Quaere Verum

This Christmas, even as we open our presents, partake of sumptuous feasts, or drink to our hearts' content, let us try not to forget the true essence of what this season is all about - love, the spirit of giving, being with people who mean the most to us, and the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas to everyone!

The Tyranny of Giving Dr. Ralph F. Wilson There is a wonder about Christmas as well as a tyranny. There is a wondrous briskness in the air and a rosy glow on the cheeks of early shoppers. There seems a purposefulness in those in the stores, though the planned buying lists of "Thanksgiving Friday" shoppers disintegrate into a mad frenzy by December 24th. Just grab at anything that Uncle Fritz can smile at when he unwraps it, even though no one can think of anything he really wants or needs. The season also imposes its tyranny on many of us. Instead of being able to give out of thoughtfulness and love, we often give because it is "expected". I heard of one couple who had 85 people they felt obligated to remember with a gift. No wonder the joy of giving falls away to a sort of panicked despair. It is time to refresh our giving with a truth from Scripture deeply imbedded into our consciousness from hundreds of repetitions at church offerings: "Each man should give ...

At least they spelled "vacuum" right.

Here's a short historical and technical brief of the Nuvitron Electronic Fuel Economizer, a supposed fuel-saving device invented by Filipino Perlito Cabauatan. Is this device for real, or is it nothing but hot air just like the Khaos Super Turbo Charger ? Read the following article and judge for yourself. If you're technically oriented and have your own theories on this device, please feel free to share them by posting a comment. Thank you to Ms. Lani Cabautan for sharing this write-up with this blog. NUVITRON ELECTRONIC FUEL ECONOMIZER Hope for the Filipino Motorists’ Plight BRIEF HISTORY The birth of NUVITRON Electronic Fuel Economizer began when Mr. Perlito Cabauatan, a native of Bayombong Nueva Vizcaya, bought a second-hand Mitsubishi L300 Utility Van in 1997, and was irritated with the noise that the engine generated. Having graduated as a Radio Technician from the University of the East, and having served as a Radio Operator in Saudi Arabia for 15 years before coming bac...

From my inbox. Definitely worth the read. :-) Often we hear of negative comments about Filipinos. Now here is something positive about Filipinos...something very positive written by a foreigner named Steve Ray. Steve Ray authored many best-selling books, among which are, "Crossing The Tiber" (his conversion story), "Upon This Rock" (on the papacy), and just recently "John's Gospel" (a comprehensive bible study guide and commentary). Steve is also currently filming a 10-video series entitled, "Footprints of God". The first two videos are out: "Peter, Keeper of the Keys", and "Mary, Mother of God" (now available in the Philippines). Steve Ray’s Open Letter to the Filipino People: [This letter was published in all the major newspapers in the Philippines during one of our visits in 2001] We stepped into the church and it was old and a bit dark. Mass had just begun and we sat toward the front. We didn t know what to expect here...

You date like you are 22 years old. You are a good dater. You still haven't narrowed down exactly what type of person you want to date, but you have a lot of experience with dating and like to have fun with it. Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

A first-grade teacher, Ms. Brooks, was having trouble with one of her students. The teacher asked, "Harry, what's your problem?" Harry answered, "I'm too smart for the 1st grade. My sister is in the 3rd grade and I'm smarter than she is! I think I should be in the 3rd grade too!" Ms. Brooks had had enough. She took Harry to the principal's office. While Harry waited in the outer office, the teacher explained to the principal what the situation was. The principal told Ms. Brooks he would give the boy a test. If he failed to answer any of his questions he was to go back to the 1st grade and behave. She agreed. Harry was brought in and the conditions were explained to him and he agreed to take the test. Principal: "What is 3 x 3?" Harry: "9." Principal: "What is 6 x 6?" Harry: "36." And so it went with every question the principal thought a 3rd grader should know. The principal looks at Ms. Brooks and tells her, ...

I'm for charter change. There, I said it. More than a year ago I made a post stating my personal reasons why I think amending or revising our Constitution could actually be a good idea. Even up to the present, I still think charter change could do the Philippines as a whole a lot of good. But not this way. A couple of days ago the House of Representatives approved Resolution No. 197 (formerly Resolution No. 1450) which convenes Congress into an Constitutional Assemly ("Con-Ass") for the purpose of introducing Constitutional amendments or revisions. And it did the same without the concurrence of the Senate , in blatant disregard of the bicameral nature of our legislature as provided for in the 1987 Constitution. Congress was able to do this through sheer force of numbers. The vast majority of incumbent members of the House of Representatives are allied with the administration, enabling them to approve Resolution No. 197, railroading any opposition in their way. This is ...

Found this video of the MMORPG RAN Online (see previous post here ) on YouTube . If you're into this game, you'll like the video. :-) Note: Turn off the background audio first at the bottom of the page before clicking the play button.

Definitely NOT the place to pick up women.

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s: These are interesting... Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married. Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water." Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so a...

Question: What is the truest definition of Globalization? Answer: Princess Diana's death. Question: How come? Answer: An English princess with an Egyptian boyfriend crashes in a French tunnel, driving a German car with a Dutch engine, driven by a Belgian who was drunk on Scottish whisky, (check the bottle before you change the spelling) followed closely by Italian paparazzi, on Japanese motorcycles; treated by an American doctor, using Brazilian medicines. This is sent to you from Morocco, using Bill Gates's (an American) technology and you're probably reading this on your computer that uses Taiwanese chips and a Korean monitor, assembled by Bangladeshi workers in a Singaporean plant, transported by Indian lousy-drivers, hijacked by Indonesians, unloaded by Sicilian longshoremen, and trucked to you by Mexicans...and now being read by a FILIPINO who should be working instead! That, my friend, is Globalization. From my inbox. No offense meant to any of the nation...

Posted ads on some commercial lots my family is trying to sell on Sulit.com.ph . In case anyone is interested, you can check them out below: Commercial Lot for Sale - Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City Commercial Lot for Sale - Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija

I can relate. How can someone so wrong for you be so right for you at the same time? 'Nuf said. Note: Turn off the background audio first at the bottom of the page before clicking the play button. Waltz Hale I hate the way you are, so mean to me by far. The most frigid girl that I have ever known. You speak loudly but, when I’m not around You’ll be just like them; So shallow and obnoxious. Please… That’s enough, that’s enough Please… I’ve said this a million times before And I’m sick But all that I need, and all that i bleed, And all that i care for, Is you You said that you’d call but time you’ll be at home. But you never did; you said you did mean to. Now I’m outraged. As if we’re engaged. You made me realize I’m just your alibi. Please… That’s enough, that’s enough Please… I’ve said this a million times before And I’m sick But all that I need, and all that i bleed, And all that i care for, Is you But all that I need, and all that i bleed, And all that i care for, Is you I hate y...

Chanced upon this site which highlights bad taste in the use of Christmas lights. Here are some of the interesting ones I found: A little overboard, don't you think? Some people just don't know when to quit. Enough already! Makes you feel you're in Las Vegas. The Nativity meets the Last Supper. If you want to see more, just go to Ugly Christmas Lights.com .

Kumukuti-kutitap, bumubusi-busilak Ganyan ang indak ng mga bombilya Kikindat-kindat, kukurap-kurap Pinaglalaruan ang iyong mga mata

Wait and watch what happens. Thanks to Annie for this one.

No, I don't watch ABS-CBN 's Pinoy Dream Academy . I haven't even seen a single episode. There's just something about Philippine reality TV shows that makes my hair stand on end. That being said, for some reason I can't help but like this song from one of Pinoy Dream Academy's scholars. What can I say? Sue me. Note: Turn off the background audio first at the bottom of the page before clicking the play button. Hawak Kamay Yeng Constantino Minsan madarama mo kay bigat ng problema Minsan mahihirapan ka at masasabing “di ko makakaya” Tumingin ka lang sa langit Baka sakaling may masumpungan Di kaya ako’y tawagin Malalaman mong kahit kailan Hawak-kamay Di kita iiwan sa paglakbay Dito sa mundong walang katiyakan Hawak-kamay Di kita bibitawan sa paglalakbay Sa mundo ng kawalan Minsan madarama mo Ang mundo’y gumuho sa ilalim ng iyong mga paa At ang agos ng problema’y tinatangay ka Tumingin ka lang sa langit Baka sakaling may masumpungan Di kaya ako’y tawagin Malalaman mo...

Always use loose change or small bills when buying newspapers. This story didn't happen to me personally, but to my officemate's brother-in-law. This officemate of mine told the story with such aplomb and bravado that I couldn't help myself from laughing my head off. Yes, it was really than funny. Well, at least when he told it. :-) The tale goes something like this: My officemate's brother-in-law was in some province waiting for a bus ride home. Getting kinda bored with the rather long wait, he decided to buy a newspaper to while away the time. He bought a newspaper from a nearby vendor, but failing to have any loose change, he paid with a whole P500.00 peso bill. The vendor, not having change for a bill of that size, went off somewhere on the pretext of having the note broken down into smaller bills. Then one bus passes by, and then another. And the vendor was still nowhere to be found. It's at this point that it finally dawns on my officemate's brother-in-la...

I looked like an idiot while this picture was being taken, but it was worth it. :-) Related Posts: Lawbreaker....

Weird Al Yankovic 's parody of Ridin' by Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone. I'm not by any means white, but strangely/sadly enough, I think I can relate with the nerdy part. :-) Note: Turn off the background audio first at the bottom of the page before clicking the play button. White & Nerdy Weird Al Yankovic They see me mowin' my front lawn I know they're all thinkin' I'm so White and nerdy Think I'm just too white and nerdy Think I'm just too white and nerdy Can't you see I'm white and nerdy Look at me I'm white and nerdy I wanna roll with the gangstas But so far they all think I'm too White and nerdy Think I'm just too white and nerdy Think I'm just too white and nerdy I'm just too white and nerdy Really, really white and nerdy First in my class here at MIT Got skills, I'm a champion at D&D M.C. Escher, that's my favorite M.C. Keep your 40, I'll just have an Earl Grey tea My rims never spin, to the c...

Came across this rather simple test through this blog entry . The test simply involves the selection of colors based on your personal preference. The results should reveal some pretty interesting things about you. Mine did. The theory is that our color preferences are reliable indicators of our personality traits as well as our current frame of my mind. This is what I got, and as far as I can tell, it seems to be pretty spot on: Your Complete Personal Profile You are a very sensitive person and you try hard (perhaps a little too hard) to make favourable impressions and to be recognised by your peers. But you have that inherent need to feel appreciated and admired and you are easily hurt if all of your endeavours go by unappreciated or not acknowledged. Stop trying so hard. For some time now you have been feeling rather insecure. You are looking for - and needing - an environment that can offer you roots, stability and a position that will relieve you of excess tension and stress. It is...

Always keep loose change in your car. Several months back I discovered firsthand how important it is to have loose change in your car. In fact, it saved me from taking public transportation twice as well as the concomitant loss of time within a span of less than an hour. How? It all started innocuously enough. I was fixing something at home one weekend morning when I realized that I needed to buy a certain something to finish what I was doing. I hopped in my car, still wearing house clothes, and dashed off to SM City North Edsa, expecting to do a quick run - go to the mall, buy the thing, and head on out home. The thing is, sometimes things don't turn out as simple as we expect them to be. After parking at the SM City Carpark, I trudged over to Ace Hardware, intent on doing the deed as quick as possible. I looked around, found the thing that I needed to buy and proceeded to the cashier. That's when I realized I had done the unthinkable. I didn't have my wallet with me. I wa...

More than a year ago, I wrote a blog entry sharing my thoughts on Pablo Planas' controversial yet popular gas saving device, the Khaos Super Turbo Charger (KSTC). That piece however, wasn't exactly a resounding endorsement of the KSTC. On the contrary, I came to the general conclusion that the KSTC isn't as effective as its marketers claim it to be, and that its popularity is more due to hype than to technical soundness. Quite ironic if you think about it. A technical flop, but a marketing success. Interestingly, found among the comments for that particular blog post was a reference for another gas saving device invented by another Filipino, Perlito Cabauatan from Nueva Vizcaya, the Nuvitron Electronic Fuel Economizer (NEFE). Information regarding the NEFE has been quite scarce on the internet, and I was quite pleased when one of my rarely used inboxes turned up an email straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak, as it was from Patricio Cabauatan, the son of the ...

After almost four years, my trusty 19" NEC MultiSync V930 monitor has finally kicked the bucket. Requiescat in pace. It only started about a week ago or so. The first symptom was some strange flickering on the screen, and intermittent flashes of blurred horizontal green lines. And then at different intervals, displayed images would show a crimson tinge which varied in intensity from time to time which shifted from one side of the screen to the other. After a few more days, everything on screen appeared in a rather unpleasant shade of purple. I did the normal checks. I inspected, unplugged and reconnected the monitor's data cable, I degaussed the tube, even tried reinstalling video card and monitor drivers, just in case, but it was all to no avail. Clearly one the CRT's (cathode ray tube) electron guns had given out, and by all indications, it was probably the green one, since everything was in purple now. It was pretty disappointing. I was expecting the monitor to last for...

Another Imago song, from their earlier Take 2 album. :-) Note: Turn off the background audio first at the bottom of the page before clicking the play button. Anino Imago Doon sa likod ng ilaw paspasan ang laro nakikikasama Sabay pikit sa tiyempo wag kang pahuhuli sa kanyang sayaw Hinahanap ang iyong kamay bakit ang hirap mong kasabay? lahat ng gawin tila sablay balang araw walang maghihintay isa, dalawa, tatlo asan ang anino mo? apat, lima patay sindi ang ilaw ko anim, pito, walo, siyam, sampu nahihilo, nahihilo, nahihilo Handa ng magpaalam pagsapit ng gabi ika’y mawawala Sa pagkaulila ako ang kumot mong di mo makita hinahanap ang iyong kamay bakit ang hirap mong kasabay? lahat ng gawin tila sablay balang araw walang maghihintay isa, dalawa, tatlo asan ang anino mo? apat, lima patay sindi ang ilaw ko anim, pito, walo, siyam, sampu nahihilo, nahihilo, nahihilo sumpa bang magpaalam kurtina ng gabi ika'y mawawala hinahanap ang iyong kamay bakit ang hirap mong kasabay? lahat ng gawin ...

This Japanese magician gets his kicks being made up as an old man and performing magic tricks in public places. Watch it, it's actually quite funny. :-) Note: Turn off the background audio first at the bottom of the page before clicking the play button.

Got this through email. I'm not sure if this story is true or not, but with credit card companies being the way they are, but I can certainly see it happening. :-) Be sure and cancel your credit cards before you die. This is so priceless, and so so easy to see happening, customer service being what it is today. Anyone who has dealt with an estate will agree with this. A lady died this past January, and Citibank billed her for February and March for their annual service charges on her credit card, and added late fees and interest on the monthly charge. The balance had been $0.00, now somewhere around $60.00. A family member placed a call to Citibank. Here is the exchange: Family Member: "I am calling to tell you she died in January." Citibank: "The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply." Family Member: "Maybe, you should turn it over to collections. " Citibank: "Since it is two months past due, it already has b...

I have always been a shock absorber as far as I can remember. For some reason, friends, colleagues, even people I hardly know seek me out whenever they need help, advice, input of any kind, or at the very least someone to listen. Being somewhat empathic, it can be a very draining emotional experience, listening to people pour their hearts out, as they share their concerns regarding life, love, work, hopes, dreams, and what have you. The irony is, I myself have never been the type of person who seeks out other people to listen to my problems. I have always been a private person, and I've always preferred to keep my thoughts to myself. One of the reasons is that while I make friends easily, I don't readily give my trust to just any Tom, Dick or Harry. Trusting someone, whether it be a friend, or perhaps even someone more than a friend, takes time. And once lost, it can take a long time to build that trust back up, assuming that it even ever returns. Consequently, the people tha...

What's wrong with this picture? :-)

The Red Rose - A Meeting of the Heart John Blanchard stood up from the bench, straightened his Army uniform, and studied the crowd of people making their way through Grand Central Station. He looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn't, the girl with the rose. His interest in her had begun thirteen months before in a Florida library. Taking a book off the shelf he found himself intrigued, not with the words of the book, but with the notes penciled in the margin. The soft handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and insightful mind. In the front of the book, he discovered the previous owner's name, Miss Hollis Maynell. With time and effort he located her address. She lived in New York City. He wrote her a letter introducing himself and inviting her to correspond. The next day he was shipped overseas for service in World War II. During the next year and one month the two grew to know each other through the mail. Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile hea...

Today, November 2, is All Souls Day . According to Catholic tradition, this is the day of the year when we remember and pray for our departed loved ones. It's a bit ironic when you consider that we normally associate November 1, or All Saints Day instead, as the appropriate day for trooping to the cemeteries, lighting candles, and praying for our deceased relatives, when strictly speaking, it should be November 2. November 1, or All Saints Day , was meant to be the day of year in which Catholics honor the saints, both known and unknown. However, Filipino custom has somehow intertwined the practice of venerating the dead with November 1, instead of November 2 as provided in the Catholic calendar. This year didn't seem that conducive to visiting your loved ones' graves especially if they're located in far off provinces. Only November 1 was declared a holiday, and being a Wednesday, smack dab in the middle of the week, it didn't leave much allowance for traveling off ...

Happy 10th birthday son!

Ebony (wearing black and white) is a jujutsu expert who uses jabs to the face and the guard position to lure her opponents in. Boo Boo (in black and red) is a shootfighter who likes to intimidate and wear out his opponent with his quickness. Who will win? :-) This video is shared on YouTube .

As a computer gaming enthusiast, I have played and still continue to play a variety of games in different genres in my leisure time, such as first person shooters (FPS) and real-time strategy games (RTS). I have also played online games, multiplayer games, and role-playing games (RPG), but I must confess I haven't really played a game which combines the latter three catergories, that is, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). MMORPGs have been steadily increasing in popularity since the introduction of the internet, and with the increasing widespread availability of broadband internet access, have started to really hit their stride. Despite its growing prevalence however, I haven't really gotten into it. Well, that is, until now. Until I discovered this game. And the funny thing is, it was my son who introduced this game to me. He told me all about this MMORPG he had been playing, called RAN Online . I didn't really take heed at first, thinking it was p...

Instructions for Life written by the Dalai Lama Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk. When you lose, don't lose the lesson. Follow the three Rs: Respect for self Respect for others and Responsibility for all your actions. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship. When you realise you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it. Spend some time alone every day. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past. Share your knowledge. It...

Some time ago, on impulse, I decided to move on up to a semi-"prosumer" type of digital camera. "Prosumer-lite", if you will. Actually I've been planning on the move for some time now, triggered by the apparent demise and resurrection of my old Canon PowerShot A300 (see earlier posts here , and here ). Incidentally, that camera has itself moved on to my parents, who are just now discovering the technological (as well as economic) benefits of going digital after virtually a lifetime of reliance on conventional film-based cameras. After my two-year relationship with the A300, I had a brief stint with a Canon PowerShot A410 (see earlier post here ). While pretty good for basic entry-level picture taking, it had somewhat less features and flexibility than I was accustomed to, taking into account my rising interest in digital photography. My son made some pretty good use of it though (see the posts on his blog here and here ). Then, a few months back, I gave in ...

Could it be that after a run of almost two years, I'm actually losing interest in blogging? Maybe. I used to be a prolific blogger, regularly making two posts everyday. Now I'm lucky if I can muster one a week. I wonder. It's not that I don't have anything to write about. There are indeed a lot of things that I want to air my opinion on, and yet, for some reason, I haven't really felt like committing them to keyboard. And it's not as if I'm busy. After my recent "adventure", I now have more than enough time to blog, if I choose to. But for some reasons unbeknownst to me I choose not to. Perhaps it doesn't present much of a challenge to me anymore. Maybe I need to something else different to do. Maybe I've grown weary of it over the past several months. Maybe I need a blogging hiatus. The irony is I don't believe in hiatuses (believe it or not, that's the correct plural term). I've grown weary of other bloggers going on hiatus, ...

During the weekend I dropped by an officemate's house to fix his computer which had been working excrutiatingly slow to the point of uselessness. Two days after his DSL service had been installed, his PC, which had nothing more than a barebone Windows XP installation, had been virtually swamped by viruses, trojans, and malware/adware. Using a broadband connection on an unprotected Windows PC can certainly do that. While reformatting would have been the easiest way to tackle the problem, there wasn't really enough time to do so. Instead, I managed to return the OS to a workable state by removing the mediocre antivirus program currently installed (actually, it didn't want to uninstall itself, so I had to muck around the registry to get rid of it) and cleaning the hard disk of viruses and malicious software using the free version of avast! antivirus and Spybot Search & Destroy . As a final touch for enhanced stability and security, I also installed Windows XP Service Pa...