PHILKANS

We love you, Tito BOY!

2008-02-19T17:29:00.002-08:00

The following is a comment by Judy (Altovar, on my post "Sing with the angels, Boy). As it is also a fitting tribute to Boy, I thought it should be included as one of the Philkans' Posts.

""Uncle Boy you will be truely missed by all of us who knew you and your family.
He was truely one of a kind, who devoted his time with his faith, music, and
family. Thank you for giving me and my family your love and support. You are in
a better place now where you can sing and play your heart out. We will always be
there for you and your family, as you have been there for us. "May the perpetual
light shine upon you always". Judy""

LIVING & DYING : STILL A MYSTERY ?

2008-02-15T12:03:00.000-08:00

This is how I want to remember our beloved Dion(or Boy to the Philkans): Happy, cheerful, very much alive, living every moment with complete abandon !!!

Poets, sages and philosophers say, "Life is checkered light and shadow", like a checker board divided into white and black squares. At the gathering after we accompanied Boy to his final resting place, I found it surprisingly amazing and comforting how each and everyone there sees only all-white squares !!! In a comtemplative, yet elated mood I asked myself these questions : "Will my friends and family miss me like Boy ?" "Will they love me like Boy ?" "Will they see only all the white squares of my life ? "Is it possible that when one moves on to a higher plane of dimension, one starts with an all-white blank slate, all his transgressions are forgiven ?" I wonder !!! And so, death and dying can be beautiful and not altogether scary like all of us are led to believe, then ? And why not ?

Since we, the Philkans, regard ourselves as the second family of Boy, I found it fitting to include here, the anonymous poem "The Broken Chain"

"THE BROKEN CHAIN"

We did not know that evening, that God was going to call your name
In life we love you dearly, in death we'll do the same.
It broke our hearts to lose you, you did not go alone
For part of us went with you, the day God called you home.

You left us peaceful memories, your love is still our guide
And though we can not see you, you're always by our side.
Our family CHAIN is broken, and nothing seems the same
But as God calls us one by one, the CHAIN will link again.

Finally, as much as we would like to sing this song during the church services, time constraint prevented us from doing so. And so, I will include it here, even if only the first verse and the refrain of "On Eagle's Wings" for Boy. "We love you", "We will miss you, Boy ! " "Sai An Jima ", "Sauka Lafia", "Safe Journey"

"ON EAGLE' WINGS"

You who dwell on the shelter of the Lord,
Who abide in His shadow for life
Say to the Lord, "My Refuge, My Rock
In whom I trust.

And He will lift you up on eagle's wings
Bear you on the break of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hands.

Sing with the Angels, Boy!

2008-02-10T11:33:00.001-08:00

Another Philkan has left to join the angels. Yesterday, we accompanied Esperidion (Dion or Boy) Dizon Garcia, Jr. , to his final resting place .

Boy, as we fondly called him, was one of the moving forces of what is left of the Kanoans here in Los Angeles. Boy and Cita were one of the pioneer Pinoys in Kano and everybody who had been in Kano while the couple were still there can not say he had not been touched by the kindness and generosity of the couple. They simply accommodated anyone who needed it.

Boy had been a family and a community man. He's a devoted husband and father as well as a loyal and faithful friend. He loved art. He sang, played the piano and guitar, painted ...... and oh, I'm sure many, many more. And most of all, he's a man of true faith.

Boy, you will be terribly missed.

May you rest in peace!

The MANCIAS

2007-06-20T18:40:00.001-07:00

Philkans from Canada, Ilde and Blessie Mancia, came to visit the Philkans in California! They are still as good looking and as young as when they were in Kano hosting the many dinners and kasayahans for fellow Kanoans as well as those from other states. They came to attend a reunion with their co-teachers from Raja Soliman High in Manila. Of course, the CA Philkans will not let them leave without a get-together Kano style!!!
An impromptu pot luck dinner was organized and the group came together at Manong Fred and Manang Purita Hipol's place in Paramount. Angel and Chato, Gloria and William, Lily and Cesar, Nina and her daughter, Aya, Andy and Racquel, and of course naman - Ed and yours truly reminisced with the couple. The highlight of the get-together was the planning of a Canada Escape in 2009. I'm crossing my fingers, until they hurt, na matuloy ang planong ito because I am very sure everyone will have a blast of a lifetime!!! Andy will surely keep us posted, right Andy?

Jacob and his Soccer Ball

2007-05-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

Following Andy's instruction, I was able to add music to this slide. Am I a good student or did I have a smart teacher? Enjoy!!!
NOTE: When the music stops, hit on the speaker twice to replay the music.

HOW LITTLE WE KNOW ABOUT RELIGION

2007-04-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

I saw this article on the Internet under OPINION from USA Today by Tom Krattenmaker and deemed it worthy to share with you. Sorry, my mind has been blank for quite some time now, I can't produce anything original. Trust me, reading this will be worth your time.

It has been a season of consternation about the religious illiteracy of America. Prompting fresh knowledge of our ignorance is Stephen Prothero's new book, Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs To Know - And Doesn't. The book cites research showing that even Christians are poorly acquainted with the Bible. Familiar with Benjamin Franklin's aphorism "God helps those who help themselves" ? Three quarters of us, Prothero reports, wrongly believe it comes from the Bible. Only one-half of us can name one of the four gospels of the New Testament. (For the record, they are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). Only a third can identify who delivered the Sermon on the Mount. (Answer: Jesus).

The worry about religious illiteracy is well justified given the powerful influence of faith in American culture and politics. So it's also understandable that we're also witnessing a renewed determination to teach about religion in public schools. The Georgia Legislature has approved a law allowing the teaching of the Bible in public schools. According to a recent Time cover story endorsing Bible instruction , public-school courses on the Bible, while far from numerous are increasingly popular around the country.

That's well and good, provided the curricula and instructors respect the crucial difference between promoting religion and teaching about religion. But here's a suggestion that will test our seriousness about developing religious literacy in this country. Let's also teach about Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism and the world's other major religions. Especially, let's teach students about Islam.

Out of sight in Oregon

The necessity of learning about the world's second most-popular religion was driven home for me on a recent visit to a small K-8 school in Oregon, operated by the Muslim Educational Trust. I initially noticed the conspicuous absence of an address - even a city - on the school's website. Upon arrival, I was struck again by the school's deliberate obscurity. Tucked behind a fence, it bore no sign and gave no indication whatsoever that students and teachers (many of them Caucasians, incidentally) were busy at work behind it's non-descript white walls.

You can guess the reason why the school keeps its profile low. Islam is reviled in many quarters, equated with terrorism and iron-clad theocracy. Muslims and their mosques have been the targets of occasional violence and vandalism since the 9/11 attacks, and polling data show that nearly half the American public harbors negative views of Islam.

Muslims and their faith are also on the receiving end of some harsh rhetorical attacks. Consider evangelical Christian leader Franklin Graham and his notorious post-9/11 comments about Islam - a "very evil and wicked religion," in the estimation of Graham, the son of the revered evangelist Billy Graham and the man who delivered the invocation at President Bush 's first inauguration. Also joining the tarring-and-feathering of Islam is author Craig Winn, who has argued that the war on terror should be reconceived as the war on Islam because, as Winn sees it, terrorism is not a misapplication of the Muslim faith but its truest expression.

Awash in these negative images of Islam, I found it fascinating to see a different face of Islam as I toured the Oregon school and listened to Wajdi Said, the executive director of the Muslim Educational Trust. Said, who has lived in this country for almost 20 years, contends that Americans dwell in near-complete ignorance of Islam, especially what it teaches about relations with other religions.

"The Islamic faith accepts marriage of Muslims to Christians and Jews," Said points out. In fact, Said adds, Islam's history with other faiths hasn't always been adversarial. Just the opposite, he says.

"Christianity and Judaism flourished under the protection of Muslim leaders through most of our history. We have a great history, and a great faith that accepts everybody. We need to educate Americans about the loving and caring face of Islam," Said says.

Unfortunately for Said and his colleagues, it's a different face of the religion that we tend to see in the West today. Islamic fundamentalist committing violence in the name of their faith and supposed followers of the prophet shouting their hatred of "infidels". The emergence of al-Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden, only reinforces the dangerous face of Islam. The slaying of the Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh. Riots over the publishing of prophet Mohammed cartoons. The list goes on. Scholars and pundits may debate the scriptural legitimacy of these expressions of the Muslim faith. But there's no denying Islam's image in the West

How to counter that with appreciation for the hundreds of millions of Muslims who go about their business and religious practice in peace ? It all points back to education. Thankfully, many colleges and universities have programs in Islamic studies and Arabic-language instruction. But while higher education is responding to the national need, "we have a long way to go"when it comes to teaching about Islam in American public schools, says Charles Haynes, who directs public education programs for the Freedom Forum's First Amendment Center in Arlington, Va. Teaching effectively about the Muslim faith, according to Haynes, has become all the more difficult post-9/11, in part because of conservative political pressure.

From a practical standpoint, teaching about Islam offers compelling benefits for effective military and diplomatic strategy. The world is "aflame in faith," as Yale University professor Jon Butler has written. The men and women of the U.S. military tend to know little about religions other than their own, Butler notes, "yet they have been asked to fight wars in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Iraq over the past 15 years in which religion has stood at the very center of each conflict".

A hopeful view of the world

Call it extreme optimism, but it is my hope that greater understanding of the world's religions could eventually make the military argument moot. Understanding can lead us away from seeing only the worst in our ostensible "enemies," and away from the religion-fueled violence that scars our time. Maybe hope can be drawn from a change that's about to happen at Said's school. Anti-Muslim sentiment has calmed to the point where he feels he can finally mount a sign at the small campus, and he is moving ahead with plans to do precisely that.

Is it true that "Islam is peace"? That's as over-simplified as saying Islam is inherently violent. In truth, the essence of Islam is a complex and contested issue. Much the same could be said about Christianity.

Yes, let's teach our students about the Bible. But if we're going to offer the kind of education that can make a difference in our divided world, let's not stop there. Let's make sure our students go into the world with some understanding of the Quran.

Tom Krattenmaker, who lives in Portland, Ore., specializes in religion in public life and is a member of USA TODAY's board of contributors.

Surprise, Surprise !!!

2007-03-24T23:49:00.000-07:00

It was a total surprise for me to have successfully embedded the slide show of my grandsons. Thanks, Andy, for urging me on. I hope it stays.
I wanted to add this to the post but I was afraid to undo the embedding again. Naty, since you are able to read our posts regularly, why don't you try posting, too? Ask anyone (much) younger than us (chuckle and grin) and it won't take you a day. Trust me.

P.S. to My Three Grandsons

2007-03-24T23:41:00.000-07:00

My Three Grandsons

2007-03-12T17:41:00.000-07:00

I tried to embed from Slide.com my project of my grandsons but I couldn't do it on the Compose frame neither could I write my paragraph on the Edit HTML window so pahabol ito - kung magiging successful ako in publishing both. The new blogger thing is staritng to drive me crazy!

Sinulog '07 Vacation Via Slide.com

2007-03-09T12:03:00.001-08:00

GOOD TO BE BACK IN MY SMALL WORLD

2007-02-26T12:49:00.000-08:00

Hello there, Andy Susim from Sumaila is back from a brief vacation in the Philippines. It took me a while before I was able to function normally ( a little diarrhea). The SINULOG religious festival we witnessed in Cebu was awesome !!! It is the feast of Santo Ninyo celebrated simultaneously in many places in the Philippines. You can feel the people's faith in the atmosphere all around you during the entire festival. From the early morning mass to the fluvial parade along the seaport of Cebu, everything is worth our time, effort (and money !). We were in the upper deck of a small boat having breakfast of hot chocolate, mango, lanzones, sandwiches, etc, etc, as we watched this fluvial parade all around us. It was one experience all captured in our camera. Back in Manila and Quezon City, everyday is always a hectic day going from place to place, trying to visit as many people as possible that you missed these past few years. Oh, yes, I saw Johnny Pacheco and family in Navotas and of course my best friend in Malabon, who is now in Bulacan. With his help, I traced an old lady neighbor when I lived in Pasig while studying. Even if I arrived almost midnight from work or school, this lady would send me a hot bowl of soup knowing how hungry I must have been. She suffered a mild stroke (she's 80 plus now), but I was surprised how her mind suddenly comes to life upon recognizing me and recalling in vivid detail our past lives, how we played with her five children. Our reunion with my family in Cabuyao was also a memorable one. I did not realize I have these many nieces, nephews, grandkids, etc, etc. It was a whole day celebration with Karaoke singing. Our old church in Cabuyao is still standing majestically as it is, only fully renovated inside. When we went to Villa Escudero, somewhere in the boundary of Laguna and Quezon, we saw Noli Cueto with some students and faculty members from UST. What a small world !!! It was a very nice place being developed as a resort facility for tourists. There was cultural presentation. We visited also a museum displaying relics from Philippines past, religiously, culturally, socio-economically and , of course, politically. The man-made dam with eatery down in the water level was really a nice treat that draws everyone down there. Even Raquel, who is on wheel chair, is down there !!!

It felt very, very good to have seen and met many contemporaries (sadly , many were gone) and knowing many were very happy upon seeing me and Raquel.

Well, it took me awhile to publish this. I have computer problem, the blog is forcing me to upgrade, so I will publish this without the pictures and the pictures will follow soon. It should be from Slide.com if I still know how to do it. ok ? Sai an jima !!!

I just manage to log in by switching to the New Blogger. Now let me see if I can post pictures here. Wish me good luck !!! Yes !!! But the pictures are in front of the article !!! I stopped after uploading only eleven pictures. This process is even slower than the original set-up ???

I think I got it now, Princess !!! That's why I was able to edit this last posting. When I updated to the New Blogger, I was asked to provide a new email address. So I used my alternate email address and gave andysusim@sbcglobal.net" . Now, Blogger is using that new email address as the new Username. And my new password is "gugol_oras" (note the underscore) since it is supposed to be a Google account. Now let me see if I can transfer my pics from Slide.com using this new Username and new password. Wish me luck !!!

Welcome 2007

2006-12-31T16:13:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!
From: Princess and Ed

FACTS ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES

2006-11-30T22:52:00.000-08:00

This is an interesting reading on seldom-known facts about the Philippines ..... .

Founded in 1595 by the Spaniards, the University of San Carlos (USC) in Cebu City, Philippines is older than Harvard and is the oldest university in Asia. University of Santo Tomas in Manila, established in 1611, is Asia's second oldest.

In the Philippines, Filipinos were introduced to the English language in 1762 by British invaders, not Americans.

What is the world's 3rd largest English-speaking nation, next to the U.S.A. and the UK? The Philippines.

The USA bought the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam from Spain in 1898. The Filipino-American Independence War from 1898 to 1902 ensued, killing 4,234 Americans and how many Filipinos? 16,000 were killed in action and 200,000 died from famine and pestilence. (The Philippines lost and was colonized, but educated, until 1946.)

Los Angeles, California was co-founded in 1781 by a Filipino named Antonio Miranda Rodriguez, along with 43 Latinos from Mexico sent by the Spanish government.

What antibiotic did Filipino doctor Abelardo Aguilar co-discover? Hint: Brand is Ilosone, named after Iloilo. Erythromycin.

The one-chip video camera was first made by Marc Loinaz, a Filipino inventor from New Jersey.

The first ever international Grandmaster from Asia was Eugenio Torre, a Filipino, who won at the Chess Olympiad in Nice, France in 1974.

This son of two Filipino physicians scored over 700 on the verbal portion of the Standardized Achievement Test (SAT) before age 13 is Kiwi Danao Camara of Punahou School, Hawaii.

Edward Sanchez, a Mensa member, bagged the grand prize in the first Philippines Search for Product Excellence in Information Technology.

Who was the Filipino-American dancer who scored a perfect 1600 on the SAT?
Joyce Monteverde of California.

Who invented the fluorescent lamp? Thomas Edison discovered electric light and the fluorescent lighting was thought up by Nikola Tesla. But the fluorescent lamp we use today was invented by Agapito Flores. (A Cebu man named Benigno Flores of Bantayan Island, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer), a Filipino scientist. The Americans helped then President leader Ramon Magsaysay, to develop for worldwide commerce.

(Yes! Many foreigners have noted that the Filipino population has Asia 's highest rates of inventors and international beauty queens.) Filipina beauties, Gloria Diaz and Margie Morgan, chosen as Miss Universe in 1969 and 1973.

Pure or part-Filipino celebrities in American show biz include Von Flores, Tia Carere, Paolo Montalban, Lea Salonga, Ernie Reyes Jr., Nia Peeples, Julio Iglesias Jr., Lou Diamond Phillips, Phoebe Cates and Rob Schneider.

The first Filipino act to land a top hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in the 1960's was a group Rocky Fellers of Manila. Sugar Pie deSanto (father was from the Philippines) , The Artist Formerly Known as Prince (according to the October, 1984 article "Prince in Exile" by Scott Isler in magazine Musician) , Foxy Brown and Enrique Iglesias followed.

Pure Filipinos who made success in minor charts were Jocelyn Enriquez, aka: Oriental Madonna, Buffry, Pinay and (Ella May) Saison.

Latina-American pop star Christina Aguilar lost to Filipina Josephine Roberto aka Banig during the International Star Search years ago. In a mid-1999 MTV chat, she said that competing against someone of Banig's age was "not fair".

Besides gracing fashion magazine covers, this international super model from Manila had walked the runways since the 1970s for all the major designers, like Calvin Klein, Chanel, Christian Lacroix, Donna Karan, Gianni,Versace and Yves Saint Laurent - Anne Bayle.

Who is the personal physician of United States President Bill Clinton? Eleanor "Connie" Conception Mariano, a Filipina doctor who was the youngest Captain in the US Navy.

The first Filipino-American in US Congress was Virginia Rep. Robert Cortez-Scott, a Harvard alumnus.

Distinguished British traveler-writer A. Henry Savage Landor, thrilled upon seeing a Bicol landmark in 1903 wrote: "Mayon is the most beautiful mountain I have ever seen, the world-renowned Fujiyama (Mt. Fuji) of Japan sinking into perfect insignificance by comparison. "Mayon has the world's most perfect cone."

Filipinos had their first taste of Mexican chili and corn during the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade (1564-1815). In return, Mexico's people had their initial taste of tamarind, Manila mango and a Filipino banana called racatan or lakatan.

The first female president of the Philippines sworn into office in 1986 was Corazon Cojuangco Aquino. Her maiden name isChinese.

On March 31, 1997 article, The New York Times reported that the CIA manipulated elections: "(CIA operative Col. Edward Lansdale essentially ran the successful presidential campaign of Defense Minister Ramon Magsaysay in the Philippines in 1953."

Who was the first Asian and/or Filipino to snatch America's Pulitzer Prize? Philippines Herald war journalist Carlos P. Romulo in 1941. (He was also the first Asian to become UN President.) The first two Filipino-Americans to garner the same award 56 years later were Seattle Times' Alex Tizon and Byron Acohido, who was part-Korean. Filipino writer Jose Rizal could read and write at age 2, and grew up to speak more than 20 languages, including Latin, Greek, German, French and Chinese. What were his last words? "Consummatum est!" ("It is done!").

"What's still impressive to me about the Philippines is the friendliness of the people, their sense of humor..." wrote Honolulu journalist John Griffin in a 1998 visit to Manila. Although, I lived in America longer years than my birth place Bohol, I still have plenty of bagoong left in m y body that can energize and catapulted me all the way to Maribojoc, Bohol, Philippines.

And I might add the latest sensations: One, the Pacman, Manny Pacquiao, who repeated the feat of Gabriel "Flash" Elorde in boxing; Two, the Ballroom Dancing Queen, Cheryl Burke, with Drew Lachey, last season, and with Emmitt Smith this season. She and her mother, a devout Catholic, were very grateful to the Filipinos who voted them to victory by phone when the scores by the judges were tied with the other runner-up.

WHEN RELIGION LOSES ITS CREDIBILITY

2006-11-23T09:15:00.000-08:00

I saw this article in the Internet under "OPINION". Written by Oliver "Buzz" Thomas, a Baptist minister and author of an upcoming book, "10 Things Your Minister Wants to Tell You (But Can't Because He Needs the Job)". I find it interesting and decided to share it here in Philkans Blog. No comment on my part, presented it as it is. Here it is :

What if Christian leaders are wrong about homosexuality ? I suppose, as a newspaper maintains its credibility by setting the record straight, church leaders would need to do the same.

Correction: Despite what you might have read, heard or been taught throughout your churchgoing life, homosexuality is, in fact, determined at birth and is not to be condemned by God's followers.

Based on a few recent headlines, we won't be seeing that admission anytime soon. Last week, U.S. Roman Catholic bishops took the position that homosexuality attractions are "disordered" and that gays should live closeted lives of chastity. At the same time, North Carolina's Baptist State Convention was preparing to investigate churches that are too gay-friendly. Even the more liberal Presbyterian Church (USA) had been planning to put a minister on trial for conducting a marriage ceremony for two women before the charges were dismissed on a technicality. All this brings me back to the question: What if we're wrong ?

Religion's only real commodity, after all, is it's moral authority. Lose that, and we lose our credibility. Lose credibility, and we might as well close shop.

It's happened to Christianity before, most famously when we dug in our heels over Galileo's challenge to the biblical view that the Earth, rather than the sun, was the center of our solar system. You know the story. Galileo was persecuted for what turned out to be incontrovertibly true. For many, specially in the scientific community, Christianity never recovered.

This time, Christianity is in danger of squandering its moral authority by continuing its pattern of discrimination against gays and lesbians in the face of mounting evidence that sexual orientation has little or nothing to do with choice. To the contrary, whether sexual orientation arises as a result of the mother's hormones or the child's brain structure or DNA, it is almost certainly an accident of birth. The point is this: Without choice, there can be no moral culpability.

Answer in Scriptures.

So why are so many church leaders (not to mention Orthodox Jewish and Muslim leaders) persisting in their view that homosexuality is wrong despite a growing stream of scientific evidence that it is likely to become a torrent in the coming years ? The answer is found in Leviticus 18. "You shall not lie with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination."

As a former "the Bible says it, I believe it, that settles it" kind of guy, I am symphatetic with any Christian who accepts the Bible at face value. But here's the catch. Leviticus is filled with laws imposing the death penalty for everything from eating catfish to sassing your parents. If you accept one as the absolute, unequivocal voice of God, you must accept them all.

For many of gay America's loudest critics the results are unthinkable. First, no more football. At least not without gloves. Handling a pigskin is an abomination. Second, no more Saturday games even if you can get a new ball. Violating the Sabbath is a capital offense according to Leviticus. For the over-40 crowd, approaching the altar of God with a defect in your sight is taboo, but you'll have plenty of company because those menstruating or with disabilities are also barred.

The truth is that mainstream religion has moved beyond animal sacrifice, slavery and the host of primitive rituals described in Leviticus centuries ago. Selectively hanging onto these ancient proscriptions for gays and lesbians exclusively is unfair according to anybody's standard of ethics. We lawyers call it "selective enforcement", and in civil affairs, it's illegal.

A better reading of the Scripture starts with the book of Genesis and the grand pronouncement about the world God created and all those who dwelled in it. "And, the Lord said that it was good". If God created us and if everything he created is good, how can a gay person be guilty of being anything more than what God created him or her to be ?

Turning to the New Testament, the writings of the Apostle Paul at first lend credence to the notion that homosexuality is a sin, until you consider that Paul most likely is referring to the Roman practice of pederasty, a form of pedophilia common in the ancient world. Successful older men often took boys into their homes as concubines, lovers or sexual slaves. Today, such sexual exploitation of minors is no longer tolerated. The point is that the sort of long-term, commited, same-sex relationships that are being debated today are not addressed in the New Testament. It distorts the biblical witness to apply verses written in one historical context (i.e sexual exploitation of children) to contemporary situations between two monogamous partners of the same sex. Sexual promiscuity is condemned by the Bible whether it's between gays or straights. Sexual fidelity is not.

What would Jesus do ?

For those who have lingering doubts, dust off your Bibles and take a few hours to reacquaint yourself with the teachings of Jesus. You won't find a single reference to homosexuality. There are teachings on money, lust, revenge, divorce, fasting and a thousand other subjects, but there is nothing on homosexuality. Strange, don't you think, if being gay were such a moral threat ?

On the other hand, Jesus spent a lot of time talking about how we should treat others. First, he made it clear it is not our role to judge. It is God's. ("Judge not lest you be judged." Matthew 7:1). And, second, he commanded us to love other people as we love ourselves.

So I ask you. Would you want to be discriminated against ? Would you want to lose your job, housing or benefits because of something over which you had no control ? Better yet, would you like it if society told you that you couldn't visit your lifelong partner in the hospital or file a claim on his behalf if he were murdered ?

The suffering that gay and lesbian people have endured at the hands of religion is incalculable, but they can look expectantly to the future for vindication. Scientific facts, after all, are a stubborn thing. Even our religious beliefs must finally yield to them as the church in its battle with Galileo ultimately realized. But for religion, the future might be ominous. Watching the growing conflict between medical science and religion over homosexuality is like watching a train wreck from a distance. You can see it coming for miles and sense the inevitable conclusion, but you're powerless to stop it. The more church leaders dig in their heels, the worse it's likely to be.

Post note: I believe it was Pope John Paul II who had the courage to admit the church's mistake on this Galileo thing, after more than five hundred years !!!

BLOGGING: NEW VOICE OF FREEDOM

2006-11-09T16:11:00.000-08:00

I would like to share this article about blogging. From the magazine "The Week", Volume 6, Issue 284, November 10, 2006, Page 16 (Best Columns: International). Heading is EGYPT - Where Writers Fear No Censorship : Blogging has come to Egypt, said the London-based, pan Arab Asharq-al-Awsat in an editorial. Published authors and beginners alike are setting up blogs as "a means of expressing political opposition" or "exploring taboo topics". You won't find much in Egyptian newspapers on conspiracy theories or alternative Islamic movements, but such articles abound on the Web. Novelist Mohammed Al-Ashri says that only on his blog can he be truly free. Elsewhere, he says, "there is censorship of ideologies, and even if it is not repressive, it is a boundary that limits one's imagination". He and other literary bloggers find that they can experiment with the language in ways that print media doesn't allow. Nael Al-Toukhi, for example, writes "in the Egyptian colloquial dialect", which he finds more expressive than "classical Arabic". Political bloggers are less numerous, but they're starting to make their presence felt. Several have banded together to raise support for causes ranging from Sudanese refugees to women's rights. Arab bloggers are truly becoming "the new voices of freedom".

Contributed by : Andy from Sumaila

Roses thru my kitchen window.....

2006-10-26T18:02:00.000-07:00

Have you seen my slideshow yet? Although my roses are not the prized ones, I love them all cuz they are mostly gifts from friends when we first moved to our current address.
I still have to find out how I can edit the slideshow as I post it to Blogger so I can change the title. I tried and I tried pero wala ring mangyari. SOS, anyone?

I created a Slide Show! Check it out!

2006-10-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

CONFESSION OF AN ITALIAN BOY

2006-10-15T12:47:00.000-07:00

No disrespect for Italians, but to maintain the originality of this email from a friend I did not change anything. Here is the story :

"Bless me Father, for I have sinned. I have been with a loose girl".The priest asks, "Is that you, little Johnny Parisi?""Yes, Father, it is I ." "And who was the girl you were with?""I can't tell you, Father, I don't want to ruin her reputation.""Well, Johnny, I'm sure to find out her name sooner or later, so you may as well tell me now. Was it Tina Minetti?" "I cannot say.""Was it Teresa Volpe?""I'll never tell.""Was it Nina Capelli?""I'm sorry, but I cannot name her.""Was it Cathy Piriano?" "My lips are sealed.""Was it Rosa Di Angelo, then?""Please, Father, I cannot tell you."The priest sighs in frustration. "You're very tight lipped, Johnny Parisi, and I admire that. But you've sinned and have to atone. You cannot be an altar boy now for 4 months. Now you go and behave yourself."Johnny walks back to his pew, and his friend Nino slides over andwhispers, "What'd you get?" "4 months vacation and five good leads."

REFLECTIONS

2006-09-21T22:58:00.000-07:00

These thought-provoking comments of various personalities were sent by a dear friend a long time ago. Kept them long in my Inbox. Now I want to share them with you in Philkans Blog.

" REFLECTIONS "

“I made an agreement of peaceful co-existence with Time; neither he pursues me, nor I ran from him, one day we will find each other”. ( Mario Lago )

“Never walk on the travelled path, because it only leads you where the others have been”. (Graham Bell)

“Always there is a drop of madness in love, yet always there is a drop of reason in madness.” (F. Nietzshe)

“Time is very slow for those who wait, very fast for those who are scared, very long for those who lament, very short for those who celebrate. But for those who love, time is eternity." ( William Shakespeare)

“Many people lose the small joys, in hope for a big happiness.”
(Pearl S. Buck)

“Life can be understood only looking behind, but can be lived only looking ahead.” (Soren Kierkegaard)

“Why repeat the old errors, if there are so many new errors to commit.” (Bertrand Russell)

“If I could return to youth, I would commit those errors again, but a bit earlier” (Tallulah Bankhead)

“Nothing could be taught to a man; but its possible to help him find the answer within himself.” (Galileo Galilei)

“There are people who speak to us and we do not listen to them; there are people who hurt us and they don’t leave a scar; but there are people who simply appear in our lives and they mark us forever” (Cecilia Meireles)

“The true philosophy is to learn again to see the world” ( Merleau-Ponty)

“Love is the best music in the score of life. Without it, one would forever be out of tune in the immense choir of humanity.” (Roque Schneider)

“Love me when I less deserves it, because it’s then when I need it most.” (Chinese Proverb)

“ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU, BUT ASK WHAT REGULAR BLOGGING CAN DO FOR YOUR CONTINUED MENTAL HEALTH.” (Andy from Sumaila)

ADDENDUM :

In the heart of a Philkan, buried deep, so deep,
A dear little yearning, lay fast asleep;
"Wake," said Philkans Blog, "And creep to the light."
"Wake," said the voice, of the Master Tim Hop.
The little Philkan heard, and he rises to see,
What the wonderful World Wide Web
Of blogging in the “Net” might be !!!

DID YOU KNOW ? ( FYI Only )

2006-09-14T23:34:00.000-07:00

During our time in Nigeria, they have only 19 states plus the Federal Capital at ABUJA, then under construction. I created an acronym for the states’ names because most of my students can name only five or six states. They were delightfully surprised at how easy it was to name all the states with my acronym. Here it is :

BOK-BOK-BOK-B - SPRING-CAL, which means :

BAUCHI, BENUE, BENDEL, BORNO, OGUN, ONDO, OYO, KADUNA, KANO, KWARA,

SOKOTO, PLATEAU, RIVERS, IMO, NIGER, GONGOLA, CROSS RIVER, ANAMBRA, LAGOS.

On August, 27, 1991, on what was called “State-Creation Exercise”, more states were created out of the original nineteen. BENDEL State is the only one whose name was not retained, out of which comes DELTA and EDO States. One new state worth mentioning is the JIGAWA State, that is carved out of our beloved KANO State.

My hunch could be wrong , but I sensed a Mathematics manipulation here (or superstition ?) , as if they are after a fixed number of states, (now at thirty-six plus ABUJA). The original nineteen states minus one (Bendel was not retained) equals eighteen. Nineteen more states were created, but DELTA and EDO count as one coming from BENDEL state equals eighteen again, that makes it thirty-six. Coincidence ? I think not ! You be the judge !!!

Here are the new nineteen states. I will not include anymore where these states come from :

ABIA, ADAMAWA, AKWA IBOM, BAYELSA, DELTA, EBONYI, EDO, EKITI, ENUGU, GOMBE, JIGAWA, KATSINA, KEBBI, KOGI, NASSARAWA, OSUN, TARABA, YOBE, ZAMFARA.

To include all these new states with the original ones in an acronym will really mess things up, so I decided to separate them, the old from the new, following the same pattern. Since BENDEL was removed, the old ones will just be
BOK-BOK-BOK, SPRING-CAL, after removing one “B” .

The new ones will be : Jig-KEA-KEA-KEA-E, NOT-BY-GoDZ !!!

Jig, of course, is for JIGAWA, three “K”s, four “E”s and three “A”s, then NOT-BY-GoDZ for the remaining states (NASSARAWA, OSUN, TARABA, BAYELSA, YOBE, GOMBE, DELTA, ZAMFARA). See the same pattern here ?

Sorry, guys, this may not sound interesting to you !!! Now, what about the fifty states of America ? How many can you recall ? Believe it or not, I started memorizing these states way back in my second year high school in US History. I just keep adding whatever comes as a new state.

Here it is : The number before each group tells the number of states beginning with that letter.

1. DR P. H. GULF - means there is only one state for each letter, that is: Delaware, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Hawaii, Georgia, Utah, Louisiana, Florida

2. KSTV - Kansas, Kentucky, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Tennessee, Vermont,Virginia .

3. CO - California, Colorado, Connecticut, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon

4. WAI - Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Alaska, Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois

8. MN - Massachussets, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nebraska, Nevada

If you have watched “Street Smarts” on TV , most Americans can not name even ten or fifteen states. Just try it. Close your eyes, use my acronym to see how many you can recall. Even if you forget some, you have a guide.

What about this next mantra ? Any idea ? It is recited by group of syllables, left to right :

WA-AD-JE, MA-MO-QUI, JA-VA-HA, TY-PO-TA, FI-PI, BU-LI-JO

GRA-HAY-GA, CHE-CLE, HAB-CLE, MAC-RO-TA, WI-HA, COO-HOO

RO-TR-EI, KE-JO-NIX, FO-CA-RE, BU-CLI-BU !!!!

What the ?#$@*& does this mean ???

Till next time, when I may give you a clue, sai an jima (Andy from Sumaila)

Sorry, I tried adding a map of present Nigeria but the Add Image icon is not working.

Fading Slide from Yosemite Pictures

2006-09-09T13:19:00.000-07:00

This time I will not make the mistake of deleting it from Slide.com. Like what I have been saying, "Imagine posting YOUR own pictures in the Internet and let friends and relatives watch them anywhere they are in this planet" Isn't that awesome? It's no sweat, really ! Just play with it and you will have fun like me and Princess , heh, heh, heh !!! Okey, sai an jima again from Sumaila (Andy).

This is It !! The Second Time for a Fading Slide! Check it out!

2006-09-09T13:17:00.000-07:00

Experimenting with slides

2006-08-30T19:34:00.000-07:00

I saw Rondah's (Glo's very creative daughter) slide in her blog and I thought "why not"! So I went to slide.com and tried per instruction not knowing that there was no going back. So, enjoy the pictures that I was able to upload (at least one can upload 20 pics at a time with this.) Next time I will try to find out how to put captions. (princess)

I created a Slide Show! Check it out!

2006-08-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

More Pics from the Todai Party

2006-08-29T22:29:00.000-07:00

These are all I've got from our camera ! I know some more are coming this weekend, bye !!!

Philkans New Likita PLUS August Celebrants Again

2006-08-29T16:11:00.000-07:00

We passed by another milestone here. Philkans new likita, Dr Socrates Santos Susim, son of Andy & Raquel Susim from Sumaila. Manang Nati below with Othes. Dr Purita Hipol addresses the Philkans in honor of the new likita, together with some more of the August celebrants.

Angel Mariano, above, and his mother, Nana Asyang, are both August celebrants. At this point, I beg your indulgence to allow me to post some pictures of the graduation of our new likita. He is now a Resident Physician at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center at Colton CA. Next year, he will be at USC (University of Southern California) in LA.
Look at his mother, above, (and the father, too) beaming with pride. Raquel and Susan are also August celebrants. And so with Aileen, Othes's grilfriend.
Othes's girlfriend, Aileen, is also a Leo. Susan and Aileen, together with Othes's friends with Chad and Ferdinand organized this printed T-shirt thing (GO DR OTIS MD) plus the party in San Francisco for Othes. Chad even performed a brief rap music of his own when Othes's name was called in the graduation.

Now, back to the Philkans party at Todai Japanese Restaurant, last Sunday, August 27, 2006. The next pictures are, of course, more of the Philkans, though there are other visitors invited.

More of these pictures in the next posting, please. The blog allows a limited number of pictures to be posted at the same time, sorry ! (Andy from Sumaila)

THOSE BORN FROM 1930 TO 1979 - CONGRATULATIONS !

2006-08-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

Here is one example of publishing something that is NOT an original, I mean NOT originally mine. This is the third time this was sent to me and I decided to share it here in our Philkans Blog. Here it is :

CONSIDER YOURSELF LUCKY IF YOU WERE BORN BETWEEN 1930-1979
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's 70's !!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can,and didn't get tested for Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or Cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking. As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up truck on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this. We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank Koolade made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING !

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound , CD's or Ipods, no cell phones! , no personal computers , no Internet or chat rooms.......WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them! We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them! Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law! These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned: HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL! If YOU are one of them ... .

CONGRATULATIONS! You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good. And while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were. Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!

The quote of the month is by Jay Leno: "With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, "Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"

For those that prefer to think that God is not watching Over us....go ahead and delete this. "Be impressed when someone asks you to pray for them. Why? Because they believe your prayers will really make a difference." (andy from Sumaila)

TIM HOP's Corner : The Master and the Pupil 1

2006-08-26T01:52:00.000-07:00

Master, Who is Mr Tim Hop ? Do you know him ?

Tim Hop does not refer particularly to one person. It is an acronym for This Is My Humble Opinion. Anybody who wishes to express one's opinion is Tim Hop.

Master, why is it that other people are hesitant, if not indifferent, to participate or contribute to our Blog ?

Do you want my answer to confirm your suspicion or you really want to know more than you already know ?

Master, actually I do not know. I do not know much about blogging, so I can not say if my suspicions are valid. What is really the purpose of this Blogging thing anyway ?

The purpose is to communicate with friends and colleagues who worked with us together in a foreign land - a sort of fellowship, togetherness, exchange of information, etc etc. Many among us here have already “gone where everybody else has gone before” or as one caring lady termed it, “escorted to the Forrest Lawn” . Many wished this fellowship to continue because it is part of our lives and we want to leave it as a heritage to the next generation of our kids and grandkids.

Sounds a good thing to me, Master, so why don’t they participate, ?

You said you do not know, and I do not know either. My own Master once said “I do not know” is the beginning of wisdom, because you are willing to embark on uncharted sea, to discover or to explore.. Let us start exploring some possible reasons . Tell me what you think are possible reasons and together we will explore them one by one .

Master, maybe lack of time; maybe lack of knowledge; maybe they are intimidated by new technology; maybe they think this blog thing is a waste of time; maybe there’s nothing they can get out of it, there’s no future in it; maybe they think it will not help put food on the table; maybe …, maybe…..

Woo, woo, woo, slow down Grasshopper. Maybe you have forgotten this blog thing is strictly voluntary. Don’t be too judgmental. Most of this people are established families and putting food on the table is the least of their concern. It can be a combination of everything you said, except the food part. Or some other reasons we have not explored yet. We are dealing with a lot of “maybe’s” here. Maybe we just let it evolve on its own. Give it some time. When you plant a seed under the ground, you do not dig it up every now and then to see if it is growing or not. You nourish it with love and care, with the warmth of mother Earth, with the coolness of the morning dew, aerate it with the gentle breeze so it can breathe. With Time, you let it grow on its own.

If you say so, Master. You are always right. In the meantime, what are you doing about it while waiting for it to evolve on its own ?

Nothing, just trying to anticipate some of the possible reasons you pointed out. I am sending out a second primer on this blog thing that might help.

Yes, Master. I have read it and checked it myself and I think it will help greatly to dispel the myth that blogging is a complicated new high technology thing reserved only for this young generation. Well, Master, before I leave , may I request for one more lesson on, say, attitude or proper perspective ?

Certainly, Grasshopper. Here it is about “Who is Rich and Who is Poor”

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" "It was great, Dad." "Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked. "Oh yeah," said the son. "So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father. The son answered: "I saw that we have one dog and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them." The boy's father was speechless. Then his son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are."

Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have. Appreciate every single thing you have! Attitude, perspective, whatever you call it, be grateful for what you have. Go back to one of my postings, the second to the last line of the poem “Desiderata” that I savored.

Master, you are truly a master !!! You are always telling the TRUTH as you see it. You can handle the truth .

No, Grasshopper, I can not. Only Jack Nicholson can handle the truth .

Splendour in the Grass

2006-08-24T18:37:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the movie "Rebel Without a Cause" {Splendour in the Grass} with Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty? It is on DVD and VHS now. It is one of my all time favorites maybe because I saw it during that time when I could relate so well to what the actors were portraying. One scene that stays vividly in my mind is when the kids are in an English or literature class and Natalie (I think ) was asked to read this part in one of William Wordworth's collection of poems - "Intimations of Immortality"

'What though the radiance which was once so bright
Be now forever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind;'

You have to see the film in order to understand why she cried as she was reading it......
Come on, be a romantic like me! (princess)

Memories, memories, and more memories....

2006-08-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, tell the truth, of those who are in the pictures,
ilan pa sa inyo ang husto sa damit na suot ninyo sa litrato? (Alam ko si Nati, huhusto pa!). Isn't it interesting to recall that even how much Jolloff rice and tsire and pepper soup we ate, slender pa rin tayo? (Puera siguro ako).

On a more serious note, there are those who have left
us but the sweet, happy memories we had of them still linger on.

SOS.. papaano ko kaya mai-co-concentrate totally sa side ang text?
(Princess)

Where Are These Kids Now?

2006-08-21T23:11:00.000-07:00

How many of these kids are yours? Where are they now?

(I know of one who recently made his parents proud when he became a full-pledged medical doctor; still another who is now with the US Navy and working as a nurse in Bethesda, MD. HOORAY to them!!!) (princess)
Habol po kami ! May isa rin diyan sa picture na RN sa CHOC.

2006-08-21T17:40:00.000-07:00

Sa wakas, napagtiyagaan ko rin. O sino-sino ang mga kilala ninyo sa pictures on the right? There are more that will come, ngayon pang natutunan ko na ito. Andy, you are a great teacher!!! Many thanks. (princess)

Those Happy Days

2006-08-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

Hi, I am back!
This blog thing is good. Why, because it encourages me to open my dusty albums once more. Looking at those old pictures bring me back to yesteryears when all Ed and I cared about was when the next remittance check will come and what places to see the next homeleave. No bills to pay, no rent/mortgage to find a payment for, not even retirement blues. Here are some pics from those golden days. See if you recognize them all.... many more are coming.... Princess (parungao.home@verizon.net)
P.S. If the pictures are not with this, then I didn't do the uploading right. You will have to wait until I figure out how to do it properly.

MORE PICTURES, PLEASE

2006-08-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

Sorry, our blog accepts only ten pictures at one posting. I realize it only after I publish it. I keep on adding but it did not publish. And you can only upload five pictures at a time. So I will publish at least twenty out of thirty-four from Rodel's Album, anyway many are repeat shots, especially the group pictures.

MORE PICTURES FROM AUGUST CELEBRANTS' PARTY

2006-08-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

AUGUST BIRTHDAY CELEBRANTS

2006-08-20T08:42:00.000-07:00

Ye-hey, we are getting bigger and bigger in number !! Or maybe our gathering isn't just really organized in timing and coordination, I mean we do not come ALL at the same occassion. I, for one am very ecstatic when I see some new faces (at least to me) in our gathering. Mrs. Franco, and Eddie & Irene Parial (hope I spelled it right) just triggered my Rewind Button to our days in Nigeria !!! Looks like Princess can't get to post this group picture of our latest gathering yesterday, Saturday, August 19, 2006 at Boy Garcia's residence. Let us see if I can post it !!!

As usual, we had the feasting, singing and joyous celebration and exchange of jokes and reminiscing of our old days in Nigeria, exchange of informations - addresses, emails, phone numbers, etc, etc. I wish there will be more people who will join us from gathering to gathering. Take note that this is not yet all for this August celebrants. Next will be on Sunday, August 27, 2006 at TODAI of Orange for Lunch.This one will include my son's blow-out for his graduation last June. This one is NOT a pot luck. You don't need to bring anything, just be there, okay ? Angel & Jeddah Mariano and the Susim family are in charge of this one.

EVER HEARD OF THE RED PLANET, MARS ?

2006-08-19T00:03:00.000-07:00

A close friend of mine emailed me this phenomenon sometime ago and I have been trying to post it into Philkans blog. Trouble is, it is in my Inbox and it comes in Slide form, the blog will not accept images from emails. So here it is without the beautiful slides of Mars.

MARS, known as the Red Planet, is now appearing in spectacular fashion throughout this month of August, 2006.

Mark your calendar if you have not heard of it yet, especially on August 27, 2006.

This month and next, Earth will catch up with Mars in an encounter that will culminate in the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history. The next time Mars will come this close : The year 2287 !!!

Due to the way Jupiter’s gravity tugs on Mars and disturbs its orbit, astronomers can only be certain that Mars has not come this close to Earth in the last 5,000 years. But it may be as long as 60,000 years before it happens again !!!

The encounter will culminate on August 27th, 2006, when Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles of Earth. It will be (next to the Moon) the brightest object in the night sky.

It will attain a brightness magnitude of – 2.9 and will appear 2.1 arc seconds wide. At a modest 75-power magnification.

To the naked eye, Mars will look as large as the full Moon. It will be so easy to spot : “as large as the full Moon to the naked eye”. Since the beginning of August, 2006, it rises in the East at 10 pm and reached its azimuth at about 3:00 am.

By the end of August when the two planets are closest, Mars will rise at nightfall and reach its highest point in the sky at 12:30 am.

That’s pretty convenient to see something that NO human being has seen in recorded history.

Start watching MARS now as it grows progressively brighter and brighter throughout this month of August.

NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN !!! (asusim@sbcglobal.net)

DESIDERATA By Max Ehrmann

2006-08-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

Another successul first time try for me here. I copied this poem from the Internet : first highlighted it, use Edit to copy, open Word, then Paste it and then Saved it. I copied it here into the blog from my Word documents in the same way. I am pretty sure many have seen this poem before, but just like an apple, if you like the first bite, have the liberty to take another bite. Since I am constantly on the look-out for something to share, I decided to share this to fellow Philkans (or even non-Philkans)

DESIDERATA By Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection.Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things
of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe,no less than the trees
and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.

Desiderata is the plural form of “desideratum” which means something considered necessary or highly desirable; from the root word of “desire”

I particularly savor the second to the last line ,"With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world" How you look at the world, your attitude, determines how you live your life. Did not Shakespeare said "life is checkered light and shadow " ? Enjoy, smile, it lessens the pain " Sanu, sanu !!! TIMHOP corner is born (This Is My Humble Opinion)

FIRST POSTING OF NIGERIA PICTURES

2006-08-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, all right !!! No matter how imperfect it is I have the first pictures in our Blog of Nigeria pictures, heh, heh, heh !!! Can you recognize any of those in the pictures ? Top-left corner is our school in Sumaila. To the right are some of the Philkans: Yours truly, Angel, Milo Chancoco, Rodel & others. Lower left corner, I was with Dr. Ladao and the late Ben Corpuz. The last is from Knotts Berry Farm or Disneyland ? What I will try to do next is to post those beautiful slides from friends in my INBOX. I am enjoying learning this !!! Okay, again, Sai an jima from Sumaila

PHILIKANS CORRECTED TO PHILKANS

2006-08-03T17:54:00.000-07:00

Well, well, what do we have here ? By virtue of special request from Her Heartfulness & Cheerfulness Majesty Manang Nati Palanca, I succeeded yesterday in granting what she desires: "PHILKANS" Alisin daw 'yung letter "i". Eh, di alisin. I know this is not much to write about as news but the point is, it took me a while to learn to edit my first posting. Which means even if one is hesitant to do this blogging, if you will just play with it, you will learn it eventually. Anyway, I have to write something to report. I emailed Princess about it. Told her it is up to her if she wants to edit her posting, that is, as far as the word Philikans is changed to Philkans. Most have not received yet what Manang Nati will send in the mail. So it will take some time before we see some blogs from other members. Manang Nati was very happy when I told her about this blog, even requested for a print-out of the first postings.

Our next gathering will be on August 19th at Boy's place to celebrate some August birthday celebrants. I have no specific person/s in mind. What I have in mind is a little advance information. It will be a bigger gathering on the 27th of August at TODAI in Orange to celebrate some August birthday celebrants again plus the graduation of Dr. Socrates Santos Susim, that's my son. He graduated last June 10th . We can't set an early celebration then because immediately after graduating, he started his Residency at Arrowhead Medical Center.

I have nothing more to report. Sai an jima, nagode Allah.

Kanoans at Manang Hipol's b'day bash.

2006-08-01T08:25:00.000-07:00

Hi, a group of Phillikans were in Paramount last Saturday, 07-29, to join Manang Purita Hipol celebrate her 77th birthday -- Nati Palanca, the Hornillas - Lily and Cesar, the Bernardos - Coring and Alex, the Ferrans - Rodel and Tessie, Ruben Manalo and his wife, Brenda, Angel Mariano, Gloria Paradero and husband, William, and Cleoty with her daughter Jane. We missed the Susims (Andy and Raquel), Garcias (Boy and Cita) and Chato Mariano. (Also expected, were the Villaruels - Riz and Tony).
Hi-lites of the celebration was a short discussion about the planned reunion on December 9th in Long Beach (Hornilla's place). We really, really hope this pushes through!! Also, Rodel, accompanied on the guitar by Angel, sang a special song for the celebrant; the celebrant herself sang, too. Nati and the group, as usual, kept the mood high with their medley of native melodies. The group parted by 8:00 p.m.
It will be real nice if we could find the time to come together and just talk and sing once a month!!! (Princess and Edgar Parungao - parungao.home@verizon.net)

PHILKANS BLOG IS HERE

2006-07-30T22:39:00.000-07:00

Hello there all Philkans all over the USA wherever you are !!! This is ANDY SUSIM from SUMAILA !!! Sanu, sanu ! Ina kwana ? Ina gadiya ? Yaya aiki !!! Wow, Na manta mi Hausa !!! Ay, mali yata 'yon !!! This is my second attempt to have some means of communication among us Philkans here in the USA and anywhere else. My first one is the Newsletter to which only Princess responded . Okay let's forget that now. I hope many will have time to contribute something to OUR PHILKANS BLOG. I am not very savvy on these things so please help me !!! Manang Nati Palanca has the partial list of all Philkans here in California and in the East Coast. Anyone (Philkans or not) who happens by chance to see this blog and wants to share, participate, or contact us, you are all welcome; here is my email address: asusim@sbcglobal.net