The earth's temperature is continuously increasing

 Raj Kumar

The earth's temperature is continuously increasing. Forests are being cut down continuously due to greed, as a result of which the earth is getting hotter and the roads are also breaking down.

What Truths Do We Hold?

"Assertions to bear" usually refers to bringing facts or emphatic statements forward to prove a point. Depending on context, it could mean citing evidence to back up a claim, the rules used in software testing, or management claims in financial audits.

We love to complain! Many times we don't have reasons at all to do so - but, we love to complain. Especially nowadays. Our world is full of mess - isn't it? Of course, somehow it is indeed if you look around.

We bring many more assertions to bear: first, in the past we have been thriftier and economical, more religious and devout, more patriotic, industrious, more hard-working, keen and obedient. And, second, above everything and all: in the past we had more idealists. Third, nowadays we have (mostly?) material things in mind - what a disgrace. 

Materialists or idealists? Materialism or Idealism? Whom or what do you love? Love most?

I just quoted Vox Populi... .

A "materialist" has indeed become a swear word. I don't mean with "material" the accumulated data out of which a writer creates a work of literary, historical, or scientific value. A materialist is being easily described as someone with an attitude, who ignores spiritual values, compared with an idealist, who has the tendency to seek the highest spiritual perfection.

Idealism means the doctrine that appearance is purely the perception, the idea of subjects, and that the world is to be regarded as consisting of mind. The coquetry of higher philosophy makes it difficult to bear the ups and downs in our daily life.

Sure, we all know that "our last earthly dress has no pockets  any more". Striving for earthly and terrestrial possession, property and estate might be the hit-man of idealism. That's how we have been taught. "Wine, women and song", having the unpleasant feeling of fullness, egoism and bragging as well as showing-off - are these the materialist's real attitudes?

Is the idealist, many times not being able to stand on earth with both feet, the only one who occupies himself with religion and virtuousness - so to speak, with celestial and heavenly things? Is that really so? Can we make such a distinction? Sure, it's easy to do so: it's manageable and comfortable. But well, why is the enjoyment of having a tasty meal BAD, and listening to a recital composed by Johann Sebastian Bach BETTER? Why should art be better than roasted pork and a bottle of wine? Value judgements and moral concepts... .

Owning a house and lot and a car  - or even more then one - are earthly properties, as well as bank saving accounts, profitable insurances, and invest advantageously in stocks. Is a terrible underpaid nurse or a book author an idealist, because he or she doesn't work for the filthy lure but for higher values? 

Has Jesus been an idealist, because He accepted renunciation and died without terrestrial possession? Has Jesus been a materialist, because He fed thousands of people on the breadline? Are we idealists, if we bequeath nothing to our families and might die without a single centavo, because earthly things are bad?

Worth to think about it ... .

Christ meets us in our doubts

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

THE story of the doubting Thomas brings to light the phenomenon about doubts in our Christian faith. We should not be surprised by it. We know that doubts about our faith can easily rise in our mind for a number of reasons.

Why do we doubt sometimes? Because our capacity to know things well is hampered by a number of limitations and factors. We tend to depend too much on our senses, we can commit mistakes in our reasoning, we can have biases that color the way we see things, we are dealing with things spiritual and supernatural that are beyond our natural powers of knowing, etc.

We cannot deny that we can have some doubts, for example, about who Christ is and what he is to us. These days in the world in general, we can see strong evidence of a culture of skepticism, agnosticism, religious indifferentism, if not, outright atheism.

This should come as no surprise to us because even during the time of Christ, many of the supposedly religious leaders were skeptical of him and were often suspicious of him, always trying to find fault in him.

The quick reason for that phenomenon is that the person of Christ is largely shrouded by mysteries that are difficult if not impossible for us to understand fully. That he is both God and man, that he was brought to earth through a virgin birth, are just some of the mysteries many people do not even bother to consider.

There are, of course, many other reasons. Many people are lazy and do not bother to know Christ, let alone, study the gospels. And even the Bible is considered by many people as a mere collection of myths and legends. And we can go on and on with reasons for the lack of interest in Christ.

But what we can do is first of all really to pray, to humble ourselves, realizing that the question about Christ is a matter of faith which is a supernatural gift that can only be appreciated by us if we are humble enough to accept and correspond to that gift. Of course, Christ can strike a most powerful grace to convert a person instantly into a man of faith, much like what happened to St. Paul also.

What we should do is to be humble to acknowledge these limitations and be guarded against them. Specifically, we should be humble enough to ask God for that gift of faith which he is all too willing to give us. And from there, we should just have to make many acts of faith in God and in things related to him, even as we study the doctrine of our faith, trying to assimilate them in our life. 

This way we would be imitating the attitude of many of the Biblical characters, especially like Our Lady who, in spite of not fully understanding how she was going to be the Mother of God, simply said “Be it done to me according to your word.”

But let’s remember that Christ is not scandalized by our doubts. He may reproach us for them, but he will not remain indifferent to that wounded condition of ours. Like in the case of St. Thomas, Christ would be willing to clarify them for us in his own mysterious ways.

In short, our doubts should spur us some more to get closer to God rather than to run away from him. That’s why we need to be humble.

Why do German umlauts have such a big impact on pronunciation and meaning, and what are some funny examples where this has caused confusion?

 

Why do German umlauts have such a big impact on pronunciation and meaning, and what are some funny examples where this has caused confusion?

In German, two tiny dots over a vowel are the only thing standing between printing a document and trying to cuddle it.

English speakers often view these dots as a mere typographic decoration or a rock band's branding choice, but an umlaut completely changes the phonetic identity of a letter. The dots are not an optional accent; they signify an entirely distinct vowel sound.

Historically, umlauts arose from a linguistic process called i-mutation. Hundreds of years ago, Germanic speakers naturally started shifting their pronunciation of back vowels (a, o, u) further forward in the mouth when anticipating an 'i' or 'j' sound later in the word. Over time, these blended sounds became permanent fixtures of the language. Scribes originally denoted this shift by writing a tiny "e" above the affected vowel, which eventually simplified into the two dots used today. Because of this phonetic evolution, "u" and "ü" sound as distinctly different to a native German ear as "a" and "e" do to an English speaker.

Grammatically, umlauts are heavy lifters. They frequently denote crucial structural changes, such as turning a singular noun into a plural (like Apfel to Äpfel) or shifting a verb into the subjunctive mood. Failing to pronounce them does not just result in a thick foreign accent; it creates an entirely different word, often leading to humorous misunderstandings for language learners.

Some classic examples of umlaut-induced confusion include:

• The weather report: Schwül means humid or muggy, while schwul translates to gay. A tourist trying to complain about sticky summer weather might accidentally declare, "Es ist sehr schwul draußen" (It is very gay outside).
• Self-confidence: Schon means "already," whereas schön means "beautiful." A learner trying to say "I am already finished" might trip over the vowels and proudly announce, "Ich bin schön" (I am beautiful).
• Office struggles: Drucken means to print, and drücken means to push, press, or hug. Telling a colleague you want to "drücken" a document implies you plan to physically squeeze or cuddle the paper rather than send it to the office printer.

Mastering the subtle shape of the mouth required for ä, ö, and ü is essential for anyone studying German, as those two tiny dots dictate both the grammatical function and the exact reality of what is being said.

Hot money returned to PH debt in May; stock selling slowed

 

BY IAN NICOLAS P. CIGARAL

JULY 2, 2026

Flighty foreign funds returned to government securities in May, while outflows from Philippine equities eased as investor sentiment improved after the United States and Iran stepped up diplomatic efforts following weeks of heightened tensions.

Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas showed that foreign portfolio investment (FPI) inflows registered with the central bank had exceeded inflows by $232 million for the month, reversing two straight months of net withdrawals.

THE WAY OF THE WORLD

 

William Congreve’s The Way of the World (1700) is a famous Restoration comedy of manners. It follows the witty and urbane Edward Mirabell, who must navigate a complex web of secret affairs, blackmail, and deception to marry his beloved Millamant and secure her £6,000 dowry from her strict aunt, Lady Wishfort. 

The Way Of The World is considered to be one of the most remarkable works of Comedy of Manners. These Comedies of Manners were quite in vogue during the Restoration period. Sheridan and Oscar Wilde also use this genre in their writings.

Sometimes, we might ask ourselves: What is the sense of doing this and that? What is the meaning of life? I am sure, each and every one of us looks for a good life. 

When you’re struggling in life, take assurance in the fact that everyone else struggles like you do. We may not have similar struggles, but it’s still a struggle nonetheless. If struggles didn’t exist, we’d have no way to appreciate the beauty and wonders of life.

Sometimes, we seem to remain very optimistic. We think it’s easy to always find a good life. Most of the time, we are in doubt or, we even choose to be unhappy without any reason at all. To wake up in the morning with pessimism and fall asleep at night, dissatisfied and unhappy – yes, that makes life miserable.

Face it: Living a good life is not living a life without problems. Living a good life comes from acknowledging, facing, and then transcending each problem as it comes. If you let the problems get you down, you’ll always be down. Choose instead to let the problems get you up, get you going, and get you working on solving them

On the other hand: Without happiness and satisfaction there is indeed no space for peace in our hearts and minds. Therefore there is no domestic harmony and logically, no peace on earth. The meaning of happiness is trying to manage life even with big problems, difficulties and trials. I learned this from Filipinos after staying in the Philippines as an expatriate for good since 1999.I was really surprised to experience mutual happiness, friendship, love, unity and communal spirit with relatives  in my surroundings. Even during the really not easy last three years. 

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Of course, I also found myself in very negative situations. I observed people, who seem to live an easy go lucky way of life. But, they were like actors and actresses on stage, wearing incredible masks and pretending to be what they are not. 

Hence, in Greek, they are the so-called hypocrites. Maybe also you and I belong to them from time to time. Fear of rejection or displeasure of other people are becoming our daily friends. In society, it’s called “good public relations”. Politely greeting and smiling with a set of purpose: to win them there for business.

William Congreve (1670-1729), English dramatist  shaped the English comedy of manners through his brilliant comic dialogue, his satirical portrayal of the war of the sexes, and his ironic scrutiny of the affectations of his age. His major plays were The Old Bachelor (1693), The Double-Dealer (1693), Love for Love (1695), and The Way of the World (1700).In his “Preface to Dryden”, he wrote: No mask like open truth to cover lies as to go naked is the best disguise. 

So, what really counts for us in life? Success? Power? Strength? Money? Is it contentment? Is it peace on earth? Is it peace in our homes? Zest for life?

Let us go through life’s journey: From time to time, we have been babies bubbling like a brook on the first blush of spring. We hurried up, unaware of problems and troubles, being unconscious of time, as adults we worried and became conscious of money. Then, suddenly, we looked at our faces, the first wrinkles, and the bald patch on the forehead, the first grey hair. We observed our teeth falling out and our eyeglasses got thicker and our bones crack here and there. 

We start the familiar line: “When I was young… .” And we realize our mortality. Death could knock at our door any time. We feel humbled. We have mellowed. 

Have I done no wrong? Have I been selfless or selfish? Have I been mission-oriented since then? Have I lived a life worthy in God’s eyes? What really counted for me? Ano ang mahalaga? Paniniwala? Pag-asa? O kaya pagbibigayan at pagtutulungan?

Who blinks first?

BY MANUEL L. QUEZON, III

JULY 1, 2026

Aveteran journalist put in words what most political observers were thinking yesterday, as members of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) swarmed Edsa-White Plains Avenue early in the morning: “Now we’ll find out who runs the country—Marcos or Manalo.” The Palace informed the press that President Marcos was canceling his engagements for the day to “monitor the situation,” followed by an exchange of statements: the INC declaring it opposed charges against Sen. Rodante Marcoleta as “selective justice” and a “distortion of the law,” and the Palace warning the public not to be taken in by cults.

By early afternoon, after an earlier rain shower had literally dampened the proceedings, reporters said the rally site had emptied out. While one ex-cop, Nicolas Torre III, had people clapping again when, in his capacity as general manager of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, he simply started having vehicles blocking the road towed away, the Philippine National Police itself seemed less dynamic.

The PNP seems to have been either taken by surprise by the mass mobilization or slow in responding to it, and once it heaved into action, seemed inclined to continue on the basis of sheer momentum: it had declared itself on full alert as far as Regions III and IV-A, suggesting it expected reinforcements to the rally, when reporters were airing video of the empty rally stage.