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Shola Luna: Pushing forward
Shola Luna can recall how, in the 1980s, "we knew of HIV, though not really", considering that many of their practices were unsafe. Her life changed in the 1990s, when she tested HIV-positive. And so was born an advocate who stresses that "being HIV positive is not the end of the world for us who are HIV positive. Instead, it is but the beginning of a beautiful, positive life."
This is part of "More than a Number", which Outrage Magazine launched on March 1, 2013 as a move eyed to give a human face to those infected and affected by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the Philippines, what it considers as "an attempt to tell the stories of those whose lives have been touched by HIV and AIDS". More information about (or – for that matter – to be included in) "More than a Number", email firstname.lastname@example.com, or call (+63) 9287854244 and (+63) 9157972229.
Sometime in the 1980s, "we knew of HIV and AIDS – though not really," said Shola Luna, who was then in the US as an undocumented immigrant. "I was working (illegally then), selling cosmetics at West Hollywood, eventually moving to New York to work as a make-up artist." In a way, "guilty rin ako noon (I was also guilty then) of discriminating those who may be HIV-positive; like many, I also believed that when you're healthy-looking, you're really okay, so no condoms were used when having sex with them."
Shola had three live-in partners in New York. The first was a Jewish guy, who wrote her a song (called "Asian Eyes") and who was "healthy-looking, so our sexual contacts were unsafe". The second was an Italian guy "who was confused – yet I still lived with him for two years, and in those times, we also had unprotected sex."
She was with his third boyfriend in New York – a "White Anglo-Saxon American, who was 6'4" tall, had blue eyes… and he cooked for me," Shola recalled – when she noted he kept getting sick. "I asked him: 'Why are you sick all the time?' But of course, he couldn't provide an answer. He didn't know his HIV status."
It was while she was with her third boyfriend when Shola's application for migration needed to be processed, and so – in January 1994 – she had to return to the Philippines.
Little did she know then that only a few weeks later, specifically on March 18, 1994, her world would completely change.
Shola could still clearly recall how she was asked to return to the US Embassy for her medical clearance, and then while there, she was told that her application was nullified because of her HIV positive status.
"At that time, I asked: 'Bakit ako? Paano na ang Amerika ko? Ano ang sasabihin ko sa family ko?' (Why me? What will happen to my American dreams? What do I tell my family?)," Shola said. "I didn't even know where to go… I walked home to Parañaque from the US Embassy; I wanted to think; I didn't even notice I was walking endlessly…"
Shola blamed her White Anglo-Saxon American boyfriend then. "I called him then – nagmura ako (I cursed him). But he didn't even know his status then."
She cut her connection with him when she asked him to return her stuff – and which he did. "I haven't had news from him since then."
After she tested HIV positive, Shola may have been depressed, but she didn't necessarily closely look after herself. "I continued working, and we had shows at night," she said. After approximately a year, she noticed that "ang laki ng pinayat ko, naghihina ako madalas… noon, nawawala na ang ganda ko (I lost a lot of weight, I was always feeling weak… at that time, I was losing my beauty)," she said.
And so, in 1996, she went to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).
The very first day she went, she was confined, "and because of the lack of information then, my sister was afraid to come visit or even send a bantay (someone to look after me). Truly, I thought I was already going to die," Shola recalled.
At that time, "wala pang gamot; ginagamot lang ang opportunistic infections or OIs (treatment was not yet available; doctors just treat the OIs)." And so she became a regular of RITM for a year, "labas-pasok sa RITM kung may naramdaman (in and out of RITM when something was wrong with me)."
It was in 1998 when Shola started her antiretroviral therapy (ART). "I was taking 30 tablets in the morning, and 30 tablets at night," she said. Eventually, "lumakas ulit… hanggang ngayon nga (I became strong again… even to these days)."
Shola admitted that she may have taken a while dealing with her anger. "Galit ako sa mundo noon (I was angry with the world)," she said. But if there is a lesson she learned, it's moving on and pushing forward. "I got over it."
And so now "stigma reduction has become my advocacy," Shola said.
Shola noted that many in the Philippines, when thinking of HIV, still see the specter of Sarah Jane Salazar (who passed away from AIDS-related illnesses in 2000, though not before a movie inspired by her story was released). "Marami pa ring misconceptions, kaya marami pa ring discrimination (misconceptions still abound, so discrimination remains common)." And since "I now know what it is really all about, I want to be able to share the knowledge I have."
A lesson she can give other HIV-positive people is the need to focus on looking after oneself. "Kumain ka ng masustansiyang pagkain (Eat healthy). Go to a treatment hub. Laugh – because laughter really is a good medicine. Go back to your spirituality," she said. "More than anything, this is but a wake-up call for us to know our physical health status."
For those who are HIV-negative, Shola said that "prevention is better than taking (ARVs), so for those who are still negative and feel they're invincible and that they won't get infected, nagkakamali sila (they're wrong). (Just) use condoms; if there's none, kiss na lang (just kiss), or kiskisan (rub against each other)," she laughed.
"You know what, being HIV positive is not the end of the world for us who are HIV positive," Shola said. "Instead, it is but the beginning of a beautiful, positive life."
Dumaguete City passes SOGIE equality ordinance
In a victory for members of the LGBTQIA community in the City of Dumaguete, an ordinance was passed in the City Council to ensure non-discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE).
For Pride.
In a victory for members of the LGBTQIA community in the City of Dumaguete, an ordinance was passed in the City Council to ensure non-discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE).
Dumaguete is a 3rd class city in the province of Negros Oriental. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 131,377 people.
It is the capital and most populous city of the province of Negros Oriental, it has a population of 131,377 people, according to the 2015 census.
Authored by Councilor Rosel Margarette Q. Erames with co-authors Councilors Lei Marie Danielle Tolentino, Bernice Ann Elmaco, Edgar Lentorio Jr., Lilani Ramon and Nelson Patrimonio, the anti-discrimination ordinance (ADO) penalizes actual or perceived SOGIE-based discrimination in the workplace, school and other similar acts that undermines and harms the rights of the LGBTQIA people.
Under the ordinance among the prohibited acts include:
- Actual or perceived SOGIE-related discrimination from employment, training, promotion, remuneration;
- Delaying, refusing or failing to accept a person's application for admission as a student;
- Expelling or any penalty on the basis of SOGIE;
- Harassment and intimidation committed by teachers, administrators and fellow students;
- Refusing to provide goods or service, or imposing onerous terms and conditions as a prerequisite for such;
- Denying access to health services and facilities;
- Refusing or failing to allow LGBTQIA to avail of services or accommodations;
- Denying application for licenses, clearances, certifications or other documents;
- Vilifying, mocking, slandering or ridiculing LGBTQIA people through words, action and in writing; and
- Executing any activity in public which incites hatred towards or serious contempt for or severe ridicule of LGBTQ and other analogous acts.
The bill didn't have smooth sailing before it passed. For instance, the Diocesan Commission on the Laity (whose members consist of 42 Parish Pastoral Councils from the different parishes of the Diocese of Dumaguete, covering the provinces of Negros Oriental and Siquijor, with the exception of the municipalities of La Libertad and Vallehermoso, and the cities of Guihulngan and Canlaon), as well as the Diocesan Organization of Renewal Movements & Communities (composed of 14 organizations) expressed their opposition of the ADO.
When the passage of the ADO also made the news, a handful of locals expressed their disapproval, stating – among others – that LGBTQIA people do not face discrimination in Dumaguete (thereby contradicting their own statement), prioritizing other issues of the city, and that protecting the human rights of LGBTQIA people is against the will of God.
But now with the ADO, first time violators will be made to attend a gender sensitivity training. Second time offenders may be jailed for not less than 60 days but not more than one year, or be fined with not less than P2,000 but not more than P 5, 000 (or both at the discretion of the court).
With the ADO, SOGIE-related concerns will be incorporated in the functions of existing Barangay Violence Against Women and Children (VAW) Desk, which will document and report cases of discrimination against LGBTQIA persons.
Ilagan City in province of Isabela enacts SOGIE-specific anti-discrimination ordinance
General Ordinance 198-2019 finds the "need to prohibit… discrimination against people on the basis of actual or perceived SOGIE on the areas of work, accommodation, education, provision of goods, facilities and services, memberships in organizations, and the administration of local laws and programs."
The rainbow rises up north.
Ilagan – officially the City of Ilagan – a first class city and capital of the province of Isabela, enacted its own anti-discrimination ordinance based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.
Authored by City Councilor Rolando Tugade, General Ordinance 198-2019 stated that the office of the Sangguniang Panglungsod "finds the need to prohibit, so far as is possible, discrimination against people on the basis of actual or perceived SOGIE on the areas of work, accommodation, education, provision of goods, facilities and services, memberships in organizations, and the administration of local laws and programs."
According to Yonidick Pascua, president of City of Ilagan Gay Association, who pushed for the passage of the ADO, having the same is important "para mapangalagaan ang bawat LGBTQIA person," he said. This is also needed, he added, to show respect to the rights and "dignidad ng bawat LGBTQIA person; para sa pagkapantay-pantay (na trato) bilang tao sa lipunan."
Passing the ADO was challenging, said Pascua.
"Marami pa rin sa ating mga kababayan ang lubos na hindi naiintindihan kung ano ba talaga ang SOGIE," he said, adding that this is – nonetheless – exactly why the ADO is needed. Fortunately, for him, City Mayor Josemarie L. Diaz and Vice Mayor Kit Bello backed the ADO.
With the ADO, "inaasahan natin na magiging mas ligtas ang bawat LGBTQIA person (dito sa Ilagan); inaasahan natin na mas lalong magkakaroon ng lakas ng loob at mamuhay ng mas panatag ang bawat LGBTQIA person, at inaasahan natin ang mas masaya at makulay na pamumuhay ng bawat LGBTQIA person dito," he said.
Aside from the aforementioned acts prohibited by the ADO, also deemed unlawful is "discrimination through verbal or non-verbal ridicule and vilification," where it is declared "unlawful for any… person to vilify or ridicule any person on the based of perceived or actual SOGIE which may result in the loss of self-esteem or sense of safety and security, or the infliction of psychological harm through: contemptuous imitating or mockery; and uttering of abusive and slanderous statements."
Persons who violate the ADO may be jailed for up to 60 days, and/or fined up to P5,000.
With the ADO, the city mandates its barangays to "develop a system to record and document reported cases of discrimination and violence against LGBTQIA persons, and provide assistance to victims." But the ADO also establishes an LGBTQIA council.
"Yakapin po ninyo ang LGBTQIA people, itaguyod ang SOGIE para sa proteksyon ng bawat LGBTQIA person at bigyan sila ng pagkakataon na mamuhay ng mapayapa at ligtas sa pamamagitan ng pagpasa ng ADO," Pascua said. "Ang mga LGBTQIA people ay kasama sa lipunan kaya nararapat laman na yakapin, tanggapin at bigyan ng respeto."
Behind the bars on LGBTQIA life in prison
In the Philippines, it remains hard to monitor wrongful accusations (and eventual wrongful convictions); much more on how badly this affects members of the LGBTQIA community. Outrage Magazine interviews a gay man who experienced this, and what he went through as a minor behind bars.
It was a tiring day for then-16-year-old Harry (not his real name). He just got home from two consecutive weddings, and so – right after arriving at their house in San Jose City in Nueva Ecija – he asked his mother if he could skip school to just rest.
Harry's mother indulged him; but she also asked Harry to look after a younger sibling as she had to do some errands. On her way out, Harry saw his mother speak to the nine-year-old son of their neighbor outside their house; he said he was just wandering to catch a dragonfly.
With his mother gone, and before getting some sleep, Harry decided to harvest some mangoes from the tree beside their house. And while atop the tree, he noticed that the nine-year-old boy was no longer in the street. After getting down from the tree, he went inside their house, locked the door, and then slept.
It seemed that only a few minutes passed, but Harry was woken by knocking on their front door. He got up to open the door; it was the nine-year-old boy's mother, asking about the clothes Harry wore to one of the weddings that day. When Harry moved to go inside the room to get the pants he wore, the nine-year-old boy surfaced from inside the room.
"Anong ginagawa mo diyan (What are you doing there)?" the mother asked her son, flabbergasted.
He said "tinitingnan ko lang 'yung kapatid ni Harry (I was just looking at the younger brother of Harry)."
Harry joined the conversation, saying he didn't know that the boy was even inside.
The boy's family went straight to the police station, accusing Harry of child molestation. Harry was eventually taken into custody.
Though he was only 16 then, Harry was detained at the lock-up facility of the Philippine National Police (PNP). This is – by itself – a violation of Republic Act 9344 or the Juvenile Justice Law of 2006, which sets the minimum age of criminal liability at 15 years old. This means that those between 15 to 18 years old (and Harry was 16 when the alleged rape happened) may be detained in youth centers and go through rehabilitation programs, while those under 15 years old are exempted from criminal liability and undergo intervention.
After a month with the PNP, Harry was transferred to the custody of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), an agency of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), mandated to direct, supervise and control the administration and operation of all jails in the Philippines.
Here's a sobering fact: the incarceration rate of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people is up to three times than that of the general population. Sexual minorities (or people who self-identify as LGB and people who do not identify as LGB but reported a same-sex sexual experience) comprise: 9.3% of men in prison, 6.2% of men in jail, 42.1% of women in prison, and 35.7% of women in jail.
Note: As is often used, "jails" are facilities that hold inmates awaiting trial or serving short sentences, while "prisons" are facilities for those serving their (often longer) sentences.
Now this is worth stressing: Even if this has already been (partly) studied overseas, this continues to be largely ignored in the Philippine context.
One study – "Incarceration Rates and Traits of Sexual Minorities in the United States: National Inmate Survey, 2011–2012″, co-authored by Ilan H. Meyer, PhD, Andrew R. Flores, PhD, Lara Stemple, JD, Adam P. Romero, JD, Bianca D.M. Wilson, PhD, and Jody L. Herman, PhD and published in the American Journal of Public Health – found that sexual minorities are not only incarcerated at disproportionately high rates, but that once incarcerated, they are more likely to experience mistreatment, harsh punishment and sexual victimization.
"Nung first time kong pumasok sa loob ng selda, binuhusan ako ng isang pulis ng tubig habang natutulog pa ako (The first day I got detained, a police officer splashed water on me while I was sleeping)," Harry recalled. Dazed and confused, and not knowing who the person was (because she was not wearing uniform), "tinanong ko siya kung naka-detain din ba siya; hindi ko alam na pulis siya. Nalaman ko lang nung bigla niyang pinakuha yung batuta niya (I asked if she was also a detainee; I had no idea she was a police officer. The moment she asked for her club/cudgel, everything just came to me)."
There was a time when Harry was almost transferred to Boystown (a facility for offending minors), but his mother pleaded for this not to be done since he would then be too far from home and she would be unable to visit him regularly. And because he did not entirely understand what was being discussed, all Harry said he could do was cry, "too scared of everything."
Bullying/getting maltreated was a "norm" particularly for those who just enter prison.
In Harry's case, he was beaten – an act, he was told, was "a way to welcome new inmates."
"Ano yung ginagawa ng mga jail officers? Wala lang din. Wala silang ginagawa kasi minsan parang sila na din yung nagsasabi o nagbibigay ng memo na i-welcome yung mga bagong inmates (The jail officers are not acknowledging this issue. They are not doing anything about it because there are times when they, themselves, are the ones who give orders to welcome new inmates in that way)," Harry said.
Inside the jail, minors are supposed to be separated from the adult inmates. But this policy is also amendable, depending on the whims of the warden. In their case, an inmate who was also a minor tried to escape because he wanted to celebrate his birthday outside the prison, but "after that incident, the (minors were already treated as adult inmates), included with the adult prisoners."
Men and women have separate sections; but transgender women are mixed with men.
"Wala silang sariling lugar doon sa kulungan. Isinasama sila sa mga lalaki kasi para sa mga tao doon, lalaki pa din sila (There's no designated place for them. The jail officers still see/treat them as men)," Harry said.
Also as big as a risk for new inmates like Harry was getting raped.
"Meron talagang rape na nangyayari sa loob. Lalo na sa mga bagong pasok. Yun din minsan ang parang pinaka-welcome ng mga inmates na lalaki sa mga inmates na bakla. Kahit ayaw mo, talagang pipilitin at pipilitin ka (It is undeniable that rape occurs inside the jail. They specially do it to the newcomers. This is how straight inmates would welcome gay people in their cell. Even if you don't want to, you will be forced)" Harry recalled.
Harry was not exempted from this experience because, "sabihin ko man na ayaw ko, hindi pa din sila pumapayag na huwag kong gawin. Pag sinabi ng isang inmate na gawin namin, wala na lang din akong magawa kundi sumunod na lang (Even though I didn't want to, I would never have a choice. If a straight inmate asked for it, you just have to obey them)," Harry said. "Na-experience ko yun as a welcome sa akin nung pagpunta ko don (I experienced it as a welcome greeting when I first got there)."
At 16, Harry was raped in jail by a 23-year-old.
"Pag na-gustuhan ka nila, may mga grupo don tapos lalapitan ka nila. Papapasukin ka nila sa lugar nila tapos gagalawin ka nila. Mapapasunod ka na lang kesa masaktan ka (If you caught their interest, groups of boys would approach you and ask you to join them in their cell to rape you. You won't have any other choice because if you refuse, they will hurt you)," he said.
This maltreatment, by the way, is not exclusive to members of the LGBT community in jail/prison, since "there, no matter what your gender is, they will hurt you if they wanted to."
Though these may – no doubt – be known to those running the country's jails/prisons, Harry said that they didn't have access to any contraceptives and/or protection while inside the jail/prison.
"Hindi sila nakakapag-provide ng ganun. Kahit minsan nasusubukan namin magkaroon ng sakit, hindi din kami nabibigyan ng kahit anong gamot. Itinatawag lang namin sa mga magulang namin yung mga ganun (They can't provide things like that. Even at times when we were sick, no medicines were made available to us. We still rely on our relatives outside)," he said, adding: "Saka pa lang nagkakaroon ng aksyon pag parang mamamatay na yung tao (They only really act when someone is already really close to dying.)"
There was a point in time when Harry said he almost gave up. But he kept telling himself that "hindi yun ang panahon na dapat akong mawalan ng pag-asa dahil naniniwala ako noon na darating at darating yung oras na malalaman talaga kung ano yung totoo (That was not the time for me to just give up. I had faith that the truth will come out)," Harry said.
Much has already been said about prison management in the Philippines.
To start, and as noted by the Human Rights Watch (HRW), critical and chronic overcrowding has long been a perennial topic when discussing the country's jail facilities. BJMP runs 415 detention facilities in 17 regions, and on average, its jailhouses report 380% overcapacity. In Metro Manila alone, the BJMP's total cell area of 22,318 square meters, designed for 4,749 detainees; but it currently holds 21,868 detainees (a congestion rate of 361%).
The surprising – and somewhat senseless – thing worth noting here is that between 85% and 90% of the more than 94,000 inmates in the custody of BJMP are awaiting or undergoing trial.
"This makes the Philippines the Southeast Asian country with the highest number of pretrial and remand detainees and the second highest in all of Asia. Prolonged detention without charge or trial violates international human rights instruments, including Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which the Philippines ratified in 1986. Moreover, it 'shall not be the general rule that persons awaiting trial shall be detained in custody,' but rather released with guarantees of appearing for trial," HRW stated.
HRW also noted that "the injustice of lengthy detention is compounded by the horrific conditions of the jail facilities (with) many detention centers in the Philippines failing to meet the minimum United Nations standards for such facilities, including inadequate amounts of food, poor nutrition, and unsanitary conditions."
And yes, "torture and other forms of ill-treatment are also common," HRW similarly noted.
Inside jail, fighting for oneself was never really an option, Harry said, because the inmates could just – eventually – get back to you for fighting back. Giving in to just go with the flow was the attitude being in jail teaches inmates.
Though one time, Harry said he tried to fight for his basic human right of… simply existing and being treated more humanely.
One time, he recalled, a lady jail officer started pushing his chest with her fist and kept asking him if it hurts. It reached a point where the officer was already pointing a knife at him.
"Sabi ko sa kanya, hindi rin ako papayag na gaganunin niya ako. Bilang isang inmate, itrato din naman sana kami na parang tao dahil hindi naman kami iba sa kanila. Kasi sabi ko wala naman kaming ginagawang masama sa kanila. Tapos sabi ko pwede ko silang ireklamo sa ginagawa nilang 'yun (I told her that I won't let her do that to me. I may be an inmate, but I am also a person just like her. I told her that I did not do anything wrong to deserve the way she is treating me. I also told her that I could file a complaint on how she is treating me)," he said.
That – fortunately for Harry – silenced and prevented her from doing more harm.
It was while in jail that Harry finished high school under the Alternative Learning System (ALS) program offered there.
ALS is a practical option for learning in the Philippines, offering education to those who could not usually attend and access the formal type of schooling.
It was also while in jail when Harry first found love.
Harry met another minor, and "we became BFs."
Prisoners who are in relationships and want to have sex may ask for permission from the jail officers who then give them space to do so. "Pwedeng-pwede lalo na pag LGBT ka; pero pag babae at lalaki, medyo mahirap kasi inmate na lalaki at inmate na babae, bawal 'yun (ipagsama) (The officers are very open to that matter specially if you are a part of the LGBT community. But if the sexual intercourse is going to be between a man and a woman, they don't allow it)."
Their relationship lasted for a year and three months.
While in jail, Harry was repeatedly told that he would be transferred to "The Mansion" (how inmates called New Bilibid Prison, located in Muntinlupa as the main insular penitentiary designed to house the prison population of the Philippines). He was scared; and he was feeling bad, though not just for himself but also his mother who – even if she just gave birth – continued to regularly visit him.
And then one day, his lawyer – while on a visit – just handed him his already-signed release paper.
"Bigla po akong na-congratulate ng attorney ko dahil nai-panalo ko daw yung kaso ko (My lawyer congratulated me because we won the case)," Harry said.
Relieved, he said he just wanted to have a life outside.
It is worth noting that Harry's case is not exactly rare. And the warning bells have long been ringing.
In 2004, Free Legal Assistance Group (an NGO that provides legal assistance mainly for human rights cases) conducted a survey of death convicts in the Philippines, and it found "significant figures that could indicate a high judicial error rate". The survey showed that 73.9% of the convicts were arrested without a warrant, 78.3% were not informed of their constitutional rights at the time of arrest, and – get this! – 90% were not assisted by counsel during police investigation and interrogation.
Perhaps it is also worth noting that 52.2% of the convicts belong to the lowest socioeconomic class.
In 2014, Innocence Project (a litigation and public policy organization composed of human rights advocates in Ateneo, UP Law School and De La Salle University College of Law, headed by Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno) revealed that some 400 prisoners were wrongfully convicted by the court; most are charged with rape.
And in 2017, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported of the Supreme Court's admission that seven in 10 death penalty convictions in 1993-2004 by the lower courts, submitted for automatic review, were wrongly judged. Also, during trials, 59% of the suspects were represented by lawyers from the Public Attorney's Office, but 54.1% did not have regular consultations with their trial lawyers, and 10.2% never even had a consultation.
So in 2017, during the 17th Congress, former Sultan Kudarat Rep. Horacio Suansing Jr. and Nueva Ecija Rep. Estrellita Suansing filed House Bill 5582 to create a commission mandated to review all cases in which an innocent person was convicted; identify the causes of wrongful convictions; and identify current laws, rules and procedures implicated in each identified cause of wrongful convictions. This is because, the politicians noted, "at present, there is no government entity in our country charged with conducting the independent expert review of wrongful convictions necessary to identify the primary and potential causes of wrongful convictions."
The same bill was actually originally filed by the late Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago during the 14th Congress and refiled during the 16th Congress. It failed to pass the 17th Congress.
Suffice it to say, in a country like the Philippines, it remains extremely hard to monitor wrongful accusations (as in the case of Harry) and eventual wrongful convictions; much more on how badly this affects members of the LGBTQIA community. And then – yes – add to this the extra layer of hardships experienced by members of the LGBTQIA community if/when they are sent to jail/prison, some of them experienced by Harry, solely because of their sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
Upon his release from jail, Harry's first stop was his brother's house, where they accused him of escaping. "They only believed me when I showed them the release paper," he recalled.
Not surprisingly, the complainants weren't too happy that Harry was released. And this was even if other stories emerged – e.g. that the family of the complainant just paid the medical exam to release a report that stated that the boy was raped; that when the nine- year-old boy was interviewed, he actually denied that he was raped; and that the complainant demanded P30,000 from his family in exchange for his freedom.
Harry was also told that if he wants to turn the tables on them and file a case against his complainants, it would be a very strong lawsuit.
But not that Harry even cared at that point in time. "Pinabayaan ko na lang. Hindi ko inisip na maghiganti pa sa kanila (I moved on. Revenge is not what I wanted)," Harry said.
Harry's relationship with his fellow minor inmate also did not prosper.
The BF is also already out of jail, Harry said, and he's already married (to a woman). "Wala naman akong magawa kundi maging masaya na lang para sa kaniya. Pero magkaibigan kami ngayon (There's nothing I can do but be happy for him. We're still friends though)," Harry said.
As a freed man since 2016, Harry eventually found a job working for a local government official.
"Sa totoo lang, mahirap talaga ang buhay sa loob ng kulungan kapag kayo ay papasok so kailangan talaga na mag-ingat kayo na wag gumawa ng kasalanan (My advice to the LGBT people is for them to watch their actions because it is very hard to live behind the bars)," Harry said.
And to the incarcerated: "Sana mag-ingat na lang din sila kasi kailangan din nilang maipagtanggol yung sarili nila sa lahat ng maling gawain doon sa loob (To those who are inside, they should take care and learn to fight for themselves from every wrong thing that is happening inside)."
'Practice what we believe without inciting hate'
With those opposing the non-discrimination of LGBTQIA people still using the Bible to promote their hatred/bigotry, there are numerous people of faith who say that practicing what we believe is possible without inciting hatred. In the end, the goal is to ensure everyone is treated equally; and for the State to sanction those who violate this concept of equality.
The SOGIE Equality Bill is needed, said Pastor Carleen Nomorosa, program coordinator at the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), because "kinikilala niya at inaangat niya ang kagalingan at kahusayan at ang maaaring maiambag pa ng LGBTQIA people sa iba't ibang larangan (it recognizes and elevates how good LGBTQIA people can be, and their contribution to various sectors)."
Nomorosa noted that currently, a handful of LGBTQIA Filipinos are not even allowed to share their potentials because they are hindered by their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE). "And as a Christian, as a pastor, I believe that this (SOGIE) should not hinder LGBTQIA people from… fully participating in society," she said.
This is why, for Sen. Risa Hontiveros, the sponsor of the SOGIE Equality Bill in the Upper House/Senate, there is a need to "remind ourselves of (what unites us). That we are all against any form of discrimination. That we want what's best for each other. And that we want to preserve our values, and the Filipino family." So "let's treat each other with respect, empathy and openness."
For his part, Atty. Lyndon Caña of the traditional Coalition of Concerned Families of the Philippines, passing the SOGIE Equality Bill will go against the existing law of the land by – to start – giving credence to gender identity. Caña is particularly cognizant of the Supreme Court (SC) decision on the 2007 case of Rommel Jacinto Silverio/Mely Silverio, where the SC stipulated that a female person is one who produces ova/egg cells; while a male person produces spermatozoa.
As background info, on October 22, 2007, the SC's First Division junked Silverio's plea to change birth certificate entries — i.e. name to Mely, and sex to female. This after Silverio already underwent gender affirmation surgery. The court ruled that "the words 'male' and 'female' in everyday understanding do not include persons who have undergone sex reassignment."
A Manila court earlier granted Silverio's plea, but the Office of the Solicitor General elevated the matter to the Court of Appeals, where Silverio lost. The case was then raised to the SC, where Silverio lost with finality.
"While petitioner may have succeeded in altering his body and appearance through the intervention of modern surgery, no law authorizes the change of entry as to sex in the civil registry for that reason. Thus, there is no legal basis for his petition for the correction or change of the entries in his birth certificate," the High Court said in the decision written by then Associate Justice Renato Corona.
But even the SC's simplistic definition of what makes males and females may, however, be questioned.
And this is why, according to Prof. Revelation Velunta of the Union Theological Seminary (UTS), there is a need to: 1. Recognize that existing laws may have loopholes; and 2. Come up with solutions to deal with these loopholes.
In the Philippines, Velunta said, there is the Penal Code; which was revised. And then there was a law made to deal with rape; this was also eventually revised. "We always assume that we have anough laws," he said. "The question then is: If we have enough laws, why do we revise (existing laws)?"
For Velunta, laws can have loopholes that may not answer the current needs. "And this is the case with the SOGIE Equality Bill," he said.
Velunta also said that the attempt to attack the SOGIE Equality Bill by using Biblical texts is flawed. This is – largely – because of "diversity". To start, "we always ask: Which Bible (do we use)?"
Velunta said that there are 78 books in the Eastern Orthodox Church Bible; 79 in Ethiopian Orthodox Bible; 73 in the Roman Catholic Church Bible; 66 in the Bible used by Protestant churches; and 24 books in the Hebrew Bible. Right now, too, there are 5,700 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament; no two of them are exactly alike. And, also right now, there are over 2,000 English translations of the Bible, so that "there are more English translations of the Bible than there are English languages."
Velunta, therefore, said that asking "what version (of the Bible)" is always necessary; or better yet, to focus instead on human sexuality diversity.
"For every (faith-based organization that) argues that (the SOGIE Equality Bill) should not be passed, there are (also) faith communities – Christians, Muslims and others – that say that it should be passed," Velunta said. "For us, for example, we follow the example of Jesus who always took the side of the marginalized, oppressed and the poor. And in this particular situation, the LGBTQIA community is being marginalized. (They're not asking for special favors, they) are just asking to be recognized that they are God's children, they are created in God's image, and being LGBTQIA is a celebration of God's diversity, of God's creation, and God's love."
Confusion continues to exist re the SOGIE Equality Bill, nonetheless.
For Kata Inocencio, who is with the 700 Club Asia, there is fear that their freedom to tackle homosexuality – considered a "disorder" with adultery, among others – in their TV programs will be hindered. With her ilk, Inocencio believes that being gay can be "cured"; and conversion therapy is a regular topic discussed in 700 Club Asia.
The SOGIE Equality Bill, however, does not intend to infringe on Constitutionally mandated/protected rights; and earlier efforts were already made to clarify what the bill intends to do/does not cover.
Still, for her part, Nomorosa of NCCP said that "we can still practice what we believe without inciting hate, discrimination and fear against people who do not fit our notion of 'normal'."
Nomorosa urged non-use of the Bible to prevent LGBTQIA people from becoming productive members of society because this very act "shows hate, and not the love of God."
From Cebu in the Visayas, helming the cirty's anti-discrimination commission, Ms Magdalena Robinson said that there is a need for a national law to provide LGBTQIA people who experience discrimination a redress mechanism.
Robinson is cognizant that there are people – including members of the LGBTQIA community – who oppose giving protection to a minority sector that experiences discriminatory acts solely because of their SOGIE.
But "with our work in the (grassroots), we have really encountered (LGBTQIA people who experienced discrimination). You may not have experienced it firsthand, maybe you just heard of it, but we can't dismiss that this is a reality for LGBTQIA people. That their identities, their relationships, their gender expressions… are used against them to attack their dignity and demean their very person. So what we want is for the State to provide (a) mechanism to exhaust legal remedies to deal with these." – WITH ALBERT TAN MAGALLANES, JR.
EDITOR'S NOTES/ERRATUM (Sept. 11, 2019): In the earlier version of this article, Prof. Revelation Velunta of the Union Theological Seminary (UTS) was erroneously identified as "Prof. Salvation Velunta". This has since been amended.
Our apologies for this error.
SC junks plea for marriage equality; but says Charter doesn't limit marriage based on sex
The SC stated that the 1987 Constitution, from its "plain text," "does not define, or restrict, marriage on the basis of sex, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression," but the petition had to be dismissed based on Atty. Jesis Falcis III's lack of standing, violation of the principle of hierarchy of courts, and failure to raise an actual, justiciable controversy.
The Supreme Court (SC) of the Philippines unanimously voted to dismiss on account of a technicality a historic petition to allow same-sex marriage in the country.
The SC dismissed Atty. Jesus Falcis III' petition "on account of his lack of standing, violating the principle of hierarchy of courts, and failing to raise an actual, justiciable controversy," SC's spokesperson Brian Keith Hosaka said in a news conference on Tuesday, September 3.
In 2015, Falcis filed a petition asking the High Court to declare Articles 1 and 2 of the Family Code unconstitutional. The provisions of the 31-year-old law limits marriage between a man and a woman. However, the 1987 Constitution does not categorically state that a marriage must be only between a man and a woman.
But it is worth noting that the SC said the Constitution does not restrict marriage on the basis of sex.
The SC stated that the 1987 Constitution, from its "plain text," "does not define, or restrict, marriage on the basis of sex, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression," but the petition had to be dismissed based on Falcis' lack of standing, violation of the principle of hierarchy of courts, and failure to raise an actual, justiciable controversy.
The SC ruled with a reminder against "premature" petitions, stating that actions done in the name of public interest "should be the result of collective decision coming from well-thought-out strategies of the movement in whose name we bring a case before this Court."
Otherwise, the SC added, "premature petitions filed by those who seek to see their names in our jurisprudential records may only do more harm than good."
For the SC, "good intentions are no substitute for deliberate, conscious and responsible action. Litigation for the public interest for those who have been marginalized and oppressed deserve much more than the way it has been handled in this case."
The SC also held Falcis and his fellow lawyers, Darwin Angeles, Keisha Trina Guangko, and Christopher Ryan Maranan, liable for indirect contempt, stating that "to forget [the bare rudiments of court procedure and decorum] — or worse, to purport to know them, but really, only to exploit them by way of propaganda — and then, to jump headlong into the taxing endeavor of constitutional litigation is a contemptuous betrayal of the high standards of the legal profession."
Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, the ponente, said the issue of same-sex partnerships "may, for now, be a matter that should be addressed to Congress."
Leonen was quoted as saying by the SC's Public Information Office (PIO) that the SC "recognized the protracted history of discrimination and marginalization faced by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and other gender and sexual minorities (LGBTQI+) community, along with their still ongoing struggle for equality."
SC also "acknowledged that same-sex couples may morally claim that they have a right against discrimination for their choice of relationships" and said "official recognition of their partnerships may, for now, be a matter that should be addressed to Congress."
The SC ruled that judicial adjudication entails ruling on issues "propelled by actual controversies," adding that it can fully weigh the consequences of its decisions "only through the existence of actual facts and real adversarial presentations."
But legislation "ideally allows public democratic liberation on the various ways to assure these fundamental rights," the SC was quoted by the PIO. "Often public reason needs to be first shaped through the crucible of campaigns and advocacies within our political forums before it is sharpened for judicial fiat."
Discrimination of LGBTQIA Filipinos goes beyond CR access, say activists
51% of 400 LGBTQIA community members surveyed claimed that they experienced discrimination in public schools, 31% in the streets, and 28% in private schools. This highlights that LGBTQIA-related discrimination happens in the Philippines go beyond toilet-related access.
Gretchen Diez may have self-proclaimed herself to be the "face of the LGBT movement", but advocates of the SOGIE (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression) Equality Bill noted that LGBTQIA-related discrimination happening in the Philippines go beyond toilet-related access.
Diez recently made the news because of her ordeal while trying to access the female toilet in Farmers Plaza, a mall in Cubao, Quezon City. But Diez, who has been in the limelight following her experience and not because of her involvement in LGBTQIA advocacy, now fashions herself as the sole representative of the local LGBTQIA community/as the community's "face".
During a Senate committee hearing on the measure held on August 20, mentioned was a survey conducted by Rainbow Rights Project Inc. (R-Rights) with Metro Manila Pride Inc. from 2017 to 2019, with the results showing that 51% of 400 LGBTQIA community members surveyed claiming that they experienced discrimination in public schools, 31% in the streets, and 28% in private schools.
And so Atty. Jazz Tamayo, executive director of R-Rights, the Constitution's equal protection clause is not enough to guarantee equality. "We need laws that will specifically compel if it cannot make people understand what equality is. The fight for the SOGIE (Equality) Bill has been too long, all these cases, all these suffering… they simply must stop."
There are also instances when State bodies end up promoting LGBTQIA discrimination. In Cagayan de Oro City in 2016, for instance, the regional trial court (RTC) sided with a school principal who ordered a Grade 4 student to wear school curtains as punishment for violating the dress code.
"The child was made to wear school curtains as a punishment for failing to abide by (the) uniform policy. This was done to the child no less than six times by the defendant principal," Tamayo said. "The judge ruled that the child was too young to venture into a lifestyle of a gender identity that is different from the child's assigned sex at birth."
The RTC judge further ruled that the mother of the child was to blame for "not guiding her child better."
"I can imagine the chilling effect it will have for other parents who would have to file cases like this… (with) the judge just berating them about how they did not discipline their child," Tamayo added.
For her part, Disney Aguila, president of Pinoy Deaf Rainbow Inc. (PDR), the pioneering organization for Deaf LGBTQIA Filipinos, recalled how she – herself – encountered discrimination because she identifies as a transgender woman.
Speaking to Outrage Magazine, Aguila recalled how – when she applied for a job – the HR (human resource) person of a clothing company based in Pasay City at first "praised her for looking nice". But the same PR officer – when going through Aguila's bio-data – saw that her assigned sex at birth was male; and "she frowned." The HR officer asked Aguila to turn around, and then started pulling her braided hair; she then asked Aguila to have her hair cut.
When Aguila asked why, she was told that it's because she is a "he", based on her assigned sex at birth, and that either she presents herself as a man or not be hired. Aguila left that office without a job.
"The level of discrimination we encounter is doubled not only because we are persons with disability (PWD) but also because of our SOGIESC," Aguila said.
Meanwhile, Perci Cendaña – former commissioner at the National Youth Commission, and now with Babaylanes Inc. – cited the cases of: 1) a certain Jay, a Grade 12 transgender man from Pampanga, who did not finish his secondary school because when he met with his principal for college requirements, he was berated for not following the school dress code; and 2) transgender senior high school students of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines who – at first – were told that they would not graduate if they won't follow the school's prescribed haircut, and though they were later allowed to graduate, they did not receive a certificate of good moral character, which is a requirement for many colleges/universities for incoming students.
"The Philippine youth development plan states that youth development is defined as enabled, involved, patriotic youth realizing their aspirations. Discrimination, stigma… is a deterrent to development," Cendaña said. "We would like to reiterate that discrimination is an issue not just of human rights but a development issue because it deters our young people from realizing their aspirations."
"When you give us equal rights, there is no taking from you. There is no lessening of you. No one is any less a man or a woman. The SOGIE Equality Bill means simply that, an acceptance that we are different but equal," Tamayo of R-Rights ended.


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Civilian and Gazette. Tri-Weekly. (Galveston, Tex.), Ed. 1 Saturday, July 8, 1865
Description: Tri-weekly newspaper from Galveston, Texas that includes local, state and national news along with advertising.
Date: July 8, 1865
Creator: Stuart, H.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Newspaper
Partner: The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History

subset: commoncrawl


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Morton, Jelly Roll
Jelly Roll Morton, 1890–1941, American jazz musician, composer, and band leader, originally named Ferdinand Joseph Lamothe, b. Gulfport, La. He began studying piano as a child and in his youth was a pianist in the colorful Storyville district of New Orleans. Later he played with Johnny Dodds, Baby Dodds, Kid Ory, Barney Bigard, and other noted jazz musicians, and in the late 1920s made a series of highly praised recordings at the head of the Red Hot Peppers band. His popularity severely declined in the 1930s. Although Morton is regarded by many as the greatest New Orleans pianist and the first great jazz composer, his egocentricity, moodiness, and quarrelsome disposition led many musicians and critics to disparage him. His compositions and arrangements, many of which reflect his Creole background, include Dead Man Blues,Jelly Roll Blues,King Porter Stomp,Black Bottom Stomp,Mama Nita,Mamie's Blues (or 219 Blues), Moi pas l'aimez ça,The Pearls,Sidewalk Blues, and Wolverine Blues. The publication of his collected scores in 1982 helped to spark a Morton revival in the United States.
See biography by A. Lomax (1950).


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I was trying to understand the Einstein's explanation for gravity (gravitational force), and while I am able to understand why two moving masses will be attracted, due to the curving of the space, I am not quite able to understand what would make an apple fall, i.e., how will Einstein model explain the gravitational force between two stationary objects?
(Please correct me if I am wrong anywhere. I am a computer scientist; hence physics is not my forte! :D)


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- Page 1 Canon Legria HF S10 Review
- Page 2 Canon Legria HF S10 Review
- Page 3 Canon Legria HF S10 Review
Key Specifications
- Review Price: £1299.00
Canon's HD camcorders managed to dominate the quality high ground for most of 2008, even if this didn't translate directly into sales supremacy. Now, however, the competition is getting much more fierce. New models are due from all the major competitors, and Panasonic has already laid down the gauntlet with the HDC-HS300.
So Canon had to respond with something a little more than the mild update of the HF11. And it has. Canon's latest models sport new CMOS sensors, and the company reckons they are so special they even have a new name – Legria. This week, we take a look at the flagship of the range, the Legria HF S10.
If you're familiar with Canon's naming strategy, you may already have guessed this is a flash memory-based high definition model, like the other HFs before it. However, as with the HF11, now you get a 32GB complement as standard, plus Canon's 'Dual Flash Memory' means you can add an equal amount in SDHC format on the top.
But the big news is the sensor. Many of the previous Canon HD models used the same 1/3.2in CMOS. Performance was excellent, better than anything else released in 2008. Still, now that Panasonic has gone one better with the trio of 1/4in CMOS sensors in the HDC-HS300, Canon is not resting on its laurels. The Legria HF S10 sports a larger 1/2.6in CMOS, with more than twice the resolution than previous models, at 8.59-megapixels. Canon uses 6.01-megapixels when shooting movies and 8.02-megapixels for stills. With only 2.07-megapixels required for Full HD, Canon is clearly oversampling to further improve image quality.
Like the HF11, HG20 and HG21, the Legria HF S10 sports a 24Mbits/sec top data rate, conforming to the H.264 High-Profile Level 4.1 standard. This means you can shoot nearly three hours even at the best quality option using just the internal storage. There are five quality settings, two using Full HD and three operating at the same 1,440 x 1,080 resolution as HDV.
You would expect such a high-end internal specification to come with semi-pro features to match, and the Canon Legria HF S10 doesn't disappoint. In fact, it would appear that Canon has thrown pretty much every possible function it could imagine into the Legria HF S10. These are accessed via the joystick on the edge of the LCD, along with the Function button beneath.
On its own, the joystick calls up a long list of options, including frequently used settings such as backlight compensation and the basic exposure control. Canon's version of face detection has also joined the selection, as has a Pre-REC functions for constantly buffering footage. So when you hit record this is tacked on the front, in case your reactions were too slow.
Unlike other sites, we thoroughly test every product we review. We use industry standard tests in order to compare features properly. We'll always tell you what we find. We never, ever accept money to review a product. Tell us what you think - send your emails to the Editor.


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School Publications
The mission of Lillie B. Williamson High School is to graduate students who love learning, take pride in community, and pursue their full potential. The Mobile County Public School System is committed to ensuring that the content on this website is accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities and users of assistive technology. For more information, see our Section 504 Grievance Procedures.
Copyright © 2019 Williamson High School and Middle Grades Preparatory Academy


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I had the pleasure last week of talking with Tom Douglas, Thierry Rautureau, and Katie O on Seattle Kitchen on KIRO Radio last weekend. We discuss Washington as an emerging wine region among other things. The interview starts at about the 7:57 mark and runs for about 11 minutes. Listen to the podcast here. Enjoy!
Seattle Kitchen Interview
Tonight! March Virtual Tasting '12 Milbrandt Vineyards Pinot Gris
The March Virtual Tasting wine is tonight! The wine is the Milbrandt Vineyards 2012 Traditions Pinot Gris. This wine retails for $13 and is reasonably widely available (I've seen it at QFC in Seattle). The tasting will take place from 7-8pm Pacific.
What you need to do to participate is:
1. Buy this month's wine from a local retailer or from the winery.
2. Tweet your comments about the wine on Twitter between 7 and 8pm Pacific using the hashtag #Milbrandt. For those on Twitter, follow me @wawinereport.
Fresh Sheet March 27th 2013
Today's Fresh Sheet – new and recent releases – includes wines from Idilico, Bunnell Family Cellar, Glencorrie, Cloudlift Cellars, and Anelare.
Five Wines to Ring in Spring
In this month's Five Wines Under $15, we bring you wines to get this spring kick started.
Washington Wine Round-up March 15th to 21st 2013
A round-up of stories on Washington wine from March 15th to 21st. Read previous round-ups here.
From around the country…
Wine Spectator gives 10 hot values from Washington.
From the blogosphere…
Wine & History Visited writes about Tero Estates and Otis Kenyon. See posts from previous weeks on Va Piano, Northstar, and Benson Vineyards.
Great Wine News makes a Washington wine month stop at Northwest Totem Cellars. They also write about McKinley Springs, Harbinger, and Kestrel.
March Virtual Tasting - 2012 Milbrandt Vineyards Pinot Gris
The March Virtual Tasting wine is the Milbrandt Vineyards 2012 Traditions Pinot Gris. This wine retails for $13 and is reasonably widely available (I've seen it at QFC in Seattle). The tasting will take place on Thursday March 28th from 7-8pm Pacific.
What you need to do to participate is:
1. Buy this month's wine from a local retailer or from the winery.
2. Tweet your comments about the wine on Twitter between 7 and 8pm Pacific on the specified date using the hashtag #Milbrandt. For those on Twitter, follow me @wawinereport.
Washington Wine Round-up March 8th to 14th 2013
A round-up of stories on Washington wine from March 8th to 14th 2013. Read previous round-ups here.
From around the country…
Wine Enthusiast writes about Cakebread launching Mullan Road, a Walla Walla Valley brand.
Wines & Vines writes about the influx of California money into the Pacific Northwest. They also write about Chateau Ste. Michelle's rail distribution.
Wine Business.com writes about the Auction of Washington Wines donating to WSU.
Taste Washington 2013 Tips and Tricks
Taste Washington is coming up this weekend! Here are some ways to make the most of this year's event, which is truly the ultimate celebration of Washington wine.
1. Check out the seminars
There are a series of educational seminars Saturday and Sunday morning exploring everything from food and wine pairing to Washington's oldest AVA to comparing Washington to some of the world's best wines. Read the full list of seminars here.
Seven Steps For Wine Touring When You Have Children
The following article was written by Ryan Messer. Read other articles from Messer here.
Some wine-loving parents think they have to give up wine touring when they have children or at least have to leave the kids at home. You don't. Wine touring with children can be done, and with a little pre-planning, it can even be enjoyable for all. Below are seven steps to help think about wine touring when you have children in tow.
Star somm Rajat Parr talks Millennials, making wine less intimidating, and Washington wine
As Wine Director for Mina Wine Group, sommelier Rajat Parr oversees the wine programs for some of the country's most popular and influential restaurants, including Seattle's own RN74. His resumé also includes a James Beard award winning book (Secrets of the Sommeliers, written in collaboration with Jordan Mackay), a degree from the Culinary Institute of America, and winery called Sandhi Wines. All this before the age of 40. Suffice to say if sommeliers can indeed be stars - and they can - Parr's shines quite brightly. Below I talk with Parr about RN74, how he works to make wine less intimidating, and what he thinks of Washington wine.
The 2011 Whites and 2010 Reds of Januik Winery & Novelty Hill
Tasting through the lineup of Januik Winery and Novelty Hill 2011 whites and 2010 reds, it's impossible not to be captivated both by their breadth and by their quality. Winemaker Mike Januik produced an astonishing 28 different wines from each of these vintages. In what was, for many, a challenging two years, Januik not only continued to produce the high quality wines he is so well known for - he excelled.
"2010 certainly wasn't a year you want to follow set rules," Januik said. With over 30 years making wine in Washington, he had reason to be less anxious than most for the cool 2010 and 2011 growing seasons having seen similar conditions before. Still, there were some reasons for concern.
Washington Wine Roundup March 1st to 7th 2013
A round-up of stories on Washington wine from March 1st to 7th 2013. Read previous round-ups here.
From around the country…
Wine Spectator writes about the proposed The Rocks of Milton-Freewater AVA (requires subscription).
The Chicago Tribune writes about Merlot.
From the blogosphere…
Cliff Mass writes about the fires in eastern Washington in 2012.
An introduction to Viticulture and Enology at Washington State University
The following post was written by contributor Erika Szymanski. Read more about Szymanski here.
Trying to give a brief introduction to the viticulture and enology programs at Washington State University (WSU) is a bit like trying to give a brief introduction to wine in general. There's just too much to say, so if the explanation is ever going to be brief, it must also be incomplete. So, bear with me; this is only part of the story.
Wine Country Porn from Napa Valley
Today, a few shots from a trip to Napa Valley last month. Click on the pictures for larger images. Enjoy!
Pic of the Vine - March 2013
Our March Pic of the Vine comes under the heading of 'Be careful what you wish for.' Contributing photographer Richard Duval captured this sign of precipitation to come at Red Mountain a few days ago (that's Col Solare in the left corner).
"Red Mountain, always a favorite shooting locale of mine, often gets spectacular clouds," Duval said. "Heading west from Walla Walla, I stopped to note a few places for summer shooting when this enormous storm cloud blew in quite suddenly from the southeast. Even with an ultra wide lens, I could barely contain all of it in a single frame." Click on the picture for a larger version of the image.
Editor's Note: For more of Duval's images, pick up the Spring issue of Washington Tasting Room Magazine where Duval penned and photographed the cover story on Whidbey Island's wine scene. Duval also provided photos for the profile of Waterbrook.
Washington Wine Round-up February 22nd to 28th 2013
A round-up of stories on Washington wine from February 22nd to 28th. Read previous round-ups here.
From around the country…
D Magazine writes about wines to impress with a shout out to a few Washington wineries.
From the blogosphere…
WinEYak gives a pruning 101 from Todd Newhouse and Upland Vineyard.
Summary of Posts for February 2013
Below is a summary of posts for February 2013.


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Explore Our Hotel
Experience our award-winning Holiday Inn Express & Suites Madison Central. Our exquisitely designed, upscale hotel is located near everything in Wisconsin's capitol city. We are within walking distance to the Alliant Energy Center and Veterans Memorial Coliseum, and just minutes to Downtown Madison, Monona Terrace Convention Center, the State Capitol, the University of Wisconsin and Dane County Regional Airport. Convention attendees and business travelers alike will find our upscale accommodations exceed expectations. We provide complimentary local area shuttle service to nearby businesses Epic Systems, SubZero and UW Hospitals. While you stay at our Downtown Madison, Wisconsin hotel, we offer an indoor salt water pool, 24 hour state-of-the-art Fitness Center, guest laundry and our Complimentary Hot Breakfast Buffet.
Conference Services available for up to 40 people and you will stay productive away from the office with fast high-speed Internet and a Business Center. Families will enjoy staying at our Downtown Madison location minutes from the University of Wisconsin, Camp Randall, Kohl Center, Capitol Square, State Street and Downtown Madison events adjacent to Lake Monona and miles of running/biking trails. Other area attractions include the Henry Vilas Zoo, Wisconsin Arboretum, Madison Children's Museum, Olbrich Botanical Gardens and Overture Center for the Arts.
Enjoy our hospitality. Welcome to Madison!
- Black-out Shades
- Rollaway Bed/Cot Available
- Iron/Ironing Board
- Separate Hanging Closet
- In-Room Heating and A/C Controls
Bathroom/Personal Care
- Private Bathroom
- Bathroom Amenities Available
- Hair Dryer
- Bathtub
- Separate Vanity Area
In-Room Features
- Mini Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Coffee Maker
- Tea Maker
- Flat-screen TV
- Work Desk with Lamp
- Desk-level Electrical Outlet
- Free Local Calls
- Cable/Satellite
- Premium Channels
- Stereo/Radio
- Direct-dial Phone
- Phone with Voicemail
- Complimentary Morning Newspaper
Added Value
- Connecting Rooms Available
- Separate Living Room
- Phone in Bathroom
- Complimentary Coffee/Tea Supplies
- Full Breakfast Included
- Breakfast Buffet Included
- Continental Breakfast Included
- Complimentary Coffee in Lobby
- Kids Eat Free
- Off-site Restaurant Delivery Available
Business Services
- 1 Meeting Room(s) Available
- On-Site Business Center
- Printer
- Copier
- Scanner
- Office supplies available
Internet Access
- Free High-Speed Internet in all Rooms
- Wireless Internet service is free for all IHG® Rewards Club members
Entertainment & Recreation
- Indoor Pool
- Heated Indoor Pool
- Indoor Pool Hours of Operation: 5:30 AM - 11:00 PM
Health & Fitness
Complimentary Fitness Center
The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Madison Central offers a 24 hour state-of-the-art fitness center . Get energized and recharged in our fitness center or take a dip and unwind in our indoor heated salt water pool.
Hours of Operation: 12:00 AM to 12:00 AM
Fitness Center Type: LIMITED
Fitness Center Equipment:
- Treadmill
- Elliptical Machines
- Free Weights
- Stationary Bicycle
Housekeeping & Laundry
- Daily Housekeeping
- On-site Guest Self-Laundry Facilities
- Hours of Operation: 5:30 AM - 11:00 PM
Added Value
- Concierge Services
- Wake Up Calls
- ATM/Cash Machine
- Ice Machine
Hotel Details
610 John Nolen Drive
Madison, Wisconsin 53713
United States
Check In: 3:00 PM
Check Out: 11:00 AM
Check-in Age: 21
Parking + -
- Complimentary Self Parking Available
Shuttle + -
- Hotel Shuttle will transport within 3 miles of the hotel. Shuttle will provide complimentary transportation from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Shuttle transportation and times are subject to availability.
- Complimentary Local Area Shuttle
- Hours Of Operation From 7:00 AM-To 10:00 PM
- Complimentary Airport Shuttle Service Available For :Dane County Regional Airport
- Complimentary Shuttle to/from Convention Center
Accessibility + -
- Public Entrance
- Guest Rooms
- Elevators
- Public Restrooms
- Registration Desk
- Exercise Facility
- Business Center
- Pool
- Number of Accessible Meeting Rooms: 1
Accessible Hotel Areas
- Registration Area
- Accessible Guest Rooms
- Business Center
- Meeting Room
- Exercise Facility
- Pool
Hotel Areas with Accessible Routes from Accessible Public Entrance
- Accessible Self Parking
- Van Accessible Self Parking
- Ramp Access
- Portable Bathtub Seats
- Closed Caption TVs
- Telephone with TDD
- Visual Alarm/Alert in Guest Rooms
- Visual Alarm/Alert in Public Spaces
- Communication Kits with Visual Alarms
Provided by Hotel
Pet Policy + -
- Service Animals Allowed
- Guests with service animals must call the hotel prior to arrival and notify the staff so that the reservation can be noted appropiately. ADA law states that is permissible for the staff to ask the purpose of the animal and the tasks the animal performs.
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Environmental Research Library
- Library Hours and Facilities
- What is available on the shelves?
- What can I borrow or access and how?
- What reference services are available?
- Links to Other Resources
Library Hours and Facilities
The TCEQ's Environmental Research Library has over 60,000 volumes and over 250 journal subscriptions. We acquire books, reports, magazines, and data with subject concentrations that support TCEQ programs, including water, geology, waste, recycling, air quality, petroleum storage tanks, ecology, and pollution.
The library is open 8:00 a.m.-noon and 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.
Phone numbers
Ground floor of Building A at Park 35, on the left as you enter the main doors.
Physical address: Building A, 12100 Park 35 Circle, Room 102.
Mailing address: TCEQ Library, MC-196, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, TX 78711-3087
Four computer workstations provide access to the catalog, computer-based training, and other resources on the Internet. All workstations are connected to a printer.
The library has seating to accommodate 16 users.
Other equipment available on-site to users include a photocopier, microform reader/printers, and a video monitor. (Copies made by external customers are $0.05 per page.)
What is available on the shelves?
The General Collection
Our library has over 60,000 volumes and over 250 journal subscriptions.
We acquire books, reports, magazines, and data with subject concentrations that support TCEQ programs, including water, geology, waste, recycling, air quality, petroleum storage tanks, ecology, and pollution.
Some of the materials maintained:
- select federal government documents from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Corps of Engineers, and Bureau of Reclamation,
- current and out-of-print TCEQ and predecessor agency publications,
- Texas Water Development Board reports, and
- telephone directories for most Texas cities.
Legal Resources: State and Federal
Texas legal materials include:
- Texas Statutes,
- Texas Session Laws 1905-current,
- West's Texas Digest,
- Texas Cases from the Southwestern Reporter,
- Texas Register v.1 no.1, 1976-current,
- a complete set of the current Texas Administrative Code, and
- historical versions of TAC Titles 25, 30, and 31.
Federal legal materials include:
- U.S Code Annotated,
- U.S. Code Congressional and Administrative News,
- Federal Register,
- a complete current set of the Code of Federal Regulation,
- historical copies of 40 CFR dating back to 1976.
What can I borrow or access and how?
From the TCEQ Collection
The general public may use library resources on the premises during normal business hours. They may not, however, borrow TCEQ library materials except by arrangements made through interlibrary network organizations.
Books from the TCEQ collection are loaned only to TCEQ staff and personnel in other state agencies. Registration from our Library is required.
All TCEQ books and periodicals are cataloged into the Library Catalog of Texas State Agencies, an online public-access catalog that is updated daily with new materials. It includes collections of various state agency libraries, including the State Library itself, and is available free to anyone with access to the Internet.
You can search the catalog without leaving your web browser and launch URLs and links found in catalog records. Select TCEQ from the drop-down library menu to access only the TCEQ collection.
Access the catalog.
Via Library of Texas
The Library of Texas offers Texas residents the advantage of simultaneously searching a combination of TexShare databases and catalogs from Texas libraries using one simple search format. You can access this service at www.libraryoftexas.org.
What reference services are available?
Librarians are available to:
- answer reference questions,
- to check holdings for specific items,
- to explain services, policies, and the arrangement of library materials,
- help you use research tools, including the online catalog, electronic databases, and printed reference sources.
If you need expertise to answer questions on the TCEQ's more technical programs, library staff can refer you to appropriate personnel or to another agency.
Staff will make copies for requestors as time permits.
Links to Other Resources
The following external links
If you have a reference question and would like assistance from a librarian, please call 512-239-0020.
- Databases
- Dictionaries, Thesauri, Quotations
- Directories
- Government Resources
- Handy Texas Facts
- Legal
- Libraries
- Maps
- Online Publications/Indexes
- Organizations and Associations
- Publishers Catalogs
- Reference Links
- Statistics
National Library of Medicine's Medline Plus
Pesticides Database
Water-related Databases- Includes databases of water contaminants (Water Quality Information Center, U.S. National Agricultural Library).
Back to Links to Other Resources
Dictionaries, Thesauri, Quotations
Acronyms (Library Spot)
Computing Dictionary
Dictionaries (Library Spot)
English Usage, Style and Composition
EPA Glossary
Free Thesaurus
Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Thesaurus
OneLook Dictionary Search
Synonyms For
Thesauri (Library Spot) - Includes Roget's II.
Your Dictionary
Back to Links to Other Resources
City Net
Congressional Directory
Congressional Pictorial Directory
Environmental Yellow Pages - States (U.S.)
Texas Area Codes
Texas Municipal League Online (mayors and city officials)
Thomas Register of Manufacturers (free, but you need to register)
U.S. Government Manual
Zip Code Lookup
Back to Links to Other Resources
Government Resources
A-Z Index of U.S. Government Agencies
FirstGov for Science - U.S. Government's Official Portal.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
National Climatic Data Center
National Library for the Environment
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Geological Survey-Texas
TRAIL - Texas Records and Information Locator
All Texas Agencies
State and Local Government on the Net. - View all the websites in a given state.
Comptroller of Public Accounts (CPA)
Employees Retirement System (ERS)
General Land Office(GLO)
Legislative Budget Board (LBB)
Licensing and Regulation
Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD)
State Auditor's Office (SAO)
SAO's State Classification Team
Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA)
Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS)
Texas Water Development Board (TWDB)
Bureau of Economic Geology (UT)
Edwards Aquifer Authority
Lower Colorado River Authority
Back to Links to Other Resources
Handy Texas Facts
Handbook of Texas Online
Texas Almanac
Texas Area Codes
Texas Soil Surveys
Back to Links to Other Resources
American Law Sources Online (Federal + States)
Code of Federal Regulations
Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)
Federal Register - Full text for 1994-present.
Hieros Gamos
Texas Legislature Online
Texas Register and Texas Administrative Code
Texas Statutes
U.S. Legislative Information (THOMAS)
Back to Links to Other Resources
List of Libraries on Web
Austin Public Library
Library Catalog of Texas State Agencies (including TCEQ Library)
Legislative Reference Library
USEPA Online Library
USGS Library
UT Austin
Back to Links to Other Resources
Data.gov Geospatial
Map Quest
National Map
U.S. Geospatial Maps & Data
UT Map Collection
Back to Links to Other Resources
Online Publications/Indexes
ASTM International - Search for standards information.
National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP)
Science Magazine
Texas Water Digital Library
Texas Water Resources Institute
U.S. Corps of Engineers - Online publications including Engineer Manuals.
U.S. Geological Survey - Online books, report and pamphlets.
Back to Links to Other Resources
Organizations and Associations
Air & Waste Management Association
American Chemical Society
American Geosciences Institute
American Meteorological Society
American Public Works Association
American Water Works Association
Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists
Austin Geological Society
Environmental Council of the States (ECOS)
Geological Society of America
Groundwater Foundation
Interstate Technology Regulatory Council
World Directory of Environmental Professional Associations, Organizations and Societies
Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts
Texas Association of Counties
Texas Water Utilities Association
Water Environment Federation
West Texas Geological Society
Back to Links to Other Resources
Publishers Catalogs
Publisher's Catalogs
Thomson Reuters
U.S. Government Bookstore
Back to Links to Other Resources
Reference Links
Bartelby Reference - Various dictionaries, encyclopedias, quotations, thesauri, and language usage tools.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Conversion & Calculation Center
Geosciences Research Guide (UT)
Internet Public Library
Library of Congress – Climatology, Meteorology, Weather
Library of Congress – Environmental Sciences
Library of Congress – Health and Medicine
Library Spot
Martindale's The Reference Desk - Good site for calculators, chemistry, fundamental constants, mathematics, periodic tables, physics, and databases.
NAICS (North American Industry Classification System)
National Environmental Methods Index
Reference Desk by Subject
Scorecard's chemical profiles
Scorecard's pollution information
SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) Codes
Time - Official U.S. time.
Virtual Perpetual Calendars
Back to Links to Other Resources
American FactFinder (Census Bureau)
City and County Data Books Historical
Statistical Abstracts of the U.S. Historical


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Showing the single result
Hi everybody! I'm Jasmine Becket-Griffith, the girl who paints all this stuff. Painting is my full-time job, and I've been doing it professionally since I started strangeling.com in 1997. I live in Celebration, Florida with my husband Matt and our three cats – Mama Wolf, Sunshine and Tigrillo!
Read More


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To install cPanel & WHM on your server, run the following command:
cd /home && curl -o latest -L https://securedownloads.cpanel.net/latest && sh latest
This command changes your session to the
home directory, downloads the latest version of cPanel & WHM, and runs the installation script.
We recommend that you run the installation command within a Linux screen session.
The Linux
screen command allows you to create a shell session that will stay active through a network disruption.
- To determine whether your operating system contains screen and it exists in your path, run the
which screencommand.
- The system will return
screenexists on your system and whether it exists in your path.
- If your system does not contain screen, you can install it with the
yum install screencommand.
- The system will return
- To run a screen session, enter the
screencommand. Then, run the installation command.
- If your session disconnects for some reason, log back in to your server and run the
screen -rcommand. This will reconnect you to your screen session.
- If your session disconnects for some reason, log back in to your server and run the
- cPanel, Inc. designs software for commercial hosting. Therefore, we only license publicly visible, static IP addresses. We do not license dynamic, reserved, sticky, or internal IP addresses.
- We do not provide an uninstaller. If you wish to remove our software, you must reformat the server.
- Only install cPanel & WHM on a freshly-installed operating system.
- You must log in to the server as the
rootuser in order to install cPanel & WHM. If you do not possess
root-level access, contact your system administrator or hosting provider for assistance.
- We recommend that you use the cPanel & WHM installer, which installs all of the services that it requires. If you install services before you install cPanel & WHM, you will encounter compatibility issues.
- New installations of cPanel & WHM default to the fast installation mode. To disable the fast installation mode, use the steps in our Customize Your Installation documentation.
Additional documentation
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Quantum key distribution (QKD) uses individual photons for the exchange of cryptographic key data between two users, where each photon represents a single bit of data. The value of the bit, a 1 or a 0, is determined by states of the photon such as polarization or spin.
Battelle has implemented the first quantum-key distribution system for production use in the United States, but NIST researchers remain skeptical about moving it from the lab to large-scale use. Read more.
At the sender's end, a laser generates a series of single photons, each in one of two polarizations: horizontal or vertical. The polarization of the photon is measured at the receiver's end. If an eavesdropper intercepts the photon to determine its polarization, the photon is destroyed in the process, and the eavesdropper would have to generate a new, duplicate photon to pass on to the receiver.
"That's fine, as long as there is only a single property or state being sent," said Don Hayford, director of research at Battelle Memorial Institute, which has implemented a QKD system at its Columbus, Ohio, headquarters. But a second state, such as spin, is also part of the photon. The uncertainty principle of quantum physics makes it impossible for the eavesdropper to determine both properties of the photon, so it would be impossible for him to send along an accurate duplicate.
Because of this, the receiver would notice a high error rate in the photons being received, which would indicate someone was intercepting the data.
To determine the error rate, the states of a small percentage of photons are compared over a separate channel by the receiver and the sender. Because the comparison process destroys the photons these cannot be used in creating a key. But the error rate can be used to determine if the session is secure. If the session is secure, an appropriate number of photons can be selected as the bits of the cryptographic key that both the sender and receiver will use.
Battelle's implementation in August of a QKD system from ID Quantique of Switzerland has produced some useful real-world information about the technology.
"We see a daily variation in the error rate," Hayford said. Some of the fiber optic cable used in the network runs above ground, and despite its shielding, "apparently some sunlight is getting through," interfering with the photons. This diurnal variation in errors has to be taken into account when measuring the rate to determine security.
About the Author
William Jackson is a Maryland-based freelance writer.
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Shop All Sale
Top Pet CalendarShop All Pets
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Scooby Doo Holiday 1000 Piece Puzzle: Celebrate the holidays with this 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle featuring Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby. Don't forget to leave Santa a Scooby snack! Completed puzzle measures 19 5/8" x 29 1/2" and is recommended for ages 12 and up. Exclusively available for purchase online here at Go! Games and Puzzles. UPC: 400069333987


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The purple tree, now with green, blue, and purple lights:
I decorated this tree in 1 hour...
The purple tree, now with green, blue, and purple lights:
I decorated this tree in 1 hour...
Last edited by Crazymike1965; 11-19-2012 at 02:08 AM.
Is that purple or is it PURPLE?
Very colourful Mike ...and luv the topper !!
Lovely Mike...
Merry Christmas to all...
As always my friend your trees are quite elegant and I love the Hot Air Balloon.Glad to hear all is well with Mom.
'I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future!' Scrooge repeated, as he scrambled out of bed. 'The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. Oh, Jacob Marley! Heaven, and the Christmas Time be praised for this! I say it on my knees, old Jacob, on my knees!' (Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol)
yes, Papa_Christmas is right; elegant is the perfect word to describe your trees, Mike. and, only an hour to decorate the purple tree?! That's got to be a record. I'm also glad your mom is doing better.
Having some technical issues with uploading some pictures. I will try again tomorrow
Last edited by Crazymike1965; 11-22-2012 at 04:06 AM.
+1 for you tube
yeah you need to post that on utube
LOVE the purple tree!
I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas