Stem cells, youth elixir

PACMAN TIDBITS. A Facebook friend, Davaoeña US resident Choda Cuevo, commented re Pacman-Bradley issue: "It's not about Manny. It's all about money"! Atta girl!

My friend, Col. Art Evangelista, PNP officer, commented that it looks like a conspiracy because big money promoters in the boxing world are now grooming Bradley due to Pacman's rumored early retirement. So launching a new money-making machine, huh!

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SCARBOROUGH AFFAIR. Our first move was to militarize the issue and issued brave words. Now, we are withdrawing our Pinoy vessels from the disputed shoal, citing bad weather as reason. Really? As in chess, we made bad moves. We lost some pawns (like our bananas) in the exchange. Now we are retreating. I hope we're several moves ahead in this touchy game! New Ambassador to China, Sonia Brady, whom I personally know during my Palace stint, will be up to the job. Good choice, good move Mr. President. But bad opening move!

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CHINA RULES. I'm halfway reading Martin Jacques' book “When China Rules the World.” It predicts that by 2025, China's economy will outrun all others (Japan, EU, etc.) and will be a close second to the United States. But by 2050, China will be way ahead with her economy doubly bigger than the US. India will be close behind while Indonesia will contend. All of today's advanced countries will lag behind. Interesting reading.

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JUSTICE CARPIO. There's a guy who's been silent but had shown all these years his independence and judicial fortitude. Justice Antonio Carpio, a Davaoeño, was even bypassed in the past. But he stayed the course. It's not because he is a Davaoeño that I am rooting for him. But he deserves to be seriously considered Chief Justice as he is the most senior Supreme Court justice now. That's my unsolicited advice, Mr. President.

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STEM CELL. I'm also "wasting time" reading another book "The Stem Cell Hope" I picked up from the National bookstore. It tells about how stem cell medicine can change our lives. It is a simple procedure where stem cells extracted from new born baby's umbilical cords or from bone marrow or from specially grown sheep are injected and which can cure and rejuvenate a person. No operation needed and no rejection dangers. It can be the much awaited "elixir of youth" because it is said to reverse the aging process with the young stem cells propagating and taking over one's old aging and sick cells.

Noted fresh stem cell beneficiaries are Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, President Erap Estrada, former first Lady Imelda Marcos, among others, including Davao's Don Tony Floirendo. I also learned that President GMA was reportedly en route to a foreign treatment center on stem cells when her aborted trip was stopped at the airport.

A medical center in Germany called Villa Medica (go google it!) even has a four-day stay-in treatment package reportedly for US$25,000 (about P1 million). A friend, kidney doctor in Manila, will personally visit the facilities soon. I'll write about the results of her trip. Some medical centers in Manila have started their own stem cell treatment units lately, too. So, if there's someone having a baby in the family soon, go check with your doctor about that umbilical cord, the source of fresh stem cells. It can be a new lifeline.