today is Noche Buena, where everyone goes to late evening mass with lots of hymns etc and then go home to eat a huge supper.
in the Philippines, a family feast is a way to celebrate, and since God and Jesus and Mary are part of the family and since Jesus first miracle was at a wedding feast, this is not seen as secular but as embracing everyone.
but the plaza and decorations there have been open for a month,
with concerts etc on weekends.
Since my granddaughter is here from her job in Thailand, it is a big celebrtino for us.
everyone knows about the 1917 influenza epidemic, but there were other influenza like epidemics before and after that.
So anyway, I was listening to this discussion about Jack the Ripper, and one person who was suspected by those who like conspiracy theories is a Royal son (at 22 minutes), and they mention that he was in Scotland during the time of the Ripper murders, and they mention he later died of influenza in the 1890s influenza epidemic.
there was a major flu epidemic in the 1890s? Sort of forgotten today that influenza is a recurring illness.
Hmm. sort of overlooked that lotss of influenza epidemics out there
It was the last great pandemic of the 19th century, and is among the deadliest pandemics in history.[2][3] The pandemic killed about 1 million people out of a world population of about 1.5 billion (0.067% of population).[4][5] The most reported effects of the pandemic took place from October 1889 to December 1890, with recurrences in March to June 1891, November 1891 to June 1892, the northern winter of 1893–1894, and early 1895.
According to researchers' estimates, excess mortality from Russian influenza in the Russian Empire for the period 1889–1890 could be from 60,000 to 90,000 people, with lethality from the virus, a little more than 0.2%.[6]
A partial listing of particularly violent outbreaks likely to have been influenza include one in 1510...In 1580, another pandemic started in Asia, then spread to Africa, Europe, and even America,,,
In 1688, influenza struck England, Ireland, and Virginia; in all these places “the people dyed … as in a plague” (Duffy, 1953). A mutated or new virus continued to plague Europe and America again in 1693 and Massachusetts in 1699...
In London in 1847 and 1848, more people died from influenza than from the terrible cholera epidemic of 1832. In 1889 and 1890, a great and violent worldwide pandemic struck again ...
read the entire article for a background of repeated epidemics of influenza type epidemics.
there is a question in some of the articles I perused wondering if that the reason the 1918 influenza was weaker in China was that they had partial immunity from previous infections.
A similar idea could explain why in 1917 it killed the young adults not just the elderly was because the middle aged and elderly may have had partial immunity due to previous infection in this earlier epidemic.
One sometimes forgets about previous epidemics.
One of my earliest memories was the doctor making a house call for my mother who had Asian flu, which was a major epidemic of 1957
Sine things to remember when you read hysteria about the next swine flu or bird flu epidemics threatening the world.
The shooters who killed innocent people in Australia apparently visited the Philippines in November to visit Davao but the authorities are trying to deny they did any terrorist training.
trained in the Philippines and according to X entered here on an Indian passport. A lot of the anti Jewish propaganda trolls on X say it was justified because they were Jewish.
And one idiot on X even claimed the Muslim group backing the terrorist attackers were actually Hindus pretending to be Muslims. (hint: Check for circumcision to see if this is true).
The story of the terrorists isn't getting a lot of publicity. Last youtube video was five days ago. And I had to search for links on X.
and this is not the only terrorist attack associated with the Philippines: Oklahoma city, 911, Las Vegas shooter all come to mind...
,,,,one of the customs is going to mass for 9 days before Christmas: pre dawn mass so the farmers could attend. Nowadays it is often young folk and family, and afterward many here go into the town center to eat a snack from Jolibee or vendors.
,,
Joy is working with other business and government friends to collect food and gifts to send to the Visayas where there was a lot of devestation due to typhoons/floods and in some areas an earthquake.
A lot of charity here is personal.
We are all asked to give gifts to those who collect our garbage, clean our streets etc etc. but also to our help and their extended family.
The text was originally written in Latin. It is a metrical paraphrase of the O Antiphons, a series of plainchant antiphons attached to the Magnificat at Vespers over the final days before Christmas.
The hymn has its origins over 1,200 years ago in monastic life in the 8th or 9th century. Seven days before Christmas Eve monasteries would sing the “O antiphons” in anticipation of Christmas Eve when the eighth antiphon, “O Virgo virginum” (“O Virgin of virgins”) would be sung before and after Mary's canticle, the Magnificat (Luke 1:46b–55). The Latin metrical form of the hymn was composed as early as the 12th century.[4]
The 1851 translation by John Mason Neale from Hymns Ancient and Modern is the most prominent by far in the English-speaking world,
----------------------------
I should explain that Vespers is the evening prayer of the Divine Office, where psalms are recited or sung several times during the day. Usually these include a hymn, several psalms preceded by a short bible verse or poem called an antiphon, a bible reading, and then a canticle: For vespers it is the Magnificat of Mary from the gospel of Luke.
these prayers vary from day to day and can be found on line, the most popular app for this is at Universalis.
The history of the O antiphons preceding Christmas can be found here:
1. Good people all, this Christmas time, Consider well and bear in mind What our good God for us has done In sending His beloved Son With Mary holy we should pray, To God with love this Christmas Day In Bethlehem upon that morn, There was a blessed Messiah born.
2. The night before that happy tide, The noble virgin and her guide Were long time seeking up and down To find a lodging in the town. But mark how all things came to pass From every door repelled, alas, As was foretold, their refuge all Was but a humble ox's stall.
3. Near Bethlehem did shepherds keep Their flocks of lambs and feeding sheep To whom God's angels did appear Which put the shepherds in great fear Prepare and go, the angels said To Bethlehem, be not afraid For there you'll find, this happy morn A princely Babe, sweet Jesus, born.
4. With thankful heart and joyful mind The shepherds went the babe to find And as God's angel had foretold They did our Saviour Christ behold Within a manger He was laid And by his side the virgin maid Attending on the Lord of Life Who came on earth to end all strife.
5. There were three wise men from afar Directed by a glorious star And on they wandered night and day Until they came where Jesus lay And when they came unto that place Where our beloved Messiah lay They humbly cast them at His feet With gifts of gold and incense sweet
The song first appeared in a scene in which a family is distraught by the father's plans to move to New York City for a job promotion, leaving behind their beloved home in St. Louis, Missouri, just before the long-anticipated 1904 World's Fair begins. In a scene set on Christmas Eve, Judy Garland's character, Esther, sings the song to cheer up her despondent five-year-old sister, Tootie, played by Margaret O'Brien.[7],,,
Garland's version of the song, which was also released as a single by Decca Records, became popular among United States troops serving in World War II; her performance at the Hollywood Canteen brought many soldiers to tears.
This essay at The Catholic Thing explains why Christmas inspires us to nostalgia: it is a longing for home. And these songs are often sung before Christmas because the Christmas celebration is about the family and our loved ones being with us:
...(these) songs and movies are “Christmas movies” or “Christmas songs.” Sure, we call them that, but they’re really all about Advent – about the sense of longing which steadily grows as we approach Christmas...
Notice, too, that each of the songs and films I listed came out within a decade of the Second World War – the greatest collective experience of homesickness and (for the lucky ones) safe return in American history. Many of these make explicit reference to the war. And while thousands of songs and films about Christmas (and Advent) have been made since, and while some have even become immensely popular, the post-War, pop-culture, nostalgia factory which produced the old hits remains the standard against which the more recent additions are measured.,,
at a time when many pundits insist the family is no longer important, Christmas reminds us that our family is echoed in the family of Jesus: We Filipinos are not big in theology but see God as part of our extended family: So we celebrate Christmas as the day of the birth of Kuya (older brother) Jesus, and we see Mama Mary as our own mother, and God the Father as our father.
and as The Catholic Thing essay reminds us:
We Christians know that Advent is a season to prepare for the arrival of the Christ child... The God from whom we were separated in the Fall will come among us, and the deepest longing and restlessness will give way before the Prince of Peace. He makes a home among his people so that we may find a home in him.,
or the past two years they have been buying/renting valuable farm land here in Luzon to put up solar panels. We even had thugs looking for Kuya to ask him if he wanted to sell our land to them.
So with all the corrruption in the news, I asked Grok to check about corruption.
Overview of the Nueva Ecija Solar ProjectThe Nueva Ecija solar project refers to MTerra Solar (also known as Terra Solar), a massive renewable energy initiative spanning 3,500 hectares across Nueva Ecija and Bulacan provinces in Central Luzon, Philippines. Developed by a partnership between Solar Philippines (founded by Rep. Leandro Leviste) and Meralco PowerGen Corporation (MGen, part of the Manuel V. Pangilinan group), it is set to be the world's largest single-site solar photovoltaic farm paired with battery energy storage.
Key details include:Capacity: 3,500 MW solar generation and 4,500 MWh battery storage.
Cost:
Approximately P200 billion (about $3.5 billion USD).
Timeline: Groundbreaking led by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on November 21, 2024; first phase (1,000 MW) on track for completion by 2027, with full operations by 2028.>{?.....
Impact: Expected to generate over 5 billion kWh annually, powering 2 million households and reducing CO2 emissions by 4 million tons per year. It received Board of Investments (BOI) green-lane certification in August 2024 for fast-tracked incentives.......
The project has progressed ahead of schedule, with 54% of first-phase works completed by July 2025, and recent engineering contracts awarded to Chinese firms in October 2025.
emphasis mine.
Investments include $600 million from UK-based Actis in 2024.\
Corruption Allegations and Related Incidents
No direct corruption, graft, or bribery allegations have been publicly leveled against the MTerra Solar project itself based on available reports.
The initiative has faced some operational challenges, such as transmission line delays leading to an earlier consideration of exiting a related site in 2024, but these are logistical rather than corrupt.
Environmental and community concerns have been raised by activist groups, citing potential land displacement and ecosystem impacts on 3,500 hectares of farmland, but these do not involve financial misconduct.
However, the project's co-developer and Solar Philippines founder, Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, has been at the center of a high-profile anti-corruption effort in August 2025. While unrelated to the solar project (focusing instead on public works in his home district), the incident highlights Leviste's "zero-tolerance" stance on graft, which he has emphasized in his dual roles as lawmaker and businessman:
The Bribery IncidentDate and Details: On August 22, 2025, Abelardo Calalo, then-DPWH Batangas 1st District Engineer, was arrested in Taal, Batangas, after attempting to bribe Leviste with P3.12 million during a meeting at Leviste's office. The cash was presented in envelopes as a "donation" or "standard practice" commission (3% of contract values totaling P104.2 million).
Purpose: Calalo allegedly sought to dissuade Leviste from pursuing a congressional probe into irregularities in three DPWH flood control and road projects awarded earlier in 2025:
Road widening in Lian town (P50.18 million).
Maintenance of flood mitigation structures and drainage (P39.2 million).
Road construction in Lemery town (P14.9 million).
Connection to Contractors: The bribe funds reportedly came from TopTech Trading and Construction Co., a firm with 27 DPWH contracts worth P1.45 billion in Batangas. TopTech is owned by the godchild of former Batangas Rep. Ma. Theresa "Maring" Lazaro-Buhain, whom Leviste later tagged as a "big fish" in the scheme.
Outcomes:Leviste coordinated with police for an entrapment operation and filed charges against Calalo for direct bribery (Art. 210, Revised Penal Code), corruption of public officials (Art. 212, RPC), and violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (R.A. 3019).
In September 2025, Leviste amended the complaint to include TopTech.
DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan suspended Calalo indefinitely and fired him; Bonoan called the act "deserving of jail time."
Calalo denied the allegalllllltions, claiming political entrapment by Leviste, and was offered a chance to become a state witness against higher-ups but refused.llllll
The scandal led to broader scrutiny, including Leviste retracting some later claims against a DPWH undersecretary in October 2025 to avoid unfounded accusations
Leviste has positioned this as part of a larger fight against "deep-rooted" DPWH corruption, including overpricing and favoritism in contracts. Some online discussions (e.g., on Reddit and Facebook) speculate on larger bribe amounts (up to P360 million in unverified claims), but official reports confirm P3.12 million. Critics, including opinion pieces, question Leviste's motives, suggesting his probes leverage his business interests, but no evidence ties this to MTerra Solar.]\
Broader ContextThe Philippines has faced ongoing graft issues in infrastructure, notably a separate 2025 flood control scandal implicating senators and costing billions in taxpayer funds. Leviste's refusal has been praised as a model for public servants, potentially boosting investor confidence in renewables amid global concerns over corruption delaying projects. If you're referring to a specific aspect (e.g., land permits or funding), provide more details for deeper analysis.
just posting for me to read later.
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You know, I wonder when all the conspiracy types are going around saying FDR knew there was going to be an attack and he left it happen so the US could enter the war.
These conspiracy theorists seem to thinking Japan only attacked Pearl Harbor, but they ignore the attacks in Malaysia and the Philippines happened at the same time, and even if Japan had not hit Pearl Harbor, the US would still be at war because the Philippines was a US territory.
in the Philippines it was Dec 8. And although a lot of blog posts say MacArthur was not prepared, they forget he was in charge of the Philippine military... and since he anticipated an air attack he asked for the New Mexico Nat Guard for help.
These units were brought over to man anti aircraft guns, but were not in the Philippines very long before the attack, and often the guns and ammunition were lacking.
And many of them ended up in Bataan and were in the death march, which is why every year they hold a memorial in New Mexico to remember them, and our Catholic church had a Bataan memorial in the back: four local Apache were in the NG there, and the local priest volunteered to go with them.
The infamous Bataan Death March was one of the greatest atrocities of World War II.Death March Route. Approximately 1,800 men from the 200th and 515th Coast Artillery Regiment – also known as the “New Mexico Brigade” deployed to the Philippines in September 1941, during World War II.
I should note that most of those in Bataan and who were in the Death march were local Filipinos: Somethning often left out of the American stories.
When the Regiment reached the Philippines they immediately moved to Fort Stotsenberg, 75 miles north of Manila. Over the coming months, they would train under simulated war conditions. By December things would change drastically.
On December 8, 1941 Japanese bombers made their appearance and the war was on. It was the 200th Coast Artillery (Anti-aircraft) — the original full Regiment — who is credited as being the “First to Fire” on December 8, 1941. That night, the 515th Coast Artillery (Anti-aircraft) was formed from the ranks of the 200th. The Japanese landings on Luzon began on December 10, 1941, with more Japanese forces landing on December 12, 1941.
The 200th and later the 515th could not do much damage as their powder train fuses only had a range of 20,000 feet and the bombers were flying at 23,000 feet. The main Japanese invasion forces landed December 22, 1941 and the decision was made to withdraw the forces into Bataan.
The 200th covered the retreat of the Northern Luzon Force into Bataan and the 515th for the South Luzon Force. They were able to hold the Japanese air and ground attacks back, thus saving the bridges – and the North and South Luzon Forces found a clear, safe passage to the Bataan peninsula.
The 200th Coast Artillery (AA) has a distinguished military legacy. The unit was established in 1939 from elements of the 111th Cavalry, New Mexico National Guard. The 111th Cavalry had its origin in the territorial militias of the 1850s and fought in the U.S. Civil War, in the Spanish-American War as “Rough Riders,” and in World War I.
After the 200th was inducted into federal service, recruits joined from all walks of New Mexican life. They enlisted in centers in Albuquerque, Carlsbad, Clovis, Gallup, Santa Fe, Silver City and Taos. Many young men deferred going to college. Many chose to leave their small towns and rural villages for the first time in their lives.
On January 6, 1941, the 200th was sent to the Anti-Aircraft Training Center at Fort Bliss, Texas, where draftees augmented its ranks. At the end of the training, the 200th was cited as the best anti-aircraft unit in the U.S. Armed Forces. In August, General George C. Marshall's action letter ordered the immediate dispatch of the 200th to the Philippines. By the end of the month, the 200th set sail from San Francisco, California.
One webpage noted they were sent to the Philippines because many spoke Spanish. Another trivia not noted: their ranks included Anglos, Americans of Mexican heritage, and from various AmerIndian tribes.
The attack on Manila came when people were in church for the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Dec 8.
Lolo was at home with his family, and helped his mom and small cousin walk to our nearby farm, about 4 miles north of town, where they stayed until they knew it was safe. His older brother and cousin joined the anti Japanese guerillas... his cousin was captured and died in the notorious Red House, but Lolo was too young to join until the end of the war, when Mac Arthur returned, and then he joined his brother but mainly to patrol to keep the streets safe.
Tulsi Gabbard announced they found a clinic in Mexico that took in pregnant women, and then imprisoned them, delivered their babies to sell to Americans, and killed the moms for their organs. But although it was documented, it got no publicity.
But I should note that the part in the NR article about mutilated African bodies might not be for organ donors, but for witchcraft. When I worked in Liberia 40 years ago, nearly every week they would find a mutilated body, usually of a street kid, in Monrovia, and the locals would sigh and say it was witchcraft; You bury body parts under the store so the devil will make you rich....
They finally caught one of the gang when one kid escaped.
and before you guys start pointing fingers, read James O'Keefe's expose on baby body parts sold in the USA....https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/17/planned-parenthood-video-abortion-gop-medical-research
excuse the lousy posting: MY main browser would not work after a windows update two weeks ago, and I am having trouble with my fonts etc.
The staff went out to join the procession after the 4 pm mass
update: The procession was long and ended at midnight after going all around the town.
This is from 3 years ago:
the city patron saint is Mama Mary under the title la Devina Pastora, the holy shepherdess.
December 8 is the feast of the Immaculate Conception, which merely means that Mary would be born without the taint of sin. This belief is the Catholic version of a belief of Mary's sinlessness that is found in the Eastern Churches and Islam.
If you believe Jesus is God, you can see how his mother who carried him for nine months should be sinless. Or as the Angel called her: Full of Grace.
This of course makes my Protestant family full of disdain. They are strict Baptist/Fundamentalists.
But Catholics allow all sorts of approaches to God, and here it is family oriented: Mama Mary is seen as our mother, Jesus the older brother, and God the Father the father who runs things.
and of course, Catholics remember the marriage feast of Cana where Mama Mary told her son that the wine gave out. So we often see her as the one to ask to go to God for our minor problems that we don't want to bother the creator of the universe with.
And of course, Fiestas are how we learn about God and Jesus. Fiestas and parties and gifts for kids.
in last week's episode of Landman, we saw hunter fall over dead and then oil field repair men get sick and identify the problem but are rescued in time.
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a highly toxic gas common in oil-producing regions like West Texas. Sometimes, this gas can be leaked due to aging or improperly sealed storage tanks into air during the process of oil production....
but it's not just from oil fields:
Six workers, including family members aged 17 to 50, died at a dairy farm in Keensburg, northern Colorado, in October H2S exposure in a confined space near manure piping. Investigation revealed they were handling pipes which were transferring the gas from decomposing manure destined for compost when high concentrations of the gas killed them within a few breaths. One worker collapsed first, which prompted others to enter the area to help, leading to a chain of fatalities in what experts call a tragically common but unusually large-scale event on US dairy farms.
,,,,and don't forget about the sewer problem:
I asked Grok about such deaths in poor countries but it said most deaths are probably not reported. but they did find China was honest enough to report some deaths:
h2s deaths in third world
Deaths from H2S in Third World Countries
Third world means developing or low-income countries. Data on H2S deaths is poor there. Many places do not track it well. This makes exact numbers hard to find.
From reports:
In India, 3 workers died from H2S on an oil rig in the sea near Bombay High in 2023. They entered a closed space with bad air. Good plans and training could have stopped it.
In Africa, high work injury rates happen in places like Ethiopia.
H2S is a risk in farms, sewers, and oil work. But no exact death count for H2S.
In Asia and Africa, oil and gas jobs have H2S risks. No global count, but deaths are likely under-reported.
Worldwide,
H2S kills about 7 workers a year in the US.
In poor countries, it may be more due to weak safety rules. No full stats exist. Poisons like H2S cause many deaths in low-income areas, but details are missing.
Why Hard to Track?
Poor countries lack good health records. Many deaths happen in remote jobs like mining or farming. Survivors may not get help.
...Worldwide, H2S kills workers in oil. In Saudi, it may be like that due to big oil fields. Poor tracking makes numbers low.
Why Hard to Track?
Records are not good. Many deaths in remote sites. Tests for H2S are rare after death.
so I asked about deaths in China, where there is at least some reporting on such deaths.
China has many oil, gas, and chemical jobs. H2S is a big risk there. Data is not full. Many cases are not reported well. Most deaths happen in closed spaces like sewers, tanks, or factories.
Known cases:
In 2003, a gas well blowout in Chongqing killed 243 people. It spread H2S over 25 km. Over 2,000 got sick. It was the worst H2S accident in China.
In 2024, a factory in Shandong killed 7 workers. H2S formed in a closed tank during work. 4 others got hurt.
In 2019, a chemical plant in Sichuan killed 3. H2S came from waste in a tank.
In 2013, a plant in Liaoning killed 3 during repair. Bad safety let H2S escape.
In 2008, a factory in Yunnan killed 6. Too much chemical made H2S gas leak.
In 2004, workers in Wuxi died 2 while fixing pipes. Gas from sewage.
From 2012 to now, at least 18 big H2S accidents killed 62 people. Many more small ones. Blind rescue makes deaths worse.
No exact total. China has thousands of work deaths a year. H2S causes some, but tracking is poor.
Right now, there are daily demonstrations about the corruption on the flood control projects that weren't done or were done with shoddy materials.
Most of the local news about this is Tagalog, and the European press tends to be clueleess, but one reason I Follow AlJ is that they are good in reporting.
