Imagine a world without Filipinos Abdullah Al-Maghlooth | Al-Watan, almaghlooth@alwatan.com.sa
Muhammad Al-Maghrabi became handicapped and shut down his flower and gifts shop business in Jeddah after his Filipino workers insisted on leaving and returning home. He says: “When they left, I felt as if I had lost my arms. I was so sad that I lost my appetite.”
Al-Maghrabi then flew to Manila to look for two other Filipino workers to replace the ones who had left. Previously, he had tried workers of different nationalities but they did not impress him. “There is no comparison between Filipinos and others,” he says. Whenever I see Filipinos working in the Kingdom, I wonder what our life would be without them.
Saudi Arabia has the largest number of Filipino workers — 1,019,577 — outside the Philippines. In 2006 alone, the Kingdom recruited more than 223,000 workers from the Philippines and their numbers are still increasing. Filipinos not only play an important and effective role in the Kingdom, they also perform different jobs in countries across the world, including working as sailors. They are known for their professionalism and the quality of their work.
Nobody here can think of a life without Filipinos, who make up around 20 percent of the world’s seafarers. There are 1.2 million Filipino sailors.
So if Filipinos decided one day to stop working or go on strike for any reason, who would transport oil, food and heavy equipment across the world? We can only imagine the disaster that would happen.
What makes Filipinos unique is their ability to speak very good English and the technical training they receive in the early stages of their education. There are several specialized training institutes in the Philippines, including those specializing in engineering and road maintenance. This training background makes them highly competent in these vital areas.
When speaking about the Philippines, we should not forget Filipino nurses. They are some 23 percent of the world’s total number of nurses. The Philippines is home to over 190 accredited nursing colleges and institutes, from which some 9,000 nurses graduate each year. Many of them work abroad in countries such as the US, the UK, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Singapore.
Cathy Ann, a 35-year-old Filipino nurse who has been working in the Kingdom for the last five years and before that in Singapore, said she does not feel homesick abroad because “I am surrounded by my compatriots everywhere.” Ann thinks that early training allows Filipinos to excel in nursing and other vocations. She started learning this profession at the age of four as her aunt, a nurse, used to take her to hospital and ask her to watch the work. “She used to kiss me whenever I learned a new thing. At the age of 11, I could do a lot. I began doing things like measuring my grandfather’s blood pressure and giving my mother her insulin injections,” she said.
This type of early education system is lacking in the Kingdom. Many of our children reach the university stage without learning anything except boredom.
The Philippines, which you can barely see on the map, is a very effective country thanks to its people. It has the ability to influence the entire world economy.
We should pay respect to Filipino workers, not only by employing them but also by learning from their valuable experiences.
We should learn and educate our children on how to operate and maintain ships and oil tankers, as well as planning and nursing and how to achieve perfection in our work. This is a must so that we do not become like Muhammad Al-Maghrabi who lost his interest and appetite when Filipino workers left his flower shop.
We have to remember that we are very much dependent on the Filipinos around us. We could die a slow death if they chose to leave us.
U.S. military launches mystery space plane on secret mission By Barbara Starr, CNN CNN Senior Pentagon Correspondent October 18, 2010 3:44 p.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* X-37B OTV is classified Air Force project; never been fully explained by Pentagon * It launched into space Thursday night from the Cape Canaveral Air Station in Florida * "Fundamentally, it's an updated version of the space shuttle," says official * "The OTV has the potential to revolutionize how the Air Force operates in space," says official
Editor's Note: This story was first published in April.
Washington (CNN) -- Mystery surrounds the U.S. military's Orbital Test Vehicle, the X-37B OTV, which launched into space in April from the Cape Canaveral Air Station in Florida.
Is it an aircraft? Is it the next generation space shuttle? How much does it cost? And why is it such a secret?
The X-37B OTV is a classified Air Force project that has never been fully explained by the Pentagon.
Some worry it may be the start of military operations in space -- that the plane might some day carry weapons to shoot down enemy satellites.
Some are concerned it may be used as a quick-response vehicle that could be sent very quickly with weapons to a danger spot, said Victoria Samson of the Secure World Foundation.
Fact Box
Military's Orbital Test Vehicle, X-37B OTV: Primary Mission: Testing reusable space vehicle Prime Contractor: Boeing Height: 9 feet, 6 inches (2.9 meters) Length: 29 feet, 3 inches (8.9 meters) Wingspan: 14 feet, 11 inches (4.5 meters) Launch Weight: 11,000 pounds (4,990 kilograms) Power: Gallium Arsenide Solar Cells with lithium-ion batteries Launch Vehicle: Lockheed-Martin Atlas V (501)
The private group says it is "dedicated to maintaining the secure and sustainable use of space for the benefit of Earth and all its peoples."
In a recent meeting with reporters, a top Air Force official rejected those types of suggestions. "I don't know how this could be called weaponization of space," said Gary Payton, deputy undersecretary for space programs. "Fundamentally, it's an updated version of the space shuttle."
Unlike the re-usable space shuttle, the X-37B is unmanned and much smaller. It is controlled from ground stations.
It can stay in space for 270 days, but the Air Force won't say how long it's staying up this time or what exactly it will be doing other than testing out its high tech guidance and navigation.
The Air Force won't even say how many billions of dollars it's spending on the program.
Military officials have said some of the things they hope will come from the X-37B. "The OTV has the potential to revolutionize how the Air Force operates in space by making space operations more aircraft like," said David Hamilton Jr., the Air Force Rapid Capabilities office director.
I don't know how this could be called weaponization of space. Fundamentally, it's an updated version of the space shuttle. --Gary Payton, deputy undersecretary for space programs
The OTV "will provide a flexible space test platform to conduct various experiments and allow satellite sensors, subsystems, components and associated technology to be efficiently transported to and from the space environment where it will need to function," the Air Force said in a news release.
The OTV is the first vehicle since NASA's shuttle orbiter that has the ability to return experiments to Earth for further inspection and analysis, the Air force said.
It "will be used to test technologies including advanced guidance, navigation and control, thermal protection systems, avionics and high temperature structures and seals," the news release said.
"The X-37B is an important step in the effort to make space access more routine, affordable, and responsive," said Hamilton in the news release. "The technologies and concepts of employment that are proven by the Orbital Test Vehicle will be folded into development programs that will provide capabilities for our warfighters in the future."
Humans first settled into permanents towns, farmed and then built temples, in that order, starting in 8,000 B.C. Or did they?
An amazing archaeological discovery made in 1994 at Gobekli Tepe, a rural area of Turkey, has blown that hypothesis apart, prompting new questions about the evolution of civilization.
Containing multiple rings of huge stone pillars carved with scenes of animals and dating to the 10th millennium B.C., Gobekli Tepe is considered the world's oldest place of worship. Yet evidence also suggests the people who built it were semi-nomadic hunters, likely unaware of agriculture, which followed in the area only five centuries later. Because of Gobekli Tepe, archaeologists now have to ask which came first. Did building projects like this lead to settlement, and not vice-versa, as always thought?
#2 Credit: stock.xchng
The Great Pyramids
Even the information that archaeologists do know about the Great Pyramids of Egypt is enormously fascinating, to say nothing about what still might be uncovered.
Built almost 5,000 years ago in what is now Cairo, the three-pyramid complex — with the largest, Khufu, dominating the site — is a testament to the ancient Egyptians' reverence for their Pharaohs and the intricacies of their belief in the afterlife.
Archaeologists are still discovering new tunnels and shafts built within the pyramids, and are still searching for clues on who built the great monuments, how and why, even today.
#3 Credit: NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team
Nazca Lines
From the ground, the Nazca Lines of Peru are nothing spectacular. However, seen from the air, from which they were first spotted by commercial aircraft in the 1920s and 30s, they are staggering.
Archaeologists agree the enormous shapes — there are hundreds of them, ranging from geometric lines to complicated depictions of animals, plants and imaginary figures — were made over 2,000 years ago by people of the pre-Inca Nazca culture, who simply removed the red surface pebbles to reveal the lighter earth below in designs of their choice. Just why they did it remains enigmatic, prompting conspiracy theorists to float ideas about alien landings and ancient astrology. The lines were more likely to have been a ritual communication method with the Nazca's deities, say archaeologists.
#4 A computer-generated reconstruction of the front and back of the Antikythera Mechanism. Credit: Antikythera Mechanism Research Project
Antikythera Mechanism
Like something from a fantastical treasure movie, the discovery of the Antikythera Mechanism remains a major archaeological head-scratcher.
Found in the sunken wreckage of a Greek cargo ship that is at least 2,000 years old, the circular bronze artifact contains a maze of interlocking gears and mysterious characters etched all over its exposed faces. Originally thought to be a kind of navigational astrolabe, archaeologists continue to uncover its uses and now know that it was, at the very least, a highly intricate astronomical calendar.
It is still the most sophisticated device ever found from that period, preceding the next appearance of similar devices by 1,000 years.
#5 Negev Desert in Israel. Credit: dreamstime
Ancient Animal Traps
Low stone walls crisscrossing the deserts of Israel, Egypt and Jordan have puzzled archaeologists since their discovery by pilots in the early 20th century.
The chain of lines — some up to 40 miles (64 kilometers) long and nicknamed "kites" by scientists for their appearance from the air — date to 300 B.C., but were abandoned long ago. The mystery might be somewhat clearer thanks to a recent study claiming that the purpose of the kites was to funnel wild animals toward a small pit, where they could easily be killed in large numbers. This efficient system suggests that local hunters knew more about the behavior of local fauna than previously thought.
#6 Credit: stock.xchng
Stonehenge
Sprucing up an otherwise docile English field, the prehistoric monument commonly known as Stonehenge is one of the world's most famous landmarks.
The ring of megalithic stones was built approximately 4,000 years ago and was an impressive feat for the primitive people who constructed it — but that's about all archaeologists know for sure. None of the theories on the original purpose of Stonehenge, which range from an astronomical observatory to a religious temple of healing, has ever been, well, set in stone.
#7 One of the largest volcanic eruptions in the past 10,000 years occurred in approximately 1620 BC on the volcanic island of Santorini in the Aegean Sea. Following the 1620 BC eruption, much of the previous island of Santorini was destroyed or submerged; this event may have been the inspiration for the legend of the lost continent of Atlantis.Credit: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team
Atlantis
The lost city of Atlantis has been discovered in the Bahamas, the Greek Islands, Cuba, and even Japan — if every claim was to be believed.
First described by the ancient Greek historian Plato in 360 B.C., the mythological island was supposedly a great naval power before sinking into the sea over 10,000 years ago in a catastrophic event.
Archaeologists debate the actual historical existence of the island as well as its most plausible location — if it ever actually existed — among the many sunken ruins discovered around the world. But even without definitive proof, Atlantis continues to engage the popular imagination like few other archaeological mysteries out there.
Terrafugia Transition transforms from car to plane Posted by Telegraph.co.uk Published: 4:14PM BST 29 Jun 2010
The Terrafugia Transition, a light aircraft that can convert into a road-legal automobile, is to go into production after being given a special weight exemption by the US Federal Aviation Administration.
Light sport aircraft licences require just 20 hours' flying time, making them much easier to obtain than full private licences.
The two-seater Transition can use its front-wheel drive on roads at ordinary highway speeds, with wings folded, at a respectable 30 miles per gallon. Once it has arrived at a suitable take-off spot - an airport, or adequately sized piece of flat private land - it can fold down the wings, engage its rear-facing propellor, and take off. The folding wings are electrically powered.
This is a list of some of the prototypes developed in a bid to create a roadworthy vehicle that can also take to the skies.
Curtiss Autoplane - In 1917, Glenn Curtiss unveiled the first attempt at such a vehicle. His aluminum Autoplane sported three wings that spanned 40 feet. The car's motor drove a four-bladed propeller at the rear of the car. The Autoplane never truly flew, but it did manage a few short hops.
Arrowbile - Developed by Waldo Waterman in 1937, the Arrowbile was a hybrid Studebaker-aircraft. Like the Autoplane, it too had a propeller attached to the rear of the vehicle. The three-wheeled car was powered by a typical 100-horsepower Studebaker engine. The wings detached for storage. AThe project failed due to lack of funding.
Airphibian - Robert Fulton developed the Airphibian in 1946. Instead of adapting a car for flying, Fulton adapted a plane for the road. The wings and tail section of the plane could be removed to accommodate road travel, and the propeller could be stored inside the plane's fuselage. It took only five minutes to convert the plane into a car. The Airphibian was the first flying car to be certified by the Civil Aeronautics Administration, the predecessor of the the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It had a 150-horsepower, six-cylinder engine and could fly 120 miles per hour and drive at 50 mph. Despite his success, Fulton couldn't find a reliable financial backer.
ConvAirCar - In the 1940s, Consolidated-Vultee developed a two-door sedan equipped with a detachable airplane unit. The ConvAirCar debuted in 1947, and offered one hour of flight and a petrol mileage of 45 miles per gallon. Plans to market the car ended when it crashed on its third flight.
Avrocar - The first flying car designed for military use was the Avrocar, developed in a joint effort between Canadian and British military. The vehicle, which looked like a flying saucer, was supposed to be a lightweight air carrier that would move troops to the battlefield.
Aerocar - Inspired by the Airphibian and Robert Fulton, whom he had met years before, Moulton "Molt" Taylor created perhaps the most well-known and most successful flying car to date. The Aerocar was designed to drive, fly and then drive again without interruption. Taylor covered his car with a fiberglass shell. A 10-foot-long drive shaft connected the engine to a pusher propeller. It cruised at 120 mph in the air and was the second and last roadable aircraft to receive FAA approval, until now. In 1970, Ford Motor Co. even considered marketing the vehicle, but the decade's oil crisis dashed those plans.
22 September 2010Last updated at 14:02 GMT Posted by BBC News
Family's Titanic secret revealed
The Titantic's bow railing filmed by remote control cameras
Confusion about steering orders was responsible for the Titanic sinking, according to a relative of one of the ship's officers.
Novelist Louise Patten, granddaughter of Titanic's Second Officer Charles Lightoller, said an officer had steered into an iceberg instead of away.
The Belfast-built luxury liner sank in the Atlantic Ocean on her maiden voyage in April 1912 with the loss of 1,500 lives.
Mrs Patten said the tragedy had occurred during a period when shipping communications were in transition from sail to steam.
Two different systems were in operation at the time, Rudder Orders (used for steam ships) and Tiller Orders (used for sailing ships).
Crucially, Mrs Patten said, the two steering systems were the complete opposite of one another, so a command to turn 'hard a-starboard' meant turn the wheel right under one system and left under the other."
She said when the helmsman, who had been trained in sail, received the direction, he turned the vessel towards the iceberg with tragic results.
Titantic Second Officer Charles Lightoller, who kept the secret from the outside world
Mrs Patten has worked the story of the catastrophe into her latest novel, Good As Gold.
She said that while Charles Lightoller was not on watch at the time of the collision, a dramatic final meeting of the four senior officers took place in the first officer's cabin shortly before Titanic went down.
There, Lightoller heard not only about the fatal mistake, but also what happened next up on the bridge.
While the helmsman had made a straightforward error, what followed was a deliberate decision, she claimed.
Lightoller was the only survivor to know that after the iceberg was hit, Bruce Ismay, chairman of Titanic's owner, the White Star Line, persuaded Captain Smith to continue sailing.
The truth of what happened on that historic night was deliberately buried, she said.
Louise Patten's grandfather decided not to disclose what he knew and even kept his story from an official enquiry into the sinking.
"By his code of honour, he felt it was his duty to protect his employer - White Star Line - and its employees," Ms Patten said.
"It was made clear to him by those at the top that, if the company were found to be negligent, it would be bankrupted and every job would be lost.
"The enquiry had to be a whitewash. The only person he told the full story to was his beloved wife Sylvia, my grandmother."
September 27th, 2010 11:08 PM ET UFOs eyed nukes, ex-Air Force personnel say
Seven former U.S. Air Force personnel gathered in Washington Monday to recount UFO sightings over nuclear weapons facilities in decades past – accounts that a UFO researcher says show extraterrestrial beings are interested in the world’s nuclear arms race and may be sending humans a message.
At a news conference at the National Press Club, the six former officers and one ex-enlisted man recalled either personal sightings or reports from subordinates and others of UFOs hovering over nuclear missile silos or nuclear weapons storage areas in the 1960s, '70s and '80s.
Three of the former Air Force officers – though they hadn’t seen the UFOs themselves - told reporters that UFOs hovering over silos around Montana’s Malmstrom Air Force Base in 1967 appeared to have temporarily deactivated some of the nuclear missiles.
Much of the testimony already has appeared in books, websites and elsewhere. But UFO researcher and author Robert Hastings, who organized the news conference, said the time has come for the U.S. government to acknowledge the UFO visits.
“I believe - these gentlemen believe - that this planet is being visited by beings from another world, who for whatever reason have taken an interest in the nuclear arms race which began at the end of World War II,” said Hastings, who added that more than 120 former military personnel have told him about UFOs visiting nuclear sites.
“Regarding the missile shutdown incidents, my opinion … is that whoever are aboard these craft are sending a signal to both Washington and Moscow, among others, that we are playing with fire – that the possession and threatened use of nuclear weapons potentially threatens the human race and the integrity of the planetary environment,” he said.
Former Air Force Capt. Robert Salas – who has written a book about the Montana incidents – said he was underground when a UFO hovered over his missile silo in March 1967, and therefore couldn’t see it. He said one of his guards above ground told him a red, glowing object about 30 feet in diameter was hovering just above the front gate of the facility, in an isolated area far from Malmstrom.
“And just as I [called my commander], our missiles began going into what’s called a no-go condition, or unlaunchable. Essentially, they were disabled while this object was still hovering over out site,” Salas said.
Salas and others said the military urged them at the time not to talk about the incidents.
Retired Col. Charles Halt recalled seeing UFOs over the woods near Royal Air Force Stations Bentwaters and Woodbridge in eastern England in December 1980. He and security personnel were investigating reports of strange lights just outside one of the bases.
“All through the forest was a bright glowing object,” he said Monday. “The best way I can describe it, it looked like an eye – with bright red, with a dark center. It appeared to be winking. It was shedding something like molten metal, was dripping off it.
“It silently moved through the trees, avoiding any contact, it bobbed up and down, and at one point it actually approached us. We tried to get closer. It receded out into the field, beyond the forest, and silently exploded into five white objects – gone. So we went out into the field looking for any evidence, because something had been apparently falling off it – and we find nothing,” he said.
He recalled subsequently seeing other objects in the sky, including one that stopped about 3,000 feet overhead and “sent down a concentrated beam at our feet.” No one was harmed.
“The best way I can equate it is sort of a laser beam. We stood there in awe. Was this a warning? Was this an attempt to communicate? Was this a weapon? Or just a probe?” he said.
At about the same time, he was hearing radio reports from base personnel that beams from some of the objects were “falling into or near the weapons storage area.”
In a staff meeting later, a general decided “it happened off base, so it’s a British affair,” Halt recalled. “In other words, they were loathe to get involved.”
The Air Force investigated UFOs from 1948 to 1969 under a program eventually called Project Blue Book. The service, on its website, says the project concluded that “no UFO reported, investigated, and evaluated by the Air Force has ever given any indication of threat to our national security.” It also says there has been "no evidence that sightings categorized as 'unidentified' are extraterrestrial vehicles."
Salas said the UFO phenomenon “is real, not imaginary.”
“There is current excessive secrecy in our government surrounding this phenomenon,” he said.
A reporter asked how many of the former military personnel subscribed to Hastings’ theory that the message of extraterrestrials is that humans should get rid of nuclear weapons, and how many of them believed that we should get rid of nukes. Of the seven, it appeared that only Salas raised his hand.
Post by: CNN's Jason Hanna Filed under: Military • Nuclear • UFOs
Swine Flu is NOT the Problem -- It is the Vaccine that May Harm or Kill You Posted By Dr. Mercola | November 08 2009 By Dr. Mercola
You’ve probably noticed the escalating hype and hysteria surrounding the swine flu pandemic as colder months approach and the number of worldwide cases climbs.
It’s true the virus is spreading.
Much more important, however, is the fact that reported cases continue to be symptomatically mild, requiring little or no medical intervention. And deaths from the H1N1 virus remain extremely low, at less than one half of one percent of reported cases as of July 6.[1]
Despite this fact, the United States has committed to spending another $1 billion on ingredients for an H1N1 vaccine, according to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, with plans for a mid-October vaccination program intact.[2]
Plans are also underway to implement vaccine programs around the world. In Germany, for instance, the health ministry announced the government had plans to order 50 million vaccine units and up to 22.5 million people may be vaccinated in the first stage of the plan starting in September (even though no fatalities have occurred in the country to date).[3] The cost of the vaccination program is estimated at two billion euros -- even though only 800 infections, none of them fatal, have been reported in the country.
The White House Speaks About Swine Flu
If you’re on the White House email distribution list, you received an email recently announcing the “H1N1 Influenza Preparedness Summit” held on July 9. The note was signed by the Secretaries of Health and Human Services (HHS), Homeland Security, and Education.
The message said, in part:
“We are working together to monitor the spread of 2009-H1N1 and to prepare to initiate a voluntary fall vaccination program against the 2009-H1N1 flu virus, assuming we have a safe vaccine and do not see changes in the virus that would render the vaccine ineffective.”
Two things in this paragraph stand out. Number one -- the vaccination program is still voluntary. A plan for mass swine flu vaccinations is not good news, but it appears that at least for now, the choice is still up to you.
The other item which stands out in that paragraph is the phrase, “... assuming we have a safe vaccine.”
How safe is a vaccine that has been developed, “tested,” and shipped for mass distribution in a matter of weeks? The answer -- it isn’t.
Unfortunately, President Obama is fully onboard with the prospect of mass injections of inadequately tested, potentially deadly vaccines.
"We want to make sure that we are not promoting panic, but we are promoting vigilance and preparation," he said during the July 9 summit, adding, "the most important thing for us to do is to make sure that state and local officials prepare now to implement a vaccination program in the fall."[4]
Target Groups are Among the Most Vulnerable to Vaccine Risks
Yesterday's Washington Post ran a story in which 2800 people will be tested for the vaccine in 8 US cities. Even more concerning though is that they are expecting 160 million doses of the vaccine to be ready this fall with the first batch sometime this September.
As I mentioned in an earlier article, school children are the first target group to receive vaccinations. According to the Washington Post, Education Secretary, Arne Duncan said during the summit that "we would absolutely welcome" the idea that the nation's schools be turned into vaccine shot clinics. He called them "natural sites" and said that "to open our doors and be part of the solution really makes sense."
Makes sense to whom? I can’t say this enough -- if you understand the truth about vaccines it is beyond outrageous to suggest children should be the first to line up for swine flu vaccine injections.
Say NO to the Vaccine !!!
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the most serious and fatal cases of H1N1 have occurred in people between the ages of 30 and 50, many of whom were already ill with disorders like asthma, heart problems, diabetes, autoimmune diseases and obesity.[5]
Cases of swine flu in healthy children have been mild in nature, with little or no medical intervention required. Informed parents, given a choice, will surely opt for a mild case of the flu over the potential health risks of an inadequately tested vaccine that can potentially cause long-term devastation of your child’s health, or worse.
Further, under federal legislation passed by Congress since 2001, an Emergency Use Authorization allows any company that gives experimental vaccines to Americans during a declared public health emergency to be protected from liability if people get hurt.
It is a bad idea to turn schools into medical clinics and test experimental swine flu vaccines on children first. Especially when nobody has any liability.[6]
The Secretary of HHS, Kathleen Sebelius, rounded out the first targeted injection group by also including healthcare workers, pregnant women, and adults with chronic illnesses.
Pregnant women and people of any age with compromised immune systems are potentially at much higher risk for complications from dangerous vaccines than they are from a mild influenza virus.
On Their Way -- Vaccines Containing the Deadly Adjuvant Squalene
Squalene Update as of October 2009:
According to Barbara Loe Fisher, founder of the NVIC, none of the H1N1 vaccines being distributed in the United States contain squalene or other oil in water adjuvants.
We successfully made enough fuss about the potential danger of fast tracking licensure of squalene adjuvants into US H1N1 vaccines under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) that can be invoked during a declared public health emergency that the FDA has NOT licensed these adjuvants for the U.S.
There is squalene in H1N1 vaccines licensed in Europe but not yet in the U.S. That is not to say the vaccine manufacturers will not try to get the adjuvants inserted into vaccines in the future, but for now we have won on this point.
I recently posted an article on the subject of the vaccine adjuvant squalene. If you haven’t read this article, I suggest you do so. It contains crucial information about the health risks associated with injections of vaccines containing squalene.
Adjuvants are added to vaccines to make them more “effective” and to reduce the amount of vaccine required per dose. They do this by causing your immune system to react in a powerful, unnatural and potentially dangerous way to the presence of the organism you’re being vaccinated against.
Squalene is proving to be among the worst of the worst in terms of immune adjuvants.
We know at least two of the swine flu vaccines under development by drug companies will contain the oil-based adjuvant squalene. Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline are producing those vaccines, and it’s probably just the tip of the iceberg because:
In a July 13 WHO swine flu pandemic briefing note in which they list their latest recommendations on vaccines, they state:
“In view of the anticipated limited vaccine availability at global level and the potential need to protect against "drifted" strains of virus, SAGE recommended that promoting production and use of vaccines such as those that are formulated with oil-in-water adjuvants and live attenuated influenza vaccines was important.”[7]
Translation: WHO is now specifically recommending the production and use of vaccines containing oil-based adjuvants.
Also on July 13, HHS Secretary Sebelius committed another $884 million -- in addition to the $1 billion committed in May -- to purchase two key ingredients of the H1N1 vaccines under development. The key ingredients are:
1. The antigen (the active ingredient or organism) 2. The adjuvant
Novartis, whose vaccine contains the squalene adjuvant MF59, will receive $690 million of the $884 million.[8]
The handwriting is on the wall -- H1N1 vaccines will almost certainly contain the squalene adjuvant. Sebelius hedges her bets with the following statement:
“Depending on the results of clinical studies, adjuvant could be added to a vaccine to boost the immune system’s response and potentially reduce the amount of antigen necessary for the body to recognize and fight a virus.”
Depending on the results of clinical studies? Are those the same studies that will somehow be completed in record time and inexplicably deliver results pronouncing swine flu vaccines “safe and effective?”
Your skepticism is warranted and may keep you and your family safe.
Again -- please read my recent article on squalene so you will be fully informed of the deadly potential of this vaccine adjuvant and the controversy surrounding its use.
The U.K. is Also Keen to Mass Vaccinate
The U.S. government isn’t alone in its irrational response to the H1N1 virus.
How’s this for a headline: “Swine flu vaccine to be cleared after five-day trial.”
Dr. Peter Holden, the British Medical Association’s lead negotiator on swine flu, is of the opinion that although swine flu is not causing serious illness in patients, U.K. health officials are eager to start a mass vaccination campaign, beginning with “priority groups.” Holden says the vaccinations will reduce the chances of a shortage of hospital beds because of people suffering from swine flu.[9]
Why is the U.K. eager to vaccinate for a virus that isn’t causing serious illness? And why, if the swine flu isn’t causing serious illness, is Dr. Holden concerned about a shortage of hospital beds?
Some Do’s and Don’ts as Flu Season Approaches
Whether you believe the U.S. government is simply naïve or quite deliberate in their ongoing swine flu pandemic propaganda campaign, it is imperative you arm yourself with the facts about the H1N1 virus, vaccinations, and what you can do to protect yourself and your family.
Don’t assume because the government is promoting swine flu vaccines, they must be safe. Many vaccines with the FDA’s stamp of approval have proved to be dangerously high risk.
* The anthrax vaccine, mandated for U.S. military personnel, is not safe. * Thimerosal, a commonly used mercury-based vaccine preservative, is not safe. * The HPV vaccine (Gardasil), a disturbing example of how effective marketing can create a non-existent “need” for a product that is clearly unsafe. * The last swine flu vaccine, from the 1976 “pandemic,” was unsafe. The pandemic never materialized, and more people died from the vaccine than from the swine flu. * The FDA in its role as guardian of your family’s health is not safe.
Don’t assume your government cannot or will not mandate vaccinations or quarantines. Laws are on the books which give federal, and state and local authorities the latitude to enforce vaccine mandates, involuntary isolation and quarantine, and punitive action against those who resist.
* The Model State Emergency Health Powers Act directs the public health authority to “use every available means to prevent the transmission of infectious disease and to ensure that all cases of contagious disease are subject to proper control and treatment” (Article VI, page 26).[10] * Executive Order 13295: Revised List of Quarantinable Communicable Diseases gives authority to the Secretary of HHS to provide for the “apprehension, detention, or conditional release of individuals to prevent the introduction, transmission, or spread of suspected communicable diseases.”[11] * Executive Order 13375: Amendment to Executive Order 13295 Relating to Certain Influenza Viruses and Quarantinable Communicable Diseases adds “influenza caused by novel or reemergent influenza viruses that are causing, or have the potential to cause, a pandemic.”[12]
Sign the Petition!!
If you live in the US you can sign the petition to tell your congress person that you are STRONGLY opposed to forced vaccination.
Do educate yourself about influenza strains, vaccination risks, and the public health laws in your state[13] that may require you or your children to undergo either mandatory vaccination or quarantine.
* For a brief but comprehensive report on the history of mandatory vaccinations in the U.S. as well as the current laws in place, read the five-page CRS Report for Congress titled Mandatory Vaccinations: Precedent and Current Laws.[14]
Do make your voice heard against mandatory swine flu vaccination programs.
* Visit the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) and join the fight against mandatory vaccination. * Read about a proposed self-shielding/self-quarantine bill and send a message to your local legislator here.[15] You can learn more about self-shielding and social distancing at this link.[16]
Do prepare to self-shield/self-quarantine in the event of a swine flu outbreak in your area. Some suggestions:
* Store a two-week supply of food and water in the event you can’t get to a store or stores run out of supplies. * Make sure you have a supply of any prescription drugs you take on hand. * Talk with family members and loved ones about how they would be cared for if they got sick, or what will be needed to care for them in your home. * Get involved in community efforts to prepare for an influenza outbreak.
Do take care of your health to reduce or eliminate your risk of contracting any strain of influenza.
[1] World Health Organization, Pandemic (H1N1) 2009, Update 58, July 6, 2009 http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_07_06/en/index.html
[2] Reuters.com “U.S. to spend another $1 billion on flu vaccine” July 13, 2009 http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSTRE56669020090713
[3] Deutsche Welle July 17, 2009 http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4496394,00.html
[4] The Washington Post, Students 1st in Line for Flu Vaccine, July 10, 2009 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/09/AR2009070900353.html
[5] World Health Organization, World now at the start of 2009 influenza pandemic, June 11, 2009 http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2009/h1n1_pandemic_phase6_20090611/en/index.html
[6] National Vaccine Information Center July 22, 2009 http://www.nvic.org/NVIC-Vaccine-News/July-2009/Swine-Flu-Vaccine-Should-Not-Be-Given-to-Children.aspx
[7] World Health Organization, Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 briefing note 2, WHO recommendations on pandemic (H1N1) 2009 vaccines, July 13, 2009 http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/notes/h1n1_vaccine_20090713/en/index.html
[9] TimesOnline, Swine flu vaccine to be cleared after five-day trial, July 12, 2009 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article6690010.ece
[10] The Model State Emergency Health Powers Act, December 21, 2001 http://www.publichealthlaw.net/MSEHPA/MSEHPA.pdf
[11] Executive Order 13295: Revised List of Quarantinable Communicable Diseases http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/executiveorder040403.htm
[12] Executive Order 13375: Amendment to Executive Order 13295 Relating to Certain Influenza Viruses and Quarantinable Communicable Diseases http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-6907.pdf
[13] The Centers for Law & the Public’s Health, The Model State Emergency Health Powers Act http://www.publichealthlaw.net/ModelLaws/MSEHPA.php
[14] CRS Report for Congress, Mandatory Vaccinations: Precedent and Current Laws, updated January 18, 2005 http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/RS21414.pdf
[15] Natural Solutions Foundation http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/568/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=27275
[16] GlobalSecurity.org, Flu Pandemic Mitigation - Social Distancing http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/ops/hsc-scen-3_flu-pandemic-distancing.htm
We know the world's richest man is Carlos Slim Helu of Mexico, followed by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet of USA
How about governments?
Which countries’ government is the richest (having most money that is, in US$)If you are expecting North American and European nations, you might be disappointed.While the countries look rich, wealthy European nations can't withstand a prolonged major financial crisis, just like Greece.The USA might have the biggest economy, but the American government is not at all rich; in fact, it can't even take out $150bn if asked to now without resorting to borrowing.To date the US government has borrowed $14 trillion!The UK , likewise, while the country/people are rich, the government isn't.The UK government’s debt stands at $9 trillion now. World's Richest Government
Richest governments after 2008-2009 financial crisis :
1. China National reserves: $2,454,300,000,000
2. Japan National reserves: $1,019,000,000,000
3. Russia National reserves: $458,020,000,000
4. Saudi Arabia: National reserves: $395,467,000,000
5. Taiwan National reserves: $362,380,000,000
6. India National reserves : $279,422,000,000
7. South Korea National reserves: $274,220,000,000
8. Switzerland National reserves: $262,000,000,000
9. Hong Kong , China National reserves: $256,000,000,000
Big national reserves doesn't guarantee prosperity however, for instance, the yearly expenses for China's government is $1.11 trillion, their government must always think of economic growth and making more money.China’s govt overspent $110bn last year, much on it towards modernizing their military, if it goes on like this their reserves can only last for 22 yrs. The Malaysian government overspent $13bn last year, if it goes on like this their reserves can only last for 7 yrs. The Singaporean government overspent $3bn last year, much of it rescuing their banks from financial crisis, if it goes on like this their reserves can last 68 years. The Swiss govt overspent $1bn last year, if it goes on like this their reserves can last 262 yrs.
A country normally can borrow up to 100% its GDP, a very strong industrial country or very financial stable nation can borrow up to perhaps 200% its GDP, debts over 250% GDP the country is bankrupted.
Greece's Debts Is 113.40% GDP, In Danger As It Is Not Considered A Strong Industrial Or Financial Country.
Iceland Is 107.60%, Also In Crisis As It Is Not So Strong Industrial Or Financially.
Singapore Debts Is 113.10%, Not In Hot Water Due To Its Global Financial Hub Status, And Also Its Financial Strength. It's Only Dangerous For Singapore When It Reaches 200%
Japan Debts Is 189.30%, Still Under Radar As A Powerful Industrial Nation. It Needs To Panic Only At Around 200% US Has The World Largest Debts, But It Is Only 62% Its GDP, It Is Not In Any Immediate Danger Of Bankruptcy. Zimbabwe Debts Is 282.60% GDP, It Is A Bankrupted Nation. Malaysia Debts Is Currently At 53.70% GDP. Hong Kong And Taiwan Is Doing Pretty Good With Debts At 32-37% GDP
South Korea Is Even Better With Debts At 23.5% GDP
China Is Very Stable With Debts At 16.90% GDP Russia Is Like A Big Mountain With Debts Only At 6.30% GDP
There Are Only 5 Countries With No Debt (I.E. 0%):
Brunei, Liechtenstein , Palau , Nieu, And Macau Of China.
The Manila hostage crisis occurred when a dismissed Philippine National Police officer took over a tour bus in Rizal Park, Manila, Philippines on August 23, 2010. Disgruntled former senior inspector (equivalent military rank: captain) Rolando Mendoza, from the Manila Police District (MPD) hijacked a tour bus carrying 25 tourists from Hong Kong in an attempt to get his job back.[3] He said that he was summarily dismissed without the opportunity to properly defend himself, and that all he wanted was a fair hearing.[4]As a result of the ten-hour siege, the ensuing shoot-out, and a botched rescue attempt by MPD watched by millions on live television news, eight of the hostages and Mendoza died and nine other people were injured. The Hong KongGovernment then immediately issued a top-level 'black' travel alert for the Philippines.[5]
Hostage situation may happen anytime and at anywhere. In dealing with, a Standard Procedure must and is a MUST to follow and a training must be carried out.
This is just a training, but it handles the situation. See the videos below:
In a minute, the assault is done and accomplished. but, on the day that a real situation was to be carried out... a real crisis happened.
The video below shows how they executed the plan, but later on it fails.
Some reasons into why the MPD SWAT had failed in their assault:
#1. MPD SWAT doesn't anticipated the actual condition of the bus. In their pre-assault practice it is done in broad daylight and the bus being used in pre-assault doesn't have window curtains in which they can easily locate and see the suspect. And lastly, the bus door is already open before they assault the bus.
In the actual video footage of the hostage siege, we could see that every window of the bus is covered with window curtains, the bus front and rear door are all closed, and the assault is done at night where there is no visibility of the hostages and the hostage taker inside the bus. They keep on hammering the front door, winshield and windows for over half an hour.
#2. The MPD SWAT assaulted without proper tools for breaching the bus. Some tools and equipment that is really important and a must have for a assaulting team:
How I wished they were and will be provided with all the necessary tools and equipments.
Corner Shot - with attached small camera in-front, a flashlight, and folded into a corner or blind sight of the target. Developed by Israel.
A Ladder, Breaching and Impact Tools, and Puller
Portable & Flexible Hole Camera Flash Bang and Smoke Gas.
Kevlar, Helmet, Goggles & Gas Mask
Night Vision Device
Infrared Scope for Snipers.
#3. Video footage shows that, no coordination among the assault team on how and where they get in to the bus. Video shows that they are scattering around the bus trying to figure out what be the next move to execute. Expert says that when a flash bang or smoke gas is thrown, that signals the assault or breaching entry no matter what happend next. In the video, for how many times they thrown a tear gas, smoke gas, and a flash bang but none immediate movement from the assault team. Some failed to thrown it on the window hole where it bounce back to the assault team, then a second tries but still it fails. A funny thing to watch but it gives us an idea how important to include in their training the throwing or tossing of nades, gas, and/or a flash bang. I remember a one game that I played before, the Call of Duty II, before a soldier is set into a war, the soldier must undergo a brief training of handling a gun, sniping and including how to close attack an enemy. And the last part of the training is the throwing and tossing of potatoes (as a Grenade) into the building window and into the door. And when the soldier passed the training, he's set for the war.
Call of Duty 2, Throwing Potatoes (as Grenades)
#4. The live and continued coverage of the hostage siege shows the assault and the movement of the MPD SWAT from the outside. Report says, the bus is equipped with a TV and the blow-by-blow accounts of the broadcast media enabled Mendoza to monitor the sensitive police actions aimed at ending the standoff. “He was able to monitor our moves from the TV installed on the bus. Some of the radio reports even revealed the positions of our snipers. It really made our task more difficult,” the unidentified officer added.
The Hostage Crisis turns into a Hostage Critics, more says due to inadequate of training, lack of tools and equipment for the SWAT team. Other reasons came out after the initial investigation and review of the video footages.
What went wrong and who is to blame with, the tragedy shows an important thing, a view on how to deal with in such a kind of situation. As President Nonoy Aquino says "May mga pagkukulang. May mga magbabayad (There were lapses. Some people will pay),"
Hollywood actor and martial arts expert, Jackie ChanJackie Chan said in his Twitter account, that Hong Kong is built by many people. He also said" If they killed the guy sooner, they will say why not negotiate first? If they negotiate first, they ask why not kill the guy sooner? So sad."
Some videos that I personally collected to the internet that shows special course and training in handling hostage situation.
And this is the Philippine National Police Special Training in Time Crisis and Dota Course...
Sariwa pa sa alaala ng karamihan lalo na sa mga pamilya ng nadamay at namatayang Hongkong Nationals ang nangyari at madugong Manila Bus Hostage (August 23, 2010 @ Quirino Grandstand). Sa mga larawang nagkalat sa internet, isang pang-iinsulto di lamang sa mga nadamay at nawalan ng mga mahal sa buhay, ito ay pang-iinsulto na rin sa ating Pangulo na kung saan ay kaniya mismong pinahayag at ipinaki-usap sa mamayang Pilipino at sa buong mundo na huwag nating gawing sentro ng issue o i-trivialize ang nangyaring hostage crisis.
Pero, ano itong mga larawang kumakalat sa internet at tama bang gawin ito?...
Hmmm, piyesta sa Qurino Grandstand... PINOY talaga kahit kelan! Oiissstttt!!! grabe mo naman pulis ka pang maturingan at ikaw pa ang pasimuno sa piyestahan at kodakan. Sinundan pa ng mga istudyanteng de-moralidad na maturingan. Ala nagawa pang tumawa at ngumiti... iyan ba ang dapat ipakita sa buong mundo! To be proud sa nangyari? Ala insulto to the max, galit na nga ang ibang lahi, nagluluksa na ang mga nawalan ng minamahal sa buhay... at kayo naman ay todo enjoy sa kodakan! Ang pakiki-bahagi at pakikiramay ay hinde dapat sa ganitong paraan maipakita. KABAYAN konting disiplina naman pairalin natin at tunay na pakiki-bahagi at pakikiramay ang dapat ipakita at iparamdam.
It is often said that behind every great fortune lies a great crime. The twisted tale of Yamashita's gold, allegedly buried in the Philippine islands, is a story of a great fortune and many crimes that became inseparably intertwined.
The tale begins with Japan's plundering of its neighbors before and during World War II. As the Germans did in Europe, the Japanese squeezed vast fortunes from their Asian domain, creating a river of riches flowing toward the homeland. The Japanese government intended that loot pilfered from Southeast Asia would finance their war effort.
This was not the haphazard looting of a rampaging army - it was a highly organized effort - perpetrated on a massive scale by some of Japans most prominent citizens; allegedly including Emperor Hirohito and yakuza gangsters such as Yoshio Kodama.
Emperor Hirohito appointed his brother, Prince Yasuhito Chichibu, to head a secret organization called Kin no yuri ("Golden Lily"), to organize the looting.
Golden Lily teams systematically emptied treasuries, banks, factories, private homes, temples, churches, mosques, museums pawn shops and art galleries, and stripped ordinary people of what little they had, while Japan's top gangsters looted Asia's underworld and its black economy. The stolen property reportedly included gems, golden Buddhas, coins, and precious metals of immense value.
The Treasure Route
Not since the Spanish conquered the Incan Empire in 1532 had the world seen such an aggressive looting campaign. This sort of enterprise took careful planning and an established network to transport the loot safely and efficiently back to the Japanese homeland. The hub of the Golden Lilly's looting network was the Philippine island of Luzon - it's strategic location and proximity to Japan made it a natural and necessary transshipment point.
Golden Lilly's looting network
During the early days of the war the looting network functioned as planned - treasures from all over South East Asia arrived in the Philippines daily - the loot was then transferred to freighters for the trip back to Japan.
But toward the end of World War II. The Allies were gaining control of the Pacific, making it increasingly difficult for the Japanese to transport the stolen treasure. Allied submarines and aircraft took a heavy toll on Japan's shipping; some of the ships carrying loot to Japan were sunk.
So, instead of shipping the treasure back to Japan, Golden Lilly operatives began hiding the loot in caves and underground complexes throughout the Philippines. The Japanese believed that when the war ended they would be able to keep the Philippine Islands as a concession for peace. They would then be able to dig up the vast wealth hidden there to rebuild their failing empire.
Arriving in the midst of this frenzied activity was the Philippines' new military governor, General Tomoyuki Yamashita, "the Tiger of Malaya" - a nickname he had won by conquering that complacent and ill-defended British colony.
As the Allied forces closed in, General Yamashita kicked the treasure concealment campaign into high gear.
Intricate tunnels
Yamashita dug massive tunels in the mountains outside Manila, some to depths of hundreds of feet, leading to the final 'storage chambers'. Many of these tunnels were excavated just below the water table during the dry season, which meant that they would eventually fill with water – a deterrent to any future salvagers. And if that were't enough, most if not all of the tunnels were booby-trapped with 1,000 and 2,000 lb bombs and poisonous gas.
Alied Prisoners were used to dig the intricate tunnelling systems and once the gold was safely stashed in the pits, the POWs were executed and buried along with the treasures. In rare cases, Japanese officers even had their own soldiers killed and buried along with the treasure, to protect the secret locations.
Yamashita also blasted caves in coral reefs, and sank entire shiploads of valuables in the sea around the islands. But in the end all this hard work was for nothing – the Americans invaded the Philippines in October 1944.
Map of Luzon Island - Philippines
When the Allied forces landed on Luzon there was still much treasure remaining to be buried, so General Yamashita loaded the remaining loot on trucks and took it with him as his army retreated across the island.
Legend says that as Yamashita fled, he broke the treasure into many smaller stashes that were hidden along the line of his retreat, the bulk of the stashes are said to be concentrated in the mountainous area where Yamashita made his last stand against the invading US troops.
Yamashita eventual surrender on September 2, 1945.
According to popular lore, there are said to be 172 documented, official Japanese imperial burial sites (138 on land and 34 in deliberately scuttled ships), not to mention the numerous instances of loot buried by greedy officers and renegade soldiers. The worth of all this booty is estimated to be as much as $3 billion at 1940 rates – the equivalent of over $100 billion today. According to various post-war estimates, the gold bullion alone totals 4,000 to 6,000 tons.
Many of those who knew the locations of the loot were killed during that final battle, or were later tried by the Allies for war crimes and executed. General Tomoyuki Yamashita himself was executed for war crimes on February 23, 1946 taking the secret of his treasure to the grave.
Recovery Efforts
Many Yamashita researchers believe that a portion of the treasure has already been recovered by various parties in the sixty years since Yamashita's Execution. A great many facts have been accumulated, maps have been found, witnesses have sworn their testimonies, but the truth remains shrouded in mystery and lies. Two of the more credible and well researched rumors of recovery are listed below:
Clandestine operation
The first rumor reads like a Tom Clancy Novel. It's said that, in October 1945, American intelligence agents learned where some of the Japanese loot was hidden. Agents of the O.S.S. (forerunner of the CIA) watched as Japanese troops buried treasure on the island of Luzon and once the Japanese were defeated they began a clandestine recovery operation that lasted until 1948.
Peggy and Sterling Seagrave's book, Gold Warriors: America's Secret Recovery of Yamashita's Gold (2003), Is one of the best written on the subject and a great place to start your research on this fascinating tale. The initial edition comes with CD-ROMs containing 900 megabytes of documents, maps and photographs.
There were important reasons for all this secrecy. If the recovery of this huge mass of stolen gold became public knowledge, the countries and individuals that had been plundered could not lay claim to it; and the OSS/CIA had no intention of returning any of the plunder to its rightful owners.
Instead, they set up numerous front companies to launder the secretly recovered gold bullion. This is supposed to have become the basis of the CIA's 'off the books' operational funds during the immediate post-war years, used to create a world-wide anti-Communist network.
General William Donovan, head of the O.S.S., supposedly knew of the gold recoveries, as did General Douglas MacArthur, and former US presidents Herbert Hoover and Harry Truman.
Marcos' Gold
Perhaps the most credible rumor of recovery involves a young, up and coming Filipino politician named Ferdinand Marcos - who became successively a congressman, senator, president, and finally dictator of the Philippine islands.
Ferdinand Marcos
It was rumored that Marco's rise in politics was financed in part by Yamashita's hoard. One of many stories about Marcos places him with a party of Japanese soldiers who hid gold in a tunnel at the end of the war. Then sometime in the mid 1960's he recovered $8 billion from a tunnel known as "Teresa 2", which was located 38 miles south of Manila, in the Rizal province.
An interesting fact about Marcos is that he was the leader of the Ang Maharlika guerrilla force in northern Luzon during World War II. This would have put him in the center of the action as the Japanese made their final stand against Allied forces.
Whether the dictator ever found Yamashita's gold is pure speculation - but it's a well documented fact that he searched diligently, freely using his presidential powers and the nation's armed forces in the hunt. When he declared martial law in 1972, Marcos took full advantage of the clout it conferred to step up his treasure-hunting efforts.
Marcos even tried to employ unearthly powers in the search for gold, consulting Swedish psychic Olof Jonsson, who provided tantalizing hints to the hoard's location.
In 1975, Marcos awarded himself a monopoly on underwater recovery efforts, decreeing that all future salvage operations in Philippine waters would require his personal approval.
From time to time, scraps of information leaked from the Marcos inner circle indicating that the dictator did indeed find some sort of treasure. In the 1970s, Marcos hired an American, Robert Curtis, to search for buried treasure and remelt gold bullion to hide its origins. Curtis later told of seeing bars of gold "stacked from floor to ceiling" in one of the dictator's provincial palaces. "The ingots", he said, "were of a distinctive shape used around the time of World War II".
...... ...... The 'gold' Buddha allegedly returned to Rogelio Roxas by Ferdinand Marcos. Roxas claimed that the Buddha he had found had been solid gold with a cavity in the removable head that contained diamonds
Rogelio Roxas, a Filipino locksmith, is said to have found a one-ton, solid-gold Buddha and thousands of gold bars in a tunnel near Baguio in 1971, only to have them stolen by President Ferdinand Marcos. In 1986 Roxas sued the Marcos estate for damages, but died from poisioning on the very day he was set to testify.
In 1996, a US Federal Court in Hawaii awarded Roxas' heirs a judgment of $22 billion against the Marcos estate. This was later massively reduced on appeal.
Marcos was eventually overthrown in 1986; It was reported that when he fled the country, U.S. Customs agents discovered 24 suitcases of gold bricks and diamond jewelry hidden in diaper bags. In addition, certificates for gold bullion valued in the billions of dollars were allegedly among the personal properties he, his family, his cronies and business partners had surreptitiously taken with them when U.S. President Ronald Reagan provided them all safe passage to Hawaii.
Going for the Gold!
To this day, not one "officially accepted" Yamashita find has been documented. But despite all the disappointments and dead-ends, fortune hunters remain undaunted. Many individuals and consortia, both Filipino and foreign, continue to search for treasure sites.
Before you launch your own hunt for Yamashita's Lost Gold, here are a few things to keep in mind...
Danger
Dozens have died digging up roads, riverbeds and mountainsides in a relentless pursuit of Yamashita's gold. For example, in late 2000, two men were buried alive when a tunnel collapsed near the Mindanao town of General Santos after they had dug as far as 24 feet (7.3 metres). Four others suffocated in Lumban, Laguna. And in 1998, three men were killed in Nueva Ecija in Luzon province when a tunnel they had dug caved in.
Con Men
As many of these recovery projects have ended in failure, a side industry has emerged based on the fever itself. Foreign investors are often enticed into funding the digging of holes known to contain nothing. In areas of high unemployment, workers are happy to dig meaningless holes for two or three US dollars a day.
Con men claim to have recovered treasure but will only meet with buyers in secluded rural areas – abduction points for allegedly wealthy travellers. Others will try to sell gold-plated brass Buddhas and fake gold bars for thousands of times their actual value.
If you are tempted to take up the Yamashita challenge you might want to read this article first, which tells how a 74-year-old man lost his life savings by investing in a Yamashita scheme. Desperate race for vast riches - www.geocities.com/filipinoculture/treasure.html
Sharing with The Man
The Philipine government has some pretty strict, and well enforced guidelines for would be treasure hunters operating in their territories. Many expeditions have been escorted by the Philipino Military, who stand guard night and day to make sure that the government gets their fair share of the treasure - which is listed below:
a) For Treasure Hunting within Public Lands – Seventy-five percent(75%) to the Government and twenty-five (25%) to the Permit Holder.
b) For Treasure Hunting in Private Lands – Thirty Percent (30%) to the Government and Seventy Percent (70%) to be shared by the Permit Holder and the landowner.
c) For Shipwreck/Sunken Vessel Recovery – Fifty percent (50%) to the Government and Fifty percent (50%) to the Permit Holder.”
Peggy and Sterling Seagrave's book, Gold Warriors: America's Secret Recovery of Yamashita's Gold (2003), Is one of the best written on the subject and a great place to start your research on this fascinating tale. The initial edition comes with CD-ROMs containing 900 megabytes of documents, maps and photographs.
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