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Netnet Camomot

THE gadgets are now updating again to a higher level, and the technologically challenged has to adjust again with the new features.

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I’m the type who used to panic with a desktop way back in the early 21st century—more particularly, in 2003—when the monitor went black. I texted my bro: The monitor is black! He replied, Turn it on. Me: How? He: There’s this button at the bottom…

The gadgets’ keyboards now have more automatic prompts which delay the typing process. For example, I type “are,” and it suggests “arte.”

But that’s the least of our troubles. The Marawi siege is still ongoing despite the promise it would end on Oct. 1, or was it Sept. 30. But someone else did say it would take 10 to 15 more days, and I don’t know when that countdown began.

And there’s the Las Vegas massacre last Sunday, now called as “the worst mass shooting in modern American history,” where 59 concertgoers were killed, and 529 injured of a 22,000-plus audience that watched the Route 91 Harvest country music festival. The same extremists that inspired the Marawi siege have claimed responsibility again for the massacre but authorities say this was a “lone wolf” attack.

The gunman, Stephen Craig Paddock, is described as a loner. Lone wolf, loner—what a sad life. And he was a retired accountant. His brother Eric is trying to find the right words to connect Stephen to the massacre, and the cause of the latter’s sudden twist to destructive behavior.

“It’s like an asteroid fell out of the sky… There’s absolutely no logic…” Eric said.

Authorities have discovered that Stephen did gamble $10,000 to $30,000 per day at Las Vegas casinos in the last few weeks. Which now reminds us of the “lone wolf” attack by gunman Jessie Carlos at Resorts World Manila last June. If you’ve said yes to the plan of having a casino here in Cagayan de Oro, there are now at least two reasons to switch to no.

Stephen was shooting from the 32nd floor of Mandalay Bay. How he was able to bring in 16 guns to the hotel, that’s the question. He had 18 more guns and explosives in his house.

Here’s some history. Their father, Benjamin Hoskins Paddock, was a convicted bank robber. Does that answer Eric’s confusion on Stephen’s sudden change in behavior?

Unlike some of the extremists that are still in Marawi, Stephen was not exactly a young white paper that anyone could write on. He was 64 years old.

And his girlfriend, Marilou Danley, 62, is said to be originally from Pinas. Six degrees of separation right there.

Guns and other weapons of mass destruction should never have been invented so people have to do hand-to-hand combat which presumably claims lesser lives unless the warring parties are superheroes with extraordinary powers. If you’ve watched Wonder Woman in action, you know what I mean.

But why choose hatred and anger and war, when love and kindness and peace are lighter and easier for the heart and soul. Try being angry all the time, and the blood pressure shoots up. Better smile and accept things as they are.

The birds are again chirping outside this room with a view. This is one view that the main battle area in Marawi doesn’t have yet for now. Its controlled area may have these green trees with birds chirping, but with the possibility of stray bullets straying too far, one has to be always alert on what could be lurking behind the trees.

Combat training does include the awareness of one’s surroundings—possible areas to hide in, weapons he could produce out of, say, the plastic limb of a doll.

Culture Club released “The War Song” way back in 1984: “War war is stupid and people are stupid/And love means nothing in some strange quarters/War war is stupid and people are stupid/And I heard them banging on hearts and fingers/War!”

That was 33 years ago.

John Lennon released “Imagine” in 1971: “Imagine there’s no heaven/It’s easy if you try/No hell below us/Above us only sky/Imagine all the people/Living for today/Imagine there’s no countries/It isn’t hard to do/Nothing to kill or die for/And no religion, too/Imagine all the people/Living life in peace…”

That was 46 years ago.

Thirty-three years later, 46 years later, and here’s the world, still at war, still not able to imagine no heaven, no hell, no countries, no religion.

Oh, well.

And here we are, still dealing with the gadgets’ updated features as we check out the latest updates on the Las Vegas Massacre which some young ones are now using as one reason not to watch concerts. Here’s unsolicited advice for them: S**t happens all the time, wherever, whenever, so might as well enjoy life while ensuring you’re not hurting anyone.

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