FT Chronicle

HELSINKI – Want to see the Titanic? Here comes Oasis of the Seas which is five times larger and is considered as the world’s largest cruise ship, which is finally finished and will begin its cruise in Florida.

The Oasis of the Seas has 2,700 cabins and can provide accommodation to up to 6,300 passengers and 2,100 crew members.

The massive ship aims to give passengers unbelievable experience with parks, squares and arenas with special themes aboard with a 750-seat outdoor ancient Greek inspired-amphitheater which also doubles as a swimming pool by day.

Lodging comprises loft cabins, with floor-to-ceiling windows, and 1,600-square-foot luxury suites with balconies giving a view over the sea.

The liner also has four swimming pools, volleyball and basketball courts, and theme parks and nurseries for kids.

Shipbuilder STX Finland allotted environmental-friendly features of the ship which have no sewage disposal in the sea, wastewater recycling and less power consumption than similar cruise. “I would say this is the most environmentally friendly cruise ship to date,” said Mikko Ilus, project engineer at the Turku yard. “It is much more efficient than other similar ships.”

Ticket prices are still high for the Oasis, running $1,299 to $4,829, compared with $509 to $1,299 on the company’s next most popular ship, Freedom of the Seas.

The Oasis of the Seas is scheduled to make its U.S. debut on Nov. 20 at its home port, Port Everglades in Florida. – AP

Via GMANews.Tv

MANILA, Philippines— A weakened Typhoon “Santi” (international codename: Mirinae) heads its way to South China Sea as it leaves Philippines after causing “minimal casualties” but with a large number of stranded commuters, power outrages and inundated areas.

The storm was last seen 170 kilometers southwest of Manila, having maximum constant winds of 105 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 135 kph, the state weather bureau Pagasa said.

Pagasa Deputy Director Nathaniel Cruz said they were anticipating better weather conditions for Saturday and Sunday but warned of possible big waves in the western seaboard of southern Luzon.

Storm signal over Lubang Island was lowered to signal number 2 while Bataan, Batangas, Cavite, Metro Manila, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro and the Calamian group of Islands remained under signal number 1.

More than 115,000 people had been evacuated from vulnerable areas before the typhoon hit, which likely prevented more deaths, National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Torres said.

Electricity was out in parts of Manila and in surrounding areas for the storm tumbled transmission lines and trees, making some roads inaccessible, Torres added.

Transportation is also affected by the typhoon, both international and local flights to and from Manila and ferries transport around the archipelago were cancelled, ruining travel plans for many.

Santi was forecast to move westward at 20 kph and would be about 650 kilometers west southwest of Manila or over the South China Sea by Sunday afternoon, Pagasa said.

Via Inquirer.Net

“It’s the 40th year since the infant Internet first spoke,” said Leonard Kleinrock of University of California, Los Angeles on their 40th anniversary of Internet last Thursday-Los Angeles.

Kleinrock was known as Internet’s father since he founded it on October 29 of the year 1969 by linking computers online.

The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standardized Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP) to serve billions of users worldwide. It is a network of networks that consists of millions of private and public, academic, business, and government networks of local to global scope that are linked by copper wires, fiber-optic cables, wireless connections, and other technologies.

ARPANET, the world’s first packet switched computer network, was established on the said date between nodes at Kleinrock’s lab at UCLA and Douglas Engelbart’s lab at SRI. Interface Message Processors (IMP) at both sites served as the backbone of the first Internet.

Kleinrock led an anniversary event at the UCLA campus that blended reminiscence of the Internet’s past with debate about its future.

“The net is penetrating every aspect of our lives,” Kleinrock said to a room of about 200 people and a number watching online.

resource reading: inquirer.net

After years of time spending for new invention, Jae Kwon, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Missouri, and his research team have already developed a more advance potable source of energy, the nuclear battery.

Nuclear batteries are said to be long lasting and more compact than our current batteries such as batteries of cars, laptops, cell phones, etc. According to the creators, a nuclear battery has a very enormous capacity to generate electricity when compared to a regular one.

New nuclear battery would bring a solution based on a liquid semiconductor (rather than a solid semiconductor) that will produce a much longer lifetime for the battery. This is due to some radioactive elements that attack solid semiconductors used by other types of batteries, while the liquid semiconductor is quite resistant to these attacks.

Kwon said that the radioisotope battery “can provide power density that is six orders of magnitude higher than chemical batteries”. That is to say, it provides no less than a million times more charge than any “normal” battery.
Instead of using laptop battery that last only a few hours, nuclear battery can provide energy that would last possibly a month. The new radioisotope battery has the size of a penny and provides much more power than the traditional ones because, according to the researches, its capacity has a better-quality.

Resource reading: myddnetwork.com

Do you believe in ghosts? Are you afraid of the spirits of the deceased? This theme is the favorite when observing Halloween. But do we really need to be scared of the dead?

“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” – Genesis 2:7

When God created the first man Adam, he himself is the living soul. One may ask: if a person dies, what will happen to him? What does the Bible say?

“For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:19
“The soul who sins shall die.” – Ezekiel 18:4

When Adam, the living soul, died his spirit died too. Since we are of Adam’s blood, we inherited the sin and death itself.

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” – Romans 5:12

In the simplest words to write, death is the opposite of life. But what really happens when someone dies? Consider the moment Jesus visited in Lazarus’ burial. People tried to stop him for Lazarus is four days dead and his body may emit foul smell out of the burial site.

“These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.” – John 11:11-14

What does Jesus means when he said that Lazarus is only sleeping? The life we are holding can be compared to a candle’s lit. When the fire on the candlewick is gone, it does not mean that it have gone somewhere else. Instead, it does not exist anymore. One will die, the spirit will follow.

“His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; in that very day his plans perish.” –
Psalms 146:4

But, is there anything we really should be scared of?

“For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.” – Ecclesiastes 9:5

It means that the dead are unable to do things and to know anything.
They do not have memory or senses and capability, for a person undergoes a complete state of coma or simply as an eternal slumber.

“Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice.” – John 5:28

But there is something that we can hope for. God promised to bring all to life for His nearing Kingdom. All will be revived and given a chance to live eternally with God and our king, Jesus.

“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.” –
1 Thessalonians 4: 13, 14

Former French President Jacques Chirac has been ordered by the French magistrate to stand on trial on embezzlement charges making him as the first former French president to face a corruption trial.

Chirac, 76 was a former mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995 and served as President of France for 12 years. He is being charged of misuse of public funds and having used his position to include 21 “fictitious” employees in the city payroll.

Through out his term as president and head of state, he is protected and enjoys constitutional immunity of all the alleged accusations and corruption scandals.

After his retirement to public office, he devoted his time for charitable foundation and writing his memoirs.

(photo via AP)

The New York Yankees wins game 2 to tie in the World Series against Philadelphia, 3-1.

Mark Teixera and Hideki Matsui hit solo homers lead the Yankees victorious in the field.

Phillies scored first courtesy of Matt Stairs with an RBI single in the second inning.

The Yankees got their run in the 4th inning by Teixeira with a drive into the Yankees bullpen in right field. While Matsui give Yankees a one point advantage in the 6th inning.

In 7th inning, Jorge Posada’s RBI single bringing in Gardner to score 3-1 in favour of Yankees.

Game 3 is scheduled on Saturday at Philadelphia.

(photo credits from latimes.com)

October 29 – Appreciating the forfeits made, President Barack Obama flew to Dover Air Force Base to render his honor to the return of fallen American soldiers owed by war.

Obama arrived by Marine One helicopter to Dover Air force Base to saw the real price of war in Afghanistan caused to 18 soldiers who were killed this last week of the month that turned October as the most deadly month for U.S troops since the war started.
At least 55 U.S. forces have been killed in October. That’s the deadliest month of the war for U.S. forces since the 2001 invasion to oust the Taliban.

This portrait made by Obama was compared to his predecessor Former President George W. Bush image. Unlike Obama, Bush visited the families of hundred of fallen soldiers but didn’t visited any military funerals to receive a coffins. Bush said it was the best way of showing respect to soldiers who rest in peace.

For all the talk of his potential troop of 40,000, Obama got a grim reminder of one, Dale R. Griffin, an Army sergeant from Terre Haute, Ind. He was the last fallen soldier to come before Obama. And his remains were the only ones to be honored in full view of the media with the permission of his family. A ban on such coverage was lifted this year under Obama’s watch.

An Air Force C-17 cargo plane arrived at Dover after midnight carrying the bodies of 18 fallen personnel from Afghanistan, including the 10 Americans killed Monday and the eight soldiers the next day. The official party receiving the coffins included Attorney General Eric Holder; DEA Acting Administrator Michele Leonhart; Gen. Norton Schwartz, the Air Force chief of staff; Brig. Gen. Michael Repass, commander of the Army Special Forces; Maj. Gen. Daniel Wright, the Army assistant judge advocate; and Col. Robert Edmondson of the Air Force Mortuary Operations Center.

The military calls this process as a dignified transfer, not a ceremony, because there is nothing to celebrate. The cases are not labeled coffins, although they come off looking that way, enveloped in flags.

via foxnews.com

MANILA, Philippines – Because of the constant direction Typhoon “Santi” (international codename: Mirinae) is heading Storm Signal No. 2 was raised over Metro Manila and 16 other provinces in Central and Southern Luzon and the Bicol Region Friday, the state weather bureau said.

The suspension of classes in the elementary and high school levels in public and private schools were lifted by Teresita Domalanta, NCR director of the Department of Education after Metro Manila was put under Signal No. 2 for the possible dangers the typhoon can bring to the students.

As of 4 a.m. Friday, the center of Santi was located at 580 kilometers east northeast of Infanta, Quezon, and was packing maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 185 kph, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its 5 a.m. bulletin.

Aside from Metro Manila, the provinces that were placed under Signal No. 2 are Aurora, Bataan, Batangas, Bulacan, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Cavite, Laguna, Lubang Island, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Quezon, Quirino, Rizal, Tarlac, and Zambales.

Storm Signal No. 3 was raised in the Polillo Islands in Quezon province, the weather bureau added.

PAGASA said Santi’s landfall was expected in the area of Aurora and northern Quezon this Friday and is expected to cross Central Luzon on Saturday and would affect provinces of Central Luzon and some parts of the southern part of Northern Luzon.

It is expected to exit the country Sunday in the area of Zambales.

via inquirer.net

Around the globe, millions of people use the Internet everyday. Most of them connect for business purposes, information and communication. But a number, including of minor age, uses the Internet for a lot different reason- to watch pornography.

Pornography is one of the famous yet multimillion dollar business, it is easy and accessible with just one click away. Sadly, a large number of minors also watch cyberporn without being detected with many choices to consider out there.

They say that pornography is just a harmless genre of entertainment and watching it only proves your sexual maturity. Is that so?

Married couples find themselves cold to each other for they find the excitement in their spouses that they experience in watching porn.

“Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of your youth.
As a loving deer and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
And always be enraptured with her love.” – Proverbs 5:18-19

Note that the foundation of sex is love. Does one who craves for porn establish a strong love and affection for one another? No, instead he only pays attention to satisfy his own sexual hunger.

“Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.” – 1 Peter 3:7

One married man may find no fire with his wife for he may find himself feeding only his satisfaction. It is way too different if we can consider God-given dignity to women as what men should see to them.

But, how about unmarried people? Are they exempted from the law of the Bible? No!

“But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” – Matthew 5:28

Sin only leads someone to death. Pornography can differ a person’s view. The worst of it, what seems to be just plain foretasting can lead to a major addiction which can even lead to commit a crime.

First thing is to stop watching pornography immediately. For as long as the fire stays, the house still burns right?

“By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.” – Hebrews 11:24-26

“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.” – Romans 6:12

Do not let yourself to be carried by temptations. Fight it. It may be hard at first but you can get over it with the help of God. Pray for strength. You will find victory at the end and also, God’s pleasure.

“My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him who reproaches me.” -
Proverbs 27:11

“And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” – Romans 6:18