Philippines - What have become of the Peace Talks that everybody’s seeking and struggling to achieve? World Peace is just a cliche for those who joined beauty pageants. An elusive dream or a campaign ad for those who were aiming positions for government offices.

Yesterdays’ incidents in a number of places in Mindanao was a faux pas. Many innocent people lives’ were taken, properties were burned down, and civilians were forced to evacuate their domains, fleeting for Ozamis City on pump-boats at 1 am. A shocking story. A very sad news.

I was born and raised in Davao City. But I was in Lanao del Norte some years ago for a vacation. My father’s relatives harmoniously lives with their Muslim neighbors. Christian and Muslims are treated equal, that is to my view point. In college, my father went to MSU (Marawi State University). He says he used to play ball games with his Muslims classmates. He had many Muslim friends and none of them treated him differently. Few years ago I helped campaign for an uncle running for Mayor. This uncle is a Muslim, and we are not blood-related, but think of us a family.

How could this evil be stopped? Mindanao is not for Muslims alone. Some mere bandits and murderers stand behind the name of our Muslim brothers. They used the old political rivalry issues of Christian and Muslims to sustain their mundane needs. I am shaking in disgust watching the news on TV yesterday. A boy was crying because his father was killed. People were running and hiding for fear. These bandits ransacking the town under the banner of MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front). They robbed, vandalized the town, and took hostages to shield them from the Military troups. And the newspaper this morning says, that MILF has no control over their commanders. No control? That makes the ongoing peace talks senseless. Why do we have to listen to MILF, or MNLF demands when they don’t have ascendancy to their people? The government should make everybody understand that Mindanao is for Mindanaoans, for Filipinos, for Christians and Muslims alike.

Ms. Venezuela, Dayana Mendoza, was crowned Miss Universe 2008!

80 beautiful women from different parts of the world came to compete in the most prestigious beauty pageant The Miss Universe of 2008 in Nah Trang, Vietnam.

Each one hoped to win the crown and make their people proud. But like other competition, few would stand, others would fail, and one would win. Among eighty contestants, the list came down to the final 10. Miss Kosovo was in top 10. It’s the very first time Kosovo sent a contestant to represent their country. And Zara Krasniqi says she’s honored to have worn their national costume for the pageant. Miss USA, Crystle Stewart, was also in the final 10, almost tripped-off as she made her way for the evening gown walk.

Miss Universe - Dayana Mendoza (Venezuela)

1st RunnerUp - Taliana Vargas (Columbia); 2nd RunnerUp - Marianne Cruz (Dominican Republic); 3rd RunnerUp - Vera Krasova (Russia) ; and 4th RunnerUp - Elisa Najera (Mexico)

Other lucky ladies won special awards:Miss Congeniality - Ms. El Salvador, Gavintra Photijak; Best in National Costume - Ms. Thailand, Rebeca Moreno.

Bringing paranoia to others is not an act of kindness. Fraud emails and text messages are popular nowadays. Do they bring sincere warnings?

I was undeniably concerned with a forwarded text message we received. The text message was to forewarn us of a great earthquake that would kill many people in the Philippines. The said earthquake would hit the country at a magnitude of 8.1 on July 18, 2008.

A certain JUSELEENO NOBULEGA DaROOSE (or Jucelino Nobrega da Luz) was said to have predicted the earthquake. He is a Brazilian teacher who had many predictions came true. I’m not sure how many did not. Besides, his predictions are written in his language, or maybe poorly in English. I don’t know him personally, so I am not to judge him. But the stories have been circulating and it raises, not only interest, but apprehensions and paranoia. Also I’ve check on his website, that was translated by another person in English, and there is no prediction of earthquake in the Philippines. There were about the Feb and June 2008 Big Floods . These are all but vague forecasts.

It’s his word and his visions against science. Local News say PHILVOCS gave out a statement saying there’s no truth to the messages that were passing around. No Earthquake on July 18th, I think this what matters the most.

Planet Earth is one ambiguous round shape spinning about the Sun. And what goes with it’s ambiguity is human behavior and interaction. We are species of great power, that is to think for ourselves. We are equipped with logic. Thus to make decisions and actions for humankind amelioration, I supposed. But the aberration of mankind does not solely characterized on the physical aspect. Some people think strange. And talk nonsense, enough to give the masses a scare.