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| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| The God Particle
By Antonio C. Abaya Written on Sept. 10, 2008 For the Standard Today, September 11, 2008 If this essay manages to see print on September 11, it means that the world has not come to an end, as some have feared, on September 10. On this day, European and American physicists working at the CERN � Conseil Europeenne pour la Recherche Nucleaire or European Council for Nuclear Research � will turn on something called the Large Hadron Collider, a ring-shaped underground particle accelerator, 27 kms in circumference, located near Geneva, Switzerland. What in the world is a particle accelerator, and why would anyone want to accelerate particles anyway? Particle accelerators, known earlier as atom smashers, have been a standard tool of nuclear physicists long before the development of the nuclear or atomic bombs that leveled Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. In their early versions, atom smashers accelerated particles, like positively-charged protons, to high speeds in order to smash the nucleus of a heavy atom like, say, uranium. The debris that resulted from the controlled smash-up, described by the arc that they blazed in a magnetic field, told physicists what lighter atoms resulted from the break-up of the heavy uranium atom, as well as the energy, if any, that was released in the process. Without atom smashers or particle accelerators, there would have been no atomic or nuclear bombs, and there would have been no nuclear reactors that peacefully generate electricity. And just in case anyone will draw a cautionary tale from this and wag his or her finger at the Americans for having atom-bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it should be pointed out that one of the prominent pioneers in nuclear research then was a Japanese physicist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in, I believe, 1936. And of course there were other Nobel Prize winners among the physicists in Nazi Germany, many of them Jewish who managed to escape, mostly to the US, before they could be rounded up for the gas chambers.,. The implication is that if the Japanese militarists or the Nazi Germans had developed the nuclear bomb ahead of the Americans and the British in the Manhattan Project, they would have atom-bombed New York, London, and/or Los Angeles just as readily as the Americans did Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But I digress. In the next few weeks or months, the scientists at CERN want to accelerate protons to speeds up to 99.9999 percent of the speed of light (186,000 miles per second), using the Large Hadron Collider. One stream of protons will travel clockwise, another stream of protons will travel counter-clockwise. They are theorizing that the collision of protons will shed some light on some unanswered questions in theoretical physics. Critics warn that the collision, which will last for a mere fraction of a second, may create tiny "black holes" which could eventually grow to the point of swallowing up Planet Earth. Black holes are phenomena in space in which entire galaxies are swallowed up by dying stars. They are called black holes because their gravitation pull is so strong that not even light can escape from their vortices. The scientists at CERN also hope to find a sub-atomic particle that has only been theorized by physicist Peter Higgs of Scotland, called the Higgs boson, also known as the God Particle. Higgs' boson is supposed to explain what gives mass to matter. By replicating what they think were the conditions in the cosmos at the time of the Big Bang, scientists hope to uncover the secrets and early processes of the universe.. I do not claim to understand quantum mechanics or the String Theory, but some four decades ago I developed my own cosmology. In my cosmology, there is no beginning and there is no end. Four decades ago, astronomers and physicists were divided between the Big Bang theory and the Steady State theory as the most logical explanation of the cosmos. In time, the Big Bang theory won out, and the CERN experiment seeks to find out what happened during the first billionths of a second after the Big Bang, from which the rest of the cosmos is said to have evolved.. But even if they were to find that out, it would still leave unanswered the next logical question of what happened, or what was there, before the Big Bang. In my cosmology, this question is not the final riddle because there is no beginning and there is no end. In classical physics, it was believed that matter and energy were separate entities that could not be created or destroyed, one into or from the other. But in relativistic physics, it is accepted that matter � or more correctly, mass � and energy are two aspects of the same reality, expressed in Einstein's famous equation E=MC2..(Sorry, but I do not know how to click exponents on the computer.) The energy of a quantity of matter is equal to its mass multiplied by the square of the speed of light. In my cosmology, there is no beginning and there is no end because mass is constantly being transformed into energy, as in black holes; and energy is constantly being transformed into mass, as in Big Bangs. It is a process that happens and has happened all through time all throughout the universe, of which we know only a fraction, even with the most powerful optical and radio telescopes. But even with this limited empirical knowledge, I find it hard to imagine space where there is nothing, not even light from distant galaxies. Where there is nothing, there is also no time, time attaining a reality only from the movement of celestial bodies relative to each other. The CERN scientists believe that the collision of high-speed protons may reveal not only the God Particle, but also the existence of as many as11 dimensions, seven more than what we are aware of : length, width, depth and space-time. And the key may be, in my cosmology, the presence, origin and behavior of anti-matter. The matter that we know in our daily lives is made up of atoms with nuclei of positively charged protons and neutral neutrons, around which orbit negatively charged electrons. But scientists know from their experiments that there is also such a thing as anti-matter, which is made up of the mirror opposites of matter: negatively charged protons and positively charged electrons (called positrons). Scientists also know that when matter and anti-matter collide, they annihilate each other, producing pure energy. In my cosmology, there are both matter and anti-matter in the cosmos, and when they collide �as they possibly do more often than we are at present aware of � they annihilate each other and produce pure energy which scientists have not yet fully learned how to track.. There is no beginning and there is no end. While we are waiting for our matter to collide with anti-matter, we can while away the time by reading Dan Brown's other novel, Angels and Demons, which he wrote before The Da Vinci Code. In this other novel, which has the same hero, Robert Langdon, scientists at CERN � the same CERN which is now preparing to end the world, according to their critics � have created a quarter of a gram of anti-matter which they have stored inside a special magnetic canister. (See my earlier article Angels and Terrorists, April 06, 2005.) A rogue scientist steals the canister and brings it to the Vatican where the College of Cardinals is being convened to elect a new Pope. Here the real villain threatens to release the anti-matter (and blow up the entire Vatican) if his evil scheme were not given play. Instead of the Priory of Sion, this novel has another secret society called the Illuminati. And instead of an albino monk from the Opus Dei, it has a malevolent papal chamberlain or camerlengo. And instead of paintings by Leonardo da Vinci in the Louvre, it has statues by the 17th century sculptor Gian Carlo Bernini located in various places around Rome, where clues are cleverly hidden and deduced by the hero... Angels and Demons is scheduled to be released as a movie sometime in the spring of 2009. That is assuming the scientists in the real CERN do not inadvertently feed Planet Earth into a Black Hole soon. ***** Reactions to [email protected]. Other articles in acabaya.blogspot.com. Tony on YouTube in www.tapatt.org. To subscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to "The God Particle" More Reactions to "Is McCain Senile?" More Reactions to "Kosovo in Mindanao" More Reactions to "Mindanao Peace or in Pieces" Tony, In my classical cosmology, I thought, the bomb grade uranuim, was not produced by accelreator, but by series of filters. What I mean, uranuim ore, dissolves in hydrogen flouric acid, converted to gas, then it will pass thru different filters sizes super microns in diameter, say, U-235 is your target to get, the atomic diameter of this isotope, will catched by one the this filter, and the rest will pass thru, etc...and perhaps now a days we could read in paper , Iran, have atomic bomb in a year or months, it depend how many filters you have in series, to collect the grades you wanted. (Particle accelerators were/are used for basic research in physics, not to finesse the technology for making nuclear bombs. ACA) The classical law stated matter cannot be created nor destroyed, how ever, this accelerator, can do both. In the tables of elements, there are many man made elemnts, due to this accelrator., and most of all , the theory and concept of Quantum Mechanics, can be proven here. (Your time machine is broken. The particle accelerator and the man-made elements in the table of elements were developed DECADES AFTER classical physics was supplanted by relativistic physics. ACA) Benjamin Pablo, (by email), Sept. 11, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, My comments in today's headline news (Sept.11, 2008) as I posted in Finance Manila where i am an active member (my allias is 'theven'): http://financemanila.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=319&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=884 Edwin Vivar (by email), Sept. 11, 2008 (But why would a finance magazine run an article on theoretical physics? ACA) Large Hadron Collider fired up in 'God particle' hunt The Large Hadron Collider -- a $9 billion particle accelerator designed to simulate conditions of the Big Bang that created the physical Universe -- was switched on at 0732 GMT to cheers and applause from experts gathered to witness the event. http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TECH/09/10/lhc.collider/index.html http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24525554/ So what's up with this "Large Hadron Collider"? OK Let's have a little review of Physics: There are 4 Fundamental Forces of Nature (4FFN): 1. Electromagnetic Force 2. Strong Nuclear Force 3. Weak Nuclear Force 4. Gravity This means that all forces of nature can be deduced into these 4FFN. For example, motor, hurricane, solar system, cells, bacteria, planet, stars, galaxy, computer, cars, chemical reaction, medicine, wheels, radio-wave�everything on our universe can be deduced into these 4 Fundamental Forces of Nature. But the question is can they be combined into just 1 Unified Force (UF) only? Science attempted to combine these 4 forces into 1UF. Even Albert Einstein spent his last part of his life searching for this 1UF but was unsuccessful. This 1UF is important because it was present only right at the moment of creation. That's why any theory that can describe this 1UF is called THEORY OF EVERYTHING. Let's see how 4FFN is attempted to be combined into 1UF only: 1. Electromagnetic Force = Electricity + Magnetism (also called light or radio-wave) 2. Electroweak Theory (EWT)= Electromagnetic Force + Weak Force 3. Grand Unified Theory (GUT) = Electromagnetic + Weak + Strong Force 4. Theory of Everything (TOE) = Electromagnetic + Weak + Strong + Gravity But first what is FORCE? "FORCE causes MATTER to move". A scientific definition of force as stated by Quantum Theory (QT) is that "force is a result of exchanges of particle" and to define our 4 Fundamental Forces in terms of "exchange particles": 1. Electromagnetic Force � Results of exchanges of particles called PHOTON 2. Strong Nuclear Force � Results of exchanges of particles called GLUONS 3. Weak Nuclear Forces � Results of exchanges of particles called W and Z-PARTICLES 4. Gravity � Results of exchanges in particles called GRAVITON To understand "Exchange Particle", try to imagine lighting a candle. What happened is that the PHOTONS from the small fire in the candle travel along its environment commonly known as light wave (or radio wave). Same thing happened in gravity, strong and weak forces. This "Exchange Particle" is called BOSON. FERMIONS Fermions are subatomic particles that composed atom and atom composed the matter that includes my own material body and my computer. DESIGN OF UNIVERSE It seems that when god created the universe, He invented FERMIONS and BOSON Particles. FERMIONS are visible to us while BOSON is the "life force" that drives FERMIONS. For this BOSON is called GOD'S PARTICLE. Eventually, these FERMIONS and BOSONS became atom and formed into matter, galaxy, starts, planets and finally living things. Going back to UNIFICATION THEORY, our success so far is up to GUT only but it is not yet proven by evidence. GUT predicted X-PARTICLE as the BOSON of GUT. The hunt for X-PARTICLE is still on-going using this big "Particle Smasher". Also X-PARTICLE was present only at 1/34 sec after BIG BANG that is why this LARGE HADRON COLLIDER (LHC) is called BIG BANG MACHINE! However, this LHC will only create HIGGS PARTICLE which will prove ELECTROWEAK THEORY. HIGGS PARTICLE is the BOSON of ELECTROWEAK THEORY. This means that we are still 2 steps away of TOE. Ladies and Gentlemen were now about to create our very own "baby universe" and the director for this project must be Dr. Yahweh wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww If the HADRON collider succeeds in creating a black hole and that black hole swallows Planet Earth, you and I won't have the time to ponder what really happened. Planet Earth and everything in and above it will be reduced to nothing, not even cosmic dust. But I am willing to bet a thousand pesos that nothing of the sort will happen. Planet Earth will survive anything and everything HADRON can and will do. On the other hand, science will be the richer in that it will be in a better position to know more about matter and anti-matter and about sub-atomic particles, the building blocks of the Cosmos.. Mariano Patalinjug, (by email), Yonkers, NY, Sept. 11, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww May God Bless You Always and Forever. By Grace you are save not by your works. Sincerely, Grace Reyes Webmaster, http://www.thinkandbecomerich.com wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, Yes, I also believe that there is no beginning as well as an end. The concepts of beginning and end, as well as creation, were just invented by man. Man's finite mind could not comprehend anything beyond that. Also, the concept of a creator naturally became a convenient way to settle all these issues. Thanks for the wonderful articles that you write. M. G. Espaldon, (by email), Ayala Alabang, Sept. 11, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, As a species of thinking animals which have evolved on a planet where 'beginnings and ends' are all we experience ie: birth-death, morning-night, summer-winter, light-dark...we are held to assume the entire universe functions the same way. And we cannot even comprehend the feeling of the word 'infinity'. It doesn't belong to mankind's in-bred dictionary. We need to appease our discomfort in what we cannot understand, and issue theologies as well as some crack-science to keep the dream alive. But that doesn't do anyone much good, as I've been told that everyone seems to make their own reality. What is real, however, will be without any doubt, revealed to us only on our death-bed. My question would be....Why should any of us spend a nano-second while on this planet, worrying about it. No matter what we beleive, we will not find 'Truth' until we're dead. So why spend any time trying to understand what we were not made to understand, only to be disappointed in the end.? We were put here to live the best life we can, so why can't we just do that? John Lennon's 'Imagine' still holds much truth to how we were suppose to live. Cheers! Mitch Gingras, (by email), Ottawa, Canada, Sept. 11, 2008 (You might as well ask why Isaac Newton bothered to inquire why the apple fell on his head, since gravity is still a mystery up to this day. ACA). wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww As a non-scientist, this is all very interesting but really, what does it all matter in the end? Big Bang, Steady State, particle accelerators, black holes - the reality is our time on earth is limited, finite. Maybe even the earth's time is finite. Tragically, in all the thousands of years of human existence, we have not achieved the collective inner "steady state" to enable us to live peacefully with each other. Cayo Marschner, (by email), Moraga, CA, Sept. 11, 2008 (That is a non-argument, Cayo. It is not the role of Science to make us or the Earth infinite, or to convince us to live peacefully with one another. You might as well complain that there is still so much ugliness in the world even after Beethoven composed his Ninth Symphony. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hello Mang Tony, You always come up with more surprises every time you release your articles. For the past few months I've been reading your works covering various subject matters, from the federal system to classical music, from the great exploits of Alexander the Great to Ninoy Aquino etc... And there you are, catching up with the latest update about the atom smashers and CERN. (I did not "catch up" with atom smashers. They were covered by my physics courses in college, 1957 to 1959. ACA) For a relatively old man, you must have a very powerful and indefatigable mind. I just found a person in you who is worth-emulating!!. Steven Mendoza, (by email), Sept. 12, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Brrrrrrrrrr. Can't imagine any more hellish outcome than how you describe them ! ! ! ! May God have mercy on us. Jose I. Regino, (by email), Zamboanga City, Sept. 12, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Bravo! Although I do not agree with your Cosmos Theory, this is a masterful description of the Large Hadran Collider by a non-technical person. If you haven't read him yet, I recommend Stephen Hawking and his Grand Unified Theory. Vic Lim, (by email), Makati City, Sept. 12, 2008 Faculty, Asian Institute of Management wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Finally got to read your essay on the "God Particle". That particle collider is what we learned in High School Physics as the "CYCLOTRON" or atom smasher In the Catholic Faith it has been said that God is the "Alpha and the Omega". The Beginning and the End. Peace! Ed. J. T.Tirona, (by email), Paranaque City, Sept 12, 2008 (The concept of 'Alpha and Omega' is from the Jesuit theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin who theorized that all matter evolved from the simplest inorganic particle, the Alpha Point, and evolved and is evolving towards the most complex organisms and the highest consciousness which he called the Omega Point, which he identified with Jesus Christ and God. When he wrote his definitive book in the 1930s � "The Phenomenon of Man," which we used to sell in Erehwon in the 1970s-1980s - it was banned from publication by the Catholic Church for about 30 years. Obviously the magisterium eventually changed its mind. Teilhard de Chardin was an archaeologist, not a theoretical physicist. In the 1930s, even theoretical physicists were not universally convinced of the Big Bang nor of what existed or happened before it. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, That is really a super interesting and even educating essay. I hope, many people will read it and then also think about the matter. But the whole matter is probably not much enjoyed by the Church, since it would practically eliminate the doctrine of a God created Earth, Universe and mankind. Even John Paul admitted, also at the CERN, that the bible is not a fact book when he was confronted with moon materiel which was ten thousand times older than the biblical time since God created the world. In the meantime, at least there have been no black holes created during the CERN experiment, the world is not swallowed, not even CERN which spent a gigantic amount for these experiments. About Germany atom-bombing New York, it was not very possible. Germany had no planes that could transport these old, heavy bombs over the Atlantic and no nearer basis, like the US in the Pacific to Japan and in England for bombing Germany. Of course, if the opportunity would have been there, it would have been done, already as a response to the terror bombings of Germany which should terrorize the civilians until they revolt against Hitler. It was only that it created a contrary reaction, hating those who bombed, burned and killed thousands and thousands of civilians near every day. It is a bit sad to say that near all the emigrating scientists who then developed the atom bomb, came from countries which would have been affected if the war would have been lasting longer. They prioritized science over humanity, even some of them, including the bomber pilot too, distanced themselves from the bombing and asked forgiveness for this wrong outcome of science. Very interesting, if really there would be some more dimensions have been found. Because whichever theory might be correct, there is always the question "if our universe is expanding, to where? Where is it in?' And even then, whatever could be a universe or contain an universe, always there must be something bigger around it. As it has been said already, our 3-dimensional brain cannot understand more dimensions, except maybe time as 4th dimension, where we also do not know really what is time. Maybe there will be a time in the future when computers, not based only on two electric conditions (on-off) anymore, can determine and make it understandable to human brains what are the higher dimensions. If the humans will not create black holes before this time... Regards and write more like this. Kurt Setschen (by email), Tagbilaran City/Switzerland, Sept. 13, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Renaissance Man Tony, This is a mind blowing article. I am thoroughly impressed on your scientific knowledge of cosmology. I have been quiet for several months but reading this outstanding science article I just had to write and congratulate you. Fascinating, simply fascinating.. Oscar Apostol, (by email), Rocklin, CA, Sept. 13, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, I enjoyed reading this article. Funny that when I was halfway through it, I recalled reading about CERN and its particle accelerator in Dan Brown's Angels and Demons and I immediately grabbed my copy to confirm and voila. I continued reading the article and to my delight you mentioned it right there. I love both The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. I can only say half as much for the movie version though. Well that goes for most novels turned into big screen features. Nevertheless, I still anticipate the movie version of Angels and Demons coming next year 2009 if only to see one of my favorite screen actors, Tom Hanks (the other being Anthony Hopkins), reprise his role as Robert Langdon. How they will make him younger looking on screen relying on the fact that Angels and Demons is a prequel to The Da Vinci Code. On another note, science and religion does collide often because of differences in ideology. Of course religion's underlying principle of faith and the existence of a God who created everything out of nothing should never be questioned. Why not is beyond me. Science on the other hand considers truth as fact after numerous conclusive tests. Now there lies the problem since the scientists themselves doesn't know what the outcome will be of their hypothesis, they can only speculate and hope, yes hope that the expected outcome will be the result of their experiments. If they did knew the outcome firsthand, why waste time in finding out? Anything can happen during these experiments. The outcome might be a spectacular wonder or a total catastrophe. Sometimes, and speaking not as a Catholic but as an ordinary human, I think physicists and scientists in various fields are playing God, that's why Santa Iglesia Catolica is adamant to most scientific proposals and findings. In the book Angels and Demons, physicist Leonardo Vetra, who also happens to be a priest, dreams of rectifying science with religion. Stating that science and religion are two compatible fields with two different approaches in finding the same truth. Truth. Interesting. Then what? In my cosmology, I subscribe to the existence of anything and everything in different planes of existence at the same exact moment. The corporeal measure of time in ones existence is but a fraction of what truly is, what was and what will be. In essence, there is no beginning nor end because you are living it and all that's in between, at the same time, on a given plane of consciousness, where nothing is predetermined because you are the one in control. Individual actions and decisions will greatly affect those around and vice versa on the assumption that everything and everyone is connected. In my cosmology, when a person or anything that has life dies or expires, the entity is not truly lost but simply moves that consciousness and being on a different plane. Ha, I'm no scientist nor theologian and can't claim I will be either one in this plane of existence but let them think about that for a moment and formulate theories to disprove or confirm this esoteric hypothesis, I can only imagine what wonders will open up. Sometimes, the science and religion of the absurd can stir up both healthy and unhealthy hypotheses. In the movie Oh, God, played by the late George Burns and the late John Denver, God, played by Burns appeared to Jerry Landers, played by Denver , to spread His word. Landers expressed his apprehension stating the fact that he is not religious. God said, "So am I." Funny, but if indeed we can have that opportunity, should we ask God what religion is favorable in His eyes? In a sequel to the movie entitled Oh, God! You Devil, George Burns played a dual role both as God and the devil (Harry O. Tophet � HOT). The character, Bobby Sheldon a young rock star, played by Ted Wass is ready and willing to sell his soul for the devil for fame and fortune. God intervenes since he was entrusted to be watched over by through a prayer by his mother when he was still a baby. God and the devil duke it out for Sheldon's soul in a game of poker. The devil lost even though he had better cards and he knew it but God's bluff made him fold. When he asked God why he folded and thus lost, God said, "I put all my fears in you." I say, the scriptwriters of both films are brilliant in simplifying something so complex that any religious denomination are willing to kill for. But reality bites that they were only movies and God was not the one really speaking. But who knows? After all, the bible and all its versions were written by men and women. That as it may, I still believe everything is connected in one form of another, science and religion aside. Whatever those scientist at CERN is up to, I hope that what you dread never happens for all of us living in this plane. Thank you for the interesting article, sir. Sincerely, Noi Ramirez, (by email), Manila, Sept. 14, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww How to write E=MC� Dear Tony, Here's how: In Windows, click on 1. Start 2. Programs 3. Accessories 4. System Tools 5. Character Map Once you've selected and copied the character, you can paste it wherever by pressing Control and the letter v. Louie Fernandez, (by email), New Jersey, Sept. 11, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, To get the C� you press alt, type0178 and you ge the exponent �. You type first E=MC then press alt, type 0178 and you will get E=MC� Renato Perdon, (by email), Sydney Australia, Sept. 11, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww In Microsoft Word, to show "2" as an exponent in "E=MC2", first highlight the "2" with using your cursor, then click Format, click Font, then, under Effects, check the box before "superscript", and finally, click "OK" and you will now see E=MC2. So "exponent" is the same as "superscript" which I am sure you writers are so familiar of. Jun Manzano, (by email), Sept. 11, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More Reactions to "Is McCain Senile?" (Sept. 02, 2008) Tony, Who ever makes the U.S. presidency will have an effect on all of us. You not only have the right but an obligation in your journalistic activity to get the views of those who will be affected. I hate to think of the person who sent that hate mail in your latest article - one Brian Allison - as a fellow American - if such he is. I feel that I should apologize to you and to your readers for such a racial and religious bigot. I only hope is not much of a representative of the Republican party. R. Stager, (by email), Quezon City, Sept. 07, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hey, Allison, for as long as your forked-tongue bushwhackers mess around our little corrupt island like the lousy neo-colonialists they are, then we can say all we want about your corrupt continent. We don't even come close to the mess you've made of yourselves and the world. On second thought, why bother with ignoramuses like you. You don't know shit. Raffy Alunan, (by email), Sept. 07, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Amazing how rude and intolerant these guys are. And they are not even with the egroup. Well, there is always Larry Henares who once said that they are the only guys who went through "barbarism to decadence without the benefit of being civilized!" Ric Ramos, (by email), Santa Rosa, Laguna, Sept 08, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww The difference between USA and the Philippines politics insulates the "GOd Bless America nation." The checks and balance always win the day for the country. USA will survive no matter who the president is. The legislative, judicial and executive branches of the government may hit a snag separately but not all at the same time. One breaks the law, and the law will eventually catch up with the lawbreaker in time. And don't fool around with the IRS. Al Capone tried it and he died in Alcatraz. The comments given to your article are colored by the political leanings of the commentators, and cannot be taken as the barometer. After all is said and done, come November and the McCain-Palin ticket will emerge victorious. It cannot be guaranteed and it will not be a runaway. By the way, I am a registered Democrat. Ben Oteyza, (by email), Sept 07, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Judging from the replies, it is probably safe to assume most of your readers are democrats. The 2008 US elections is slowly but surely degenerating into a personality driven politics, Philippine style. Has anyone bothered to read between the lines of each news flash from the cable news networks? As Fred Siegel, a professor of history had mentioned on his article about this election, the liberals who for 40 years have advocated the view that a career is not an impediment to being a good mother has in the case of Sarah Palin, done a 180 degree turn. On the other hand, the conservatives who have always made an issue of premarital sex and the rise of teen pregnancies, have now done their own 180 degree turn in saying these don't matter. Or for that matter the McCain campaigns emphasis on experience against Obama and the Obama's campaign defense of judgement trumps experience doing their own 180 degree turn on Sarah Palin, where the Obamites now proclaim experience does matter and the McCain campaign now proclaiming the opposite. Are the American youth who are vigorously urged to vote in this election, reading or watching beyond Access Hollywood and Eentertainment for a more informed decision on who they will vote for? It's absolutely alright to investigate the background of Sarah Palin because she is running for the second highest office of the land. In the same way, it is also absolutely necessary to investigate the background of Obama because he is running for the highest office of the land. Sure you can mention that Sarah's husband had a DUI twenty years ago, at the same time Obama was taking drugs. Sarah Palin has a pregnant teenaged daughter. Okay, now can someone explain to me what Obama was doing serving in the same board as Weatherman Ayers? If we are going to dig up muck, lets make it an equal opportunity digging. McCain voted with Bush 90% of the time. Obama voted present 130 times. McCain has more or less proven he can vote against his own party. Will Obama do the same? Can someone provide an example when he voted against his own party's interests? These are legitimate questions. Let's all take a deep breath and talk about the issues. Like energy independence and how to solve the mortgage mess for instance. My fellow Americans. As a US citizen who grew up in the Philippines, don't let sound bytes and emotions dictate your vote. Believe me, you don't want elections, Philippine style, where the dumbest actors who can memorize a script can become a senator or worse a president. I'll take a town mayor over an actor anytime. Lino Ongteco, (by email), Sept. 07, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, I tend to share the views of many political pundits here in New York that McCain's hand was forced to go to Sarah, a relatively unknown mayor of a small town of Alaska (population less than 7000 and not close to 9000) and one term governor of Alaska) because the conservatives were against pro-abortion choices like Tom Ridge. McCain really wanted Lieberman out of friendship (a traitor to the Democratic Party) but the conservative-based wing of the Republican Party prevailed. To believe that Sarah would be able to get the extremely partisan Hillary voters to switch and favor her is far-fetched. Maybe Sarah will be able to siphon some of those dissatisfied Hillary voters but not that much, for the simple reason that Sarah does not share the same ideology as Hillary (that attracted thousands of women voters) nor do they share the same view that Palin has the experience, judgment and temperament to step in the event something happens to the President- elect. Old people take time to decide (and that scares me if I had a senile President). McCain did not have the luxury of time to make wise choices before the convention and he settled for Sarah (by the way there were many Republican women senators that McCain could have picked, but he didn't) Was Sarah the right or the wrong choice? Only time will tell. If you had viewed the Republican Convention on CNN, both Sarah and John had all rhetorics but short of specifics or policies. McCain cries: "Change is coming" but he failed to provide the how. Dr. Nestor Baylan, (by email), New York City, Sept. 08, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww You question, Mr. Abaya, can not be correctly answered by any one except a doctor or a panel of physicians who have examined McCain thoroughly. All the rest of us who give opinions are merely spouting conjecture. Sir, this guy won his nomination over strong rivals, mind you, some of whom also raised the question of senility. So please, we should not, I believe, entertain kuro-kuro (opinions) which are not based on FACTS. Lionel Tierra, (by email), Sacramento, CA, Sept. 08, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww McCain, Cinderella's human godfather, is 72. Sarah Palin, a fundamentalist Christian: US President? Expect a booming response from fundamentalists of other religions. Muslims, in particular. Eustaquio Joven, (by email), Sept. 08, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Since you are a Liberal, you obviously support the Democrats like the US media who are lossing integrity lately. (I support neither McCain nor Obama. ACA) You believe in Obama's speech and propaganda machine but have not reviewed his records which is not that impressive. Many times he cannot make a decision, always abstaining to vote. Or was he attending the senate session without reading his homework that is why he dont know what to vote. Or does he know the difference between a YES & a NO. Review his Senate voting record, there you will see the likelihood of a young Marcos who only cares about his career and his elite group who supported him. He even abstain to the promotion of Petreaus to General. General Petreaus is a non partisan, professional soldrier with post graduate in a highly respected Princeton University. Paying this Senator our tax money is a waste. Many Filipnos love to see him on the lossing bench. He started writing his memoir book "Audacity of ..." in the early 90s because he already saw himself aspiring for the Presidential post. http://obama.senate.gov/votes/ McCain may not be the right candidate for the Presidency but Obama is worst than McCain. I have no choice but to vote for the less worst. Nonoy Ramos, (by email), Pennsylvania, Sept. 08, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Good Morning Tony, The morning news here in USA are teeming with the positive Palin factor in favor of the Republicans. On the contrary, Win or lose, it appears that McCain is not senile but what he did was a genius master stroke. He stole the on going thunder of the Obama express by taking Sarah on his ticket. It's still a few more weeks before the Nov. elections but if the trend continues, well, the rest will be history. Desperate, Obama is now personally taking on Sarah which is the job of his VP candidate Sen. Biden. It only confirms that Obama is a lightweight nurturing a bloated ego of a political amateur. Many saw that ignoring Hillary was the height of his arrogance and misplaced deluded self confidence. Serves him right: Mark Enriquez, (by email), Pomona, CA, Sept. 11, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More Reactions to "Kosovo in Mindanao" (Sept. 04, 2008) I wonder.......wat will happen to Mindanao? It has oil, lots of minerals, etc.. Mindanao is so rich....POLITICS is killing it.....sayang talga ang PILIPINAS! Patrick Pantaleon, (by email), Makati City, Sept. 13, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww To Mr. Joven, Thanks for your comments. I have been in favor of federalism for many years until this day. But federalism is simply a means to an end. If you have greedy politicians and subjects who only think of themselves, nothing will change, even if we shift to federalism. I repeat, we need a change in our hearts and minds -- and adherence to true Christianity (as opposed to lip-service Christianity) is the answer. I do not believe in Senator Pimentel. I do not believe in most of our political leaders. But I agree about 90% with Mr. Tony Abaya. Col Hector (Tarzan) Tarrazona (Ret.), (by email), Sept. 13, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww YES TONY, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH MR. ALUNAN! I"M ALSO A NEGRENSE. GOD BLESS US ALL FROM THIS PRESENT ADMINISTRATION. THANK YOU Alberto Miciano, (by email), Sept. 13, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, Regarding your comment on my reaction that Deuterium in Mindanao is a hoax. Well, then, I don't know who started the hoax if indeed it is, but the underlying factor is that the government has not been transparent with its dealings that will affect the general population unless otherwise exposed by a napag-iwanan sa partihan. The mere fact that this culture of our leaders helping themselves while in office is the one thing that hampers our growth as a country and as a people. An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics. Plutarch Noi Ramirez, (by email), Sept. 14, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More Reactions to "Mindanao Peace or in Pieces" (Sept. 09, 2008) Tony, I still have faith in our people and in their basic desire for goodness. Most though would need enlightenment on which has a far-reaching effect on the things that are good for the majority versus that which is good only for themselves, exclusive of others. The problem with the ill effects of self-serving agenda is that the karma comes quite long. The pragmatic majority must find a way to prevent the self serving bastards to sit in the peace panel much so be part of governance. Our people must be led by example. May I suggest that our leaders take a journey within, no matter how long and painful it will be. Then make ammends with little victories by their conscience. The desired end may not come in our lifetime, but surely we know that what matters most in life is the journey itself, not the end. Dodi Canete, (by email), Davao City, Sept. 17, 2008 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to [email protected]. Tony on YouTube in www.tapatt.org. To subscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. |