College Basketball: More Fun In The Philippines.

7/11/2013 | 6:56:28 PM | Thursday

Isa sa mga pinakaastig na parte ng sposrts at school life sa kamaynilaan ang college basketball.

Pero bakit nga ba maituturing na “More fun in the Philippines” ang mga collegiate leagues, partikular na ang basketball?

A Comical Death?!

2:38:57 PM | 7/10/2013 | Wednesday

Anyare Philippine Comedy?

Matanong ko lang. Sumabay pa sa pagpanaw ni Rodolfo Vera Quizon ang unti-unting pagkamatay na rin ng komedya sa ating bansa?

Hindi. Sa totoo lang, hindi naman yan tuluyang namatay e. Siguro nag-iiba lang talaga ang taste natin. Kasabay ng pagbabago ng panahon at ng kapaligiran natin.

Kung tutuusin, simula noong pinaunlakan natin ang mga kabaduyan na bagay sa radyo at ang mga telenovela sa primitive television, doon unti-unting namatay ang larangan ng pagpapatawa. Ang komiks? Hindi naman yan pinapansin ng tao e. Pustahan, pansamantala lang nagkaroon ng exposure ang induistriyang yun noong nasangkot sa isang mainit na isyu ang satirical na akda ni Pol Medina Jr. na Pugad Baboy.

Pilipinas O Filipinas?

7/9/2013 9:15:13 PM 

Ang daming problema ng Pilipinas. Pero bakit pangalan pa nito ang pinagtutuunan ng pansin?

Ayon kasi sa Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino, dapat raw palitan ang pangalan natin. Well, yung unang letra lang naman ng salitang Pilipinas. Dapat raw kasi, gawin itong “Filipinas.”

O sige, given. Magiging Filipinas nga ang pangalan natin sa hinaharap. Kaso... ano naman? Maliban sa ating pagkakakilanlan bilang mga Filipino o “Finoy (ha?!)” magagawa ba nitong i-angat an gating bansa mula sa hikaos ng ating ekonomiya, korapsyon, kahirapan, krimen, kamangmangan at kaignorantehan ng mayorya, at iba pa?

Pero malay mo, ito ang isa sa mga unang hakbang tungo sa pagbabagong tinutukoy nila. Siyempre, panlabas na anyo. Pero... Filipinas?!

The Review: World War Z

9:50:12 AM | 7/7/2013 | Sunday

Okay, just another zombie movie at the screens, like those previous horror pictures and even the video-game-renowned “Resident Evil” series. And Brad Pitt is on another showcase coming off from a Max Brooks novel. I even thought of asking questions like why is this movie titled as World War Z? Is this a mixed fusion of an Anime Series and a possible third of a tri-logical series of a real life World War?

Heck, kidding all the corny lines aside, former United Nations employee Gerry Lanes had battled and investigated the rabies-infused-like creatures which actually turned humans into a bunch of killer zombies, from the heavy traffic chaos at Philadelphia all the way to Camp Humpreys in South Korea, to Jerusalem and into the World Health Organization facility in Wales. Indeed, a world outbreak was staged.

Flick Peek: Man of Steel

7/7/2013 10:10:46 AM 

Man of Steel, another Supeman movie, another part of the DC Comic franchise of motion pictures. Ironically here in the Philippines, Man of Steel was first shown to almost entire cinema houses on the country’s Independence Day (June 12). Have the people forgotten our own spirit patriotism just for the sake of watching this one? Heck, not all are like that, though.

Okay, that’s why I only watched this movie a few days after it was premiered. I was so curious why this time, the Superman movie was more known as Man of Steel, considering that Shaquille O’ Neal even had a movie with that almost the same title (with the same title-type of role but definitely not the same superhero) when I had it at HBO a few years back.

So, Henry Cavill is now following the footsteps of the late Christopher Reeves as one of the only actors who have donned the blue-uniform-and-red-sheet-cape and played the role of Superman, eh?

The Review: Oblivion

7:06:49 PM | 5/30/2013| Thursday

Talk about post-apocalyptic days and the remaining survivor earthlings, eh?

Oblivion, another science fiction movie that showcases Tom Cruise’s crusade to live another day on the planet Earth – on the after-apocalyptic age. Story-wise speaking, it’s about five decades from the present time.

Iskwater!

7/2/2013 10:42:51 PM 

Photo credits: The Philippine STAR

Isa sa mga pinakaugat ng kahirapan sa ating bansa ay ang mga tinatawag na “informal settler.” Iskwater, kung kolokyal na lengwahe ang usapan.

Oo, isa sa mga pinakaugat nga ng problema sa ating bansa. Maraming dahilan kung bakit. Nagagamit sila ng ilang mga puliitko para dominahen ng mga ito ang lugar at kapangyarihan. Meron pa sa mga ito ay  ginagawang isang propesyon ang pagiiskwat. Nagiging pugad rin ito ng mga halang na bituka, mababaw na kamalayan, baluktot na pag-unawa, at bara-barang astahan.

Ganun? Well, hindi naman lahat ng nakatira dun ay mga gago talaga. Dahil ang iba sa kanila ay lumuwas mula sa kani-kanilang mga probinsya para makipagsaparalan sa Maynila, at sa hindi magandang pagkakataon ay hindi pinalad na makaupa ng disenteng tahanan.

Kamakailanlang, maliban sa mga kaliwa’t kanang demolisyon, ay may mga ugong-ugong na balita na sila’y nakatatanggap ng 18 libong piso sa loob ng isang taon bilang subsidiya ng gobyerno.

Anyare After 3 Years?

11:53:26 PM | 7/1/2013 | Monday

3 years na pala ang nakalilipas. Ang bilis ng panahon no?

Parang kelan lang, nakatambay ako sa dorm ng barkada ko habang nag-iisip kung ano ang gagawin namin sa thesis namin (na syempre, nauwi sa isang munting inuman session ang lahat).

Akalain mo, 2013 na pala. Graduate na ako, may trabaho at kasintahan, pero nananatiling pakealamero sa mga kaganapan sa bayan.

Pero, balik tayo sa 2010. Isang maambon na Miyerkules ng umaga nun, nakatambay sa drom ng barkada-slash-thesismate ko sa Sampaloc noong narinig ko ang putukan kahit ito’y mula pa sa Luneta. Oo nga pala, naalala ko – pormal na seremonyas pala ng pagsisimula ng bagong administrasyon nya yun no?

Nanumpa ang kuya mong si Benigno Simeon Cojuango Aquino, mas kilala bilang si “Noynoy” o (dahil pangulo na siya) President Noy. Simula na nun ng kayang “tuwid na daan” na pamamalakad. At may mabibigat na salita pa siyang binitawan.

Pero, may nangyari ba talaga?

Kenkoy Spotted: PDA Couple.

1:33:37 PM 6/28/2013 Friday

Maiba muna tayo. Nasa maling mundo ba ako? Hindi. Nasa tama pa ba ang henerasyon na ‘to? Ay, ewan ko.

Bakit ko nasabi ang mga ‘to? Panoorin niyo ang bidyong ito mula sa programang T3 Reload. (Video credit: News5Everywhere via YouTube)

My 25 All-Time Michael Jackson Favorite Songs (Part 2 of 4)

11:34:37 PM | 6/25/2013 | Tuesday

Most of the songs that I mentioned on my first part of this series were during Michael Jackson’s early going of his music career. Now, let’s move forward to his major breakout period – the 1980s; and the latter part of his career, 90s. You’re tuning (and at the same time, reading) my All-time favorite hits from the one and only King of Pop – Michael Jackson.

My 25 All-Time Michael Jackson Favorite Songs (Part 1 of 4)

10:47:56 PM | 6/25/2013 | Tuesday

I’ve been a Michael Jackson fan for over… hmm, (I guess) almost 20 years. I used to listen to my cousin’s 80s cassette tapes in which some of his songs were part of his records. And for almost every single time I dig Magic 89.9’s Friday Madness, I heard at least one of his songs there. Also, during the 24K weekend of the now-defunct 99.5 RT.

As my catch-up duties for being his fan, I managed to grab a copy of his compilation-album entitled King of Pop: the Philippines’ Edition (and hey, it’s original). Also, played his Bucharest concert on my old DVD player (thanks to that same cousin of mine though).

His music reached billions. He bagged selected recognition. He has a remarkable talent. And as for that, here are my all-time 25 favorite songs of Michael Jackson (in no particular order).

Alaala Ng Isang Alamat: Michael Jackson

2:27:01 PM 6/25/2013 Tuesday

Ika nga ng Word Of The Lourd, sadyang maiksi ang shelf life ng mga bagay na may kinalaman sa popular na kultura. Kung mabilis itong lumutang, mabilis din itong lulubog. Kaya ang tanong natin ngayong araw, naalala mo pa ba ang isang alamat ng popular na musika? Sino ang tinutukoy ko? Ang mamang ito lang naman.

Parang kelan lang ano? Naalala ko nun, mag-tse-check pa lang ako ng e-mail ko nun sa Yahoo nang tumubad sa harapan ko ang headline na may kinalaman sa biglaang pagkamatay ni Michael Jackson. Kasabay rin nito ang pagcehck ko sa Fcebook at agad tumumbad sa aking news feed ang sandamukal na mga post na may kinalaman rin dito.

Pero bakit nga ba naging trending ang balita ng pagkamatay ni Michael Jackson? Aba, isang batikang singer/songwriter/entertainer/controversial icon ba naman ang namatay e. Pero, bakit nga ba ganun?

Dapat kasi ay may isa pa siyang konsyerto na gagawin nun sa London sa taon na rin na iyun. Ang THIS IS IT. Naging isang documentary-musical ang ilang mga clip sa kanyang rehearsal. Naipalabas ito noong Oktubre 28, 2009 sa buong mundo. At naalala ko nga na napanood ko pa ito ilang araw bago matapos ang aking semestral break.

The King's Ascension To The Throne.

11:54:22 PM | 6/24/2013 | Monday

It was for all the marbles. It’s more known as the do-or-die match, or sudden death, or much simpler term, “the decider.” This is the Game 7 of the Championship series of the National Basketball Association between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. The very last game of the 2012-2013 NBA season. One last game to play. One last game to watch. To witness the last two teams standing at that point.

One will rise and one will fall. One will earn a legitimate bragging right, one will lose it. One will rise in the history, while the other falls and will end their season on a broken note, as both legacies will be on the line. There’s no such thing as “records,” “statistics,” and even the so-called “winning tradition.”

Anyare Manila?

1:59:18 PM | 6/24/2013  | Monday

Araw ng Maynila ngayon. Kaso, anyare na?

Clutch Game

11:49:29 PM | 6/20/2013 | Thursday

Of all the games that went on for this year’s NBA Finals, this seems that the Game 6 was the best of them all so far.

Look, Tim Duncan played the first half as if he was not on his 37-year-old self. How about a 25-point and 8-rebound effort, for the 15 year veteran? And that stat was before halftime, by the way.

Second half, we saw the old LeBron, the more energized one, the one that really carried the team on his shoulders like the way he did on his stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers? He scored more than 20 of his 32 points came on the second half and overtime, despite committing huge mistakes down the stretch. He had a triple double to accompany his usual large number of markers.