Tayo ang Nagpaparusa sa Ating Mga Sarili

Isang Paalala sa Pagsimula ng 2018…

 

Tayo ang Nagpaparusa sa Ating Mga Sarili

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

 

 

Kung malalim na ang inabot ng ugat ng isang tanim, mahirap na itong bunutin. Ang magagawa na lamang ay bawasan ang kayabungan ng mga sanga at dahon sa pamamagitan ng pagputol o pagtabas (trim). Ang siste nga lang, nabawasan man ang mga sanga nito, hindi naman ito mamamatay at napipigilan lamang pansamantala ang lalong paglaki nito. Dapat talaga ay bunutin ang ugat kung ang layunin ay patayin ang tanim.

 

Ganyan din ang masamang tradisyon o kaugalian ng tao. Kung hindi sasawatain sa simula pa lang ang isang maling kaugalian o tradisyon, sa katagalan, makakasanayan na at aakalain, lalo na ng mga bata na ito ay tama. Maaaring may simpleng pagsaway subali’t hanggang doon lang, kaya ang kaugalian ay nagpapatuloy. Sa pagkawala ng mga magulang, maiiwan ang mga anak na siyang magpapatuloy ng nakalakhang gawi na akala nila ay tama. Maipapasa nila ito sa mga susunod pang mga henerasyon. Sa ganitong paraan, lalong nadadagdagan ang kamalian sa mga kaugalian.

 

Kung Mahal na Araw, ang biglang papasok sa isip ng karamihan ay magbakasyon sa halip na mangilin at magnilay-nilay dahil sa mga kasalanang ginawa. Bakasyon ang gusto nila dahil tag-init, pupunta sa tabing dagat at magpiknik. Nawala ang kahulugan ng paggunita na dapat sana ay pagkakataong magsakrispisyo upang maski papaano ay mabawasan man lang ang mga nagawang kasalanan. Siguro kung may malunod sa nagpipiknik, pwede nang sabihing may isinakripisyo sila….at, magsasakripisyo pa dahil sa gagastusin sa lamay at pagpapalibing.

 

Kaakibat ng kaugalian ang pangangailangan. Noong unang panahon, ang pangangailangan lamang ng tao ay pagkain, saplot sa katawan at bubong na masisilungan. Ngayon dumami na ang mga pangangailangan upang ang tao ay masiyahan. Dahil sa mga pangangailangan, ang mga payak na ugali ay naging marahas, mapusok at makasarili. Upang makamit ang mga pangangailangan, umaabot ang iba sa sukdulang paggawa ng hindi mabuti sa kapwa gaya ng pagpatay at pagnakaw.

 

Noong unang panahon, pumunta lang sa gubat ang tao ay may mahuhuli nang hayop upang makain, di kaya ay pumunta lang sa dagat o ilog ay may mahuhuli nang isda, di kaya ay pumunta lang sa mga bukirin ay may mapipitas nang mga prutas at makakaing dahon at talbos.

 

Ibang-iba ang panahon ngayon dahil kung walang trabaho, walang pera, walang pagkain; upang malamnan ang sikmura ng iba, kailangang mangalkal sa basura upang may madampot man lang na tira-tirang pagkain; at ang matindi, kailangang magnakaw na siyang pinakamadali subali’t maselang paraan upang kumita.

 

Noong unang panahon, dahon, prutas o talbos lang ng tanim, balat ng kahoy o mga ugat ng mga damo, nakakagamot na ng mga sakit ng tao. Sa panahon ngayon, kailangang may perang pambili ng mga gamot sa botika; kailangang pumunta sa isang doktor o ospital upang makapagpagamot na nangangailangan pa rin ng pera. Subali’t kung wawariin, ang mga gamot ngayon ay galing din sa mga tanim na dinagdagan lamang ng kung anu-anong kemikal upang tumagal sa pagkakatabi (storage) habang hindi pa ginagamit. Alam na ito ng marami subali’t dahil sa katamaran ay ayaw maglaga ng dahon o ugat upang magamit na gamot. Ang masaklap, may mga gamot ngang itinuturing na nakakapagpagaling subali’t kailangan pa ang reseta upang maging maayos ang paggamit at hindi maging lason sa katawan.

 

Noong unang panahon, walang sine, telebisyon, radyo, cellphone, bisikleta, kotse, barko, eroplano at kung anu-ano pa. Sa pag-usad ng panahon, naging malikhain ang tao at nagkaroon ng mga nabanggit na bagay. Nadagdagan sa mga nilikha ng tao ang bomba, granada, matataas na de-kalibreng baril, mga nakakapinsalang kemikal, sasakyang panghimpapawid na nakakarating na rin sa iba pang planeta…marami pang iba. Natuklasan ang panggatong na galing sa matagal nang nabulok na halaman at mga organismo – ang langis at natural gas. Natuklasan din ang ilang klaseng panggatong na mas nakakapinsala sa halip na makatulong, tulad ng plutonium, hyrdrogen, etc.

 

Ang tao ay natutong kumilala ng mga pagkakaiba ng iba’t ibang komunidad kaya nagkaroon ng iba’t ibang bansa. Natanim sa isip ng tao na upang mabuhay, kailangang matatag ang kabuhayan, kailangang maraming nakaimbak na kayamanan, kailangang napoproteksyunan ng mga sandata, etc.. Nagtakda ang tao ng mga hangganan ng nasasakupan sa kalupaan, karagatan, at sa kalawakan. Ang lumampas na unauthorized ay pinsala ang aabutin dahil sa ginawang “trespassing”.

 

Nalango ang tao sa kaalaman. Naging sakim. Naging makasarili. Nakalimutan niyang siya ay inilagay sa mundo ng isang MAKAPANGYARIHAN upang mangasiwa lamang sa mga likas na yaman. Nakalimutan ng tao na ang lahat ng bagay sa mundo ay hindi niya pag-aari. Akala niya, habang buhay siyang masaya kung nakalubog siya sa yaman at ligtas kung napapaligiran ng may matataas na kalibreng mga sandata. Akala niya, sa paglisan niya sa mundo ang kayamanan ay kanyang madadala.

 

Nakakaalala lamang ang taong tumawag sa KANYA sa panahon ng pangangailangan. Nakalimutan niyang magpasalamat man lamang sa mga biyayang ibinigay NIYA, at kadalasan ay hindi pa siya kuntento! Ang tao ay naging mapagkunwaring maka-Diyos at nagkunwaring siya ay hindi NIYA nakikita habang gumagawa ng mga katiwalian.

 

Pati ang babaeng may timbangan na tinawag ng tao na “Hustisya” ay may piring sa mata, kaya hindi niya nakikita ang mga katiwaliang ginagawa ng mga abogado at huwes na natatapalan ng pera. Mali ang sinasabing “pantay-pantay ang lahat sa harap (hindi mata, dahil may mga piring nga) ng Hustisya”. Bakit ipapantay ang mali sa tama? Kaya tuloy sa kawalan ng perang pambayad sa isang “magaling” na abogado, marami ang nabubulok sa kulungan na walang kasalanan. May katumbas na pera ang pagpapatunay ng kawalan ng kasalanan ng tao. Sino kayang hangal  ang nakaisip na gawing bulag sa katotohanan ang Hustisya? Bakit hindi siya bigyan ng mabalasik na mga mata upang ang may kasalanan na tumingin sa kanyang mukha ay makonsiyensiya?

 

Tao at hindi Diyos ang nagtatakda ng kanyang pagbagsak at pagkawala sa mundo. Patunay dito ang mga giyera na nangyayari sa ating kapaligiran na ginagamitan ng iba’t ibang sandata upang magpatayan, mga makabagong gamit na sumasabog at nakamamatay, mga nakalalasong kemikal na pumapasok sa katawan sa pamamagitan ng pagkaing nabibili sa mga grocery at palengke,  mga sasakyang bumubuga ng lason sa kahanginan, o pumapalya na nagreresulta sa disgrasya. At ang pinakamatindi ay ang pagsira ng tao ng kalikasan na nagdudulot ng iba’t ibang trahedya gaya  ng baha at bagyo.

 

Ngayon, may karapatan ba tayong magtanong sa Diyos kung bakit tayo ay para NIYANG pinarurusahan? Sino ang may kagagawan ng lahat ng mga ito? Di ba tayo?

 

 

 

The Commercial and Destructive Aspects of Inventions

The Commercial and Destructive Aspects of Inventions

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

It is all for the comfort and money that man has created “wants” in this world, hence, the various inventions. The “wants” are not necessarily the “needs”, as there are things that we can forego as they are not necessary. But, before the onset of what the modern man views as “civilization”, our ancestors were a satisfied lot. During the time, it was enough for a community of five families, for instance, to share a felled beast using spears, throwing sticks, and rocks. Our ancestors’ feet were also enough to bring them to where they wanted.

 

In time, however, the wizards among our ancestors thought of making mobility more comfortable and due to the growth of communities, competition for survival ensued. The need for security was conceived giving rise to more lethal, though, primitive tools. Instead of the simple tree barks to cover their private parts, they thought of using the skin of their prey. Wheels were invented and used not only to transport heavy goods but also in destructive chariots and later, in armored cars, etc., but most especially, for the comfortable mobility.

 

While the legendary Icarus thought of flying with the use of feathers, the Wright Brothers went further by using metals and woods assembled to harness the power of the wind to keep their contrived apparatus to glide and take on speed. The “standards” in quality of the contraption improved the invention until it went further, such as its other uses were conceived….based on what the time required in transporting people and goods, and later, totally become tools of destruction because of greed!

 

Telephone units before, had to have a component that must be cranked before it could be used while connected to each other with miles of long copper wire. Today, wireless telephones are inter-connected by satellites that hover above the earth. But, since people want more sophistications in such instrument, other features are added – camera, voice recorder, music player….and later on, used by evil-minded to set off bombs! On the other hand, who would have ever thought that drugs that were originally conceived to prolong life could become deadly, the same as with the chemicals that are supposed to preserve food?

 

Thousands of inventions have been initially intended for man’s comfort, convenience and survival, but his shrewdness and selfishness made him conceive their lethal uses…that at the end practically led him to his self-destruction!

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.