Thumper’s Rule

"Don't cry over spilled milk", or in the vernacular we say mituag ing sabo; we can't put back the broth in the bowl. It was a generally credible and free vote, an exercise in democracy (Greek: δημοκρατία). Unusual for the presidency is that a majority mandate is obtained, not just a plurality of votes especially with 10 candidates. I understand the anger of the minority because the victor is the son of Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr, the tenth president of the Republic of the Philippines. Democratically elected in 1965, he became a dictator in 1972 through martial law, with the consequent human rights violations, and economic plunder among others. But then we're governed by laws; dura lex, sed lex! Legislators of course can change the law, particularly the requirements on the presidential candidates. So, like it or not, our 17th president is Bongbong Marcos (I guess he's using his nickname to differ from his father).

Enough of this hate, bad words (unmentionables) and anger. Just ignore all negativity, bashing and fake news! “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all (Thumper’s Rule).” Let us be good citizens, do our jobs well (hopefully we'll have jobs available) and continue serving our countrymen.

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore he who resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment (Rom 13:1f RSV).”

Well It's April

 Happy Easter folks! What is the probability of my birthday coinciding with Easter Sunday?

Fifty-six years... how old is that? It feels I'm just beginning. So that's 56, but technically I'm closer to 56.75 because life begins at conception, so 9 months has to be added, but of course determining that date is uncertain. I've been here on earth for relatively negligible time, or 4.121 × 10^-7% of the age of the universe (that's 0.0000004121%).

In Easter we celebrate the triumphant resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, proving all what he uttered previously, and without it, there's no sense believing in God. Without Easter, there's no Christmas. And this is in the midst of the world's unbelief; there's a growing number of atheists and they're making it into a religion. Their atheism is no longer passive, ridiculing true religion at the drop of a hat.

As members of the body of Christ, Catholics (Christians in general) have the duty to remain truthful and repel attacks from the devil (many may point to the atheist themselves as culprits, but we believe it is part of an invisible and never-ending spiritual war between good and evil). Because they don't believe the scriptures, we have to study philosophy, theology or even psychology, or perhaps science in general. They are fond of quantum mechanics, saying it makes God irrelevant.

As we argue with the world, we shouldn't forget about doing everything for love. It's counterproductive to fight the human enemy... we have no enemies!

If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Cor 13:1ff NABRE)

As Catholics we have to be sure what we believe in, for we can't be soldiers otherwise. God understands our predicament and he gives us graces and courage for the task. When I was a medical student, I was besieged by doubts and perhaps God sees my struggles... not just the huge medical or scientific subject matter (no real time to study), but spiritual, religious or otherwise. I can't seem to tell the story (I want to relate the details but I don't know how to start), but I had a supernatural experience, and it's nothing short of a miracle. Many things remain the same, but the experience put God's stamp... game over. If only all people meditate and look deeply into the soul (yes there is such thing as a soul), they will find the answer. We just remain as little children, and God our Father will take care of the rest.

"May mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance (Jude 2 NABRE)."

Tatang Gus' Songs

I recorded old Capampangan songs back in 2006 as sung by Tatang Gus, but my Multiply website where they were uploaded was discontinued. So I searched for them and fortunately they are still there in Tumblr. As our beloved Uncle Gus is now in his 80s, it's good to hear these great folk songs again.

1. Atin Cu Pung Singsing
2. Cayumu Ring Mate King Labuad Mung Tibuan
3. Ing Tau Candaba
4. Lalam Ning Maslag A Bulan
5. Lele Ning Batisan
6. Luid Ya Ing Pilipinas
7. Metung Cung Ulila
8. Panatulan Daca
9. Pibatan Cu Irug Ing Me Alang Calma
10. Pilipinas
11. Tiririn

May mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance! [Jude 2 NABRE]

Social Equilibrium

A myriad things happened since my last entry in 2019; there's no time to start writing. Perhaps today is a good point—Easter season. It doesn't mean this nasty SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is over, but perhaps we can hold its horns and fight it. We're confronted with major changes in which all competing influences meet, and eventually find equilibrium. Change meets resistance, and resistance pains. And in time there's balance.

These are trying times. Quarantine became a byword fast, and  people are commanded to wear face masks and shields, and practice physical distancing of > 1 meter. We're thrown into a war where the enemy is invisible, much like the Predator. And in war, no one is an atheist.

Regardless of religion, ideology or ethnicity, we're all brothers and sisters. Contrary to what extremists say, Christians and Muslims, e.g., don't mutually exclude each other, and this extends to all people even to those who don't have any beliefs. In this regard, the Catechism states:

the plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator. In the first place amongst these there are the Muslims, who, professing to hold the faith of Abraham, along with us adore the one and merciful God, who on the last day will judge mankind. [Dogmatic Constitution on the Church: Lumen Gentium 16 (CCC 841)]

On the other hand, Muslims agree that Jews and Christians of good will are also rewarded by God in heaven (cf. Quran 2.62, 215). Even with our own non-negotiables, we ought to tolerate or preferably love each other.

"May mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance (Jude 2 NABRE)."

Armor of Light

Frowning as I see negative posts in facebook, and uplifted upon reading positive material. Seeing with real-life eyes however presents with doubt, even with all the good quotes out there, realizing that life is in a precarious state and the house of cards is about to crumble. Depression shows up, inviting the tossed mind towards it, but the will fights back very hard. In the end, something external provided the repulsive force away from its claws. I don't mean external chemicals here that have transient effect, but abstract things that don't exclude the supernatural. And why not mention God here, largely denied by many because they cannot explain him, but why not? We can't fully understand God with our finite minds. Sorry folks, God exists, believe him or not. He is the light of the world, lux mundi!

Why not ask his help? Prayer is very powerful even when you say it's useless. Don't be affected by those who see all these as hypocrisy, although many are guilty. And if you fall, it's not hypocrisy but weakness that's made strong by God's mercy and love. The following depicts a glimpse of what really happens in every mass, celebrated daily anywhere in the world. Just open your eyes, heart and mind.

The short film above is entitled Veil Removed (© 2019), which the source states, reveals the coming together of heaven and earth at Mass, as seen by saints and mystics, revealed by scripture and in the catechism of the Catholic Church. Courtesy: Source, YouTube video.

What you see may not be what it seems; what you don't see is not necessarily false. Don't reinvent the wheel, and don't repeat yourself! It's never too late to learn. God bless your pilgrimage! We're just passing through...

"It is full time now for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed; the night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." (Rom 13:11ff RSVCE)

Xfce

Debian buster with Xfce desktop environment

I upgraded my Debian box to the latest version, with the default GNOME desktop environment (DE) recently.  Sometimes the computer runs slowly, perhaps consistent with its age.  On searching the cyberworld, several culprits regarding such slowing are pointed out.  Without going any further, my erstwhile DE is found on top, of course apart from the usual suspects (Microsoft, e.g.).  I thus searched for the best DE, one that is not bloated, one that is lean and mean.  I zeroed in on Xfce which was immediately installed.  Many geeks actually recommend it (among others) for lower-end hardware, although it's also useful for the high end computers.

My relationship with computers spreads for less than 40 years, perhaps occasionally during the first quarter of this period, and probably more frequent later with the introduction of the CD-ROM.  The Internet was not available at all!  I think I used Apple DOS and MS-DOS operating systems (OS).  Internet was available in the second quarter, but it was so slow (using the modem) and also expensive.  In this quarter, it was Windows everywhere I looked.  I think I used Windows 3.0, 95, 98 and ME.

The third quarter showed my frustration with Windows prompting my search for an alternative OS.  The software is buggy, not to mention expensive.  I landed with Linux, particularly the free Debian GNU/Linux 3; it was free alright but I spent time reading about the manual pages.  At this time, Linux was still a geeky subject.  I tried several distributions using disk partitions (called multi-boot install).  In this latter period, I used Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 10; in the UNIX-like OSes I tried NetBSD, GNU Hurd, Fedora, YOPER, Ubuntu, Xubuntu, Lubuntu and of course Debian (present).

Some DE I used include Luna, Aero and Fluent for Windows, and Enlightenment, LXDE, Unity and GNOME, and of course, Xfce.  I'm now back to the traditional scene of the good old menu system, simple and easily configured.  Why fix it when it's not broken?

"Xfce embodies the traditional UNIX philosophy of modularity and re-usability. It consists of a number of components that provide the full functionality one can expect of a modern desktop environment. They are packaged separately and you can pick among the available packages to create the optimal personal working environment."

The Greatest of These is Love

Love is the root of all virtues, and it secures the salvation of all mankind in this world of hate, evil and despair. It gives true hope for our future generations, amidst vicious setbacks and obstacles. Let's look at the bright side of things. Let's not share all the negative, and much less the evil views out there; you're adding to the gloom. But always be positive.

In the business and materialistic view, one expects something in return for giving something, like payment. Well, that giving and taking also happens with love but it's not sought after; God gives back even more, a good return of investment. Of course the time depends on God alone.

While many of us belong in groups, we're all members of the human race, all in the same ship. There is no distinction at all. Jesus of Nazareth is not just for Christians, but for all people. God bless us all!

"Love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.

"Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you." ~Jesus Christ (Luke 6:35ff NABRE)

Buster

I recently upgraded my Debian system to its latest stable version codenamed buster, or otherwise called Debian GNU/Linux 10.  The process was almost seamless, contrary to what I expected regarding OS upgrades.  I backed-up my files just to be sure (a good practice anyway), but it was unnecessary.  One glitch occurred because I issued the upgrade command from a graphical console window, and the lockscreen program was updated and presumably inserting the default config values.  Later the lockscreen was activated, and typing the password did not work because the display environment was also upgraded.  To fix the broken upgrade, I was forced to reboot and going into safe or command-line mode.  I then issued dpkg --configure -a to try to fix some configuration problems, and also: apt --fix-broken install.  For the next full-upgrade, go the safe text mode route!

One way to make this process easy is by making a small edit at the /etc/apt/sources.list file.  Instead of putting the codename in the entry (like stretch), use its status name, e.g., stable.  One line in that file shows:

deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ stretch main contrib non-free

Edit that to:

deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ stable main contrib non-free

Debian GNU/Linux 10 (buster)

Now you don't have to worry, even if you actually forget which is the latest version of Debian.  The system gets continuous updates just like that.

Now I have a nice working Debian on buster, its latest version, with the accompanying changes in the look and feel of the various programs.  Some updated apps however override the existing config files, and you'll be surprised sometimes.

Way to go Debian team!  Thank you for this brand new working version.  Go Buster!

"No one puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed.  But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.  And no one after drinking old wine desires new; for he says, 'The old is good.'" (Luke 5:37ff RSV)

Revelation 21

I have vivid memories of years past when all sorts of firecrackers are heard at this time of year, the more explosive, the better.  Even when martial law was operative then when firecrackers were prohibited, the noise continued unabated.  But it's so quiet nowadays.  Times change, perhaps millennials aren't as interested as the generation X.  Nevertheless, I prefer the peace and quiet of a serene meditation of life as it is, and life henceforth through the cycling of a new revolution of our planet around her star.  Incidentally the church year starts about a month earlier than the calendar year.

Such noisy tradition was introduced by the early Chinese settlers as a way of driving away bad luck and bad spirits from the place accompanying the new year.  There is this focus on the destruction of the old and building of the new.

About the end of the physical earth or perhaps the universe, when will it all end?  It's anybody's guess, maybe 1 year, 80 years, 1 billion years, 4 billion, or perhaps 10¹⁰¹²⁰, or even 10¹⁰¹⁰⁵⁶ years!  The last two figures may very well be synonymous with forever.  The former relates to the final energy state of the universe, while the latter points to a time when quantum tunneling could have generated new universes.  Science provides for the concept of destruction and renewal that comes at new year.

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

"And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling of God is with men.  He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.'

"And he who sat upon the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.'  Also he said, 'Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.'

"And he said to me, 'It is done! I am the Α and the Ω, the beginning and the end.  To the thirsty I will give from the fountain of the water of life without payment.  He who conquers shall have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be my son.  But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.'" (vv 1-8 RSV)

As a short digression, I'm using this GNOME password manager called Revelation (0.4.14), adopting the last book of the bible for its name, also called the Apocalypse.  The Revelation of St. John reveals many secrets in the eschatology that it might be useful to read it, but be aware of the ubiquitous symbolism in the book that the unstable will likely misinterpret.

Bible

We are a unique species on this planet, intelligent and discerning, of limitless mind but so restricted physically, sharing the biosphere, following its cycles and mysteries.  Our lifetime is not enough to fully understand the things going on around us, the abstract and the concrete.  We see the beauty of the universe's design, rightly concluding that there must be a God in the back end.  But then there are those who object, needing clearer evidence.  In the end, we are responsible for what we believe in, but we must at least know individually.  We must believe in the lasting, in the really significant, in the bottom line.

Finding the truth is the beginning, but not the end.  Faith must then follow inevitably, whether it's about science or religion.  Hope then follows the train, perhaps to experience now what is expected, perhaps as a further push to our faith.  But then that is all useless unless it ripens to love, sustaining all of us.  Many times we hear deep inside the abyss, "what's the purpose of our existence?", or "everything is meaningless..."  Well the answer is love... love is the answer.  Spend your lifetime contemplating this reality.

Emerging from the oral traditions of early Christianity, one remarkable product is the canon of the holy scriptures or the bible.  Unknown writers put down these unwritten accounts (largly eyewitness) about this enigmatic figure—Jesus of Nazareth—son of man and Son of God!  It's understandable that many don't believe him as it demands a great leap of faith.  The presence of the Church for 2000 years is proof it is true, but this is not so for others.  The occasional (or not so occasional) scandals do not help at all, although believers are mortified by such evil, even happening in holy spaces.  As an aside, parents must teach their young children to report all inappropriate behavior targeting them, and do something about it (go to the civil authorities directly and possibly provide audio or video evidence, even by-passing the ecclesiastical authorities).  Talking about the incident years later may be explosive but more damage has been done at that point.  Individually, people experience God's presence somewhere, sometime, somehow, even something miraculous or unexplainable.  Such experiences are oftentimes not believed anyway.

While on facebook, I encountered a link about important bible verses that Catholics should know.  There are fifteen but I included another one at the beginning because it's reflected above.  All the passages are taken from the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE).

1. "Faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love." (1 Cor 13:13)
2. "Be still and know that I am God!" (Ps 46:11)
3. "The LORD is my strength and my shield, in whom my heart trusts." (Ps 28:7)
4. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life." (Jn 3:16)
5. “Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, his mercy endures forever!” (Ps 107:1)
6. "I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me." (Jn 14:6)
7. "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?  The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid?" (Ps 27:1)
8. "I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me." (Phil 4:13)
9. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control." (Gal 5:22f)
10. “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Lk 10:27)
11. "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior." (Lk 1:46f)
12. "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst." (Jn 6:35)
13. "Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God." (Phil 4:6)
14. "As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:15)
15. "Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love." (1 Jn 4:8)
16. "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Mt 7:7)

So why not read the entire 35,529 verses of the Bible?

It's A Thankless Job

Philippine General Hospital

When a child is asked what he'll be when he grows up, oftentimes the reply is "a doctor, because I like to help people"!  Sabi nga nila gasgas na ang sagot na 'yan.  There are those who say they want to get rich.  It's more than a job, it's a vocation.  Although some may become rich, it's usually a thankless job.  Try practicing in the barrios and experience a negative income.

Perhaps everybody knows Mon Tulfo.  Something transpired recently when his driver ran over a kid, and rushing to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), a long way from where the accident happened.  What he later did enraged the PGH community and the health sector in general.  A popular listing website, 8list.ph provides eight reasons why this misadventure was mind-blowingly reckless and dangerous not just to doctors and nurses, but also to patients in health facilities:

1. He has zero idea what the protocol in hospitals is
2. He could have brought the kid to a nearer hospital
3. He has no idea what medical practitioners go through
4. He ignores the Data Privacy Act flagrantly
5. He is complaining about people doing their job
6. He was making life harder for everyone in the hospital—including the other patients
7. His tirade reinforces misconceptions about the Philippine health care system
8. He’s barking up the wrong tree

In this instance, Mr. Tulfo squanders his opportunity to investigate why one of the busiest hospitals in the entire country is forced to not operate at full capacity.  The PGH administration is saying that he didn't spend a centavo for his patient.

I have an idea of what's happening in PGH because I stayed there for 8 years from 1986 to 1994, inclusive of medicine, internship and residency.  It's like going through the eye of a needle.  I'm quoting here the posting of Merce, a classmate of mine, from social media.  It's perhaps an encapsulation of what we endured years back.

To whom it may concern,

When I was a student, even more so when I was a resident [physician], the ratio of patients to health providers was almost impossible to understand pero kinakaya namin.  Bakit?  Kasi kailangan.  Hindi naman kaya ng gobyernong tustusan ang lahat ng kailangan ng pasyente kaya madalas kahit tipid na tipid kami sa sarili naming budget, kami na mismo ang bumibili ng gamot ng pasyente para mairaos na lang, para gumaling na, umuwi na, at mailibre na ang kama para sa mga nakapila pang pasyente sa ER at sa corridors.  Minsan, sa kakulangan ng tulog at pahinga, at sa stress na rin dahil di lang naman physical na trabaho ang aatupagin namin—may mga lecture, exam, revalida at mga personal na mga problemang hinaharap ang mga taong nasa PGH—umiiksi din ang pasensiya at napapagod din kami.  Pero sa pangkalahatan, bago kami matapos ng training, butas ng karayom at grabeng gastos ang dadaanan namin, hangga't kaya ay tinitiis namin at trina-try namin magpasensiya at magtiyaga.  Di pa nga libre ang tuition noon.  Libro xerox at mga kagamitang kailangan namin bilhin, pangkain, pamasahe, pang dorm, etc.  Di naman po lahat ng nagmemedisina ay anak mayaman at sustentado ng magulang.

Tulfo, wala kang karapatang mambastos ng kahit sinong tao lalo na kung ikaw na nga ang may kailangan e ikaw pa mayabang.  Kung talagang laban ka sa corruption... 'di ba parang corruption din na magexpect ka ng special treatment dahil feeling mo mas importante ka kesa sa mga nauna o mas malubhang pasyente kesa sa nabangga mo.  Mayaman ka di ba? E bakit isiniksik mo pa ang pambayad kasalanan ng pagkabangga niyo sa bata sa isang charity hospital?  Balita ko ang dami niyong nilagpasan na maayos na ospital papunta sa PGH mula sa pinangyarihan ng aksidente.

Nagmamagaling ka e sana subukan mo magtrabaho kahit isang buwan lang sa ER.  Bago ka humusga at ilantad ang kawalan mo ng totoong pagmamalasakit.  Pakigoogle ang definition ng megalomania.  'Di po umiikot ang mundo sa inyo.  Sa ER ng PGH halos wala na kaming oras para sa ibang mundo.

Sayang akala ko pa naman noon buti na lang may mga Tulfo na matapang magsalita tungkol sa mga maling pamamalakad at gawain.  Sa isang iglap nawala credibilidad niyo.

Sana huwag ka magkasakit para di ka mangailangan ng magaling na doktor na tutulong sa yo.  Pero huwag ka mag-alala.  'Di ka man type na tao ng doktor mo, di kami namimili ng tinutulungan.  Isinumpa namin to sa Hippocratic Oath na bilang manggagamot, kami'y nanunumpa sa kabila ng likas naming kahinaan... lungsod man o kanayunan... basta nangangailangan sila.

Respectfully yours,

Isang dating estudyante, intern at residente sa PGH

When we deal with the poor people in the barrios, the government's health care is practically non-existent.  In large sectors of the population, people die without seeing a doctor.  Recently, President Duterte started to subsidize PGH and many public hospitals to help the indigent patients.  That's good, but the entire system has to be upgraded.  It takes time, but it has to move forward.

"The righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink?  And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee?  And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’  And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’" (Mt 25:37-40 RSVCE)

Python With Kivy in Debian

A lot of concepts there...  Why python?  Because it's so simple a computer language that it's usually a first language for learning programming.  Yet, it's so developed and complete as I see it.  Kivy?  Well, it's a python library used in developing mobile apps and other multitouch application software with a natural user interface (NUI); it can run on Android, iOS, Linux, OS X, and Windows, and it's free and open source.* Debian is there because it's the OS I'm using, and I'm learning some tricks while installing Kivy in it.  The insight why I chose Debian is covered in a previous post.

Installing python is simple and straightforward, but you have to choose python3 because python (as python2) is already installed.  This is not a problem in other OS's where python is not installed by default, and installing python will install the latest available version (python 3.x).  Installing kivy may be straightforward in other OS's, but it demands some patience in Debian as I experienced.  This is due to the many dependencies which usually conflict with the more updated versions of others.  The latest version of Cython, e.g., is not compatible with kivy (cython 0.28.4) so I had to force install the 0.28.2 version.

Installing kivy should be very easy and as simple as issuing the command 'sudo apt install python3-kivy' and giving your password.  The dependencies are automatically installed, but when you import kivy, errors glare at you, saying some services are not present or some files are missing.  So I decided to use pip (python package installer), issuing the command 'sudo apt install python3-pip', but using pip directly does not work!  The command 'sudo pip install kivy' fails (pip3 may be used because I'm using python3).  I searched the web and I found out that I had to install some packages that are not automatically installed, namely python3-dev, libsdl2-image-dev, libsdl2-mixer-dev, libsdl2-ttf-dev, python3-virtualenv and libgstreamer1.0-dev.  So I uninstalled kivy to avoid conflicts, and installed all those files.  Kivy still doesn't work as above so I used another trick so that python itself will do the installing.  I guess the package will just work for myself (because I didn't use sudo).  I issued the commands:

python3 -m pip install -I Cython==0.28.2  #install a particular version
python3 -m pip install kivy

Now my python works fine with kivy, but I only tested it with my scripts.  Now instead of searching the web for some apps (maybe for some calculations) that are specific to a problem, I make the programs.  Isn't that cool?  When I decide to deploy some apps (for Android and other platforms), I bet I'll have some problems but I'm sure the web is there to help, as before.