The Morning Star in Isaiah 14:12 is Sitting on the moon

Isaiah 14:12 (KJV) "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!"

However, here's how the verse appears in some modern translations:

Isaiah 14:12 (NIV) "How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!"

Isaiah 14:12 (NASB) "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!"

Isaiah 14:12 (Young's Literal Translation) "How hast thou fallen from the heavens, O shining one, son of the dawn! Thou hast been cut down to earth, O weakener of nations."

The fall of Lucifer, from
Paradise Lost by John Milton

Some KJV-only supporters have pointed to Isaiah 14:12 in the other English versions, and accuse them of a great, even heretical, mistranslation error. Some even suggest that these versions are suggesting that Christ and Satan are one in the same, and that Satan himself is responsible for inspiring these translations! This extreme view is because of where, in the KJV, Christ calls himself the "morning star" in Revelation 22:16:

Revelation 22:16 (KJV) "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star."

Revelation 22:16 (NIV) "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."

Moon moving away, but still near Venus on May 16

earthsky.org
As seen from parts of southeast Asia, the moon passes in front of Venus at about 10 hours Universal Time today. Unfortunately this is not visible to North American or European observers, but we haven’t lost out entirely. Tonight, just as it gets dark, look to the western sky and, weather permitting, you should see a beautiful sight — bright Venus with the waxing crescent moon nearby. You should have no trouble finding either object as long as your skies are clear and you are facing west. Venus is a brilliant beacon to the lower right of the moon. Look early, as the two set less than three hours after the sun. By the way, the moon is currently said to be “waxing” in the sense that it is becoming a bit more full each evening.

If you are a regular reader of EarthSky Tonight, you may have noticed over the years that we have reported passages of the crescent moon near Venus several times. In fact it isn’t that unusual. The moon passes somewhere near Venus about once a month, although we don’t always mention it simply because the conditions for observing aren’t always favorable. However, what you haven’t ever seen is a mention of the quarter moon, or gibbous moon, or full moon passing near Venus. Yet we sometimes report when these phases of the moon pass near Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. So why is it that only the crescent moon ever passes Venus?

That’s because Venus is “inferior.” No, I don’t mean that it is less valuable in any way. Used in this context, “inferior” means “lower than.” Venus is “lower than” the Earth relative to the sun. In other words, Venus is closer to the sun. Because of this, Venus never appears very far away from the sun in Earth’s sky. It oscillates back and forth from one side of the sun to the other, much like a race car moving from the left side to the right side of a circular track as we watch it from the stands. Thus, Venus sometimes appears in the evening twilight, and sometimes in the dawn twilight. The point is that it is never far from the sun. The farthest it can get from the sun (called an “elongation”) is slightly more than 47 degrees. So when the moon appears to pass Venus, it does so at about the same elongation from the sun. Since 47 and fewer degrees correspond to a crescent phase, only the crescent moon can appear to pass near Venus in the sky. The quarter moon is 90 degrees from the sun, and the full moon is 180 degrees, so you will never see those phases near Venus.

Mercury is an inferior planet as well, but its maximum elongation is only 28 degrees, so only a very thin crescent moon can ever appear near Mercury. On the other hand, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are farther from the sun than Earth, making them “superior.” From time to time they can appear at any angle from the sun, and the quarter or full moon phases can pass near them (sometimes even occulting them).

Venus Sitting on the moon

The phenomenon was observed in the afternoon sky when the crescent Moon poised directly between the Venus and the Earth, Director of Science Popularisation Association of Communicators and Educators (SPACE) C B Devgun said. An occultation is an event that occurs when one object is hidden by another object that passes between it and the observer. In this case, the Moon came directly between Venus and the Earth. Last time the occultation of Venus, popularly known as Goddess of Love, took place in India was on June 18, 2007, and the next one will be on June 30, 2011. Sky gazers were able to watch the celestial event between 3:30 PM and 5:18 PM. Astro-enthusiasts were seen watching the celestial treat with naked eyes but some used a pair of binoculars for its exact positioning. At the start of the event, the Moon and Venus were well above the horizon, and the Moon itself at about 30 degrees east of the Sun. The Moon was visible in the western sky with Venus a bit east of it.

Bastardizing the Party-list System of the Philippines 101

hat is really a marginalized sector?

This is the very issue that the poll office and many different camps are asking as the Party-list System in the Philippines is callously and vividly bastardized by the very same traditional politicians who had already been seen with contempt by the voting public.

Unfortunately, with the admission of the Commission on Elections that there does not exists a well-defined article in the law about party-list system of who is and what really is a marginalized sector, this has opened the floodgates for opportunists, traditional politicians and recycled politicos who wants to perpetuate in power and find more chances to fatten their checkbooks.

Are the hundreds of party-list groups written on the ballots really representing any marginalized sector?

This is the only country that everyone, everything and all groups could now easily become a marginalized sector and have a representation in Congress.

Imagine. How can Buhay Partylist be a marginalized sector when it is obviously the political arm of El Shaddai; and Mike Velarde is one of their nominees?

How can a group that says they are pushing for children’s rights run ads on giant TV networks (they are running the same ad Manny Villar used) that costs millions of pesos be a marginalized sector? And this leads us also to connect the dots that political camps and candidates are also seen to be using the partylist system and groups to circumvent the law and further their political agenda and clout to power and government control.

Not only that everyone now can easily become a marginalized sector, but also the very flawed and abused system of nomination is already one big reason for people to cry foul and ask for a total review and amendment of this particular bill on party-list system.

Imagine. The incompetent Angelo Reyes is nominated; same with Mikey Arroyo who had never experienced of fully understand the plight of security guards; the doctor to the stars Dr. Manny Calayan; the military officers who were implicated on the election fraud scandal “Hello Garci” are also nominated; cabinet secretaries of Gloria Arroyo are nominated; and many more for sure to be revealed in the coming days.

And all these party-list groups, hundreds of them are all racing on top of the ballot by starting with number 1 or some crazy letter abbreviations starting with the letter A to be easily voted; and most nominees were only picked from somewhere which had not actually been members of the group to have a full understanding of their plight and situation.

This makes me ponder: How about Pinoy bloggers filing for party-list accreditation? That will only happen if bloggers had already succumb to political greed and financial ambitions.

Crazy idea, but with crazy people working around to circumvent the law by bastardizing the party-list system, no wonder that some got so easily be infected.

What is your thought of our present partylist system? Any party-list group that you can identify to still be truly representing the marginalized sector of the Philippine society?

10 Urban Legends That Drove Pinoys Crazy

By Faye Ilogon | Published: April 16, 2010

When there’s smoke, there’s usually a whole lot of fire. Or so the saying goes. But there are times when it’s really just all smoke. Such is the case with urban legends. SPOT.ph lists 10 tall tales that clouded our judgment.

Alice Dixson (shown here in the ad that launched her career) brought out the man-snake’s wild side.

1. Robinson—half-man, half-snake—terrorizes pretty mallrats.

Story time: The Gokongwei family allegedly built Robinsons Galleria to serve as the romping ground of their mutant offspring Robinson, who was supposedly the twin brother of Robina Gokongwei-Pe. Robinson’s popularity peaked in the 1990s, when everyone believed that he indeed existed and frequented the ladies’ fitting rooms of the department store. Others claimed he also liked to munch on little children, whom he would somehow grab while they were in the comfort room.

WTF details: People justified Robinson’s existence by pointing out that the “R” in the mall’s logo looked like a snake. Then, it was rumored that actress Alice Dixson was violated by Robinson. In other accounts, he was said to have fallen in love with her and decided not to harm her. He was also alleged to have abducted a saleslady—only to set her free when he realized that she was not really pretty enough for him.

Fact check: Chalk it up to mall wars and the hysteria of overwrought urbanites. The crazy thing about the whole Robinson debacle is that even so-called educated people believed it was true. In any case, when SPOT.ph asked the alleged snake twin in question, Robina Gokongwei-Pe, who laughed it off and said, “Ahas? Naging handbag at sapatos na sa Robinsons!” It’s worth noting that Cagayan de Oro’s Gaisano Superstore was also subject to a similar snake rumor back in the 1980s.

The windmills are authentic—but some people think Bongbong Marcos isn’t.

2. Bongbong Marcos isn’t himself.

Story time: There’s a story going around that the Bongbong we see now isn’t genuine. The real Bongbong was said to have died in an accident in Manila or after being abducted by armed men somewhere in Mindanao. Another account says he died in London when he was a teenager. Anyway, after his supposed death, the family was said to have tapped a Marcos cousin who closely resembled him to undergo plastic surgery and take his place.

WTF details: Sometime after the story broke out between the late 1970s to the early 1980s, people pointed out that Bongbong’s mom, Imelda, was not so affectionate with him anymore. Others marveled at the fact that Bongbong got “cuter.”

Fact check: The family’s political rivals and legion of haters probably cooked up the story. But if it’s true—then that’s one lucky cousin.

By Faye Ilogon | Published: April 16, 2010

We hope Lilet never heard the sordid Coke + Cortal story.

3. Cortal + Coke = Abortion.

Story time: Some people think that taking Cortal (a local brand of aspirin) and washing it down with Coke would induce abortions. More often than not, people will retell a story that they had heard from a friend of a friend’s other friend about a young woman who could not face the fact that she had gotten knocked up. The said young woman allegedly used the Cortal-Coke combo to solve her problem.

WTF details: Information about the young girl would vary. The name of her school or dormitory would change. In some stories, she got away with her so-called “self-medication.” In others, she was rushed to an emergency room of some hospital and pronounced dead on arrival. Of course, the young woman in question never had a name and it was never revealed who the father of her unborn child was.

Fact check: This is either a twisted cautionary tale that’s told to young girls who are out on their own or a campaign against Cortal and Coke. Nevertheless, somebody posed a question related to the combo online.

Does this look like a troubled bridge to you?

4. The San Juanico Bridge has a bloody foundation.

Story time: The San Juanico Bridge’s foundation had allegedly been made stronger by the blood of numerous street children. The kids were the “offerings” for a pagan or demonic ritual to guarantee the strength of the structure. This is why, people say, the bridge is haunted by many lost spirits. Others say that the success of the bloody rituals done for San Juanico Bridge encouraged others to do the same for their bridges and buildings. Only one detail was constant: the use of street kids as sacrifice.

WTF details: A post in a PinoyExchange thread states: “Imelda Marcos was in charge of building the bridge. She consulted a manghuhula who said that the bridge would never be finished unless the blood of children [would be spilled on the foundation]. So Imelda ordered [street children to be kidnapped] and [their throats were] slit on the bridge’s location. Their bodies were thrown into the river. A mermaid or diwata who resided in the river saw the plight of the children and was saddened by it. She cursed Imelda. So the first lady grew scales on her legs and she smelled fishy. That was why she wore long skirts and bathe as often as possible.”

Fact check: Whoever concocted this tale probably wanted to scare off street kids. Or maybe he or she had some serious issues with the San Juanico Bridge or Imelda Marcos. The latter may be more likely as the story is believed to have originated in the Marcos era.

By Faye Ilogon | Published: April 16, 2010

Rizal is a hero of many talents—but he’s surely not a monster’s daddy.

5. Jose Rizal is Adolf Hitler’s father.

Story time: Since Rizal traveled to Europe and made a stopover in Germany, it was convenient for many conspiracy theorists to suggest that he had a dalliance with a young German lass. She allegedly got pregnant with the baby who would be Hitler.

WTF details: For some strange reason, people actually pointed out physical resemblances between Rizal and Hitler. If Rizal were alive, he’d be angrily saying, “Noli me tangere!”

Fact check: Blogger and urban legends junkie Paulo Ordoveza cites Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) History teacher Glenn Garfield Ang’s detailed chronology of Rizal’s stint in Europe from Jose Rizal, the Renaissance Man, a reference CD-ROM available at the AdMU History Department. “Rizal was in London from June 1888 to September 1888, after which he went to France and spent some time there,” Ang writes. “Hitler’s birthday is April 20, 1889. Giving an allowance of nine months from conception to birth, Rizal should have been in Austria in July 1888, if he were indeed Hitler’s natural father. But this is contradicted by the fact that Rizal was in London in July 1888 and remained there until September 1888. Therefore, it is completely impossible for Rizal to have been the natural father of Hitler.”

So, do you think these jellyfish can bring down a nation?

6. A jellyfish attack causes a Luzon-wide blackout.

Story time: On December 10, 1999, most of Luzon’s lights went out. A BBC News article reveals: “Authorities said that in fact, large numbers of jellyfish had been sucked into the seawater intake of a major power plant near Manila, clogging up the mechanism.” Of course, nobody bought the story.

WTF details: There were people who said the jellyfish were giant mutant ones. Reports indicated that “50 truckloads” of jellyfish had to be removed from the site. It was the height of President Joseph “Erap” Estrada’s notoriety so a lot of people thought that another coup d’ etat was brewing. Some also thought it was the early manifestation of the Y2K Bug.

Fact check: It’s no wonder that people smelled something fishy. Today, you can’t find a video footage or photos of the jellyfish that caused so many Filipinos to panic. Pranksters, of course, had a field day. One of them even wrote a bogus report about the incident. The truth is still out there.

By Faye Ilogon | Published: April 16, 2010

Needles alone already make people nervous.

7. AIDS patient injects moviegoers with his blood.

Story time: The story about a guy carrying a syringe full of HIV positive blood going around injecting moviegoers at Megamall broke out sometime in the 1990s. There were those who claimed to have heard stories from people who knew one of the guy’s victims.

WTF details: In some stories, the guy was said to be wearing a baseball cap or a hooded jacket. Some people also said that the guy would let out a maniacal laugh each time he injected a victim. The guy seemed to “melt into the shadows” since nobody reported seeing him running or headed anywhere.

Fact check: Anti-Megamall groups probably got together and decided to infect it with this story, which, by the way, isn’t original. It turns out that this story has an international scope.

How can detergents with dirt magnets be the work of the devil?

8. Tide is the devil’s detergent.

Story time: Stories about Procter and Gamble (P&G)—the multinational company that manufactures Tide, Safeguard, Pantene, and many others—being the profit-generating arm of Satanists spread like soapsuds in the 1980s. People were told that the moon-and-stars logo found on the boxes of P&G products was the symbol of the Anti-Christ. The number of the Beast, “666,” was supposed to be hidden in the logo.

WTF details: Procter and Gamble’s earnings were supposed to be used for the world domination of demon worshippers. There were also emails asserting that the so-called “owner” of P&G had appeared in a US talk show (Oprah Winfrey’s, Sally Jesse Raphael, Phil Donahue, or Merv Griffin’s) and admitted that “a large portion of his profits from Procter & Gamble Products goes to support [the] Satanic Church.” The email even gives details on how one could obtain a transcript of the said show. The catch? There was no such episode in any of the shows mentioned. Moreover, P&G is a publicly help entity. Thus, it’s not owned by a single person.

Fact check: P&G has a lot of competitors—and the fight for market share could get ugly. Perhaps, it was one of them who concocted this hellish story. P&G tried to shake off this rumor by suing those who spread it. In an August 1, 1990 Chicago Sun Times article, it was revealed that P&G sued a Kansas-based couple, James and Linda Newton of Parsons, “for allegedly making statements and distributing literature stating that P&G supported the Church of Satan.” Then, in 2007, P&G was awarded $19 million in its lawsuit against Amway (a company that manufactures consumer products) distributors who allegedly spread the story.

By Faye Ilogon | Published: April 16, 2010

This mockumentary clip proves why manananggals shouldn’t come to the city.

9. Manananggal causes panic in Tondo.

Story time: In 1992, people reported seeing a manananggal in Tondo. Some said that the manananggal had been on board a ship en route to Siquijor. But, for some reason, she got stranded in Manila. In some accounts, the ship that she was on got wrecked.

WTF details: People began to claim that they knew somebody who had actually seen the manananggal or that they knew someone whose child was either stalked or taken by the manananggal.

Fact check: People panicked over the thought of a manananggal in the city. Sociologists pointed out that the manananggal story is often used to keep people in line. In the Spanish era, it was used to persuade people to be more pious. In the 1950s, according to an essay by Jessica Zafra, some sources pointed out that Americans encouraged the spread of the manananggal story in the countryside by telling people that strangers wandering into their barrios could very well be manananggals. Thus, they had to report the presence of these strangers. In reality, it was said to be a strategy to identify rebels. Thus, the “presence” of a manananggal in Tondo actually made sense, as fear of her would help curb the nightly brawls that were rampant in the neighborhood. Even tough guys prefer staying home than encountering a creature that wants to have them as midnight snack.

Junior Kilat sings about the mythical creature.

10. Sigbins are the cure for AIDS.

Story time: The sigbin is a mythical creature that’s more popular in Visayas and Mindanao. It is said to walk backwards. Old folks say that the sigbin walks backwards with its head tucked between its hind legs and that it “resembles a hornless goat, emits a very nauseating smell and possess a pair of very large ears which are capable of clapping like a pair of hands.” They also say that it ventures out of its lair during Holy Week in order to “look for children that it will kill for the heart, which is made into an amulet.” For some reason, the story about it being the cure for AIDS spread like wildfire in the late 1990s even if nobody really knew what a sigbin looked like. Some drawings actually make it look like a kangaroo.

WTF details: Rich government officials in Mindanao who lived in mansions or large estates were believed to be raising sigbins. They were accused of being too greedy to share the wealth with the people. The blood of the sigbin, its meat, or its oil was supposed to cure AIDS within seconds.

Fact check: There are no words to explain just how ridiculous this story sounds and the fact that many people actually went sigbin hunting. Many hapless people who wanted to make a fortune by catching the animal that would cure AIDS were said to have been shown pictures of albino animals that the con men passed off as genuine sigbins. Many of those who wanted to try their luck at sigbin hunting were asked to pay a fee for the privilege of being part of the sigbin hunting group.

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10 Stupid Pinoy Political Smackdowns and Snafus

1. SENATOR AQUILINO “NENE” PIMENTEL JR. GETS DOWN AND DIRTY WITH HIS “INSERTION” AT THE SENATE. Diarrhea of the mouth must have struck Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. on January 25, 2010. In an ethics committee hearing on the alleged financial allocation insertion made by Senator Manuel “Manny” Villar, Senator Manuel “Mar” Roxas II clarified that he himself did not engage in such a practice. “I say no,” he said. “I had no insertion on any matter. In fact, I have no insertion, period. Because we’re in the minority! Let alone an insertion for a road to pass through any such property.” To which, Pimentel quipped: “Well, well, I am sure that after your marriage, you had some insertions. But that may be different.” The comment prompted laughter from the gallery, but it was clearly in bad taste. “That is an affront on my wife (Korina Sanchez), Mr. President!” Roxas exclaimed. The following day, Pimental apologized for his “coarse and vulgar” words. “To those who I might have hurt in this Chamber by the use of intemperate language or unseemly expressions, I apologize and beg their forgiveness through you, Lord,” he said.
2. SENATOR VICENTE “TITO” SOTTO III GOES AFTER THE ERASERHEADS. In August 1995, Senate assistant majority leader Sotto decided he had to get busy. It was his mission to save all the Filipino youth from drugs and all forms of vices. Thus, he called for a ban on the airplay and sales of “Alapaap” by the Eraserheads. Other bands included in the so-called audio crackdown were Teeth for “Laklak” and Yano for “Iskolar ng Bayan.” The E-heads—Ely Buendia, Marcus Adoro, Buddy Zabala, and Raymund Marasigan—had to write a letter to Sotto. There, they stated, “We are saddened by the fact that this song, ‘Alapaap,’ which the band considers to be our ‘ode to freedom’ as artists in our society, was dubbed as an ‘ode to drug abuse,’ by the Junior Drug Watchers.” It is no longer clear what Sotto’s point was.
3. MIKEY ARROYO GETS SKINNED ALIVE BY WINNIE MONSOD. The congressman, who is the eldest son of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, probably thought that the hardest thing about his September 1, 2009 Unang Hirit appearance would be waking up early. He was dead wrong. He soon found himself in a battle of wits with feisty host Winnie Monsod. He was obviously unarmed. Arroyo had a “WTF am I doing here?” look as Monsod asked him how he accumulated all his wealth despite his meager salary as a government employee. He tried to dodge Monsod’s questions but, in the end, she told him: “You know what, the law is very clear. If there is a problem, when there is a question of unexplained wealth here, the burden of proof is with you, with the government employee.”
4. CONGRESSMAN JOSE MARI GONZALEZ LETS IT RIP DURING AN IMPEACHMENT HEARING. If you can’t handle the heat, you’re supposed to get out of the kitchen. But San Juan Representative Gonzalez, an ex-matinee idol, just let it rip. During the proceedings of the impeachment of then-president Estrada, Gonzalez slapped House Sargeant.-at-Arms chief, retired Gen. Bayani Fabic, right after House Speaker Manuel Villar Jr. endorsed to the Senate the Articles of Impeachment. Though he apologized, his colleagues still deemed his conduct reprehensible.
5. THE FERDINAND MARCOS AUDIO SEX TAPE SCANDAL. In 1969, a movie called Maharlika, which was supposed to be a take on the war exploits of Marcos, began shooting in the Philippines. The hero’s love interest was played by an actress named Dovie Beams. Though Marcos was married to one of the most beautiful women in the country, his eye allegedly wandered. Soon enough, Beams was letting everyone hear her so-called recorded encounters with Marcos. He was said to have sung the Ilocano folk song “Pamulinawen” to her during their…er…dates.
6. MARK LAPID FINALLY GETS SOME FRUITY ATTENTION. Before this video clip went viral, Lapid’s claim to fame were mostly secondhand. He was the son of action star-turned-senator Lito and he was Kris Aquino’s ex. Then, in 2006, he made a movie called Apoy sa Dibdib ng Samar. His pang-FAMAS Award moment was a spiel about bananas. You have to watch it to believe it. Yes, these are the kind of clowns we elect as our leaders.
7. SENATOR MIRIAM DEFENSOR SANTIAGO THROWS OUT TWO WOMEN. In 2009, Santiago gave a privilege speech lambasting government officials for their infomercials. Also present at the gallery were two women whose antics were not to her liking. She called them out and had them escorted out of the Senate. Santiago is already a formidable presence even when she doesn’t say a word. But it’s a different matter entirely when something or someone gets her goat.
8. SENATOR TESSIE AQUINO ORETA SHOWS OFF HER PRO-ERAP SENTIMENTS BY DANCING. During the impeachment trial against President Joseph “Erap” Estrada in 2001. She was one of the pro-Erap senators who voted against the opening of the “second envelope.” When it was revealed that her group’s votes had won, Oreta was caught dancing with gusto. She apologized for her crass behavior later on, but the image of her uncaring jig was already seared in our minds.
9. SENATOR PANFILO “PING. Lacson was implicated in the 2000 murder of Bubby Dacer (a publicist who used to work for then-president Joseph Estrada) and his driver Emmanuel Corbito. Dacer allegedly had information on Lacson’s so-called shady deals. Lacson, of course, denied the accusations and other accompanying allegations. However, upon the return of key witness Cezar Mancao, Lacson suddenly announced that he was no longer running for president as he had originally planned. He cited the great cost he would incur in the campaign. Then, before the Dacer-Corbito case could heat up again, Lacson disappeared. He’s been missing since February this year.
10. PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO’S BREAST AUGMENTATION OPERATION BELATEDLY EXPOSED. It’s bad enough that people accuse you of being a “fake president.” But things get even more interesting when the spotlight is on your “fake boobs.” Just last year, the Asian Hospital in Muntinlupa City became the center of a maelstrom when it was revealed that the information about Arroyo’s breast implants originated from there. Even the National Bureau of Investigation was brought in to determine who dared to divulge the fact that the mammary implants that had augmented the presidential boobs some years before were being removed since the silicone was leaking. Arroyo and her family have all been involved in worse fixes. (Think Hello Garci and Jose Pidal)—but her boob job issue is just downright pitiful. At the end of the day, the most powerful woman in the land just wants big knockers.

The Three Faces of Rizal

The Three Faces of Rizal

By A.Z. JOLICCO CUADRA

January 3, 2010, 12:40pm

God writes straight in crooked lines.
-Old Portuguese saying.

In order to know the destiny of a nation, one must first open the book of its past. This from JR’s The Philippines A Century Hence.

What we have here is the resonance of truth. Yet it sounds like fiction, it has the colorings of make-believe.

Jose Rizal (JR to me) in his book points to our pre-Spanish past: our Filipino nation that ran a history of conglomeration of tribal nations with their own forms of worship, arts and culture. The Ina Poong Bato of Zambales that was symbolic of the Mother and harks back to pre-Spanish times tells of the Divine Mother- worship the Filipinos then, long before the Spaniards conquered us. It is farthest from the truth for anyone to say that the Filipinos were pagans or heathen before colonialist stepmother Spain came to subjugate us. The culture of our babaylan or priestess that has found popularity today speaks of the oldest faith and worship in the world. It is still found in Kinabuhayan, Mt. Banahaw among the Tatlong Persona Solo Diyos people of Amang Illustrisimo.

As I write this, we’re already in the next decade of the Third Millennium; yet most of us, as one wit put it, are walking backwards into the (new) future. This world is bogged down with so much intellectual and technological baggages imaginable, but man’s consciousness has remained the same in the last thousand years.

It’s the same with our nation’s past which begins far back and deeply beyond our colonized past, beyond the 400 years of our Spanish colonization, downrooting into trillions of years ago in the creation of the First Man in our original lost continent of Lemuria. “In the evolutionary cycle that never stops, Lemuria sank into the bowels of the sea and became the legend of the lost continent of Mu,” says our spiritual historian, poet Auggusta de Almeidda. In the history books of the Singaporean students, I’ve been told, the Philippines is referred to as the modern Lemuria. We are the resurrected Lemuria that the writer de Almeidda contends “is the First and Only spiritual civilization this world has ever witnessed,” and that it is the “true Filipino identity.” (See her The Philippine Human Map Unlimited inwww.perlasngsilangan.com)

What man postulates becomes truer than what exists. He can’t understand that realities are less convincing than imagined make-believe. Our history schoolbooks postulate that there has been no significant pre-Spanish history for us. It has calcified our heads into believing the big lie that despite our indubitably endemic rich culture, rich myths and legends, that we were never a great nation before. This academic thinking persists, nailed down on us by our modern colonial masters to complete our modern-day subjugation that keep us ignorant on who we truly are: a great spiritual nation elect and chosen by God. That is why we are addressed Lupang Hinirang. We’ve hypnotized ourselves into believing that we have no history before 1521. Almost into believing we are a nation of little consequence.

We must cry out here what has been lost to us, break out of the cocoon of ignorance of racial non-identity.

There’s no accident or coincidence of event in this world. The advent of JR was of supreme importance for us and our nation. He just didn’t happen; he bulked large in our history as Emancipator; his NOLI and FILI ignited our revolution and freed us from colonialist Spain. He gave us the blueprint and guidepost of our preeminent destiny in the world.

There are three faces of JR: the Historical, the Radical, and the Mystical. The Historical Rizal is the most widely acknowledged: JR the universal genius, the hero, the patriot acknowledged and hailed everywhere. Then the Radical JR: the nationalist-reformist-propagandist who pre-empted and precipitated the Katipunan revolution led by Andres Bonifacio and deeply inspired the writings of Apolinario Mabini. They are the Tres Personas Triumvirate of their time with JR on the apex point of the Triune symbol symbolizing the Father.

We now address and announce here the Mystical JR. The spiritual Rizal, the Divine spirit that he is. Austin Coates, in his biography of Rizal, points at the mystical and spiritual Rizal. Miguel de Unamuno, the controversial Spanish philosopher, called him “The Brown Christ,” our very own Kristong Kayumanggi. How many of our people know this, or acknowledge it. The best book on our revolution is Ileto’s Pasyon and Revolution. He speaks of the spiritual guidance given our heroes, who were Masons like JR. The high mystical guidance given them was staggering.

I’m aware that I’m doing a high spiritual act; to the believers I can be a heretic and enemy. We live in a fear-based consciousness with its negative mental and psychological effects in our modern culture. The threatening specter of a colonialist religion without spiritual authority. We deny the existence of God within us. We’ve been conditioned to believe God exists only in heaven, reachable only through prayer; the fear of hell and damnation is ever present in us. Through all this we are forever separated from one another, when at all times we must aim at God-Oneness which in our beliefs we have failed to do. God is not there in the blue empyrean; He’s down here on earth because in every generation the Godman appears, God in embodiment. There is never a time when the world is without the Godman. Or the Godwoman.

It’s only in our nation that spiritual cults exist where JR is Diyos Ama, Bathalang Ama, acknowledged, revered and worshipped. In the hundred years of JR’s martyrdom, against all odds, our spiritual cults grew bigger in their existence, despite fractionalism amongst them. JR has never left the nation; he’s always been around and has given us the legacy of our preeminent destiny as a people and nation, our having been once Queen of the world, our ancient Lemuria where the First man was created in the southern region of the Sulu archipelago.

When the true Deity appears, you can tell him by this sign: only the few true believers hail him. The rest are against Him.

The Old and The New Testaments have done their time: they are the equivalents of JR’s NOLI and FILI that have both done their time. The Third Millennium is the time of the Apocalypse; it is the time of JR’s still hidden Third Novel. We the Filipino people are the actors in it. As in the Old and New Testament which belong in its entirety to the Filipino nation, our stolen birthright, we are writing the Third Testament of mankind. We have gone beyond the NOLI and FILI already. The prophecies there for our times have come into fruition. I have written about it in previous articles. Our highly spiritual legacy JR gave to us in all his extant writings.

We now undergo “the tightening shackles, imprisoning shackles of dogma and concept, humanity squeezed to the hilt and suffering as never before from a fear-based consciousness, wars dominating our lives, fear of the end of the world, corruption in high places, etc.” are nothing but birth pangs signaling the coming of the Golden Age of our Third Millennium. It will be the birth of a new Filipino nation, us becoming the “shining light in the Far East” where the Chosen Land of the New Jerusalem will rise; where death will no longer be death, from separateness will come oneness, peace and contentment will reign, and above all Love; and hate will be a thing of the past; there will no longer be greed and envy because prosperity will be for us all.

“The wealth of the world will be centered in the New Jerusalem” – Heru sa Lem rooted in the acronymic Heru sa Lemuria: our beautiful, splendid Lemuria that was “the First and Only civilization this earthworld has ever witnessed.” All racial symbols and archetypes point to a singular pre-eminent destiny for the Filipino nation.

All this takes place here, in our nation. This is the separation of the sheep from the goats. This is now the Time of Truth. And The Third Millennium is under the Dispensation of The Mother. We witness the rise of the Supreme Babaylan or Kataastaasang Babaylan, the highest priestess of ancient Lemuria in the embodiment of Reyna Yolanda L. Manalo. She of Paraiso, Nattapian, Cagayan. She’s here to close the gaps that were left gaping during the time of JR and the one hundred years of the NOLI and the FILI. The Third Millennium is the Time of the Mother. It is now a Godwoman who wields the scepter of spiritual authority over the once-Lemuria that is now the Philippines.

The final unification and truth of JR’s prophecies are finally taking place. In one of his books he declares, “magbabalik na isang mahinang binibini.”

Attack, Jejemons, Attack!

Source spot.ph

They have a strange relationship with the caps lock button. Their fascination with the letter ‘Z’ borders on the perverse. They like to make awkward contractions (i.e. “aq” for “ako”). They also aspirate their syllables: “po” becomes “poh.” It is argued that brevity and convenience is their rationale for the bizarre spellings. But then again, “poh” is a letter longer than “po.” They will probably be the first to use this icon ♥ and “LOLZ” as certified punctuation marks.

They’re called jejemons. They’re basically the species of humanity that types in this charmingly odd manner, as if a chimpanzee had danced on the keyboard and hit “enter:”

guyZzZ, dHid yU Miz Mi? kOnTi NLnGz aNd Da CaNdy CutiEzZ iZ VaCkZ! KiTa KitZ zA StArbuhCkz!
eNkz tO aLL my ZupOrtErZz, and tO aLL mY HaTerz, LiVre KoH KaYoz nG MoCha FraPpez za Da Port

Unless you’ve been living inside Ping Lacson’s colon, maybe you’ve read or heard about them by now.

They have been hailed as the new jologs. But this time, it’s not really about what they’re wearing or what they’re listening to or who they’re watching in theaters. What is interesting about the whole “phenomenon” is that it is happening virtually—on blogs, chatrooms, social networking sites, and even on your mobile phone. And more importantly, it seems to be a language issue.

As with any linguistic system, the idea is to achieve a certain degree of consistency. At this point, the decision on whether or not to strike the caps button or when transform the “s” into a “Z” seems like a mere matter of temperament and improvisation. How the jejemon brain works we have no idea, but maybe it’s a climactic mixture of the noise that hovers around Internet gaming cafes, along with the extra ventilation permitted by those oversized shirts and even more oversized trucker caps perched on their head, and maybe constant bombardment to songs like this:

Certain websites have enumerated the jejemon’s supposed lifestyle choices: rap songs made with tinny synthesizer beats, Dota, Ragnarok, and other online network games, One description of the jejemon is that he/she inhabits the dark and danky environs of Friendster and Multiply.This smacks of wrongheaded snobbery. As if being on Facebook and Twitter represents a quantum leap in intellectual development.

Jejemons have been unfairly disparaged as morons because of their rather eccentric method of typing. Of late they have been on the receiving end of attacks from supposedly “elitist” forces on online social networking sites. People who cannot distinguish between “it’s” and “its” have no right to look down on jejemons. Even this anti-jejemon site, which is apparently run by people who skipped the class on apostrophe marks. Also, the high and mighty, who think that reading the Twilight trilogy lends them a sense of intellectual superiority.

The Girls That Inspire Our NBA (Playoffs) Stars

Here are some of the current (newly rich) girlfriends/wives that our NBA superstars are cheating on. [Complex]

Brandi Garnett (Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics)

Eva Longoria (Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs)

Gabrielle Union (Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat)

Hope Dworaczyk (Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks)

Keyshia Cole (Daniel Gibson of the Cleveland Cavaliers)

Khloe (the ugly sister) Kardashian (Lamar Odom of the Los Angeles Lakers)

La La Vazquez (Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets)

Maria Sharapova (Sasha Vujacic of the Los Angeles Lakers)

Tamia (Grant Hill of the Phoenix Suns)

Vanessa Bryant (Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers)

But still....

The hottest wife of any athlete in this sport goes to NBA guard Marko Jaric whose wife is none other than Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima.

Forbes Magazine 15 Wealthiest Fictional Characters

No. 1 Cullen, Carlisle
04.14.10, 09:00 AM EDT

Net Worth: $34.1 billion
Source: Compound Interest, Long-Term Investments
Age: 370
Marital Status: Married (4 adopted children)
Hometown: Forks, Wash.

Video: 'Twilight's Billionaire Vampire

Immortal vampire and small-town doctor has quietly amassed a fortune over three centuries. In 1670 received generous handout from Italian friends; put savings in bank, reaped billions in compound interest. Made shrewd long-term investments in steel, gold, oil, thanks to prescience of daughter turned financial advisor Alice; saw recessions coming, invested early in Wal-Mart, Apple. Earned doctor's salary for 340 years without paying for groceries, health care expenses. Avoids sunshine and public displays of wealth, but owns several valuable properties, including yacht, private island, collection of Renaissance art. New member. (For more on Carlisle Cullen, see "Blood Money.")

Featured in the Twilight books and films.

--Nicole Perlroth
Next: Scrooge McDuck

Source: [click here to see the whole list]

Amazing Math

Source: http://www.motwister.com
If someone ever told you that the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything is "42", tell them that is wrong. The answer is "6174" and here's why (and prepare to get your mind blown):

Take any number with 4 non-repeating digits. Say 1562.

Step 1: Arrange the number in ascending and then descending order
Step 2: Subtract the smaller number from the bigger number

6521 - 1256 = 5265

Repeat the steps:

6552 - 2556 = 3996
9963 - 3699 = 6264
6642 - 2466 = 4176
7641 - 1467 = 6174

Try any 4-digit number with non-repeating digits, and you'll *always* get 6174.

Pretty cool, huh?

6174 is known as Kaprekar's constant. The math operation above, discovered by Indian mathematician D.R. Kaprekar, will reach 6174 after at most 7 steps (if you did more than 7 iterations, check your arithmetics).

[via Neat-O-Rama]

DJ Mo strikes back, calls U-Kiss fans ‘hypocritical’

Source: Manila Bulletin

DJ Mo Twister

Radio talk show host DJ Mo Twister will not apologize to U-Kiss and their fans for his Twitter remarks about the boy band looking like lesbians.

In a blog entry, DJ Mo defended his remarks, telling fans that “what I wrote was my opinion meant to critique their fashion sense.”

He called fans who demanded for his apology as 12-year-olds, hypocritical and parasites.

“Since I posted these comments, I have received thousands of demands for a public apology and equally large amounts of death threats.”

DJ Mo tweeted after watching U-Kiss perform on “Party Pilipinas” last March 28 as part of the boy band’s Philippine promo tour.

“I stand corrected. These K-pop guys don’t look gay, they look like lesbians,” he wrote.

The comment enraged fans who demanded that he immediately apologize for his disparaging remarks. The fans set up a Facebook page for this. As of this writing, the fan page now has 5,876 members.

Before his blog entry, DJ Mo tweeted that “Some UKISS fans are upset I said they looked like lesbians. What’s wrong w/ that? I like lesbians. My aunt is lesbian, they look like my aunt.”

In his blog, DJ Mo said, “I felt it’s in the same line as how critics dissect the Best and Worst Dressed at awards night. Look at their photo and be realistic, I am not off on my assessment – those dudes dress and look like chicks. If you find that offensive, why?”

Connecting with Flavours of iloilo

Source: http://flavoursofiloilo.blogspot.com/

This is Iloilo. Beyond the Dinagyang festival; past it’s history, culture and heritage; apart from the melodious accent of warm and friendly people, Iloilo is, and will always be, associated with food and none is more popular than La Paz batchoy.

This is La Paz batchoy. Noodles with pork, liver, innards topped with chicharon and served in pork broth boiled with onions, seasoned with guinamos and made even tastier with soy sauce and ground pepper. Originated and named after one of Iloilo City’s districts just like Pancit Molo.

This is Pancit Molo. A “noodle-less” pancit dish from Molo district with Chinese influence in it’s wonton like Molo balls made with ground pork, chicken, shrimps and vegetables seasoned and wrapped in Molo wrapper served in chicken broth with chicken strips. Want more chicken? Then it’s time for chicken inasal.

This is chicken inasal. Now made accessible nationwide by an aptly named fastfood chain, Mang Inasal, Iloilo’s export fastfood chain. This Ilonggo adaptation of chicken barbecue uses local spiced vinegar known as sinamak as both marinade and dip since it is not soup based like tinu-om na manok.

This is tinu-om na manok. The only dish that has its own festival (every September in the town of Cabatuan) and is basically chicken pieces in packets of banana leaves with potato, ginger, lemon grass, onions, garlic and tomatoes cooked in seasoned plain water, unlike chicken binakol.

This is chicken binakol. With ingredients almost like that of tinu-om na manok or chicken tinola, chicken binakol differs with it’s use coconut water, has coconut meat, and traditionally cooked inside bamboo tubes over fire. Don’t have bamboo tubes at home? Just cook it in big pots just like the much loved K-B-L.

This is K-B-L. Kadyos-baboy-langka is an all time favorite dish of the Ilonggos especially those away from home. It consists of kadyos beans, broiled pork and unripe langka soured with local fruit called batuan. A simple dish with simple ingredients but the tenderizing of “K, B & L” that demands long cooking time unlike laswa.

This is laswa. The Ilonggo version of mixed vegetable soup. A quick dish to cook using vegetables including kalabasa, okra, patola, sitaw, takway, talong with saluyot, malunggay or alugbati leaves as greens. Shrimps, crabs or local snails called bago-ngon can be added as sahog. It’s a smorgasbord of different ingredients just like valenciana.

This is valenciana. A staple in fiestas, valenciana is the local paella. Made with pieces of pork, liver, chicken, shrimps with green peas, bell peppers, raisins cooked with malagkit rice (with kalawag) and garnished with hard boiled eggs. Some valenciana uses coconut (milk) just like most native delicacies like baye-baye.

This is baye-baye. A popular native delicacy made with toasted glutinous rice mixed with sugar and young coconut then pounded until sticky and well-blended. Akin to espasol in taste, look and texture but softer and without the powdery “make up”. Numerous baye baye kiosks welcome tourists to Iloilo as they are sold as pasalubong along the airport highway but can also be found in the city just like bandi.

This is bandi. A candy made from hardened mixture of peanuts and carameled sugar topped with sesame seeds. It’s the One Town One Product item of the San Joaquin as Brgy. Qui-anan is known as the bandi capital of Iloilo. Sold in groceries, shops and by sidewalk vendors this is a delight to those who having a sweet tooth just like butterscotch.

This is butterscotch. The best selling and most sought after pasalubong item from Iloilo. It’s a must-try, must-buy and must bring home treat but beware of those riding in this butterscotch bandwagon. Famous brands include Rgies, PJ’s and Biscocho Haus, the pasalubong shop “built” by biscocho.

This is biscocho. Originally made from stale breads that were again baked, biscocho is the (local) generic term for breads twice baked and comes in different varieties like biscocho de cana, principe, kinihad and others. Very popular that almost all bakeshops create their own biscocho just like barquillos

These are barquillos. Thin wafers of milk, sugar, egg and flour, heated and rolled into tube-like treats hand-made by most bakeshops led by Deocampo since 1890. Barquillos filled with polvoron are called barquiron. They also come in different varieties; ube, pandan, strawberry just like piaya.

This is piaya. Flattened (unleavened) bread filled with molasses, piaya best represents this region and its sweet history with sugar. Aside from having a variety of flavours and colors, piaya now comes in thin crisps and fruit filled varieties like mango, pineapple, langka or in combinations just like with Iloilo’s famous buko pie.

This is Iloilo’s famous buko pie. With very generous slices (not strips) of buko coming from four coconuts for each whole pie, Nang Palang’s buko pie of Trapiche, Oton can rival (and beat) those hyped buko pies elsewhere. They also make buko pandan, buko pinya pies plus other buko-based products as coconuts are abundant in this town adjacent to Villa Arevalo.

This is Villa Arevalo. Firecrackers, flowers and seafood complete the triumvirate Villa Arevalo is known for. Rows of beachfront restaurants and roadside stalls serve a variety of seafood and other Ilonggo specialties; from talaba and scallops to kasag and hipon plus fish of all kinds, native litsong manok and lechon baboy. Most popular are Tatoy’s and Breakthrough restaurants which takes a few minutes ride from Molo.

This is Molo. Aside from the soupy pancit associated with it, Molo is also synonymous with Panaderia de Molo. A century old bakery famous for its Spanish sounding biscuits namely galletas, hojaldres, bañadas and rosquetes to local faves kinamonsil, kinihad, pulseras and other baked goodies. Word has it that egg yolks discarded in the making of the Molo church played a major part in the founding of this bakery. Truly a place for nostalgic pasalubong shopping just like in Jaro.

This is Jaro. Ancestral houses and mansion dot this heritage district famous for its fiesta, cockfights and pasalubong. Most recognizable is Biscocho Haus whose signature red and white boxes filled with butterscotch, yemas, biscocho and other goodies are usual sights with travelers from Iloilo. Jaro also has a variety of restaurants from restobars and grills to those with international flavor and flair rivaling that of Mandurriao.

This is Mandurriao. It was known before as the airport town but now considered to be the hippest part of Iloilo city as it is the center of nightlife that translates to food and entertainment. Dine in trendy restos in the Smallville Complex and Riverside Boardwalk. Enjoy the night away in numerous bars, clubs or in native themed restos mostly dotting the Diversion road connecting it to Downtown Iloilo.

This is Downtown Iloilo. This is the heart of the city being the center of finance, commerce, governance and gastronomy. From old-time favorite restaurants and snack shops along Calle Real to modern cafes and fastfood along the Valeria street and its vicinity, the number and variety of food places make this the gastronomical center of the city. And that includes the flagship branches of the two competing restaurants serving the famous batchoy of La Paz.

This is La Paz. As the rivalry of batchoyans, Ted’s Oldtimer and Deco’s Original, continues, batchoy will always be La Paz and La Paz will always be batchoy. A dish that started from a small market stall, found its way to national fame and became the food icon of Iloilo.

And, again, this is Iloilo. Experience the beat of Dinagyang; marvel in its history, culture and heritage; feel the warmth of the Ilonggos; and indulge in gastronomic delights to enjoy the heart of the Philippines ……............…. through your stomach.

World Cup 2010 Group H Team Profiles

Source: www.fifa.com

Team Profiles

Group C

Spain


On a scale of one to ten, Spain's performance in qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ can only be given top marks. On top of wins in each of their ten games, La Roja were the European Zone's second top scorers with 28 goals while conceding a miserly five at the other end. Maturity, resilience and the ability to overcome adversity were all in evidence during their campaign, and few national teams in world football are blessed with squads of such depth and sheer talent. The Iberians have not rested on the laurels of their UEFA EURO 2008 victory, consistently bringing in new faces without renouncing their commitment to attractive short-passing football.

The road to South Africa
The title of European champions inevitably meant that Spain's opponents redoubled their efforts to claim what would be a notable scalp. Their narrow 1-0 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina - courtesy of a solitary strike from David Villa - was typical of the kind of gritty resistance they have had to overcome since Austria/Switzerland. And though Armenia and Estonia were dispatched relatively comfortably, an away clash in Belgium and a double-header against EURO 2008 semi-finalists Turkey forced the Spaniards to dig deep for nine valuable points.

Following a 2-1 win in Brussels, when they fought back to clinch victory via an 88th-minute Villa strike, came a 1-0 success over Turkey in Madrid, the goal coming from Gerard Pique. The return in Istanbul marked another 2-1 comeback triumph courtesy of goals from Xabi Alonso and then Liverpool team-mate Albert Riera. Belgium were subsequently dispatched 5-0 in La Coruna and a ticket to South Africa 2010 was assured with two rounds to spare after a comfortable 3-0 home win over Estonia. Far from taking their foot off the pedal, La Selección capped a flawless campaign with victory in Armenia and a 5-2 away thrashing of closest challengers Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The star players
The team's success has been based on quality and balance throughout the side. In captain Iker Casillas Spain have one of the world's finest keepers, a man who can be relied upon to bring his superhuman reflexes to the rescue when most needed. Midfield string-puller Xavi Hernandez's inch-perfect passing and vision is vital to the Spaniards' fluid style, while at the sharp end of the attack there can be few if any better finishers than David Villa and Fernando 'El Niño' Torres.

The coach
Vicente del Bosque took over where Luis Aragones left off after the EURO 2008 triumph, keeping the same footballing philosophy and core of players which dazzled the continent that summer. The experienced supremo has also hit the heights at club level with Real Madrid, winning two UEFA Champions Leagues (2000, 2002), two La Ligas (2001, 2003), a Spanish Super Cup (2001) a UEFA European Super Cup (2002) and the Toyota Intercontinental Cup (2002).

Del Bosque continued Aragones' faith in the one-touch style that has traditionally characterised Spain's play and which relies upon midfielders of the highest quality. As a recult, the Spaniards have won every game but one since the former Los Blancos boss took charge, the exception being a semi-final reverse against USA at the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009.

Previous FIFA World Cups
- Spain have taken part in the finals of 12 FIFA World Cups and have not missed a single edition since failing to reach Germany 1974.
- La Roja's best performance at the global showpiece was a fourth-placed finish at Brazil 1950.
- At senior international level, Spain have two major titles to their name: the 1964 and 2008 European Championships.

Records
- Spain recorded ten wins from ten South Africa 2010 qualifiers.
- La Selección were the European Zone's second-highest scorers, firing 28 goals to end the campaign just six strikes short of the Fabio Capello's England.

The words
"We've got good players and a well-oiled team, but there are some very strong sides out there. Our aim is to challenge for the next World Cup but we know how difficult it is. We're not the favourites but we are among the hopefuls." Vicente del Bosque, Spain coach.

Switzerland


Switzerland will be appearing at the FIFA World Cup™ finals for the ninth time when next summer's tournament gets underway in South Africa, where coach Ottmar Hitzfeld and his men are aiming for more than just a supporting role.

The former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich boss took the national helm after Switzerland's disappointing showing at UEFA EURO 2008, and has now led them to their second FIFA World Cup finals in a row. The Swiss made it to the Round of 16 at the 2006 event in Germany, where they were unluckily eliminated on penalties by Ukraine.

The Swiss boast a healthy blend of youth and experience, combining talented younger players such as Eren Derdiyok, Tranquillo Barnetta and keeper Diego Benaglio with seasoned campaigners like Alexander Frei and Blaise N'Kufo. The current team is hoping at least to emulate the achievements of their forebears who made the last eight in 1934, 1938 and 1954.

The road to South Africa
Hitzfeld and his team made a distinctly inauspicious start on the road to the 2010 finals. After conceding in the final minute to draw away to Israel, a disastrous 2-1 defeat to minnows Luxembourg in Zurich brought shame and embarrassment on the team.

However, the cringeworthy defeat ultimately acted as a wake-up call, and the Swiss duly reeled off five wins on the spin, against Latvia (2-1), Greece (2-1 and 2-0) and Moldova (2-0 and 2-0). They only dropped points again in a 2-2 draw away to the Latvians.

A comfortable 3-0 revenge victory in Luxembourg and a goalless draw with Israel in front of a delirious Basel crowd sealed top spot in European Group 2 and a confirmed place in South Africa for Frei and company.

The star players
Alexander Frei is the undisputed chief on and off the field of play. The Basel striker, who is his country's all-time record goalscorer, was Hitzfeld's natural choice as national team captain. He finished the qualifying campaign on five goals.

That total was equalled by Blaise N'Kufo of Twente Enschede. The striker, who was born in Kinshasa (DR Congo), was first called up by the Swiss in 2000 and has struck up a productive attacking partnership with Frei.

The coach
Ottmar Hitzfeld is one of Europe's most highly regarded and most successful senior coaches. He is one of only two men to guide two different clubs to UEFA Champions League glory (Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich).

He became Switzerland head coach on 1 July 2008, and after a bumpy settling-in period, led his team to a direct qualifying berth for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The former Germany amateur international, who appeared at the 1972 Olympic Games, is no stranger to Switzerland after spending spells with Basel (1971-75), Lugano (1978-80) and Lucerne (1980-83) in his playing days.

Previous FIFA World Cups
- In South Africa, Switzerland will be appearing at the FIFA World Cup for the ninth time.

- The Swiss reached the quarter-finals in 1934, 1938 and 1954. They were knocked out in the Round of 16 at the 2006 finals in Germany.

The words
"If my father had known I'd be this successful as Switzerland coach - not as Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund coach - he'd have been overjoyed. It's the place we call home, you see." Ottmar Hitzfeld, Switzerland coach

Honduras


Honduras reached the finals of the FIFA World Cup™ for only the second time in dramatic fashion, an equaliser in the dying seconds of the USA's clash with Costa Rica triggering frantic celebrations from Los Catrachos' fans thousands of miles further south. Yet despite having squeezed into the finals, coach Reinaldo Rueda's talented team will not be going to South Africa just to make up the numbers.

The road to South Africa
Rueda's men dug deep from the off to oust Puerto Rico 6-2 on aggregate to progress to the penultimate round of North, Central America and Caribbean Zone qualifying. Once there they successfully negotiated a tricky section to qualifying for the final six-team Hexagonal round ahead of Mexico, Jamaica and Canada.

The decisive final phase could barely have got off to a worse start, however, with La Bicolor sinking to a 2-0 reverse away to fierce rivals Costa Rica. A 1-1 draw in Trinidad and Tobago and a 3-1 home win over mighty Mexico got their bid back on track, only for Honduras to suffer a narrow 2-1 defeat in the United States. A run which included wins over El Salvador (1-0), Costa Rica (4-0) and Trinidad and Tobago (4-1) and a 1-0 reverse on Mexican soil then gave Los Catrachos the opportunity to clinch their passage to South Africa in the penultimate round of qualifying against the USA.

Wasteful finishing and a resilient Stars and Stripes display contributed to a 3-2 reverse in San Pedro Sula, which meant that Honduras now had to win their final match in El Salvador and hope for a favourable result between United States-Costa Rica. And despite having clinched a 1-0 win in San Salvador, the Hondurans would have missed out on direct qualification had it not been for that last-gasp American equaliser.

The star players
Over and above the country's big-name stars plying their trade in the European game, Los Catrachos' key man in qualifying was evergreen 36-year-old forward Carlos Pavon. In typically clinical fashion, it was the well-travelled goalgetter who fired his side's winner in El Salvador to ensure their place at the African showpiece. Aided and abetted by the hugely talented David Suazo, Wilson Palacios, Julio Leon and Amado Guevara, Pavon would love nothing more than to crown his glorious international career with a goal-laden showing on the biggest stage of all.

The coach
For Honduras, qualifying phases for the FIFA World Cup qualifying had become something of a recurring nightmare. Always among the pre-event favourites, La Bicolor invariably contrived to fall short at key moments - that is until the arrival of 42-year-old Colombian strategist Rueda.

After taking the job in early 2007, his professionalism struck a chord with the powers that be in Honduran football, who gave him the time to work denied many of his predecessors. Rueda repaid that faith by guiding his adopted country to South Africa 2010 on the back of sparkling attacking football and a solid backline.

Previous FIFA World Cups
• Honduras return to global football's top table after 28 years away. Their only previous appearance at the finals came at Spain 1982.
• Under the watchful eye of then coach Jose de la Paz, Los Catrachos surprised the world by drawing 1-1 with the hosts and then with Northern Ireland, before exiting the tournament after conceding a late goal in a 1-0 defeat by the former Yugoslavia.
• On the scoresheet for Honduras at that FIFA World Cup were Hector Zelaya and Antonio Laing, against Spain and Northern Ireland respectively.

Records
• Prior to the 3-2 defeat by the United States in San Pedro Sula, Honduras had racked up an eight-game unbeaten home run in South Africa 2010 qualifying.
• Honduras conceded just 11 goals in the final Hexagonal, the best defensive record in the section.
• Veteran sharpshooter Pavon was Los Catrachos' most prolific scorer in qualifying, helping himself to an impressive seven goals in nine appearances.

What they said
"Nobody could believe it. Our game ended and we were all dejected, then we saw the row the fans were making and we realised that the USA had equalised against Costa Rica. We're so happy to be going to South Africa and we're not going to let down all those people who believed in us." Honduras striker Carlos Pavon after his team booked their passage to the 2010 showpiece.

Chile


Chile's recent renaissance has been capped by a return to the FIFA World Cup™ finals following a 12-year absence. In the international wilderness since France 1998, when Marcelo Salas and Ivan Zamorano showcased their consummate finishing skills, La Roja believe they have the resources to emulate their illustrious predecessors and advance beyond the group phase.

Coached by the experienced Argentinian Marcelo Bielsa, the Chileans qualified for the finals with some ease, atoning for poor performances in the qualifying competitions for Korea/Japan 2002 and Germany 2006, when they finished ninth and seventh respectively. And having finally found talented replacements to fill the void left by the Za-Sa partnership, hopes are high that they can go on and excel themselves in South Africa.

The road to South Africa
Bielsa's side, which boasts the youngest average age of all the South American teams, finished second in the continental qualifying group, just one point behind Brazil. That performance, their best since the group format was introduced, was rounded off in style with a spectacular 4-2 win in Colombia in October, a result that rubber-stamped their return to the world elite with one game remaining.

In total, La Roja would win 16 of their 33 points away from Santiago, an impressive statistic that underlines the resolve of the team.
Raising expectations further is the fact that the attack-minded Chileans ended the group as the second-highest scorers with 32 goals, including ten from top marksman Humberto Suazo, and recorded ten wins in all, more than any of their continental rivals.

The star players
As you might expect of a compact side that likes to get forward at every opportunity, Chile's star performers are to be found in advanced positions. Leading the line with distinction are Matias Fernandez, Alexis Sanchez and Humberto Suazo, three players who teamed up to great effect for domestic giants Colo Colo in 2006 and who have since gone their separate ways.

The scheming Fernandez and the explosively talented Sanchez form part of a new breed of Chilean footballer anxious to build reputations abroad, while the more experienced Suazo is a lethal finisher with a happy knack for appearing in the right place at the right time.

The coach
Marcelo Bielsa was the man in charge of Argentina's ill-fated bid for glory at the FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan 2002. While memories of La Albiceleste's shock first-round exit in the Orient linger, Bielsa has given himself a shot at redemption by engineering Chile's unlikely revival.

Nicknamed El Loco (The Madman) for his unique dedication to the game, the 54-year-old strategist enjoyed only a brief playing career but commands the respect of players, fellow coaches and reporters alike. The hard-working and principled Bielsa is a devoted student of tactics and an advocate of enterprising football, characteristics that have earned him huge popularity in his adopted homeland, where the fans are anxious for him to remain in the post for many years to come.

Previous FIFA World Cups
- Chile will be taking part in the FIFA World Cup finals for the eighth time at South Africa 2010.
- Their best performance to date came when they hosted the tournament in 1962 and finished third.

Records
- Guillermo Subiabre (1930), Leonel Ramirez (1962) and Marcelo Salas (1998) are Chile's top scorers in the finals with four goals apiece.

What they said
"I'm not looking at this as a chance to get revenge for what happened to me in 2002. Nothing I can ever achieve in the future will make that sadness go away. The most important thing at a World Cup is to make sure the players are in top form and that depends on so many different factors. Some of them you can control, but some are the result of everything the player has been through in the previous ten months. I hope everything comes together for Chile." Coach Marcelo Bielsa

World Cup 2010 Group G Team Profiles

Source: www.fifa.com

Team Profiles

Group C

Brazil


It almost goes without saying that Brazil, the five-times world champions, go into every FIFA World Cup™ heavily favoured to add yet another star to the legendary Amarelinha shirt. Having played for A Seleção at three editions of the global showpiece, coach Dunga will be fully aware that any outcome other than a sixth world crown will likely be considered a failure.

The road to South Africa
The fans' at times vitriolic reaction to Brazil's results and performances particularly early on in the qualifying phase illustrates just how demanding they can be. Despite ending the preliminary event on top of the standings, after recording nine wins, seven draws and two defeats, and having clinched a South Africa 2010 berth with three matchdays to spare, the Auriverde camp had been subjected to a torrent of abuse after successive goalless home draws against Argentina, Bolivia and Colombia. Dunga's charges really hit their stride from April 2009, however, racking up five wins in a row including two landmark away results: a 4-0 humbling of Uruguay in Montevideo and a 3-1 defeat of arch-rivals Argentina in Rosario. It was the latter which confirmed their passage to South Africa.

The star players
Picking just a few names from a country so prolific at producing footballing talent is no easy task, though 2009 did underline the importance of certain key players. Starting between the sticks and we have keeper Julio Cesar, whose safe hands are a vital feature of A Seleção's miserly defence. The triumphant FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009 campaign cemented Kaka's place as the man Brazil look to for inspiration, a fact reflected in him taking the adidas Golden ball. Meanwhile up front, Luis Fabiano proved himself a truly world-class finisher with five goals including a priceless brace in the 3-2 final win over the USA.

The coach
Upon taking the job in August 2006, Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri, better known as Dunga, had already experienced the full gambit of emotions that come with playing for Brazil. Indeed, having been among the scapegoats targeted after the disappointment at Italy 1990, the powerful midfielder skippered Brazil to victory four years later in the USA. Despite the Brazilian national team position being his first coaching role, Dunga answered those who doubted his credentials by guiding A Canarinha to triumph in the 2007 Copa America, the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 and qualifying the team for South Africa 2010 with room to spare.

Records
- Brazil are preparing to contest their 19th consecutive FIFA World Cup finals. They are the only country to have taken part in every edition of the global showpiece.
- They are also the only country to have won the title five times: amassing a total of 64 victories, 14 draws and 14 defeats in 92 games played.
- Between 15 June 2008 and 11 October 2009, A Seleção went 19 games unbeaten.

What they said
"We have to learn to live with the favourites' tag. We mustn't let it turn into something negative, as it has done in previous years." Kaka, following the win over Argentina which clinched qualification.

North Korea


Korea DPR seemingly came from nowhere to storm into the Asian Zone's final round of qualifying, where they defied sizeable odds to take one of the continent's four automatic spots at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. In a sense they lived up to their long-standing reputation as Asia's surprise packages, their qualifying success marking a return to world football's top table for the first time since going all the way to the last eight in 1966.

After spending nearly 30 years in wilderness, the past decade saw the revival of the nation's footballing fortunes. With their women's football teams running riot at all levels on the international scene, the men's side came close to qualifying for Germany 2006 before successfully negotiating the road to South Africa 2010.

The road to South Africa
To reach the 2010 showpiece, Korea DPR went through a gruelling qualifying campaign spanning 20 months and a whopping 16 games. They made light work of Mongolia in the Asian Zone's first qualifying round, winning both home and away to earn a bye to the third round as one of the 11 highest-ranked first-round winners. Once there, they finished second in their group behind southern neighbours Korea Republic to qualify for the final round.

There they got off to a brilliant start by defeating UAE 2-1, before holding Korea Republic to a 1-1 draw. Despite losing to Iran 2-1 in the next game, they bounced back with a 1-0 home win against Saudi Arabia. Even a 1-0 loss to Korea Republic did not dent their chances too badly, followed as it was with a draw against Iran which kept them in second place. Needing just a point against Saudi Arabia in the closing game to qualify, they bravely held on for a goalless draw to seal their passage.

The star players
Two-thirds of the squad come from domestic clubs, though their small overseas-based contingent are vital cogs in the Korean machine. FC Rostov's Hong Yong-Jo was in lethal form up front, the 27-year-old goalgetter scoring four times in as many games. Playing alongside him is Japan-based Jong Tae-Se, who has the power and pace to breach any rearguard. Home-based midfielder Mun In-Guk is the man who makes the team tick, while keeper Ri Myong-Guk's safe hands and agility can be relied upon between the sticks.

The coach
Coach Kim Jong-Hun was only ten years old when the Chollima made history at England 1966 and now, 43 years on, he was the man who guided them back to the pinnacle of world football. Given his squad largely consists of domestic-based players lacking in international experience, the strategist favours a pragmatic and defensive approach based around discipline and teamwork.

Previous FIFA World Cups
Going into the global showpiece as debutants in England in 1966, the unfancied East Asians undid European heavyweights Italy with a single-goal victory to march into the quarter-finals. In what remains one of the all-time classic encounters in FIFA World Cup history, they flew into a three-goal lead against Portugal within 25 minutes, only for Eusebio to go on to strike no fewer than four times in a 5-3 comeback win for the Selecção das Quinas.

Records

* Korea DPR reached the last eight in their last and only previous appearance at the finals of a FIFA World Cup.


What they said
"It was as a result of our hard work that we will return to the World Cup, 44 years after we reached last eight at England 1966. We are likely to meet European teams once more at South Africa 2010 and I hope we can repeat the feats of our predecessors." Korea DPR head coach Kim Jong-Hun

Ivory Coast


If an African team is to make a major impact on the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ finals in South Africa, Côte d'Ivoire are seen by many as the most likely candidates. And with world class talent throughout the starting 11, it's no wonder. Les Elephants also a point to prove after being eliminated in the first round at Germany 2006, albeit in an extremely difficult group, where they lost 2-1 to giants Argentina and the Netherlands before coming from two goals down to beat Serbia and Montenegro 3-2.

With more experience, and a little more luck in the draw, Didier Drogba and Co are certain to be a handful in attack as they look to cement their emerging pedigree on the international level at South Africa 2010.

The road to South Africa
Befitting their status as one of the continent's powerhouses, Côte d'Ivoire strode through qualifying without losing a match, running away with their final qualifying group ahead of Burkina Faso, Malawi and Guinea. There only moment of genuine uncertainty came when they were on the brink of qualifying, although - as usual - Didier Drogba responded when his team needed him. The Chelsea man's decisive 70th-minute goal at Burkina Faso gave the side just enough insurance to hold off the Stallions 3-2 in Ouagadougou, and fittingly, it was his dramatic equaliser after coming off the bench against Malawi that gave the West Africans a 1-1 draw and the point they needed to reach South Africa. All told, the Chelsea man was top scorer for Les Elephants, with six goals in five matches.

The star players
Les Elephants feature top-drawer talent throughout their side, with the Chelsea pair of Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou a formidable duo up front. Sevilla's Didier Zokora and Barcelona's Yaya Toure provide bite in midfield alongside Marseille's diminutive Bakary Kone, while the England-based pair of Emmanuel Eboue and Kolo Toure combine with Stuttgart's Arthur Boka to form one of the best defences in Africa.

The coach
Vahid Halilhodzic took the reins of his first national side when he assumed control of Côte d'Ivoire after the 2008 CAF African Cup of Nations. However, the Bosnian only made it through the next edition of the continental contest when he was sacked after a disappointing quarter-final finish at Angola 2010. After Guus Hiddink was linked with the job, Bernd Schuster and Sven-Goran Eriksson were both considered possibilities to lead the team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Record
• Côte d'Ivoire were the only nation at Germany 2006 whose squad was made up of players entirely based at clubs outside their home country.
• They are the only team to never failed to score in a FIFA World Cup match.
• Côte d'Ivoire conceded early goals in all three of their 2006 matches, with all six of their goals against coming before the 40th minute.

What they said
"At the last World Cup we played really well, but we were unlucky because we were in a very tough group with Argentina and Holland and went out in the first round. But I think with this kind of experience, it will be possible at South Africa 2010 to do much better. Perhaps we can make the quarter-finals and then semi-finals; this is something we can achieve," Côte d'Ivoire striker Didier Drogba.

Portugal


Finalists at UEFA EURO 2004 and semi-finalists at Germany 2006, Portugal have displayed some dazzling football in recent years, but without ever landing a major prize. Having never progressed beyond the semi-finals of a FIFA World Cup™, A Selecção das Quinas will be aiming to go all the way this time around.

Mozambican-born coach Carlos Queiroz is no stranger to South Africa, and his previous experience as the host nation’s coach could prove invaluable. With talents of players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe and Deco to call upon, Queiroz will know that expectations are sure to be high.

The road to South Africa
Recording only one win from their first five group matches, Portugal quickly went from being group favourites to standing on the cusp of elimination. The second half of qualification brought a spectacular transformation, however, and they scored eight goals without reply in their last four group qualifiers to earn a play-off spot. Despite the absence of Ronaldo, their captain and talisman, for the two-legged tie against Bosnia-Herzegovina, they won home and away to clinch a comfortable 2-0 aggregate victory.

The star players
While fans are rightly excited about the prospect of Cristiano Ronaldo’s involvement on football’s biggest stage, the 2008 FIFA World Player played a subdued role in qualification, failing score in any of his seven appearances. Nevertheless, the Real Madrid star is known for his ability to rise to the big occasion and will undoubtedly be one of the men to watch at South Africa 2010.

Yet Portugal are no pushovers at the back. Bruno should bring aggression and aerial ability at both ends of the pitch, while Ricardo Carvalho has plenty of sure-footed experience. Pepe is questionable following a knee injury, and the loss of Jose Bosingwa is also notable. Veteran midfield pair Simao and Deco are also expected to shine.

The coach
Having guided the likes of Luis Figo, Rui Costa and Fernando Couto to consecutive FIFA World Youth Championship titles in 1989 and 1991, Carlos Queiroz is credited as the mastermind behind Portugal’s ‘Golden Generation’.

At senior level, Queiroz enjoyed great success as assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson, with a 10-month stint in charge of Real Madrid sandwiched in-between his two spells as No2 at Manchester United. Having succeeded Luiz Felipe Scolari after EURO 2008, this is in fact Queiroz’s second term as the senior national team coach. He last coached the senior side from 1991 to 1993, a disappointing period during which he failed to lead them to either EURO 1992 or the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Previous FIFA World Cups
Portugal set the bar incredibly high on their first FIFA World Cup appearance in 1966, walking away with a third-place finish along with a golden boot award for Eusebio. That maiden voyage remains their best performance to date on football’s biggest stage.

After failing to progress past the first stage in 1986 and 2002, Germany 2006 marked a return to FIFA World Cup form for the Portuguese. Undefeated during the group phase, they went on to overcome Netherlands and England en route to the semi-finals, only to lose 1-0 to France and then go down to the hosts in the play-off for third place. South Africa 2010 will be Portugal’s fifth FIFA World Cup appearance.

What they said
"Portugal are candidates for the trophy. We have great players and we made a statement with great pedigree and determination. This is a unique moment," Liedson after eliminating Bosnia-Herzegovina to qualify for South Africa 2010.