Are terrorists more creative with media?

In a research I’m doing now on al Qaeda and cyber terrorism, there were found to be as many as 5000 websites involved in cyber planning, but about 25 are being watched on a daily basis. The numbers can change everyday but that media products come in the form of poetry, pictures, songs, jokes, cartoons, drawings, stories, symbols that have been profiled for their own campaign. These may have come from true events, pictures, stories, and statements of politicians but were downloaded from the Internet and manipulated or altered and then burned into DVDs and tapes and distributed to recruits, supporters, and sympathizers to fulfill campaign plans.

Upon the testimony of three researchers called contractors from Rand corporation, a poetry or song was used to taunt US soldiers as background music; pictures of events where soldiers were waking away were used to mean defeat; and pictures of female soldiers whose back are turned were made to appear that they are male, taking advantage of Muslim women.

Symbols of the Israel flag with lines up and down were exploited to mean the destiny of grabbing their lands. The name Fatima (symbolizing daughter of Prophet Muhammad) was used as the name of a letter-sender of one being raped in a stockade to force assault and raid on this establishment six days later. The statements of President George Bush and other leaders were used in connection with some events but twisted in context. These and some other similar kinds of products were found in more than 5,000 hostile sites.

Research claims taller people are smarter

Original link for the story

I would think twice before concluding about taller people being smarter than others – completely. I have read this 53-page research report done by Anne Case and Christina Paxson and funded by the National Bureau of Economic Research of Massachusetts. More research along this line should be undertaken to validate the findings.

There is somewhat an over-generalization in its abstract and introduction -
“It has long been recognized that taller adults hold jobs of higher status and, on average, earn more than other workers." They begin their list of sources with a research done in 1915. In 1915, researches done during that time may be as crude as time could tell, not to mention research findings that have contexts some worlds apart from our context 90 years later.

To be fair, the two women researchers (both tall) recognize some limitations in the research. They mention Tanner (1979) as saying that the precise links between height and cognition are still not well understood. James Tanner is the author of “A Concise History of Growth Studies from Buffoon to Boas.”

They also said, “If our hypothesis is correct, it is possible that employers with incomplete information about the cognitive ability of their workers practice height-based statistical discrimination.” Clearly, therefore, height is only an indicator and not a cause of being smart – as the title of this news story may suggest.

Soriano, the Great Communicator, Will Not Budge

Left: Bro. Eliseo Soriano preaching in one International Thanksgiving at the Ang Dating Daan Convention Center in Pampanga, Philippines.

NOW THIS GOVERNMENT WATCHDOG is at it again – hounding one who would be of more use to society than most others would.

The watchdog coming in the name of a censors board is after this man, hot copy for fearless preaching, he doesn’t spare anyone

"Most others" including those who sell their votes for influence in the government cannot silence him.

Vote buying in the Philippines is not news. Isn’t this an open secret? National candidates up to presidential positions court a so-called church group that promises the votes of its congregation. After elections, you find their members in the most lucrative positions in the government, including law enforcement agencies like those of investigation and justice! The most lamentable consequence is that the enemies of this group are being hounded for every minute thing said against them. But why doesn’t government look into this vote-buying thing? Because no one in government is interested in stopping it.

If it is any measure at all, Eliseo Soriano, Presiding Minister of the Church of God, International, heads a congregation of over a million Filipinos in the Philippines and abroad. Because of his teachings, those who would have been liabilities to society have been reformed and are now being taught how to live properly. You can listen to the testimonies of these people. One was a thief, another one a murderer, another a swindler, another a good-for nothing bum who was good at scams, another one a godless creature worshipping a stone or a piece of wood, yet another one looking educated and well-off to the eyes of this world, but with a soul so corrupt he wouldn’t acknowledge there is a creator. The stories can go on and on. Aren't other churches peopled with these kinds? Of course, there are those you could call good, but they, themselves, acknowledge that they are not – by God’s standards. All of these stereotypes of people in the Church of God have changed and still are changing – thanks to this man who is loving at the same time fearless.

In teaching his members, Soriano uses what most people nowadays, desecrate: the Bible. And he uses it totally – not selecting just the verses to apply. If it is God who says them, he uses those words properly – from one end of the spectrum to the other. Meaning, there are words for agreeing and there words for disagreeing. When you disagree because it is sin you are talking about, you use words to that effect. You get angry. Doesn’t the bible have words to express anger? This is where people who don't like to be told of their sins would hound Soriano, even to the extent of suggesting that the Abu Sayyaf go hunt for him. This is where they suggest that when he comes home from his foreign missions he will be met with a casket free for him.

For speaking out the truth, which is part of his commission, Soriano gets the flak. What did Soriano say this time that made the watchdog suspend his Ang Dating Daan program for 20 days lately? For being suspended again and again from airing his Program, Soriano may make it to Guinness as the most suspended communicator for all times.

But Soriano will not budge. He will not omit one word from God’s words. That is apparent - judging from the 43 years he had been handling God’s words. Indeed, his mind is fixed on fulfilling a commission. So how is that now? The width and breadth of his speaking is covered in the Book of Jeremiah, Chapter 26, Verse 2 where a preacher of God is required not to omit a word – as instructed by the owner of those words.

Judge him then from there .

Justice is for Everyone, Vote or no Vote

Manila, Philippines - Followers of Preacher Soriano protesting before the Commission on Human Rights.




A church that sells the votes of its members is able
influence government - resulting in the persecution
of others like Bro. Eli Soriano of Ang Dating Daan.