sabi nga ni Atoy Co, the ball is AROUND...

I congratulate Iran for winning the FIBA-Asia Championship.  Not only they defeated China in basketball, it looked like they demolished the Chinese Team.  China looked like a junior team playing a senior team in collegiate basketball.  

A worthy lesson for this year’s edition of FIBA-Asia championships: NBA experience does not guarantee a formidable team in world basketball, unless your national teammate is Lebron James and Kobe Bryant.  Even Kobe and Lebron did have a hard time in Beijing Olympics, and so have Wang Zhizhi and Yi Jianlian last Sunday.  The Iranians took the Chinese team back to school.  Iran’s offense was fluid, their shooting was remarkable, and I even saw 7 footer Ehdadi penetrating for a layup.


Another lesson that team Pilipinas should learn from their 8th place finish in Tianjin is the familiarization to international rules.  The PBA backed team will never ever win in international competitions unless FIBA rules are used in the PBA.  My suggestion is either the PBA use FIBA rules or do not send PBA players to FIBA competitions at all.  Talent wise they are good, but they will always lose.  I am not disparaging them, they all deserve praises for their gallant effort, but their strategy is questionable.  Three months of experience will never win against three years of practice.  We saw that in Iran.  Their moves we very much basic and yet China was not able to stop them.


Yeng Guiao is a good coach but he is not the right man for the job.  FOR SOMEONE WHO INDIRECTLY CONSPIRED WITH A WIFE OF A GAMBLING LORD TO CHEAT A PRIEST IN A LOCAL ELECTION, HE DOES NOT HAVE THE CREDIBILITY TO REPRESENT THIS COUNTRY AS A NATIONAL COACH.  Again, delicadeza should come to mind when we represent the country in international competitions.  Imagine if the opponent lost the game by 2 points and learned that the other coach has a history of cheating, directly or indirectly.  Credibility is always at stake when the pride of the country is at stake.  I would rather lose by 50 points rather than winning dubiously by 2 points.


When in Rome, do what the Romans do.  The world is improving in international basketball.  Why?  They follow the mandate of FIBA.  They use FIBA rules.  They recruit naturalized players.  They TRAIN, years - not months.  Their National Team was composed 3 years ago, not 3 months ago.  They practice all year round, inside and outside the country.  They have mastered the basic skills.  They are NOT relying on 3 point shots alone.  They are doing what our basketball team has been ignoring for decades.  Stick to basics, and not for showmanship.  Everybody has talent, some are more talented than others, but basketball is still a five man game.  What you do in the court should depend on what your teammates can do, unless if you are Michael Jordan resurrected.  We can win again in Asia if we put the right attitude, and right attitude means following directions – in this case – FIBA rules.  And who knows, we might just get a naturalized player or two for mandatory reasons and not by necessity.


You lose some, you win some.  Losing is ugly, it diminishes confidence.  When you are not confident enough, your body will be hounded by the tension of losing, even if you have all the talent to succeed.  


In basketball, the ball is round.  But you will never lose your confidence to win if you know how the ball will roll…

Thoughts on this National Week of Mourning

1.    NOW I BELIEVE IN THE CORY MAGIC.  It’s not that I am a skeptic, but I supported the other side of the fence, so to speak.  I AM a Marcos supporter to the core.  But this week was probably the first time I admit EDSA 1986 was not a fluke.  I have always believed what happened in EDSA was not because of the people, but because of the moves of those who supported both camps.  If Ramos, Enrile, and Honasan had not jumped over to the other side, there wouldn’t be any historical significance of what happened then.  And when thousands of people lined up along the road for their final salute to Cory, I had also finally accepted that she was significantly important historically.  Some of us had learned a lot of lesson during her presidency.  Some took the opportunity for political gains, some for personal. 

2.    THE FILIPINOS CAN UNITE.  It took one dead beloved leader for the entire nation to be united.  La Salle and Ateneo, Marcoses and Aquinos, Administrations and Oppositions, people from different sides of the fences, they all were “saddened” by the country’s loss.  And yet when Cory was alive and asking the people to be vigilant to all those who are planning to deceivingly corrupt the entire Philippine Constitution by Charter Change through Constitutional Assembly, those supporters where never to be found!  Amazing!  Just like Michael Jackson, everybody suddenly becomes a fan, everybody suddenly liked him, everybody is suddenly affected by the loss!  We only give importance to their legacy and contributions when those persons are dead, but while alive we were never that affectionate to the point of following by example.

3.    ON A LIGHTER NOTE, OUR MILITARY OFFICERS ARE ALL BUTT UGLY.  Paquito Diaz, Romy Diaz, Joaquin “Buwaya” Fajardo, Max Alvarado – eat your hearts out!  Our officers could effectively pass as villains in any action movie locally produced.  I was expecting to see tall, lean built, shortcut hairs, and elegant and graceful march from majority of our soldiers.  Instead I saw the opposite.  Some tummys are bulging and I see hairs, wherein during my CMT days I was required with that stupid 4 inches haircut and no sideburns.  Ramos, Enrile, and even the bulging Honasan  and Trillanes looks more of a soldier right now than all of them combined.  I couldn’t hide my disappointment at them.  No wonder some of our Filipina women are crazy for American soldiers.

4.    WILLIE REVILLAME WILL ALWAYS BE WILLIE REVILLAME.  I don’t think I need to say more.  There is a fine line separating the ethical and those who are pretending to be ethical for the sake of being famous.  Whatever block-timer reasons you have to put up to, National Interest comes first.  To DISRESPECT a former President AT HER FUNERAL – may the heavens have mercy on this moron.

5.    MY OUTFIT WAS DONE BY NATIONAL ARTIST PITOY MORENO.  WTF?  I thought National Artists are those supposed to have an impact historically and on a national scale.  I have nothing against Pitoy but a National Artist is somebody who did made an impact about the Filipino and nationalism, like Levi Celerio.  Plus I like Patis Tesoro’s Piña barong more.  And how about Carlo J. Caparas?  What are his contributions? The comics industry is dead already.  Can he revive the Funny Komiks franchise well-loved by children of the 80’s?  Yes, he made a lot of money on films without any nudity and currently raking in money on telenovelas but that is not an achievement.  Crying over your loved one who jilted you at the expense of another woman as a blockbuster plot does not contribute for national awareness… believe me…

6.    I NOMINATE MYSELF AS NATIONAL ARTIST.  Cecil Guidote Alvarez is now a National Artist.  Unfortunately, she is the chairperson of the National Council for Culture and Arts, the very same body that deliberates, debates, and approves the awarding of National Artist.  Conceitedly genius on NCCA’s part.  I have no objections though on Francisco Mañosa.  He deserves to be a National Artist.  His Coconut Palace is a personal visionary template for my dream house, if ever I could build one.  But the other three - Direk Carlo, Pitoy, and Chair Alvarez – they are way below Dolphy who probably deserves this award far more than them.

The Ambassador to the people

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While everybody weeps...

Even when Michael Jackson's death flooded the news in the radios and televisions this morning, what caught my attention was the bold statement of Professor Randy David's announcement to run for Congress in the second district of Pampanga, believed to be location of the primary strategy of Gloria Arroyo's prime ministerial ambitions.  Professor David's plans of thwarting GMA's term extension is a bold move yet impossible in some degree with the Arroyos' enormous political clout from the well-watered palace grounds in Arlegui up to the flooded farmlands of Lubao.


Second district in Pampanga is where GMA plans to run for a Congressional position while waiting for Charter Change to push through via Constituents' Assembly initiated by the Congress, and then she will be accepting the nomination for the position of Prime Minister, thereby fulfilling her mission of extending her powers within the context of the constitution.  Although these ideas are all current speculations and has been denied to the fullest by GMA allies, everybody is wondering on what are Mrs. Arroyo’s plans post-2010 elections, if ever it will push through.  Apparently, nine years of misery, poverty, political bullying, and billions or millions of commissions are not enough for her and her cohorts that talks of her planned term extension circulated within the political community.  Whether the plan is true or not, I have always believed that there is a flame when there is smoke.  Gossips have a certain percentage of truth in order for it to be seriously discussed within the circulation.


The beleaguered Professor, a veteran of Gloria’s martial rule experiment last February 2006, will be facing his adversary on the coming 2010 elections, trying to prevent an unprecedented term extension being planned by the extremely rich daughter of the poor man from Lubao.  She wanted more power after 2010, he just wanted to make sure she doesn’t get any.


Everybody was frantic of Michael Jackson’s death and news has spread faster than AH1N1 virus.  And while everybody weeps at a certain superstar-slash-molester’s death today, a simple person in the name of Randy David has placed the fate of the entire nation into his hands to rid this country of the greedy.

An Open Letter to Alec Baldwin

Dear Mr. Baldwin,

I am not angry at you at all.  Your statement made on television might be true, depending on whose point of view it is.  But before you probably blurt out another degrading remark about Filipinos in the future, consider the following facts:

•    In 1898, Spain ceded all of its colonies in the amount of $ 20,000,000 to the U.S. Government.  Historically speaking, those countries bought by the U.S., including the Philippines, were treated like mail-order-brides at the turn of the century.  You see, Mr. Baldwin, your government made us what we are right now.  It is entirely not our fault.

•    Since 1898, the American government has been raping our natural resources, some of our women, and some of our children.  The American government’s treatment of our country as a political prostitute is well known through the decades.

•    The Philippines remains a poor country because a lot of American companies has profited doing business in this country while its workforce, the Filipino people, benefited less and sometimes not at all.  Your government, Mr. Baldwin, beguiled us with the promise of progress but instead buried us with millions of debts disguised as foreign economic aid.

•    Since the American government taught us English, they had also encouraged us to live and pursue the American Dream in the United States, and yet thousands of my countrymen has been offered demeaning work opportunities and are discriminated while pursuing those dreams.  

•    Since majority of the Filipino people has been continually neglected by its very own government because of greed and corruption that we have learned and copied from American friends, advisers, and capitalists for decades, the poorest of the poor have no choice but to PROSTITUTE ourselves in the hopes of improving our lives so that our families would have something to eat by dinner time.

So you see, Mr. Baldwin, what you - even Ms. Teri Hatcher and hundreds other American that have perceived our race and our country in a negative manner - it is actually the fault of your American government.  People like you, who have never set foot in our country, talk of us as low-esteemed citizens of this world for the very simple reason that your government has been treating us like pigs even here in our own country ever since the Americans fooled us with their mock battle with the Spaniards more than a hundred years ago.

And yes, we admit, we are sensitive.  Whatever negative comments we will hear from other people who do not know us, we will all take it personally as a proud race.  We never dreamed of becoming domestic helpers, prostitutes, beggars, and mail-order brides in the first place.  WHATEVER WE ARE RIGHT NOW HAS REFLECTED ON HOW OUR MASTER COLONIZERS HAVE TREATED US OVER THE DECADES.  As I have stated at the start, Mr. Baldwin, I am not angry at you.  Maybe next time when you answer Mr. Letterman or any pertinent questions asked to you, you can state a very precise answer like this:

“I’m thinking about getting a Filipina mail-order bride, after all, our American government taught them how to sell themselves…”

Wag nyong pakialaman si Martin Nievera

Pwede ba, wag nyong pakialaman si Martin Nievera.  Kung mas magaling kayong kumanta sa kanya eh di kayo ang kumanta sa Lupang Hinirang sa laban ni Pakyaw.

Ang pagkanta ay isang pagkakakitaan.  Sino ba sa kanila ang hindi binayaran para lang kantahin ang National Anthem?  Kung gusto niyo, magprisinta na lang kayo na kumanta sa bawat laban ni Manny.

Wala kayong pakialam na i-criticize ang tao.  Kung ganun siya kumanta ay karapatan na niya yun.  

UNA, kanyang boses ang ginamit niya sa pagkanta.  Hindi boses ng iba, hindi rin lipsynch.  

PANGALAWA, hindi naman yata siya ipinanganak dito sa Pilipinas kaya wala kayong pakialam kung kalahati lang ang pinapakita niyang pagmamahal at paggalang sa bayan.  

PANGATLO, English is his first language.  HINDI SIYA MARUNONG MAGTAGALOG NOON!  Hindi siya nasanay kantahin ang National Anthem dahil hindi siya tumatayo tuwing umaga sa eskwelahan para kantahin ang Lupang Hinirang ng tama sa tono!  Hindi niya alam ang paglalagay ng kanang kamay sa kaliwang dibdib dahil hindi naman itinuro yun doon sa eskwelahan kung saan siya nag-aral.

Kaya pabayaan nyo na yung tao kung yun ang gusto niya.  Pera-pera lang yan.  Kung may pera ka, Malaya kang gawing ang anumang gusto mo kahit hindi maganda at naaayon.  Wala kayong pakialam sa gusto niyang gawin sa buhay niya.

 
 

If I were a Congressman...

some of my proposals if ever I get elected into Congress:


House Bill 6969 - An Act transfering the Congressional Sessions from Batasang Pambansa to MGM Grand in Las Vegas... dun kasi lagi may quorum, at hindi nale late ang mga congressman


House Resolution 0069 - A Resolution commending Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo for their humbling and modest decision to keep their wedding PRIVATE and SOLEMN... sa wakas walang nakakaumay at sobrang arteng preparations na napanood sa TV na pinag aagawan ng mga networks tapos sa bandang huli eh mauuwi din naman pala sa hiwalayan


House Bill 2.25(patterned after my highest grade in Mapua) - An Act dissolving all the Universities, downgrading them into specialized schools, and creating 2 year courses(i.e. 2 years lang Arki ka na... ENROL NA!)... lahat kasi gusto nila 2 years lang makapag abroad na, konti na lang kumukuha ng Architecture, Engineering, Medicine at Law dahil uugod-ugod ka na bago ka grumadweyt at hindi ka naman kikita ng malaki agad...


House Bill 00069 - An Act prohibiting politicians or anybody who ran on any local or national elections from JOINING any Sports Agencies... ang presidente ba ng BAP-SBP eh marunong magbasketbol? isa pa, hindi po dapat ginagawang kwalipikasyon ang pagiging mukhang kabayo para lang pwedeng tumakbo bilang head ng equestrian association or horse racing commision


eto lang muna wala pa akong maisip na iba... but my constituents' suggestions are welcome! at kayo yun!

kaya wag ninyo akong kakalimutan sa 2010!!!

----------- o0o ----------

Updates:


House Bill 1,000,000 - An Act prohibiting the alumni of Pinoy Dream Academy, Pinoy Idol, and all those talent search contest to record SHITTY revivals of Eraserheads songs, Air Supply songs and all those certified classic hits unless he/she is a member of a rock band or unless they have a different song interpretation(i.e. ken leeee, tulibu dibu douchuuuu)


House Bill 200,000(patterned after “sec, may 200 ka rito”) - An Act granting incentives and privileges to those who BRIBED state witnesses and can daringly file PERJURY RAPS to the person he bribed, hold press conference with the family, and can convincingly call you "TOL" even if you are not related by blood...


House Bill 750cc - An Act providing sets of discount from traffic penalties to ALL motorcycles that has PNP stickers.  The set of discounts will be dependent on your motorcycle model(i.e. the more expensive, the higher the discount)... ano ka swerte??? Kung may pambili ka ng 400cc na motor, eh di may pambayad ka ng penalty… ipagbabawal na rin ang hindi pagsita sa lahat ng motor na may PNP stickers


House Bill 00000.5 - An Act reverting the Ninoy Aquino International Airport back into its grand old name Manila International Airport, thereby also setting the proper guidelines for naming an airport.  This bill will primarily oblige the naming of an airport from its location so as not to confuse tourists from their geographical knowledge of our beloved country(i.e. Laoag International Airport, Cebu International Airport)… ANG NINOY AQUINO AY HINDI ISANG LUGAR SA PARANAQUE!!!

----------- o0o ----------

House Bill 12Rounds - An Act appointing Manny Pacquiao as Chief of the Philippine National Police, and thereby granting sensitive top logistical positions to other successful professional boxers into the PNP leadership for their track record of preventing an increase in the daily crime rate within the country every Sunday morning


House Bill 300Million -  An Act designating the Ambassadors of Iraq, Afghanistan and other war-affected countries to ex-military Generals for the very simple reason that Military(and Business) expertise are needed in war-torn countries rather than in the U.N., Vatican or other peaceful countries that has adequate amenities and privileges like Duty Free Shops, Disneylands, Casinos, Exclusive Resorts, Bruneiyukis, Legal Prostitutes(i.e. Netherlands), etc.

Binabati ko kayo sa kamatayan ni Hesus...

Habang nagkaroon ako ng pagkakataon na gumala at magmasid sa kalsada, nakita ko ang mga bagong tarpolin na nakasabit sa mga kable ng kuryente at poste.  Akala ko congratulatory banner para sa mga bagong graduates, hanggang sa mapansin kong may anyo ng krus at kalbaryo sa background. Para pala sa pag-gunita ng Semana Santa, galing kay magiting na konsehal.


Pag-uwi ko naman narinig ang nagpapalahaw na ingay ng malakas na ispiker galing sa kapilya na naghahanda para sa pabasa.  Habang inaayos at nililinis ang kapilya, nakalagay sa isang lokal na istasyon ng radyo, at sunud-sunod ang mga naririnig kong mga pagbati galing sa mga lokal na opisyales dito sa lugar na tinitirhan ko sa kasalukuyan.


Nag-isip ako tuloy.  Papano mo babatiin ang isang tao para lamang gunitain ang sakripisyo ng anak ng Diyos upang tayo'y maligtas sa mga kasalanan natin?


Binabati ko kayo sa pagkamatay ni Hesus...

Tanong at Sagot

TANONG: I just recently noticed that there's a "Free Account" under the headshot and "Online Now" status... How can you remove it?

SAGOT: Buy a Premium Account!!! ganun lang...





joke... eto ang tunay na sagot...

i-paste sa inyong CSS code ang nasa baba...

.rail b {
display: none;
}

Malapit na naman ang Mahal na Araw

Malapit na naman ang mahal na araw.  Malapit na naman ako makakita ng nagpipinitensya.  Katangi-tangi ang pagdiriwang ng mahal na araw dito sa Pampanga.  Sikat doon sa may San Fernando yung nagpapapako sa krus.  Halos gayahin ang mga pangyayari kay Hesus, kulang na lang mamatay din sila at mabuhay pagkatapos ng ikatlong araw.


Abala rin ang buong lalawigan sa pagpapaganda ng kani-kanilang kapilya o lugar na pagdadausan ng pabasa, na isang pagsasalaysay ng buhay ni Kristo.  Hindi mawawala ang pabasa, ang pagkukwento ng pasyon  sa pamamagitan ng pagkanta.  Parang magulo noh?  Bakit pabasa ang tawag kung ito ay kinakanta?  Hindi ba mas mainam na tawagin itong pakanta?  O kaya ay patula?


Balik tayo sa penitensya.  Dahil kakaiba ang naging kaugalian ng mga Pilipino tuwing mahal na araw, dito makakakita ka araw-araw sa isang buong linggo simula lunes santo, ng mga nagpi pinitensya na naka taklob ang kanilang mukha, hubad na pang-itaas habang hinahagupit nila ang kanilang katawan kagaya ng pagpapahirap ng mga Romano kay Kristo.  Meron ding may pasan na krus, merong mga grupo naman sila, at kadalasan may mga kasamang umaalalay kung sakaling may hindi inaasahang mangyari.


Sa loob ng isang linggo sa isang taon ito ay nakikita sa halos lahat ng kalsada sa Pilipinas.  Sa loob ng isang linggo sa isang taon maraming namamanata at nagpipinitensya.  At sa loob ng isang linggo sa isang taon nagpapaka-kristiyano ang mga Pilipino.  Pero pagkatapos ng isang linggo, balik na naman sa dating gawi.  Sugal, alak, babae at kung anu-ano pang bisyo.  Kurakot sa posisyon, panloloko sa ibang kapwa, at kung anu-anong kasalanan na inihihingi ng kapatawaran tuwing mahal na araw.  Isang linggong debotong Kristiyano laban sa halos isang taon na puno ng kabalbalan na gawain.  Hindi ko alam kung sinu-sino sa mga nagpipinitensya ang totohanan, wala rin akong karapatang maghusga.  Pero sana lang wag tayong magpakitang tao lamang.  Hindi nagpapako sa krus si Hesus para lang magpakumbaba tayo sa Diyos ng isang linggo lang.


Hindi tayo nabuhay para maligtas ni Hesus sa mundo.  Naligtas tayo para mamuhay sa piling niya!


Malapit na naman ang mahal na araw... malapit na naman ba ang tangi mo lang pagkakataon para magsisi sa mga kasalanan?