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Volume XXVIIi, No. 6 July 2010 www.filipinostar.org Filipino Montrealers hold Pista sa Nayon Montreal, July 16, 2010 - The annual town festival entitled “Pista sa Nayon” organized by FAMAS will be held in Mackenzie King Park on Sunday, July 18, 2010. It is expected that there will be many people who will flock to the Park because of the nice summer weather. All the tents have already been taken by different community organizations and businesses. A complete line up of activities has been made by the organizing committee headed by Chairperson Manny Lagasca and Vice-chairperson, Dr. Gene Santander. The flag raising ceremony will be at 11:00 a.m. to kickoff the festival which will surely be graced by some V.I.P.s from the CDNNDG Borough and the City of Montreal. A community mass will be held at 2:00 p.m. Games, entertainment, and other surprise numbers will be included as part of the day’s celebration. As usual, the opportunity to meet and greet all your neighbors, friends, and acquaintances is something that one should not miss. After all, this “Pista sa Nayon” only comes once a year in the month of July. FAMAS president Au Osdon and her One of the photos taken by the North American Filipino Star of a past “Pista sa Nayon” shows people enjoiying themselves while others gather executive board have been working under colorful tents where they share potluck food and exchange news. This year’s photos will be published in the next month’s issue. hard to make this event a success. Philippine President Benigno Aquino Inaugurated Wednesday, June 30, 2010 MANILA, Philippines -Benigno Aquino III, sworn in Wednesday as the Philippines' 15th president, promised to prosecute the corrupt and banish poverty as he urged Filipinos to help him in a job he likened to a biblical burden. The son of two Philippine democracy icons, Aquino, 50, succeeds Gloria Macapagal Arroyo whose stormy nine-year rule was rocked by four failed coup attempts and allegations of corruption, voterigging and human rights abuses, which she denied. Some 500,000 attended President Benigno Aquino III, center, takes his oath before Supreme Aquino's oath-taking at a seaside park Court Associated Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales as the Philippines' in the capital Manila, police said. 15th President during inaugural ceremony Wednesday June 30, 2010, in Manila, Philippines. At right holding the Holy Bible is Jesuit priest Father Catalino Arevalo. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) See Page 4 Aquino inaugurated Contents Letter to the Editor . . . . . . . . 2 Cooperative News . . . . . . . . . Any Which Way (Op.Ed.) . To u r i s m . . . . . E a r t h Ta l k . . 3 . . . . 5 . . . . . . . . . 6 . . . , . . . . . 9 Ask the Video Guy . . . . . . . . .10 Philippine Cuisine . . . . . . . . 15 Showbiz Gossip . . . . . . . . . . 17 Classified Ads....... . . . . . . . 21 Inyo ng mabibili ang pangarap ninyong bahay sa madaling panahon sa pamamagitan ng tamang mortgage. www.filipinostar.org 2 July 2010 The North American Filipino Star Letter to the Editor Montreal, July 12, 2010 Ms. Julie Parado 6241 Trans Island Montreal, QC H3W 1B7 Dear Ms. Parado: I have not wanted to waste my time answering a letter from someone who thinks she is the only one who does something good for the community for over 40 years but your persistence in tugging at my conscience made me write this long reply to put to rest your false claims that I owe you gratitude and that I must be worried about your friends’ opinions about me. Moreover, you need to understand that you are completely wrong in your assumptions and interpretations of people’s motivation. There are many of us who are charitable and do good things but we never make a big deal of what we do. Actually, there are many unsung heroes in our community but they do not clamor for recognition like you do. Writing a letter to reproach me does not cause me to lose my sleep over your allegation that I am ungrateful to you. I am merely surprised how you have presumed that the few times you volunteered to be a cashier at the Coop should merit an eternal gratitude. If you are religious and if you are sincere in rendering service to the community, why are you expecting an immediate return of this favor from me? Don’t you believe that when you do good to someone, your reward does not come from the same person but usually, someone else will do good to you? At least, this is how I have always lived my life. I do not expect to have something back from the receiver of my kindness. I believe that there is an Omnipotent Being who knows what is in our heart and gives us what we deserve even though we may not be asking for it. In order to put things in proper perspective, I would like to point out to you that you offered to volunteer when I was not even actively involved with the Coop. It was in September or October 2006 when you were accepted to volunteer by Ben Bade and Rhoda Tremocha. However, they were not thrilled to have you volunteer because they knew your past record of rubbing people the wrong way. Even Laila Elumbra complained to me because you made her cry. You reproached her for the help you gave her. Then when I became treasurer of the Coop in January 2007, you were wondering how I was chosen to be the treasurer. So you are right, I know who you are but I think you are suffering from a delusion of grandeur. We were neither friends nor enemies and we never spoke to one another before even though we might be in the same room. In particular, when you were working closely with Mrs. Quintos, the former honorary consul, you appeared to me as someone who was very fond of power and you always wanted to be the one to tell people what to do. You would understand later in this letter why I had to mention this. Once in a while, you would talk to me and I would answer you politely but sometimes you also ignored me and I would do the same. So there is no love lost between us. I am just surprised that you are expecting a lot from me. The Coop is for the community, it is not my personal business, nevertheless, you would have made me believe in your kindness if you had not shown me your true color when you walked out on me. I wonder if you can recall what happened not too long ago when you were just about to resume your volunteer duty at the temporary location of the Coop. No one was around so you took advantage of me by giving me a “dressing down” barrage of questions and accusations. You insisted on discussing the issue about your old, worn out shelves that you offered to the Coop. When I told you that I could not afford the time to argue with you as I had an appointment, you literally “flew off the handle.” You uttered many unpleasant words I could not recall but what remained vividly in my mind was your hateful and spiteful image. From then on, I was completely convinced that you were not real and that you had not really intended to help me but to find faults and discourage me. Just because I am the president does not mean you can put all the blame on me. If you are a reasonable person, you would recognize that I did not have any role in your arrangement with Ben Bade who told me that you offered to sell the shelves for $150 as your friend did not need them anymore. You changed your mind and invoiced the Coop $500 with taxes included. Do you have a right to charge taxes when you do not even have a tax number? You even used your friend’s name to write a registered letter to the Coop to claim the $500 which you now overestimate to be $1000. Where is your sense of balance? As president, I replied via registered letter, offering to pay you $150 as per original agreement you made with Ben Bade, but the letter was returned to us. It is obvious that your friend did not even write this letter but it was you all along who wanted to make money at the expense of impoverishing the Coop. Don’t you know that the Coop is practically bankrupt and I am the only one who is bankrolling it to keep it open? You had also repeatedly mentioned to me that you recruited six members and that they were claiming to take their money back. I suppose you are not aware of the law in Quebec. You cannot claim any money back when there is none left. If the Coop had closed down, no one would have any hope of collecting anything, including me. I am the biggest loser as I have invested a lot of my own money in it but I am not giving up because there are many more positive people in the community than negative ones. I am quite optimistic that the Coop could recover and pay everyone back, including you, even though you have always doubted the possibility of making people support the Coop. You even claimed that people would not give any financial help to the Coop as they were afraid that I would pay myself first. This really amazes me as to how you can come up with such a ridiculous statement. I had lent money to the Coop without any guarantee. Why would I now take this money for myself when I know that it should be used to improve the Coop’s capitalization? I hope that I have explained myself clearly to you and that you would stop thinking badly about me for letting Mr. Sarmiento write his opinions about you. The battle is between you and him, and nothing to do with me. I also ask you to stop blaming me for your shelves. Blame Ben if you have to blame somebody but not me. Vicky Laya intervened and told me that you would pick up the shelves and the plastic containers. You seemed to have forgotten that you already picked up most of them, and I seem to recall you were missing only one or two covers. You used them when you moved. If there are a few pieces missing, I am sure they do not cost more than $10 or $20 and you are rich enough not to bother collecting such a meager amount. I have to search the files to look for your signature on the pick up of the plastic containers but that can wait as I have more urgent matters to attend to. According to Ben, you were supposed to pickup the shelves and there was an appointment made but you were the one who did not show up. So do me a favor, if you have to complain about your shelves being left in the landlord’s basement, you should call Ben Bade at his home phone number. Just do not accuse me of passing the buck to him. I am not guilty of any negligence as you claim. It is not my job to follow up on your business with Ben even though I am the current president. See Page 4 Letter to the Editor 5450 chemin de la Cote des Neiges Suite 511 Montreal, Quebec H3T 1Y6 Tel.: 514-485-7861 Fax: 514-485-3076 E-Mail: advertising@filipinostar.org Published by Filcan Publications, Inc. Zenaida Ferry Kharroubi Chief Editor & Publisher Al Abdon Jerry Estrada Columnists Sam Kevin News & Layout Editor Mark Flores Advertising Representative Bert Abiera Founder Hilda T. Veloso Community News Mary Joy Lizarondo Sports News The opinions expressed by the writers and columnists do no necessarily reflect that of the management of the North American Filipino Star. and its editors. July 2010 The North American Filipino Star Cooperative News Moving the Filipino Coop for Better Things to Come The end of July signals the end of our lease in the duplex basement apartment on 4151-A Van Horne where the Filipino Coop is temporarily located. We are preparing our move to a new and better area which is the basement space of the Cuisine de Manille Restaurant on 5710 Victoria Avenue near the corner of Cote Ste. Catherine Road. Many people who came to know about the Coop’s difficulties and future plans have expressed their agreement with me that moving to this new location will make a big difference. Besides saving on paying a modest rent, increasing customer traffic into the Coop will most likely happen. . People usually flock to this place every weekend for the special buffet. The restaurant customers can be the Coop customers and vice-versa. It will be a win-win situation as we will be helping one another. The restaurant is also a big supporter of the Coop as the owners have already been trying to buy whatever they can to help. Now that it is being located right at their doorstep, they will surely find it even more worthwhile to shop at a place that is conveniently located and being able to help the Coop more. As I contemplate on all kinds of ideas to make the community become more aware of the existence of the Filipino Solidarity Cooperative, I have always been keen in getting other people to tell me what they need and if the Coop can provide it. Not too long ago, a French Canadian woman came to the store and asked what she could cook for her Filipino husband. I suggested a few recipes for which she bought all the ingredients from the Coop. This made me realize that perhaps we could promote the Coop by offering cooking classes. At that time, there was no plan yet to move to the Cuisine de Manille. Now that we are, I believe we may be able to implement this idea of conducting cooking classes and selling the ingredients for the Filipino recipes. I also have students who have expressed their need to learn how to cook. Now that there is an adjacent restaurant with a kitchen facility, perhaps it is possible to go into this prospective venture. Wouldn’t it be great if this idea clicks? It will not only help people to learn a skill but also sell groceries for the most popular Filipino recipes. Moving again after six months is not an easy feat. It will be even more difficult if there are not enough people to help do the move and if we do not prepare the new place ahead of time. For this reason, I am asking volunteers to help us set up the wall shelves and check the proper arrangement of the freezers so that we do not waste any space in the 288 square feet basement which we are going to occupy. In order to do a good job, we are in great need of a handy man or carpenter who can put up the display cases or shelves. We have passed the word around in the community that we need volunteers to help us in this regard so that we do not have to spend a lot of money in doing this. I hope someone who is reading this article knows someone who has a few hours to spare. We will be able to afford minimum wage pay, and provide some lunch for one day’s work. The date can be a weekend or a weekday, bearing in mind that we need to move into this new location on July 30 and 31. We have rented a tent during the Pista sa Nayon in Mackenzie King Park. We will try to dispose of our merchandise as much as possible in order to reduce the stuff to be moved. We would also like to sell some office furniture, air conditioner, shelves, and a display case that has been disassembled for easy moving. If we cannot fit in all the freezers, we may have to sell the extras. Once we have settled down in the new place, we will focus on keeping stock which can be sold fast. We will avoid buying merchandise that is not easy to sell. We also plan to keep the Coop open at the same time that the restaurant opens from 12 or 11 a.m. to 8 or 9 p.m. For this purpose, we are calling for volunteer members to let us know if they can give even 3 hours a week to serve as a cashier. Training will be provided to all volunteers who will work as cashiers. Of course, we do not expect to use free services forever. Once the Coop becomes more profitable and able to pay, we will offer part time jobs to those who have been volunteering and who are already well trained. After all, one of the benefits of a cooperative is its ability to create jobs for the community. It is also supposed to promote entrepreneurship. Unlike a multinational corporation, the cooperative is run by its own members. Corporations hire their executives from the outside world and they usually require M.B.A. degrees as well as extensive management experience. In the cooperative, it is an asset to have a Coop director with management and business experience but this is not a pre-requisite. I can hardly wait to see how the inactive members of the Coop will respond to the new location and if they will now find a way to patronize their own Cooperative store. Zenaida Ferry Kharroubi President, The Filipino Solidarity Cooperative (2008-2011) The Filipino community triumvirate composed of Messrs. Alberto Baens Santos, Bernardo “Budz” Sarmiento, and Reuben Santos, visited the Marché Coop branch located at Gilmore College International on 5450 Cote des Neiges, July 7, 2010. Shown with them is Zenaida Kharroubi, founder & director of the College and the current president of the Coop. They all bought some of the Coop’s stock. 3 The North American Filipino Star 4 From Page 2 Letter to the Editor I do not feel upset with whatever you say, telling me that people do not approve my actions. This is a democratic country where there is freedom of speech. You and your friends cannot always intimidate others to keep quiet about blatant transgressions committed by a specific person or group. You claim that my newspaper is NOT AT PAR with your friend’s Filipino Forum. I do not feel upset about that as I am quite satisfied with my own newspaper, regardless of whether or not I have a lot of advertisers. I do not suffer from any inferiority complex at all as I am confident that no one can fault me about any false claim to any glorious title. It is okay to be humble and to be unknown. I am not crazy about being put neither on a pedestal nor to be declared a hero. I have my own faith and I trust that my conscience is clear. I never cheated anyone, and operated my businesses honorably and honestly for the past 21 years. I always work hard and I am willing to sacrifice myself for what I believe in. If it would make you feel better, I would like to express a simple word of thanks to you, even though I do not consider it a personal favor as I had explained above. But perhaps, you would be surprised if you knew how you had hurt and insulted me when you drove me and my students away from the Palais de Congres where we were distributing Gilmore College brochures during the visit of the then President Fidel Ramos. I still remember until now your stern look at us and how you told us that we should not distribute those brochures. For this unkind act of yours, I asked my parents not to buy their plane tickets from you anymore because you treated me like “garbage.” So, why do you think I should consider you an “Angel of Mercy.? But as I said, I tried to forgive you in my mind so when Riza Esmeralda suggested your name to be included in the committee; I agreed as a sign that I wanted to forgive you for the hurt you caused me. However, people who knew your record also questioned me why I included you in the committee. They were even more surprised to see your picture with me on the front page of the North American Filipino Star. Finally, I must admit it was a mistake to accept your offer of being a Coop volunteer. I should have listened to my hunch that the only reason you wanted to volunteer is to spy on me and see what I was doing. I think it is your wish that I fail in my goal to unite the community. A reliable source reported to me that you told her to stop helping me and that you expected me to fail. Your exact words were: “Why are you helping Kharroubi? Huag mo siyang tulungan.. Babagsak din yan balang araw.” The same idea seems to be reflected in your negative attitude as you also have told me many times to give up. Needless to say, your intention is not to help but to see to it that I could not accomplish something that might turn out to be greater than what you could accomplish. For this reason, I would do the opposite – I will try again and again to make the Coop work. If I decide to give up, it will not be you who will decide this for me. In spite of everything and your bitterness about letting Mr. Sarmiento write in my paper, I want to point out to you that I take my job seriously as a responsible publisher. I would offer the same privilege to anyone who wants to answer Mr. Sarmiento in my newspaper. If you wish to answer him for his opinions, I welcome you to engage him in a real debate of issues. In fact, I indicated in this column that anyone is welcomed to write his or her opinions but of course I would have to use my editorial privilege of seeing to it that the article meets certain standards of form and mechanics without changing the substance of the writer’s opinion. For your information, Mr. Sarmiento writes perfectly well and I do not need to edit anything but everything he writes is his own opinion and does not necessarily reflect mine. For old time’s sake, after I had let out my hurt feelings as much as you had done, I am not going to think about you at all. I wish you well for I believe strongly that there is God. He is the only One who will decide for all of us who is right and who is wrong as well as who should be rewarded and who should be punished. Zenaida Ferry Kharroubi Editor & Publisher The North American Filipino Star From Page 1 Aquino inaugurated Aquino aimed his speech at the many Filipinos exasperated at the Southeast Asian country's enduring problems, that also include decadeslong Islamic and communist insurgencies. "This day marks the end of a leadership that has long been insensitive to the suffering of the people ... and this is the beginning of my own Calvary," Aquino said, referring to Christ's crucifixion. "But if many of us bear the cross, we will lift it, no matter how heavy." Aquino, called "Noynoy" by his supporters, was a low-key legislator until he swept to a landslide win in May 10 elections _ buoyed by his illustrious family name, his anti-corruption platform and Filipinos' longing for moral and political renewal. "He signifies change and hope," said businesswoman Marivic Roy, who joined the crowds at the inauguration, accompanied by her husband and two sons. "That's why people gravitate toward him. We feel there is hope for this country." Aquino's parents were revered for their opposition to the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who was ousted by a 1986 "people power" revolt - a defining moment in the Philippines' political history. Marcos, who had ruled for two decades, was succeeded by Aquino's popular mother, Corazon Aquino. She died last year, prompting a mass outpouring of sympathy that turned into a groundswell of support for her son. Diplomats from more than 80 countries and two former Philippine presidents _ Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada _ attended Wednesday's ceremonies. East Timor President Jose Ramos Horta, a longtime supporter of the Aquino family, was among the foreign dignitaries. The nationally televised event resembled a grand concert with celebrity singers and an orchestra belting out patriotic music and folk songs. Yellow confetti _ the signature color of Corazon Aquino in the people power uprising _ rained from two helicopters. Vice President Jejomar Binay was sworn in before Aquino took his oath. July 2010 Secretary Leila de Lima to deliver "true and complete justice for all." In his first order as president, Aquino dismissed officials who are non-career officers to stop the practice of using presidential appointments as rewards. It was not clear how many officials would be affected. U.S. Trade Representative Ronald Kirk, who headed the American delegation sent by President Barack Obama to the inauguration, said Washington was looking forward "to building on what is the strongest strategic relationships" between the two allies. "We like what we heard from President Aquino in terms of his focusing on his rebuilding the Outgoing president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (right) shakes hands with the incoming president Benigno Aquino III (on the left) before leaving the Malacanang Presidential Palace on June 30, 2010, Manila, Philippines. In his speech, Aquino gave economy, bringing about more lofty pledges to provide jobs, health transparency to government, more rule care, schools and more infrastructure of law," he said. "All of that would to help farmers and businessmen. He greatly entice even more U.S. also touched on common problems investments to the Philippines." that highlight the divide between elite In a brief but awkward families and the third of the 90 million moment, Aquino and Arroyo shared a population who live on a dollar a day. traditional limousine ride from the Aquino drew wide applause presidential palace to his oath-taking. when he said he has also suffered like Arroyo was given military honors then ordinary Filipinos stuck in heavy traffic left to take her oath as a as siren-blaring convoys carrying congresswoman representing her powerful people breezed by. "No more northern Pampanga home province _ a wang-wang," he said, using the local seat she won in the May general term for blaring sirens. elections. He promised to fight Many in the crowd loudly corruption, particularly in the booed Arroyo as she drove away, some notoriously graft-ridden bureaus of chanting "Go home!" customs and internal revenues, and Adding to the shopping list of pledged a new era of good promises for his presidency, Aquino governance, reforms and a has vowed to restore the credibility of bureaucracy sensitive to the needs of the judiciary and Congress, which he ordinary citizens. says have been seriously eroded under His new Cabinet unveiled Arroyo's rule. Tuesday has mostly Aquino allies and Aquino has also expressed defectors from Arroyo's government. alarm at the ballooning national budget Aquino said he would immediately form deficit, which he said could surpass an independent "Truth Commission" to $8.7 billion (400 billion pesos) this year. investigate corruption allegations He plans to improve tax collection by against Arroyo and other scandals cracking down on smuggling _ during her presidency. comparing the government's revenue "I can forgive those who did me collection agencies to a pail of water wrong, but I have no right to forgive shot through with holes. those who abused our people," said Associated Press writers Oliver Teves Aquino, who with his mother had and Jim Gomez contributed to this previously joined street protests calling report. on Arroyo to resign. Aquino ordered new Justice www.filipinostar.org July 2010 5 The North American Filipino Star Any Which Way ... Bernardo “Budz” Sarmiento (Editor’s Note: The North American Filipino Star welcomes Mr. Bernardo “Budz” Sarmiento as a regular contributor. He will be tackling a variety of subjects and issues which we hope will be interesting to our readers. Needless to say, all his opinions in this column are entirely his own and do not necessarily reflect that of the management of Filcan Publications, Inc. nor that of the North American Filipino Star’s editors. Mr. Sarmiento has been living in Montreal since 1976 and currently works as an orderly or P.A.B. (preposé aux bénéficiaires) at the Jewish General Hospital.). Fred C. Magallanes’ Proclivity to Lying is Legendary Fred Magallanes’ yet another belligerent reaction to my article (Goliath never learns his lessons, Page 5, May 2010 Edition, The North American Filipino Star) is characteristic of someone who is suffering from Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). I am not saying definitively that Flintstone, the sobriquet by which I am delirious with joy to call Fred Magallanes, is afflicted with that malady (although I personally believe that he is), only that he reacted in a way that someone who was actually suffering from it would.However, the best argument that Flintstone – along with his second banana Julita Parado – is indeed afflicted with NPD is the incessant need to dump his negative attributes and defects onto me and other people, such as James de la Paz, Au Osdon, Flor Rillo, San Tino, Albert Floresca, Benny Parial, Reuben Santos and Bert Santos, to name only the more frequent victims. He always accuses me of doing to him exactly what he has been doing to me. For example, he wrote in his article titled “Deceit, grandstanding, all part of BS’ vitriol against Filipino Forum” and subtitled “BS is idiotic for praising de la Paz” (Pages 12 and 14, June 2010 Edition, Filipino Forum), “... It is his hysterical response to the mildest criticism that makes me wary.” This came from a man who inordinately used up the aggregate of one whole page of his newspaper (May 2010 Edition) just to berate me hysterically – yes, hysterically – for the opinion that I expressed as part of the article I posted on FAMAS website. In that particular posting (April 10, 2010, via Guestbook, FAMAS.ca) I wrote, in reference to Julita Parado’s being a writer/columnist for Flintstone’s newspaper, that the Filipino Forum was “... An irresponsible, one-sided, self-serving, unfair and unprofessional publication.” That criticism cannot possibly be any less mild than what he considered the “mildest criticism” yet he vilified me in his usual narcissistic rage – his typical reaction to the narcissistic injury that he felt he sustained when he was degraded by another person, in this case, me. Meanwhile, he took me to task and implied that I was stupid for praising James de la Paz, Flor Rillo, San Tino and Aurora Osdon and for considering them innocent of the allegations or accusations levelled against them. Granting, without conceding, that they were accused of certain misdemeanours, they were still innocent until proven guilty. As far as I know, there were no cases filed, let alone guilty verdicts handed down, involving those people. Flintstone conveniently forgot that important constitutional legal principle of “Innocent until proven guilty.” That San Tino was handcuffed and taken to jail for allegedly hitting his girlfriend in the face doesn’t necessarily mean that he actually did what he was accused of doing. It is standard procedure for police to put handcuffs on anyone whom they have reason to believe had committed a crime. Yes, it’s an embarrassing experience for anyone to have to go through, but hardly a proof that San Tino was guilty of the misdeed attributed to him. I agree with Bert Santos and Reuben Santos when they say that the publisher/editor-in-chief of the Filipino Forum is one-sided. In fact, Flintstone is not only one-sided but also irresponsible, unfair, self-serving and unprofessional. He was found guilty by the Conseil de presse du Quebec at least twice for violating the Code of Journalistic Ethics, particularly when he confounded news reports with his opinions. Flintstone is not only irresponsible, unfair, and unprofessional, but also moronic and unprincipled for not making the necessary distinctions between a news report and an opinion piece and then publish opinions and comments in news report. It only reinforces my argument that Flintstone is unprofessional for not knowing that confounding those two journalistic styles constitutes a major breach of the responsibility of the press to deliver impartial news in keeping with facts and events. The Conseil de presse du Quebec in January 2005 found Flintstone guilty of that. Flintstone is not only irresponsible, unfair and unprofessional, but also moronic and unprincipled for not knowing that media organizations and journalists must not only avoid conflicts of interest, but also any situation that risks to so appear, or that seems to be linked in some way with any political, financial, or other power. The Conseil de presse du Quebec in January 2005 found Flintstone guilty of that. Flintstone is not only irresponsible, unfair and unprofessional, but also moronic and unprincipled for not knowing that it is a breach of journalistic ethics to use the media for personal ends, and that the media are violating their role in society when they report news in a biased fashion and when they place themselves in a conflict of interest. The Conseil de presse du Quebec in January 2005 found Flintstone guilty of that. Finally, Flintstone is not only irresponsible, unfair and unprofessional, but also moronic and unprincipled for having committed the same violations over and over again thereby gaining the ire of the Conseil de presse du Quebec for ignoring their advice and for showing a lack of respect for the standard rules of journalistic ethics so often reiterated by the Council. The fact that Flintstone continues to ignore the admonition of the Conseil de presse du Quebec despite having been reprimanded and found guilty more than once speaks volume of his mental health and probable sadomasochistic tendency. He mentioned in the May 2010 edition of his Filipino Forum that there was something wrong with my makeup. Now I know that he was just dumping onto me what he was, still is and will be for a long time, maybe forever. Flintstone should seek professional help. Flintstone tried to destroy my solid argument that his Filipino Forum was a misnomer and that he wouldn’t publish articles written by people outside of his immediate family and small circle of friends. He argued that in 2007 he allowed the article written by Manding Villapando, the publisher of the Asian Leader, to be published in the Filipino Forum. It might be true, but allowing just one article written by one “outsider” for one time only doesn’t a See Page 11 Magallanes Mortgage Financing Affiliated Real Estate Agent 245 Victoria Avenue, Suite 525 Westmount, Qc H3Z 2M6 C: 514-653-0816 F: 514-667-5018 mflores@vantagemortgages.ca VANTAGE REALTY GROUP CHARTERED REAL ESTATE BROKER www.filipinostar.org 6 The North American Filipino Star Beyond its potential human health effects, EarthTalk® From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine Dear EarthTalk: I heard about a supposed dangerous chemical called “triclosan” that is in many personal care and other consumer products. Can you enlighten? -- Carl Stoneman, Richland, WA Triclosan is a synthetic chemical compound added to many personal and household care products to inhibit illness by preventing bacterial infection. It works by breaking down the biochemical pathways that bacteria use to keep their cell walls intact, and as such kills potentially harmful germs if used in strong enough formulations. First developed as a surgical scrub back in 1972, triclosan is now used in upwards of 700 different consumer-oriented products, many of which people use more than once a day. They include hand soaps, deodorants, toothpastes, kids’ toys, yoga mats and, of course, hand sanitizers. Whether triclosan is actually as effective as advertised, especially in the small doses found in consumer products, is a topic of much debate. Manufacturers insist that the product helps reduce infections. But researchers from the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health found, after surveying 27 different studies conducted between 1980 and 2006 on the effectiveness of antibacterial soaps, that washing hands with products containing triclosan was no more effective in preventing infectious illness—and did not remove any more bacteria—than plain soaps. The analysis, “Consumer Antibacterial Soaps: Effective or Just Risky?” was published in 2007 in the peerreviewed journal, Clinical Infectious Diseases. According to lead researcher Allison Aiello, triclosan—because of the way it reacts in living cells—may cause some bacteria exposed to it to become resistant to amoxicillin and other commonly used antibacterial drugs, but she adds that more research is needed to bear out this hypothesis. triclosan can also harm the environment. According to Beyond Pesticides, some 96 percent of the triclosan from consumer products is washed down drains where it flows into wastewater treatment plants often ill-equipped to deal with it. Inevitably some of the triclosan escapes treatment and is released into local waterways, where exposure to sunlight can convert it into dioxins, a highly toxic group of chemicals responsible for contaminating waterways and wreaking havoc on wildlife. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is finally taking a fresh look at triclosan after years of controversy, consumers can do their part by asking the places they shop to stop selling products containing the controversial chemical additive. The Beyond Pesticides website offers a customizable sample letter designed to help consumers convince local retailers to forego stocking items with triclosan. CONTACTS: Clinical Infectious Diseases, www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/cid/curren t; Beyond Pesticides, www.beyondpesticides.org; U.S. Food & Drug Administration, www.fda.gov. Dear EarthTalk: I am a bartender in Sacramento and I would love to be able to use some sort of locally made or sustainable version of sugar. What’s out there? -- Ryan Seng, via e-mail It sure would be nice if we could obtain all of our food and drink items from local sources, but sugar provides an excellent example of why such a desire may remain a pipe dream in the United States for a long time to come. The sugar we consume that is produced domestically comes from sugar cane grown in Hawaii and the Southeast and sugar beet from the Upper Midwest, Pacific Northwest, California and elsewhere. However, it is likely milled and refined hundreds if not thousands of miles from where it is harvested, and then shipped all over the country—causing untold greenhouse gas emissions—in various sized packages for our consumption in our coffee, on our cereal and, for some of us, in our cocktails. Massive government subsidies and land giveaways to the sugar industry in the American Southeast beginning in the early 18th century established a market for American-grown sugar despite the fact that the region’s climate was not tropical enough to grow cane efficiently. To add insult to injury, the rerouting of south Anti-bacterial soaps and other products Florida’s fragile water table to irrigate utilizing triclosan may in fact be doing thirsty sugar plantations contributed to the more harm than good for the people decimation of the Everglades, one of the who use it regularly. According to the nation’s most unique and diverse non-profit Beyond Pesticides, triclosan ecosystems—and now the subject of a has been linked to various human multi-billion dollar restoration effort. health problems. “It is associated with skin irritation, has been shown to interfere with the body’s hormones, and has been linked to an increased risk of developing respiratory illness, or asthma, and cancer, as well as subtle effects on learning ability,” reports the group, adding that 75 percent of Americans are walking around today with trace levels of triclosan in their bloodstreams. Tests using lab animals have verified that exposure to large doses of triclosan can cause irreparable health damage, but industry representatives say that the levels found in consumer products are much too small to do so. While you might be hard pressed to find commercially available local sugar anywhere in the U.S., you could make your own. “Years ago, when sugar was an expensive commodity, many people of lesser means made their own sugar from sugar beets,” reports writer Kat Yares on the eHow.com website. “Every farm and every home garden had a spot reserved for beets, and a day was set aside to cook the beets down into sugar.” While very few of us grow our own food these days, growing sugar beets and making sugar from scratch can be a fun, educational and tasty project for parents and kids or for foodies intent on local sourced, preservative-free ingredients. Yares explains the whole process in her “How to Make Sugar from Beets” article on eHow.com. If that all sounds like too much work, perhaps you can settle for store-bought organic sugar, which may not be local but which is at least produced without chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Florida Crystals, Hain, C&H, Domino and others each offer organic sugar varieties in many traditional grocery stores coast-to-coast. There are even more choices at natural foods specialty stores (like Whole Foods). Believe it or not, there are even vegan sugars out there—that is, sugars not processed with animal-derived bone char in the refinement process. July 2010 those of albacore; these products are sometimes but not always labeled as “gourmet” or “tonno”—and their consumption should be limited, even by adults. Mercury, a known “neurotoxin” (a poison that affects the nervous system), is particularly insidious because it is widespread in our oceans, primarily due to emissions from coal-burning power plants. These smokestacks deposit mercury into waterways, which carry it to the ocean where bacteria convert it into methylmercury. Fish then ingest it with their food and from water passing over their gills. While sugar itself may be a staple item for many cocktails, some interesting alternative natural sweeteners, some of which may be locally sourced in your region, do exist. Agave nectar, honey or even maple syrup are some options that might just give that Tom Collins the extra kick it needs to make it stand out from the other bartender’s drinks down the street— or in your breakfast cereal, for that matter. Generally speaking, bigger, older and large predatory fish (such as sharks, swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel and some tuna) near the top of marine food chains are more likely to have high levels of mercury than fish lower in the marine food chain. People exposed to high levels or frequent doses of mercury can suffer nervous system disorders, impaired mental development and other health problems. SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, c/o E – The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. E is a nonprofit publication. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe; Request a Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial An April 2003 study, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, found that 89 percent of study subjects, chosen because they ate a significant amount of fish, had blood mercury levels above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) safety threshold of five micrograms per liter. Even though there are health benefits to eating fish (including the intake of healthy omega-3 fatty acids), the EPA advises that young children, pregnant women, nursing mothers and women of childbearing age limit their intake of highmercury fish to one serving per week at most, while limiting their overall intake of any fish or shellfish to no more than two to three servings, or 12 ounces total, per week. Dear EarthTalk: I always thought eating fish was healthy, but now I’m concerned about mercury in tuna and other fish. Are there any fish that are still safe to eat? -- Brit Brundage, Fairfield, CT You should be concerned about contaminants in certain fish, including some kinds of tuna. The non-profit Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) recommends minimizing consumption of albacore (white) tuna, a large fish that accumulates moderate amounts of mercury in its fatty tissue. But other kinds of (smaller) tuna, such as skipjack (usually canned as “light”), which accumulates a third the amount of mercury as albacore, are OK to eat in moderation, though consumption by those under age seven should be limited. Mercury isn’t the only harsh pollutant lurking in the ocean. Industrial chemicals like PCBs and pesticides like DDT are awash in marine food chains around the world. According to EDF, it can take five years or more for women of childbearing age to rid their bodies of PCBs, and 12-18 months to appreciably reduce their mercury levels. EDF adds that moms who eat toxic fish before becoming pregnant may have children who are slower to develop and learn because fetuses are "Manufacturers that use triclosan in their products insist that the synthetic chemical helps reduce infections. But numerous studies have shown that washing hands with products containing triclosan was no more effective in preventing infectious illness than plain soaps. Other research even links triclosan to various human health and environmental problems."Jack Black's Stunt Double, courtesy Flickr To further complicate the issue, some canned light tuna may contain yellowfin tuna, which has mercury levels similar to www.filipinostar.org exposed to stored toxins through the placenta. July 2010 Inaugural Speech of President Benigno Aquino June 30, 2010, Quirino Grandstand His Excellency Jose Ramos Horta, Former President Fidel V. Ramos, Former President Joseph Estrada, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and members of the Senate, House Speaker Prospero Nograles and members of the House, justices of the Supreme Court, members of the foreign delegations,Your Excellencies of the diplomatic corps, fellow colleagues in government, aking mga kababayan. Ang pagtayo ko dito ngayon ay patunay na kayo ang aking tunay na lakas. Hindi ko inakala na darating tayo sa puntong ito, na ako’y manunumpa sa harap ninyo bilang inyong Pangulo. Hindi ko pinangarap maging tagapagtaguyod ng pag-asa at tagapagmana ng mga suliranin ng ating bayan. Ang layunin ko sa buhay ay simple lang: maging tapat sa aking mga magulang at sa bayan bilang isang marangal na anak, mabait na kuya, at mabuting mamamayan. Nilabanan ng aking ama ang diktaturya at ibinuwis niya ang kanyang buhay para tubusin ang ating demokrasya. Inalay ng aking ina ang kanyang buhay upang pangalagaan ang demokrasyang ito. Ilalaan ko ang aking buhay para siguraduhin na ang ating demokrasya ay kapaki-pakinabang sa bawat isa. Namuhunan na kami ng dugo at handang gawin itong muli kung kinakailangan. Tanyag man ang aking mga magulang at ang kanilang mga nagawa, alam ko rin ang problema ng ordinaryong mamamayan. Alam nating lahat ang pakiramdam na magkaroon ng pamahalaang bulag at bingi. Alam natin ang pakiramdam na mapagkaitan ng hustisya, na mabalewala ng mga taong pinagkatiwalaan at inatasan nating maging ating tagapagtanggol. Kayo ba ay minsan ring nalimutan ng pamahalaang inyong iniluklok sa puwesto? Ako rin. Kayo ba ay nagtiis na sa trapiko para lamang masingitan ng isang naghahari-hariang de-wangwang sa kalsada? Ako rin. Kayo ba ay sawangsawa na sa pamahalaang sa halip na magsilbi sa taumbayan ay kailangan pa nila itong pagpasensiyahan at tiisin? Ako rin. Katulad ninyo ako. Marami na sa atin ang bumoto gamit ang kanilang paa – nilisan na nila ang ating bansa sa kanilang paghahanap ng pagbabago at katahimikan. Tiniis nila ang hirap, sinugod ang panganib sa ibang bansa dahil doon may pag-asa kahit kaunti na dito sa atin ay hindi nila nakikita. Sa iilang sandali na sarili ko lang ang aking inaalala, pati ako ay napag-isip din – talaga bang hindi na mababago ang pamamahala natin dito? Hindi kaya nasa ibang bansa ang katahimikang hinahanap ko? Saan ba nakasulat na kailangang puro pagtitiis ang tadhana ng Pilipino? Ngayon, sa araw na ito - dito magwawakas ang pamumunong manhid sa mga daing ng taumbayan. Hindi si Noynoy ang gumawa ng paraan, kayo ang 7 The North American Filipino Star dahilan kung bakit ngayon, magtatapos na ang pagtitiis ng sambayanan. Ito naman ang umpisa ng kalbaryo ko, ngunit kung marami tayong magpapasan ng krus ay kakayanin natin ito, gaano man kabigat. Sa tulong ng wastong pamamahala sa mga darating na taon, maiibsan din ang marami nating problema. Ang tadhana ng Pilipino ay babalik sa tamang kalagayan, na sa bawat taon pabawas ng pabawas ang problema ng Pinoy na nagsusumikap at may kasiguruhan sila na magiging tuloy-tuloy na ang pagbuti ng kanilang sitwasyon Kami ay narito para magsilbi at hindi para maghari. Ang mandato ninyo sa amin ay pagbabago – isang malinaw na utos para ayusin ang gobyerno at lipunan mula sa pamahalaang iilan lamang ang nakikinabang tungo sa isang pamahalaang kabutihan ng mamamayan ang pinangangalagaan. Ang mandatong ito ay isa kung saan kayo at ang inyong pangulo ay nagkasundo para sa pagbabago – isang paninindigan na ipinangako ko noong kampanya at tinanggap ninyo noong araw ng halalan. Sigaw natin noong kampanya: “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap.” Hindi lamang ito pang slogan o pang poster – ito ang mga prinsipyong tinatayuan at nagsisilbing batayan ng ating administrasyon. Ang ating pangunahing tungkulin ay ang magsikap na maiangat ang bansa mula sa kahirapan, sa pamamagitan ng pagpapairal ng katapatan at mabuting pamamalakad sa pamahalaan. Ang unang hakbang ay ang pagkakaroon ng tuwid at tapat na hanay ng mga pinuno. Magsisimula ito sa akin. Sisikapin kong maging isang mabuting ehemplo. Hinding hindi ko sasayangin ang tiwalang ipinagkaloob ninyo sa akin. Sisiguraduhin ko na ganito rin ang adhikain ng aking Gabinete at ng mga magiging kasama sa ating pamahalaan. Naniniwala akong hindi lahat ng nagsisilbi sa gobyerno ay corrupt. Sa katunayan, mas marami sa kanila ay tapat. Pinili nilang maglingkod sa gobyerno upang gumawa ng kabutihan. Ngayon, magkakaroon na sila ng pagkakataong magpakitang-gilas. Inaasahan natin sila sa pagsupil ng korapsyon sa loob mismo ng burukrasya. Sa mga itinalaga sa paraang labag sa batas, ito ang aking babala: sisimulan natin ang pagbabalik ng tiwala sa pamamagitan ng pag-usisa sa mga “midnight appointments.” Sana ay magsilbi itong babala sa mga nag-iisip na ipagpatuloy ang baluktot na kalakarang nakasanayan na ng marami. Sa mga kapuspalad nating mga kababayan, ngayon, ang pamahalaan ang inyong kampeon. Hindi natin ipagpapaliban ang mga pangangailangan ng ating mga estudyante, kaya’t sisikapin nating punan ang kakulangan sa ating mga silid-aralan. Unti-unti din nating babawasan ang mga kakulangan sa imprastraktura para sa transportasyon, turismo at pangangalakal. Mula ngayon, hindi na puwede ang “puwede na” pagdating sa mga kalye, tulay at gusali dahil magiging responsibilidad ng mga kontratista ang panatilihing nasa mabuting kalagayan ang mga proyekto nila. Bubuhayin natin ang programang “emergency employment” ng dating pangulong Corazon Aquino sa pagtatayo ng mga bagong imprastraktura na ito. Ito ay magbibigay ng trabaho sa mga local na komunidad at makakatulong sa pagpapalago ng kanila at ng ating ekonomiya. Hindi kami magiging sanhi ng inyong pasakit at perwisyo. Palalakasin natin ang koleksyon at pupuksain natin ang korapsyon sa Kawanihan ng Rentas Internas at Bureau of Customs para mapondohan natin ang ating mga hinahangad para sa lahat, tulad ng: dekalidad na edukasyon, kabilang ang edukasyong bokasyonal para makapaghanap ng marangal na trabaho ang hindi makapag-kolehiyo; serbisyong pangkalusugan, tulad ng Philhealth para sa lahat sa loob ng tatlong taon; tirahan sa loob ng mga ligtas na komunidad. Palalakasin at palalaguin natin ang bilang ng ating kasundaluhan at kapulisan, hindi para tugunan ang interes ng mga naghahari-harian, ngunit para proteksyunan ang mamamayan. Itinataya nila ang kanilang buhay para mayroong pagkakataon sa katahimikan at kapayapaan sa sambayanan. Dumoble na ang populasyong kanilang binabantayan, nanatili naman sila sa bilang. Hindi tama na ang nagmamalasakit ay kinakawawa. Kung dati ay may fertilizer scam, ngayon ay may kalinga na tunay para sa mga magsasaka. Tutulungan natin sila sa irigasyon, extension services, at sa pagbenta ng kanilang produkto sa pinakamataas na presyong maaari. www.filipinostar.org Inaatasan natin si papasok na Kalihim Alcala na magtayo ng mga trading centers kung saan diretso na ang magsasaka sa mamimili - lalaktawan natin ang gitna, kasama na ang kotong cop. Sa ganitong paraan, ang dating napupunta sa gitna ay maari nang paghatian ng magsasaka at mamimili. Gagawin nating kaaya-aya sa negosyante ang ating bansa. We will cut red tape dramatically and implement stable economic policies. We will level the playing field for investors and make government an enabler, not a hindrance, to business. Sa ganitong paraan lamang natin mapupunan ang kakulangan ng trabaho para sa ating mga mamamayan. Layunin nating paramihin ang trabaho dito sa ating bansa upang hindi na kailanganin ang mangibang-bansa para makahanap ng trabaho. Ngunit habang ito ay hindi pa natin naaabot, inaatasan ko ang mga kawani ng DFA, POEA, OWWA at iba pang mga kinauukulang ahensiya na mas lalo pang paigtingin ang pagtugon sa mga hinaing at pangangailangan ng ating mga overseas Filipino workers. Papaigtingin namin ang proseso ng konsultasyon at pag-uulat sa taumbayan. Sisikapin naming isakatuparan ang nakasaad sa ating See Page 10 Inaugural Speech July 2010 The North American Filipino Star 8 COMMUNITY NEWS IN MEMORIAM FNAQ Family Day Potluck Picnic MONTREAL, Quebec – The annual Family Day Potluck Picnic of the Filipino Nurses Association of Quebec, Inc. (FNAQ) took place on July 10, 2010 at Beaver Lake in Montreal. What started out as a small picnic among friends and fellow nurses a few years urban surroundings. The FNAQ picnic was graced by the presence of Ms. Aurora Osdon, the president of the Filipino Association of Montreal and Suburbs (FAMAS), and Dr. Gene Santander, a long time leader of the community, a FNAQ potluck picnic at the Mount Royal Park, July 12, 2010 ago has grown into one of the larger outdoor social events in Greater Montreal. It was a highly organized effort led by its current president, Gene F. Magalit who was ably assisted by Myrna M. Francisco, Vice-President; Sophie R. Toledo, Public Relations Officer; Connie A. Fernandez, Business Manager; and Christian B. Plaza, Chairman – Finance and Fundraising Committee. As the name implies, each member brought whatever food and delicacies he or she prepared. The courses were aplenty that that part of sprawling Beaver Lake turned into a virtual buffet restaurant. A fairly good size of two roasted pigs that Filipinos call lechon highlighted the long picnic table full of scrumptious food that attendees were treated to and feasted on. And thanks to the cooperative sunshiny weather, there were also funfilled activities such as playing video games, card games, board games and parlour games participated in by young and old alike. There was a lot of picture-taking, too. It was a welcome change for many to be taking photos at a park instead of the concrete jungles typically associated with Montreal’s current FAMAS director and member of the FNAQ Advisory Board. Among those in attendance were two of the old and prominent hands in local nursing, Ms. Alice Loyola-Bustamante and Ms. Maggie Belleza Calcetas accompanied by their respective husbands, Pete Bustamante and Benjie Calcetas. The other members who were present include Malou P. Dee, recording secretary; Dolly S. Belendres, corresponding secretary; Ader R. Garcia, assistant secretary; Thelma M. Untalan, auditor; Elvira C. Maximo, membership director; Nilda P. Hufana, membership director; Shirley D. Carrera, constitution and bylaws director; Gay G. Emboscado, ethics and nursing standards director; Shirlyne G. Chin, arts/graphics/logistics director; and Hermie C. Arguelles, ex-officio. Also present were members of the FNAQ Advisory Board Amy A. Manon-og, Atty. Louis L. Schiff, Hal C. Sotero and Alicia V. Pugh. They were all accompanied by their respective families. (Contributed by Budz Sarmiento) Prime Minister Harper Statement on the retirement of Lloyd Robertson Dr. Jesus Peduche Pelausa, MD., FACA, CPSPQ (Anesthesiology), Ret. October 17, 1920 - July 1, 2010 professionalism. For millions, Lloyd brought news of some of the most important occasions in the life our nation. His was a voice of truth, trust and, at times, compassion. way to Ottawa and in 1976 joined CTV where he co-anchored CTV National News until 1984 when he took over as anchor. “A Member of the Order of Canada, Lloyd was also the first journalist to be inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 2007. “Lloyd can look back upon a long a successful career with immense pride and satisfaction. Laureen and I extend to him and his wife Nancy our very best wishes. Lisa LaFlamme “Lloyd’s career began in 1952 at a radio station in his hometown of Stratford, Ontario before moving to a station in nearby Guelph. He made the jump to television in 1954 to work for the CBC in Winnipeg, made his Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement saluting broadcaster Lloyd Robertson on the announcement of his retirement in 2011 as anchor of CTV National News: “Lloyd Robertson’s final signature sign-off, ‘that’s the kind of day it’s been,’ will come in 2011, ending 35 years as anchor of Canada’s most watched nightly national newscast. “Along with all Canadians, I congratulate Lloyd for a long career marked by fairness, objectivity and www.filipinostar.org “I offer Lisa LaFlamme sincere congratulations on her promotion to the anchor’s chair. It is a great honour, reflecting the esteem in which she is held as a veteran broadcaster.” July 2010 EarthTalk® From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine Dear EarthTalk: I heard about a supposed dangerous chemical called “triclosan” that is in many personal care and other consumer products. Can you enlighten? -- Carl Stoneman, Richland, WA Triclosan is a synthetic chemical compound added to many personal and household care products to inhibit illness by preventing bacterial infection. It works by breaking down the biochemical pathways that bacteria use to keep their cell walls intact, and as such kills potentially harmful germs if used in strong enough formulations. First developed as a surgical scrub back in 1972, triclosan is now used in upwards of 700 different consumer-oriented products, many of which people use more than once a day. They include hand soaps, deodorants, toothpastes, kids’ toys, yoga mats and, of course, hand sanitizers. Whether triclosan is actually as effective as advertised, especially in the small doses found in consumer products, is a topic of much debate. Manufacturers insist that the product helps reduce infections. But researchers from the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health found, after surveying 27 different studies conducted between 1980 and 2006 on the effectiveness of antibacterial soaps, that washing hands with products containing triclosan was no more effective in preventing infectious illness—and did not remove any more bacteria—than plain soaps. The analysis, “Consumer Antibacterial Soaps: Effective or Just Risky?” was published in 2007 in the peerreviewed journal, Clinical Infectious Diseases. According to lead researcher Allison Aiello, triclosan—because of the way it reacts in living cells—may cause some bacteria exposed to it to become resistant to amoxicillin and other commonly used antibacterial drugs, but she adds that more research is needed to bear out this hypothesis. Anti-bacterial soaps and other products utilizing triclosan may in fact be doing more harm than good for the people who use it regularly. According to the nonprofit Beyond Pesticides, triclosan has been linked to various human health problems. “It is associated with skin irritation, has been shown to interfere with the body’s hormones, and has been linked to an increased risk of developing respiratory illness, or asthma, and cancer, as well as subtle effects on learning ability,” reports the group, adding that 75 percent of Americans are walking around today with trace levels of triclosan in their bloodstreams. Tests using lab animals have verified that exposure to large doses of triclosan can cause irreparable health damage, but industry representatives say that the levels found in consumer products are much too small to do so. 9 The North American Filipino Star "In a recent speech to Congress, President Barack Obama said: "To truly transform our economy, protect our security, and save our planet from the ravages of climate change, we need to ultimately make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy.” Pictured: A wind farm takes shape in Langdon, North Dakota.""P. Roth, courtesy Flickr. Beyond its potential human health effects, triclosan can also harm the environment. According to Beyond Pesticides, some 96 percent of the triclosan from consumer products is washed down drains where it flows into wastewater treatment plants often ill-equipped to deal with it. Inevitably some of the triclosan escapes treatment and is released into local waterways, where exposure to sunlight can convert it into dioxins, a highly toxic group of chemicals responsible for contaminating waterways and wreaking havoc on wildlife. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is finally taking a fresh look at triclosan after years of controversy, consumers can do their part by asking the places they shop to stop selling products containing the controversial chemical additive. The Beyond Pesticides website offers a customizable sample letter designed to help consumers convince local retailers to forego stocking items with triclosan. CONTACTS: Clinical Infectious Diseases, www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/cid/current ; Beyond Pesticides, www.beyondpesticides.org; U.S. Food & Drug Administration, www.fda.gov. Dear EarthTalk: I am a bartender in Sacramento and I would love to be able to use some sort of locally made or sustainable version of sugar. What’s out there? -- Ryan Seng, via e-mail It sure would be nice if we could obtain all of our food and drink items from local sources, but sugar provides an excellent example of why such a desire may remain a pipe dream in the United States for a long time to come. The sugar we consume that is produced domestically comes from sugar cane grown in Hawaii and the Southeast and sugar beet from the Upper Midwest, Pacific Northwest, California and elsewhere. However, it is likely milled and refined hundreds if not thousands of miles from where it is harvested, and then shipped all over the country—causing untold greenhouse gas emissions—in various sized packages for our consumption in our coffee, on our cereal and, for some of us, in our cocktails. Massive government subsidies and land giveaways to the sugar industry in the American Southeast beginning in the early 18th century established a market for American-grown sugar despite the fact that the region’s climate was not tropical enough to grow cane efficiently. To add insult to injury, the rerouting of south Florida’s fragile water table to irrigate thirsty sugar plantations contributed to the decimation of the Everglades, one of the nation’s most unique and diverse ecosystems—and now the subject of a multi-billion dollar restoration effort. While you might be hard pressed to find commercially available local sugar anywhere in the U.S., you could make your own. “Years ago, when sugar was an expensive commodity, many people of lesser means made their own sugar from sugar beets,” reports writer Kat Yares on the eHow.com website. “Every farm and every home garden had a spot reserved for beets, and a day was set aside to cook the beets down into sugar.” While very few of us grow our own food these days, growing sugar beets and making sugar from scratch can be a fun, educational and tasty project for parents and kids or for foodies intent on local sourced, preservative-free ingredients. Yares explains the whole process in her “How to Make Sugar from Beets” article on eHow.com. If that all sounds like too much work, perhaps you can settle for storebought organic sugar, which may not be local but which is at least produced without chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Florida Crystals, Hain, C&H, Domino and others each offer organic sugar varieties in many traditional grocery stores coastto-coast. There are even more choices at natural foods specialty stores (like Whole Foods). Believe it or not, there are even vegan sugars out there—that is, sugars not processed with animal-derived bone char in the refinement process. While sugar itself may be a staple item for many cocktails, some interesting alternative natural sweeteners, some of which may be locally sourced in your region, do exist. Agave nectar, honey or even maple syrup are some options that might just give that Tom Collins the extra kick it needs to make it stand out from the other bartender’s drinks down the street—or in your breakfast cereal, for that matter. CONTACTS: eHow, www.ehow.com; Florida Crystals, floridacrystals.com; Hain, www.hainpurefoods.com; C&H, www.chsugar.com; Domino, www.dominosugar.com. SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, c/o E – The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. E is a nonprofit publication. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe; Request a Free Trial Issue: w.emagazine.com/trial. Need Money? Do you have a full time job? If yes, call (514) 344-1499 DR. EMILIA ESPIRITU AND GET CASH NOW! CHIRURGIEN DENTISTE / DENTAL SURGEON 5790 Cote des Neiges Rd Suite A-024 MONTREAL, QUEBEC H3S 1Y9 PHONE: 514-340-8222 (4077) E-Mail: dr_e_pin@yahoo.ca Good & Bad Credit Accepted www.filipinostar.org 10 From Page 7 Ask the Video Guy Al Abdon Making Amazing Slide Shows Slide show presentation is the most popular communication tool for business and family events. The term “slide show” originates when decades ago we used slides to project our pictures to the wall or screen using a Kodak Carousel slide projector. I remember how tedious it was to sort out slides and place them in a tray and each slide slips through the fissure and take the next slide automatically or manually. Well, today the b