miracles do happen, just believe

iwalkalone

Wow! Tagal ko na di nagpopost dito ah! And, no this isn’t about the TV show. It’s about the age of this writer that he will deny to the death once this day is done. First of all, from the bottom of my heart, thank you to all those who greeted me. It means a lot. Second, since it’s my birthday, it’s emo time. Pagbigyan niyo na minsan lang naman eh haha!

So how did I spend my birthday? Well, pro na tayo ngayon so I still had to go to work. Even had to go overtime. Before I left, I treated a few office people. And of course, before I went home, I dropped by Gesu to say thanks to the Lord. I went home, ate that delicious cake my parents bought for me, and watched Wedding Crashers for 5^th time in a span of 7 days. And that’s how my 24^th November 12 went. Well, di pa tapos ang celebration, may weekend pa tapos lilibre din ako ng tatay ko na manood ng Pacquiao-Cotto fight. Sana manalo si Manny kasi pagkatapos ng lahat ng nangyari sa mga Pilipino, kailangan naman nila sumaya kahit kaunti.

In the future, I plan to celebrate with a McDonald’s party! Gusto ko lahat ng mascot andun! Lalo na si Grimace! Wala akong pake kung matanda na ko basta gusto ko yun! Maybe next year haha. Sana pwede alak tapos lalasingin natin si Grimace. Di ko

So kumusta naman ako? Ok naman. Masaya trabaho ko kasi I am doing a good thing. As in. When Judgment Day comes, I will remind God about this. What’s difficult about it is the location. Ateneo. It’s a very different place now. Not only physically but everything else. I have great memories in every corner of that place that I stayed in for 16 years and you can’t help but feel nostalgic at times. You remember your days there and you miss the people you were with. But What’s harder is when you are at that place every...single...day. Anyway, sali kayo sa Ateneo 500@150 Telethon. Masaya yun promise! Hanapin niyo sa Ateneo website haha.

As for my wish (es), simple lang: sana lahat kayo, family and friends, ay safe palagi at di kayo pabayaan ng Diyos. Seryaman iyan. Second, nangangalawang na mikropono ko. Baka may gusto diyang i-pull out ako from retirement. Meron akong napakagandang memory noong March 7, 2008 at ayaw ko sana sirain yun. Pero parang Michael Jordan lang, nangangati na ko eh kaya willing ako sirain yung final memory dahil ang mahalaga naman eh mahal mo yung “laro” hahaha. (Sana may naka-gets hahaha) Third, well, mukhang malamig na naman ang Pasko ko hahaha. Sana may solution. Ang magsuggest na mag-jacket ako sasampalin ko! Hahaha joke!

Anyway, yun lang friends. Thank you uli sa lahat. Peace. Love. Hello. Mwahugz! Kaboom! Wasup? Yo? Yo! Ok sabaw na...babay! J

iwalkalone

The Los Angeles Lakers finished this year’s regular season 65-17, the best record in the clearly better and tougher Western Conference. The second placer in the west, the Denver Nuggets, finished with a 54-28 record, that’s 11 games less than the Lakers.  That’s how the Lakers dominated the West and even though they were one game behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the league’s best record, the Lakers’ achievement was more remarkable because of the level of competition between conferences. The Lakers just might be the strongest team in the NBA.

But despite all their achievements, despite their star-studded line-up and great coach, all the glitz and the glamour that the city they represent entail, somehow I am rooting for the other team that made it to the NBA finals. Why? Because I hate the Lakers. Here are the reasons why:

1.Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant is one of the biggest superstars in the world today. He is arguably the best player in the world. He has won 3 championships, an MVP and is again in the finals this year. But, I just plain hate him.

I do not know where this hatred for came from. Just one day, I wake up and said to myself, “Damn, I hate Kobe Bryant.” Instead let me tell you some of a few things why I hate the guy.

Flashback to 2000-2002. The Lakers dynasty led by Shaquille O’neal, Kobe, and Phil Jackson. The “Big Legendaries” as Shaq said once. They were unstoppable and threatened to rule the NBA for at least 3 more years (and this is why I think the West is so strong today than the East, West teams made moves to strengthen their line-ups since they wanted to beat the Lakers).

But after the loss to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 finals things started to fall apart. Shaquille O’neal, one of the most dominant and likeable players wanted to be traded and was traded. Phil Jackson, the winningest coach in NBA history left. And whose fault was it? You got it right, Kobe. He drove away the main man in the team and its respected mentor because he wanted to be the top dog when the team could have won at least 2 more rings. His became arrogant and he was delusional and thought that the reason the Lakers won those championships was him. This is the breakdown on who was responsible for the 3-peat in 00-02:

25% Shaq

15% Phil Jackson

10% Kobe

and 50% … wait for it … ROBERT HORRY!

But seriously, he couldn’t have done it by himself. In fact, the next season (05) the Lakers didn’t even make it to the playoffs! Hello?! The next 2 seasons, the Lakers got eliminated by the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs. Then what happens next is why I’m really pissed, after losing for 3 straight years, he asks to be traded. He blasts his teammates (eg. Andrew Bynum), his boss and the great Laker organization and its fans. How professional. How manly. Didn’t you ask to be the top dog? Didn’t you want this, to be the star of your own team and lead it to by yourself? Of course, he couldn’t do it and wanted to escape the situation which he pleaded for in the first place. Of course Pau Gasol was donated to LA, Kobe suddenly had amnesia and forgot that he didn’t want to be there, and the Lakers are the best in the west again.

I also think he’s a bad teammate. He blames them and berates them publicly. I know, I know he just wants to win badly. But come on? Doesn’t he know about positive reinforcement?

I am not doubting Kobe’s talent. As I’ve said, he’s arguably the best in the league (I was gonna say that Lebron was number 1 but after seeing him give up in an elimination game and not accepting defeat by shaking his opponents hands, yes Kobe is still number 1). I think his 81 points was amazing. His determination and his heart of an assassin is unmatchable. But the thing is, I just plain hate him.

Well at least his wife is hot. I saw her in the photos when Kobe was trying to plead his innocence. Remember? When he RAPED someone?

2. Sasha Vujacic

Oo na gwapo ka na, I’ll give you that. But calling yourself “The Machine?” Come on. Youre not even a lock-on shooter. You’re just lucky to be in a good team where your style of play fits in its system. If Ren-ren Ritualo, Dondon Hontiveros, Sunday Salvacion, Al Solis, and Rhoel Gomez had your role, they would do better!

3. Pau Gasol

Kasi inalila ng Espanya ang Pilipinas ng 300 na taon.

4. The Lakers play soft and is just lucky to have a strong team and a great coach

This is why they had a hard time beating the Houston Rockets. Remember when Yao Ming was done? The Rockets still won twice! They couldn’t stop Luis Scola and Aaron “Who is this guy again?” Brooks! Of course the Lakers won because they had the better players.

They also were lucky to defeat the Denver Nuggets because the Nuggets have a terrible coach (eg. Anthony Carter inbounding in a game-deciding play vs Lamar Odom). All the games were close and if the refs didn’t favor the Lakers, the result would have been different.

But don’t worry I don’t hate everyone in this team. I like Shannon Brown, boy does this guy play hard. I also like Andrew Bynum, I think he’s the future of the team and the only reason why he hasn’t played was his teammate was jealous of this fact so he intentionally injured him (ehem…Kobe…ehem). And finally Trevor Ariza is also an excellent role player.

So there, the team that I hate, the Lakers. Again I don’t doubt their talent and o don’t think they suck as a basketball team (I even predicted them to win at the start of the season click here http://fruitdrew.multiply.com/journal/item/40/nba_predictions_west). They are winners in their own right. But it’s a free world and I can hate who I want to. If the Lakers win then go ahead, taunt me, trash talk me. I’ll take like a man and shake your hand (unlike Lebron). But on the eve of the greatest event in the world of basketball, I would like to tell you that I will be one the people chanting…

BEAT LA! BEAT LA! BEAT LA!

iwalkalone

last week, the philippines lost 2 of the biggest names in the music industry. master rapper francis m. passed because of leukemia and the fab 4 of the philippines known as the eraserheads officially ended their run as a unit with their "final set." as a big music fan, it is very depressing to learn that two of the biggest, most influential names in the industry is leaving and it is even more depressing to learn that two of your idol musicians' books come to a close. as the saying goes, it is an end of an era in the filipino music scene.

unang yugto: the master rapper returns to his master

rappers in the philippines aren't as appreciated as other artists. though they have legions of fans, record labels rarely give them a chance to go mainstream maybe because of them not as marketable as those singers in the sunday noontime shows (no offense to them). some also see them as uncool because of their style in music and  some raise their eyebrows because of their outfits (i've decided that i won't judge people's styles and classify them under "they suck" or "cool" since its their way of expressing themselves. but you probably wont see me wearing large bling and extremely oversized jerseys and shorts.). but one man who falls under this category was always respected. his  contributions, mere presence and leadership to this colony always served as the benchmark and inspiration to the rappers and the whole industry as well. this guy was francis m.

francis m. was this because first of all, he was really that talented. he knew music very well and he could create timeless songs with lyrics that could touch any person living at any time and any place. the appeal to all the social classes was there. second, he had this "angas" quality that not all musicians can have; it was for his case, innate. third, his nationalism, love for his country was stellar. combine all of these qualities and you have francis m. no wonder many cried and was saddened because of his death. no wonder more and more people wear "3 stars and a sun" shirts. no wonder people blast their stereos and headphones with his songs now. that's how big francis m was, and most of us didn't even realize it until now. his inspiration to us all is unparallel and his legacy is secured.

goodbye francis m. and thanks for the memories and the music.

ikalawang yugto: the final set

the eraserheads is probably the most influential and most loved band in the history of this country. like francis they were appealing to every social class as anyone can relate to their songs. they just don't play beautiful music, they tell us stories that most of us probably experienced in our lives one way or another. i mean who hasn't had an experience like the stories in the songs "pare ko" or "torpedo?" who doesn't remember the person they love when they hear "kailan" or "with a smile?" their songs are just so "sakto," poignant in a good way that you just end up loving the music and singing along.

last august and last week, i had the privelege of seeing them in their final concerts together (i've seen them separately in pupil, sandwich or cambio but never as eraserheads before). there, i was able to reminisce the old times because of their timeless songs. i was able to sing along and act wildly along with thousands of other strangers who like myself have been influenced, touched, and enjoy this music. there were even times when my hair raised because of the disbelief that "deym, im in the last ever eraserheads concert." it was bittersweet in a way because there you were enjoying yourself but in the back of your head you knew that this was going to be the last. just like in those movies when the characters make love passionately before one of them leaves forever. and when ely started burning that "sticker happy piano" we at the moa grounds all knew that it was the end.

performance wise i liked the first concert better because the anticipation and excitement was greater that time around and i believe that it had the better venue and better sound system (the final set sound system sucked). but of course in the final set, they took into consideration ely's health and they got to sing almost 30 songs! (it was also sad that they didn't get to perform with francis m and i had chills when they played "kaleidiocope world") also, they did not perform other songs that most were waiting for (like al chino's 28347823 rants of them not playing "maselang bahaghari") instead we got lesser known songs from the "circus" and "cutterpillow" albums. but of course i had fun since it was after all, an eraserheads concert, the band that i grew up with and loved.

ely, raimund, buddy, marcus. the eraserheads. thank you too for the memories and the music.

ps: will there be another set (probably entitled "the final set: promise last na talaga")? most probably not because of them trying to secure their legacy. but if there is, i'd be jumping with joy.

iwalkalone

I. superbowl

wow what a a game! it was a classic finish. it was a football fan's dream championship game. two spectacular, game-changing plays at the last few seconds of the game not even mentioning the several other great plays within the whole game. my favorite play of the night was that 100-yard interception return by james harrison that lead to a touchdown. wow! that was a crucial moment in the game because the cardinals were about to score and then boom! i heard it was also a record of sorts.

now to the endgame, the cards made a great play with kurt warner throwing a fantastic pass to larry fitzgerald for a 64-yard touchdown. and then the finale, roest... roshtil...rosthil...whatever his name is gave a tight but perfect pass to santonio holmes for the winning touchdown. talk about a photo finish. wow, well-deserved win and congratulations. as for the cardinals, although i thought they were strong enough to win, the other team wanted it more. great job nonetheless.

II. pba finals

speaking of classic finishes, here was another one. not only did it end well but it was a very exciting series as it went to a deciding game 7. the series went back and forth and in the end of a very close game, it was nerves that decided the game as alaska missed 4 freethrows that could have tied or won them the championship. congratulations to talk n text, my former prof chot reyes, and mvp who got his personal grandslam after winning with ateneo and san beda last year. boy, if there is a guy who deserves this it's mvp since he is a big contributor in sports being involved in ateneo and san beda, the sbp and even abap so kudos to him.

as for my predictions, i went 2-1 in the pba so it aint that bad. and the superbowl, well i havent really been watching the nfl before this season so i have a legit excuse! haha! anyway next time i'll talk about the nba all-star events, the trades, and my updated nba predictions since i dont think i got anything right with my predictions during the start of the season. til next time!

iwalkalone

pba finals prediction

i'll make this quick since the finals has already started

players that must show-up for their team to win: mac-mac cardona/willie miller

players that must breakout for their team to have a better chance: jason castro/joe devance

mr. x-factor: harvey carey/l.a. tenorio

prediction: talk n text in 6. mr mvp gets his personal grand slam with his all-star line-up.