Give peace a chance?

 

US President Trump says Gaza plan includes the creation of a new international oversight body – the so-called 'Board of Peace' – which will also include former British PM Tony Blair and other people who will be named later.

🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/xEWtYfRyUQ pic.twitter.com/a999FzuT9j

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 29, 2025

I'd be more optimistic if I didn't know that the fighting in the Middle East has been going on for over three thousand years, predating Islam, Judism and Christianity.

there is even a Wikipedia page listing some of the wars since 1000 BC ...

However, the battle of Kadesh predates that battle by a few hundred years...and before then, the Egyptian Mittani war was fought.

And don't forget the Battle of Meggido.

Yup. does the word Armageddon sound familiar?

Most people are praying for peace, and while Hamas propaganda has turned many people against Israel, that doesn't mean that the local Arab countries aren't willing to try to stop the conflict, since similar crazies have destablized nearby countries, with the help of Iranian money.

Bill Maher dares to notice Nigerian persecution of Christians

 Religious persecution in Nigeria has been going on for decades. Remember when Michelle Obama headed a protest to bring back the Christian girls kidnapped by Boko Harum?

 

Well, this Sept 2024 Zenit reports stuff like that is still going on. 

both Christian and Muslim communities have been ravaged by armed groups. According to the report, Nigeria experienced a staggering 9,970 attacks, resulting in the deaths of 55,910 people and the kidnapping of over 21,000 individuals during this period. Alarming report: crisis of violence and kidnappings against Christians in Nigeria rises to critical levels |  

But the story has been ignored by the western media.

 But now, a famous comedian dared to mention it in his show, and accused the US MSM for ignoring what has been going on there, implying the lack of coverage is partly racist, partly because the MSM doesn't cover Christians (or moderate Muslims) being killed but mainly because the Jews/Israel can't be blamed for the deaths.

So the press did cover Maher's remarks, but in a snarky way:

For example, this MSM doesn't say Bill Maher rebukes the MSM for it's lack of coverage: The headline say he "gripes" about it,

Gripes?  Gripe usually implies complaining about a petty thing that annoys you, not horror and dismay about genocide. 

But at least they did a full report of the discussion of which I post part here:

On Friday night’s edition of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher...

Rep. Mace said the slaughter of Christians in Syria was ignored at the UN this week, and Maher interjected that the same is true for Nigeria. He diagnosed the apathy in relation to the situation in Gaza:

REP. NANCY MACE: We saw the world leaders come to New York this week, the UN summit, and we had the president of Syria, the prime minister of Syria there, and while he’s there speaking at the UN, speaking with world leaders, we gave him a visa to travel here. There were Christian villages in Syria that were being burned down.

BILL MAHER: And Nigeria.

REP. NANCY MACE: No, in Syria.

BILL MAHER: No, but both. 

REP. NANCY MACE: In Nigeria, yes.

BILL MAHER: Nigeria, I mean, the fact that this issue has not gotten on people’s radar…

REP. NANCY MACE: Right, no one’s talking about it.

BILL MAHER: It’s pretty amazing. If you don’t know what’s going on in Nigeria, your media sources suck. You are in a bubble.

And again, I’m not a Christian, but they are systematically killing the Christians in Nigeria. They’ve killed… Over 100,000 since 2009. They burned 18,000 churches. This is so much more…

These are the Islamists, Boko Haram. This is much more of a genocide attempt than what is going on in Gaza.

They are literally attempting to wipe out the Christian population of an entire country. Where are the kids protesting this?...

Well, because the Jews aren’t involved. That’s why. It’s the Christians and the Muslims who cares.  

The deaths are not just from Boko Harum but also from the Fulani herders who have been inspired and armed by Islamicist leaders to invade farmland and kill the mainly Christian farmers: most of those killed by both groups are Christians, and often churches and pastors are being killed or kidnapped, but moderate Muslims are also being attacked.

persecution has been covered in various Christian news outlets however, and here is a dicussion on July 10 on EWTN (start at 35 minutes)

:

here is a report from SkyNews Australia

more on my African blog.

can this increase rice yields?

 mainly a link to the article so I can read it later.

From Science Daily:

the rice of the green revolution requires lots and lots of fertilizer but the crops only utilize part of what is used. Could microdoses of Selenium increase the utilization of nitrogen and allow less fertilizer to be used?

professors of environmental processes and pollution control at Jiangnan University discovered, is that nanoscale selenium, an element crucial for plant and human health, when applied to the foliage and stems of the rice, reduced the negative environmental impacts of nitrogen fertilization by 41% and increased the economic benefits by 38.2% per ton of rice, relative to conventional practices.,,

Selenium stimulates the plant's photosynthesis, which increased by more than 40%. Increased photosynthesis means the plant absorbs more CO2, which it then turns into carbohydrates. Those carbohydrates flow down into the plant's roots, which causes them to grow.

Bigger, healthier roots release a host of organic compounds that cultivate beneficial microbes in the soil, and it's these microbes that then work symbiotically with the rice roots to pull more nitrogen and ammonium out of the soil and into the plant, increasing its NUE from 30 to 48.3%, decreasing the amount of nitrous oxide and ammonia release to the atmosphere by 18.8-45.6%.

 

With more nutrients coming in, the rice itself produces a higher yield, with a more nutritious grain: levels of protein, certain critical amino acids, and selenium also jumped. On top of all of this, Xing, Wang and their colleagues found that their nano-selenium applications allowed farmers to reduce their nitrogen applications by 30%.

Since rice cultivation accounts for 15-20% of the global nitrogen use, this new technique holds real promise for helping to meet the triple threat of growing population, climate change, and the rising economic and environmental costs of agriculture.

not my area of expertise: I will have to ask Kuya about this, since he is the plant expert of our rice business. 

Storm update: Heavy rains here

 

TROPICAL CYCLONE BULLETIN NR. 18
Severe Tropical Storm #OpongPH (BUALOI)
Issued at 2:00 PM, 26 September 2025
Valid for broadcast until the next bulletin at 5:00 PM today.

OPONG HAS MADE ANOTHER LANDFALL OVER MANSALAY, ORIENTAL MINDORO.

DOST-PAGASA
Website Link:… pic.twitter.com/pRPIGxk9XJ

— PAGASA-DOST (@dost_pagasa) September 26, 2025

...

heavy rains here, and overcast but no wind.

Heavy Rainfall Warning No. 5 #NCR_PRSD
Weather System: Severe Tropical Storm OPONG
Issued at: 2:00 PM, 26 September 2025(Friday)

YELLOW WARNING LEVEL: Metro Manila, Rizal, Quezon, Laguna, Batangas and Cavite.
ASSOCIATED HAZARD: FLOODING in flood-prone areas.
Meanwhile, light to… pic.twitter.com/arDAX5vk3j

— PAGASA-DOST (@dost_pagasa) September 26, 2025

Socrates and the importance of law

 most of the Catholic bishops are as quiet on Charlie Kirk's assasination

this is the sermon at the Red Mass, which is the yearly celebration of the legal profession.

The religious service requests guidance from the Holy Spirit for all who seek justice, and offers the legal community an opportunity to reflect on the power and responsibility of all in the legal profession.

Mainly posted so I can listen to it on my tablet later.

seeding the AI answers

 I only uses Grok to look up history or medical stuff. 

But even in the medical stuff, I trust my own investigations instead of what they say. Sometimes it means I have to ignore the first few pages of my DDG search to find the article I want, because the first line articles are the most popular i.e. pushed by the crowds or the ones who are self selected experts. But never mind. The truth is out there, even if you have to do a deep search (and Grok will list the references if you ask nicely).

Why? Because in the olden days we docs used to have small journal groups, where we discussed articles from journals and pulled them apart, using our own expertise or other journal articles. Lots of bad science or bias in those days, so things haven't changed. 

What has changed is that now doctors are being pressured to follow guidelines or they won't get paid.

But often clinical guidelines were summaries of what was being published. 

But what gets published? And who checks the science?

And even 20 plus years ago, Dr Marcia Angells of the NEJM was cautioning about the influence of what we now call Big Pharma on medical practice and what gets published in medical journals

 

But it goes beyond shoddy science: The ethics of medicine were being changed by the economic pressures to join HMOs, to use only cost effective treaments, and in places like the UK, this means obeying guidelines biased by your quality of life index.

Fast forward to AI.

We see how the discussion of the COVID response has backfired to the point that people no longer trust doctors, and some are suspicious of getting shots (with good reason: Most are lifesaveing but some are given to everyone instead of the high risk population, so the side effect/benefit ratio gets skewered.)

 We saw this in the Philippines with the Dengue vaccine kerfuffle, and nnded up with kids dying of measles and diphtheria because their parents got afraid of all shots: So one wonders what will happen if a large minority of first world parents do the same.

Well, anyway, right now, a lot of people act as if  AI is god and infallible. But it isn't: It is an  algorhithm, and summarizes what is on line. 

which brings me to the lies about Charlie Kirk. 

So anyway, while perusing the ususal loud voices of controversy, and trying not to notice all the lies about Charlie Kirk by those who obviously never listened to him but only were parroting straw man arguments they were told to believe, I came across this observation via Instapundit on GermanOddities blog:

People published fake quotes pretending that the people speaking at Charlie’s funeral were fully fascists and were basically not speaking from the heart but quoting literal Nazis. These quotes are an absolute lie. A blatant one. At first I was like. This is dumb. Why would they do this? Then… I was drinking a glass of wine late at night and suddenly it hit me. “They are feeding the AI!”

,,,If you just state something often enough, AI believes it to be factual.

italics mine.

of course this goes both ways.

It reminds me that what is important is not who votes, but who counts the votes. 

There are sociopaths and true believers who will deliberately use their power to have you lose your job, similar to what they did with the Covid vaccine, with the gender ideology, or if you are a medical resident who refuses to do an abortion (or stealth euthanasia) (long story), well, you can lose your job or have your talk destroyed by mobs, or even be attacked for saying the truth...

Which is why I am leery about firing those who tweet they support murder of their political enemies: No, if you fire them you will not silence them, alas. They are in a bubble and literally don't know what is the truth.

 

the remedy is the truth.

what stopped the communists/ fascists/other dictators who pushed the BIG LIE  was that there were communities of memory outside the mainstream that refused to lie, and kept the candle of truth alive: The churches, the social clubs, the families, etc. 

And in today's world, this might mean small churches, small prayer groups and small conservative action groups that refuse to stay silent in the face of the mobs.

 

another day another storm due to hit: expect flooding

the last typhoon hit the extreme north of the Philippines but the low pressure sucked in the monsoon rains so western Luzon had floods. This includes Manila, which is on the west coast of Luzon.

The problem is that the roads in Manila often flood with heavy rain, due to poor drainage and the drainage canals being blocked by debris/trash that people just throw away into the streets or canals.

 Joy returned on Tuesday from Thailand  but she said that they did not run into flooded streets so got home from Manila without problems.

And now, another low pressure area is threatening to hit this weekend but like the last typhoon, it is close enough to suck in monsoon rains from the west, so they are closing schools in Manila (Not in our area however),,,,,,,

TROPICAL CYCLONE BULLETIN NR. 7
Severe Tropical Storm #OpongPH (BUALOI)
Issued at 5:00 AM, 25 September 2025
Valid for broadcast until the next bulletin at 8:00 AM today.

OPONG CONTINUES TO INTENSIFY WHILE MOVING WEST NORTHWESTWARD OVER THE PHILIPPINE SEA. pic.twitter.com/2xok5yaIdM

— PAGASA-DOST (@dost_pagasa) September 24, 2025

....

this video is in Tagalog but does show maps of what is going on

...

the heavy rains leading to floods is common in the Philippines, which is why there are huge anti corruption protests in Manila going on. 

Apparently, government had authorized billions of pesos for flood control projects, but somehow a lot of that money was misspent or disappeared.

note: Exchage rate is about 55 pesos for one US dollar, so one billion pesos is the equivalent of about 17 million USD.

ABS-CBN has timeline of the flood control scandal problem.

The flood control corruption scandal, which first came to light during President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s 2025 State of the Nation Address, centers on the alleged loss of P118 billion in government funds, which went to a web of favored contractors, lawmakers and other officials involved in the construction of government flood projects in the last 3 years.

Despite the reported completion of some 5,500 flood control projects since 2022, numerous media reports have revealed many substandard and “ghost” flood control projects that were exposed following massive floods in parts of the country this year

Go to link for timeline.

some projects not even started, some done but with shoddy materials and oodles of money possibly diverted to unknown parties.

>Wikipedia page here.

The controversy centers on billions of pesos allocated for flood management initiatives, reports of "ghost" projects,[a] substandard construction, and the alleged cornering of contracts by a small group of favored contractors. In response, a series of protests against alleged corruption was conducted in commemoration of the 1972 declaration of martial law.[b]

as the wikipedia article notes: This is a developing story.

The background? Corruption.

all the local bishops (not just the Catholic ones) have condemned those involved in the fraud.

“This scam is a clear betrayal of the public trust because it keeps billions of pesos from going to the most vulnerable populations, such as farmers and the urban poor,” the bishops said.

well duh.

until the bishops and other clergy start naming names and excommunicating those who stole the money, most of us will just shrug. 

the problem is that these people are "walang hiya": Without shame. 

This is the way some people do business, so probably a lot of them don't even recognize what they are doing is wrong.

But excuse me for not being impressed until they start throwing out the criminals. One doubts they will ever pay back what they diverted, or go to jail for fraud.

 As our ten year fight for justice against the ex mayor behind the hit that murdered our nephenw in the crossfire shows, justice is slow and incomplete, and when you die, never mind: You will be buried with a full requium mass complete with Knights of Columbus body guard

Sigh

however, as to typhoons and flooding: we are safe so far: here it is overcast with heavy rains on and off, but no flooding.

preparing for terrorist attack?

 

The Secret Service dismantled a network of more than 300 SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards in the New York-area that were capable of crippling telecom systems and carrying out anonymous telephonic attacks, disrupting the threat before world leaders arrived for the UN General… pic.twitter.com/sZKUeGqvGY

— U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) September 23, 2025

more here at LegalInsurrection:

a discovery officials say had the capacity to blind cellular communications and overwhelm emergency channels just as world leaders convened for the U.N. General Assembly...

investigators discovered tens of thousands of co-located and network cellular devices capable of carrying out nefarious telecommunications attacks. These devices allowed anonymous, encrypted communications between potential threat actors and criminal enterprises, enabling criminal organizations to operate undetected.

This network had the potential to disable cell phone towers and essentially shut down the cellular network in New York City.”

an article on electronic warfare can be read here if you want details on why this was a big threat.

Renenber when the Ukraine was attacked by Russia, and the west was dithering on how to help them? Well, Russia took out their communications networks, so Elon Musk positioned satellites and sent in receivers so they could use Starlink

>Wikipedia link might not be accurate but does have a lot of information about this.

here in the Philippines, China is involved in both internet and telecommunications, so we are vulnerable, and of course the internet cables go through the West Philppine sea....

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

update: Conservative news site Breitbart says the Simcards etc were involved with swatting attacks agianst Republicans and government officials.

Targets of the swatting calls reportedly include Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), and Nikki Haley. The Secret Service’s Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit, in collaboration with various law enforcement agencies, traced the swatting signals to several locations in the New York tri-state area. Upon further investigation, they found a sophisticated network of SIM servers capable of generating enormous amounts of phone traffic while rapidly switching out SIM cards to evade detection

.

Definition of swat attack:  calling in an emergency that requires police to intervene. This can be dangerous since the police assume criminal activity and might even send in a SWAT team, while those at the location might assume this is an attack by criminals and shoot in self defense.

If the system was used to attack political enemies, it suggests an entity willing to use sophisticated devices to harm for political purposes. But why use such a sophisticated network for what is usuallly seen as a prank or a minor crime?

But the real danger: That a rogue state operative is working with local terrorist groups.

This, not the murder of Chralie Kirk, might be one of the reasons Trumpieboy has declared Antifa to be a terrorist organization.

Developing...

Will adequate policing help settle Hatian violence?

 BusinessInsiderAfrica article on how the US/UN/Kenya and OAS is planning to expand police help to Haiti to fight gangs.

Kenya has had police there under a UN mandate for a few years, but were inadequatly funded and are due to leave.

More links on my Africa blog.

not a lot in the US news, where googling Haiti is mainly about Trumpieboy trying to send back half a million Haitians who fled that country, and the problem that he was taking funding from NGOs helping there. 

But now he is going along with the multinational effort to get peace. Miami Herald:   alternative link.

“The United States intends to share a draft U.N. Security Council Resolution with the U.N. Security Council that establishes a U.N. Support Office for a multinational security force in Haiti,” a State Department spokesperson confirmed to the Miami Herald.

something to remember when the left criticizes Trump for saying he plans to deport refugees and checking NGOs for fraud, or when the right criticize the UN.

Hey guys: Sometimes problems are complex but sometimes folks try to solve them. 

............................

update:

.@SecRubio nukes George Slopodopolous: "No one has died because the U.S. has cut aid. People have died because gangs steal the aid... People have died because other countries have not stepped up. But the U.S. has saved more lives... than any other country in the world." pic.twitter.com/9C1ia8gKyO

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 23, 2025

so no problem from rain

cloudy but not raining right now. No major damage from stormy winds last night:

Batten down the hatches

 

...

Hittint far north of Luzon, not in our area, we are only signal one: 

Pagasa added that the southwest monsoon and the trough of Nando will bring strong to gale-force gusts to Metro Manila, Central Luzon (areas not under wind signals), Calabarzon, and the Bicol Region.

TROPICAL CYCLONE BULLETIN NR. 23
Super Typhoon #NandoPH (RAGASA)
Issued at 2:00 PM, 22 September 2025
Valid for broadcast until the next bulletin at 5:00 PM today.

LIFE-THREATENING CONDITIONS PERSIST OVER THE NORTHERN PORTION OF NORTHERN LUZON AS “NANDO” PASSES VERY CLOSE TO… pic.twitter.com/cQGdpcfSz3

— PAGASA-DOST (@dost_pagasa) September 22, 2025

dark clouds here, moderate rain and gusty winds. 

Probably will not destroy things here. But the storm is sucking the monsoon rains here, so there is a danger of floods especially in places like Manila, where drainage is poor and there are a lot of demonstrations against corruption going on.

Joy due to fly back from Thailand tomorrow. No reports if the floods etc will delay flights, but the truck delivering rice to Manila (and picking her up) might have problems if the streets flood badly.

behind the kerfuffle: a small voice?

Ignore if you hate reliigon

Bishop Barron notes NatCR: 

 Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, has praised the late far-right influencer Charlie Kirk as an "apostle of civil discourse" and an exemplar of Christianity, the first major praise from a Catholic prelate following Kirk's shooting death on Wednesday, Sept. 10. Barron of course is an on line influencer.

and Bishop Strikland, who was axed from his job but is still a full bishop, has a similar take

...

So any other bishops defending him?

Cardinal Muller on NCReporter also noted:German Catholic 

Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller referred to Charlie Kirk as “a martyr for Jesus Christ” and condemned the “satanic celebration” of his death by some detractors...“[Kirk] gave his life in following his Lord, as a sacrifice for the truth that man is made in God’s image, male and female, and in opposition to the lies and self-mutilation promoted by so-called ‘trans ideology’ and ‘gender-affirming care,’” Cardinal Müller continued. “He upheld and lived in defense of the beauty and sanctity of marriage and family, as ordained by God the Creator, and stood up for the dignity of every human life from conception to natural death,” the German cardinal added.

hmmm... well he is German so what would he know?

but what about Yankee bishops?

The American bishops are quietly pushing the pro life and pro Jesus ideas but raarly get into the media: and those pushed by the Pope tend to be heretics nice guys who would never judge.

But then I ran into this:

Cardinal Dolan? Bigshot bishop of NYCity:

RealCLear POliticsarticle on hi

Cardinal Dolan: Charlie Kirk Was Like A "Modern Day St. Paul," Knew What Jesus Meant When He Said "The Truth Will Set You Free"CARDINAL TIMOTHY DOLAN: I was caught off guard, and that doesn’t happen much. I said, I wonder who he was—and this overwhelming sense of sorrow and renewal. I thought, I’ve got to learn about this guy.

The more I learned about him, I thought: this guy is a modern-day St. Paul. Missionary. Evangelist. Hero. He knew what Jesus meant when He said, “The truth will set you free.” Now, I understand he was pretty blunt and direct and did not try to avoid controversy or confrontation. The difference was the way, the mode, the style that he did it—always with respect. And not only was that a gracious, virtuous thing to do, it was effective.

When your opponents see, “This guy respects me. We disagree here, but he kind of enjoys me, and he’s thanking me for being here and telling me he appreciates the trust I have in him in sharing my views”—I thought, this guy can teach us something. I’ve been spending the last week reading about him. Last night I was at NYU Catholic Center with about 200 students, and this is what they talked about. You guys, you’ve got a box seat to what is going on in the world: this return to religion.

WTF?

it is almost as if his death is illuminating those who distrort and lie about him and his positions are the same ones who oppose traditional values.

Hmm

Canadian essayist DavidWarren had a similar take

At great personal risk, he took his arguments into the darkest regions of the American campus (I almost wrote, “darkest Africa” by mistake). And he acted, consistently, with honesty, good humour and cheer. Also with patience, and prudence, given his immersion in university environments. Because he had detached himself, personally, from the filth of campus life, he was able to obtain a magnificent education, and was more learned in political philosophy than any living soul, except perhaps Thomas Sowell (age ninety-five). Yet he was still young (barely thirty), and had an extraordinary career ahead of him — for he was profoundly lovable, even though he was smeared and libelled by “the Left.” He did not return their viciousness, for he was genuinely Christian.

The youth who knew him from TIcToc already knew what he believed, and reports of them returning to church I noted a few days ago

but except for Bishop Barron, these grownups didn't know who he was. Heck, I didn't know who he was for that matter.

It is getting late, so I will merely post this long discussion on Tucker Carlson about him so I can listen to this later. 

No I don't usually follow Tucker, but the interview is interesting

Civility

 From the BBC In Our Time Podcast:

civility

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the idea that Civility, in one of its meanings, is among the most valuable social virtues: the skill to discuss topics that really matter to you, with someone who disagrees and yet somehow still get along. In another of its meanings, when Civility describes the limits of behaviour that is acceptable, the idea can reflect society at its worst: when only those deemed 'civil enough' are allowed their rights, their equality and even their humanity. Between these extremes, Civility is a slippery idea that has fascinated philosophers especially since the Reformation, when competing ideas on how to gain salvation seemed to make it impossible to disagree and remain civil.

 

Striped Cows?

 

Japan wins 19th Ig Nobel Prize for painting stripes on a cow

A Japanese research team's experiment involving disguising a cow as a zebra to fend off bloodthirsty insects received the 2025 Ig Nobel Prize's biology category on Sept. 18, making this the 19th consecutive year a team from Japan has won.

The results indicated that painting cows and other livestock to look like zebras is an actual viable alternative to insecticides, representing a potential new method of pest control beneficial to both the environment and human health.

Of course the problem is how to make cow painting cost effective

Storm signals; another day, another typhoon

Nando forecast to develop into ‘super typhoon’ on Monday — Pagasa https://t.co/9FlfKb1DOV

— Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) September 19, 2025

...

Sigh.

And Joy is supposed to be flying back to Manila on Monday.

We are removing debris etc in preparation for the winds.

storm signals ahead: Culture war

In a rare after-action report, an Oregon Antifa group fears that Charlie's assassination may have backfired on them. They're also concerned over previously inactive conservatives now becoming "activated." They devise ways to sabotage the right. Read: https://t.co/HXwVJKyERa

— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) September 18, 2025

...

...

the local PhilInquirer of course has an editorial seeing the firing of Kimmel as a blow against freedom of speech. 

So the international media is parroting the talking points of the left wing of the Democratic party.

 Usually I would not object since I am a Democrat, but I do have a problem when a so called comedian spouts lies about a deliberate murder of someone whose opinions they disagree with. 

The Democrats as a whole have quietly  condemned the crime, but prefer to point fingers at guns rather than the explosion of hate by their followeers who wish death on anyone agreeing with Kirk.

Well President Obama lamented the crime, but he did not do a "Sister Souljah" moment and correct those who spread inflammatory lies about what happened.

A Sister Souljah moment is a politician's calculated public repudiation of an extremist person, statement, group, or position that is perceived to have some association with the politician's own party. 

It has been described as "a key moment when the candidate takes what at least appears to be a bold stand against certain extremes within their party" and as "a calculated denunciation of an extremist position or special interest group." 

This act is intended to be a signal to centrist voters that the politician is not beholden to those positions or interest groups.

italics mine.

And as long as they quietly let the more rabid of the party grab headlines, the more Democrats and Independents will leave the party.

Just sayin'. 

As I mentioned before, I hadn't heard of the guy, but apparently he was known well enough in the youth culture that he was parodied on South Park (no I don't watch SP either):

b

boomer actors get a second chance

so we are watching the series Only Murders in the Building, which is a hit murder mystery series:

...we are on series three, and despite all the talent, it is Meryl Streep who steals every scene she is in .

 

Hmm...here are some other examples.

Well, at least they are playing their own age not trying to look like teenagers like in Hallmark type films, and all the characters are a bit quirky. 

So a nice cozy mystery series if you are getting tired of all the films that have murder porn i.e. constant shoot outs where no one cares if the ones killed are dead or alive or have families.

I am a fan of what is called cozy mysteries: and the queen of cozy mysteries is of course, Agatha Christie.

And her Miss Marple was a godsend for actresses who are over the sex symbol age.

,

..

some of the MIss Marples are played by the best actresses in the film industry including Helen Hayes, Angela Lansbury, and for the BBC, Joan HIckson et al.

I like the later Miss Marples but it is Hickson that most mirrors the character in the book

And if you can find it, the Margaret Rutherford Miss Marple is not true to the books but is a classic in it's own way.

Finally, again if you can find it, one spin off of the character is of course Murder she wrote. The character does not resemble Miss Marple (she is more optimistic and warm for one thing) but it does show how an actress can age gracefully.

Revival time

 I live in the Philippines so can't judge this, but if CNN says it's so, maybe it's true?

Religion is making a revival, and at the center is Roman Catholicism who has laypeople on line at the head, not the Vatican per se.

... this summer Pope Leo met with 1,000 Catholic influencers –...at the Vatican, underlining the importance of what the church leadership sees as “digital missionaries.”  

and don't forget that the church just declared a computer nerd a saint.

and now it is open, as we see thousands praying at meetings mourning the death of conservative and Christian influencer Charlie Kirk, a Prostestant married to a Catholic.

Glenn Reynolds, aka Instapundit, writes about when a preference cascade becomes a flood: He identifies this as the quiet people finally realizing that they are not the only ones with these beliefs and that Kirk's death is bringing them out into the open.

related story from western PA from Selena Zito:

The awakening few see coming

She describes the packed churches after the assasination of Charles Kirk and interviews a pastor of a non denomenational church near colleges in Pittsburgh:

These young people are rejecting an ideology that’s inherently against the idea of God....But there in my church, there is very, very, very little conversation about politics...The conversation is people need Jesus and a return to traditional ways of thinking about identity and relationships, and our place in the world, and what really matters in life,”...

 

 “The wave has been rising. And I think that the assassination of Charlie Kirk just reinforces some of these core values...

The Sanctuary wasn’t the only congregation to be filled to the rafters. My tiny little country Catholic church was packed in the aisles and at the door... 

Howard said this return to faith may not be just about Kirk, adding that not everyone at their services agreed with all of his politics.

“But the one thing that everyone is agreeing on is his boldness about his faith in Jesus,” he said.

Before Kirk’s death, there was this sense that if you talked about your faith, there would be guaranteed backlash, explained Howard.

“You see this politically. Well, it’s similar when it comes to faith, where it’s like, if I’m open and honest about what I really believe, I will be called a bigot. I will be called hateful. I will be called an enemy of love, and I will be sidelined, and I’ll be persecuted. And that has been the reality for the last 20 years,” he said.

“Well, now what you’re seeing is people who are saying, I don’t care. I’m going to be bold and unashamed,” Howard said.

“These kids have a light that pierces through the darkness, and that can actually change what’s wrong in our world,” Howard said. “And this is our moment.” .....

musical interlude of the day

 

lyrics: this is a mixture of two songs

You who dwell in 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 raise you up on eagle's wings,

 Bear you on the breath of dawn, 

Make you to shine like the sun, 

And hold you in the palm of His Hand. 

 The snare of the fowler will never capture you,

 And famine will bring you no fear; 

Under His Wings your refuge, 

his faithfulness your shield.

And He will raise you up on eagle's wings, 

Bear you on the breath of dawn, 

Make you to shine like the sun, 

And hold you in the palm of His Hand. 

 You need not fear the terror of the night, 

Nor the arrow that flies by day, 

Though thousands fall about you, 

Near you it shall not come. 

 And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,

 Bear you on the breath of dawn, 

Make you to shine like the sun, 

And hold you in the palm of His Hand. 

 For to His angels He's given a command, 

To guard you in all of your ways, 

Upon their hands they will bear you up, 

Lest you dash your foot against a stone. 

 And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,

 Bear you on the breath of dawn, 

Make you to shine like the sun, 

And hold you in the palm of His Hand. 

And hold you in the palm of His Hand.

and this one:

Original lyrics: 

 It must have been cold there in my shadow 

To never have sunlight on your face 

You've been content to let me shine 

You always walked the step behind 

 I was the one with all the glory 

While you were the one with all the strength

 Only a face without a name 

I never once heard you complain 

 Did you every know that you're my hero? 

And everything I'd like to be 

I can fly higher than an eagle 

'Cause you are the wind beneath my wings 

 It might have alleard to go unnoticed 

But I've got it all here in my heart 

I want you to know I know the truth 

I would be nothing without you 

 did you ever know that you're my hero? 

And everything I'd like to be 

I can fly higher than an eagle 

'Cause you are the wind beneath my wings

terraces

We have lovely terraces in the mountains of Luzon, and when I lived in Zimbabwe I vacationed in the eastern part where abandoned terraces were on the hills behind the mission where I was staying. I just posted about these little known terraces on my Africa Blog.

So I asked Grok about what ancient countries had terraces: Mainly posted for my own information and I put it in italics so you know it a quote.

Terracing, the practice of carving flat, arable platforms into sloped terrain, emerged independently across various ancient civilizations as a solution to cultivate land in hilly or mountainous regions. Below is a concise overview of the history of terraces in the ancient world, focusing on key countries and cultures that developed them. ### **Origins and Purpose** Terracing likely began as early as the Neolithic period (ca. 10,000–2,000 BCE) when agriculture spread and populations needed to maximize arable land. Terraces prevented soil erosion, managed water runoff, and created stable fields for crops in challenging terrains. The practice was labor-intensive, often requiring stone walls or earthworks, and reflected advanced agricultural and engineering knowledge. ### **Ancient Civilizations with Terracing** 1. **Mesopotamia (Modern Iraq, ca. 3000 BCE)** - **Evidence**: Early terraces appeared in the hilly regions of Mesopotamia, particularly in the Zagros Mountains. Sumerians and later Babylonians used terracing to cultivate crops like barley and wheat in sloped areas. -

 **Significance**: Terracing supported irrigation systems, channeling water from rivers like the Tigris and Euphrates. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon (if historical, ca. 6th century BCE) may have been a terraced structure, though evidence is debated. 2. **China (ca. 2000 BCE, Shang and Zhou Dynasties)** - 

**Evidence**: Terracing developed in the loess plateaus and hilly regions of the Yellow River valley. The Chinese used terraces for millet, rice, and later wheat, with sophisticated water management systems. - 

**Significance**: By the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BCE), terracing was widespread in northern and southern China, enabling rice paddies in mountainous areas like Yunnan. The Longji Rice Terraces, though later (Yuan Dynasty), reflect this ancient tradition. 3. 

**Andean Civilizations (Modern Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, ca. 2000 BCE)** 

 - **Evidence**: The Inca (ca. 1200–1533 CE) and their predecessors, like the Wari and Tiwanaku (ca. 500 BCE–1000 CE), built extensive stone-walled terraces (andenes) in the Andes Mountains. - 

**Significance**: Terraces supported crops like potatoes, quinoa, and maize at high altitudes (up to 4,000 meters). Sites like Machu Picchu and Pisac showcase advanced engineering, with irrigation channels and microclimate control. 4. **Mesoamerica (Modern Mexico, Guatemala, ca. 1000 BCE)** - **Evidence**: The Maya and other Mesoamerican cultures terraced hillsides in regions like the Yucatán and Guatemala for maize, beans, and squash. - 

**Significance**: Terracing complemented chinampas (floating gardens) and allowed agriculture in rugged terrains. Sites like Kaminaljuyu show early terracing efforts by 1000 BCE. 5. 

**Ancient Israel and the Levant (ca. 1500 BCE)** - **Evidence**: Terracing appeared in the hilly regions of Judea and Samaria, used by Canaanites and later Israelites for olives, grapes, and figs. - 

**Significance**: Stone terraces, still visible today, stabilized slopes and conserved water in arid climates. Biblical references to vineyards and orchards suggest terracing was widespread by the Iron Age (1200–600 BCE). 6. **Yemen (Sabaean Kingdom, ca. 1000 BCE)** - **Evidence**: The ancient South Arabian civilizations, particularly the Sabaeans, built terraces in the highlands of Yemen for crops like frankincense, myrrh, and grains. - **Significance**: Terracing supported oasis agriculture in desert regions, tied to sophisticated dam and irrigation systems like the Marib Dam. 7. 

**Philippines (ca. 1000 BCE)** - **Evidence**: The Ifugao people in Luzon began constructing the Banaue Rice Terraces, potentially as early as 1000 BCE, though some date them to 200 BCE. - **Significance**: These terraces, often called the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” supported rice cultivation in steep Cordillera mountains, with intricate irrigation from forest watersheds. 8. **Greece and the Mediterranean (ca. 800 BCE)** -

 **Evidence**: Ancient Greeks and Minoans terraced hillsides in regions like Crete and the Peloponnese for olives, grapes, and cereals. - 

**Significance**: Terracing maximized limited arable land in rocky terrains, supporting city-states’ economies. Similar practices appeared in ancient Rome and Cyprus. ### **Common Features Across Cultures** - **Materials**: Terraces were built with local materials—stone in the Andes and Levant, earth in China, and mixed methods elsewhere. - 

**Irrigation**: Most terracing systems included water management, like channels (Andes, China) or cisterns (Levant, Yemen). - **Crops**: Terraces supported staple crops suited to local climates, from rice and maize to olives and grains. -

 **Cultural Impact**: Terracing enabled population growth, surplus food production, and complex societies in challenging environments. ### **Sources and Notes** - Limited archaeological records and oral traditions (e.g., Ifugao) make precise dating difficult for some terraces. - Web sources, like historical geography studies, and posts on X discussing ancient agriculture corroborate these findings, though no single post provides a comprehensive overview. - For further details, I can search X or the web for specific regions or provide visual descriptions of terrace systems if requested. This summary covers the major ancient civilizations known for terracing. If you want a deeper dive into a specific region or culture, let me know!

protesting corruption

and no, I haven't heard of any demonstrations here in the Philippines for Cnarlie Kirk. 

Here the left defends the working class and farmers and the right means the corrupt oligarchy who runs the country whereas in the USA, the right defends the working class and farmers, and the left is full of elite white folks who run the country and have little contact with those of us who got our fingers dirty working.

 Right now the demonstrations in Manila are agaist corruption in the flood control projects. 

NOW: Various groups hold a press conference for the Trillion Peso March Against Corruption on September 21; demands immediate publication of SALNs from all branches of govt as a first step commitment to transparency and accountability among others. | via @raphbosano pic.twitter.com/tLRfHwE5GF

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) September 15, 2025

Corruption steals millions of pesos that are supposed to help the public, and alas corruption is the norm. Will this investigation stop it?

well, as my husband Lolo used to remind me: They're all crooks. But that never stopped him from watching attempted impeachments against our lovely ex president for corruption.

And the monsoon rains are heavy, which means flooding of streets in Manila, so schools are shut down again today.

Joy is flying out today to attend an agriculture conference in Thailand, and will spend the rest of the week visiting her daughter who teaches English there in an international school.

 

The mourning continues

 The demonstrations commemorating Charlie Kirk continue, but this one surprised me. 

Yup. that's a Maori (Haka) chant. And later sinigng patriotic songs and hymns and shouting Christ is King.

citizen journalism at it's best. Thanks Dr C...

......

update. This is on yourtube but not in the Catholic press, so is it fake?

update: I asked on line and was told it was a different commenter whose opioin was quoting the Pope's sermon to on line influencers who he just met with, and this sermon was before the Kirk tragedy and did not mention him, since he is political and not Catholic.

lighthouse: A light to guide one home

 So today's rolling wallpaper on opening windows was that of a lighthouse.

The lighthouse is a common symbol for hope for Christians. They are a symbol of the light in the times of darkness and danger, and a reminder that the Lord will guide us home.

Which got me to thinking: Who invented the lighthouse?

...

more history here:

a webpage that has links to essays and books about lighthouses LINK

go get'em girls. Sing

 a simple cartoon with songs is exploding the internet.

Why?

we just watched it and it was enjoyable, and even better if you enjoy K pop.

this explains some of the Korean stuff in the film

....

But I know my pious Evangelical relatives would worry this is about the occult.

Well, maybe, but the themes of despair/shame and redemption and the curative power of human friendship and music is universal, and this is a Christian interpratation.

 

headlines miss the point

 Much of the hate being spewed out on X by supposedly normal professionals against Charlie Kirk assume he was preaching hate. 

But I suspect they are not listening to him, but the propaganda that put out a straw man for them to hate.

Here is a discussion by Raymone Arroyo:

....and I found this on x:

George Floyd dies: Millions in property damage, thoughts riots and looting

Charlie Kirk assassinated: Millions peacefully pray

pic.twitter.com/v3MkaplIko

— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) September 11, 2025

After the discussion of American politics, they go on to discuss how some in the Vatican were surrendering the church to China. This is a big scandal. 

Will Pope Leo stop those who are breaking not only Catholic dogma but Biblical based beliefs that are about living a righteous life and the importance of the family. (something that is more important in poorer countries than the west, because it is the family, not the state, who care for the weak, the old, the sick, and children). 

This is not anti left because the liberation of women from the family is looked on as a good thing for business, who now have women as employees: Women, like migrants, work harder for a lower wage so is cost effective.

Ah, but who cares for the children? 

If the woke reformers manage to take over the Catholic church, especially they will be able to undermine the idea of logic, science, human rights etc that is part and parcel of Catholicism.

the western media ignored how peaceful Chrsitian protests brought down the iron curtain or that many of those promoting human rights and democracy all over the world are inspired by the Christian ethic: One example, Jimmy Lai:

And if the Catholic church falls, other churches will not stand but be able to be pushed to the sidelines as if their voices are quaint (or more likely hateful).

Sigh. 

congratulations

yup

 

Political murders didn't start yesterday

in the 1960s, the political murders were often right wing against those fighting for civil rights.

But the demonstrations, riots, and crimes/bombings/attacks on the left are usually remembered through the mist of nostalgia.

Here is an article by a friend/mentor (and ghostwriter of his biography?) of President Obama that sort of disappeared into the memory hole.

New York Times fluffy article about his time as a student radical.

Wayback machine link

''I don't regret setting bombs,'' Bill Ayers said. ''I feel we didn't do enough.''

italics mine. 

Mr. Ayers, who spent the 1970's as a fugitive in the Weather Underground, was sitting in the kitchen of his big turn-of-the-19th-century stone house in the Hyde Park district of Chicago.

sounds like he made a lot of money somewhere. Crime pays for rich radicals (but not so much for the poor guys who end up in jail). 

The long curly locks in his Wanted poster are shorn, though he wears earrings. He still has tattooed on his neck the rainbow-and-lightning Weathermen logo that appeared on letters taking responsibility for bombings. And he still has the ebullient, ingratiating manner, the apparently intense interest in other people, that made him a charismatic figure in the radical student movement.

Ah yes. Charismatic. Lots of sociopaths and narcissists are charming. 

But that puff piece article in the NYTimes and other big shot media doted on his stories.

And when was that article published? 

In the NYTimes early morning ediction, on Sept 11 2001, the day of the terrorist attacks.

he claims he never killed anyone, but the San Francisco police union. begs to differ

and a lot of other radicals from those days are presented as heroes in stories and the innocent Ayers and his cohorts in revolution usually minimize the stories of those they harm.

Ayers was never charge in the bank robbery by his fellow travelers, that resulted in the death of Peter Paige who was driving the bank truck, and it is almost hard to find the names of the two police officers they killed escsaping... Officer O'Grady and Waverly Brown, were merciful when the apprehended the suspects, and didn't shoot the nice lady on sight when they stopped her, and this hesitation resulted in her hidden collegues to murder them after they had lowered their guns....

And I was living in Minnesota at the time and remember when the left lamented the jailing of another radical lady who was peacefully living in an affluent suburb of Minneapolis so they implied she shouldn't be prosecuted for crimes many years earlier because she was a good person.

Well, as Jesse Ventura  sarcastically pointed out: she was not a good person, because she robbed a bank and murdered an innocent nurse who was merely standing there waiting to deposit money.

The group almost got away with it, but Mrs. Opsahl's son kept the case alive, .

another story of her murder .

notice they never felt guilty when they thought they got away with it, but after they were caught, they said they were sorry. 

Well, duh.  

 Just wait awhile, and the political assassin and those who helped him murder Mr. Kirk will be seen as heroes.

Sigh. 

Remember

 

This is a big story

 ,,,,

I do not know who Mr Kirk is, but apparently he is a moderate right wing podcaster popular among young folks.

But when I went around the internet, I was astounded at the people upset and even crying over his death. This reminds me of the killing of RFK or MLK in the sixties: and of course there are parallels between the demonstrations of that time and what seems to be going on now in the USA.

Sigh.

one hopes the MAGA response will not be the civil war that some crazies are hoping for, but a peaceful demonstration a la MLK, or what happened when Ninoy Aquino was killed, the elction was stolen and a million Filippinos marched singing hymns on the main highway in Manila.

.................

Posted so I can watch it later.

.......

I am old, so not into the culture of the young folk, but WTF? 

  He was ridicules on South Park? That prooves his influence on the young kids.

LOL.

,,,,