Swoosh!

Apparently, some people caught a glimse of my previous posts about the NBA:



Hmmm.. Not bad, not bad at all... I may be obliged to write some more Basketball rant this time. Haha! =)

I miss home terribly... I miss the pine trees, the cool climate, the people. I miss home food, the crunchy brocolli, young corn, and cauliflower. I miss the sweet longanisa, the strawberries, the crisp morning air. I miss everything about Baguio City, including the traffic, the polluted air and the dirty filthy sidewalks of downtown...


Photo entitled: Bliss by Karolus Camilius Alabanza
(An afternoon in Camp John Hay)

Copy-write this...

Okay okay, I got envious of the Beatles so I also bought one. I was able to land by this picture by randomly searching the net, the iBeatles of sorts:

For a List of...

For a list of Top Pinoy Blogs, feel free to visit: Philippines Best of Blogs. Ayos!

No!

The parliamentary government, in its own right, is a very effective and systematic form of government. The Philippines' young democracy however is simply not ready for this system. Today, House Speaker Jose De Venecia announced that the New Constitution will be ready in 15 days, thus spurring the change of the Philippines' Presidential Government:

"We will have a Charter that shifts the nation to the parliamentary system
and replaces Congress with a unicameral parliament by Dec. 15,"

I oppose the proposed charter change due these points:

No Major Constitutional Breakdowns to Date.

First, the 1987 constitution is still young, it is still too early to judge it as ineffective or flawed. Yes, there may have been coups here and there but never have they prevailed. They might have gotten close to prevailing but the majority of our military is sworn to protect the constitution, and so have our leaders. We always found refuge in the current constitution, our government has remained intact throughout our young democracy (at least since 1987). The only real challenge that threatened our constitution's solidity is the issue of former Pres. Joseph Estrada's ousting, but a major breakdown was stalled due to a vital branch of the presidential system, the Supreme Court, ruling in favor of the legitimacy of Pres. Arroyo's Administration.

On Corruption

The parliamentary system shows to minimize corruption in any government, however corruption is so deep-rooted in our history as Filipinos that it is hard or nearly impossible to eradicate. This ill-practice has been around since the time of Legazpi, or perhaps even Rajah Bendahara Kalantiaw III, and a 400 year old deed is "indeed" difficult to amend. Bangladesh, the only country to surpass the Philippines in terms of corruption, is by the way under a Parliamentary Republic. Poor Bangladesh. Poor Philippines...

Ideological Cohesiveness

We have not had Political Parties with clear-cut ideological definitions since the time of Ninoy, namely the Liberals and the Nationalistas. This is vital in a parliament since political policies are defined by political ideologies. Our current House of Representatives is composed of at least 30 parties. How they can come to terms in building a unified ideology is doubtful. Do we expect our country to move forward in at least 30 directions? Progress is a one-way road.

Unicameral

In Unicameralism, there is no proper representation of provinces or states in a legislature. The control of the parliament will be greatly influenced by largely populated urban areas, thus taking away the needed representation of less populated rural provinces. Having an Upper House will not only be able to represent the provinces but will also be able to oversee the business of the lower house. Without proper supervision, the lower house may abuse its powers. Powers which include the ability to prolong tenure. Tenure possibly much longer than the late Dictator himself.

There are also no clear cut definitions as to the powers of a single house. The single house may in itself be comprised of today's Presidential, Legislative and Judicial branches, three separate branches with separate powers all boiled into one. Parliaments do have a judiciary branch, but this branch is also composed of parliamentarians themselves. Thus the principle of checks and balances is neglected, just pure power and control in the hands of the parliament.

True, most parliamentary countries such as the UK, Canada, Australia and Japan, are one of the most progressive countries in the world today, but neither of these countries have a Unicameral House. Unicameral Parliaments are preferred by countries like Papua New Guinea, Tanzania and... ...Bangladesh. In fairness, most unicameral countries are also progressive, but still... ...Poor Bangladesh, Poor Philippines.

The Election of the Prime Minister

In a parliamentary system the prime minister is elected by the party leadership. For as long as the Prime Minister has the confidence of the majority party, the prime minister retains the power. Judging Filipino politics, this really lies in favor to our traditional politicians or trapos as we call them. Politicians such as Jose De Venecia himself, and dreadfully, Pres. Arroyo who plans to stay in power until year 2010, long after her term is due.

No Time Frame for Elections

Parliamentarians, again, can just stay there for as long as they want. Unless the house calls for a clear out, there will be no elections. This may be good in terms of saving hundreds of millions of pesos politicians spend during elections but imagine a bad politician serving for, say, 20 years? I'd rather have a good politician serve 6 or 9 years in office, if one ever exists. These trapos may stay there probably until they all die...

In conclusion, a Parliamentary-Federal government is not at all bad, it has countless advantages over our current system. However, the Presidential government also has its advantages over this proposed change in government. The only problem is that we have not been able to tap its full potential... yet. And when I say this, I always mean that the Philippines is too young a democracy to go through another change. Why don't we make the current system work properly first and give it time to unfold itself for the Filipino people. Give it about 50 years, afterwhich, we can probably contemplate change.

The Blogger is an Owner...

...of a brand new, hot and fresh out of the oven, 5th Gen. iPod! I'd like to dish a shout out to old Makoy, who, without special powers to create Presidential Decrees during his notorious dictator-regime, none of this would have happened. Thank God for creating 13 months in a payroll-year!

Now, after all is said and done, I'm out of cash even before the Holidays begin. Shoot. I should have settled for one of these:

The Blogger is a Dancer

CHAMPIONS! The AOL sales program brought home the title of GIGSTER CHAMPS in the recently concluded SBU-GA (SALES BUSINESS UNIT GENERAL ASSEMBLY) and rightfully so. In a competition of sing and dance repertoire, the AOL Sales program battled with 4 other sales programs who equally gave outstanding performances worthy of applause. AOL's number however, was too much of a concourse for them to go up against. The ensemble comprised of songs both old and new namely, Falling, the popular ballad and classic often so mimicked, Ne-yo's Sexy Love, Buttons by the pussycat dolls, I'm Coming Out, the disco classic, and Last Dance by Donna Summers that capped the set. Each piece was sung live and was consorted with raging dance numbers rendered by boys, girls and of course, gays, but the most paramount accompaniment of all was a comical mime interpretation of each of the songs' lyrics and dance numbers. The x-factor, which enthused the whole crowd, was no doubt the effeminate mime.


NOTE: Drawing the loudest cheers was the boys' HIP-HOP dance rendition of Sexy Love, spearheaded by no other than yours truly. (It's my blog isn't it?)üüü

This Guy is Addicted to Blogging

truebluebaguioboy.blogspot.com go!

Sarah Geronimo is Also The Best

"And now, to sing the Philippine National Anthem, Ms. Sarah Jerow-neemow..."

-Michael Buffer



Pretty isn't she? But no, you can't rrrrummbllle with her...

PINOY PRIDE!

Manny Pacquiao is The Best!

"First of all, I'd like to say Thanks for the God..."
-Manny

Manny Pacquiao is the best! Proud to be Pinoy down to the very bone! Also guys, Christmas is just around the corner. I think it's time to buy the Pacman IXTRIM-IXTRIM MAGIC SING!



Also, this guy here has a great take on Manny's interest in politics: If Manny Pacquiao Became President.

Soul Searching (part II)

The Downfall, teetering from the edges.

You went off balance from then on. You made decisions here and there, and none of those decisions seemed to bring up positive and favorable results, rather they led you to the depths of a deep, deep hole. You were subjected to the magnifying glass, considered a rebel, branded a delinquent. They really saw a lot of promise in you, yet you let people down with their expectations, and to you, expectations were everything. Expectations were your mana, your fuel, your drive. To make things worse, you dug yourself a deeper hole by your sloth. And worst of all, you found your zone of comfort in that hole. You succumbed to your feelings and used your dampened esteem as an excuse not to climb back up and out of that hideous comfort zone. What do you do next?

...now that you have come to terms with the situation, it's time to find new direction...

Soul Searching (part I)

The Beginning, the Optimistic Pilot Project.

You probably went off beat when you realized that some people were not playing the game as fairly as you did. You started out the project with an innocent determination that this would be for the good of the company, for the good of the project itself, where you could later reap the fruits of your labor and take pride in what you and your colleagues have achieved. These new players however never shared that vision with you. To them, it was all for the money, the commissions, the spiffs, the lavish contest prizes... all for the money. Disappointment covered you more when you realized the tacticts and means the newbies were bringing in were not only new and notoriously effective (for their green-eyed goals) but they also were able to get away with it. You tried to seek refuge from your peers, nay realizing that they've gone ahead of you, some wisely bailed out, some were just plain better than you and moved on up the heirarchy. Then you began to lose your sense of security in the project. The newbies owned the house now. You began to lose your confidence. That was the mark of your downfall...

...you were driven out of the herd, however too young to face the wolves outside the core. It was a misjudgement...

AAAAAAAAA

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

the first letter of the alphabet...

Ring! Ring!

"Mr, Jones? Hi! This is KC Richards calling for AOL, I'll be brief okay? We're calling you today because we'd like you to know that AOL is closing..." (...I think)

Another used to be

A shadow of who you once were...

A terrible state to be in.
A state that's very difficult to get out of.

A top seller. ...used to be.
In a fun work place. ...used to be.
CSA 1. ...used to be.

Short Cake

Life is so freakin' short. Don't ever let a chance pass by. Say what you want to say to a person while you still can. Who knows, you might not see that person ever again the following day. Think about it...














































































Adelyn B. Mabalot
Rest in Peace
1983-2006

Flickr!

I've finally created my own flickr account! I submit to you, the humble photographs of an amateur.

Fire

What does it mean exactly when someone says: "burn for me?"

Guessed it right...

(This is just one of my silly attempts to be a sports blogger.) ü

It is an envy to see Shaq celebrate his 4th Championship. It is an envy to see Dwayne Wade win the Finals MVP, an award which rightly belongs to him. Nevertheless, the Miami Heat deserved the Championship, Alonzo Mourning deserved it, Gary Payton deserved it, and I wonder if Antoine walker deserved it with the way he plays the game. Walker has the knack of shooting when he wants to, though he knows he already has lot his luster from 3-point country. It almost cost them the series.

My good friend, Miguel Jimenez of AOL must be very happy for his team. I am happy for him too. He must be dancing somewhere in Florida right now.

I wonder why Kobe is ditching #8 and will be donning #24 next season... Somehow it gives other people the notion that he's next after #23, which I hope is not his reason. I know he has matured a lot. So has his team, the Los Angeles Lakers .

The 2005-06 NBA season is over, so are my attempts to be a good sports blogger. Peace, out!

Steve Nash is Crying...

Finally, the Suns are eliminated. ...And the reigning "MVP" is crying somewhere out there... Miami Heat, Champions in 6 games. Dwayne Wade is far better than Lebron "Freakin'" James!

How much would you give to win? (Of Kobe Bryant and the L.A. Lakers, and Captain Barbel of GMA 7)

Win or lose, the Los Angeles Lakers have certainly proved a point in this NBA season's playoffs. For at least 3 games, they played as a team, a clear indication that even the most challenged of NBA teams are capable of beating the most elite opponents when working as a unit. Kobe Bryant, the best player ever to grace the court, has to learn this the hard way, though. With the Lakers failing to take advantage of their 3-1 lead in this seven game series against the freakin' Phoenix Suns, he now faces a tough challenge of either ending the Lakers' remarkable season by donning the "Assassin-Kobe" cape, or eventually lead his team into the annals of NBA history by drawing his sword and being "Captain Bryant" in the last stretch of this 7-game series. The "Assassin-Kobe" we have seen in the last two games no doubt is awe-inspiring, "Captain Bryant" we have seen in the 3 games prior to that is "so very very inspiring." The key to winning is confidence, we have seen the Lakers uber confidence in their 3 victories, we must see it again in Game 7. One of the greatest challenges for a leader on the other hand is to give back to each member of a team that same confidence that they have in you. With that being said, I pray that "Captain Bryant" take the stage!

In local news, Captain Barbel will surely take the stage in GMA 7's tele-babad. wahahahahaha!

Life is prevalent and abounded with teams, whether at home or at the office, they come in the person of friends or family. How much are we willing to give to make us win the game of life? Shall we put our confidence in our leaders or shall our leaders put their confidence in us?

Stevie Wonder and his Famous Song

I have been receiving positive feedback since I've published my blog, and am very happy that somehow, my "ka-blogs" have made it through your browers and have made sense to you guys! Thanks very much for the feedback you have been personally giving me! Please feel free to post your comments, positive or otherwise, greetings, shout-outs or whatever! If you have some ideas you would want me to blog about please let me know too.

(By the way, has anyone seen our Pictures in ABS-CBN yet? I haven't, but they claimed that they already have posted it as part of their summer promo. Give me your 2 cents now!)

The Greatest Basketball Player of All Time

I learned today that the greatest Baller of all time isn't Michael Jordan and is actually Filipino by the name of Gary Pitong. Not Gary Payton but Gari Pitong. The lore goes something like this:

In a game against Michael Jongman's Chikiamco Bulls, the Siangman SumanSonics are down by 20 points, 100-80, with 5 seconds left in the ball game. The Sonics call for time and create a play for the legendary Gary Pitong. Catching the inbound pass, Pitong jumps, puts up the prayer from beyond the arc and MAKES THE SHOT! The announcer shouts: "PITONG THREE POINTS!" Crowd goes wild! Sonics win the game 101-100.

Wow! Astonishing isn't it? A player actually scores 21 points out of a single three-point shot! The game, I later found out, was held at the Urdaneta Stadium in Urdaneta, Pangasinan.

The lore is courtesy of Aga Valencerina.

Pito- n. Filipino for the number 7.
"Pitong three-points!" translates to "7 three points!"

Pinoy-style blogging

I have been browsing through blogspot in search of interesting blogs. I have found out how insignificantly small this humble blog of mine is. Blogspot is VAST! As I moved on from blog to blog, for some reason I am able to easily decipher if a blog (given that they are in English) is created by a Filipino without even looking at the owner's profile. These blogs seem to be more straightforward, non-puzzling and more comprehensible that most blogs. Well composed, systematic, and simply put- understandable, or maybe, they're just closer to the heart. Randomly searching, I stumbled upon two blogs which have writers blogging from Hong Kong and the other from the States. Without doubt, I guessed that the writers were Filipino judging from their writing style, and I guessed right. Perhaps it takes one to know one.

Lipton anyone?

1.5 Liters of Green Iced Tea at P47.00 or 250mLiters of the same tea at P18.00? This compels me to take the latter. Though it tastes like Arnibal (a popular sweetener used in Filipino sidewalk beverages) according to Aga, it still is green iced tea priced right. Its effects are happily, beneficial to the body. Now this is one healthy habit that I can boast about, drinking 1.5 Liters of Lipton Green Iced Tea at work! woohoo! I just wish that I was that model at the link I gave you. I can act better than he does. Now, despite the benefits of tea, I still feel sleepy at work, less alert, and over relaxed. Tea-overdose, i call it. Let's drink to that! Overworked. Cheers! "Yeah, Tea can do that."

The Joys and Woes of Wearing Eye Glasses

Woes:

1. The way it fits: It's hell if it doesn't fit you well.

a. The nose rest is irritating.

b. The frame isn't at level.

2. You have to take it on and off repeatedly just to get that snug fit on top of your nose. (refer to no. 1)

3. It keeps on sliding down your nosebridge.

4. You need to push it up back when no. 3 happens.

5. It aches to wear it for long periods of time. Especially at work.

6. The lens get smudged almost everytime. (back to no.2)

7. There seems to be no perfect effective way to get rid of those smudges! Not good for OC's.

8. You can't see well without them on.

9. You can't see well with them on either.

10. It freakin' costs P2000! (And that's the cheapest pair by the way.)

11. It makes you want to throw up... Bonamine please!

Joys:

1. It gives you that "scholarly," sophisticated look. (accd. to TL) sounds more like "nerdy" to me.

2. They can be fashionable.

3. A good disguise. People don't recognize you anymore. (if you wear them the first time.)

4. It rectifies poor eyesight. Yes, there is hope. (That we'll see in 6 months' time KC.)

5. Adds 5 years to your age. (This is a woe for some.)

The thought: Keep yourself and your goal in focus, whatever it takes. Wear eyeglasses if you need to. ü

L.A. Lakers

Kobe Bryant for MVP!

www.nba.com

Life's a Pizza.

(Salivating Yet? The picture was taken by yours truly at a favorite local pizza joint in Baguio City named Pizza Volante. I share a lot of memories with that pizzateria.)

People are like Pizza. You start with the dough, the crust. Some are made thick, some are made thin, but all are capable of holding the sauce. The sauce or the thick red personality base, is either made sour, sweet, or salty, regardless all are still red. (I haven't seen or tasted one of a different color. And we all run on blood don't we?) Next, there's the cheese; Mozzarella, cheddar, fontina or feta. They differ in texture and color, but all taste good. And I believe in the innate goodness of every person. Then, there's the meat, chicken, anchovy, pork, or beef, (excuse me, vegans) these add character to the pizza. Some face life with fear, others prefer to cut through water effortlessly, some are lean and mean, unafraid. Not to be left out is the relish; mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic, pepper, onions, vegies. These are the values we learn in life, they can be homegrown, organic, or mass produced. Some are well endowed, others are shorthanded nevertheless all are still relished. Lastly, pizza is enjoyed only if shared with someone you love. (yiheeee!)

Everyone loves pizza, why the heck is the world at war?

This is Me! ü

Hi Everyone! No comments yet and only 4 profile views I see. Well, that's a good start. Let's be optimistic!

Motivation

Today, I received an e-mail from my boss regarding my department's sales rankings. Gladly (sigh!) I found myself at the bottom of the list. Yipee. Yey. What the Heck!? Wake me up someone, please! This simply isn't me! I'm used to being a High-Flyer! Not an earthworm...

This really is frustrating. But come to think of it, I'm not at all surprised. Because I know I'm slacking!

Currently, I'm in a department where selling means getting dragged by a carabao (water buffalo) through mud. Then again, when has selling ever been so easy?

We all are salesmen (and women). It doesn't matter if the goods we sell are services, products, credentials or skills, we are all sales people. Lawyers sell their knack at reasoning; politicians sell their (ahem) speeches; prostitutes sell their (ahem-ahem) "wares"; Apple sells their I-pods. We have both tangible and intangible goods that are marketed each and every day. Some are successful in selling their, goods, others aren't. Why? What makes the difference?

Motivation you say? The right mind-set? The right Drive?

Whatever it is, successful sales people have it, the slackers don't. I always had it, I just misplaced it for the time-being. Or did someone take it without my permission? Give it back! I need to climb the ladder!

Ides of March

I know it's 2 days past the ides of March, and you're probably wondering why start your blog with a name recalling a day of infamy? Well, to put it this way,

"Julius Caesar's bloody assassination on March 15, 44 B.C., forever marked March 15, or Ides of March, as a day of infamy. The phrase came to represent a specific day of abrupt change that set off a ripple of repercussions throughout Roman society and beyond."-Nat. Geographic.

In my, case, I'd like this first day of my blog to represent a specific day of abrupt change that will set off a ripple (or waves) of repercussions throughout whoever's history. (Preferably my history. hehehe)

I don't know exactly how I'm going to accomplish that, but I think this is a good start. And so friends, Romans (or should I say Filipinos), countrymen, lend me your eyes...


(My supervisor is giving me reprimand right now for not taking in calls, so that's it for now! yikes!)