UK Cardinal Course of Action Revealing / Has Come Full Circle

UK cardinal accused of "inappropriate acts" and the news article reports that "O'Brien had been scheduled to lead a Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Sunday morning (February 24, 2013), an occasion dedicated to a celebration of Benedict's time in the papacy. But he did not appear for the Mass. Instead, a statement was made on his behalf by Bishop Stephen Robson, an auxiliary prelate in the Edinburgh diocese."

"A number of allegations of inappropriate behavior have been made against the cardinal," the Church statement said. "The cardinal has sought legal advice, and it would be inappropriate to comment at this time. There will be further statements in due course."

I don't know about you but when was stating the truth ever inappropriate. Whatever happened to facing your brethren, looking them straight in the eyes and saying, "These accusations are false. Unfortunately, I must deal with these worldly concerns and have no choice but to engage legal counsel to handle the matter. In the meantime, I will continue to fulfill my duties in the Church as usual to the best of my abilities . . ." Unless, of course, he would be lying by broadcasting the likes of the immediately preceding statements.

The cardinal's apparent course of action to NOT follow his schedule as planned and to NOT speak directly to the members of his diocese seems like those of a Wall Street wheeler dealer caught in the act of insider trading. It's high time these modern day pharisees are held accountable for their hypocrisy.

Postscript
Version 1--Cardinal Keith O'Brien resigns amid claims of inappropriate behaviour. Pope accepts resignation of UK's most senior Roman Catholic cleric, who has been accused of 'inappropriate acts' . . . However, in a statement released by the church on Monday, it emerged that the pope had accepted O'Brien's resignation a week ago, on 18 February. (Authors: Severin Carrell and Sam Jones, February 25, 2013)

Version 2--Pope forces UK's top Catholic to quit: Vatican rocked again as Cardinal is driven out in sex scandal after complaints from priests. (Author: Steve Doughty, February 25, 2013)

Did he resign or was he forced to quit? I would attribute the drastically different versions to sensationalist tendencies of certain journalists but I suspect the truth is somewhere in between. Bottom line is, let's hope the truth about the accusations comes out in the end and not swept under the rug, which has been the preferred modus of the Vatican et al through the ages.

Postscript
Cardinal O'Brien admits sexual misconduct (March 3, 2013) http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/03/03/scottish-cardinal/1960255/

Cardinal O'Brien "blackmail threat" to abuse victim (March 7, 2013)
http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/scotland/cardinal-o-brien-blackmail-threat-to-abuse-victim-1-2820121

Underwater Videos in Front of Casabangan Beach

Casabangan Beach from a high vantage point

Casabangan Beach along the shore

The following videos uploaded on YouTube were taken underwater in front of Casabangan Beach, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro. They illustrate the devastation of the coral reefs in the area but they also provide a glimmer of hope for nature. All need not be lost if the leadership of the local community step-up and provide just that--leadership. A marine sanctuary is in the works. With the ordinance in place and strict enforcement, the local fishermen should catch more fish outside the sanctuary in as little as three years.

1st video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMR4PbpBdkU

According to Ka Porek (our farm manager), there were many sea turtle shells left to rot in Casabangan many years ago. That was before the ban on capturing sea turtles. Today, we are fortunate to be visited by one or two sea turtles, which typically bob their heads above water for just a few seconds. In my previous trip to Mansalay, a local spear fisherman by the name of Benazir informed me that a resident sea turtle lives just around the corner of Casabangan Beach towards Sukbong Kugon. He said it measured about one (1) meter in length. I thought this was too good to be true, given the devastation I have observed all over the bay. On this trip, my mission was to find our resident sea turtle, who I would name Benazir (after the local spear fisherman who told me about it in the first place); that is, if I even find it. Lo and behold, during my first dive around the vicinity of the alleged habitat of the sea turtle, I saw it--our resident sea turle, Benazir, with a suckerfish attached to its back. I think it's a Hawksbill sea turtle (a critically endangered sea turtle) that is quite mature. I would also estimate its length to be about 1 meter, which is about as big as it gets. Below is a brief film clip of my second sighting of Benazir on my first dive around his habitat. I dove in the same vicinity the following day and saw Benazir again on two separate occasions during that second dive. Unfortunately, I did not bring my camera (battery low) to record the event.

2nd video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba3920dazn4

Baby Pawikan
(I hope this will be revived in Casabangan. There is none left today, except for Benazir.)

Additional underwater videos in front of Casabangan Beach:
3rd video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0jNqWlMYZ4&feature=youtu.be
4th video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K42MvqdKRYA&feature=youtu.be
5th video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No77y0-MfPA
6th video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMz8kMTu5p8
7th video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5uhpik9_Po
8th video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzCWPsX8TRE

In contrast, the following video in front of Twin Rocks, Anilao, Batangas (a marine sanctuary) illustrates the impressive recovery of marine resources.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnuG-C0W-nA

Baler, Province of Aurora

My route from Nampicuan to Baler and back
(thru Cuyapo, Guimba, Talavera, Rizal, Pantabangan and Maria Aurora)

The Balete Tree
(probably the largest of its kind in the Philippines)

I rode to Baler, Province of Aurora, from Nampicuan, Province of Nueva Ecija. I would estimate the road trip to take approximately four (4) hours non-stop--probably about the same duration coming straight from Manila. It's a fun ride if you are taking your time. It brings you from the plains of Central Luzon to the peaks of a slice of Sierra Madre, then back down to the Pacific coast. Thanks to the recent "completion" of the cement roads leading to Baler, this part of the Philippines can now be visited with relative ease. One way, which is the one I took, cuts through the town of Castañeda, Nueva Viscaya, where the road remains uncemented. There are also several small bridges along the way where 10 to 20 meters of road leading to and from the bridges remains uncemented. Talk about a perverted fucked-up government that can't get its act together . . . settling for "puweda na iyan" when the incremental work to get the job done right in the first place would have been nominal. Filipino taxpayers have been duped again by corrupt and incompetent politicians, who are voted mostly by non-taxpayers. Something is terribly wrong with this picture . . . ya?

Back to pleasantries . . .

House of Doña Aurora

Historically, Baler is known for being the birthplace of former President Manuel L. Quezon and his wife, Aurora. It is also known for a rather awkward military episode, the Siege of Baler, circa 1898 to 1899, which did not have to happen if not for Baler being cut-off from communications from the rest of the world at that time. For details, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Baler.

For now, Baler will surely be another vacation spot for those who enjoy nature and the outdoors. Currently, the main attractions are nature tripping and surfing. There is already one scuba shop in town that can take divers out during the calm months of summer (April and May) and, I am told, up to the months of June and July in the absence of rain and/or typhoons. The rest of the year is for surfers. Two of my favorites (although I have not yet tried them myself) are kite-boarding and kite-boating, which (I bet) would be a hit in the vast expansive bay of Baler. I have not yet explored the plateaus, ridges and peaks of Baler but I have a sneaking suspicion that there is a great paragliding site here somewhere.

This place is known as Sabang Beach, a barangay of Baler.

A cement boardwalk is being constructed in front of existing and new hotel accommodations (also under construction). Assuming the builders don't run out of funds, these should be completed by 2014. In the meantime, you can stay at existing establishments, which are usually fully booked on weekends.

My First Underwater Film Clip

Kindly click the following link to watch the video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E57VXk-p3C8&feature=youtu.be

The highlight of the video starts at 2:45. It shows the resident school of jackfish at Twin Rocks . . . one of the many benefits of a marine sanctuary.

A Brief Flight Around Rancho Caridad

This is my first attempt at filming a video while flying my microlight. It's also my first attempt to edit the same with some basic effects, such as splitting film clips, transitioning the same (video and audio) as well as including music, narration and subtitles. I used my Sony Cybershot DSC-W570 on video mode (VGA setting only for now) and the VideoPad Video Editor (it's free!), which is a neat and relatively simple video editing software that allows you to create your own basic "movie" with a minimum of fuzz. Sorry for the terrible vibration as I mounted the camera on the front support post of the aircraft, which obviously vibrates too much for filming. I hope the vibration will be minimized next time when I mount the camera on the wing. Until my next (and improved) aerial video . . . keep on flying!

Kindly click on the following link to view the video on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TCyWh7QrWs

Emptying The Mind -- Sri Chinmoy

You must not think that when there is nothing in your mind, you will become a fool or act like an idiot. This is not true. If you can keep your mind calm and quiet for ten or fifteen minutes, a new world will dawn within you. This is the root of all spiritual progress. Right now you can make your mind calm and quiet for only a few seconds, or for a minute, but if you can maintain your calmness, poise and tranquillity for half an hour or even for fifteen minutes, I assure you that inside your tranquillity a new world with tremendous divine light and power will grow.

When you do not have any thought in your mind, please do not feel that you are totally lost. On the contrary, feel that something divine is being prepared in your pure and aspiring nature. You cannot expect immediate results. The farmer sows the seed and then he waits; he never expects the crop to spring forth all at once. It takes a few weeks or a few months to germinate. Your mind can be like a fertile field. If you plant the seed of silence and poise and cultivate it patiently, sooner or later you are bound to reap the bumper crop of illumination.

The mind is not necessary for meditation, because thinking and meditating are absolutely different things. When we meditate, we do not think at all. The aim of meditation is to free ourselves from all thought. Thought is like a dot on a blackboard. Whether it is good or bad, it is there. Only if there is no thought whatsoever can we grow into the highest reality. Even in profound meditation thoughts can come in, but not in the highest, deepest meditation. In the highest meditation, there will be only light.

Slowly and steadily if you can still your restless mind, immediately and cheerfully God will open His measureless Heart.

Who says motorcycle buddies are shallow?

Peter Sandoval is one of my motorcycle buddies who was present each time I participated in a Kawasaki Leisure Bike sponsored road trip, which included the 2nd and 3rd Annual "Roadgasmic" Tour (Manila to Bolinao, Pangasinan in 2011 and Manila to Anilao, Batangas in 2012, respectively) and the 1st Annual Meet of Kawasaki Leisure Bike Owners, destination Tacloban, also in 2012. Peter sends friendly, inspirational, uplifting, "food for thought" kind of text messages and reminders, which I take time to read and reflect upon. One such message, which I found particularly amusing, goes as follows:

"Lives of people these days can be summed up in three words: HURRY, WORRY and BURY. A lot of people live in a hurry and carry a lot of worry, and so find themselves early in the cemetery. It's time for us to  rediscover the three R's in life: RELAX, REFLECT, RENEW. God bless and mabuhay!"

How about that? It's not an original quote (I just checked on Google) but it's the first time I came across it, and it rings so true. Thanks Peter.