Jueteng costs

VIEWPOINTS
Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz

09/30/2010

During the previous administration, the committees concerned in the Philippine Senate scheduled and conducted many and long hearings about the “What?,” the “Why?” and the “Who?” of the disgusting and nauseating illegal, sick and sickening illegal numbers game called “jueteng” — a distinct racket that has been long since commonly considered as a most vicious cause of the exploitation of the poor vis-a-vis the indecent enrichment of the jueteng lords and their cohorts. Herewith infallibly goes the big and regular jueteng payolas that go regularly to corrupt collaborating local public officials who see nothing, hear nothing and say nothing about the downright illegal numbers game being played under their noses. In the same way, fat and continuous jueteng bribes also go to crooked police authorities who act as very willing and able protectors of the same rigged and crooked numbers game.

Let it be herein formally and specifically said once and for all, that the said long existing and well operational illegal numbers game in this country has the following three major social costs — without even any reference to their downright grave immoral nature and serious unethical dimension, concretely in conjunction with the natural societal mandates of “Do not steal.” and “Do not desire what belongs to others.”

One: Jueteng ravages and even demolishes the good name and rightful reputation of the whole Philippine National Police (PNP), despite the standing truth that only a few of their members are bought — body, soul and spirit — by jueteng payolas through the jueteng protection they undertake. It is not simply unfair but downright unjust that the national agency that precisely stands for law and order, is perceived as exactly otherwise.

Two: Jueteng in fact demeans the offices and in effect debases the persons themselves of the public officials in the country — judging by the way people in general praise said officials to high heavens when facing them, but look down at them as dirty rags when their backs are turned. This is not only basically wrong as they are all public servants — and that only but few of them are jueteng protectors or operators, and thus act and behave like Royalty in a Republican democracy that is the Philippines.

Three: Jueteng does the most detestable disservice to the country categorically in terms of destroying the nature and spirit of its electoral system: Reason: Millions upon millions of jueteng payola transfer hands — ending in the hands of these and those political candidates. This means: One, when these candidates win the elections, they are much beholden to the jueteng lords. Two, when they assume office they cannot but allow jueteng to have its merry way and fun-time in their respective territorial territories. Three, jueteng then merrily goes on and on and on and...!

(Reprinted with permission of Archbishop Emeritus Oscar V. Cruz, from www.ovc.blogspot.com)

DC Legacies continued

Well this time it's Flash.

You’d think that the legacy of the Flashes would be much more complicated than the legacy of Aquaman. I happen to believe that the Flash legacy is fairly easy to understand. It’s a tight group of allies bound around a central family and its many branches. Let’s visit the past, present and future of the Fastest Legacy Alive.

DC Comics LEGACIES: A Field Guide #3: FLASH FACTS is a good read on some Flash facts.

Pre-Crisis: Your original Flash was Jay Garrick, who debuted in “Flash Comics” #1 in 1940. He got super-speed thanks to hard water fumes (just go with it) and adopted the look of Mercury (winged hat). Flash became a member of the Justice Society at their founding, and, along with girlfriend/later-wife Joan, was present during the battle with Ian Karkull that gave most of the JSA and their wives energy that prevented them from aging at a normal rate.
You can blame Jay, in part, for the DC multiverse, if you like. I explained that all back in 2005, which you can still read by climbing on our cosmic treadmill here. As you now understand, when the Silver Age began, Jay and the other original heroes became the denizens of Earth-2, and would frequently visit the heroes of the then-current DCU, Earth 1. Earth 1’s Flash was, of course . . .

Barry Allen: Barry Allen became The Flash of Earth-1 in “Showcase” #4 (1956) when a lightning bolt struck the rack of chemicals that he was standing next to, bathing the police chemist in speed (actually, the likelihood that speed is on a police evidence shelf is fairly high). Barry made his mark as the hero of Central City, and was a founder of the Justice League of America. Barry later married his girlfriend, Iris West. Iris had a nephew named . . .

Wally West: Wally happened along in “The Flash” #110 in 1959. On a visit to Barry’s lab, Wally experienced the same exact accident as Barry, and the young man gained super-speed powers of his own. It’s been suggested that the lightning bolt that caused Wally’s accident was actually Barry traveling back in time after the events of “Crisis on Infinite Earths”. As it was, Wally became Kid Flash. He adventured for years, helping found the Teen Titans, until afflicted with a disorder that was slowly killing him when he used his powers. Then came . . .

Crisis on Infinite Earths: After a lengthy trial fueled in part by the machinations of Kadabra, Barry and Iris retired to the 30th Century, from whence Iris had actually originally come. The couple had twin children, Don and Dawn. When the red skies and crazy weather of Crisis began, Barry went into action. Pulled through time, Barry became the prisoner of the Anti-Monitor. He eventually broke free and destroyed the villain’s anti-matter cannon at the cost of his own life. At his death, Barry’s image travelled back through time, allowing him to be seen briefly by others, like Wally. Wally went along with the heroes that went to confront the Anti-Monitor for a final battle. During the conflict, Wally was hit with a blast of energy that cured his disease. At the close of the Crisis, Wally became the new Flash.

Can't wait for part 4

Usagi Yojimbo

Think feudal Japan but with funny animals. Usagi Yojimbo is one of the best indie comics to be published back in the 1980's when manga was still strictly Japanese.
Created by Stan Sakai, it tells the story of a rabbit ronin set in the Edo period Japan. It tells the stories of Japanese History and Japanese folklore and such.

Concept

Set primarily at the beginning of Edo period of Japan (early 17th century), with anthropomorphic animals replacing humans, it features a rabbit ronin, Miyamoto Usagi, who is partially based on the famous swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. Usagi wanders the land on a musha shugyo (warrior's pilgrimage) occasionally selling his services as a bodyguard. Usagi Yojimbo is heavily influenced by Japanese cinema and has included references to the work of Akira Kurosawa (the title of the series is derived from Kurosawa's 1960 film Yojimbo) and to icons of popular Japanese cinema such as Lone Wolf and Cub, Zatoichi, and Godzilla. The series is also influenced somewhat by Groo the Wanderer by Sergio Aragonés (Sakai is the letterer for that series), but the overall tone of Usagi Yojimbo is typically less comedic.

The books consist of short stories, and occasionally novel-length stories, with underlying larger plot-lines which culminate in long extended story lines. The stories include many references to Japanese history and Japanese folklore, and sometimes include mythical creatures. The architecture, clothes, weapons, and other objects are drawn with a faithfulness to the period's style. There are often stories whose purpose is to illustrate various elements of Japanese arts and crafts, such as the fashioning of kites, swords, and pottery. Those efforts have been successful enough for the series to be awarded a Parents' Choice Award in 1990 for its educational value through Stan's "skillful weaving of facts and legends into his work."[1] The series also follows the standard traditional Japanese naming convention for all featured characters: their family names followed by their given names. Usagi was named the thirty-first greatest comic book character by Empire Magazine.[2]

Trinity Blood: A history

The first time I watched this anime about 2 years ago blew me away. The graphics was really good. The openning theme from the group Buck-Tick was perfect for the story.

Trinity Blood (トリニティ・ブラッド, Toriniti Buraddo?) is a series of Japanese light novels written by Sunao Yoshida with illustrations by Thores Shibamoto and originally serialized in The Sneaker, freely inspired by a historical personality, Caterina Sforza. Set 900 years after an apocalyptic war between humans and vampires, the series focuses on the on-going cold war between the Vatican, the human government, and the Empire, the government of the Methuselah. Fighting on the Vatican's side is Abel Nightroad, a Crusnik–a vampire that feeds on vampires. A blend of sci-fi, fantasy, and political intrigue, as some in the Vatican and the Empire strive for peace, the Rosen Kreuz Order will do anything to stop it.



Trinity Blood has been adapted into both manga and anime series, with continuity differences between the three versions. After Yoshida's death on July 15, 2004, Kentaro Yasui, his friend and the author of Ragnarok novels, stepped in to complete the remaining novels. Yasui also aided in completing the manga, with illustrations by Kiyo Kujō.[1] The anime series, spanning 24 episodes, was produced by Gonzo and originally aired on WOWOW network.

When Earth's population drastically increased, humanity, led by the United Nations, attempted to colonize Mars. During the colonization, they discovered two alien technologies: the Bacillus and the Crusnik nanomachines. The colonists installed the Bacillus in their bodies which transformed them into Methuselahs. They installed the Crusnik in the bodies of four test tube babies: Seth, Cain, Abel and Lilith whose enhanced bodies were the only ones able to survive the procedure.

Continuing wars on Earth eventually led to "Armageddon," the apocalyptic event that happened 900 years before the start of the story, and the colonists returned to Earth to help with rebuilding. However, when the colonists returned to Earth, a war broke out between the Methuselahs and the humans who had remained on earth. Abel, Cain, and Seth took the Methuselah's side—while Lilith supported the Vatican, which guarded humanity. During the war, Cain went insane and killed Lilith. In grief, Abel took her body to the Vatican where she was buried. Abel remained at her side, weeping for her, for 900 years.

At the start of the story, the vampiric Methuselahs, still a major political and military force, continue to wage war on the "Terrans," as they call regular humans. The Roman Catholic Church is a major military power determined to protect humans from the Methuselahs, with its seat of power based in the Vatican. The Methuselahs have their capital in Byzantium, which is surrounded by a field of particles to filter out UV radiation, protecting the Methuselah population.

Both groups use "lost technologies", such as airships, missiles, and computers, to engage in a cold war with one another. A third great power, Albion also plays a role in the war with its superior arsenal of lost technology and weapons and higher level of manufacturing ability versus the Vatican. The independent monarchy of Albion is a primarily human country, however the secret of their expertise in lost technology is found in the Ghetto, an underground city of enslaved Methuselah. It is these Methuselah who operate and manufacture the lost technology, but with the death of the Albion Queen, some of the enslaved vampires begin a rebellion for the freedom of all of the Ghetto residents.

While the novels, manga, and anime series all cover the same basic story and feature many of the same characters, they do have some minor and major differences. Each has its own unique variation on the major story arcs, and in general the novels give the most detail concerning the political elements and background information on the stories. There are a few minor name changes and many details found in the novels are not given in the anime or manga.
Dietrich's character design, as seen in the manga, is younger and more boyish than in the anime

The artwork also differs from all three versions, as the character designs were each created by different artists. There are similarities, however, as Shibamoto is responsible for the novel illustrations, while Kiyo Kujō based his work in the manga on Shibamoto's original designs.[1] In the anime series, Dietrich von Lohengrin's cold, evil nature is reflected in his appearance, while in the manga he has a softer, bishōnen design that is incongruous with his actual nature. Similarly, Endre is described as looking like a boy of around 10–12 years old,[2] while in the anime he is given an adult appearance.[3] In additions to variants in appearances, there are differences in personalities relationships between the versions, and there are some characters that are unique to each adaptation. Sister Noelle, whose death devastates Abel in the anime series and in the novels, does not exist in the manga series. Alternatively, neither the anime nor manga adaptations mention Tres' two "brothers".

Depending on the adaptation, some events occur at varying points in the story, while other events are unique to a single adaptation. The anime series' introductory-style episodes are based on the novel segments with the same names, but they are told in a different story. For example, in the novels, "From the Empire", the chapter in which Abel meets Asthe is the third chapter, following Flight Night and Witch Hunt,[2] However, in the anime, From the Empire is the eleventh episode, coming after the Star of Sorrow arc and the Silent Noise incident. Conversely, the manga starts right with the Star of Sorrow arc and Abel meeting Esther and Dietrich. The Neumann brothers and their related story elements are found only in the novels. In the novels, it was Abel who interrupted the Cardinal's gathering, rather than Caterina or Leon, and the only people available to investigate the Silent Noise incident in Rome are Abel, Tres, and Leon.[4]

Trinity Blood Opening

Trinity Blood ending theme

DC comics Legacies part 1

Well part 1 features Supes and Bats.


Check out the newsarama link.

Superman: Most of these entries will have to carry some kind of designation as to whether they report on Pre-Crisis or current continuity. Frankly, there have been a lot of “imaginary” stories about the Superman legacy, including a great take from Superman Family #200 from 1980 that shows “Laura Kent”, the daughter of Clark and Lois, slowly realizing that she’s developing super-powers in her teen years. The Superman legacy also contains an added wrinkle in the form of Power Girl. How’s that? Read on.

In terms of “our” Batman, his legacy consists mainly of the veritable army of sidekicks, students, and allies he’s inspired. First is Dick Grayson, the original Robin; Dick graduated to the identity of Nightwing before recently assuming the mantle of Batman himself. The second Robin, Jason Todd, was killed by the Joker, revived during “Infinite Crisis”, and became the nefarious Red Hood. Robin number three, Tim Drake, has adopted the identity of Red Robin. The fourth Robin, Stephanie Brown, started out as young heroine Spoiler; after a period where she was believed dead, Steph re-emerged and eventually became the current Batgirl. The current Robin, Damien Wayne, is the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia Ah Ghul, the daughter of his enemy Ra’s Ah Ghul.

Part 2 involves Aquaman: read the newsarama article

Aquaman of Earth-2: Aquaman’s actually a surprisingly complicated case. The beginning is rather simple; the Aquaman that we would consign to Earth-2 appeared in 1941 and more or less ran until 1959. That Aquaman had a different origin. His father was a human ocean explorer, and that father “taught” Aquaman his powers after studying texts that came from Atlantis (though he was shown with gills at times). The Earth-2 Aquaman did pop up in “All-Star Sqaudron” in the ‘80s, but vanished from continuity after “Crisis on Infinite Earths”, replaced in his Squadron membership along with other major heroes in the new Earth continuity by the Young All-Stars (with Neptune Perkins being his analogue) and The Spider (who subbed for Green Arrow, post-Crisis).

Aquaman of Earth-1: The more familiar take on Aquaman kicked off in 1959. Lighthouse keeper Tom Curry saved a woman during a storm; she was Atlanna, an exile from Atlantis. They fell in love, and she gave birth to the son they named Arthur. As a toddler, Arthur’s abilities began to appear. Tom later married again, and the issue of that union was Orm Curry, Arthur’s half-brother. Orm would later become the villain Ocean Master, marking Aquaman as one of the heroes that can actually claim a villain as part of his legacy. Make a note of that villain part. We’ll see it again.

Your Faithfulness

This is my devotional song for today and I like to share it with you guys.



This song is brilliant and melodic at the same time. It really helps me in these troubled times.