Habemus papam!

Photo from www.voxxi.com

Habemus papam! We have a new pope!

Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was chosen by 2/3 of the cardinals from around the globe during the conclave that began on March 12, two weeks after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.

The first Latin American pope is a Jesuit and it is not a mystery why he chose to be called Pope Francis--another first in the history of papacy.

What is R. A. No. 10175 or The Cybercrime Law?

Sorry, I can't say much about this newly passed law in the Philippines--R. A. No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Law because I might be the first one to be penalized.

Just click on the link to read the contents of this act. Let me end this post with this...

We can't be silenced forever.

#NoToCyberCrimeLaw

#ItsNoLongerFunInThePhilippines

#RIPBlogs

What fear does...

Perseid Meteor Shower 2012

If the weather permits, stargazers will be in for a treat during the late evening and early morning of August 12 to 13 for the Perseid meteor shower.

I will definitely watch out for this!

The saddest rain...

The saddest rain is the one that cannot outflow your tears.

- Coco Jam

Please don't let him know the difference between my teardrops and the raindrops when he sees me crying in the rain. I'd rather drown in my own tears than to know that he can tell the difference and yet he does nothing to wipe them off my face.

- Random Thoughts

The Bible says...

Do not be a worrywart. There is an old saying, "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift that's why it is called present."

The Best Anti-Smoking Ad Campaign

Happy Earth Day!

Photo taken at Quezon Island in Hundred Islands, Alaminos City, Pangasinan.

I was able to see one of Mother Earth's beauty in Hundred Islands at Alaminos City, Pangasinan. My experience changed me to become a better person and a better Filipino. It made me want to explore other wonders of the Earth and to be one of its dedicated protector.

Happy Earth Day to all!

Have you ever been in love?

A woman went to a church to pray. Her prayer was simple. She said, "I wanted to be happy." The next day, while out with some friends, she had the weirdest experience. The moment she glanced at her best guy pal, as if being sucked into a vortex, she remembered all the happy times she had with the guy. She suddenly realized that happiness is just right in front of her all these years... and it took her 16 years to realize that.

Sometimes, even before we even say our prayers, they were already answered... And when we're just too occupied to even realize that, the Heaven intervenes in the most amazing way.

The two are now together, building more happy memories.

 

Love, Love, Love

HAPPY LOVE DAY TO ALL!

More Fun in the Philippines

Are you guilty?

Photo from Random Thoughts.

Help the victims of Typhoon Sendong in the Philippines

Photo of a father mourning for the loss of his child circulates the web.

Typhoon Sendong is the "Ondoy" of Mindanao.  It left the Philippine area of responsibility yesterday but it left more than 650 casualties, 800 still missing and more than 2,000 families affected from Cagayan De Oro and Iligan City.

Donations in cash or in kind are needed to help the families affected by the typhoon.

TV5 KAPATID FOUNDATION

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Bank of the Philippine Islands 

Savings Account No. 1443-05333-2

Donate in Kind

News5 Aksyon Center, TV5 office 

San Bartlolome, Novaliches, Quezon City

News5 Aksyon Center hotline - 938-6393  

SAGIP KAPAMILYA

Donate in Cash

BDO Peso Account

Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya

Account Number: 39301-14199

Swift Code: BNORPHMM

BDO Dollar Account

Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya

Account Number: 39300-81622

Swift Code: BNORPHMM

PNB Peso Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 419-539-5000-13
Swift Code: PNBMPHMM

BPI Peso Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 3051-1127-75
Branch: West Triangle, Quezon City
Swift Code: BOPIPHMM

BPI Dollar Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 3054-0270-35
Branch: West Triangle, Quezon City
Swift Code: BOPIPHMM

Donate in Kind
Sagip Kapamilya
ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. 
Mother Ignacia cor. Eugenio Lopez St.
Diliman, Quezon City

Hotlines
(02) 411-4995
(02) 394-9272
0917-887-4411

THE CIVIL RELATIONS SERVICE, AFP
Donate in Kind
Situation Awareness Center (SAC), 
CRS AFP, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City

Landline: 912-6615
CP Nr. (0917)2471252
Focal Person: LTCOL ROLANDO RODIL, Opns Officer

Breathtaking: Plitvice Lakes, Croatia

Photos from here.

Pacquiao Won!

Congratulations to Manny Pacquiao for retaining his welterweight champion title. The pound for pound boxer beat Marquez via majority decision. It was an exciting match that ended with a criticisms and bottle throwing fans when the result was announced.

Marquez thinks he was being robbed again of the title and said "I don't know what else to do to win."

Will there be a Pacquiao-Marquez 4?

New 7 Wonders of Nature: The Palawan Subterranean River

The Palawan Subterranean (Underground) River made it to the list of the provisional new seven wonders of nature. The announcement was made yesterday. 11-11-11 was a lucky day after all.

The underground river located in Puerto Princesa, Palawan in the Philippines is the longest underground river of the world. It features a mountain of limestone deposit of 8.2km navigable through an underground river.

The list also includes the Amazon River, Halong Bay, Iguazu Falls, Jeju Island, Komodo and Table Mountain.

11-11-11

Today is a special day for the superstitious. It so happens that today is November 11, 2011 or 11-11-11. 

As I write this post, I received a text message that reads like this:

"Today is 11-11-11. I wish you 11 things: love, smile, health, wealth, success, beauty, luck, dream, dream come true, lover, and happiness. Please forward this to 11 people and you will have these eleven wishes forever. Hurry up! You only have 11 minutes to send."

People can be so obsessed with whatever symbolism peculiar dates have if there is any. Why can they wish me those things in any given day? And if I break the chain I will receive bad luck for the rest of my life? Isn't that cruel?

I don't know what the six number 1s will bring me before the day ends but I do hope it is something good.

Oh, and I will break the chain like what I always do. I think I have broken a hundred already and yet I am here, living happy.

I Woke Up Crying, Again

I woke up crying again.

I will not go into the details of my dream. All I can share with you is that the feeling was so intense that I actually felt tears roll down my cheeks and I was sobbing non-stop.

Dream Moods Dictionary interpreted this type of dream as:

"signifies release of negative emotions that is more likely caused by some waking situation rather than the events of the dream itself... it is a way to regain some emotional balance and to safely let out your fears and frustrations... to wake up crying represents some suppressed hurt or previous trauma that is coming up to the surface. You can no longer suppress these emotions. They need to be dealt with head on."

Steve Jobs is dead

When Steve Jobs resigned from Apple last August, there were rumors that his decision was because of his failing health condition. And the rumors proved to be true today. Steve Jobs is dead. 

Miss Universe 2011 Final Questions and Answers

Miss Universe 2011, Miss Angola Lelia Lopes.

Congratulations to Miss Philippines for bagging the Miss Universe 2011 Third Runner-Up title! And congratulations to all the winners!

Here are the nerve wracking final questions and the top 5 candidates' answers.

MISS UKRAINE

Amelia Vega: If you could trade lives with anyone in history, who whould it be and why?

Miss Ukraine: I simply live my life and I’m very satisfied with it. But if I did have the chance to trade positions with someone I think I would choose Cleopatra. I think she is a very powerful and strong woman who is very much worthy of respect. And I think a woman could also be a leader like Cleopatra.

MISS PHILIPPINES

Vivica Fox: Would you change your religious beliefs to marry the person you love? Why and why not?

Miss Philippines: If I had to change my religious beliefs, I will not marry the person that I love because the first person that I love is God, who created me. And I have my faith, my principles, and this is what makes me who I am. And if that person loves me, he should love my God too.

MISS CHINA

Isabel Fontana: Nude beaches are common in some parts of the world. Is public nudity appropriate or inappropriate and why?

Miss China: Every country has its rules and regulations and every country has their own habits as well. We should respect them and be more understanding.

MISS BRAZIL

Helio Castrovenes: What would you do to avoid a war that you did not agree with?

Miss Brazil: First of all, I would explain to people that the premiere quality of human being is respect. And more war is not based on respect. It's always based on misunderstanding, it's always based on a lack of education. So I would tell this person that we should respect each other as human beings.

MISS ANGOLA

Lea Salonga: If you could change one of your physical characteristics, which one would it be and why?

Miss Angola: Thank God I'm very well satisfied with the way that God created me and I wouldn't change a thing. I consider myself a woman endowed with inner beauty, I have my principles, I have acquired many wonderful principles from my family and I plan to follow these through the rest of my life and now I want to give you all a piece of advice: Respect one another.

I will be biased here because, for one, I am a Filipino and second, she's the only finalist to answer without an interpreter. Miss Philippines deserves the crown because she has the best answer and she delivered her answer straight without having the chance to pause and think for her next words. And Oprah agrees with me. They all answered respect--which is for me the most used and abused word in any beauty competition. Miss Philippines, on the other hand, answered with conviction the foremost characteristic of Filipinos--valuing one's faith and religion.

I think it is about time that organizers of Miss Universe change their rules in Q & A. I think, a candidate who needs an interpreter should answer straight, without having to pause, while the interpreters record the answer and translate it afterward. It will take some time but at least we know that the candidate answered it without the privilege of seconds to pause and re-think of better words.