It's less than 20 hours to 2010. For the past month or so Filipinos have been celebrating the holiday season like there's no tomorrow (seems like everyone has lots of money these days). Tonight, I expect another display of fireworks firepower that will rival a small war. The sonic fury and visual display from a fireworks-crazy nation is sure to terrorize small animals once more ;-) I know that once again we have to cuddle up with our dogs who are terrified of fireworks. Let's stay safe... don't use dangerous illegal firecrackers and don't shoot guns in the air. And remember:

Always thank God Almighty for His blessings and Love your neighbors.

I wish everyone a Happy and Prosperous 2010!

By the way, the start of the Biblical New Year is the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) which every Christian should also celebrate. 


Edit 10/7/2011: As true Christians,  I now believe that we should have no more part in the observance of the modern Roman-calendar New Year celebrations (and any other non-Biblical celebrations the world observes). The Bible teaches that the true New Year is on the first month (Abib) of the Hebrew calendar and the Spiritual New Year (Spiritual renewing) is on the seventh month (Ethanim) of the Hebrew calendar.

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I spend hours in the supermarket, more than any other person I know. It's not that I just like hanging out in the air conditioned mall - it's because I read product labels carefully. I also observe the buying habits of Filipinos. I noticed that the majority never bother knowing what they are ingesting. They just buy what's cheap and tastes good. People don't know that whatever their ailments are, it probably came from the food they ate. Lifestyle diseases like cancer and diabetes are very prevalent these days, so much more than in our grandparent's time. The popularity of fast food, instant snacks and the like are causing people to eat bad things. Among the things most Filipinos buy that's not good for them: instant noodles(has many artificial ingredients), polished rice, refined sugar, canned or processed meats, pork products, artificial drinks  - all are cheap and in good supply. Even cosmetics and lotions are not spared, most contain harmful substances too.

Did you know that some food additives that were banned elsewhere are being sold with our food? For example BHA, which was banned in other countries, yet I found this in margarines, cheese hotdogs, and many other items. Then there's Sodium Nitrite, this is linked to cancer yet it's in the hotdogs and canned meats kids love. There are many more such things including BHT, MSG (locally known as vetsin), and artificial sweeteners like saccharin, acesulfame-k, aspartame, - too many to list everything here. Some of these artificial sweeteners are actually claiming to be healthy substitutes!

Most doctors are not much help in the area of advising  people what to eat. I've seen many doctors and most lack knowledge when it comes to nutrition. I knew one that even said smoking was good for you :-( And another that said that these poisons won't affect you when taken in small quantities! Then there are conflicting studies that say they are harmless. Come on, who can predict each individual's body tolerance? Why do we gamble with people's health just to make a buck? Are we to wait until we have a terrible disease before we act?

If we read our Bibles, you will notice that God even advises us what to eat and not to eat (also Deut 8:8). And these do not include artificial and chemical ingredients. Some would debate that these verses are obsolete because Jesus "cleaned" all food - Read your Bible friends - God never takes back any fact he says. The error comes from an out-of-context reading of Acts:11 and Mark 7:19 . Anyway, the point is, let us be responsible (even religious) in what we consume. More so with what we feed our children. I can't blame people for buying these things specially because of the economic difficulties (since healthy food tends to be much more costly), but we must stop and think - what's more expensive? eat the right foods now or be hospitalized (or dead) later?

Further reading from CNN
also here 

Excuse the bad pic it was taken in the supermarket :-)

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 I'm a movie buff. I love watching flicks at the theater and with my home setup. My family's taste may not be the same as the general public (or critics) so keep in mind that this is my personal opinion and nothing more. Our likes range from loud, effects-filled movies to dramas and everything in between. Movies released in 2009 that are not on the list were not enjoyable to me and my family or we haven't seen it yet (will update the list if there are additions before 2010). The list is not ranked but listed alphabetically since I probably will spend an awful lot of time debating with myself as to which will be #1 :-)

• 9 - Wow this was good. Post-apocalyptic-themed animation. Makes you think.
  
  
• 12 Rounds -  Cop and bad-guy action like Die Hard. I didn't expect to like a WWE Studios film but I stand corrected.
  
  
• Aliens in the Attic - Good family flick with aliens. Loved the "Nana" deathmatch scene, reminds me of the Yoda vs Dooku scene in Attack of the Clones :-)
  
  
• Angels & Demons - I'm not Roman Catholic but the religious, historical, and mystery themes of this movie were very interesting. Spoiler Ahead - This had a nice plot with a twist I didn't expect: Obi Wan going to the Dark Side :-)
  
  
• Coraline - Good dark-themed animation with a visual style like Corpse Bride and The Nightmare Before Christmas.
  
  
• District 9 - I love sci-fi, and I enjoyed this very much. I really felt sorry for the main character and the prawns. The film portrayed a complex racism theme while using aliens.
  
  
• G-force - This was just plain silly fun. All because of adorable 3D CGI rodents!
  
  
• G.I. Joe - Loved the G.I.Joe cartoon when I was a kid. Felt like a kid again. Looking forward to the sequel. Yo Joe!
  
  
• Knowing - Hard to describe but enjoyed it. It took some Biblical Apocalyptic themes and mixed it with Aliens.
  
  
• Moon - A bit slow but very engaging sci-fi mystery. Deals with morality issues. Reminds me of 2001 and 2010. The serene but lonely depths of space.
  
  
• Night at the Museum 2 - We're divided with this one. Comments range from "too long" to "too many characters". But it earns it's place here because of the 300 slo-mo action spoof by the Roman Centurion guy - gotta love it!
  
  
• Race to Witch Mountain - It's got The Rock , UFOs and alien super-kids, enough said.
  
  
• Star Trek - Next to Star Wars and Galactica this is my other favorite sci-fi franchise. I hope this alternate future reboot brings on more sequels. Live long and prosper!
  
  
• Terminator Salvation - Apart from having Batman constantly come to mind and the movie having an end, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. With it's GNR strains and Arnie CGI look-alike  I'm very satisfied. Waiting for the next installment. I'll be back...
  
  
• Terra - I believe this was from 2007 but released here this year. This was a good CGI movie, loved the expressive eyes of the aliens. It had a sad ending but was very nice. Reminds me of Titan A.E.
  
  
• The Tournament - This probably slipped under most people's radars. Unfortunate because fans of gun-play action will like this one.
  
  
• Transformers 2 - Liked the first installment and I liked this one too. Loved the cartoons when I was a kid and desperately hoped someone will give me the toys! Unfortunately imported toys were too expensive back then :-(  -Autobots, roll out!
  
  
• Underworld: Rise of the Lycans - Ok this is actually the prequel of the Underworld series. Nice lighting and action my only wish was for more epic battles.
  
  
• Watchmen - I wasn't familiar with the Watchmen until I saw the film. Nice story, action, and music selection!
  
  
• Wolverine - The origin of Wolverine. Very memorable title sequence. Loved the sword play.

12/31/2009 Update: movies I enjoyed watching since the original posting:

• 2012 - End times movie. Does not conform to the Biblical prophecies but still good to watch for entertainment purposes. Lots of great effects and a good story.
  
  
• Ghosts of Girlfriends Past - Nice feel good movie.
  
  
• Pandorum - At first I thought it was a Dead Space clone but the story and premise drew me in and kept my interest until the end. Very good sci-fi mystery. Reminds me of the scary Event Horizon.
  
  
• Up - Before we watched it, the premise was uninteresting to me. I didn't think I would like it but it was a hit for us. A bittersweet story of a boy, a girl, and a dream.
  

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It's the first day of December. We are again bombarded by reminders from merchants peddling their wares, each one trying to get a slice of our holiday budgets. From TV ads, to holiday music in malls, we are constantly reminded that to be happy this season we must spend, give, and receive. Although there's nothing blatantly wrong with this, businesses must make a profit after all, but I am worried that some people forget the true reason for the season - The Lord Jesus Christ's birth.

I am a religious man and read my KJV Bible systematically. Most of you probably know that the true date of the Lord's birth is unknown (EDIT 9/24/10 we now know it with reasonable certainty) and the current date of December 25 is linked to former pagan holidays. But I think we must keep in mind what is being celebrated in the here and now. If all Christians moved the date to the most probable time of year, I would be a very happy man, but let us accept that this probably won't happen unless the majority of Christians actually begin to read their Bibles.

From my readings I believe the Lord was born sometime during the Feast of Trumpets. I also believe that He will return during one of these Feasts (which heralds the coming of the King - the last trump) and will coincide with a Jubilee year (acceptable year of the Lord). God is, after all, the foremost mathematician I know. The Feast of Trumpets is celebrated on September or October - where ever it falls in the Jewish Calendar.

Am I saying that we boycott the current Christmas holiday date? Not at all. My personal belief about this is that Christians are celebrating this as the Lord's birth - not some long forgotten pagan holiday. (EDIT 9/24/10 But now that we can determine His true birth date, there is no reason to continue the false one except maybe to use as a witnessing opportunity). What I am saying is let us remember the true Christmas and get rid of all the pagan trimmings (I'll leave that bit for you to research). Let us learn about the Lord and his reason for coming as a man (to save man from the wages of his sin). Let us love the Lord with all our hearts (which will inevitably mean to follow his commandments and will). Let us spend quality time with our families and friends this Christmas. Let us love our neighbors and enemies. It's OK to give gifts to our loved ones specially kids - but do we remember to give to our Lord who is the original recipient of Christmas gifts? What can we possibly give the Almighty? I say let us give our allegiance to Him, surrender our lives and will DAILY, that is, accept Him as Lord and Savior - otherwise it would be pointless commercialism (paganism?) to celebrate Christmas.




Note: I am currently not a member of any denomination. Past experience with oppressive cult-like behavior from our former congregations prevents me from joining any group at this time - until I have read the Word completely with God's help (so I will not be fooled again by false teachers).  I am simply a Christian who reads his Bible now.

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After nearly five years, my sleek, slot-loading Philips DVP5100k DVD player died. It just stopped reading discs one day. It was a sad day because the player was so customizable. You can even flash it with modified firmware that adds many features (you may have to run the site thru a translator).

But it was also a happy day because I get to buy new gear ;-) One thing's certain, it would have to be a Philips branded player since it served me so well. Ok, I hear good things about upscaling tech. The chips in these new players are said to approach near-HD quality so I have to have that feature. It must also have HDMI and USB2.0 connectivity. Oh and I hope it also has the EQ settings of my old player and can play DivX and Xvid without problems.

So I went looking for a good replacement. Some of the usual top names are on display but I wanted my Philips. Finally, I found a good candidate: the Philips DVP3360k. It has all the features I wanted and was within my budget so I went and bought it. (Note: to my Filipino countrymen, if you're buying from Abenson's check the online price first. I encountered a branch that had significantly higher prices than quoted in their website. After I mentioned it they promptly reduced the price - very suspicious. Beware and be smart)

So how does it perform? ...Very Good! Let me elaborate...

• HDMI output - gives better colors (cleaner) on my Panny 42PV80H plasma (I should do a review of that TV too)
• Upscaling - not night and day difference but it's there. It really does appear sharper to my eyes.
• USB2.0 - very quick reading of a flash drive. Haven't tried an external hard drive yet. This port will keep the player useful even after it's main drive has failed.
  
• DivX/Xvid - Works good but doesn't decode GMC (I think the majority doesn't) and sometimes chokes on high bitrate Packed Bitstreams. Overall, very compatible and DivX Ultra Certified.
• Options - has everything my old player had except "Virtual Surround" -no biggie. It also has this added feature of ripping an Audio CD straight to the flash drive!
  
• Noise - it has this soft cat-like noise while it's reading but again no biggie :-)
  
• Plays it all - it has a very tolerant DVD drive like my old player. It reads and plays almost anything I put in it. Scratched discs, DVD+R, DVD-R, CDR, MP3 discs, etc, even cheap and thin-foiled Jack Sparrow edition discs work fine :-)
• Flashable - the unit also has upgradable firmware but at the moment I am not aware of any custom firmware for it.
• Screenfit - this feature auto crops the black borders when the movie and TV has different aspect ratios. Works good but unfortunately it's for DVDs only. AVI files like DivX/Xvid are limited to the regular zoom modes which crops a lot from the picture (minimum is 2x zoom). Not a big thing for me since I like to see the whole frame and seldom crop them. Besides, my TV also has cropping options (but with more blurry results).
• Karaoke - we don't use this function but it's there if you need it.
  

Things I'd change: Make the sound EQ settings accessible to DivX/Xvid. At the moment, you need to have an MP3's disc loaded to change the EQ, this is because the DivX/Xvid files use the "Audio" EQ setting, not the "Movie" EQ setting. It's a small problem because you just have to set it up once. Also, I'd like to have a small door for the usb port or at least a rubber plug. These are minor and not deal breakers.

So... should you buy it? - If you're on the market for a replacement DVD player and have no plans yet to move to Blu-ray, it's a good choice. Of course there are better DVD players having sharper upscaling but they cost 2-3 times the price of this player and I don't know if they're this tolerant with disc quality. The Philips DVP3360K is a good buy and I hope it lasts at least as long as it's predecessor.


Also read this... there is an interesting comment about the chip in the unit from B.Pritchard

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