My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation... (APPLAUSE) ... as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition. Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents. So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans. That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many, and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet. These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable, but no less profound, is a sapping of confidence across our land; a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, that the next generation must lower its sights. Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real, they are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met. (APPLAUSE) On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics. We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. (APPLAUSE) In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted, for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom. For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West, endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth. For us, they fought and died in places Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn. Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction. This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America. (APPLAUSE) For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of our economy calls for action: bold and swift. And we will act not only to create new jobs but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality... (APPLAUSE) ... and lower its costs. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do. Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short, for they have forgotten what this country has already done, what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose and necessity to courage. What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them, that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long, no longer apply. MR. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works, whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's knowledge will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government. Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched. But this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control. The nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good. (APPLAUSE) As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so, to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more. (APPLAUSE) Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use. Our security emanates from the justness of our cause; the force of our example; the tempering qualities of humility and restraint. We are the keepers of this legacy, guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort, even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We'll begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard- earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we'll work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life nor will we waver in its defense. And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that, "Our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken. You cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you." (APPLAUSE) For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth. And because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace. To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society's ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those... (APPLAUSE) To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist. (APPLAUSE) To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it. As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service: a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment, a moment that will define a generation, it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all. For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break; the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate. Our challenges may be new, the instruments with which we meet them may be new, but those values upon which our success depends, honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task. This is the price and the promise of citizenship. This is the source of our confidence: the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny. This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall. And why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath. (APPLAUSE) So let us mark this day in remembrance of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by nine campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people: "Let it be told to the future world that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet it." America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words; with hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come; let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations. Thank you. God bless you. (APPLAUSE) And God bless the United States of America. (APPLAUSE)

MICHAEL WISE, MARTIN ABEGG, EDWARD COOK

 To me, along with the Bible and the Gnostic Gospels, this is a must read for a person in quest for truths in his faith. The authors however placed a caveat that some of the texts were just included so that they are included in the volume. This means these texts are merely fragments but are included here for purposes of research.

 These text really have no name but were called Dead Sea Scrolls because it is there that they are found. The texts were written in animal skin and papyrus and were written with carbon based ink with no punctuation such as commas, period or quotation marks but with paragraph indentation. 

 The books in the scrolls are religious writings some include summaries and commentaries to the Hebrew Bible (the Christian’s Old Testament), it includes all books in the Old Testament except the Book of Esther. 

 It is evidenced by the scrolls that during the time of Jesus, the Bible then existing had several forms and not one sect or group has monopoly of Biblical knowledge. The group or groups behind the scrolls would call themselves “The Yahad” which means “unity”. The authors however do not state as to whether the Yahad are Essenes or radical Jews or Zealots or conservative Jews. 

 I acquired the book from Fullybooked sometime early 2007. Its my eleventh or twelfth book on the Dead Sea Scrolls. I first became interest about the Dead Sea Scrolls sometime in the late 1980s when my brother Manny brother home a book written by John Allegro. 

 Surprisingly in this edition there are texts or songs used for “dispersing or suppressing demons” this means there’s a belief system that the land is not only populated by angels but also by demons. The texts also spoke of the coming of the priest Melchizedek whoi is mentioned in the Old Testament (mentioned in Genesis 14 and Psalm 110). 

 There are rules issued in the Temple Scroll one rule even includes ancient Rule of Evidence where a single witness shall not prevail over a man accused not just of wrongdoing or sin. The rule sets punishment for false witnesses which means if you accused a person of murder with the punishment being death and the accusation is false then you as accuser would have to suffer the punishment of death. This means the ancient Jews have knowledge of malicious prosecution, perjury and false testimony which are now part of our Revised Penal Code. 

 A part of the scrolls speak of the “Chosen One” a messianic character who is supposed to rule Israel during the end of days which means the group have beliefs of a apocalyptic end. Most interesting is the story of Enoch and the Watchers those fallen angels who took earthly wives and whose children includes giants. 

 Scholarly written with over six hundred plus pages and with notes and commentaries and suggestions on how to read the same makes this a good read. 

Grade- 1.0- a work that should include other books about religion and religious history. 

Bakit ka ba nakasuot nang T-shirt na may mukha ni Che Guevara? Putang ina, isinuot mo yan, kahit hindi mo naman siya kilala Ang kapal nang mukha mo na magsuot nang T-shirt na iyan Gayung ang mga magsasaka sa bukid at ang mga manggagawa Naka kamiseta lang na ang marka ay kanilang pagod, grasa at putik Takot ka nga at duwag pag ang pagusapan ay himagsikan at pagbabago Duon ka sa likod nang Starbucks, sa likod nang Mcdo dun ka nagtatago Kung makikita ka lang ni Che ay baka ikaw pa ang kanyang unang barilin Plastic ka at hindi totoo, at kung ako ikaw ay aking huhubarin na lang yan Nasaan ka ba nuong paano na ang ang bayan ay nagkaisa at lumaban? Nasaan ka nuong namatay ang mga magsasaka na nagmartsa sa Mendiola? Nanduon ka ba nuong kami ay nagtaas kamao sa piling nang namatay na Lean? Nasaan ka nuong ipaglaban ang kasarinlan at hingin ang pag-alis ng dayuhan? Malamang duon ka nakasanib sa mga pumaslang nang isang boses nang masa Isang ideya, isang idolo nang mga kabataan, isang tao para sa pagbabago Hindi ko kailangan magsuot nang T-shirt na may mukha ni Che Guevara At baka malagyan ko pa nang mansta at dungis ang kanyang mukha Ang dapat ay kasama ka sa mga ihip nang pagbabago na yayanig sa daigdig Ang kailangan ay ang iyong katapangan at katapatan sa pakikibaka Hindi kailangan magsuot nang T-shirt na may mukha ni Che Guevara

(Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, John Hurt)

Its been a while since I last since this movie on VCD, and I’m still enthralled with the voice of Jennifer Connelly in the movie and in the end credits. A sci-fi movie with a twist without dating itself and with the Gothic feeling of dread, add to that a dash of gloom when bogeymen who are actually aliens force their way into the Dark City. 

Rufus’ character John Murdoch seemed neurotic in the movie and in some ways his character is different and reacts differently on the façade before him. Its like the “Truman Show” but this one is an alien mind experiment trying to seek out souls to preserve their doomed race. 

The start of the movie would already make the audience draw out question marks waiting to be answered. I thought first the story was taken from a comic book but in the end credits it was all the director’s who is also one of the scriptwriter’s woven story. The dialogue at first seems sketchy but all the mysteries would be cleared towards the end. 

Dated movies which herald a cellularphone, a car, a watch, a hairstyle would become passé after the period. But a movie like this will linger on forever and will become a cult classic. 

I’m looking out for the DVD copy well no I don’t buy pirated DVDs or VCDs except if it is so rare- but I’d rather keep a genuine DVD for future viewing. The dialogue of the movie is crisp, biting and mind boggling during the start. 

The subplots are all well in place and what I like most is that the characters or the cast somehow fit nicely. A classic no doubt, future directors should watch this movie with its Gothic, superhuman, alien, outer space, alien abduction and other themes pushed. Grade-1.5- better than good, this movie should belong with the classics. 

 I met my client last night who was home for Christmas. He’s from Dubai and has been working there for more than two years. He still smiles with a weather beaten face, and wears a gray coated Ray Ban and a Tag Hauer watch. And the trademark Middle Eastern gold hangs on his neck. 

 I immediately told him that the tallest building is now being built in Dubai (the tallest Taipei 101 and Petronas is no more) and that the height of the building is in fact kept a secret.  

 He talked about the weather there- at present is still hot in the morning and afternoons and very cold in the evenings. There’s nothing to see there save buildings and malls. There’s also a talk of danger in case of climate change and concerns in case there’s an earthquake. 

Then much later our talk drifted to living there. 

 Based on his personal knowledge there are now lots of people working or staying Dubai and some go there with a tourist visa and look for work. The problem, he says is not that its hard to find work in Dubai, but the salary scale there isn’t that high compared to say Abu Dhabi. When I made a query he immediately stated that in Abu Dhabi there’s oil production, there are refineries, Dubai is merely a tourist spot.

 My assistant asked him if the movie “Dubai” with John Lloyd is close to truth and he shrugs and says “Marami nga nanduon ngayon na nagagalit sa pelikula na yan, dahil hindi naman totoo. Parang pinalalabas na madali makipagsapalaran doon. Mahirap kaya. Siyempre palusot nila pelikula lang yun. Kaso hindi pa rin tama ang tinuturo- hindi ganun ang tunay na Dubai”. 

The chief complaint there was the high cost of living and the high cost rent. There are engineers there he says who may have executive jobs but stay in double deck bunks and shared rooms because they can’t afford to rent a room of their own. “Renting space is expensive in Dubai”, he says. 

There are lots of Filipino there he says who are merely using Dubai as a jump off point to another Arab country like Qatar. And then there are those who are using it as a jump off to go to Europe or Canada. With the fall of the dollar, nobody wants to go to the United States at present everybody is looking for Euro. 

 My client is one of those using Dubai merely as a jump off point. He hopes this year or the next to be able to transfer to the US or Canada. “Yung malayo sa sinasabing crisis- kaso wala na ata tayong takas lahat”, he adds. Yep, I sort of bite my lip while I gulp my iced tea. Things aren’t going to be rosy whether you’re here or abroad.  

 Back in 1979 I was a kid who is more concerned about how to win in Monopoly, Chess and Checkers. But when it does come to Science armed with my Junior Britannica Encyclopedia and with a starry sky above UP campus I also have some knowledge of astronomy. I was the guy who yelled in class that the speed of light is 186,000 miles per second when a professor was talking about colors, the color wheel and light. 

 Skylab is a vehicle intended for the conduct of experiments in outerspace. Thanks to Skylab the “corona” spots of the Sun were more clearly seen. Much was also learned about the idea of living in space and staying in space. But considering that the US was suffering from economic slowdown and the rockets were on a budget cut- the idea of maintaining it in space for long is problematic. Sooner or later it would have to fall. 

  The government under Marcos then gave an advisory of the danger of falling debris from a US space observatory and laboratory also known as Skylab. There was this huge area within which Skylab could fall and some folks here whooped up a scare about falling debris the size of a refrigerator hitting your homes. And two things scare people the most- the fear caused by their ignorance and the fear of the unknown. 

 There’s also a talk of reward. Well the idea is that NASA won’ t give up its space junk so easily. I even heard our neighbor saying “Eh di itinda na lang por kilo, sayang naman” In fact some folks don’t even know what the Skylab is- except that its something out there in the sky and the United States sent it there. There was even a thought that the vehicle contained a bomb or a military device. 
 
 My dad wrote my Uncle who is working in Lae, Papua New Guinea of the danger that Skylab might pose should it fall. There was even talk of what to do should it fell on our community. Around the world there was fear and talk of fear should it fall- its like as if the sky was falling literally onto our heads. Like what if it fell on a busy street- someone might be killed. 

 Finally Skylab did fall and it fall in an Australian desert the only casualty being a cow being conked out of the head. But that was more apocryphal than actually true. The thing is Skylab was considered trash and the United States was billed for $400 which at present remains unpaid. 

I was watching late last night “Case Unclosed”. It seems to be a good program but the segments seem fit for high school, this is not in depth. For instance, they have a segment on Yamashita, Mr. Roxas who allegedly found the treasure and the legal wrangles that followed. But there was research made on Yamashita himself. 

If you’d check the World War II records and books on World War II- not only was there any mention of transfer of treasure to this country, Yamashita doesn’t have the logistics to do it since there is little or no time at all. Moreover if there really was a Yamashita treasure, he could have used the same because afterwards he was tried along with other Japanese generals and executed. There should have been a mention at least of some books on the subject- if they want this research “deep”. 

I have several books on World War II and Yamashita has a ton of problems. He lacks supply and logistics. He’s new to the terrain (he doesn’t even know where Leyte is) and this is close to the end of the war. These are facts not stated in the program which somehow proves my point that if you want to learn- read. Television can’t be a vehicle for learning, its entertainment mostly and will not push the button for learning because of shallow research like this. 

Another shallow research is the “Death of Bonifacio” one reporter even said he had to see the archives to check the trial. That’s a load of crap. As early as 1950s and 1960s the Trial of Bonifacio has been published, you don’t need to go to the archives- I have a copy in our library. 

Moreover why didn’t they check out “Revolt of the Masses”? one of the enduring testament of history regarding the birth of the Katipunan and the death of its leader? Moreover they should have not just consulted historians but law experts regarding the trial and political scientists. In short, the segment is again very shallow “pang high school”. Its sloppy reporting if you ask me. All they did was to video it, ask a few questions and they tell you they’re opening a case- that’s a load of crap. And the bad part is that you have to stay up late to get shallow information. 

The problem with television is it breeds idiocy. The viewer lacks information. And when he gets it, its even all messed up. My brother who is also a lawyer puts it plainly “Tanga ka na nga, kasi hindi mo alam, o ito binagsak sa iyo nang telebisyon ang kaalaman eh yun pala mali o kulang- so ano nangyari- nagdoble katangahan mo- hindi ka lang idiot, double idiot ka na”. 

The big problem if these guys really want it in deep- they have to immerse in the research. A week or even a month isn’t enough. In fact some writers spent their lifetime or half a lifetime to dig into these stuff. The topics are interesting- Bonifacio, Yamashita and even one one Magsaysay which did not even mention books on the subject. 

By the way this reminds me of my college days- during Philippine Institutions 100 or PI 100- my prof happens to be good who did not focus on Rizal but the epoch, the culture and the world view within which Rizal lived and died. We were taking a break and I told my classmate Edgar Calma who now teaches in high school- “Pare kailan ba pinatay si Magsaysay” and he and the prof smile- “Ok ah- pinatay- hindi namatay”.