Amazing

The last few weeks of the year was hectic. I am just beginning to catch up with my reading and I came upon this post from stepping on poop. It seemed that Jaime Licauco wrote a column where he referenced James Randi.

For those who does not yet know, James Randi is a magician who heads the James Randi Educational Foundation. The Foundation offers a prize of one million dollars

"to anyone who can show, under proper observing conditions, evidence of any paranormal, supernatural, or occult power or event."

Anyway, SOP demolishes a lot of Mr. Licaucos claims and James Randi himself wrote a letter to the editor to the inquirer to refute Mr. Licauco's claims.

What I really found amazing is that James Randi actually lived in the Philippines and performed here. I sure wish he'd come back so I can see him perform.

Good Riddance

The US canceled (PDI story) the balikatan exercises because

"The annual military exercises in 2007 under the Balikatan would be canceled. The reason is the current custody issue. The usual protection for US servicemen remains in doubt,"

"He said that if the Philippines cannot ensure the protection of US military personnel, it wouldn’t be prudent to bring in US troops to the country."

What kind of bullshit is this? The Philippines cannot ensure the protection of US military personnel. The US itself cannot ensure the protection of US personnel (see Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam).

Can the US ensure that no Filipino civilian will be harmed by any US troop that will participate in the balikatan? I think not. Any blanket assurance of the protection of military personnel is just stupid.

This is why the United States is seen negatively all over the world. They invade their enemies and bully their allies, especially the week ones. A US soldier was convicted of a crime. The custody of the soldier is now in dispute. Rather than following the procedures laid out by the agreement between the Philippines and the US. The US exerts extra pressure on the Philippine government to get their way.

They are canceling the balikatan. I say good riddance. And do not come back!!!!

Manny Poohkiaw

My wife got this vid from an e-mail. I hope abs-cbn let this video stand. They need all the advertisement they can get.



Other Pooh clips here

How Evil am I? Not so much

via Pharyngula


How evil are you?

Foaming at the Mouth

Just watched Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago going ballistic with her non-inclusion in the list of nominees for Chief Justice.

Does she not realize her action actually validates the decision of the Judicial and Bar Council? Who in their right mind will actually think she should be the Chief Justice of the Supreme court after her histrionics?

Update 12/5/2006

story from the Philippine Daily Inquirer and quotes

“I am irate. I am foaming at the mouth. I’m homicidal. I’m suicidal. I’m humiliated, debased, degraded. And not only that, I feel like throwing up to be living my middle years in a country of this nature. I am nauseated. I spit in the face of Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban and his cohorts in the Supreme Court.”

“I will say that I resent it very deeply. I take it very personally and I will see to it that while I remain in public office that every member of the JBC shall eventually be held to account for their partisanship. For this reason, I will participate in the Con-ass (constituent assembly) for the main purpose of abolishing the JBC for corruption,”

Update 12/26/2006

Found a clip from YouTube