Ang Kapangyarihan ng Pera

Ang Kapangyarihan ng Pera
Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Ang buhay ni Hesus ay tinapatan ng tatlumpong pirasong pilak. Sa halagang yon, siya ay namatay sa krus na paraan niya sa pagligtas sa sangkatauhan. Ibig sabihin, kung hindi dahil sa tatlumpong pilak ay nakasadlak pa rin tayo sa ating kasalanan hanggang ngayon.

Ang kapangyarihan ng pera ay hindi matatawaran. Maraming pamilya ang nabuwag at magkaibigang nagpatayan dahil dito. Mayroon ding napariwara dahil pinagpalit ang kanilang dangal sa kinang nito. Mayroon pang nagsugal ng buhay, makahawak lamang ng ilang bungkos ng salapi. May mga taong dahil nasilaw sa pera ay bumigay kaya nalaman ang tunay na layunin kahit anong pilit nilang pagtatakip dito.

Ang mga bansa ay pinapatakbo ng pera, kaya kung alin sa kanila ang may pinakamarami nito ay itinuturing na makapangyarihan. Sa pamamagitan ng pautang ay natatali nila ang utang na loob ng mahihirap na bansa upang maging kaalyado nila.

Pera ang pinapakilos upang magkaroon ng mga nakamamatay na imbensiyon ng tao. Ito rin ang ginagamit upang masira ang buhay ng dating matitino na nalulong sa bawal na gamot, lalo na ng mga kabataan sa nagsimula ang bisyo sa alak at sigarilyo. Ito rin ang dahilan ng pagiging suwail ng mga anak na dahil hindi masunod ang luho ay natutong maging tampalasan sa kanilang mga magulang.

Subali’t kung iisiping mabuti, ang layunin ng pera ay upang mapagaan ang buhay ng tao, dahil nang nagkaroon siya nito ay hindi na niya kailangan pang magbitbit ng kanyang kayamanan tulad ng bulto-bultong ginto, pilak, alahas, at mga hayop gaya ng ginagawa noong unang panahon. Ngayon, ang kailangan ng tao ay ilang pirasong papel at barya na pera, tseke o credit card, at maaari na siyang mamili o maglakbay.

Hindi dapat isisi sa pera ang mga hindi magandang nangyari sa buhay ng tao. Ang hindi magandang paggamit sa pera ang dahilan kung bakit nasira ang tao.

The Struggle of Man to Survive…a personal view

The Struggle of Man to Survive
…a personal view
By Apolinario Villalobos

Man has for long, exploited the earth’s fossil residues – oil, coal, and natural gas. As estimated by experts, their years are numbered, so that there is a scramble now in finding ways to utilize the sources of renewable energy, such as water, wind, and sun. Even motion will eventually be harnessed for this purpose, as it has been used successfully in small gadgets like flashlight and wristwatch. Many years from now, the battery with different capacity for storage, forms and sizes shall take the center stage in this endeavor. As of now, there are efforts being exerted to make the battery with stored solar energy as an acceptable option, but unfortunately, with few takers.

Moving contraptions such as cars, ships, aircrafts, etc. may later be operated by batteries that shall store energy from wind and motion, as the one from the sun is being used now, though, on a small scale. Homes may utilize batteries that shall store energy from the sun and wind. The batteries for cellphones and cameras may be recharged by motion and body heat. Such batteries may form part of the gadget’s structure, hence, cannot be detached for replacement.

Nature cannot take so much abuse such as denuding of forests, unscrupulous mining, slash and burn farming, fishing with the use of poison, dynamites, and fine meshed trawls. It yields to such onslaught by way of floods, erosions, landslides, and depletion of marine life. With its loss of balance, deprivations, especially, hunger shall definitely get worst.

In this view, time will come that even leaves of trees may be made edible through a meticulous process in which, their fibers shall be softened and flavored to make them palatable. So there may come a time when future generations shall be munching biscuits made from coconut leaves or fill their sandwich with jam made from grape leaves or delight in crunchies made from twigs and tree barks, or wafers made from wood shavings and dust. Practically, the whole tree may become edible! We are leading to that, as in virtual preparation, we are partaking today of “ground” or “powdered” cinnamon bark and other “woody” spices, even powdered roots as herbal drug.

With high-tech process, even poisonous fruits may already be safe to eat, after their deadly substance has been removed. It should be noted that some of the drugs that are used today come from poisonous plants, such as the “tuba-tuba” that yields castor oil. Some poisonous tubers become safe to eat after having been soaked in the running water of river for several days. Further to this, antidotes against some poison come from the same source such as cobra. Even the potent poisonous saliva of komodo lizard is being developed as a powerful drug.

The crossbreeding of vegetables to make them resistant to long drought and flood are being done now. In this regard, new varieties of rice and corn are being developed for the aforementioned situations. Presently, genetically-modified vegetables with remarkable increase in size and slight change in appearance and taste are already in the market, although, opposed by the conservatives who fear their effect to the human genes. But how can that be, when genes of animals are already used today in therapies to prolong the life of man?

Insects as part of exotic cuisine are becoming a fad in many countries. So, now there are pizzas topped with crickets and grasshoppers, sandwiches filled with wormburger, jellies made from giant black ants, baby scorpions as appetizer, etc. Even some kind of starfish may be made into crunchy barbecues. To avert extreme hunger, all kinds of insects may eventually find their way to the dining table. Even crocodile and elephant skin as with all other animals may become crunchy snacks, just like the water buffalo and pig skin which in the Philippines is called “chicharon”.

Subdivision and condo developers may be required in the future to have recycling facilities to make their projects self-sufficient in water. They may also be required to install facilities for the harnessing of sources of renewable energy. The same requirements may also be imposed on factories, commercial buildings and supermarkets, as well as, restaurants. The keyword here is “require”, because to date, what prevails is just the option.

In many years to come, homes, entire subdivisions, and clustered villages may be covered with protective green fiberglass to minimize the deadly effect of long exposure to sun rays. New cities may be developed in this manner. High-end and exclusive subdivisions may even be totally covered to protect the occupants from the excessive polluted air. Such green cover may eventually become part of political promises for a healthy and better life during electoral campaigns. Governments may set aside budgets for this, too.

Though morbid as it may sound, some remote villages in poor countries may revive the practice of cannibalism due to extreme poverty, though, discreetly this time. As a last resort, warring neighboring states may forget their differences and instead, merge to pool their effort in fighting hunger. Water may become the most important and expensive commodity on earth, more expensive than life, as in some remote villages, parents may trade their children for jugs of water. This is actually done now, though indirectly, through adoption of children by foreigners, whereby, parents of adopted children are given monetary consolation.

Politics may be replaced by religion as a driving force and unifying factor of humanity. The struggle could be between the united Islamic States and progressive Christians which had ever been since the Biblical time. It should be noted that politics came into the picture only centuries later, with the spread of the Greek philosophies that somehow classified the different schools of thought. The classification that eventually defined the different thoughts gave man an option to deviate from the path laid down by Godly faith.

Finally, because both Islam and Christianity are God-centered, eventually, they may reach a compromise which shall mark another stage of man’s struggle for survival…the beginning of a new cycle of life on earth.

Trivia: Inventions and their Inventions

Trivia: Inventions and their Inventors
By Apolinario Villalobos

Since I was in elementary, I had been fascinated by inventions and archaeology….and, anything about nature. I recalled having a collection of small rocks, and pretended that they were precious stones. I was also fond of making things out of found objects such as sardine cans, lead seal of postal bags that I collected from the dump at the back of the municipal building, copper wires, etc. I also recalled staying out of our house till late, gazing at the stars much to the consternation of my elder sister.

As I grew older, I developed a habit of saving the information that I encountered in my readings. What I would like to share in this blog is a list of inventions and their respective inventor, including the year they did it. Currently, with the onset of high technology, new and amazing inventions continuously flood the market, but which I purposely did not include due to their voluminous number. The following are just the common items that we are familiar with, some of which are even part of our daily life:

Adding Machine -1642, by Blaise Pascal; but the commercial type was by William
Burroughs in 1885

Automobile -steam-fueled, in 1769 by Nicolas Cugnot; gasoline-fueled, in 1855 by Karl
Benz; earliest internal combustion, 1862 by Jean Joseph Etienne Lenoir;
first powered hand-cart with internal combustion engine, in 1864 by
Siegfried Marcus

Ballpoint pen -1888, by John Loud

Barbed wire -1873, by Joseph Glidden

Cash Register -1879, by James Ritty

Cellophane -1900, by J. E. Brandenberger

Cement -1824, by Joseph Aspdin

Clock (mechanical) -728, by I-Hsing and Liang Ling-Tsan

Clock (pendulum) -1657, by Christian Huygens

Diesel engine -1895, by Rudolf Diesel

Electric flat iron -1882, by H. W. Seeley

Electric lamp -1879, by Thomas Alva Edison

Electric Motor -1873, by Zenobe Gramme

Electronic Computer -1942, by J.G. Brainerd, J.P. Eckert, and J.W. Mauchly

Elevator -1852, by Elisha G. Otis

Film (musical) -1923, by Dr. Lee de Forest

Film (talking) -1926, by Wagner Bros.

Fountain pen -1884, by Lewis E. Waterman

Generator -1860, Piccinoti

Loudspeaker -1924, by Rice-Kellogg

Machine Gun -1861, by Richard Gatling

Microphone -1876, by Alexander Graham Bell

Microscope -1590, by Zacharias Jannsen

Motorcycle -1884, by Edward Butler

Motor scooter -1919, by Greville Bradshaw

Nylon -1937, by Dr. Wallace G. Carothers

Parachute -1797, by Andre-Jacques Garnerin

Phonograph -1878, by Thomas Alva Edison

Photography -(on metal) 1826, by Nicephone Niepce

Photography -(on paper) 1835, by W.H. Fox Talbot

Photography -(on film) 1888, by John Carbutt; Kodak, August 1888, by George Eastman

Printing -(hand printing) 868, in India; (press type) 1455, by Johan zu Gutenberg;
(rotary type) 1846, by Richard Hoe

Radar -1922, by Dr. Albert H. Taylor and Leo C. Young

Razor (electric) -1931, by Sir Joseph Schick

Razor (safety) -1895, by King C. Gillette

Record (long playing) -1948, by Dr. Peter Goldmark

Refrigerator -1851, by James Harrison

Revolver -1835, by Samuel Colt

Safety pin -1849, by William Hunt

Sewing machine -1851, by Isaac M. Singer

Stethoscope -1837, by Dr. William Stokes

Submarine -1776, by David Bushnell

Telegraph -1837, by Sir William Cooke, C. Wheatstone, and Eustone Camden Town

Telegraph Code -1837, by Samuel F. B. Morse

Telephone -(scientific toy) 1861, by M. Philip Reis

Telephone -(practical use) 1876, by Alexander Graham Bell

Telescope -1608, by Hans Lippershey

Television -1926, by John Logie Baird

Watch -(self-winding) 1791, by Abraham-Louise Breguet

X-ray -1895, by Wilhelm von Rontgen

How I wish, somebody could compress into one capsule the complete nutritious food that one needs for the whole week…or for a start, even just for one day!…better than the kind which the space explorers take when they undertake a long voyage.

Fearless Predictions for a Comfortable Life

Fearless Predictions for a Comfortable Life

By Apolinario Villalobos

I know that I will be exposing myself to ridicule with the ideas that I will share in this dissertation, as viewers will perceive me as a trying hard Nostradamus. But I don’t mind because I espouse freedom of expression. I am emboldened with the questions such as, was not TV used to be called “idiot box” before it was finally accepted? …and was not the cellular phone just a crazy idea, far from being realized because there was no connecting cable involved?

When I was young, during which the only cordless communication gadget that I knew was the walkie-talkie radio units, I was already imagining about phones not connected with cords and wires. I had my first glimpse of a phone from the pages of the National Geographic when I was in high school. Later, I saw pictures of phones installed in cars. Later, the pager came, and finally, the cellular phones that are being manufactured today with different shapes. There was a time when I imagined a typewriter that could store typed words; small flashlights and radios that can fit pockets; pencils that double as ballpoint pens.

Today, I do not tire of imagining things to come as a result of never-ending quest of man for things that will satisfy his whims and comfort. Although there is a popular view is that, newly-invented gadgets are nothing but ridiculous contraptions until their use have become widely accepted.

Along this line, I imagine the day when a slim duplicating machine will become an integral part of laptops. A few stack of copying paper, brought along in the laptop bag, can be fed to it one at a time. Bulky? No!…because the design I imagine shall revolve around the principles of slimness and lightness. On the other hand, the prototype of a laptop that can be rolled and which I have been imagining for many years has already come out in the internet.

I also imagine, a set of 3 ball pen-sized contraptions that beam laser images of computer keyboard on a table, screen on the wall, with the third serving as modem that stores beamed images and texts, and with the contraptions operating on a very compact battery.

Other innovations that I am imagining are:

• Cellphones, laptops, i-pads, and other gadgets that run on motion-charged batteries (this concept is already used in automatic writswatches, but not yet on big gadgets)
• “Perpetual” vibrating cellphone restpad/charger for units with motion-charged battery; the restpad/charger shall also be self-charging from its motion, with the initial charge from few minutes of shakes given to it
• Cellphone units that can convert received verbally transmitted messages into text, as well as, vocalize received text messages for the benefit of the deaf and blind
• Cellphone units that automatically prevent electrical transmission of chargers when batteries are already full to prevent overcharging
• Batteries for laptop and cellphone that can last for one week despite regular daily use
• Cellphones that can be unfolded four times into a mini-pad
• Intelligent cars installed with application readers, to enable them to read applications, for instance, on geographical make up of a town, city, province, and direction to tourist destinations, so that a tourist can just go to a car rental agency, choose an application depending on the number of destination wanted, and let the car do the rest – without even being driven; the intelligent cars shall also read applications on reminders about the fuel status of the car, spare parts that need to be replaced, etc.
• Cars that can reverse magnetic attraction to a certain level, so that they can be driven over flooded surface
• Airport cars that are remote- controlled so that after bringing clients to destinations, they can be electronically guided back to the airport garage
• Wheelchairs that can float and be driven, with battery powered by motion
• Edible food container as replacement for styros
• A chemical that can disinfect and convert human waste into an odorless consistency free from germs, and can be molded into hardy boards and roofing sheets that can be used for low-cost housing
• A chemical that can convert waste from the kitchen into liquid fertilizer
• Hybrids of fruits such as seedless jackfruit and durian with smooth skin, kiwi fruit with edible skin, seedless avocado with edible skin, round banana with edible skin, seedless mango with edible skin, grapes that can grow into the size of pomelo
• Hybrids of vegetables such as seedless gourds, seedless tomato, seedless cucumber, seedless squash, elongated cabbage that can grow like vine
• Hybrids of flowers such as roses that can bear flowers as big as cabbage and can last for at least one year, and when cut, for at least three months
• A glowing paint with pigments that can illuminate walls and ceilings, with the degree of illumination depending on the color of the paint, to drastically reduce, if not eliminate the use of light bulbs in some areas of the house or building
• Gadgets that can capture electricity from a source at least fifty kilometers away so that electric cables shall no longer be necessary to transport the power to the homes and other structures; the principle to be used here will be similar to the one used in the cordless mouse of computers and cordless chargers of cellphones
• A gadget that can be plugged into a socket and can send power to an equipment such as copying machine, refrigerator, TV, radio, and music station, while another gadget shall be attached to the equipment to receive the power; this way the clutter of cables and wires is eliminated and the equipment can be moved anywhere in the house or building but within the range of the relaying and receiving gadgets
• Umbrellas with extra thin extension that can be unrolled into a tarp and can accommodate 4 more people
• CCTV cameras that are programmed to detect harmful actions of captured images so that an alert can be received by the monitor and which shall send out a signal; this way the CCTV can maximize its use even if the monitor is not watched 24/7

The modern world thrives on some crazy ideas and I would like to contribute some of my own. I am asking the indulgence of viewers in this effort. This is better than thinking of ways on how to evade a CCTV while robbing a bank, kill someone with a deadly look, break eardrums with horrid songs, or concoct herbal preparations that can induce conception of quadruplets or quintuplets.