DB Mandaluyong Homecoming - 26th January 2008

Just a review of what happened last year. May nakulong pa sa jail sa tapat ng Marketplace.

http://www.pbase.com/rvicencio/homecoming2007

Thanks Jojo V.

2008 Honda CRV EX-L

Time to make a change. We traded in the 2004 Honda Accord EX-V6 sedan for a 2008 CRV EX-L, took delivery of the new ride this morning, on my birthday. Isn't that sweeeeeet?!

under the hood of the 2008 CRV - didn't realize that was where they kept the engine ;-)

this is where you check the oil level

let's try the front passenger seat now

washed and waxed, it's ready to roll out

we decided to stop by Vanier College to surprise Pam with the new SUV and at the same time Tita Nil could check out Pam's new office

Pam's new office at the Language School in Vanier College

with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourself

January 24, 2008

Consider Christ

By Robert H. Schuller

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourself. Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others." - Philippians 2:3-4 (NASB)

Are you hungry? Thirsty? Nothing satisfies? It is your instinctive craving for God! I am positive I have the answer for you. Give me a chance to prove it.

There are three philosophies of life: (1) "What's mine is mine; I'm going to keep it." This is selfishness. It will make you miserable. (2) "What's yours is mine; I'm going to get it." This is greed. It will drain you of all joy. (3) "What's mine is yours too; I'm going to share it." This is Christianity! It makes you feel good when you're good to those around you, and it makes you feel God-like when you are generous to those who don't expect it and don't deserve it. You experience more of God in your life when you give yourself away to Him and humanity in loving service.

Want evidence? Consider Christ. What a full life He lived. Full of faith, joy, purpose, peace and power. Why? Eternity was His. That's one reason. And He lived to love and serve. He was always giving Himself away. While He was dying on the cross someone chided, "He saved others... but He cannot save himself." Quite true. The only way to fill your life is to pour it out for others.


Involvement is the only indulgence that truly satisfies.

Have you seen Tito Manny's New Ride?

"Ten pounds does make a difference, I guess. Italian words add .097mph automatically (not decals either - baked / clearcoated in). Have to do something about the handlebars - they won't do."



"Wireless! A snap (literally, with rubber bands) to install."

Relationships, Romans 12:9-21

Romans 12:9-21 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
[NIV at IBS] [International Bible Society] [NIV at Zondervan] [Zondervan]

Love
9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[a] Do not be conceited.

17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"[b]says the Lord. 20On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."[c] 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Inquirer’s Filipino of the Year

Gov. Ed Panlilio is Inquirer’s Filipino of the Year 2007

Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:38:00 01/13/2008

(Editor’s Note: Now on its 17th year, the Inquirer’s Filipino of the Year honors a living Filipino who made the most positive impact the past year. Eligible to vote were Inquirer editors and assistant editors. There were 44 voters this year. Fr. Ed Panlilio topped the nominees with 20 followed closely by Chief Justice Reynato Puno with 15 votes. Other nominees were Justices Teresita de Castro, Diosdado Peralta and Francisco Villaruz Jr. of the Sandiganbayan special division that tried and found ex-President Joseph Estrada guilty on two counts of plunder. (4); Sumilao farmers (2); Filipinas who made it to the summit of Mt. Everest (2) and Team Sinag (1), the country’s first solar car team that finished 11th out of 20 teams in the race of solar-powered cars in Australia.)

MANILA, Philippines -- “Among” Ed Panlilio, priest turned plain-dealing prophet of hope, is the Inquirer’s Filipino of the Year for 2007.

The governor of Pampanga, according to Inquirer sources, is facing a do-or-die struggle with the 3 Rs of no-holds-barred political resistance—recount, recall and ‘‘requiem.”

The first refers to the election protest his closest rival in the May 2007 polls filed against him; the third to the death threats he has received. The second is an unusual and rarely used tactic in Philippine politics—a recall petition to remove him from office, which his political enemies are poised to file as soon as the one-year condition is met.

All three offer proof that the almost miraculous election victory of Panlilio is a silver dagger thrust at the heart of the vampire known as transactional politics—and the vampire is fighting back.

His victory and the improbable campaign that made it possible will be studied by election strategists and political analysts for a long time to come. His practical but principled approach to governance, which includes both directing the work of idealists and carefully diagnosing festering ills before prescribing a cure, is both exemplary and empowering.

Not least, his first months in office are a showcase of effective executive action.

In the most dramatic turnaround he has engineered, lahar quarrying fees have jumped from less than P30 million during the last full year of his predecessor, Gov. Mark Lapid, to almost P120 million in his first six months in office.

For all these—his inspiring election victory, his surprising political savvy, his initial success despite great difficulty—the Inquirer names Gov. Ed Panlilio as 2007’s Filipino of the Year.

The choice reflects the sporadic outbreak of optimism that brightened an otherwise bleak year. Many other harbingers of hope emerged out of the political darkness: Chief Justice Reynato Puno inaugurated a new era in judicial statesmanship by leading the Supreme Court in hosting an unprecedented summit on extrajudicial killings and in launching extraordinary new legal remedies; the Sandiganbayan special division trying deposed President Joseph Estrada on plunder convicted him on two of the four charges, reaffirming the primacy of the rule of law in a well-reasoned and highly convincing decision; the first three Filipino women to climb Everest did so on their first attempt, thrilling a grateful nation; not least, the Overseas Filipino Worker continued to labor in other countries at great personal cost, helping through regular remittances to stabilize the entire trillion-peso economy.

Any of these icons of inspiration would have richly deserved being named Filipino of the Year. But Inquirer editors ultimately chose “Among Ed” Panlilio, in part because the hope he embodies is found where despair is deepest: politics, in the age of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Panlilio, 54, has left an indelible impact on national politics in another, altogether unforeseen way. He exposed the distribution of cash gifts—bundles of cash, contained in paper bags—that took place in Malacañang last October.

In truth, Panlilio did not so much expose the cash gifts handed out to governors (and, as it turned out, also to congressmen) as admit that he received his share: P500,000, handed to him by Bulacan Gov. Jon-Jon Mendoza, who also received the same amount in the same kind of paper bag.

Both governors said they received the money in good faith, and assumed it came from government funds and were to be used for barangay projects.

But the simple act of confirming receipt of the money ignited a political firestorm. Malacañang and its political allies issued many contradictory statements—disavowing any knowledge of the cash gifts, claiming to know their true source, or creating implausible versions of the circumstances.

If the controversial Pulse Asia survey conducted later in October is any gauge, the firestorm quickly consumed much of what was left of President Arroyo’s political reputation. That month, a plurality of voting-age Filipinos thought Ms Arroyo was the most corrupt President in history, outranking even the dictator Ferdinand Marcos. It may well be that that dismal finding can be traced directly to Panlilio’s disclosure.

This may help explain the intense animosity many Pampanga local officials feel toward Panlilio, many of whom are closely identified with a President who is a favorite provincemate. But the priest-on-leave’s candor did not start it. It started when Panlilio dared to throw his social worker’s hat (and his parish priest’s soutane) into the ring. His upset win hurt the political forces allied with former Provincial Board Member Lilia “Baby” Pineda, the wife of alleged ‘‘jueteng” lord Bong Pineda—they were headed for a victory over Lapid, the lackluster reelectionist incumbent, before Panlilio’s entry galvanized the so-called middle forces in Pampanga.

The animosity deepened when Panlilio took his anticorruption platform seriously. When he revamped the lahar quarrying fees collection scheme, he antagonized not only the political forces allied with the Lapids but also many of the local officials who, judging from their incomprehensible reaction to the new arrangement, must have benefited from the old one too.

It is already a part of political lore that Panlilio did not, in fact, intend to run for governor. When he, together with many of his provincemates, realized in 2006 that the looming choice for governor was stark—it was either Mrs. Pineda or the young Mr. Lapid—he joined a concerted effort to look for a third candidate. The group’s objective was to persuade eminent Kapampangans, including former Cabinet secretaries and university professors, to offer their provincemates an alternative.

But while the search was begun in optimism, it eventually ran into the depressing reality of Philippine politics. Entrenched political dynasties, the politics of personality, deep-rooted patronage watered by the irrigation systems of jueteng and quarrying fees: The race for Pampanga governor seemed to be over even before it started.

With such long odds, the search looked destined to fail. In the end, Panlilio heeded the call of like-minded citizens and offered himself, reluctantly, as the alternative.

It was not an easy decision. To run for public office, Panlilio needed to go on leave from the priesthood. For someone who has been a priest since 1981 and parish priest of Santiago Apostol church (in Betis, Pampanga) since 1998, the suspension of one’s priestly faculties was a wrenching, almost impossible, sacrifice. Finally, a few days before filing his certificate of candidacy, Panlilio met with his superior, Archbishop Paciano Aniceto of San Fernando, and asked for and received a dispensation.

The rival political camps had extensive political networks and even (both parties claimed) the tacit support of Ms Arroyo. Lacking both the money and the network, supporters of the third way in Pampanga had yet an abundance of idealism. Volunteers multiplied; donations started to pour in.

What had started as a search had metamorphosed into a movement. Kapampangans from around the world spread the word. Politicians in Metro Manila took special notice. Four of the country’s top election lawyers crossed political lines to offer their services to Panlilio, for free.

The race was tight, violent and dirty. But the groundswell of support for Panlilio that began the day he filed his certificate using a “kariton” helped carry the day. With 219,706 votes, a mere 1,200 over Pineda’s 218,559 and only 9,000-plus over Lapid’s 210,875, the Commission on Elections declared him the winner.

His victory made him the first priest to be elected governor in the country’s history. It also inspired many Filipinos, not only in Pampanga or throughout the archipelago but even those among the OFW diaspora, that the light of hope can shine even in the blackest night.

Copyright 2008 Philippine Daily Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

To subscribe to the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper in the Philippines, call +63 2 896-6000 for Metro Manila and Metro Cebu or email your subscription request here.

Factual errors? Contact the Philippine Daily Inquirer's day desk.
Believe this article violates journalistic ethics? Contact the Inquirer's Reader's Advocate.
Or write The Readers' Advocate:

c/o Philippine Daily Inquirer
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Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Or fax nos. +63 2 8974793 to 94

Nick-Nick turns 50

My brother Nick turns 50


can't blow out those sparklers Nick-Nick


Dad, Nick, Nikki, Ashley and Anna


"Happy 50th Birthday Nick (Daddy)", Nikki

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=11026&l=bede5&id=500934655
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=11029&l=74591&id=500934655
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=11032&l=1ea9a&id=500934655
--
Lito G. Espinosa
Blog/Photos:
http://lovetoride.blogspot.com
Photo Album:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lito.espinosa
http://picasaweb.google.com/lgespinosa
http://lovetoride.shutterfly.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/p/Lito_Espinosa/500934655

While waiting for our dinner

Indulging my artistic urges while waiting for our dinner to arrive at our table, I took these photos.

Swiss Army Watch

Love the look, the feel, the quality of the Swiss Army timepieces.

With Tita Nil's blessing, I went ahead and picked up a pre-Christmas present for myself.





Merry Christmas and thanks Tita Nil! ;-)

Tita Nil's Nativity Scene

 

 

 

 

A very good find, and very good buy from Costco, at least 4 years ago.

I think Tita Nil started her Christmas decorations in early November this year. This way, according to her, we can enjoy the Christmas decor and Christmas spirit (both spiritual and visceral)longer.

Desktop real estate space

 
 

Trade-off - increased in PC desktop real estate, decrease in desktop, tabletop real estate space- as you can see ;-)

Christmas Celebration @ Fairview Alliance Church

Christmas Celebration @ Fairview Alliance Church

Christmas Celebration @ Fairview Alliance Church

Pastor Dave, Dave Maye, and Lito Espinosa

Pastor Dave, Dave Maye, and Lito Espinosa - December 2000

God bless you brothers!!

Waterboarding, not a water sport

What the heck is water boarding - untutored (or was it untortured)minds want to know ;-) Definitely nothing in common with water polo or any water sports for that matter.

I was flipping through my Yahoo front page when I noticed an article with CIA, al-Qaida and Water boarding on the first couple of lines.

According to Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterboarding
Waterboarding is a torture technique that simulates drowning in a controlled environment. [ read the rest of the article ]

Link to the article entitled: "Ex-CIA agent: Waterboarding OK'ed at top"

Baghdad Christians celebrate Sunday Mass

By SAMEER N. YACOUB, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 49 minutes ago

BAGHDAD - The worshippers were searched at the door and snipers stood guard on the roof, but Sunday's Mass was a joyful one for more than 200 Iraqis who packed a church in eastern Baghdad to see the first Iraqi cardinal.
PUBLICITÉ

Under heavy guard and broadcast live on Iraqi state television, the service was capped by a handshake from a visiting Shiite imam — a symbolic show of unity between Iraq's majority Muslim sect and its tiny Christian community.

Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, leader of the ancient Chaldean Church, celebrated the two-hour Mass three weeks after Pope Benedict XVI elevated him to the top ranks of the Roman Catholic hierarchy.

Delly presided over other services this week in Baghdad and the northern Kurdish city of Irbil, spreading his message of unity and forgiveness among Iraq's Christians.

"We are of one family, everyone should work for the progress of this country," he said during his sermon.

The frequent target of Islamic extremists, Iraq's Christians have been forced to flee by the tens of thousands or to isolate themselves in barricaded neighborhoods if they choose to remain.

"We pray today for the sake of each other and to forgive each other, as well to be directed to do good deeds," Delly said. "That is my demand for the Iraqis, moreover I urge the return home for displaced people and immigrants to their ancestral land."

Delly, 80, has been outspoken in the past about the need to protect Christians, who comprise less than 3 percent of Iraq's 26 million people.

Many people who filled the pews at the elegant brick Church of the Virgin Mary said they were taking advantage of a lull in violence to attend services and to congratulate Delly. The imam of a nearby Shiite mosque shook hands with him in the church's courtyard after the service.

"I came here to show the unity of the Iraqi people," said the black-turbaned imam, Jassim al-Jazairi. "We are happy with the cardinal. We are very proud of any person, whether Christian or Muslim, who raises the name of Iraq in the international arena."

The high attendance at the church in mainly Shiite eastern Baghdad was among several recent signs of normalcy in Iraq. Still, the security situation remains fragile in the city, where many Iraqis are still afraid to venture outside the concrete barriers erected by the U.S. military to protect volatile communities.

In a reminder of the dangers, armed policemen wearing helmets and blue uniforms were stationed on the church's roof and others searched worshippers walking toward the stately brick building on Palestine Street, a major thoroughfare in eastern Baghdad. Several police pickup trucks and Iraqi armored vehicles blocked the street.

Church officials said the weekly afternoon Mass has been more crowded and was extended by an hour as Iraqis are less fearful about being out on the streets late in many areas of the capital.

"We are proud of this," said Hibba Nasser, a 26-year-old housewife. "We came here to this church in order to tell the terrorists that we are not afraid of them."

Lunch at Jack Astor's

Dinner at Bar-B-Barns

Dinner at Bar-B-Barns on Guy St, coffee and dessert at Starbucks on St.Catherine St.W, walk around St.Catherine St.W. between Guy and McGill College Ave.

Cast of characters: the usual suspects- Tito Lits, Tita Nil, Pam and Allen, and Trish.

Location: Downtown Montreal

Killington, Vermont 2005

Killington, Vermont - Summer 2005

I'd like to go back there, just for a day drive, or maybe a weekend.

WATP , 4 Fast Miles, Saturday Edition

WATP - 4 Fast Miles, Saturday Edition @ Fairview Alliance Church, November 17,2007.

Present: Tito Lito, Nil, Grace and Phillip, Pilo, Pauline, Agnes, and Rose
Location: Fairview Alliance Church, DDO

[ Facebook Album Photos ]

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/flanders.htm

Canadian soldiers

In Flanders Field

In Flanders Field