What is the similarity between Pres Obama and Pres Nikolas Maduro of Venenzuela

Food Stamp Costs Swelled by States Spending $1 on Heating Aid

                                          

It would seem that if there is a $1 spent on aid for eating, a US Citizen gets additional $1,080, thus further bloating aids and subsidies (and eventually deficits in govt spending leading to higher debt of the Federal Govt.)  Will they not get tired of printing money and socialist spending?

Is there a similarity between Pres Nikolai Maduro (successor of Pres Chaves) of Venenzuela and Pres Obama of USA

US spending on the poor, for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)  other name for food stamps given to unemployed to about 47.7 million Americans amounted to $75 billion about 1/8 of the  $650 billion total groceries American spend annually.  The food stamps are mostly redeemed at WalMart and Safeway.   The US Congress plans to shave $39 billion from SNAP

             
                       

                                                                                            

                                   

I sat beside a Phil Navy rescuer who just came from Bohol and Leyte disaster

Social and political criticisms

                    

PN rescuer from Bohol and Leyte tragedy

On the way to an appointment in Central Business District yesterday afternoon, I happenned to sit beside a bus a man who had  a back pack, wearing orange T shirt and many markings (which includes a paratrooper patch on it) on them, a tiny flash light attached to his divers watch, and a two way radio.  I remarked and asked question , "How was it in Leyte?" And he answered it was tiring.

Was there an op plan for clearing and dead body retrieval operations?

What did he do there?  Security, relief distribution?  No.  Retrieval of the dead.  He was being relieved to rest.  He had not been home since Bohol earthquake.  They were first responders to Bohol and then to Leyte.  It has been a long and difficult tour of duty. He lamented that there was no plan on say dead body retrieval operations. He is a native of Inabanga Bohol.

  He has to go back to Leyte after a week.

Are we prepared in MM just in case? Do they teach disaster preparedness in business school?

He asked me what do I do for a living?  I said I teach sometimes in a school of business.  He asked if we teach disaster management/response in the school.  I said no.  He said perhaps it should be.  He is worried about a 7.2 magnitude  earthquake preparedness in MM.  Are there rescue clearing operations in place?  I said that as far as I know.  There is.  May be it is time to review and rehearse the rescue people.  And have regular drills?

On parting, I shook his hand, I saluted him and I said, " The country and I thank you for the wonderful job that you did for our brothers who lost during the tragedies, and he must keep doing such a thankless and good job."  I hope that was consolation for  job well done at his level.          

How to disaster (supertyphoon) proof Phil telcos; know more about Serval Mesh Extender and VFIN

Social and political criticisms



One of the difficulties after the onslaught of supertyphoon Yolanda in the PHL was the loss of power and telecommunications.  In earthquakes and other disaster, the wireless cp is supposed to be the only thing that should not conk out.  But conk out, the cp network failed.

A  Chinese  student reported that Huawei her employer has gone out with a telco to restore telecom with a help of mobile transmitter. Huawei has developed with Vodafone the Vodafone Foundation Instant Network that can restore communication in 40 minutes, weigh only 100 kgs and can be contained in four suitcases and shipped anywhere in the world instantly.  The Huawei system has been used in southern Mindanao last December 2013 typhoon Pablo disaster

Why are our telcos earning billions not investing in these?

                                    







Mon Isberto an official of large telco said that several factors contributed to the loss of telecom in Samar Leyte:   lack of supply of fuel, the corrosive salt in ocean surge that destroyed the telecom components.  So maybe the learning curve for supertyphoon proofing telecom facilities is in order.

Japan looks to Taiwan for disaster proofing telecom

Japan is looking to Taiwan on how to disaster proof its telecom.  One problem is the back up power supplies which last only for 2 hours.  Now there are batteries that last for 24 hours relief and humanitarian efforts.

There is a current study in Japan for a multilayered telco system that consist of wifi, wi max and satellite communications that should be reliable in disaster.

Taiwan has developed International Technical Research Institute Open GeoSMS has been effective in coordinating relief and rehabilitation efforts.

In Australia, a Serval Mesh Extender system has been developed that can allow android phones to transmit messages without depending on telco network.





Instant Network solution by Vodafone and Huawei for disaster areas:

Here is the complete text:

VODAFONE AND THE VODAFONE FOUNDATION PARTNER WITH TÉLÉCOMS SANS FRONTIÈRES (TSF) TO HELP BRING EMERGENCY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS TO DISASTER ZONES

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Feb 16, 2011 00:00

Vodafone Press Release

The Vodafone Foundation agrees 3 year partnership to provide financial support to TSF

Vodafone to provide technical expertise and innovative mobile solutions, including a trial of Vodafone's instant network

[16 February 2011] The Vodafone Foundation is deepening its partnership with disaster relief agency Télécoms sans Frontières (TSF) to help bring emergency mobile communications to disaster zones.

Télécoms sans Frontières specialises in bringing wireless communications to affected areas to help humanitarian relief agencies coordinate their efforts and to enable displaced families to make a three minute call to reassure loved ones.

Under the three-year partnership, the Vodafone Foundation will give the agency financial support of €1 million towards its core costs. Vodafone will also be on-hand to provide TSF with innovative mobile equipment for use in emergency situations alongside technical expertise from its employees.

Vodafone has sealed the partnership by designing and trialling a portable mobile network that could help relief workers to reach victims more quickly. In the wake of a humanitarian disaster, the first few days are critical in establishing an effective relief effort. One of the major challenges facing relief agencies operating in these chaotic conditions is the lack of an effective communications network to get help where it is most needed.

To help solve this problem, Vodafone experts, working alongside Huawei at its Mobile Innovation Centre in Madrid, have developed a prototype portable GSM network that can be set up to handle free local calls among relief workers in less than 40 minutes.

Thanks to its innovative design, the prototype can be packed into three suitcases which can be transported on commercial flights, avoiding the inevitable delays that surround cargo deliveries of bulkier equipment.

Vodafone, in collaboration with Télécoms Sans Frontières and Huawei, recently ran trials of the prototype in a simulated emergency situation in the Pyrenees in Spain. The organisations are now evaluating the technology to see how effectively it could be used in real operations.

"Once a disaster has occurred it is important to get a communications network up and running as quickly as possible to accelerate the benefits of aid relief," said Andrew Dunnett, Director of the Vodafone Foundation. "We want to use our expertise and our experience to help Télécoms Sans Frontières empower both aid workers and victims in disaster zones across the world. This trial is a good example of how Vodafone and the Vodafone Foundation are determined to bring more than just money to the partnership."

"Télécoms Sans Frontières has operations in nearly 60 countries worldwide that serve millions of victims and support more than 550 humanitarian organisations. We have helped out in emergencies such as the Tsunami in Indonesia and the floods in Thailand, Pakistan and Colombia," said Jean-François Cazenave, President of Télécoms Sans Frontières. "Vodafone has committed to give us access to their people, access to their partners as well as access to their innovation. Vodafone's support will help us to vastly improve our global humanitarian relief capabilities. "

instant Network solution developed by Vodafone and Huawei to establish mobile communications in emergencies. The system weights less than 100 Kg and can be installed in around 40 minutes.

For more information about Télécoms Sans Frontières, go to: http://www.tsfi.org/

For more information about the Vodafone Foundation, go to: http://www.vodafone.com/content/index

Perfect Storm interview at GPS exonerates slow response at supertyphoon disaster in the PHL

Social and political criticisms

 


Rizal  PHL  November 17, 2013

There was an interview at GPS with Stephen Flynn and Lowe Garrett about the storm that hit the PHL.  Some observations:

1.  The response by the PHL and the international community was slow because many did not appreciate the magnitude and strength of the typhoon.  Much data was available about the size and extent of the storm, but action preparedness did not ensue

2.  Preparation for the storm in terms of infrastructure must come before the storm;   you cant possibly cope with the aftermath if you have failed hospital

3.  We are  in a learning curve to deal with super disaster.   PHL could not have done better.

                             

Are the latest miscues in the govt: the HK legislation in PHL, Leyte relief operations due to presence of shooting buddies?

Social and political criticisms

 

We are all aware that the difficulties were being blamed on LTO head Virgie Torres, who was alleged to be untouchable and "kaputukan" in the govt.  And there was this USec Puno involvement in the HK nationals being killed in a hostage taking drama.

Some links:

From Get Real PHL on Usec Puno, a shooting buddy

From Philstar Life in a Pigsty on shooting buddies

From ABC CBN news - Sec Lima sees nothing wrong in being a shooting buddy

There were allegations that some officials stayed in their job despite not so stellar performance because of  close association with the president (as shooting buddy)

We should be careful.  Filosofo Tasio could be shot?!