, to oysters and spinach au gratin for one of Mrs. Bush's literary-themed dinners, this one honoring Shakespeare.

Roland Mesnier, the former White House pastry chef, who supported Ms. Comerford's candidacy, said he was delighted with the choice.

"Fantastic," he said. "You can recognize the flavor of what she cooks, and you can recognize all the elements on the plate. Many times a chef puts some things in a recipe and you say, 'What am I eating?' "

Mr. Scheib said Ms. Comerford was "the best candidate, no question about it."

"Picking Cris as the first woman chef is a good publicity move, I expect," he said. "But it's not about being a man or a woman; it's that she's an exceptional chef. I saw that when I hired her." Mr. Scheib added, "Mentally she is tough as nails, is very strongly focused and a very talented culinarian."

Ms. Comerford worked closely with Mr. Scheib on many projects, including the 2003 state dinner in honor of the president of the Philippines.

"She and I were like two fingers crossed, mentor and protégée," said Mr. Scheib, who was a holdover from the Clinton White House. "I don't see her choice as a radical departure from anything."

Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, representing more than 2,000 culinary professionals in the United States, may want to take credit for Ms. Comerford's elevation. The organization sent a letter to Mrs. Bush last May, asking her to consider a woman for the job because the chef would be a role model for women.

"Throughout our history, women have been at the helm of feeding American families," the organization wrote. "Now is the time to have a woman at the helm of feeding America's first family."

But according to the White House, none of the people suggested by the organization, most of them well-known in culinary circles, were interested in the job. The pay, $80,000 to $100,000 a year with no overtime, for what is essentially a private family chef who occasionally has an opportunity to show off at a state dinner, is well below what top level chefs can earn on the outside.

And opportunities to dazzle at state dinners are few and far between in the current White House; there have been only five since Mr. Bush took office.

"I'm glad it's a woman," said Alice Waters, the noted Berkeley, Calif., restaurateur. "It can't be anything but encouraging to people to have someone at the top, particularly from another country. That particularly makes a beautiful statement that someone has succeeded to the extent that they represent the president."

Ms. Whitson, the first lady's press secretary, said there were hundreds of applications. "It's a long process and we wanted to give as many applicants as possible a chance because there are so many good American chefs out there," she said.

She would not say how many of the applicants were women.

After telephone interviews, the list of candidates was cut to a few who were then interviewed at the White House. Some of those chefs were asked to prepare tasting menus for the Bushes, among them Chris Ward of the Mercury Grill in Dallas; Richard Hamilton, formerly of the Spiced Pear in Newport, R.I.; and Ms. Comerford.

Ms. Comerford, who came to the United States when she was 23, received a bachelor's degree in food technology from the University of the Philippines, studied classic French cooking and worked in Austria. She also was chef at two Washington hotels. And she collaborated with the California chef John Ash to promote American game cooking. She lives in Columbia, Md., with her husband, John, and young daughter.

Pilipino Priday

2005-08-05T21:34:00.000-07:00

Yeah....I will not be able to access the internet next week, so this is it until Friday, August 19.

Gee....no wonder why almost all my relatives are nurses...

Philippines losing doctors to nursing jobs abroad
Saturday, August 6, 2005 www.globeandmail.com

Manila -- About 6,000 doctors in the Philippines are studying to become nurses so they can find higher-paying jobs abroad, Health Minister Francisco Duque said. This was up from 2,000 doctors who studied to become nurses last year.

The exodus of doctors and nurses has created a "threatening situation for our health-care system," and a task force had been established to examine the potential impact, Mr. Duque told reporters Thursday.

The team is working on a bill that would require doctors to practise in the Philippines for at least three to four years before they are able to work abroad.

A doctor working in a government hospital in the Philippines earns only about 25,000 pesos ($500) a month but could earn about $5,000 a month while working as a nurse overseas.

Filipino nurses are in demand in Europe, the United States, the Middle East, Singapore and Japan. AFP

Pilipino Priday

2005-07-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

As you (yes, to the one person who reads this blog) know, I haven't been wanting to blog as of late because it's way too nice outside for me to want to think about blogging. Today, however, is different because I am bored as hell at work and can't really focus on anything because some sort of drilling is going on in the hallway and it's DRIVING ME CRAZY!!!! AAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!

Whew, now it's over.

There is a Jose Rizal center located on Irving Park Road where a lot of Pinoys hang out. I've been there only once and never really thought about who this Jose Rizal guy was and why he was so important until now.

Jose Rizal was, in short, amazing. Not only did this guy know 22 different languages, but he was also architect, artist, educator, economist, ethnologist, scientific farmer, historian, inventor, journalist, linguist, musician, mythologist, nationalist, naturalist, novelist, ophthalmologist, physician, poet, propagandist, patriot, sculptor, and sociologist. No wonder why December 30 is Jose Rizal Day in the Phillipines! I can't even get off my ass to do one thing let alone 22 things and learn 22 different languages. It's exhausting just thinking about wanting to do it.

ANYWAYS, enough about my laziness.

What I find even more interesting is the stuff I uncovered in the official Jose Rizal Web site. There was some speculation that Adolf Hitler was the love child of Jose Rizal. The following is a story about it. Very interesting stuff I must say.

Adolf Rizal (And his half-brother, Mao Rizal)

By Manuel L. Quezon, III

Here is the craziest thing I've heard (and I've heard it more than once, at parties): Adolf Hitler was really the illegitimate son of Jose Rizal. Here is the second most crazy thing I've heard: Mao Zedong was actually Rizal's illegitimate son. Two variations, I suppose, on the idea that "Yes, the Filipino Can!"

Sadly, I found the two theories so funny, that I never thought of asking the people who told them to me to explain on what grounds they based their claim about Der Fuehrer and the Great Helmsman. A dentistry student friend from U.E. has also heard these fanciful theories, but neither did it occur to him to ask on what evidence these fanciful claims were based. So I did a little research to find out how people could make such a story up.

The claim that Adolf Hitler was Rizal's progeny must be based on the following facts:

* Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889 (that means he could have been conceived sometime in August, 1888) , in the little village of Braunau, near the German-Austrian border.
* He was born an Austrian and remained one until the 1930's.
* The name of Hitler's mother was Klara Polzl.
* At one time she was a maid, in Vienna.
* Hitler always considered the town of Linz, in Austria, as his hometown (in his Political Testament he referred to "my home-town of Linz on the Danube.").
* Hitler's oldest brother, Gustav, born on May 17, 1885, and his sister Ida, born in 1886, both died before he was born.
* Bavaria was considered the "cradle" of Nazism.
* The Nazis made Japan one of the Axis powers. At one point they were trying to prove that the Japanese were Aryans to make them members of the "master race."

Now combine the above information with the following culled from the life of Rizal:

* On February 1, 1886, he left Paris for Germany. He went to Heidelberg, Wilhlmsfeld, Munich (in Bavaria), all somewhat near the German-Austrian border; on August 9, 1886 he left for Leipzig ("visiting various German cities along the way," one book says), arriving there on August 14. In October he went to Dresden and then to Berlin.
* In Berlin he finished Noli Me Tangere. One of the book's characters is named Maria Clara.
* On May 11, 1887, Rizal began his Grand Tour of Europe. He went to Dresden, Teschen (now Decin in the former Czechoslovakia), Prague, and then Brunn (where he lost a diamond stickpin), and Vienna (where he got back his stickpin, which was found by a maid in the hotel he stayed in in Brunn) in Austria .
* On May 24, 1887, he left Vienna by riverboat to see sights on the Danube River (on the boat he saw paper napkins for the first time). His voyage ended at Linz.
* From Linz he went to Munich (where Hitler attempted a putsch in 1923) and Nuremberg (site of the Nazi Party rallies and the War Crimes trials), and other German cities.
* Rizal was in the German Empire, sometimes past the German-Austrian border, from February 1886 until he went to Switzerland in early June, 1887.
* Rizal was again in Europe from May 24, 1888, until October 18, 1891. He was in London, Paris, Brussels, Madrid, Biarritz, Ghent. He was in Europe during the time Hitler was conceived and when he was born.
* Rizal in 1888 had an affair with a Japanese woman, Seiko Usui, when he visited Japan. She had an only daughter, Yuriko, by a foreign husband some years after her encounter with Rizal. Yuriko later married the son of a Japanese politician.

Put all this information together and you may be able to conclude the following: Hitler was conceived either in 1887 when Rizal passed through Linz or other towns (such as Brunn - how do you think he lost the diamond stickpin? And who was the "maid" who found it later and gave it to Blumentritt who forwarded it to Vienna?) near the Austrian border: in which case Hitler's older siblings were fictitious, to cover up his mother's being pregnant with him. In other words Hitler was actually born before 1889.

Or he was conceived in August, 1888, when Rizal was supposedly in London. Or perhaps in September, 1888, when Rizal went to Paris for a week (to have a rendezvous with Klara?). Maybe when to Paris in 1889 it was so he could communicate more easily with the now-expecting Klara? Klara Polzl's affair with Rizal may have centered around Linz, which is why the Hitler family moved there later (so Mama Hitler could live where she had An Affair To Remember), which would explain Hitler's fondness for the town.

Finally, Seiko Usui's only daughter was not really fathered by her husband, Alfred Charlton. He was simply a front. Yuriko, you see, was Rizal's daughter! And Hitler knew she was his half-sister. She used her influence on her brother Adolf to convince him to enter into an alliance with Japan (making it one of the Axis powers): which is why Japan invaded the Philippines! Yuriko made it clear to Hirohito that Hitler would appreciate it if his ally were to take over his father's homeland. And of course the reason why Hitler wanted to become dictator of Germany was because his natural father had spent some of the most interesting years of his life there!

That, I think, is the rationale behind such a fantastic claim based on information that can be gathered from any High School textbook on Rizal and any good biography of Adolf Hitler. Naturally, this can only be done through selective use of the evidence, but it does make for an amusing piece of historical fiction.

Now, as to the idea that Mao Zedong was also Rizal's son. Unfortunately this claim cannot be supported by even the most spurious evidence. Mao Zedong was born in 1893, in Hunan Province, which you could say is kind of near Hong Kong. But at that time (1893), Rizal was in exile in Dapitan. Now it would have been possible for Rizal to scamper around Europe and get Klara pregnant without anybody noticing, but he couldn't possibly have jumped into a boat and rowed to Hong Kong without being caught. He did pass through Hong Kong in 1888 and 1891 but he never seems to have visited other parts of China (unless you count Xiamen and Macao). So there are no details that can be manipulated.

These exercises in foolishness prove how creative us Filipinos can be. What other people would be able to make the bogus claim that one of their heroes fathered the man who almost turned Europe into a "howling wilderness" (as one U.S. officer wanted to do with Samar)? That would have been poetic justice, I suppose, the brown man strikes back and all that sort of thing.

Pilipino Priday

2005-07-22T12:19:00.000-07:00

Too....fun....outside...to....stay.....in.....and.....BLOG!

Street Demonstrations Gaining Momentum in Philippines
By Mil Arcega
Washington, D.C.

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is facing the biggest political battle of her presidency, as opposition leaders demand her resignation for alleged vote fixing in last year's presidential election. International observers say the leadership crisis in the Philippines may also be hurting international efforts to combat terrorism.

Observers say the crowds demanding Philippine President Gloria Arroyo's resignation are growing increasingly vocal as opposition leaders threaten impeachment proceedings when the Philippine Congress convenes July 22nd.

International policy experts say the political turmoil in the Philippines could have far-reaching consequences. The Heritage Foundation's Dana Dillon says political instability can promote terrorism.

"The impact of this current crisis is that the president and the government and the military and security forces are all distracted from what would be their normal jobs and focusing (instead) on the political crisis."

The predominantly Muslim south in the Philippines is currently home to several terrorist organizations, including Abu Sayyaf and the Moro Islamic Liberation front, all of which are believed to have links with al-Qaida.

Recently, the U.S. government, which considers the Philippines an important ally in the war on terrorism, criticized Arroyo's withdrawal of Philippine troops from Iraq. Mr. Dillon says it's unlikely the war on terrorism will receive renewed priority as the Philippine president fights for her political survival.

Filipino leaders in the United States say the president's handling of the political scandal has also caused irreparable harm to the country's economy.

Labor Leader Gloria Caoile believes President Arroyo will survive the crisis but says the damage has been done. "It's a total disenchantment in the sense that we expected more and we really believed this new leadership was going to take us in an upswing and move us forward. As it is now, it's like we took ten steps backwards."

More than a third of President Arroyo's cabinet have resigned as a result of the crisis and have asked her to do the same.

President Arroyo vows to fight all efforts to remove her from office and this week urged citizens to back her proposed economic reforms. "The task at hand is to unite and speed up economic growth, spur investment which is the main tasks of economic diplomacy and to keep the confidence of our markets and our trading partners,” said the president in a speech.

One country that's interested in investing in the Philippines is China. President Arroyo recently signed a deal with Beijing to explore resources in the South China Sea. And last year the Chinese government donated engineering equipment and three million dollars to provide Chinese language training for the Philippine military.

Mr. Dillon opined, "As far as they're concerned, they're not investing in the Philippines, they're investing in their political objectives."

The president faces both possible impeachment and large street demonstrations in the weeks and months ahead. "People Power" has brought down two previous Philippine presidents including Mrs. Arroyo's predecessor, President Joseph Estrada.

Pilipino Priday

2005-07-08T14:44:00.000-07:00

The bird flu sadly reached the Phillipines...

From bbc.com

The Philippines has discovered its first cases of bird flu with infected ducks being found in a town north of the capital, Manila.

The trading of poultry has been banned for a week around the town of Calumpit in Bulcan province.

It is not yet clear if it is the H5N1 strain which has killed more than 50 people across Asia since 2003.

"There's no cause for alarm," said Health Secretary Francisco Duque, adding tests were being carried out.

He said samples had been sent to Australia to see whether the Philippine bird flu strain was the same as that which caused human fatalities elsewhere in the region.

Risk 'almost nil'

Agricultural Secretary Arthur Yap said early indications were that the strain was not deadly to humans.

"There is no sign of transmission and no ducks have died," he said.

"It is a low-risk flu strain found in three healthy ducks and the risk to human health is almost nil."

Mr Yap said the cases were confined to a "small isolated farm". A 3km exclusion zone has been imposed on the affected area.

"We are very lucky we caught it in a very early stage and we are confident that we can contain it," Mr Yap said, adding that the virus had been detected during routine testing.

All birds on the affected farm are to be culled as a precautionary measure.

Pandemic fears

Mr Yap and other officials ate fried chicken at the press conference to demonstrate their message that chicken and duck remain safe to eat.

The Philippines has a large poultry industry, employing 300,000 people and worth 150bn peso ($2.72bn) a year.

It is the only Asian country with large-scale poultry farming which has not yet been affected by the bird flu virus.

Fears about the H5N1 virus have led to the slaughter of millions of chickens and ducks across Asia in the last 18 months.

The WHO is alarmed that the more the virus spreads, the greater the chances it could combine with the human flu virus and trigger a flu pandemic.

Pilipino Priday

2005-07-01T06:29:00.000-07:00

Cardinal Jaime Sin, Philippines' highly revered Cardinal, died on Tuesday, June 21, at the age of 76 after along struggle from kidney problems and diabetes. Some felt that he would've been a great successor of Pope John Paul II. If he was voted into Papacy, it would've been cool if he kept his name and was called Pope Sin.

So who exactly is Cardinal Sin? The following is an excerpt from an article from www.catholic.org.

One of 16 siblings, Jaime Lachica Sin was born in New Washington, in the Diocese of Kalibo, on Aug. 31, 1928. He was educated in the faith by his mother, a woman of great religiosity who converted her husband to the Catholic faith before their marriage.

In 1941 he entered the Minor Seminar of St. Vincent Ferrer in Jaro, where he stayed for only a few months as the War of the Pacific and the Japanese occupation of the Philippines forced him to seek refuge with his family in the mountains for three years.

When he returned there as a priest -- he was ordained April 3, 1954 -- his first pastoral endeavor was to visit each one of the hundreds of small widespread parishes and to inspire vocations for the new St. Pius X Seminary.

At the end of this work, which lasted three years and bore considerable fruit, he was appointed rector of the seminary in 1957. He served there for 10 years as principal, dean of studies, professor and diocesan consultant.

He was consecrated bishop at age 38 on March 18, 1967, and named auxiliary of Jaro and eventually coadjutor with the right of succession. He succeeded the archbishop of Jaro in 1972, when he was 44.

Pope Paul VI named him archbishop of Manila on Jan. 21, 1974, where he pursued his pastoral work courageously despite the dangers and difficulties of the country's situation. The Pope elevated him to cardinal two years later.

He was the youngest member of the Philippine bishops' conference, over which he presided from 1977 to 1981.

Helped topple 2 presidents

He received Pope John Paul II twice in his pastoral visits to the Philippines -- in 1981 and 1995. In the second apostolic trip, to close World Youth Day, 4 million faithful attended the Mass in Rizal Park in Manila.

The cardinal was a great defender of democracy in the Philippines and of peaceful political transition, becoming famous for his commitment to the Filipinos against the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos and the corruption of the Estrada government.

In 1986 he headed peaceful protests which led to the fall of President Marcos. He played the same role in 2001 when he appealed to the people to put an end to the corrupt government of Joseph Estrada. The AsiaNews agency highlighted the cardinal's capacity to have people follow him, which won him the nickname of "divine commander in chief."

After his retirement in September 2003, Cardinal Sin gave his support to the current president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Arroyo, lamenting his demise, described him as a "blessed man who never failed to unite Filipinos during the most crucial battles against tyranny and evil." She declared seven days of national mourning for the cardinal.

Cardinal Sin insisted that religion had a role to play in the affairs of the state, a conviction he summed up at his retirement ceremony: "My duty is to put Christ in politics. Politics without Christ is the greatest scourge of the nation."

The cardinal also organized protests against the state's attempt to curb population growth.

Pilipino Priday

2005-06-24T14:25:00.000-07:00

I love shoes. I love shoes so much that I have a "wall full of shoes" according to my friend Julia. I tend to disagree with her assessment because a wall full of shoes would be an entire wall. My "wall of shoes" only takes up 1/8 of a wall and said wall is 13' X 17'. So how many pairs of shoes does that make? Probably somewhere between 75-100.

Before you gasp, you should know that Imelda Marcos, former First Lady of the Philipines loves shoes more than I as she is reported to have 3000 pairs of shoes. She also loves lingerie. She owns 500 bras, 200 girdles, and a bulletproof bra.

Yep, that's my blog for Priday.

Pilipino Priday*

2005-06-17T16:03:00.000-07:00

Thank you Jokey Pokey Pudding in Pie for helping me with last week's Pilipino Priday. Go Jonathan! Go, go Jonathan!

(Seriously...GO dude. Your breath is kicking and I can smell it all the way from Indiana. P.S. Ben Affleck called. He said he wants his shoes back!)

This month seems much harder for me to blog since I've been incredibly busy with work and social functions. It's also because it's been way too nice outside to sit in front of a computer. This weekend will be particularly busy for me because I will be attending T&M's wedding.

Ahhhh weddings! They are so much fun to attend and I look forward to them because you are around friends and family and you get to witness the union of two people who really love each other. There are, however, a couple of things that I do not look forward to--particularly some of the traditions. I find the tradition of tossing the bouquet and garter to be the WORST part of it and hopefully it will not be observed at this wedding. But hey, if T&M decide to do it, so be it. It's their wedding and they can toss if they want to.

So what kinds of wedding traditions are part of the Filipino culture?

Let's start with what is worn.

The bride wears the typical all-white wedding gown, but the groom wears a traditional barong. A barong is a transparent button-up shirt that is usually worn by the Filipino man during special gatherings. (The dudes who are in my wedding party will have to wear this.)

Another tradition is to have many sponsors.

Sponsors symbolize guidance and support and are introduced as such during the ceremony. It's good to know this because until today, I never knew why my sister had sponsors at her wedding. When I heard of these sponsors, I was like, "What?!?!? Huh?!??" (or in Tagalog, "Ano!?!? Bucket?!?!?") When no one told me what that was all about, I just assumed they were the dudes who paid for everything you wanted at the wedding. This naturally made me look forward to the day when I got married and I could have sponsors. I guess guidance and support is probably better than getting everything you wanted. (Meh!)

Despite the fact that most of the sponsors attend as witnesses as most of the audience is there to do, there are two sets of sponsors that play more of an active role. One set of sponsors is in charge of pinning a large veil on top of the bride's head and on the groom's shoulder. The veil symbolizes unity. The next set of sponsors is responsible for placing a white cord loosely around the necks of both the bride and groom in a figure eight configuration. The cord symbolizes the lifelong bond between the bride and groom.

Now onto the candles.

The unity candle sits between 2 long stemmed candles. The bride's parents and the groom's parents light their respective long stemmed candle. The couple will later light the unity candle with both sets of candles from each family. This symbolizes the union of both families through the love and lifelong bond of their children.

Now onto the money.

"Another strongly-held tradition is the arras which translated into Spanish means 'earnest money.' The priest drops coins onto the hands of both the bride and groom symbolizing a life of fidelity and wealth." (Courtesy of www.blissweddings.com)

So there you have it. Now I can't wait to get married so I get be accidentally strangled by one set of sponsors. But hey, at least I've have a coin in my hand.

*I'm posting it Wednesday night because I will not have access to a computer this weekend and I don't know how to delay postings.

Pilipino Priday

2005-06-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow friends-of-Flips! I have been given the tremendous honor of guest blogging on this beautiful and special Pilipino Priday!

This Sunday, June 12, is the (dubious) Philippines Independence Day, which marks that country’s “liberation” from Spain in 1898. What followed was a long, protracted, and very bloody struggle against the U.S.’s own colonial enterprise. The Philippines was not actually granted sovereignty until after World War II after being a focal point of that little dust-up. That handover, on July 4, 1946, echoes in many ways the “handover” that occurred last year in Iraq, which also featured a continued massive U.S. military presence, as well as leaders who were effectively hand-picked by the Americans. That process, of course, led to Ferdinand Marcos and his wife, the lovely and well shod Imelda. [Which begs the questions of who will be Iraq’s Corazon Aquino, and when’s that gonna happen?]

So how to celebrate Philippines Independence Day? Well, unfortunately, there don’t seem to be any sort of parade or picnic or anything in Chicago, despite our having one of the largest Filipino communities in the country (I’ve always found the differences between the Filipino Diaspora and those of other peoples to be fascinating – why are Chinatowns so much more ubiquitous than Little Manilas? Why not more Filipino restaurants?? And how come we can’t get us throngs of Filipinos driving around in low riders, honking horns and sporting Philippines flags?!?]

Not the old one, of course:

the current one:

Okay, so back to the question: how to celebrate our Filipino-ness this weekend, other than calling people by the wrong pronouns, and going to medical school? How about renting Imelda - Power, Myth, Illusion, the new documentary about the afore-mentioned beauty-queen-turned-Pacific-Island-Evita!

Big controversy over this one—I guess Madame herself said the interviews were unauthorized & sent her peeps to court to get screenings stopped back in the Philippines. Apparently they compromised, took the word “documentary” out of the title, and probably packed the seats (as usually happens with controversy/censorship tinged works, which makes me wonder whether Herself got a little bit of the back end of the gross…).

The bigger question: who will play this former beauty queen in the inevitable biopic?? Tia Carrere? Nanette???

Well, it was a pleasure guesting - come check out my blog if you're MAN ENOUGH!
Jonathan Kelley, Selfish Hedonist

Pilipino Pridays

2005-06-03T16:35:00.000-07:00

I thought I could come up with something really awesome to write about this week since I was unable to post last week's Pilipino Priday. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out the way I expected because now I am really busy with work. So, I must post something semi-lame...

Korea Times published an article about how the Phillipines aims to attract one million Koreans in 2010. I realize that it's important that Korea Times would publish something that affects Koreans directly, but I find the headline to be amusing. It's as if all the single Phillipine men and women must work their mojo with all the single Korean men and women.

Trashy Romance Novels

2005-06-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

My boss is a pack rat, which isn't really good because our office is a huge mess. We have 63 boxes worth of files and books that we haven't looked in for several years now, but she insists on keeping them. Luckily, we found a space for them. While cleaning the office and getting the boxes ready, J found a plethora of bodice ripping romance novels. Boss J thought it would be a good idea to sell them for some money for the office. Unfortunately, used bookstores don't take romance novels. Perhaps used bookstores will take romance novels if they come from here.

drain bramage

2005-05-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

I think I know way to many people that have damaged their front part of their brain....

Scientists say they have located the parts of the brain that comprehend sarcasm - honestly.

By comparing healthy people and those with damage to different parts of the brain, they found the front of the brain was a key to understanding irony.

Damage to any of three different areas could render individuals unable to understand sarcastic comments.

The Israeli team from Haifa University told Neuropsychology how their findings might help to explain autism features.

See what goes on in the brain

Autistic children can have problems interpreting sarcasm as well as other social cues such as emotions.

This same skill is sometimes lost in people with brain damage, suggesting similar brain regions may be involved in autism.

Brain scan studies of autistic children have shown that they have different activity in the frontal lobe to other children.

Dr Simone Shamay-Tsoory and colleagues studied 25 people with prefrontal lobe damage, 16 with damage to the posterior lobe of the brain and 17 healthy volunteers.

They played the study participants tape-recorded stories, some sarcastic and some neutral.

An example of sarcasm was "Joe came to work, and instead of beginning to work, he sat down to rest. His boss noticed and said to Joe 'don't work too hard.'"

In fact, what Joe's boss actually meant by his comment was "you are a slacker".

In the neutral version Joe came to work and began work immediately. His boss made the same "don't work too hard" comment, but this time, he actually meant that Joe was a hard worker.

The volunteers who had damage to their prefrontal lobes were unable to correctly interpret the sarcastic story, while all of the other participants could.

Anatomy

Dr Shamay-Tsoory said this fitted with what is already known about the anatomy of the brain.

She said language areas on the left hand side of the brain interpret the literal meaning of words and the frontal lobes and the right side of the brain understand the social and emotional context.

An area called the right ventromedial prefrontal cortex then integrates the literal meaning with the social/emotional context, which will reveal any sarcasm.

"A lesion in each region in the network can impair sarcasm, because if someone has a problem understanding a social situation, he or she may fail to understand the literal language," she said.

A spokeswoman from the National Autistic Society said: "The causes of autism are still being investigated.

"Many experts believe that the pattern of behaviour from which autism is diagnosed may not result from a single cause.

"There is strong evidence to suggest that autism can be caused by a variety of physical factors, all of which affect brain development."

Pilipino Pridays

2005-05-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

The International Herald Tribune reports that the Philippines is on the rise for clandestine abortions.

To hundreds of Filipino women every year, Quiapo Church provides a solution - some say another kind of miracle - to a specific predicament: unwanted pregnancy. Every day, pregnant women go to this church not only to pray but to buy abortion drugs from the dozens of stalls that surround it. 'You could say we provide instant miracles to women,' said a 58-year-old vendor, who agreed to talk on the condition of anonymity.

Catholicism is the primary religion of the Philippines. It amazes me that Filipinos are more progressive than originally thought. This is especially interesting considering the fact that the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, "Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person—among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life." Very interesting indeed!

Bart Simpson for Mayor

2005-05-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

If you were itching to move to Los Angeles, I suggest moving to Northridge.

Bart for mayor
19/05/2005

Bart Simpson has been elected mayor of Northridge in Los Angeles - well his voice has, anyway.

But before you hang your head at the latest bizarre American electoral decision, it is perhaps worth pointing out that it is actually a 47-year-old mother-of-two who has been elected. She just happens to voice the tearaway cartoon character.

Nancy Cartwright provides the unmistakeable voice of Bart in the iconic The Simpsons animated series and admits her day job could help her as mayor.

"Everyone finds it funny that Bart is the new mayor. I can influence people because I'm Bart Simpson," she said.

"I live in a nice neighbourhood. But down the road there's drugs and gangs, stealing and illiteracy."

Before turning her hand to politics Nancy tried out as an actor but found that voicing cartoon characters was more her thing and has been the star behind the scenes since the Simpsons went on air in 1987.

She is in London next week to gain publicity for her show, My Life as a Ten-Year-Old Boy.

© 1998-2005 DeHavilland Information Services plc. All rights reserved.

Pilipino Priday

2005-05-13T17:19:00.000-07:00

It's Priday the Pirteenth!

(No, Pilipinos do not pronounce "th's" like "p's." I just like alliterations.)

Filipinos are quite superstitious! As a child, I learned of several filipino superstitions, but the only one that stuck out in my mind is "pagnaglalakad ang isang tao sa bukid, at nakakatagpo ng isang poon, ang dapat gawin ay huwag gagalawin yon, iiwasan sapagkat yon ay maaaring bahay ng taong lupa. Kung wala kang pagkakataon maiiwasan yon, magsasabi ka ng "pakikiraan po."

The literal translation is, "When walking one person in field, and person finds one mound, what must be done is don't touch it , avoid because it may be house of person earth. If there is no chance of avoiding it, say you "please excuse my passing by."

(If you are walking in a field and you pass by a mound, and you walk on it, you must say "excuse me.")

Thanks to the Internet, I found more information about why through pinoy stuff:

Contextual Information

This superstition was collected in June, 1995, from a 66-year-old Filipina-American living in Los Angeles. She first learned it when she was around eight years old and visiting the family farm in Bulacan, Philippines. The year was 1937, and tenant farmers renting the land would tell her this whenever she would go out to the fields to play with her friends.

Informant Interpretation

According to her, the common Filipino words such as "nanununo" and "manununo" came about from this belief. "Nanununo" means that one is being cursed by an earth person, and "manununu" means that one will be cursed, because of he/she walked over the mound or meddled with it. She said that perhaps the mounds of today are mere anthills, but in the past people respected it because they really thought it to be true. A person is bound to be cursed and likely to contract a fever once he or she steps on a mound which is the house of the nuno. Many people can die as well. The victim can be forgiven and the illness can be taken away if he/she goes back to the mound and beg for forgiveness.

She believed it when she was young because when "you are young, you do everything they tell you." Now, she does not believe it, but when somebody reminds her or she remembers, she sometimes asks permission from the tree to get a branch or says "excuse me" when she walks on a mound. Deep down, however, she does not believe in it because she says she is a devout Catholic and this is just a pagan belief.

PinoyStuff Folklore Editor Interpretation

It may be that this superstition came about to explain illnesses in the provinces during the past and up to the 1940s and 1950s in the Philippines, when there was still a simple, non-modern existence. Also in those times, a person was taught to respect one's place in nature and there was an awareness of one's surroundings that are no longer as strong these days. There was a greater reliance on the earth in terms of it being the source of food. Therefore, if a person violated some part of nature, that would be enough to cause sickness. It is a superstition because "If A, then B (unless C)" is explained by the belief that if a person walks on the mound, they get sick, unless they avoid it or ask forgiveness.

Random Thoughts from My Boss

2005-05-12T15:31:00.000-07:00

My boss collects Snapple bottle caps because they print trivia in them. Since she has accumulated so many, she finally decided to get rid of some. Before she did, she sent some to us. Check it out:

Animals that lay eggs don't have belly buttons!

Frowning burns more calories than smiling.

A snail breathes through its foot.

Don't you feel enlightened?

Pilipino Pridays

2005-05-06T12:30:00.000-07:00

AY SANTISIMA! Whenever I do a Google search for news about the Philippines, the results are less than spectacular. The results usually involve slain journalists or advisories against traveling to the Philippines. Ugh! Something worth reporting might be that Paul Verhoeven will direct a war film called "Beast of Bataan." This movie centers on the war crimes trial of Lt. Gen. Masahara Homma at the end of World War II. Homma was the Japanese officer in charge of the Bataan death march endured by American and Filipino POWS in 1492 in the Philippines.

Ho-hum, ho-hum.

E-mails 'hurt more than pot'

2005-05-05T16:15:00.000-07:00

If ever you needed a justification for smoking pot vs. working on an e-mail, here's one...

E-mails 'hurt IQ more than pot'
cnn.com

London, England--Workers distracted by phone calls, e-mails, and text messages suffer a greater loss of IQ than a person smoking marijuana, a British study shows.

The constant interruptions reduce productivity and leave people feeling tired and lethargic, according to a survey carried out by TNS Research and commissioned by Hewlett Packard.

The survey of 1,100 Briton showed:

* Almost two out of three people check their electronic messages out of office hours and when on holiday
* Half of all workers respond to an e-mail within 60 minutes of receiving one
* One in five will break off from a business or social engagement to respond to a message.
* Nine out of 10 people thought colleagues who answered messages during face-to-face meetings were rude, while three out of 10 believed it was not only acceptable, but a sign of diligence and efficiency.

But the mental impact of trying to balance a steady inflow of messages with getting on with normal work took its toll, the UK's Press Association reported.

In 80 clinical trials, Dr. Glenn Wilson, a psychiatrist at King's College London University, monitored the IQ of workers throughout the day.

He found the IQ of those who tried to juggle messages and work fell by 10 points--the equivalent to missing a whole night's sleep and more than double the 4-point fall seen after smoking marijuana.

"This is a very real and widespread phenomenon," Wilson said. "We have found that this obsession with looking at messages, if unchecked, will damage a worker's performance by reducing their mental sharpness.

"Companies should encourage a more balanced and appropriate way of working."

Wilson said the IQ drop was even more significant in the men who took part in the tests.

"The research suggests that we are in danger of being caught up in a 24-hour 'always on' society," said David Smith of Hewlett Packard.

"This is more worrying when you consider the potential impairment on performance and concentration for workers, and the consequent impact on businesses."

Badly drawn cats?

2005-05-05T14:07:00.000-07:00

Tim's badly drawn cat Web site features--whodathunkit--badly drawn cats. I have to disagree with this guys opinion of a badly drawn cat. Yes, there are definitely some that are not so great. However, I think there are some that are not too shabby. In fact, I'm thinking of possibly recreating one for my next painting project...

How many University of Chicago grads does it take to move a couch?

2005-05-04T12:30:00.000-07:00

The answer: Four. Two to carry the couch, one to crack jokes, and one to consult on how the couch should be maneuvered through the stairwell.

I honestly admit that I was not there throughout the entire "moving the couch down the stairwell" process to know what exactly happened, but it seemed to take an awful long time. By the time they moved the couch out to the dumpster, I managed to clear out all miscellaneous items, clean the baseboards, and vacuum Twisty's room. I also packed the bathroom and put aside any of the items I wanted and was hoping they would say I could keep. I'm not saying it wasn't a challenge to move the couch down a very small stairwell, but, seriously.... wow!

Ahhhh...moving. After helping Twisty move this past weekend, I've decided that I may buy into the unwritten rule of hiring movers after you've turned 30. I would hate to think that I no longer have the strength to move my stuff now that I am 30, but after this past experience I'm beginning to rethink it all. Perhaps I will get a better attitude about moving if I have enough people that are willing to help me move. Volunteer movers are vital to the success of a move. It's definitely not going to work if you only have two people. It would also help if everything is packed and ready to go.

Despite all the craziness, I managed to get a lot of stuff that I still can't believe they were wanting to throw out. I ended up with a disco duck, batteries to put into the disco duck, a cat furby, a mini-trash can, various pantry items such as ziploc bags and pam cooking spray, a box of Trader Joe's awesomely yummy truffles, 3 bottles of wine, and a 3/4 full bottle of gin. I'm thinking I might be having a party soon.

Pilipino Pridays

2005-04-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

Hooray por pridays!

Just in case you haven't figured out why I spelled "Friday" with a "P" is because that's how Pilipinos pronounce their "F's."

ALRIGHTY!!

One of the challenges on the show Survivor centers around food. The contestants are expected to eat the delicacy of the area they inhabit for several weeks. On Survivor Palau, the contestants had to eat balut (pronounced BAH-LOOT). So what is Balut? Balut is a delicacy of the Philippines that consists of a fertilized egg of the with a partially developed duckling inside. It's considered an aphrodisiac and is "a combination of saltiness and tartness, softness and crunchiness, a sensation of sweetness, the degree of resistance to the bite, the viscosity and stickiness are the rewards." For more information, check out Asia Cuisine. Now I don't know about you, but I'm still having trouble deciding whether or not I will ever muster the courage to try one of these things.

In other news, the U.S. is troubled over the call for Filipinos to leave Iraq. I say, let's find some other people who want to serve the military their damn food.

Chicago Outdoor Film Festival

2005-04-27T04:39:00.000-07:00

I'm obviously not talking about today because it's COOOOLD outside, but ever since we had that blip of great weather I have been thinking about the Chicago Outdoor Film Festival. I can't wait to sit outdoors with my homies, just chilling, sipping on gin and juice. Ya know...laid back. Perhaps I will have my mind on my money and my money on my mind. We'll see. In any case, I found out the line up and here it is:

Citizen Kane, July 12, 8:59 p.m.
Annie Hall, July 19, 8:54 p.m.
My Darling Clementine, July 26, 8:48 p.m.
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, August 2, 8:39 p.m.
The Night of the Hunter, August 9, 8:30 p.m.
The Hustler, August 16, 8:20 p.m.
Star Wars, August 23, 8:09 p.m.

I.....CAN'T.....WAIT!!!!!!

Pilipino Pridays

2005-04-22T17:30:00.000-07:00

I know I should've started this last week but it was Jonathan's birthday and we also had to celebrate the anniversaries of the people we work with. By the time the day was over, I really didn't feel like writing. I was supposed to go to Chris's house to finish the blog, but that ended up not happening because we were already running late to Jonathan's party.

Excuses, excuses. Whatever.

Now onto our semi-regularly scheduled program.

Languages of the Philippines

My parents speak two different dialects of the Philippines: Tagalog and Ilocano. So how many dialects are there? 175. Of the 175 dialects, 171 are still in use, while 4 of them are extinct. Out of the 171 that are still in use, Agta, Alabat Island and Agta, Isarog are nearly extinct. Tagalog is the primary dialect of the Philippines. Hmmm....no wonder why my parents know how to speak two different types.

Doctor Who

2005-04-20T17:10:00.000-07:00

Apparently I have been hiding under a different rock other than the usual nerd rock I hide under because I just learned today that BBC announced the new Doctor Who, who will be played by David Tennant. I used to watch that show a long time ago when Doctor Who was played by Tom Baker. He was my favorite out of all his predecessors. Maybe it's because I dug his curly hair, scarf, and I also really liked K-9. In any case, when the 5th Doctor came along, I stopped watching. I really hadn't thought about it since. In fact, I thought it has been off the air for ages. It delighted me to read that it's still going on. Perhaps I will start watching it again.

Ahoy Pinoy!

2005-04-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

If you haven't figured it out by now, then I might as well tell you that I am a Filipina. Yes folks, that is what I am. Well, to be legitimate about it, I was born here in the states and my parents are both Filipino. That would technically make me Filipina-American. If you want to find out if that is the correct "label" for me then I say go for it and then get back to me ASAP.

The unfortunate thing about this is that I have no idea what it means to be Filipina other than the fact that I have a year-round tan, I have a smaller nose (read: flatter) than most, and that I have almond shaped eyes. OH, and that a lot of people confuse me for being Asian and looking like someone else they know that is Asian. Yes, my relatives should have filled me in, but didn't.

*sniff, sniff*

Having said all that, I've decided to designate Friday's blog to stuff about the Philipines as a way for me, and you if you are interested, to learn more about the glorius Philipines. I knew there was a reason for starting this blog.

I think this calls for an AY SANTISIMA!

The Good Book

2005-04-11T12:01:00.000-07:00

I recently wrote a paper for my Women's Literature class on the characters of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre who exemplify religious--specifically Christian--hypocrisy. The challange in writing this paper is that I am not particularly religious. In fact, I am torn between actually admitting that I am an atheist as opposed to being a wimp and exclaiming that I am an agnostic. In any case, as I wrote the paper, I came to the realization that I do not own a Bible. Luckily, the Internet has everything I need so I wasn't too worried, but still. I knew I had one while growing up Catholic (which is probably the reason why I am "agnostic"), but after moving several times throughout my adult life, I have appeared to misplace it. Perhaps I should go out and buy one, or maybe ask my sister--who is a missionary in the Phillipines--to just send me one of hers. Or maybe the next time I stay at a hotel, I can take the copy that is in the room.

No, of course I wouldn't steal the Bible from the hotel, but it did get me to think about why they are there. I do know that the Gideon's are responsible, but why? Thankfully the Straight Dope gave me the reason:

Many would suspect the Gideon Society has something to do with it. (As I suspected)

The Gideons, formed in 1899 in the Janesville, Wisconsin, are the oldest Christian business and professional men's association in the United States with 130,000 members located in more than 170 countries.

In the early days, most of the Gideons were traveling salesmen who wanted to be effective Christian witnesses while on the road. They decided to place a Bible at the reception desk in each hotel they frequented so patrons could borrow it. (I guess I could just "borrow it"). The Bible also served as a silent witness in these hotels after the Gideons had checked out. Today, the Gideons place more than 45,000,000 bibles annually in prisons, hospitals, military bases and, of course, hotel rooms.

But if you want to know who started the phenomenon of placing Bibles in hotel rooms, the credit goes to the International Bible Society.

Founded in 1809 in New York, the International Bible Society is one of the leading publishers of ethnic scriptures, publishing Bibles in more than 350 languages (the 1810 Bengali translation is still in use in India). The IBS provided Bibles to Civil War soliders, and, according to communications coordinator Stephanie Nelson, started putting Bibles in hotels in 1823--more than 75 years before the Gideons started their ministry.

There is no jealousy or competitive fervor between the groups. Each expresses admiration for the other's work.

You've got to admire both. They just want everyone to curl up with a Good Book.

Snuffleupagus does exist!

2005-04-05T09:46:00.000-07:00

My dear sweet friend had been dating this guy for a year. I've heard of this guy, but have NEVER met him.....until fairly recently. It is true! Snuffleupagus does exist!

Who is Snuffleupagus you ask? The following is information on my beloved childhood character, courtesy of wikipedia.org:

Aloysius Snuffleupagus is one of the Muppet characters on the long-running educational television program for young children, Sesame Street. He resembles a wooly mammoth, without tusks, and he is a friend of Big Bird. He attends Snufflegarten and has a baby sister named Alice.

For many years, Big Bird was the only character on the show who saw him (he only came along when Big Bird was alone). The other characters teased Big Bird when he said he had seen the Snuffleupagus, because they didn't believe there was such an animal. This was modeled in part on the imaginary friends some young children have.

On November 18, 1985 the show was changed so other characters saw Snuffleupagus, to avoid having adults tell a sympathetic character that he was making things up. The creators were also worried about kids thinking that others might not believe them. This was largely because of a series of highly-publicized child molestation incidents.

In Elmo Saves Christmas, it is revealed that Snuffy's grandmother lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

In the 1990s, it was established that the species was indigenous to Hawaii.

The Goodbye episodes (1980s)

The adult characters became sick and tired of Big Bird always using his "imaginary friend" Snuffleupage as a scapegoat for anything that went wrong when they were away. One episode has them urging Big Bird to say his good-bye to Snuffy once and for all; they are driven to the bring with all the nons

Even the newspapers on Sesame Street read with front page headlines saying that Snuffy's got to go. So, Big Bird and Snuffy sadly say their good-byes in Big Bird's nest area. They cry in remorse of their forced separation. Snuffy's tear falls onto Big Bird while they hug, leading Big Bird to the conclusion if he can even feel the water from the tears, Snuffy must be real.

Flannel Shirts are back in style!

2005-04-01T09:57:00.000-08:00

New York's Fall '05 Fashion Week showcased the worlds hottest designers from Marc Jacobs to John Galliano. The number one trend seen on the runway were flannel shirts. After over a decade, designers felt it was time to bring the grunge scene back in style. "Didn't you just LOVE Nirvana with their flannel shirts, jeans, and converse? We did, which is why we are bringing them back," said a spokesperson of the house of Chanel. Even Eddie Vedder, frontman of Pearl Jam, agrees that this is the best thing designers could ever possibly do. "Now that flannel shirts are back in style, maybe this can jumpstart my career.

For more information on this hot "new" trend, please visit www.aprilfoolsday.com

More on dogs

2005-03-24T14:20:00.000-08:00

If you want to know what type of dog you are, check this out. According to the quiz, I am a Finnish Spitz .

How to take care of Little S

2005-03-23T14:00:00.000-08:00

My boss, Mrs. J, has a tendency to keep EVERYTHING. When I say everything, I mean everything! If someone used a tissue back in 1970, it’s probably going to be in the files somewhere. That might be a bit of an exaggeration, but not really.

Now that the file cabinets are too full to put any new materials in it, J is purging. By doing so, she has come across some very interesting memos that she shared with the office. One in particular is this memo from Mrs. J to her husband, mother, and I assume her nanny about the caring of her son S from 1968. Another is to her family about the caring of little S. I don’t know if she had any intention of keeping said memos, but if she did, it certainly made me laugh.

"The primary rule: Protect yourself at all costs. He loves standing on other people’s toes, biting on your shoulder, digging his nails into your leg and holding on, and slobbering on your nose. (The latter passes for a kiss.)

He goes outside every day, and the problem will probably be bringing him back in. he would much rather be outside than inside, and spends a lot of time looking out the window and talking to himself."

"Try to keep sweets down to once a day. It may be difficult, especially if he discovers where the cookies are kept. If this happens, he will stand in front of the cupboard and point at it screaming at the top of his lungs."

"Once you undress him to put him in the bath tub, watch him. He knows how to open doors and loves to run around the house naked. The only problem is that he has a nasty habit of squatting down in the middle of the floor and going to the bathroom. I try to tell him that if he wants to squat, he should do it on the toilet--but so far I haven't gotten through."

One could argue about why she dictated this personal memo and had her secretary type it, but really, that’s not an issue. She has always been cool with people working on personal stuff just as long as the work gets done.

What I find most interesting about these memos is her thoroughness when it comes to matters of her son. Once I decide to have kids, you are damn right that I am going to leave my family long memos such as the one above. Sure, it is a little anal-retentive, but since my family has a tendency to just place the kids in front of a T.V. or game boy, you might understand why. It also dispels all the rumors of her being such a cold person back in the day. I know she is not a bad person, but it does sometimes amaze me when people come up to me and be like, "How can you work for Mrs. J?" No one I know who is generally considered to be “cold” would put this much effort into explaining what to do when S does X.

Doggie Style

2005-03-22T09:53:00.000-08:00

Since I wrote a couple of blogs about cats, I should definitely write one about dogs, right?

Apparently people think there is a need to make condoms for dogs.

Um....speechless.

I would like to have one glass of wine please!

2005-03-21T16:36:00.000-08:00

For some reason or another, my personal e-mail address was automatically subscribed to several different health e-newsletters. I decided not to unsubscribe simply because they sometimes offer interesting tips that I find educational as well as beneficial. In fact, the e-newsletter I received today featured two articles about the positive affects of alcohol. The good news is that studies have shown that drinking moderate amounts of alcoholic beverages would help cut the risk of diabetes and that red wine is good for the heart. (The red wine bit isn’t really new news, but whatever.) My immediate response to these types of studies will always be, “Bring on the alcohol!” But really, what exactly does “moderate” mean? Studies have shown that 1 to 2 a day are okay. SO, when you do the math, it comes out to 7-14 a week. 7-14 actually seems like an awful lot my previous doctor. When my doctor asked me how many alcoholic beverages I drink on average in a week, I was quite reluctant to answer, primarily because I really wasn’t sure. I honestly never paid much attention to how many alcoholic beverages I drink every week because I really didn’t think there was cause for concern. But since I’ve seen studies such as the one above, I responded with, “Maybe one or two a day.” She gave me a look and said, “Perhaps you should cut down on that.” So, who am I supposed to believe? Should I believe the overly judgmental doctor who said I drink way too much, or the American Heart Association* that says moderation means an average of one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women? All I have to say to that is, “Cheers, mate!”

* A drink is one 12 oz. beer, 4 oz. of wine, 1.5 oz. of 80-proof spirits, or 1 oz. of 100-proof spirits.

How Easter is Determined

2005-03-20T17:45:00.000-08:00

For the third time over the past 2 months, there has been discussion over how Easter is deterimined. So, here it goes...

Unlike festivals such as Christmas, Easter has been celebrated without interruption since New Testament times. The dates of all movable feasts are also calculated around the date of Easter. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica:

...western Christians celebrate Easter on the first Sunday after the full moon (the paschal moon) that occurs on or next after the vernal equinox on March 21. If the paschal moon, which is calculated from a system of golden numbers and epacts and does not necessarily coincide with the astronomical full moon, occurs on a Sunday, Easter is the following Sunday.

The U.S. Naval Observatory's Astronomical Applications Department says that Easter is determined by the "ecclesiastical moon" as defined by church-constructed tables to be used permanently for calculating the phase of the moon. This full moon doesn't necessarily coincide with the astronomical full moon, which means, Navy researchers say, that Easter is not necessarily the very next Sunday after a full moon. It could be the next Sunday after the ecclesiastical moon. This happened in 1876.

The origins of the names for the Easter holiday vary slightly. "Easter" and "Ostern" derive from Eostre. Other names are derivative from the Jewish word for Passover, Pesach.

These calculations say that Easter can fall between March 22 and April 25. This was decreed by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 as part of the Gregorian calendar.

During New Testament times, the Christian church celebrated Easter at the same time as the Jews observed Passover. (The first of Passover's eight days is Nissan 15 on the Jewish calendar. Passover observes the flight and freedom of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.) By the middle of the second century, Easter was celebrated on the Sunday after Passover. The Council of Nicaea decided in 325 A.D. that all churches should celebrate it together on a Sunday.

The Eastern Orthodox church may celebrate Easter up to a month later, as its calculation of the date is based on the Julian calendar, which is currently 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar. In 1865 and 1963, Easter observance in both Eastern and Western churches coincided.

In some countries, Good Friday and the Monday after Easter are national holidays. In the United States, these two days are not federal holidays and observance varies from state to state.

Courtesy of howstuffworks.com.

Cheater, Cheater, Pumpkin Eater!

2005-03-19T14:12:00.000-08:00

The Trib used to sell its commuter paper The Red Eye for 25 cents. I would never pick one up because its contents primarily consist of updates on various celebutants and celebrities and information on the latest "IT" spot. You know, stuff I really don't care enough about to want to spend a quarter on. Oh, and also because I can't read anything on the train due to motion sickness. SO, when the Trib decided to give away The Red Eye, I thought I might as well pick one up for the crossword puzzle.

It wasn't until maybe 6 or 7 years ago when I was introduced to one. Over lunch one day, Jonathan, Karen, and I decided to solve a crossword puzzle because Karen and I really didn't feel like hearing Jonathan talk and talk and talk and talk--about himself. I never thought I would get into these puzzles, but figure I might as well since apparently alzheimer's disease runs in my family. (Well...that is what my mom says my dad has. I'm still skeptical.) Supposedly, cr ossword puzzles are supposed to help stave off alzheimers. It also cures boredom and shuts up people who talk too much.

I was never really good at them and still am not, which is why I cheat. Yes, I wholeheartedly admit it! I cheat, cheat, cheat, cheat, CHEAT, CHEAT, CHEAT!!!! How the hell am I supposed to know what a two-toed sloth is or what a without looking up the answer? Plus, what if I spell the word wrong? Some may say that cheating is wrong, but to tell you the truth, it's helped me learn where to find answers. If I need to find out who the first U.S. chief justice is, I look in the World Almanac. If I am trying to figure out the name of an actress that starred in some hit movie, I look into the Internet Movie Database. Not only do I find out what the answer is, I also find out more information on said person or event or whatever it is I am looking at. Besides, isn't learning supposed to be a good thing?

For those who also like to cheat, check out one across. It's the best place to find an answer without having to pay that lame fee.

Since I am extremely bored right now...

2005-03-18T13:51:00.000-08:00

...I thought I would create a map of all the states I've been to in this here country.

Now all's I have to do is visit the states I haven't been to. Chris, when are we going on our next road trip?

Why not create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.

Killer Kitty

2005-03-11T09:29:00.000-08:00

I don't know what the deal is with cats as of late, but go kitty, go! Cats need to learn how to aim better.

What's wrong with a Sacagawea?

2005-03-10T13:40:00.000-08:00

Let's say you have $1.15 worth of U.S. coins in your pocket and someone asks you for change for a dollar? Would it be possible for you to not have the correct amount of change for a dollar? If not, why?

I am currently taking college level math and this question was on our very first quiz. There are many correct answers to this question (so I hear), but the most popular answer is 3 quarters and 4 dimes. The second most popular answer was a scagawea, 1 dime, and a nickel. That was the answer I gave on the quiz. Unfortunately, my teacher marked it wrong. How could that possibly be?!?!?!

One can argue that a Sacagawea is change for a dollar bill, but only in the sense of it being a change of mediums. One is made of paper and the other is made of metal (or whatever). HOWEVER, when someone asks you for change for a dollar, do you honestly believe that a Sacagawea would fly? Maybe to a person who thinks these coins are cool, but it is probably not what they meant when they asked for change. In fact, according to the dictionary, the definition of “change” in relation to money is either “money of smaller denomination given or received in exchange for money of higher denomination” or “Coins” ... neither of which apply to a Sacagawea. Also, the definition of the transitive verb “to change” in relation to money is ‘To give or receive the equivalent of (money) in lower denominations or in foreign currency.’ which, again, does not apply to a Sacagawea. See what I mean?

He he comes, here comes cat racer!

2005-03-04T13:14:00.000-08:00

Too bad this kitty wasn't wearing a cape and a mask!

Cat Survives 10-Mile Trip on Top of Car
Associated Press
Fri Mar 4, 7:29 AM ET

INKOM, Idaho - Torri Hutchinson's cat might just have one less life to live. Hutchison was driving along Interstate 15 one day recently when a motorist kept trying to get her attention and pointing to the roof of her car.

She said she was wary of the man, but wondered if perhaps her ski rack might have come loose.

She pulled over to the side, but kept her doors locked and the motor running.

The man pulled up behind her. Hutchinson rolled down her window to hear the man frantically shouting, "Your cat! Your cat!"

He reached for the roof of her car and handed the shocked Hutchinson her orange tabby.

She had driven about 10 miles with the cat on top of the car, and didn't even notice the feline when she stopped for gas.

Hutchinson said Cuddle Bug, or C.B. for short, had climbed into the back of her car as she was getting ready to leave. She put him out, but he must have jumped on the roof while she wasn't looking, she said

Been a long time since I looked into your eyes...

2005-02-17T13:27:00.000-08:00

I was reminded of this blog the other day and realized that I haven't posted in long while. Yeppers, I am lazy. No, actually, it's because I have a lot of shit to do (work and school) and don't have a home computer. HOWEVER, my boyfriend did just buy a new laptop. Bwa ha ha ha ha!

No Computer, No Cry

2004-10-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

Whenever anyone ever told me that they had a blog, I was all, "Yup, that's definitely not for me!" I always thought the point of having a blog is to 1) Use it as an outlet to vent out all of your frustrations on the current political climate, 2) Talk about how Wharf from Star Trek is the BESTEST character EVER, 3) Talk about how Lindsay Lohan really isn't a nice person, or 4) Talk about sports.

Okay, in all honesty I have NEVER seen blogs about Wharf or Lindsay Lohan, but I'm sure they exist somewhere. Oh, and yes, it is nice to vent out all of your frustrations about the current political climate, but really, you are wasting my time by telling me why you hate ___________ (insert Republican politician's name here) because I, for the most part, feel the same way. As for sports.....meh.

In any case, if that's what I've been telling people, why do I have one? Good question. Hmmmm...

I said on my first blog that throughout my life, I never really expressed myself verbally. Frankly, I still don't like to talk, but I do like to write. The only problem is that I don't have a home computer. SO, if anyone has an extra computer lying around that they want to sell to me for $1 (cuz that's all I have at the moment) keep me posted.

My name is...(what?)

2004-10-01T17:00:00.000-07:00

I never understood the point of a middle name. Well, I understand the whole concept of using your mom’s maiden name as your middle name or being named after a relative such as a grandmother or grandfather. My full name is Nanette Leilani Sibayan Perez. The name Sibayan is relevant, but Leilani is not. I’ve asked my parents why my second name is Leilani and they basically said it was because they like the name. I honestly love that name, but when am I going to use it? Perhaps Paige Davis of Trading Spaces—whose full name is Mindy Paige Davis Page—will pass the hosting torch down to me in 5 years like Jay Leno of the Tonight Show will do to Conan O’Brien (Why 5 years? How about NOW!). Then I would be all, "My name is Leilani Sibayan cuz ya know, Paige Davis used her two middle names and I'm the new Paige Davis."

Silent Nanners

2004-09-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

Being the youngest child with 1 brother and 3 sisters--the second youngest being 8 years apart from me--I was often spoken at not to. Their usual murmurings would consist of phrases such as "Don't touch that!" or the ever-so-popular, "You are such a brat! Ma and pa let you get away with EVERYTHING." My parents weren't really good with the whole communicating thing either. Most of the time they just spoke to each other in a language I certainly did not understand, nor did I ever take the time to want to figure out what they were saying because they did not engage me in any sort of conversation in said language. Wait…now that I think about it…they did. It happened usually after I did something “terrible” so I assume they were swearing. Besides, teaching someone a new language while reprimanding them may not be the best time to do it. I also think the fact that they would say, “You don’t LISTEN!” had something to do with it. Perhaps maybe I could have at least learned some swear words. Oh well. It’s definitely not too late to learn.

In any case, the whole need for me to verbally express my thoughts and/or feelings became pretty much non-existent throughout my childhood and a well into my adult years. It’s not as if people didn’t ask me for my opinion or anything. I would certainly share them, but it was much easier for me to talk in a more intimate setting and said to people I feel comfortable talking to. However, if more people were involved, my answer would generally be succinct or someone else would answer for me just because they thought their name was Nanette at the time of the question. I also have a huge tendency to mumble and step all over my words—especially when I get excited. So when people ask me to repeat what I just said, I would jokingly respond with “booty traps!”

It wasn’t until recently (well, at least within the past 5 years) when people started to ask me why I don’t talk more often. My professors in College: the Electric Boogaloo, would ask me why I don’t speak up more in class because I appear to have something to say and should say it. My supervisor would accuse me of not speaking up in meetings because I would provide him with some insight about stuff in the office and never bring them up in meetings. Even some of my very close friends would ask me why I’m so quiet. I guess the badgering worked. Perhaps I do have something to say and voice and platform to say it. SO…why not?