Stories below the fold

 Another day, another low pressure area/storm...

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StrategyPage has a wars update that you might want to bookmark and read at your leisure.
Here is what they write about the Philippines:  

The Moslems have, as always, lots of clan feuds and internal violence, which will survive the autonomy deal with the government. Meanwhile, most Filipinos are more concerned with endemic corruption and the resulting economic stagnation. 

Corruption? Well, so far, Gloria is still free, and the murderers of Manguindao still haven't gone to trial (nor has the murderer of our nephew who flew the coop right before being picked up). But the RH bill was passed, to the delight of US NGO's, Big Pharma, and the US state department. ..from Wikileaks:

“USAID technical assistance enables pharmaceutical companies to launch lower-priced contraceptive products,” Amb. Kenny said in the cable, later adding, “Within the past three years, annual funding levels for population and family planning from the US Government have increased from around $13M to $15M.”

 Now, if someone would just fund midwives for the 40 percent of women who deliver at home with untrained birth attendants...

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Another StrategyPage article is about the background stories you never hear about.


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Professor Mary Beard just got awarded an OBE. Congratulations.

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New Sin Tax hits cigarettes in the Philippines. Local farmers will suffer, and are protesting it, but hey, it was pushed (with lots of money) by US Anti smoking organizations (read Nanny Bloomberg).

Presumably this will result in stimulating the job market for cigarette smugglers:

It is doubtful whether the “sin tax” would be able to curb smoking.  What is sure is that there will be a huge boost for cigarette smuggling. Cigarette smuggling will certainly flourish because it will become lucrative.
If China with its tight security and efficient coastal border patrol is unable to curb the smuggling of cigarettes, then how can the Philippines control the expected deluge of cigarette smuggling with our porous borders and a virtually unguarded coastline?

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Before there was Hachicko, there was Greyfriar's Bobby.

film here.