...NBA Playoff Matchups and Predictions...

I should be packing my bags, really, but I don't think I'd have time to make a blog in Bora to make it in time to make predictions. Last year's predictions were a couple of games off (had Orlando pushed by PHI, but losing to BOS/CLE ultimately or something like that), but at the end of it, I got Lakers winning it all. This year's playoff match-ups are actually quite interesting, and I'm really excited about it. If only I could be a bum for the rest of the playoffs to watch the games, I would. Anyway, I'll make predictions for the first round, and go with Dallas and LA going for the West, Cleveland and Orlando (wishing Miami would be there though) for the East, and ultimately, Orlando winning it over Dallas (it's time to get over the hump, Dirk). But of course, that's my perfect world. Reality points to Cleveland winning it all, but I'd rather piss people off by not picking them. I hate favorites. 

East Picture:

(1) Cleveland vs (8) Chicago

Chicago's match-up with Boston last year was epic. This season, they clinched the 8th spot only with the last game of the season. I like that team, but they pretty much underachieve after every season. They show flashes of brilliance by the end of their seasons, acquire talent in the offseason, then fail miserably, acquire sparks at trade deadlines, then make a push, only to fall short in the playoffs. This matchup is an easy call, but not to say that Cleveland won't get a scare. 

Winner: Cleveland in 4

Watch Out for: Antawn Jamison gelling for Cleveland. If that works fast, this team is scary good.

(2) Orlando vs (7) Charlotte

My dark horse for the season is Charlotte. To some extent, I think Jordan's acquisition of the franchise re-energized them. Stephen Jackson may not be "superstar" material, and Gerald Wallace is no LeBron, but then again, they're coached by Larry Brown, who steered the "superstar-less" Detroit Pistons to a title. But I think the hunger is going to win this series. Charlotte got their first playoff berth in franchise history, so that's an achievement for them this season. Orlando still has a chip on their shoulder, falling short last year, and proving nothing by reaching the playoffs. 

Winner: Orlando in 6

Watch Out for: Falling 3's everywhere. Charlotte won't give much lay ups, and Orlando is going to make them pay for that. JJ Reddick is emerging as the shooter that he was expected to be.

(3) Atlanta vs (6) Milwaukee

There were doubts with Brandon Jennings when he chose to play in Europe rather than go to college. There were times in the season when he looked raw, then he scored 55, then became ordinary. Now, he's an integral part of the rotation, and has handled the point pretty well. However, without Andrew Bogut, "Fear the Dear" isn't such an accurate slogan for them. Atlanta's going to devour them.

Winner: Atlanta in 5

Watch Out for: Jamaal Crawford's first playoff appearance. He could be jittery, but hey, that's why Joe's there, to be the main guy. Jamaal can focus on being the spark off the bench.

(4) Boston vs (5) Miami

When Boston revamped their roster to get Garnett and Ray Allen, they did so with the idea that they were building a dynasty. Just a couple of years removed from their championship, they don't look as invincible as they were when the Big Three was first formed. It's not just Garnett's injury woes, nor is it just their age, I think it's more on the glue that makes them stick together. Only there do you see the value of a PJ Brown and a James Posey. Dwayne Wade has been going crazy leading his team, since going 35-34, they made a 12-1 push to end the season. Sure, they had an easy schedule, and that one loss came from a struggling Detroit team that lost 13 straight prior to that win, but hey, in the NBA, every team is as dangerous as any other. It could work both ways for the heat: either they're too tired or they got their groove on and got used to winning. 

Winner: Miami in 6 (oh yes, fanboy in me says that.)

Watch Out for: The Truth vs Flash is the matchup to see, of course, but what would dictate the winner here will probably fall more on no.2 pick Micheal Beasley, who seemed like a dud compared to Derrick Rose's emergence in Chicago. 

West Picture:

(1) LA Lakers vs (8) Oklahoma

I like Oklahoma. They even had a chance to gain homecourt advantage in the first round, at least, but fell short. Durant has been a monster, and Russel Westbrook is looking like a Jason Kidd lite, getting triple doubles almost at will for a stretch of games. But LA is LA, and Kobe is still Kobe. Oklahoma has been the surprise team of the season, and with their talent (and LA's depleting point guard depth), they probably might go on surprising people. If LA doesn't get its act together, this is going to be an upset.

Winner: LA in 7

Watch Out for: No, not Andrew Bynum. Most people say that Andrew Bynum will be the X-factor for LA winning it all, but I think it will be more on the two other forwards, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol. These guys were franchise players before coming to LA (Odom for Miami, Gasol for Memphis). They carried their teams to win, and now take a backseat to the Lakers alpha-male in Kobe. Now that Kobe's production has dipped since his finger injury, these two have got to step up if they want to win it all.

(2) Dallas vs (7) San Antonio

A Texas showdown. San Antonio has been a powerhouse for the longest time that it seemed weird that they almost didn't make the playoffs. Hats off to Pop for dealing with the injuries that he's had to deal with and still make the playoffs. But watching the Spurs, it has been a Manu Ginobili show. The guy's playing like it was 2004. And now that Tony Parker's back, they've got bench depth again. But Dallas didn't retool for nothing. They don't have a player on their roster who isn't capable of scoring 20, and with Jason Kidd quarterbacking the team, it's possible.

Winner: Dallas in 6

Watch Out for: Brendan Haywood. San Antonio will bully much of the inside, with Dajuan Blair and Tim Duncan, and Eric Dampier doesn't stand a chance manning up to those two, but deadline-acquisition Haywood probably can. He gives Dallas that dimension in their team that "EricA" was expected to, but never really provided.

(3) Phoenix vs (6) Portland

Steve Nash is playing better than his 2 MVP seasons, and Amar'e has just been a monster. Portland was plagued by injuries all season long, and just when things were looking great, Brandon Roy gets injured. It's sad, really, that Portland had to deal with everything they had to deal with. Funny how Phoenix is a desert, but apparently, the fountain of youth is there. 

Winner: Phoenix in 5

Watch Out for: Nicolas Batum. He's got the skills, and he's got to step up for Portland. For Phoenix, I think Robin Lopez will be a big factor in their success.

(4) Denver vs (5) Utah

George Karl is doubtful to re-join the team for the first round. Adrian Dantley has done a solid job keeping the ship afloat, but I think not having Coach Karl on the sidelines hurts Denver's chances. Utah, on the other hand, was one of the hottest team after the All Star break. Boozer is doing an Amar'e, playing like a monster on a contract year. 

Winner: Denver in 7

Watch Out for: This is probably the closest series in all, as it could easily go either way. Utah has bench depth that will bring them to the second round if they were matched up with, say, Portland, probably, or any among the top 5-8 teams in the East. But still, you can't count Carmelo Anthony out. And now that their team is relatively complete (I don't know who else is injured, but Kenyon's back), they're going to be a force inside (Nene, K-Mart, Birdman), and will have to force Utah to the perimeter. Problem is, Utah IS a perimeter-shooting team. So, I say Denver, just because of Melo, but Utah could provide an upset. Look for Deron Williams to be the superstar, and Chauncy's steady leadership in Denver to keep his team's head in the game.

...Kalokohan ng Mahihina: Mahihirap...

(Hey, my Multiply blog's got the text editing up.. Mas nakakagana tuloy magblog dito.=P)

A couple of years back, I bitched about the weak/disabled: how they use their disability to gain the upper hand on just about everything, without making it seem like they're demanding too much. People would just say "pagbigyan na, kawawa naman eh." I got tired of that. To re-read the hate blog, I had to go back to my Friendster account (which means it was THAT long since I wrote it)..

http://voltz2911.blog.friendster.com/2006/03/kalokohan-ng-mga-mahihina/

Ngayon, dahil eleksyon nanaman, puro na lang "para sa mahirap" o "galing sa mahirap" ang mga kandidato. Nakakatawang isipin na pinagkakalandakan ni Gloria ang mga nagawa nya upang "palakasin" ang ekonomiya ng bansa, pero sobrang dami pa rin ng "mahihirap" na inaapilahan ng mga kandidato ngayon.

Pero hindi ito ang punto ng blog na ito. Babalik ako sa kalokohan ng mga mahihinang ito, ang mga mahihirap.

Ilang beses ka na bang nagmaneho at nakatukan ng malakas ng mga pulubi? Ilang beses ka na bang nahingan ng naglalakad na gusgusin habang nakikipagkwentuhan sa mga kaibigan mo sa labas ng building?

Masama siguro ako sa pag-iisip ng ganito. Alam ko na may mga taong kailangan talaga ng tulong, tulad na lang nun lalaking kuba na kamay na ang ginagamit na panglakad na namamalimos sa Julia Vargas, o yung mamang bulag dati na nakaluhod habang namamalimos sa Magsaysaya. Pero sabi nga nila, hindi naman kasalanan ang ipinanganak na mahirap; pero kasalanan mo na kung tumanda ka na't matatapos ang buhay mo nang mahirap ka pa rin.

Tila walang pinagkaiba ang mga mahihirap na namamalimos sa mga siga; bibigyan mo ng pera ang siga dahil natatakot ka't baka saktan ka, samantalang bibigyan mo ng pera ng mahirap kasi gusto mo na siyang umalis, o naawa ka sa kanya. Minsan talagang nakakabastos na rin yung mga nanglilimos, at kadalasan ay binibigyan na lang sila para lumayo na. Hayup mangalabit kun nakatayo ka lang sa labas, kung nasa kotse ka naman ay didikitan ng mukha nila ang bintana ng kotse mo. Pag binigyan mo ang isa, dudumugin ka ng iba pa.

Ang pamamalimos ay trabahong tamad. Awa lang ang hinihintay mo para makakain ka sa araw-araw. Init lang ng panahon ang kalaban mo, pero ang gagawin mo lang naman ay ilalabas ang kamay mo at bubuksan ang palad para magkapera. Hindi dapat sinasanay ang mga namamalimos sa "awa" ng may konting baryang kayang ibigay.

Ang mga bata, kung pinipilit lang sila ng mga magulang nila, o ginagamit ng sindikato, ay dapat lumapit na sa mga MMDA o DSWD o Bantay Bata para kupkupin na sila dun. Kahit na wala akong tiwala sa gobyerno, gusto kong maniwala na ang mga institusyong ito ay ginagawa pa rin ang kanilang makakaya para gawin ang dapat nilang ginagawa. Kahit na ibig sabihin nito ay iiwanan nila ang kanilang pamilya, dapat isipin nila na habambuhay silang mamamalimos para sa makakain nila kung mananatili silang kasama ng kanilang pamilya.

Ang mga binatilyo, siguro makakakuha ng raket sa pagiging kargador o runner ng mga bodega, o kahit janitor sa eskwelahan para maging scholar. Ang mga nanay na karga karga pa ang mga anak habang namamalimos ay dapat iniisip na pag may ginawa sila eh may posibilidad na mabuntis sila. Ang mga tila siga talaga na malakas mangalabit pag nanlilimos eh pwede rin sigurong maging kargador or something.

Punto, kung may lakas pa ang katawan nila, sa ibang bagay nila dapat ginagamit ito, at hindi sa pangingikil sa mga tao. Hindi pwedeng tumanda na lang sila nang namamalimos. Hindi dapat sinasanay ang mga namamalimos na nabibigyan sila parati. Wala silang pinagkaiba sa mga siga noong mga bata pa tayo na nangingikil ng piso piso. Habang ang araw araw mo ay pinapasakit ang ulo mo o katawan mo sa kakatrabaho, lalapitan ka ng mga pulubing to para hingan lang ng pera, at ikaw naman, bilang "mabuting" tao, ay magbibigay. Hindi mo tinutulungan ang pulubi sa pagbibigay ng konting barya sa kanya. Hindi aangat ang estado ng buhay nya sa palima-limang piso na binibigay mo. Mabuti pang bilhin mo na ang bente pesos na sampaguita ng batang nagbebenta kesa bigyan mo ng limang piso ang batang kumakatok lang.

Kung gusto mo talagang makatulong, bigyan mo sila ng pagkain, para alam mong sa pang kain ang paglilimos nya.

Pero para bigyan mo sila ng limos? Binibigyan mo lang ang siga ng dahilan para kikilan ka nya ulit bukas.

..Ditching Multiply...

Yeah, I think I am. The only reason I open my Multiply site right now is to check if someone replied to my blogs, or if Angel Velasco of offthebench.multiply.com posted something new. 

Multiply has become infested by online sellers (no, Nina Escoto, I'm not talking about you..) and spammers. And I am hating it now. Still, I love my layout here, and the variation of text is still the best for me. Then again, who else uses Multiply these days?

I've been writing a bit less now, so this account has actually been used sparingly.

Now that I've got Tumblr, I think I'll write on that. And since I love my Multiply site's layout, I think I'll re-post my Tumblr blogs here. But as a main site to post blogs on? Heh.:|

...On the Natural Co-Dependence: Importance of "Mahihirap"...

(Madami ako trabaho, pero ayoko na masayang ulit un naiisip ko para maging isang linya lang sa peysbuk, kaya ibblog ko na ngayon.)

Kahirapan nga ba ang problema ng Pilipinas? Sige, ganito na lang; problema nga ba ang kahirapan?

May mga pulitiko tayo na umaapila sa mga mahihirap, nagsasabing tatpusin ang kahirapan, iaahon ang buhay ng mga mahihirap. Gusto ba natin nito? Sa isang ideyolohiyang lipunan, siguro, oo, walang naghihirap, lahat nasa mabuti.

Negosyo nga ba ang sagot? Isang “tamang nilalang” ba na maluluklok sa pwesto ang solusyon sa lahat ng problema ng mga Pilipino?

Hindi naman ako galit kay Manny Villar, at hindi ko rin naman hinihimok ang boto mo palayo sa kanya kung siya nga ang napupusuan mong iboto sa darating na eleksyon. Siya lang siguro ang pinaka nakikita nating umaapila sa mga mahihirap. Si Dick din naman kahit pano mahirap din ang pinupuntirya eh; mukha bang mayaman yung batang gustong “gayahin” ang pinuno nya sa patalastas ni Dick Gordon?

Layunin ko sa sulating ito ang pagpapakita ng pagka-hypokrito ng mga pulitikong umaapila sa mahihirap at epekto nito, ang lantarang panlilinlang sa mga botante, at sa pangangailangan natin sa mga mahihirap.

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Panlilinlang at Paniniwala

Sabi nga nila, wala namang maloloko kung walang magpapaloko. Marami na ngayon ang naniniwalang kayang iahon ni Villar ang bansa sa kahirapan, marami ang naniniwalang matutulungan sila nito dahil dumaan na siya dito at ngayo’y nasa mabuting kalagayan na siya. Ngunit sapat na nga ba na napagdaanan nya ang kahirapan upang sabihin na kaya niyang iahon ang iba pang mga mahihirap?

Sinasabi kong isang panlilinlang ang pahayag nyang iaahon niya ang buong bansa sa kahirapan dahil hindi sa isang pinuno nakasalalay ang pag-asenso sa buhay ng isang tao, siya rin mismo. Hindi ba’t may nanalo na sa lotto ng ilang daang milyon para lang maubos itong lahat at ngayo’y naghihirap na siya ulit? Ang dating, inaasahan ng sambayanang naniniwala kay Villar na magbibigay siya ng oportunidad para sa lahat na magkaroon ng sariling negosyo, na maging sarili nilang amo. Ngunit paano kapag hindi sila nabigyan nito? Sinasabi mo ba sa akin, na posibleng bigyan ng kanya kanyang negosyo ang lahat ng squatter sa Pasay? Kung oo, sinasabi mo ba na kayang kumita ng lahat ng negosyong yun na nabigay sa kanila? Kung kumita man, habambuhay bang ganoon kasipag ang mga taong yan para palaganapin ang negosyo? Kung hindi, sinira ba ni Villar ang kanyang pangako? Tapos, ano na? Mag-aalsa nanaman ang masang Pilipino dahil matapos nilang iboto si Villar eh mahirap pa rin sila?

Siguro dahil hindi ako nangangailangan kaya hindi ako nagpapalinlang at ganito ang pag-iisip ko. Hindi ko rin naman siguro masisisi ang mga mahihirap na iniisip lang naman ang ikagaganda ng buhay.

Ang akin lang, hindi natin dapat inaasa na kaya ng pinuno natin na iahon ang buhay natin. Kung talagang mahirap ang buhay natin, iangat natin ng sarili natin. Maaari silang mag-bigay ng oportunidad, pero tulad ng lahat ng bagay, hindi para sa lahat ito. Nakapanlilinlang lang ang layunin ni Villar na nais nyang magkatrabaho lahat at magkaroon din ng sariling bahay. Pero may naniniwala eh.

Ibabalik ko na lang yung kasabihan: walang maloloko kung walang manloloko.
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Pulitiko Bilang Para sa Mahirap

Siguro ang masasabi ko na lang ay ang epekto nito sa tao. Mahirap magbigay ng mga layuning malayong makamit. Oo, magandang pakinggan ang mga ito. Pero kung dumating man ang panahon na nakamit na ng pulitiko ang nais nyang posisyon, ano na? Laglagan na agad?

Hayup makipagkamay ang mga pulitiko ngayon kapag eleksyon. Di ko rin naman maintindihan sa mga taong to ang pakikipagkamay nila na parang hinahabol ang Nazareno, eh ndi naman sila matatandaan ng mga pulitikong kinamayan nila eh (“naalala nyo po ba ko? Ako po un nakakamay ninyo ng dalawang segundo nun nagsortie kayo sa Baseco!!! Ako po yung nakangiti!!! Eto pala un kasama ko na nakatabig ng kamay ko para siya naman kumaway, baka natandaan ninyo, 3 seconds kayo nakapagkamay eh”). At lalong wala silang kapangyarihang makakamit pag nahawakan nila ang kamay ng pulitiko (“Boss! Magreresign na ko! Kaya ko nang magpagawa ng village dahil nahawakan ko kamay ni Manny Villar!!! Bwahahahhahah”).

Iniisip ng mga taong to na pag nahawakan nila ang pulitiko eh may parang koneksyon na sila dito. Ang hirap lang, hindi naman mangyayari yun kung normal na araw eh. Na magiging problema. Pag hindi mo na ginagawa ang mga sinabi mong gagawin mo, at hindi mo na nagagawa ang mga dating ginagawa mo, ang mga parehong tao na sumuporta sa iyo ay siya ring mga taong magpapabagsak sa iyo.

Ito marahil ang takot ko kay Villar na maraming pangako at may kredebilidad na tuparin ang mga pangakong ito; ang taas ng inaasahang mangyari nga mga mamamayan. Posibleng kaya ni Villar tuparin ang mga pangako nya, pero hindi ito agad agad mangyayari, hindi agad agad makakaramdam tayo ng pag-usad. Dahil dito, baka hindi makapaghintay ang mga Pilipino, bagong gulo nanaman.

(Hindi pala ako naniniwala sa sinabi ni Dolphy tungkol sa kanya na nakarating siya sa kinalalagyan nya ng walang nilamangan at walang niloko. Negosyante siya eh. Kelan ka ba nakakita ng negosyanteng hindi nanlamang pero yumaman?)

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Pangangailangan sa mga Mahihirap

Eto marahil ang pinaka-malaking problema ko sa nilalatag ni Villar na maging sarili mong amo. Kung sa sobrang husay nya eh nagawa nga nyang bigyan ng oportunidad lahat na maging negosyante, sino naman ang magiging mga empleyado natin? Kung lahat tayo ay umangat ang buhay, sino naman ang magiging bukas pa para mamasukang driver, katulong o labendero/a?

Masakit mang tanggapin, kailangang merong mahihirap sa mundo. Hindi maaaring pantay pantay tayo sa lipunan, dahil umiiral tayo sa “co-dependence”; ang pag-asa ng bawat isa sa iba pang parte ng lipunan. Kumbaga sa gubat, maaawa kang pinapatay ng leon ang usa. Pero tulad ng tinuro sa atin sa Biology, kailangan ito para balansihin ang Ecosystem.

Ganoon din naman sa ating mga tao. Ang tunay na komunistang ideyolohiya ay nakabase sa ekwalidad o pagkapantay-pantay ng mga tao. Meron bang totoong komunistang bansa? Tayo nga, “Republika” pero umiiral ang gobyerno sa “Demokrasya”. Hindi porke’t may “Communist” sa pangalan ng bansa eh komunista na sila. Ang punto ko, hindi gagana ang “tunay” na komunistang ideyolohiya sa kahit na anong lipunan dahil masyadong perpekto ito. At tayo, bilang tao, ay hindi mapapairal ito ng maayos dahil sa likas na hindi natin pagkakuntento. At dahil dyan, gustohin man o hindi, magkakaroon at magkakaroon ng mahirap, ng mayaman, at ng gitna, maaaring lumaki ang isang sektor habang lumiliit ang iba, pero hinding hindi mapupunta lahat sa isa lang.

Sa pangangampanya ng mga pulitiko, nakita nyo na ba silang sila lang mag-isa ang naroon? Parati silang mayroong mga bodyguard, parating may mga driver. Ngayon, kung lahat tayo mayaman, sabihin nating naging may kaya lang, mamamasukan ka bang driver o bodyguard ng isang tao? Hindi sa minamaliit ko ang trabaho nila, ngunit kung ika’y negosyante na at may sarili mong inaasikasong negosyo, pipiliin mo pa bang magtrabaho para sa ibang tao? Bilang driver na mag-hihintay habang nagma-mall ang amo mo, bilang bodyguard na nakatambay lang sa labas ng bahay habang kumakanta, kumakain, at umiinom ang amo mo?

Kailangan natin ang mga mahihirap. Hindi sa ayaw ko nang umangat ang mga buhay nila, desisyon nila yun. Hindi ibang tao ang magdidikta sa isang tao kung gaganda ang buhay nya o hindi, sarili lang nya. May mga mayayaman na walang alam sa buhay at darating ang panahong babagsak din ang estado nila sa buhay, habang may mga mahihirap naman na magsisikap talaga at aangat ang kabuhayan.

Ganun lang naman sa mundo eh, may yumayaman, mei naghihirap, may mga nagiging edukado, merong hindi. Pero nabuhay tayo sa mundo para magkasilbi. Kung lahat na lang tayo mayaman, sino na ang magpapaka-kuba sa kalsada para maglinis nito? Sino na ang magtitiis sa amoy ng kinolektang basura sa mga bahay natin?

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Sa aking opinyon, hindi naman dapat pinoproblema ang mga mahihirap, hindi problema ng gobyerno ang kahirapan. Tulad ng tinuro sa tin ng kwento ni Juan Tamad, hindi matatapos ang araw na mahuhulog na lang ang bayabas sa kanyang bibig. Kahit yung mga nananalo sa lotto ay tumataya rin.

Maari tayong bigyan ng oportunidad ng ating gobyerno para umasenso, pero hindi nito masisigurado ang ating pag-asenso. Nakasalalay sa atin mismo kung ano ang mangyayari sa buhay natin.

Habang marami ang nakaabang sa darating na eleksyon dahil sa inaasahang maging “pag-asa” ng pag-asenso ng ating bansa ang susunod na pinuno, tandaan natin na ang mga pangakong paglipon sa kahirapan ay hindi nya magagawa kung tayo’y maghihintay lang na may gawin siya.

Tayo mismo ang pag-asa ng bayan natin, hindi ang sinumang tumatakbo para sa pagkapangulo. Ang susunod nating pangulo ay yung kaya nating pagkatiwalaan na maging simbolo ng pagbabago ng gobyerno matapos ang halos isang dekadang pamumuno ng korupsyon.

Tinarantado na tayo ng galing at talino ni Gloria, nagsugal lang ang para sa mahirap na Erap. Maaaring maulit, maaring hindi. Kung saan mo kayang magtiwala ka bumoto, hindi sa kung kanino mo gusto iasa ang kinabukasan mo. Wag kang maging tamad na umaasa lang na may gawin para sa iyo ang gobyerno.

Galing at talino, sipag at tiyaga, likas na yaman, buddha beads, relihiyong itinaguyod ng isang tao, puso para sa mahirap, o si mama at papa; kahit sino man dyan ang sinusuportahan mo, tandaan mo na ikaw, at hindi siya, ang mag-aangat ng bayan mo.

…On Money and Significance…

It’s been a while since I last blogged, I’m probably rusty. =P Anyway, this is the first time I got my fingers typing something again to write something I’ve been meaning to write for quite a while now but never really got on to do so, mainly due to the office network not allowing the full use of Multiply (i.e. changing fonts and stuff) which could make my piece really dragging due to its length without different font sizes stressing points(I tried reading some past articles. Sorry I put you through that, thank you for still reading). For now, since I can't edit this post, please endure. Or check back later or tomorrow, when I probably fixed it up.:)

They say money can’t buy everything, but then again, what CAN’T it buy? We’re in a superficial world. Everything we do operates* with a monetary equivalent. Hence, we all strive to earn more of it. In this way, integrity, principle, and sometimes, significance, all become worthless. I present my cases in point.

On Profession

Obviously, this comes first. How many people now are underemployed but continue to be so because it’s the only way they can earn money? Some call center agents have been to several call centers but remain agents, and they’re settled with that. They don’t strive to become better. Probably a team lead, but that’s about it. Do the freakin foreigners who employ them give a damn about what happens to their future? Of course not. They’re cheap labor by foreign standards.

Now, not to degrade the BPO industry, I know first hand that it’s not as easy as it looks (well, it probably is, but still, there are a lot of training and people skills required). However, considering the fact that there are capable minds there who would rather go ahead and earn big starting salaries rather than work their ways up to somewhere that offers a basic salary, it seems that money has become a factor in acquiring quality talent.

In another manner, nurses, IT professionals, architects, engineers, and other professionals, decide to take their talents elsewhere because of greener pastures. They leave family and friends behind to pursue their careers somewhere else that offers more money.

It’s sad that in order to get by in this country, we either have to be apart from our families, or choose mediocrity. Everything has to be about the money.

On Politics

If one day you woke up and suddenly have a 500million-Peso bank account, would “running for public office” be the first thing that pops into your head? Yep. I thought so.

But man, look at all the ads. Having friends in the media industry, I get to understand that these commercials that bombard our regular programming on TV and radio (and sometimes, our heads..nakaligo ka na ba sa dagat ng basura…aaaaarrrrrgggghhh!!!!) are not cheap, especially during the times that they come out. It’s funny how they all say they want to end our suffering. Wasn’t it just a few years ago when some guy claimed that he was “para sa mahirap” and eventually got kicked out by the people? Then there’s the rule of the evil dwarf for almost a decade, a rule that started out promising, considering she was the daughter of a former president, and she has the, shall I say, “mental capacity” to rule.

Now we’re left to choose among a “success story” saddled by controversies he won’t answer, a seemingly passive leader whose candidacy and right to rule is anchored mainly on his family heritage, another “wise” leader who seeks to succeed his “wise” predecessor, a religious leader whose goals and intentions seem unclear (at least to me), a dick in every sense of the word, an environmentalist who’s banking on the Filipino’s love for the underdog, and a messed up female candidate who shouldn’t even be considered in the running.

Right now, it’s difficult to choose our leaders, from the top to the bottom or from the bottom up. Why spend so much under the guise of “friends of (insert name of candidate)” if they know they won’t get as much?

Politics has become a money-making racket more than an avenue to serve the people. It’s probably one of the contributing factors of why I chose not to pursue politics/law. It’s no longer about how one can serve the people, but rather how you can be “made” with all the perks a politician has. Imagine, no more traffic because of all the “hagad” that goes with your envoy everyday; people sucking up to you every single time; businessmen shoving money/cheques at you; cuts for every project you do, no matter how worthless it is, etc.

We’re not stupid enough not to understand that it’s mainly the reason why, despite the constitutional prohibition, there are political dynasties that rule over us. In this manner, the constitution has lost it’s significance, and politics as a whole, is just another business that any family member can run.

On Family

Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the “ninong” or “ninang” of a kid supposed to be the “2nd parents” of that kid? That in case the parents of the kid can no longer take care of him/her, it is the duty of the ninong and/or ninang to make sure the kid is taken care of. Hence, often, the ninong or ninang is usually the parents’ most trusted people, those whom they know would be capable of giving the love and support the kid deserves, if by any unfortunate circumstance, the parents can no longer grant the kid.

Trust is that main proponent of choosing a ninong or ninang. Well, at least, that’s the ideal.

In today’s world of unexpected young parents, people have leaned towards the more “practical” choice: get a ninong or ninang that you know has money. That way, if worst comes to worst, the ninong or ninang would be able to provide monetary assistance to their kid, as love and affection alone can’t provide a decent life for the kid.

Now, let me not judge you on your choice, if you are one of those whom I mentioned. My point is, there are times that the ninong or ninang don’t even remember the name of your kid, and you expect them to be the second parents, the people who would take care of your kid in case something unfortunate happens to you. Must that really be how baptisms work? Or weddings work, for that matter? What happened to trust?

I guess I can relate to this argument the most. I mean, I love kids, I really do. And there are kids I won’t mind taking care of and even mark their birthdays on my calendar because I look forward to it. And then there are kids that I have to be reminded of my obligation to. Not that I don’t like them, I probably just don’t spend as much time with them or their parents. And I don’t know how to. I mean, it probably just would be nice to be chosen to be a ninong for someone because I’m one of those closest to the couple’s hearts, and not because I live rather comfortably now.


Who doesn’t want to win the lottery, right? But then again, as it seems, if you have money, everything else loses significance.


*grammar check here, MS Word keeps saying there’s a grammar error with “operates”. Isn’t the verb pointing to “everything” which counts as singular? It doesn’t sound right if I omit the “s” there.

...On Finding the Perfect Person...

A blog I’ve been meaning to write for the past couple of weeks. It should’ve been done as soon as it popped in my head, but I didn’t have the chance to write or post it. Anyway, here goes.

Che and I broke up last May, ending what has been a 4 and a half-year relationship. She blogged, something she never did, I wrote, as I always did. People around us were caught by surprise with this news, what with most of them knowing us as a couple for most of our acquaintance. It seemed final, and events that transpired between then and now can only attest to the finality of that break up. We were in good terms, but there came a point that we just had to cut all ties to be able to live completely independent from each other.

Eventually, we got around to talking again, tried to tie loose ends. She’d like to have me back in her life, as I would her, but a couple of factors came to play, at least for me. One, I thought it was unfair to her, if I came back to her after an episode with another girl. Two, I thought about what people might say. And yes, though I should be the last person in the world who would probably think that that matters, I actually thought it did.

I wanted to completely move on from my episode before I can truly pursue Che the second time around. I didn’t want to have my mind drifting away thinking of another person if I was with Che, so though we were in good terms, I didn’t want to ask, I didn’t want to move to another level. The other thing that was pulling me back was what people thought. It mattered now, because my pride is on the line. I said before that I wasn’t going to be getting back with Che, and at the time, it seemed so sure. Now, my pride didn’t want to eat itself up with those bold claims.

But then it came to a point where I just cared for her more than I could care for anyone else. There was just me and her. I wasn’t stalking anyone anymore; I just wanted to know what was up with Che’s YM status. I wasn’t waiting for a call anymore during lunch; I was just interested in knowing if Che ate hers already. I wasn’t looking forward to going home early to go online for Skype; I was thinking of ways to pass the time so that Che might notice I’m still in the office past 6:30PM and might think of asking me out for dinner (or find it as an excuse for me to ask her out).

Ultimately, we got together simply with this dialogue:

Me: ..So, mei boyfriend ka na?
Che: Meron! 
Me: Sino?

 
And just like that, we’re back to where we were before. Probably a little more grown up, but definitely with more open eyes.

And so, here’s my take:

Everybody’s looking for their perfect someone, the ideal person. Most of the time, these people who search for that being are those who are labeled as NBSB if they’re attractive, and, well, you don’t label the ugly ones, you just say “oh.” This is their best answer to the question "bakit wala ka pang boyfriend/girlfriend?"

Well, I’ve got news for you. He/she doesn’t exist. That perfect person is only perfect in your mind but never in reality. With time, you’d realize, he/she isn’t anything more than any other person you could’ve been with. You search for the ideal person, and might turn out as who you pictured him/her to be, but as a couple, you probably wouldn’t be able to stand him/her.

I said this before in Che’s debut, and I’ll say it again; she is not my perfect girl. She is anything but. She’s not the chinita, petite, fair-skinned, (slightly) chubby girl that I had pictured in my mind. But she is, I think, the right girl for me. We have our differences, true, but we can live with it. We know what the other one needs and what the other doesn’t. There are irreconcilable differences between us, but aren't there in any relationship? After all, we are two different people. We can’t have the same wants, needs, opinion, and attitudes. We just have to work our way around it to get to what’s important: the person to love, detached from all the worldly worries.

 
As there is no perfect person, there is no perfect relationship. Any relationship, no matter how smooth it may be, can always be broken off if one of the parties involved decide that it’s not working anymore, when one of the parties decide to lose hope that the relationship can work. No relationship can sustain itself. People in it just have to make it work.

And we both want to make this work. We've made it work before, and we are confident that we can make it work now and in the future. We're not a perfect couple; we may not epitomize the ideal for each other, and we may have different opinions about stuff, but we feel right for each other. And that's what matters most. 

And so, eating my pride and my words declaring we won't get back together, I say here for all you readers to read:

I love you Che, let's make it work. 

For you, non-believer, for you who doesn't like the idea of us back together, just live with it. After all, you may not be living a perfect life yourself. I like this. We like this. You don't matter again. You have your opinion, but then, we'll be the ones who are going to be together, so, leave your "expert opinion" to yourself.

I don't care if you think that I/she deserves better, what matters is that we feel right for each other. No one can dictate who's better for who, because like I said, it's the people in the relationship who make it work. For our relationship, your opinions are as useful as a jacket in the summer; it's handy to have if the cold weather decides to mess up the sunny skies, but normally, it can be buried beneath all the summer clothes.

For those who liked the changed relationship status, thank you. For those who didn't, I'm sorry that you're disappointed, but I'm not sorry that we made us happy.

...My Christmas Wishlist of 09...

I never got around to writing the blogs I've been wanting to write for the past couple of weeks. So before I sleep, I want to get at least one of them out, umabot man lang bago mag-pasko. 

Last year, I made me my Christmas wishlist as early as October (http://voltz1129.multiply.com/journal/item/108/.my_christmas_wishlist...). Somehow, I think it is kinda effective, as I got 5/10 of the wishes I made within the year (3 of which, my sister was influential. Labshu.) . Now, since this is a late post, I somehow got some of it already. These are personal goals, but of course, gifts are always welcome.

==============================================================

1. The Suit

I always wanted to have one for myself.  I always borrow the suits I wear for such events as my Grad Ball and Confuician Night. I wanted something that looks nice even on jeans. 

And of course, it is essential to have one in stock just in case Uncle Barney decides to show up and asks me to suit up.

2. Air Bed. 

I wanted an air bed for my room before, and then there was this one time when I saw a detachable sofa-like rest for the bed, and I liked it even more. It would save a lot of space in my cramped up room. For one, I could let go of Bochok's (My big teddy bear Che gave me a couple of years back) rocking chair, and have him back in my bed.

 

(*note: Picture not exactly what I saw, but it looks nice too.)

 

 

3. Big Ass Headphones

 

 

After watching 500 Days of Summer, I was a bit enamored with the idea of buying me some big-ass headphones for the ultimate introvert experience.

 

But since this is a late blog, I need to scratch this off now, as my uncle gave me Sennheiser earphones. They're not as big, but they get the job done.

 

 

 

 

 

4. A New Pair of Adult-Looking Eyeglasses

 

I have a pair of black, plastic eyeglasses. They're somewhat durable, it's multicoated, and they work out nice. But then since it's somewhat becoming a fad, I think I want to break off from it. So now, I want those sophisticated-looking glasses, but not too sophisticated to make me look old. Just something that looks nice if they have those transition lenses (those that go dark if there's too much darkness).

 

But since my mom got me these, I can actually scratch it off. I wanted it for Christmas, that's why it still makes the list.

 

 

5. PSP Stand 

 

I'm torn about this one since I have one already. But mine sucks, really, and it always falls off. I want one that's more stable, so I can play me movies while I'm driving without worrying if the thing's gonna fall off after a hump.

 

 

 

 

 

=======Gifts-that-make-sense End Here=========

 

6. 3 Musketeers

 

No. I will not get tired of wishing for this year in and year out.

 

Chocolate over chocolate goodness.. Aaaah..

 

 

 

 

7.  Toy Chopper

 

 

I may not not have that much time with me to play with these kinds of toys, but it would be nice to have one. I dunno why.

 

Siguro poser lang ako. Wala naman kasi ako chopper, so kahit laruan na lang.:P

 

8. Robosapien

 

This has probably got to be the most useless thing I want, and most expensive one at that. But if ever I do get to earn money that can be burned for nothing, this would top my list as that which I am going to buy.

A remote-controlled slave. If only for that, I want this 6k-worth toy.

 

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I realize that I scratched off two things from my list even before I wrote this blog, but hey, how was I supposed to know my uncle was going to give me these kick-ass earphones?

 

Anyway, I am in a blogging drought right now. I can't think of words, and I can't write stuff. I was back reading a couple of my "emo-state" blogs, and I realize there were actually some stuff I've already written that are funny. Dapat yata bitter ako para nakakatuwang basahin posts ko.

I'll try mushy tomorrow. For now, sleep is what's important..