New Links

I finally got off my butt and added the sites/blogs I normally read everyday. I have been planning to add them for several months now, I was just lazy.

The Must Read posts are still on top, these are in my opinion the best posts I've read from my reading list, then I list some personal pages of mine followed by my friends blogs.

Pinoy blogs follow, these blogs usually discuss current issues in the Philippines. They are followed by the Science blogs which discuss science usually biology and evolution which is understandable since I stumbled into these blogs from reading "The Panda's Thumb" a site dedicated to fighting the misinformation propagated by the Intelligent Design movement.

Then there are the Skepticism blogs, which I merged with debunking sites like Quackwatch and the Urban Legends Reference Page. When you read them, theres a lot of overlap with the Science blogs and the Skeptic blogs because their both wedded to the idea that the scientific method is key in investigating any phenomena.

Then there's the Technology blogs which right now consists of two entries, and the comics which have three entries.

If you have time, please feel free to visit them. You will not be disappointed.

Holiday Econ Busted

I dislike holiday economics. I feel it disrespects the secular heroes of the country. But I couldn't argue with the economic effect of the policy.

It turns out however that there is no economic benefit from this policy. In fact

"HOLIDAY economics appears to have a “negative and insignificant” outcome on tourism activities and employment, according to a paper presented during the recent 10th National Convention on Statistics."

so let us end this nonsense and celebrate Bonifacio day when it's supposed to be celebrated.

Update:

Business Mirror has an Editorial on this.

Poison or Cure? Religious Belief in the Modern World

"The Ethics and Public Policy Center and the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University hosted a debate between writer Christopher Hitchens and Oxford University professor Alister McGrath on the role of religious belief in the modern world. The debate was held on October 11, 2007 in Gaston Hall, in Georgetown University's Healy Hall."

via Expletive Deleted. Medyo mahaba lang 1 hour and 40 minutes

Trillanes, liar or just gulllible?

When the Glorietta blast happened, Senator elect Trillanes immediately put out a press release accusing National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales and AFP Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon as the people behind the act.

On another press release the next day he writes

“As a person, and now as an elected lawmaker, I do not just make statements out of pique, or without anything to stand on, or to grandstand. I have information obtained from my own network of informants in the AFP and the intelligence community.”

When the Philippine National Police (PNP) presented their findings that the blast was actually an accident and not deliberate he still insisted that his version of the story is the true one

"Insisting that he knows certain information that would point to National Security adviser Norberto Gonzales and AFP chief of staff Hermogenes Esperon as possible authors of the Glorietta 2 blast, and brushing aside criticisms of his accusation as being irresponsible and without basis, opposition senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV today said he will prove his accusations in a Senate investigation."

They even wrote to the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) protesting an editorial cartoon

"The Inquirer editorial cartoon showing Sen. Antonio F. Trillanes IV thinking aloud that he needs to “rework” his “strategy of speaking without thinking” (Inquirer, 10/24/07) may be an expression of opinion, but it is also a presumption of the senator’s frame of mind toward his work. It has completely no basis.

It is flatly false because Trillanes did not whip out of thin air his charge that Norberto Gonzales and Hermogenes Esperon have something to do with the Glorietta 2 explosion. He has received credible and reliable information about this and is prepared to tell all that he knows and is ready to present his witnesses in an investigation to be conducted by an independent, impartial and credible body. He has, in fact, made a step further. He will present his witnesses in a Senate probe and has filed a resolution to this effect."

To be fair, not a lot of Filipinos immediately believed the PNP report that the blast was an accident. Filipinos are a cynical bunch when it comes to their government. The PDI itself urged the PNP not to rush to any conclusion. A corroborating agency was required to support the PNP.

Today, the PDI itself obtained a copy of the report of the Australian Forensic Police (AFP), that concluded that

“there was no evidence to suggest that the explosion had been caused and/or initiated by an improvised explosive device.”

I think, that settles the question. The Australian Forensic Police has backed up the conclusion of the Philippine National Police.

Where then did Senator Trillanes find his witnesses against National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales and AFP Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon? Did he make them up to get himself in the front pages of the papers or were they real and he was just a dupe for people who wanted to destabilize the Philippine government and replace the sitting President? Are there other explanations that does not make him look crazy or stupid?

Whatever the truth is, this proves that he should not have been elected Senator of the Philippines. It proves that he's almost as out of control as Senator Santiago.

Update:

I just saw the poll that they are running on the blog asking their readers

"What do you think caused the Glorietta 4 explosion?"

88% believes that "A bomb planted by State Sponsored Operatives" was the cause of the explosion.

I am not sure if any corroborating evidence, even by the FBI will convince these people that the explosion was an accident. I may be witnessing my first ever Philippine conspiracy theory akin to the 9/11 truthers in the United States.

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British marine biologists have found what may be the oldest living animal — that is, until they killed it.

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Aray!

A woman leaped from an 11-story Tokyo apartment Wednesday in an apparent suicide, striking and seriously injuring a passer-by, a news report said Wednesday.

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Start of (Fantasy) NBA season

Today, (fantasy) NBA season started. I have three teams, all in Yahoo. I got Tim Duncan in two of them and Jason Richardson in all three. I just hope their free throw shooting woes do not hurt me that much.

Anyway, like the real NBA, this will be a long season, its a marathon, not a sprint. Maybe I'll muster more enthusiasm as the season goes on.

Kevin Smith Protests Dogma

For Kevin Smith Fans. You can read his description of the interview at the url below

http://www.viewaskew.com/press/dogma.html

via digg

The Best Comment on Erap's Pardon

http://micketymoc.bluechronicles.net/?p=452

Update via digg: Animal Farm now available free online