Good Morning Judge: Ours is a Smaller World

WE have been here in the U.S. for the last three weeks and a half and it simply feels good and nice to be bonding with my children and grandchildren here. We were in Las Vegas for four days last weekend and re-visited the places we went to two years ago. It was quite hot here (110 deg.f) so we were out mostly in the evening as most of the visitors and tourists here. While strolling along, one generally loses the sense of time, that’s why perhaps casino-restaurants like the The Venecian, New York New York and all other casinos here do not have windows. I need not say how much I lost or won while playing the slot machine and the baccarat I do not know if I have already shared this with you in my previous write-up in this column but I have noted that the U.S. has become what I may call a “cash-less society” in the sense that all purchases and other commercial transactions here are paid either thru credit or debit cards. Perhaps it only goes to show how responsible people here are with respect to the use of credit/debit cards like the Visa card or other internationally recognized credit cards. Even in checking out of the hotel, the guests need not go to the front desk for the purpose as there are check-out machines in one of the corners of the lobby where a guest can just push the button for check-out then your account balance appears on the screen, insert your credit card and your receipt just slides out of the machine. Another thing I noted even as I did before, with the use of the Global Positioning System (GPS), police patrol cars are rarely seen along the freeways and highways except when there is a vehicular accident. Speed limits are strictly observed as one drives along the four-way lanes freeway. The GPS directs the driver by voice prompt either to turn to the left or right or proceed at a particular distance or announces when nearing the place of his destination. I have read that before l995, the use of GPS was limited for military use only. It was in l995 that the NAVSTAR GPS program was made available for use by the general public. At this time the program has 24 satellites fully operational. Indeed, this is how far our technology has advanced and it did not only make our world smaller, it also made our personal/business transactions easier. TRIVIA: A lot of thanks to brod Joe Bolo for your info about events happening in Naga. I also monitor the same thru VIBER and from our daughter Pinky who often calls us from Naga. See you soon. Regards to the members of the USBA particularly Totoy Reorizo, Tony (Neoton) Factora, Mitoy San Jose, Tony Martirez and others. See you this coming Saturday at Totoy’s residence. QUOTATION OF THE WEEK: “IT IS DIFFICULT TO SAY WHAT IS IMPOSSIBLE, FOR THE DREAM OF YESTERDAY IS THE HOPE OF TODAY AND THE REALITY OF TOMORROW.” ROBERT H. GODDARD FOR OUR WORD OF LIFE: “BEHOLD, THE LORD’S HAND IS NOT SHORTENED, THAT IT CANNOT SAVE, OR HIS EAR DULL, THAT IT CANNOT HEAR.” PSALM 59:1