No limit in the sky

 

By Klaus Döring

“No limit in the sky” is a popular phrase and lyrical theme meaning that success and potential are endless. It appears in various creative works, including songs by artists like ChaptrTwo and Vict Molina, as a motivational expression of freedom and boundless opportunity.

Some people have money to burn! Every time I observe them, I feel that their money is going down the drain. Yes, “money talks.” The more money you have, the more avaricious you might become. Every time we have to dig deeper into our pockets, we might long to be like those people who don’t see the difference between a PHP 500 or PHP 1,000 bill.

I am really not rich! I also wouldn’t hesitate to say that I would like to be! Being rich means having wealth. Wealth is abundance, opulence, and affluence. Affluence can quickly become an influence. Dyed-in-the-wool millionaires or even multimillionaires often lose their view of reality. They can’t even see the horizon, which could be the demarcation of their real estate. They don’t even recognize the wonderful flowers growing and blooming in their gardens.

Money calms us down! Sure. No doubt at all! We all need an income to survive and meet our daily needs — and maybe a little bit more. Many of us struggle through life and work like slaves for a pitiful daily minimum wage. If you’re rich, you might be on top. But believe me, once you are on top, you will have some unwelcome, though mostly unavoidable, companions such as loneliness, so-called friends (!), parasites, and freeloaders.

These companions will make you scream in pain because you will start missing the things you expected from them: real friendship, love, care, comprehension, understanding, sympathy, and appreciation. Remember such things? Miss such things?

Yes, money can give you a wonderful sleep, and you might stay in one of the most luxurious beds — yet be awake while your poorest neighbor sleeps better and more peacefully on the floor. There are many sayings about money. I like this one: Money can buy books but not brains. You might study a lot and gain a great deal of experience; it’s just a pity if you don’t use it at the right time for the right people around you.

Money can buy food but not appetite. Who reaps the benefits of it? A store room filled to overflowing will never be satisfying if sour freeloaders join your table and push away your real friends.

Our last earthly dress has no pockets. The remembrance of how we acted and lived together with our fellow human beings will remain forever. With money, we might be able to let the devil dance. But money alone doesn’t make us happy. Money kills more people and friendships than a cudgel.

The more money, the more problems.

The more money we have, the more we have to pay, and the higher our bills become.

MY PRAYERS AND ME

Prayer is how we as Christians draw close to God as well as a necessary condition for us to be moved by the Holy Spirit, and enlightened and illuminated by God. If we genuinely pray to God, and understand the principles and practices of prayer, when we encounter difficulties or dilemmas in our life, we’ll be able to face them in a relaxed way.

“The Power of Prayer” is a 2020 song by Bruce Springsteen from his album Letter to You. It was only released as a radio single, and a promotional video was released on November 23, a month after the release of the album.

The song has a spiritual language. Springsteen was born in a Roman Catholic household, and that turned him off religion, but he didn’t lose his faith. The video features archival footage from his youth and clips of Springsteen and the E Street Band working on the song in the studio. The message of the video is about old friends he’s lost and the optimism of that era, reflected in the footage of Jersey Shore in the summertime during Springsteen’s youth. 

When tragedy strikes, it’s easy to harden our hearts and cry out, “God, why did you let this happen?” Maybe then, we started praying. Before, when everything went smoothly, we would not even think a minute about praying… .

“To be a Christian without prayer, “said Martin Luther, “is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” Prayer is the only way of becoming what God wants us to be. This is the reason why Jesus spent many hours praying.

Unquestionable, our needs bring us to a place of prayer. Confronted with danger or tragedies, as I mentioned earlier, we look for God’s help. Difficult times always cause the hearts of men to turn to God into prayer.

Let me ask you: How long has it been since you’ve brought your burdens to God? Since you asked His forgiveness for your shortcomings?

In his very interesting book “People in Prayer”, Dr. John White reminds us that prayer is a divine-human interaction and it is always God who takes the initiative. White writes: “God speaks and we respond. God is always speaking. To hear his voice is not usually a mystical experience. It consists merely of a willingness to pay heed to God who lays a claim to our lives.”

Yes, God always speaks. It is up to us whether we will listen and respond to Him. Many think we are the ones who initiate prayer. But prayers begin and end with God.

There was a time, I wasn’t in the mood to pray any more. It seemed that God didn’t listen to my prayer any more. I didn’t get what I prayed for. Of course, not… ! That’s not the meaning of praying to God. Will all my wishes be granted? Heaven forbid!

Sometimes, after we have prayed, God’s answers may puzzle us. But as time goes by and as events unfold we see God’s purpose in His answers. We might get a larger vision, what HE likes. Not what WE like… .

Think about it for a moment: How does the idea that prayer begins and ends with God affect me now? Do I have the habit of listening to God? How do I respond to Him? How do I usually pray?

I confess that a long time ago I have been trying to persuade God to change other people in my surroundings or circumstances. Nothing changed. Of course not, what a fatal attraction? I got confused because God never granted my requests. Meanwhile I got God’s answers to my prayers. Maybe very simple: I was willing to let God change me… .This is how each one of us should start. Happy endings. Because I prayed according to His will… .

Nowadays, I live a wonderful life in my second and last home, the Philippines. I never regretted moving here for good. I have everything I could ask for. I can do everything I wish to do. Thank you Lord for all the blessings  

'Filipiñana' to represent PH at 2027 Oscars

By Neil Ramos

Rafael Manuel’s feature film “Filipiñana” has been selected as the Philippines’ official entry for the 2027 Academy Awards, where it will compete in the Best International Feature Film category.

Rafael Manuel’s feature film “Filipiñana” has been selected as the Philippines’ official entry for the 2027 Academy Awards, where it will compete in the Best International Feature Film category.

The Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) announced the decision of its National Selection Committee on September 13, choosing “Filipiñana” from a field of eight shortlisted Philippine films.

The other shortlisted titles were “58th,” “All the Things I Leave You (Patawid),” “I’mPerfect,” “Manila’s Finest,” “Quezon,” “Silenced Nights,” and “Sisa.”

“Filipiñana” is an expansion of Manuel’s award-winning short film of the same name. The feature centers on Isabel, played by Jorrybel Agoto, who works as a tee girl at an exclusive country club.

The film uses the country-club setting to explore issues involving social class, power and labor. Its story also examines the relationships between people occupying very different positions within an unequal social environment.

Much of the story unfolds during a single day at the country club, where Isabel gradually encounters the tensions and hidden histories beneath its privileged surroundings.

No Philippine film has yet received a nomination in the Academy’s International Feature Film category.

“Magellan,” the Philippines’ previous submission, was regarded as a particularly strong contender for advancing to the Academy’s first cut.

Being designated as the Philippines’ official submission does not guarantee “Filipiñana” a place on the shortlist or among the eventual nominees. The film will have to advance through the Academy’s selection process before it can compete for an Oscar nomination.

Over 46,000 people remain in evacuation centers due to 'habagat', cyclones — DSWD

 A total of 10,442,307 people or 2,981,477 families were affected by weather disturbances

By Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz

Published Sep 13, 2026 01:45 pm

At A Glance

• DSWD said the weather disturbances and the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat) affected 6,923 barangays across the National Capital Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Regions I, II, III, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, V, VI, VIII, and IX.
• DSWD has so far spent ₱2.54 billion for humanitarian assistance.

DSWD

More than 46,000 people displaced by the combined effects of the enhanced southwest monsoon and several tropical cyclones were still staying in evacuation centers as of Sunday morning, Sept. 13.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported that 46,424 persons or 13,166 families remained in 570 evacuation centers across affected areas.

Another 76,540 displaced persons or 20,956 families were staying outside evacuation centers with relatives or friends.

DSWD said the weather disturbances and the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat) affected 6,923 barangays across the National Capital Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Regions I, II, III, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, V, VI, VIII, and IX.

A total of 10,442,307 people or 2,981,477 families were affected.

DSWD has so far spent ₱2.54 billion for humanitarian assistance, while ₱3.54 billion in relief resources remains available, including ₱239.55 million in quick response funds and ₱3.30 billion worth of food and non-food items.

The agency also reported 610 totally damaged houses and 3,965 partially damaged houses.

As of 6 a.m. Sunday, DSWD had provided social protection services to 739 beneficiaries, while 31 women-friendly spaces, 210 psychological first-aid interventions, and 31 child-friendly spaces were reported in the affected areas.

PNP ready for BARMM’s inaugural election and Manilbela’s transport strike

 

Shown in photo is the 887 personnel of Police Regional Office 13 that set for deployment to Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to support the security and electoral requirements of the 1st 2026 BARMM Parliamentary Elections.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) declared all systems go for the security of Sept. 14 elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) despite two reported violent incidents on the eve of the historic parliamentary polls. Read more

Senators on Sunday expressed high expectations on the outcome of the first regular parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), which they hope would be a peaceful and orderly electoral exercise. Read more

Meanwhile, Transport group Manibela is set to hold a strike starting Monday, Sept. 14 to protest the continuing increases in oil price hikes. Police were already alerted to ensure order and safety in their protest sites. Read more

Is bitter coffee with no milk and sugar healthy?

 

Lillie Samuel

 ·

Travel expert, luxury bag collector.

What effects does long-term coffee drinking have on your health?

☕Black coffee refers to coffee without sugar or milk. What are the 

effects of long-term black coffee consumption on our bodies? Let's take a look.

✅Reduces edema

✅Burns fat

✅Prevents depression

✅Invigorates the mind

✅Promotes intestinal motility

✅Prevents cardiovascular disease

✅Prevents gallstones

✅Prevents mental illnesses such as Alzheimer's

But don't drink too much. 1-2 cups a day is ideal.

1.3M views

Extra big everything

 

by Gevan Raye Madanlo Yap

|September 14, 2026

Growing up, I never thought having an extra could be something to regret. Like an extra big pancit canton.

One pack always seemed too little, but two felt too much. Somehow, it leaves you wanting more while making you wonder why you cooked so many in the first place.

For some people, pancit canton is comfort food at midnight. For others, it is their go-to meal while working on a thesis. For many, it is simply the most affordable thing they can eat. In my case, as someone born and raised in the province, I never knew “extra.”  I only knew “enough.”

In a big family like mine, an extra big pancit canton was never really mine. It was meant to be shared. Even when my mother cooked three packs, it somehow still left me wanting more. Maybe that is why I always wondered what it felt like to have an extra. What does it mean to have more than enough? The truth is, I did not know.

In school, I was taught to join extracurricular activities because extra experiences were always better. They came with extra opportunities and extra points. In life, I was taught to dream extra big. As people would say, “Mangangarap ka na lang din, lakihan mo na (If you’re going to dream anyway, dream big).”

So I did.

I dreamed big. But no one told me that “extra” could also be overwhelming.

I finished high school with many awards. Some would call that extra. I delivered a long valedictory speech because of the extra points that raised my average. And in the province, or maybe in life itself, once you become that student, people begin writing a future for you.

You are supposed to study in an extra big school. You are supposed to take an extra difficult program. You are supposed to move to an extra big city.

Now, I am here.

An extra big city. An extra large crowd. Carrying what I believed was an extra big dream.

Then reality arrived. Not all at once, but enough to make itself known.

I learned that having an extra dream requires extra energy. Extra strength. Extra time. Extra money. To have an extra is to carry an extra. And somewhere along the way, I got tired. I failed. I cried. I got lost. For a while, I thought I had lost my extra. The spark I thought would always be there. I was extra tired. Extra scared. Extra uncertain. I never thought I would feel that way.

I never thought the boy who once stood behind a podium would someday struggle to recognize himself. But then I realized something.

This, too, is an extra. I am not the same person I was before. I am stronger. Bolder. And somehow, happier. Not because everything worked out. But because I survived the things I once thought would break me.

I am still searching for another extra. Maybe an extra motivation. A new spark. A new goal. But I no longer think I need to be extraordinary just to belong here.

I do not need countless achievements to prove that I am alive. I do not need an extra anything to know that I am enough. Sometimes we are extra weak. Extra scared. Extra confused. And that is okay.

I live in an extra big city where, honestly, nobody has the time to wonder whether your dreams are bigger than theirs. People are busy carrying their own extras. Their own worries. Their own expectations. Their own battles. And strangely, that comforts me.

I still miss the younger version of myself sometimes. The hopeful one. The dream-filled one. But then I remember that he is still here. He did not disappear. He just grew up.

Now we are here. In this extra overwhelming place. Surrounded by extra big buildings, extra busy streets, and extra loud dreams. Still surviving. And that is extra good.

Today, I still carry many extras in my life. I used to have a bigger bed than the one my small apartment offers. I used to have more space.

More certainty. More familiarity. But I am okay.

At least I am here.

And now, I can eat an extra big pancit canton all by myself. Though I still cannot finish two packs.

Maybe that is the lesson.

Sometimes having an extra means worrying extra and working extra.

Sometimes it means carrying more than you expected.

But sometimes it also means being lucky enough to have more than enough.

So wherever life finds you, good luck with your extras.

How to master self discipline

1. Wake 10 minutes earlier to avoid rushing.
2. Change your alarm to something pleasant.
3. Avoid your phone first thing in morning.
4. State 1 thing you're grateful for today.
5. Include movement and exercise.
6. Don't skip breakfast.
7. Choose a podcast or relaxing music on your commute.

THANK YOU FOR READING ☺️

How can the German language produce such word monster?

 

Niklas Kager Kofler

 

How can the German language produce such word monsters as: Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz (beef labelling monitoring task transfer law)?

This is because of what we would call “Beamtendeutsch”, “Behördendeutsch” or “Bürokratendeutsch”, freely translated as “the German of the bureaucracy”.

The word itself is artificial and not commonly used like the majority of these long compound words as they are the product of governmental agencies and various administration. And they love their compound words together with a certain writing style that renders their texts difficult to comprehend to many people who didn't enjoy any form of higher education.

Understanding common German is one thing, understanding the German that is used by the administration and in matters of administrative law is a completely different story.

In a certain sense, it is similar to the phenomenon that is denoted in English as legalese.

Krise in Nahost: Zange schließt sich um Saudi-Arabien – Anstieg der Benzinpreise droht

 

Stand:12.09.2026, 10:58 Uhr

Von: Christian Stör  

Im Westen bedroht die Huthi-Miliz eine Exportroute, im Osten blockiert der Iran die Straße von Hormus. Eine Pipeline wird nach Attacken dichtgemacht.

Riad/Mokka/Teheran – Der Konflikt im Nahen Osten setzt Saudi-Arabien massiv unter Druck. Nach der iranischen Blockade der Straße von Hormus und der zunehmenden Bedrohung der Meerenge Bab al-Mandab durch die Huthi-Miliz im Jemen muss der weltgrößte Ölexporteur nach Drohnenangriffen auch noch eine wichtige Pipeline abschalten. Eine daraus folgende zusätzliche Reduzierung saudischer Exporte könnte den Ölpreis und damit die Benzinpreise auch in Deutschland noch weiter ansteigen lassen.  

Saudi-Arabien schaltet eine wichtige Pipeline nach Angriffe ab. (Symbolbild) © Ali Haider/EPA/dpa

Die Ost-West-Pipeline, die unter Umgehung der faktisch blockierten Straße von Hormus große Mengen Öl vom Persischen Golf zum Roten Meer bringen kann, wurde nach Angriffen auf die Leitung in den Regionen Riad und Medina vorsorglich stillgelegt. Das saudische Außenministerium teilte in der Nacht auf Samstag (12. September) auf der Plattform X mit, bei dem Drohnenangriff, der aus dem Irak gestartet worden sei, seien Schäden verursacht und mehrere Menschen verletzt worden.  

Angriffe auf die Pipeline treffen Saudi-Arabien an einer sehr empfindlichen Stelle

US-Medien wie CNN und das Wall Street Journal berichteten, bei den Angriffen seien wohl Pumpstationen der Pipeline getroffen worden. Sie beriefen sich dabei auf Satellitenbilder, die zeigen sollen, dass es dort zu Bränden gekommen ist. Wie groß der Schaden ist, und bis wann er behoben werden kann, blieb zunächst unklar. Die Pipeline-Infrastruktur war bereits im April angegriffen worden, woraufhin die Kapazität der Röhren kurzzeitig gedrosselt werden musste.

Die Angriffe auf die Pipeline treffen Saudi-Arabien an einer sehr empfindlichen Stelle: Über die mehr als 1200 Kilometer langen Röhren können pro Tag bis zu sieben Millionen Barrel Öl (ein Barrel entspricht 159 Litern) aus der Region am Persischen Golf zur Verschiffung nach Westen ans Rote Meer gepumpt werden. Saudi-Arabien war vor dem Iran-Krieg hinter den USA der zweitgrößte Ölproduzent und der weltweit wichtigste Exporteur des Rohstoffs, der für die gesamte Weltwirtschaft von zentraler Bedeutung ist.