Freedom that, even under Aquino, PH still doesn’t enjoy

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Recently, Ang Kapatiran Party (AKP) issued a statement on the Peoples Freedom of Information (FOI) bill. I want to impress on our people that AKP continues to be active in sharing its stands and views on issues and concerns that beset the country.

In July 2011, AKP, through the indirect initiative provision, Section 3(b) of Republic Act No. 6735 (the Initiative and Referendum Act), petitioned the House of Representatives to enact an FOI law. Despite this effort, both Congress and the executive department never gave priority to this long-overdue legislation.

To date, we still do not have freedom of information.

AKP believes that without freedom of information, there can be no genuine matuwid na daan. An authentic matuwid na daan demands an institutional foundation that addresses two key, indispensable objects of good governance. The first is for a more responsive government planning. The availability of information enhances broader public participation around policy objectives and design. It also enables the private sector to make sound long-term economic decisions. This, in turn, advances a nations economic efficiency and competitiveness. The second is for greater transparency. The free flow of government information is a vital safeguard against corruption. It exposes vested interests and leads to the identification of corrupt officials. The peoples right to government information therefore is a political imperative, an element indispensable in a functioning representative democracy.

AKP is a memberperhaps the only national political party memberof the Right to Know, Right Now! Coalition which has long been campaigning for the passage of the FOI Act.

No matter. The convening of the 16th Congress brings renewed hope. On July 1, 2013, the clock will start ticking on the Peoples FOI bill. The clamor for an FOI law will put to test the spirit of the indirect initiative provision of RA 6735, which provides that the procedure to be followed shall be the same as the enactment of any legislative measure, except that the initiative bill shall have precedence over pending legislative measures in the committees.

This Peoples FOI bill is but a manifestation of and testament to the coalitions support for President Aquinos dream of matuwid na daan and the peoples dream for its institutionalization.

REGINALD B. TAMAYO,

member,

National Executive Board,

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Freedom that, even under Aquino, PH still doesn’t enjoy

Four Utahns are honored with Freedom Awards during Freedom Festival

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PROVO Americas Freedom Festival at Provo honored four Utahns on Tuesday for espousing the cause of freedom and supporting traditional American values.

Hundreds of community leaders, dignitaries and patriots gathered to applaud the Freedom Awards Gala winners at the Utah Valley Convention Center.

Paul Warner, executive director of the Freedom Festival, said the 2013 Freedom Award recipients are people who each uniquely demonstrate the importance of commitment to family, freedom, God and country.

H. David Burton, an emeritus general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, received the Humanitarian Freedom Award.

Warner said Burton conducted 17 years of humanitarian efforts as presiding bishop of the LDS Church. He was recognized for overseeing millions of dollars in goods, products and services provided to people in need around the world, including immunizations, wheelchairs and vision care.

His entire life has been one of service and trying to make sure that those in downcast conditions could be helped appropriately by church funds, Warner said.

Colton Burpo was recognized for sharing the message of Gods reality and ongoing concern for humanity in his best-selling book Heaven Is for Real.

In the book, Burpo documents a near-death experience during a struggle with acute appendicitis and shares his experiences and knowledge of life after death, Warner said. Burpo's family shared in the honor for their support and commitment to God during his struggle, Warner said.

Peggy S. Harris was honored with the Love of Country Freedom Award for her unfaltering will to wait 62 years before finding out that her husband died in World War II.

Shes been a faithful and true wife, even though she didnt know what had happened to her husband, Warner said. She went all those years and had no idea what had happened to him. When she finally found out, she wasnt mad or angry. She just maintained a wonderful spirit about it.

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Four Utahns are honored with Freedom Awards during Freedom Festival

‘Freedom of speech’ row in village

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3 July 2013 Last updated at 12:14 ET

A row has broken out over a village newsletter after a council said it wanted to check letters and emails from the public before they were published.

Jonathan Butler, editor of the Shepreth newsletter, published an open letter in the July edition saying "freedom of speech" was at stake following Shepreth Parish Council's request.

He said the letters pages were there for "people to express their views".

The parish council said his comments were "out of context and misleading".

Its clerk, Charles Cook, had written to Mr Butler in May to say he had received an email from a local resident concerning the recreation ground.

Shepreth Parish Council does not and will not suppress freedom of speech or the rights of anyone to voice their opinion

He said it contained "inaccurate" information and asked Mr Butler not to print it in the newsletter, if he received the letter.

In the email seen by the BBC, Mr Cook then wrote: "May I also ask that if you receive any letters or emails etc from residents concerning the parish council that you confirm the accuracy and content with me before printing it."

The All Saints' Shepreth Church and Village Newsletter is published every month and is delivered for free to all of the households in the Cambridgeshire village.

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'Freedom of speech' row in village

How I Found Financial Freedom

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Gaining Financial Freedom

When you hear the term, "financial freedom," a few stock images may pop to mind: The lottery winner rolling in sudden cash; the wealthy socialite dripping in diamonds; the silver-haired couple sailing into retirement on a yacht. But financial freedom doesnt have to be about when or if. Ultimately, its about making the choices that will help you live the life you want right now. And its just as much about how you feel as it is about what you own.

Net worth and what you have in the bank are only part of it, says Meadow Devor, money coach and creator of the Money Love workshop a self-guided course to changing how you think about money. Financial freedom is also determined by your thoughts and emotions about money and worth. I've worked with millionaires who worry just as much as people barely above the poverty line. To me, financial freedom means no worry. It means peace.

Here are seven women, including Meadow herself, who are living proof that you can attain financial freedom at any age and from any walk of life--and sooner than you may think. Keep reading to learn how they did.

How I define financial freedom: A state of mind. Before, I would have said: A lot of money. A big house. A walk-in closet. A fancy car. It was always about stuff, not about freedom. Losing all of my "stuff" changed everything for me. I learned that living a simple and frugal life brings me so much joy. When the clutter was cleared away, I saw that what really mattered was the amount of love in my life, the people that I connected with, the time I spent with my daughter. The striving for more and more kept me from focusing on what I did have in my life and it clouded my ability to feel gratitude.

How I achieved it: In early 2009, I was a newly divorced, single mom with more than half-a-million dollars in debt. I spent the next two years working three jobsas a coach, a piano teacher, and an Apple sales rep. I sold everything I ownedhandbags, shoes, jewelry, an armoire, garden pots, a lawn mower, even my favorite Gucci dress. I sold my house and moved into a small place, and rented out part of it. At first I felt defeated, scared, and really stupid. But the self-loathing wasn't helping me pay the debt off any faster, so I decided to forgive myself and focus on what I could learn and teach others. Every time I sold something, or made another payment, I rewarded myself with self-pride. I shared the journey openly with my daughter (who was in elementary school at the time). During the payoff years, she knew that any extra money went toward debt and that we were making sacrifices as a family for our future. I socked every dime toward paying it off, which I did by November 2011. Since then, I set a new Net Worth Goal each year and share the details with my students. If I do buy something now, it must meet these three criteria: Do I love it? Will I use it? And can I afford it? If so, I pay for it--in cash.

My definition of financial freedom: The ability to be generous. I grew up in a home where cost dictated every move. My dream was to reach a point where I could be comfortable, feel safe, and be generous. I tithe 10 percent to my church, give money to folks who need it, save for the short-term and for retirement, and take my intern out to lunch once a week because I remember what its like to be broke. Being generous keeps me from being too attached to money, which is the greatest freedom of all.

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How I Found Financial Freedom

Black Ops 2 | iPlay Your Way: Vector w/ Cyborg Camo – EP. 20 (Call of Duty Create-a-Class Series) – Video

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Black Ops 2 | iPlay Your Way: Vector w/ Cyborg Camo - EP. 20 (Call of Duty Create-a-Class Series)
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Cyborg Contact Lenses Magnify Sight By 2.8 Times

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When research is funded by the chaps at America's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) you can be sure of one thing - it's something that could contribute to super-soldier cyborg death machines. Or, you know, help people.

Their latest project is a telescopic contact lens that can magnify sight by 2.8 times.

Researchers led by Joseph Ford of UC San Diego developed the aid ostensibly to help people suffering from macular degeneration - but it's obvious why a military research organisation would also be interested.

The lenses works by having two distinct surface areas. The centre allows light through as normal for regular vision.

Around the edge however are a series of tiny aluminium mirrors that magnify the image before reflecting it onto the wearer's retina.

To switch between the two the user can toggle between them using polarising glasses like those used for 3D films.

Clearly the lenses have great promise - both for helping those with eye disease and for raining death from far away.

There are some current design limitations however, namely the material used is not oxygen permeable making long use incredibly uncomfortable.

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Cyborg Contact Lenses Magnify Sight By 2.8 Times

RI to highlight water quality efforts at beaches

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AP/July 3, 2013

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) U.S. Sen. Jack Reed and state officials are highlighting efforts to improve water quality at Rhode Islands beaches.

The Rhode Island Democrat will be joined on Wednesday morning by officials with the state departments of health and environmental management to discuss the states water monitoring program and other efforts to keep beaches clean. The event is being held at the Bristol Town Beach pavilion.

Officials say the state has made progress improving water quality in recent years. In 2008, bacteria levels at Rhode Island beaches exceeded state water quality levels 15 percent of the time. Last year, it was down to 5 percent of the time.

Rhode Island has some 250 beaches along approximately 400 miles of coast along the Atlantic Ocean and Narragansett Bay.

Copyright 2013 Globe Newspaper Company.

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RI to highlight water quality efforts at beaches

How useful is the Malibu Beaches app?

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With summer in full swing, the recent launch of a new iPhone app designed to identify hidden public access points along the citys 27 miles of beaches made big news. Many hailed the app as a victory for public access over NIMBYism,while some local residents worriedabout an influx of visitors to areas without adequate sanitation,lifeguard or police presences.

This week, The Malibu Times put the controversial app to the test to see whether the information actually does provide easy access to the hidden beaches, and whether there were restroom, lifeguards and other beach amenities present on the beaches.

We were able to access the beaches we selected with relative ease, but the app left something to be desired when we found ourselves strolling in the sand with very little more than ocean and rocks aheadand no warning.

The app, co-created by Jenny Price, began making waves in May when a $30,000 Kickstarter campaign launched to create an app providing information where hidden accessways in Malibu can be found. Since its June 1 iTunes release, it has been downloaded about 16,000 times and garnered a 4.5 (out of 5) user rating, which comes as a pleasant surprise to its creator.

The app has exceeded my expectations in a number of ways, Price said this week. We wanted the app to be user-friendly. Im super pleased that people are finding it so easy to use.

The app contains access points for 25 Malibu beaches. Many are smaller beaches in the middle of residential areas. Others are currently closed because they are tied up in litigation on behalf of landowners and residents wishing to keep the land private.

Though full of easy-to-comprehend information about how to access the beaches, the app lacks information about lifeguards and restrooms. In some cases, a more clearly defined explanation of exactly how difficult some beaches are to access, users of the otherwise helpful app should proceed with caution.

Only five of Malibus beachesZuma, Nicholas, Point Dume, Corral and Surfriderhave established lifeguard stations.

Zuma Beach lifeguard Captain Smith said the smaller pocket beaches, such as Escondido, are always patrolled by a two-man LR300 unit and an area captain, but there is no established lifeguard tower. Both Smith and the app caution against using beaches without a lifeguard present.

The thing is, the ocean is ultimately always in charge, Smith said. You know never know what the oceans going to do. Thats why we have so many towers spread all over Zuma.

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How useful is the Malibu Beaches app?

Around the Region: Beaches cities’ budget process on display

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NEPTUNE BEACH

Cities budget process on display Beaches Watch will host a public Beaches Budget 101 presentation by the three Beaches city managers at the 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 10, group meeting in the Neptune Beach City Hall Council Chambers, 116 First St. The managers will discuss the budget process for their cities, including an overview of each budget, important points and areas of concern and the plan for the budget approval process. The Beaches cities will be finalizing and approving their 2013-2014 budgets by the end of September, said Beaches Watch president Sandy Golding. For more, call (904) 513-9242.

BAKER

Traffic shifts to make way for new span The C.R. 229 temporary bridge over the southern prong of the St. Marys River is being replaced with a $1.9 million permanent bridge to finish work begun after Tropical Storm Debby swept through the area last year. The contractor plans to build the new Greens Creek Bridge and roadway, then shift traffic to the new bridge before removing the temporary bridge. Pile driving will be necessary while the bridge foundation is constructed. Pile driving will not be allowed after 7 p.m. or on Sundays. Traffic may be detoured while dirt is removed at both ends of the bridge in the fall.

CLAY

New judge for Eighth circuit James Colaw, deputy director of the Clay County State Attorneys Office since 2009, has been appointed as a circuit court judge in the Eighth Judicial Circuit covering Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Gilchrist, Levy and Union counties. I am so proud of James and the stellar work he has done in Clay County. We will miss him and wish him the very best, said State Attorney Angela Corey. Colaw began his career as a prosecutor in Baker County in 1998. He received his bachelors degree from Carnegie Mellon University and his law degree from the University of Florida.

AMELIA ISLAND

Tourism expected to heat up as summer unfolds Gil Langley, president and CEO of the Amelia Island Convention and Visitors Bureau, said June and July are the two busiest months of the year for Amelia Island tourism. Tourism accounts for approximately 34 percent of the local economy. More than a quarter of the nonfarm labor force is employed in tourist-related activities. Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach tourism, in numbers of visitors and economic impact, is on the rise. During the first quarter of 2013, the number of visitors increased by 9 percent over the same period in 2012, resulting in a corresponding rise in revenue of almost 16 percent for the same period. About 122,200 visitors spent $74,055,600, resulting in an economic impact of $97,435,000 on the island.

ST. JOHNS

Day After Beach Clean-Up set for Friday Keepers of the Coast, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting coastal stewardship and the conservation of coastal habitat, is recruiting volunteers for the fifth annual Day After Beach Clean-Up on Friday. The community-wide effort will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at several beach access points, including Vilano Beach Access Ramp, A-Street Beach Access Ramp, St. Augustine Pier, Micklers Beachfront Park in Ponte Vedra and Crescent Beachfront Park. The clean-up will be the second in the Summer Daze Beach Clean-Up Series. The final clean-up will take place at the Jacksonville Beach Pier on Aug. 2. More details about these clean-ups can be found at http://www.keepersofthecoast.org.

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Around the Region: Beaches cities' budget process on display

Beaches back to normal after fecal contamination

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LA CROSSE, Wis. -

The next time you take a dip in the Mississippi, you might want to think twice about what you're splashing around in.

The La Crosse County Health Department had to close Pettibone Beach and issue a warning at Goose Island Beach last week after they found soaring counts of fecal contamination in the water.

All of La Crosse County's public beaches are testing at safe levels again, so they're all open for swimmers.

"The reason we close the beaches is for E. coli. It's in the water. It usually occurs during rain events. It's washed in," said La Crosse County Health Department Sanitarian David Sawvell.

The department tests Pettibone, Goose Island and Black River Beach twice a week during the summer.

Pettibone Beach was closed for four days last week after the county discovered 1,600 E. coli colonies per 100 milliliters of river water.

"When the count reaches 1,000, we have to close it. Then they test every day after that. And if they get consistent results, then you know that there's something lingering there, said city of La Crosse Aquatics Coordinator Steve Briggs.

Briggs said high levels of E. coli at La Crosse beaches aren't unusual thanks to manure run-off, but it usually happens earlier in the year.

"Because of the rain, the farmers didn't get out in their fields until later. So normally if there was a high count, it would have been earlier, like in the spring time," said Briggs.

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Beaches back to normal after fecal contamination

Mexico’s hidden beaches reached by boat

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Elsewhere around the Baha de Banderas, the bay at whose centre Puerto Vallarta sits, waterborne transport offers the only access to half a dozen more white-sand beaches, including the old hippy hang-out of Yelapa, hemmed in by tropical hills and coconut palms. Yelapa has managed to retain a rustic, laid-back feel, despite the arrival of day trippers, electricity and satellite dishes; locals still hook octopus and surgeonfish from the pier, frigate birds glide over the water and turkey vultures skulk in the trees.

Where to stay

Casa Amorita Just five rooms in the centre of town, with balconies and cool tiled floors; there's a Venetian-tile pool and a roof bar and terrace with spellbinding views of the ocean and cathedral (0052 322 222 4926; casaamorita.com; double rooms from 62).

Casa Velas The pick of the elegant new resorts along Vallarta's northern coast, with spa, golf and several pools; ultra-stylish suites blend Mexican and contemporary decor (322 226 6688; hotelcasavelas.com; from 165).

Where to eat

Joe Jack's Fish Shack Fabulous seafood: this place is best known for its fish and chips and chowders, the tastiest in town; sit at the bar downstairs, or enjoy the views from the rooftop dining area (Basilio Badillo 212; 322 222 2099; joejacks-fishshack.com).

Caf des Artistes Upmarket gourmet dining in a French-Mexican fusion style the intriguing menu features plenty of local seafood (Guadalupe Snchez 740; 322 222 3228; cafedesartistes.com).

What to do

Puerto Vallarta is very much a resort, but with mesmerising sunsets, miles of sandy beaches and a laid-back, colonial centre, it is smaller and more subdued than Acapulco or Cancun. Trips to the Marieta Islands, for the Playa del Amor, are run by Vallarta Under Sea (322 209 0025; vallartaundersea.com). Lanchas for Yelapa and other beaches around the bay leave from Boca de Tomatln, south of town.

About 940 miles to the south east, another lancha blasts out of the bay of Huatulco, heading north to Playa Cacaluta, a gorgeous stretch of sand in another protected national park. Like Playa del Amor, Cacaluta has enjoyed its moment of celebrity: it featured in the breakthrough Mexican film Y Tu Mam Tambin.

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Mexico's hidden beaches reached by boat