Sibling Rivalry Week!

Stern should just do it.

Spanish sistahs Pau vs. Marc:



All-American Bros Brook vs. Robin:
















The scrubs Jason and Jarron:

No token white guy

That should be a racist comment some years back, but these days it's rather accepted calling African-Americans black and Caucasian (Americans) white. It's just the way things are nowadays. Only the paranoid reacts and only the ones who overreact are paranoid enough to blow things out of proportion.

That said, here's a very interesting article (Who's Joe Alexander? Just ask NBA scouts by Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo Sports) i found over the net earlier today:

LAS VEGAS – The father’s cell phone rang back in Beijing and Steve Alexander sensed such joy in his son’s voice. Steve and his wife had dropped off Joe in Morgantown, W.Va., for the start of his freshman semester, and now the kid’s words tripped over themselves.

“Dad,” Joe Alexander gushed, “I love this place.”

For a moment, Steve wanted to believe such enthusiasm had been about the campus, the girls – and maybe God forbid – the classes. And yet, back in the Far East, where he had raised his son, Steve could just grumble an, “Oh no,” when Joe finally spit out these words:

“They’ve got a couch in the basketball locker room.

+++

“I’m blown away by him,” one Western Conference executive said. “He’s a freakish talent. And it’s scary how good he could be, because he’s just now starting to figure it all out. He isn’t driven, he’s obsessed. I think he’s the next Tom Chambers.”

Alexander sighs. “How come,” he asks, “they only compare me to the white guys?”

The most improbable story of the NBA draft on Thursday comes shrouded in mystery out of the Far East, the son of an American CEO who found great inspiration studying a culture where millions of people worked in fields so long and hard for so little. As much as greatness obsesses him, Alexander is just as moved to obliterate stereotypes and force people to reassess the way in which they label basketball players, the way they assign attributes based on race and background.

+++

Once, the power was lost in the West Virginia coliseum when he was shooting baskets late at night. So, Alexander drove his Nissan down the ramp and turned on his headlights to finish his workout. West Virginia’s coaches would always tell his father, Steve, these stories, and on a visit to Morgantown, his son was getting antsy in his dorm room at 9:30 one night. “I need to go shoot,” Joe told him, and soon, Steve had an uneasy feeling in his stomach when his son knew the one coliseum door he could jerk open to shimmy them inside.

+++

...He comes out of nowhere, out of the Far East and the hills of West Virginia, the biggest story of this NBA draft for the simplest of reasons: Joe Alexander wouldn’t take no for an answer.

So thank you to Mr. Wojnarowski for writing that article, i think and i feel that i have found a new player to follow in the NBA. Some posts back, i explained why i always like having point guards (in the NBA or the PBA) as my favorites--- and it's for the sheer reason of height and imitating their game in real life. Now i have some explaining to do why all of a sudden i picked this 6 foot 8 forward--- for sheer reason that i will have no rhyme and reason of imitating him at all in real life (Heck, he can touch the rim with his head according to the article!

There's only one reason: that article alone speaks of his passion for the game. And that's not hard to like at all. Not at all. Now, player fans like me? We adjust teams so here's hoping it's not the Milwaukee Bucks that draft him.

Pacman for Four!

First things first, these keys to the bout will look (sound) bloody familiar come Sunday (Catch the Solar coverage over Solar Sports or GMA; or if you don't want any part of the "delay" in the not-slightly-delayed telecast go to your nearest movie house, most likely they'll be offering this box-office hit) when you listen to misters Quinito Henson and Chino Trinidad, this year's pair-up who will go to Las Vegas to call the shots for the Lethal Combination: Manny Pacquiao vs. David Diaz fight.

My own prediction is listed below the LETHAL LIST--- do's and don't's for the pair of boxers who will slug it out for the lightweight championship.

LETHAL LIST: PACQUIAO

• PRESSURE COOKER
  
• Pacquiao is raring to become the first ASIAN to hold four titles in four different divisions! That’s pressure for any level of boxing especially for Pacquiao who carries a nation’s weight on his shoulders…
• Rather Pacquiao should forget about the “pressure of winning” but focus on the task at hand that is: to put “pressure on his opponent!”
• WEIGHT WOES
• Is Pacquiao indeed ready for the big time? Big time meaning bigger and heavier opponents?
• Yes, he dominated fighters in the super feather, but will his SPEED and POWER be diminished against a larger fighter in his first fight as a lightweight?
• Finally, how will this new weight affect Pacquiao’s strategy and game plan? Will he be more of a technical fighter and be conservative? Or will he revert to the old lock-and-load bruiser, banger go-go fighter and be aggressive?
• Other notes: Will the new weight affect his performance if the fight go the whole nine yards?
• MAN ON A MISSION
• The mission is: Beat Diaz not Who’s Next.. Focus focus focus…
• Pacquiao is now a grizzled vet inside the ring, but no mission is bigger than this one; Pacquiao realizes that and will use this as his primary motivation
• It should be clear with Manny that any future fights should be forgotten on this night and focus on the task at hand and not “the plans” after the fight

LETHAL LIST: DIAZ

IMMEDIATE BUT NOT INTIMIDATED

• Diaz should attack early and often but do not back down from the more popular (and crowd favorite, most likely) Manny…
• Reputations are earned inside the ring not what writers or critics say, Diaz should simply fight and not be distracted by the high-profile fighter opposite him
• BOSSY LIGHTWEIGHT
• Diaz is the lightweight champ and Pacquiao half-a-division lower… David should show Manny that rising in the weight division is serious business
• Since Diaz has been fighting in this division longer than Pacquiao, he should be better in recognizing which of the advantages should he use and disadvantages he should avoid…
• Diaz is in familiar territory, and he should act like it and force Pacquiao to make the necessary adjustments and not him.
• BRIGHTEST LIGHTS, BIGGEST NIGHT
• Diaz is fighting the fight of his career--- this is his biggest match yet, and he knows that.
• Diaz should be fighting like it is his last because this is his chance to be among the big-name fighters in boxing
• A Diaz win would mean more big-money fights in the future at the same time spurning one of the fighters who is one of the most popular in the world today

As they say, come fight night all the pre-bout keys and notes will be useless; this is so, so true from the point one boxer eat the knuckles of his opponent and the blood unabashedly comes out of that big embarrassed gash in either eyes.

My fearless forecast? Pacquiao in the later rounds, specifically the 11th round; two minutes and a half gone by and Diaz is bye-bye. Biased? Probably. Just win Manny, just win.

While we are at it...

So much for reposting every lyrics of my favorite song.. Particularly Rivermaya songs of old... Copy + pasted below are the "quotable quotes" (quote unquote as necessary as this explanation in an "open-close" parenthesis explaining the redundancy as significant for more emphasis) off their albums of the past. The B-sides that were never heard but has voices that definitely has more meaning than the commercially-released singles.

From the self-titled yellow album (1994):

Revolution

i could be a dreamer
i could be insane
but we don't need no Superman
to paint a brighter day

20 Million

And as i watch the candle
(burn/turn) this night (away/today)
My life collects another yesterday

Hate

Well, if you're happy then i'm blue
'cause I'm not so far but not with you...

...If only you were smiling, if i was reason
tomorrow, I could die.

... And this is not a love song,
don't even think it's your song.

Gravity

Somebody save me, ‘coz my mind is a train
And it don’t have a destination, and it don’t know my name
It keeps runnin’, runnin’, runnin’, runnin’,
well, that kinda explains,
why I see every single madness, but I cant see what is plain   

And i'm just starting. There are about five to six albums left. Another post, another album in another time. It's just too much for a single post. Let this be a lesson to your B-side existence.

Fever to start the week! Woot.

i was and am always fond of the B-sides tracks--- unreleased singles of the favorite bands and artists that are unseen by (almost unwanted) and unheard of by most of the average music fan. It's always a struggle of priority for these bands--- a tug-of-war of which to release; the more-commercially viable songs or the definitely more experimental and artistically satisfying to the critical ears and tastes but will be a major risk when released in the open market.

Rivermaya then was very different from the Rivermaya of today; i have to explain that to the new listeners--- most of them them new fans, either converted or newly acquired--- and re-explain it to the old school fans who knew the band on eye level only--- shallow opinions of an uneducated mind, which is rather understandable.

And oh, this maybe just a reactionary tale as close friends accused the band as the Philippines version of the foreign band Michael Learns to Rock, which outside the alcohol and diss-just-to-diss mission is lame, shallow and shallow plus lame. (If the discussion had more depth, they could have had more credibility but it's just it, it's a matter of taste and nobody wins in these kinds of discussions) Taste can never be altered but perception can be changed, you just hope some people have the capability of adjusting their way of thinking, especially since their way of thinking is absolutely naive and naively absolute.

Before i become accused of just being passionately defensive and before i become a diss-just-to-diss kind of person in discussions, i just thought of posting the "Fever" lyrics off Maya's album, Atomic Bomb (1997)

The title talks about my current state (which isn't known but that i feel very cold and very hot at the same time) and the entire song (lyrics and melody) just about sums up that the strength of anything (this case, a band's greatness) more than meets the eye (and your basic taste):
(*i believe the lyrics was a collaboration between Blanco and Mañalac.) And yes blast them all you want, i still have lots of B-sides to post anyway.

Fever
by Rivermaya

you're so good to me
a question
your intentions
you're so naive
ripe for the pluckin'
pretty to bleed
we look so good together
you seem so right for me
you promised me heaven
it seemed so right
a special today on roses
i'm so hot from dancing, dancing, dancing
got some tips from the butcher
a slab of shit
just like you
we look so good together
you seem so right for me
you promised me heaven
it seemed so right
like sun and fire
like dream and sleep
like a bird's flight
through a forest deep
two streams we die
in the open sea
like destiny
like destiny...
we look so good together (follow me, go follow me, go follow me)
(i'm dancing)
you seem so right for me (follow me, don't follow me)
(i'm dancing, i'm dancing)
you promised me heaven (follow me, don't follow me, don't follow me)
(i'm dancing)
you promised me heaven ( you promised me...)
heaven (home...)
heaven (home...)

Imagine nothingness

A few notes before we edit this poker thing-y.

Imagination = Creativity. Imagining cards from nothingness is equal as well to creativity, somewhat. Imagine nothingness... Imagine you hold it in your hand... Ha! Much like chances in life, eh? You just have to be creative enough to put a semblance of value to it.

...Time to dominate...

Mission tonight: daogon si Enteng and Don and Christian and Budoy sa bilyar.

Pano na sa sadiri part II (So full of myself)

Saen na ngani kita? Ah iyo. Sa kasuyaan. Sa kabadtripan sa bagay na dae aram. Ang sigurado lang may koneksyon sako, sigurado man apod dyan problema. Ribong ka man o dae, sigurado maisip ka ta maisip ka. Natural na reaksyon yan and natural ang magreact kay ma ka magigibo: maisip ning maisip ning maisip.

Habo ko na. Pagal. Bako yan absolute statement. Hilaw yan na hinaing kung ano man namamati ko sa mga oras na ini. Dahil sa buhay minsan mo lang makua ang talagang gusto mo--- pero all the time, aram mo ang gusto mo pati dae mo mga gusto--- ang dae ta lang masolusyunan eh pano ta ni gigibohon. Saen kita mapoon. Saka, kaya ta daw talaga? (May mga doubts ta may pagtubod, comes with the territory yan; ang tunay na hapot matubod ka daw maski dakol ng doubts?)

Habo ko na. Habo ko na. Garo ika-anum na bote ning Red Horse Jumbo. Masiram iyo. May yelo pa. May Oishi (classic) pa. May yosi ka pa. Kumpleto kung sa kumpleto. Maogma kung maogma. Pero kung nagsuka ka na mahabo ka na lang ta.. Habo mo na.(though kaya mo pa ata ning sarong pang bote o kung dae man kaya eh di isuka mo na lang ulit).

Iyo mismo yan ang buhay. Magibo kita ning mga bagay na nakapaogma sato in 5 minutes. Pagbwinenas ka minsan maabot 5 days. Minsan 5 months. O kung lab mo talaga, 5 years. Pero natapos yan gabos and aram mo yan sa poon na pa lang na matapos man ang gabos. Sabi daa it's the trip not the destination. Pwede man talaga, pero may malalaen na paglalakbay na dae matukal saimo pagnakaabot sa puro. Malaen yan sa pagmati. Magatol. May mga lugad na kakagawon dae tuyo dahil magatol ngani, and maaraman mo na lang nagbuka na ulit ang lugad. Malaen yan sa pagmati. Iyo masiram si kagaw, pero pagnatanggal ang kagan... Maghanap ka na alcohol. Ang problema lang minsan bako isopropyl ang inuula ta kung dae beer. Pareho man lang yan alcohol... Pareho man maagi sa kulog.

Mapagal. Mapagalon. Most mapagalon. Ulit ulit. Hanap ka ning hanap ning rason... Gabos na gusto mong maging rason nagdudulag kung dae man, nawawara. So hanap ka na lang ulit. Habo ko na talaga. Pramis.

Pano na sa sadiri (Full of myself)

Habo ko na. Mapagalon na. Marhay man ang trabaho, dakol gibo sa mga aldaw na ini pero garo naguulit ulit naman. Pero dahil may Olympics sa August sigurado maabot pa ako kayan digdi sa panahon na yan. Habo ko na pero dae man ako basta basta mawalat responsibilididad. Malaen man yan na reputasyon na iwawalat mo--- bako yan sa tama o sala kung bako ang nawalat sa konsensya mo. So, sa halipot na sabi, dae ko man garo yan gigibohon (While Naga, tambay sa Naga or otherwise is a good option still...)

Dakol kang iniisip sa panahon na ini. Iniisip mo na kung gano kainit sa impyerno ta malamang duman ka paduman. Kung worst-case scenario pirmi ang utak mo, syempre kadakul kang kapraningan na mabubuo sa laog kayan. Sa halipot na sabi, malaen sa pagmati.

Habo ko na. Mapagalon na. Garo limang sunod na fastbreak attempts tapos ma ka lamang na i-convert. Puros turnover o bad decision. Si mga dapat tira, nageextra pass ka pa. Si mga pasa, binuaya mo. Lost chances kumbaga. Ulit ulit sa payo mo mina-replay sabay ulit ulit mong kinakaulay ang sadiri mo na ma kang kwenta. Ma kang kwenta. Ma kang kwenta.

Masakit magpara-explica kang mga bagay bagay na dae mo maintindihan tapos dae ninda maintindihan. Subanggi lang dakol inakusa saimo. Siguro bakong akusa, dakol lang sinda opinyon na nagtataginting sa talinga mo. Guilty ka o sala, bako na yan ang punto minsan. Bako na kung tama ka o may paaging tama kung bako ma ka lang talaga option kung dae maging ika. Ta iyo naman sana yan ang matatada saimo.

Absolute ang gabos na tigsarabi; tungkol lang ni ata gabos saimo. Tanggalon ta na ang ata. Tungkol at ni gabos saimo. Sa sadiri ko. Selfish. Self-centered bastardo. And minsan, naisip mo kung napapanahon na akuon mo na lang arog kayan. Pirmi na lang, gabos na ginibo mo para sa iba mabalik na tungkol saimo. Dawa ano pa intensyon mo ta naturingan ka nang saro kang makasadiri, mayo na yan sinasabi mong good intensyon.

Tama na muna na yan. Makakan. Mayosi. Maisip. Habo ko na maanggot. Paduman man gabos yan sa sadiri.

Habo ko na. Pagal na ako.

Nakpil vs. Blanco: No music to the ears

Pipoy--- avid editor, Pasig-boy and ardent musician--- and I were on our way home last night when i was hit by a song from the radio (The panga-station, FX drivers favorite)... The voice was inarguably familiar, the lyrics unquestionably witty-puns and the music downright Rico Blanco-ish. Yes, he's back and it seems he did not miss a beat. Well, that is if you judge this book by its cover--- or by this single in this case. Forgive me for a rather premature evaluation (maybe a future actual in-depth review on the said album in future entries) as i listened to the song only twice since last night but yet it already sends shivers down my Rivermaya-influenced spine (And yes, when i say Rivermaya i do not mean the fake four-some that assumes the same name.)

In search of anything and everything Blanco with the help of the ever-reliable Google, i came upon this article that made me a little bit angry (understatement):

Dear Messrs. Baluyut & Blanco:

I write on behalf of Ms. Lizza G. Nakpil, the managing director of Rana Entertainment, Inc. with whom Mr. Blanco has a talent, promotion, management and royalty contract from 1994 until 2009.

Ms. Nakpil has been very disturbed and extremely distressed by your open, flagrant and malicious breach of the aforesaid agreement as shown by the article entitled "Yes, it's Rico Blanco" prominently printed and/or written on the cover page of the Entertainment Section of the Philippine Daily Star (sic) in its yesterday's (June 12th) issue.

Mr. Blanco cannot deny that he signed or executed the subject contract with Rana Entertainment, Inc. as duly represented by Ms. Nakpil not only as a member of the Rivermaya band but also as an independent talent himself. His lame and hollow excuse that he had already resigned from the band by virtue of a self-serving letter he wrote last 25 April 2007 does not free or release him from his own contractual obligations and/or liabilities therein.

Ms. Nakpil is aghast why Warner Music Philippines thru Mr. Baluyut would blatantly be a willing and collaborating party to Mr. Blanco's violation of his own personal undertaking with Rana Entertainment, Inc. to the detriment of Warner's internationally recognized name, fame and goodwill.

Mr. Blanco's assertion that he never renewed his contract with Rana Entertainment, Inc. upon its prior expiration in 2003 is a pure canard for the reason that he never had the option or right to reject its renewal. It had been given to Rana Entertainment, Inc. who, instead, opted to renew it until 2009. Succeeding events after 2003 proved an uninterrupted contractual relationship between them.

Ms. Nakpil insists on no less than Mr. Blanco's bona fide compliance with the terms and conditions of his contract with Rana Entertainment, Inc. and the respect for such legal undertaking by Warner Music Philippines. Short of it, she is prepared to translate this demand letter into a language of a lawsuit.

Very truly yours,

(Sgd.) HARRIET O. DEMETRIOU - /Philstar

http://beta.ph.news.yahoo.com/star/20080617/tel-manager-rico-blanco-dd408b0.html

i was searching for anything and everything news about the single "Yugto", Rico's latest craft and i found the article above. How cool is that? Just about the good news that quickly turned into a horror story.

("WTF Lizza Nakpil, don't jump! i forgive you! - Rico Blanco; Pic courtesy of a google search)
Anyway, panic not and worry never, in my honest opinion Lizza Nakpil will do the right thing and simply just let the matter go. Of course, that is my personal wish because this i don't want good music and better musicians to be overshadowed (and even replaced) by matters that has no place in art. Who knows, if Ms. Nakpil does the unjustifiable this matter could be dragged into court. Again, no place for art on that one.

It's sad to see how things worked out for this group. First the Bamboo incident (which turned out nice for both sides, so that's pretty acceptable) and now this... Sad, sad. It's not so much that i have experienced the changes, it's more that i want other people to listen to his craft--- that is an experience itself that should be experienced by the new generation.

So whatever it is you are thinking, Ms. Nakpil... Don't. It's no music to the ears when an irreplaceable art is endangered by ill-intentions. Blanco wins on this one anyway, one way AND the other.

Death is a serious business. Life?

In one of the personal and rather selfish polls i posted i asked for the opinions of my dear readers (all three of them, an optimistic estimate) on what's their take a. Dying First, b. Dying Last or c. Not Answering. Happy to announce that there was just a single voted who selected the last option as i deemed him/her uncreative should somebody pick that one (and rightfully so.)

So anyway, one comment was this one...

Anonymous said...

how did you know that by this time you are taking your life seriously? if you were to ask between to die first and die last, which would you choose?

i did promise an answer as early as last week but only found time to address this one now. First of all, am not quite sure how "taking your life seriously" has any significance in my poll. Was the poll (question) too immature? Or rather too much imagination? i am just not sure how the "take life seriously" falls into the equation... But to answer the good commentator's question... No, i do not know if i know by now i am taking life seriously. And no, i don't think i'd ever take life (too) seriously as most people do. Would i be branded as irresponsibly immature or immaturely irresponsible by believing in such principle? Well, so be it. i really believe life is defined by ourselves, by our own point of view and perspective. The moment you give in to what others want and expect from you... The moment you give up your own idea of what should life is... i think that's death of a life itself.

On the second part.... Die First or Die Last?... Tough, tough one to answer. And even tougher to explain. But...Here's mine: to Die First. Why? i am a very selfish and weak person. All things considered. Too selfish that i don't want to be the last one dying in this world and earning all the heartaches because every one is falling like flies, one special moment at a time. i just don't see myself surviving the pain in the procrastination of an impending death which is still at the end of the world. By the time doomsday starts, my own has ended a long time ago.

And weak. i am a sissy. i can tolerate pain that i feel but not the pain that rubs off mine. i can be overly insensitive but there's a good guy in me that sympathize with even the smallest amount of depression... Dying First gives me the easiest escape of not feeling anything when everyone around me is dying.

So there.

Finals Realizations

Earlier today, the Boston Celtics bludgeoned the Los Angeles Lakers, 131-92 at the TD Banknorth Garden in Massachusetts to close out their Finals best-of-seven series at four games to two. Meaning Danny Ainge's moves during the last offseason paid off as Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett got their first-ever NBA championship ring. Not to say that it was Boston's Big Three alone that did the job. The Celtics campaign were replete with heroes the entire season and post. For the entire playoffs, Doc Rivers, the much-maligned Boston head coach kept reminding his boys to avoid attempting the "hero plays"--- incidents when an individual plays errr individually to "save his team." Good one, Doc because apparently that one worked as the entire Boston team played impressive team basketball on both ends of the floor especially on the defensive end. Well, that made them a very successful team during the regular season and it was only apt that this was the aspect that made them even more successful in the championship run.

A few notes before going to the NBA off-season (One of my favorite parts of the year, especially if my team sucked during the season);

• James Posey is the next Robert Horry (prime). This isn't new at all, as some forums have already discussed the parallel. James still can't still hold a candle to Big Shot Bobby, but he is turning into Big Shot James in his own right and as seen during his stint with the Miami Heat (2006 champions) and now the Celtics. Like Horry, he can defend multiple positions from the high scoring SG's and SF's (wingmen like Kobe or Lebron) to the taller and heavier power forwards (Posey was the primary defender against the taller Dirk Nowitzki during the Heat run). The question is can Posey match Horry's seven (7) championship rings? i doubt it. But two out of the last three years is a nice start. Too bad Posey had to play with lowly teams like the Denver, Houston and Memphis early in his career.
  
• Kobe is not Michael Jordan. Ok, this isn't new at all as well. Every year basketball fans from the MJ nuthuggers to the Kobe fanboys have this same and redundant argument. i hope this one is settled in 2008 and will not ever, personal or otherwise, go into an in-depth discussion of this again.
  
• Kevin Garnett is closer to Karl Malone than Tim Duncan. Meaning, i still think that TD is way better that KG but Malone is lower in my rankings. All three great 4's have shown one thing; they play with passion and heart. Duncan, the most reserved and Garnett, the most expressive with Malone a balance right in the middle. But there's one thing that you got to be impressed with Garnett when putting him against a Malone; KG motivates his teammates (From a Tony Allen to a Ray Allen to a Leon Powe to Paul Pierce) like nobody else. It seems it's not only that energy that rubs off to his teammates, it's his passion and heart as well. And at any level? That is a big thing. Just glad that KG got his ring and Malone still has zero.
  
• Sam Cassell should not have been signed by the Boston Celtics. That was the bad news, the good news is that the season is over and they can let him go... After the parade in Boston.
• Eddie House should be the Finals MVP. Not really of course, but i am waiting for the time when a single scrub (or they are called a very good role player since they reached the championship round) wins the NBA Finals MVP because he exploded for 20 points, 10 rebounds or 10 assists during a dominating 4-0 run by his team.

Lucky Bastard

Blame Bonks for the now rather infamous and sort-of-flattering moniker. Was accused as such since time immemorial... Since probably the 6th Grade when i got (i was already a very good "researcher" at that time) the landline number of a certain Iris Hardinero--- a mutual crush between the two of us. Now, here's the gist: Iris, two to three years older than us, was the hottest (Ok, you never used that word when you were 12 years old, so replace that with "cutest") girl in our barangay ("Tinago" was the name of the barangay, in English it's translated to "hidden") and it so happened that when going home after school, Iris would also be waiting at the same kanto where Bonks and myself commute--- meaning it was a daily treat to us, the apple of our eyes waiting for a tricycle and both of us hoping we'd be riding the same tryk as well. You can only imagine when Bonks discovered that i did get the number eventually (and before him). i am not sure if he called me a lucky bastard then; but the words of envy could be something that resembles such. It's insignificant that six years later (college) Bonks became Iris's friend by being a friend of a friend of a friend of Iris. She just wasn't my type anymore (though she'll be always be my crush) and i've grown up quite a bit but i was the luckiest 12 year old before i want to keep that memory with me and forever remind Bonks about it.

However, Bonks would also remind me how lucky i was all the time. i never quite understood if it's meant as an insult or as a compliment... Knowing Bonks, it's both. (Not directly from him) i've created a short list of how lucky i was over the course of this lifetime:

• A king among aces. Staying with the "star" section for my entire elementary and high school. On the average, there were 45 students in the class. i always placed 40th to 44th in the class standings. i don't care. i just was so happy i stayed with that group for my entire pre-and adolescent stage.
  
• Couples for Christ. That's the (religious) organization of my Pa and Ma during my errr..."formative years" For the most part, i disliked prayer meetings at home and even more disliked the group gatherings and parties with it since it means that i should socialize with other kids and parents. While i never really got developed the socializing part, i thought it strengthened and defined Pa an Ma's relationship--- meaning, it's one well-knit family despite the barrage of financial woes and other unavoidable family members feuds.
  
• Vocalist by default. Never could carry a tune but i didn't know to play any instrument either. The band, cheezepaper (with Bonks, Fiel and Ronald) knew this so i was "forced" to step up (No actually forced them) to grab the mic! (Note: Our debut performance was our farewell performance.)
• Sports bets. My career-best win was a couple of thousand bucks win in a USA against the world bet during the 2006 FIBA World Championships. i have a knack for selecting the right team or side and has won quite a few bucks in this form of should i say "friendly" gambling.
  
• This job. They actually pay me to write about sports. Siyet. i could do this for free (half-kidding)

That's just some but what led me to refer to the moniker once more was because of my first-ever not-so-friendly (financially) Texas Hold 'Em (regular, rake) Poker at some new-found friends new-found place last Saturday. Buy in was at 500 pesos. What they did not tell me was that this was "regular" poker meaning it's practically unlimited buy-ins for all. There were 10 players all in all including the new friend named Allan, who invited me via references from old friends. He was a very hospitable host and made us newbies very comfortable in their place. (i was with Che, who still had undeveloped guts to actually join any real poker and who took the pictures posted here.)

Another important thing about the 500-peso buy-in was that all of the drinks (alcoholic and otherwise) were unlimited! Meaning you can practically drink yourself to your poker death because you'd be too drunk to bluff! And that's not a bad deal at all. Poker and a few drinks can really make a day passable.

So anyway, there i was with my knees shaking and hands as pale as the unlit tip of a Marlboro Lights by the first hand... i can talk about how i won some hands and looked real good during some stretches or i can talk about my stupidity on some calls (too much emotion, too much thinking etc...) in the end it DID not matter that i lost the 500 pesos (though we ordered some hotdog ,maybe a pair of a pair of SML's, a pack of ML Gold, french fries and a couple of Coke Zero.) IN short, while it did not cost me much, it was the experience that i considered priceless. It's a matter of time now if i decide to take this game to another level... A matter of conscience to take friendly gambling to not-so-friendly territories... A matter of pride to consider this "hobby" as a major part of a dull and blunt normal workaday world... And finally, a matter of practicality if indeed this has a potential to be an investment. Win and lose, of course.


An oh, i almost forgot how i became one lucky bastard that night:

Last hand for everyone, as a goodbye game to cap the night, Allan introduced me to the No-Look Poker. Same rules with Texas Hold 'Em with a little bit of a tweak; no one gets to take a look at their hands as the flop-turn-river (They even added an ocean!) is exposed; 100 peso each buy-in for all the player (There were 14 who joined the fray)... Then each player turns up their hands one at a time... The flop-turn-river showed a couple of 6's and some... Fourth player showed he had a 6 and a 7... Trips... He grabs the lead and can smell the 1,400 bucks in his hands... 5th player, 6th 7th... Nobody had enough to outdo Mr Fourth Player (Am bad with names and he was one of the unfriendly ones anyway so i don't care about his real name)... 8th.. 10th... 12th... No success at all. 13th, Che shows a 3 and 4... Still no luck.. My turn. Last hand of this goodbye game... i turned up my cards one at a time... i showed a 6... i smiled a very large sheepish grin.. Prayed for a high card to outdo Mr. Fourth Player... Flipped it over, then showed everyone i had an... ACE! i win!

No Look Poker. No Skills Needed. Just some heaven-sent Luck. No Look in Poker? i am the Jason Williams of Texas Hold Em Poker, somebody should have warned them. Lucky Bastard.