residentofpluto

Mabuhay ka, Manny Pacquiao

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:19:11 GMT

Something dawned on me a few hours ago while I was paging through one of eastsideboxing.com's endless forum discussions comparing Manny Pacquiao's worth alongside the 1980s' Fab Four: Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler and Tommy Hearns. Some said he'd already passed Hagler and Hearns, some said he still had some work to do (like beat Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Shane Mosley). But I suddenly realized that it almost doesn't matter where, exactly, he ends up on the mythical all-time pound-for-pound list of greatest fighters, because no boxer in history, not Mike Tyson, not Muhammad Ali, not Henry Armstrong and not even Sugar Ray Robinson, has ever been as CONSEQUENTIAL as Manny Pacquiao: five-foot six, and a giant in Philippine history.

Mabuhay ka, Manny Pacquiao.

Flashback to 2004: the "diminished" Aquinos

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:34:20 GMT

in 2004, the indomitable columnist, the late Teodoro Benigno, wrote the following piece on the Aquino clan, wondering at how and why they were no longer a significant presence in Philippine politics. I think it shows that in politics, surface impressions are rarely true.

A River Festival in Chiang Mai

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:19:58 GMT

It's two in the morning, and I have eight hours left in Chiang Mai. Eight hours ago, I was standing on a dock by a river, watching a teenage Buddhist monk light the fires under hot-air balloons made of paper, holding them up as the air expanded, then setting them free to float off into the sky.

We had arrived at the dock a little before five in the afternoon. The air had started to cool, but it was buzzing with latent energy. It was the start of the Loy Krathong festival, in which, according to tradition, Thais give their thanks to the water goddess. On both sides of the dock entrance stood dozens of stalls selling little banana-leaf boats carrying offerings to be floated down the Ping river. Inside the dock next to a small Buddhist temple were a dozen or so stalls selling assorted barbeque sticks for visitors. At the back, I found a ticket booth offering a ferry trip up and downriver that evening at the height of the festivities.

While my girlfriend Ann practiced her bargaining skills on the ticket vendor, I went off in search of a currency exchange stall. When I came back, the sun was starting to set, and we set off for a quick dinner before the ferry trip and the light show.

By the time we returned, the light show had begun. At the foot of the temple, there was a young monk surrounded by people, some with hands clasped in prayer, some just chatting or taking photos or watching in glee, as he held up paper balloons and fed them one at a time to the night sky. Attached to the lantern below a balloon were hundreds of tiny firecrackers connected to one long fuse, which he would light an instant before he let the balloon loose. As they rose past the tops of trees and buildings, the balloons would drop the tiny firecrackers, which would then explode and leave a bright trail of fire and noise.

The sky was only then beginning to fill with the balloons, and we had no time to watch too many of them being lit. Ann bought a banana-leaf boat filled with orange and yellow flowers, a candle, and three sticks of incense. We then headed down to the platform and boarded the ferry, and it took off at exactly 7 in the evening. We glided down the river and took in the view.

By now, balloons were filling up the night sky, sent off by thousands of people scattered around Chiang Mai. They would first shoot straight up, then get caught by a high breeze and move southward. As they rose further, the paper cylinders would seem to disappear, and all we could see were floating yellow spheres pushed by an invisible hand. The night sky, with stars dimmed by the lights of the city, sparkled with new constellations formed by the slowly drifting lanterns. Many of the balloons, like those lit by the young monk, poured out firecrackers as they rose, appearing as glowing jellyfish among phosphorescent algae in a dark sea.

Soon, people began to give their offerings to the river. Ann and I watched as a young couple on our ferry lit the candles and incense on their banana-leaf boats with elegantly arranged violet flowers. We asked to borrow their lighter, and the young man gladly lit our candle as well, while the young woman used her candle to light the incense sticks on our boat. I held onto the side rail and bent over the side of the ferry to lay the boat on the surface of the water. The flame on the candle was weak and went out in seconds, but the incense stayed lit as the ferry moved past the floating offerings and the small boats disappeared from our sight.

Crowds had gathered on the bridges crossing the river and the narrow streets on each side. Here people set off fireworks, both large ones that exploded in green and purple and blue and white, and small rockets lit by children. One rocket, launched from a bridge, shot one foot past the bow of our ferry, landing in the river with a splash and an underwater explosion. Other fireworks exploded directly above us, lighting up our faces with strange colors.

At 8:30 p.m., we got off the ferry, and it was only then I realized that I was hungry again.

Day after day

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:24:52 GMT

In 2006 I was in Spain and Ireland, in Naga, Zamboanga, Butuan, Boracay, Aklan, Bacolod, Iloilo, Tagaytay, Cebu and Manila. I graduated from college, wrote freelance, got a job as a journalist, lost sleep, slept for days, caught a train, missed a train, found a way to be happy.

In 2007 I was in Spain and Malaysia and Singapore, Sagada, Batad, La Union, Vigan, Baguio, Banaue and Manila. I left a job and started a job. I moved out of a clean house into a roach motel I called an apartment, but it was mine. I saw Blue and Green in Araneta and Blaugrana in Camp Nou. One sunny afternoon in May, I dipped my feet into the Mediterranean sea and wondered if any man in history had floated on a raft to the other side.

Much of 2008 was spent in buses on crumbling roads in provinces far from the city. At least, this is my central memory of 2008: a rainstorm at night, roads turning into rivers, a frail jacket, a thick mist, a warm hand.

I started 2009 in Zamboanga City on the main southern Philippine island of Mindanao, watching small fireworks, a family in prayer, my shadow on the floor. I woke up the next morning and Jesus hung on a cross on the wall above my bed. Catholics and death...

I started graduate school. Mental exhaustion and floods and mud. Last Thursday I stole a moment from my life of books to watch a basketball game in the place where I first discovered Ateneo: Escaler Hall. Days later (today), an exam, lost sleep. Soon, I will sleep for days.

Persian Ditty

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:35:10 GMT

Can you tell me the meaning
Of the music in Tehran?
Will it become Manila,
Or will it be Yangon?

Different street corners

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:38:33 GMT

So they open the door, you take a peek outside, and look, there are streets, and a car with a half-tank of gas parked by the sidewalk, the keys still in the ignition. Thanks, Mom and Dad. But none of them streets goes to any particular place that you want to go, or at least, your eyesight is unclear and you haven't yet learned the ability to look around corners. So maybe you stand on the sidewalk and smoke a cigarette or remove your jacket and put your hands in your pockets and wait, but you can't wait forever.

So you get in the driver's seat and drive around for a bit, and listen to the radio to get inspiration. RJ Underground. Good tunes, old and new, and thankfully less of that crap you heard in the other station. Haha, you recognize that voice. That's the girl from your class, so that's what she's doing nowadays, DJ work always seemed like something she could get into.

In the bar on the second floor of that hip new place with all the restos, you buy a beer and settle down and listen to your old friends talk about their new jobs. Banks. Multinationals. Law school. I wonder where he went... let's check out Facebook... there you go. He's in Singapore now. He's taking up nursing. She's a programmer.

You never, ever doubted that you could do the same, if time were an infinite cycle of moments and today were as meaningful as yesterday, and not more or less so. You could have entered college on a different path, and maybe become another version of yourself. But you wonder, had you changed history and made this choice or that, what things you'd have missed. But perhaps you'd have taken this particular street corner on this day anyway.

Donald Duck's Nazi past

Sun, 24 May 2009 07:29:04 GMT

So cartoons and comics are for kids. Right?

Imagine... this is the same company that created High School Musical.

Anyway, following that theme, check out this article from the Wall Street Journal on the unique popularity of Donald Duck in Germany. In case the article's removed, I've included it below. This stuff seriously blows my mind.

Why Donald Duck Is the Jerry Lewis of Germany
The cartoon character turns philosophical in translation; quoting Goethe

By SUSAN BERNOFSKY

Germany, the land of Goethe, Thomas Mann and Beethoven, has an unlikely pop culture hero: Donald Duck. Just as the French are obsessed with Jerry Lewis, the Germans see a richness and complexity to the Disney comic that isn’t always immediately evident to people in the cartoon duck’s homeland.

Comics featuring Donald are available at most German newsstands and the national weekly “Micky Maus”—which features the titular mouse, Goofy and, most prominently, Donald Duck—sells an average of 250,000 copies each week, outselling even “Superman.” A lavish 8,000-page German Donald Duck collector’s edition has just come out, and despite the nearly $1,900 price tag, the publisher, Egmont Horizont, says the edition of 3,333 copies is almost completely sold out. Last month the fan group D.O.N.A.L.D (the German acronym stands for “German Organization for Non-commercial Followers of Pure Donaldism”), hosted its 32nd annual congress at the Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart, with trivia and trinkets galore, along with lectures devoted to “nephew studies” and Duckburg’s solar system.

“Donald is so popular because almost everyone can identify with him,” says Christian Pfeiler, president of D.O.N.A.L.D. “He has strengths and weaknesses, he lacks polish but is also very cultured and well-read.” But much of the appeal of the hapless, happy-go-lucky duck lies in the translations. Donald quotes from German literature, speaks in grammatically complex sentences and is prone to philosophical musings, while the stories often take a more political tone than their American counterparts.

Whereas in the U.S. fans of Donald Duck tend to gravitate to the animated films, duck fandom in Germany centers on the printed comics published in the kids’ weekly “Micky Maus” and the monthly “Donald Duck Special” (with a print run of 40,000 copies), which sells mainly to adult readers.

Donald Duck didn’t always find Germany so hospitable. In the years following World War II, American influence in the newly formed Federal Republic was strong, but German cultural institutions were hesitant to sanction one U.S. import: the comic book. A law banning comics was proposed, and some American comics were eventually burned by school officials worried about their effects on students’ morals and ability to express themselves in complete sentences.

When the Ehapa publishing house was founded in 1951 to bring American comics to German kids, it was a risky endeavor. Ehapa’s pilot project, a monthly comics magazine, bore the title “Micky Maus” to capitalize on that icon’s popularity. From the beginning, though, most of the pages of “Micky Maus” were devoted to duck tales.

Donald Duck’s popularity was helped along by Erika Fuchs, a free spirit in owlish glasses who was tasked with translating the stories. A Ph.D. in art history, Dr. Fuchs had never laid eyes on a comic book before the day an editor handed her a Donald Duck story, but no matter. She had a knack for breathing life into the German version of Carl Barks’s duck. Her talent was so great she continued to fill speech bubbles for the denizens of Duckburg (which she renamed Entenhausen, based on the German word for “duck”) until shortly before her death in 2005 at the age of 98.

Ehapa directed Dr. Fuchs to crank up the erudition level of the comics she translated, a task she took seriously. Her interpretations of the comic books often quote (and misquote) from the great classics of German literature, sometimes even inserting political subtexts into the duck tales. Dr. Fuchs both thickens and deepens Mr. Barks’s often sparse dialogues, and the hilariousness of the result may explain why Donald Duck remains the most popular children’s comic in Germany to this day.

Dr. Fuchs’s Donald was no ordinary comic creation. He was a bird of arts and letters, and many Germans credit him with having initiated them into the language of the literary classics. The German comics are peppered with fancy quotations. In one story Donald’s nephews steal famous lines from Friedrich Schiller’s play “William Tell”; Donald garbles a classic Schiller poem, “The Bell,” in another. Other lines are straight out of Goethe, Hölderlin and even Wagner (whose words are put in the mouth of a singing cat). The great books later sounded like old friends when readers encountered them at school. As the German Donald points out, “Reading is educational! We learn so much from the works of our poets and thinkers.”

Dr. Fuchs raised the diction level of Donald and his wealthy Uncle Scrooge (alias Dagobert Duck), who in German tend to speak in lofty tones using complex grammatical structures with a faintly archaic air, while Huey, Louie and Dewey (now called Tick, Trick and Track), sound slangier and much more youthful.

But even the “adult” ducks end up sounding more colorful than they do in English. Fuchs applied alliteration liberally, as, for example, in Donald’s bored lament on the beach in “Lifeguard Daze.” In the English comic, he says: “I’d do anything to break this monotony!” The über-gloomy German version: “How dull, dismal and deathly sad! I’d do anything to make something happen.”

Dr. Fuchs had liberal social values from an early age and a circle of Jewish friends as a young woman. Disgusted by the hypocrisy and denial she saw in Germany during and after World War II, she sometimes imported her political sensibilities to Entenhausen.

Take, for example, the classic Duck tale “The Golden Helmet,” a story about the search for a lost Viking helmet that entitles its wearer to claim ownership of America. In Dr. Fuchs’s rendition, Donald, his nephews and a museum curator race against a sinister figure who claims the helmet as his birthright without any proof—but each person who comes into contact with the helmet gets a “cold glitter” in his eyes, infected by the “bacteria of power,” and soon declares his intention to “seize power” and exert his “claim to rule.” Dr. Fuchs uses language that in German (“die Macht ergreifen”; “Herrscheranspruch”) strongly recalls standard phrases used to describe Hitler’s ascent to power.

The original English says nothing about glittering eyes or power but merely notes, “As the minutes drag past, a change comes over the tired curator.” Even the helmet itself, which in German Donald describes as a masterpiece of “Teutonic goldsmithery,” is anything but nationalistic in English: “Boys, isn’t this helmet a beauty?” is all he says. In an interview, Dr. Fuchs said she hoped that a child who “sees what power can do to people and how crazy it makes them” would be less susceptible to its siren song in later life.

Not all of Dr. Fuch’s innovations went over well. In one translation that was censored, she filled the speech-bubbles of a man speaking broken English in the original with German dialect from Bohemia, a questionable choice given Germany’s annexation of this region just before World War II. Another featured children dressed up in uniform, playing at World War I—obviously a taboo subject given the National Socialist militarization of German youth.

Donald Duck is still published in Germany by Ehapa and Egmont Horizont, subsidiaries of the Denmark-based media group Egmont, a longstanding licensee of Disney. Royalties are paid to Disney on each copy sold, but Ehapa retains artistic control over the translations. Jonathan Symington, vice president and general manager for global licensing at Disney Publishing, says that Disney “has an oversight role in making sure the content meets our brand equity guidelines but we do not approve every page of copy.”

The initial response to the Donald Duck comics in Germany was mixed. German kids loved them; German parents worried that this “trash literature” would interfere with children’s development. Of the 300,000 copies of the magazine Micky Maus printed in 1951, only 135,000 sold. But just six years later, the monthly journal had been replaced by a weekly, which by the late 1960s was appearing in an edition of 450,000 copies.

Not only young kids were reading it. Micky Maus became popular entertainment among a newly politicized generation who saw the comics as illustrations of the classic Marxist class struggle. A nationally distributed newsletter put out by left-leaning high school students in 1969 described Dagobert (Scrooge) as the “prototype of the monocapitalist,” Donald as a member of the proletariat, and Tick, Trick and Track as “socialist youth” well on their way to becoming “proper Communists.” Even Frankfurt School philosopher Max Horkheimer admitted to enjoying reading Donald Duck comics before bed.

Donald Duck has proved himself a classic, able to appeal both to German children as well as to older readers nostalgic for the comics of their youth. This duck may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but when it comes to voicing the hidden and not-so-hidden truths and tastes of German society, the philosopher with a beak is hard to beat.

—Writer and literary translator Susan Bernofsky is at work on a critical biography of Robert Walser and a novel set in her hometown, New Orleans.

Star Wars and Pacquiao-Mayweather

Tue, 05 May 2009 07:43:36 GMT

This is flat out one of the funniest boxing articles I've ever read. I can't believe I never thought of it.

Here's the link:

Floyd Mayweather: The Empire Strikes Back
Monday, May 04, 2009
Posted By Dave "Large" Larzelere 5:15 PM

Sports needs bad guys. What are “sports” anyway other than grand entertainment, and what is entertainment (in the U.S. anyway) besides a multi-media comic book documenting the ongoing cosmic struggle between good and evil? Who was the French film director who said that, “once a Hollywood budget gets to be more than 10 million dollars, you have to start putting white hats on the good guys and black hats on the bad guys?” We like our heroes and villains very clearly delineated in this country. You’ve got your Luke Skywalker column and your Darth Vader column and not a lot of room in the middle.

Well, cue the Imperial March, people, because Darth has returned to the Death Star and he’s rolling thick with his whole Vader posse. And make no mistake about it -- holms is looking to get gangsta with Luke Pacquiao and Manny Skywalker and any other punkass pious poser who wants to stand in his way.

Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. is quite simply one of the best bad guys in sports today, and his absence from the boxing scene, during his sham “retirement,” left a void that no number of ferocious Filipinos could fill. That is why I give thanks to the boxing gods above that Floyd is getting back in the picture, announcing this past Saturday afternoon that he will return to fight Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18th with an eye towards making a superduper good-versus-evil smackdown with Manny Pacquiao later this year.

Now don’t get me wrong -- I like me some Pacquiao. As heroes go, he’s the rilly dilly. He’s got the essential heroic back-story of poverty and hard work and devout Christianity, he’s got the devoted and sage mentor, and he’s got that dynamite smile, quiet charisma, and stupid freaky power in both of his lightning-fast hands (ask Ricky Hatton about that). Plus, he’s got a bizarrely Buddhistic Jedi way about him that says he is a man at peace with himself who summons his fury only in the service of his people and the general cause of righteousness.

Cats like that don’t come around every day, but let’s face it -- without a good bad guy to match them bad for good, even the best of good guys exist in a very boring vacuum. The Pacquiao-Hatton promotion bored the crap out of me for the most part, two respectable guys paying each other much respect in the most respectful way of respectfulness. Ninja please. I tell you, when I’m at these interminable pressers, I’m always thinking to myself just please God let there be one man up there on the podium who is mean, and crazy, and weird.

In other words, let me have Brother Floyd, the uncontested king of the mean/crazy/weird triple threat. At the Marquez presser, Floyd wasted no time breaking out his evil genius A-material. “I beat fighters and turn them into bitches and they go out and put on fish-nets,” he said at this Golden Boy-sponsored event, taking a not-so-thinly veiled shot at, well, the Golden Boy himself.

Most people see this fight with Marquez as nothing but a challenging tune-up for Floyd’s ultimate showdown with Pacquiao, and I tend to agree with that. And as his training camp progresses, I fully expect Floyd to be dusting off his bad-guy routine at the same rate that he shakes off the ring rust. Marquez is easy pickings on that front, not a guy much given to trash talk, a humble character for the most part who just happens to be one of the best fighters in the sport. I eagerly look forward to seeing and hearing the ways in which Floyd attacks this most unassailable of characters.

All in the service of fine-tuning his diabolical game for Pacquaio the Brave. I tell you, this thing is going to be so Star Wars it’s almost ridiculous. Floyd’s uncle and trainer, Roger Mayweather, makes such a perfect Emperor Palpatine, and who in the game is more Obi-Wan than Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach? Not to mention the fact that with the ridiculous handspeed of both Manny and Floyd, when they finally do end up in the ring together, it’s going to seem like they’re fighting with lasers.

Pacquiao vs. Hatton: My analysis and prediction

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:30:43 GMT

This fight cannot be hyped enough. Pacquiao-Marquez was an intriguing mix of styles between a slugger and a counterpuncher, a boxing aficionado's wet dream. But Pacquiao-Hatton is something a casual fan will love, nothing fancy, but total war.

That's not to say that both fighters are one-dimensional. Both have pronounced talents, and both have been dominant in most of their recent fights, and against excellent competition (Pacquiao's resume includes future hall-of-famers Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez and Oscar De La Hoya, while Hatton's includes top fighters Kostya Tszyu and Jose Luis Castillo).

There's an added dimension to this fight that intrigues me: if Manny wins, this will be his 5th division championship (the IBO 140lb belt, to add to alphabet titles at 112lbs, 122lbs, 130lbs and 135lbs) and his FOURTH lineal title (by lineal i mean he'll be the guy who beat the guy who beat the guy, adding to his lineal titles at 112lbs, 126lbs and 130lbs). It's just phenomenal, historic if he pulls it off. He's already a shoo-in for the international Boxing Hall of Fame, but if he's a 4-division lineal champ, then he'll be an all-time great.

Ricky Hatton won't make it easy.

Their strengths:

Ricky Hatton:

Power.
Wicked body punching.
Strong chin.
Excellent inside fighting.
And most of all: RELENTLESSNESS. The man would run his face through a cheese grater to get to his man.

Manny Pacquiao:

Awesome stamina.
Terrific movement.
Awkward lefty stance.
Experience vs. world-class competition.
And most of all: SPEED. His combinations are like machine guns.

Only two ways this fight can go: Manny will move, move, move. He'll slip and slide and generally outsmart Ricky, land piercing shots from a distance, and the accumulation of punches will lead to a late KO, just like Pacquiao-Diaz. Just like Pacquiao-Morales III.

But if he doesn't, if Hatton manages to corner Pacquiao, get in his chest, dig in body punches, he will knock out Manny and make it look easy.

I honestly don't know which of these two scenarios will happen. I've watched Manny's and Ricky's most recent fights several times, but I still don't have a clue. But I can't see this fight lasting 12 rounds. In the end, I'm going to favor Manny just because I love the guy, and I'm rooting for history. Manny will win by an 8th round KO.

Wrestlemania XXV Main Event: Pacman vs. the Hitman

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:49:58 GMT

There is an alternate universe in which Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao and Ricky "the Hitman" Hatton are not famous boxers, but pro wrestlers in the WWE. They are tag team partners who met under the usual circumstances: two face characters forced to fight by unscrupulous managers, they instead joined forces to battle the Establishment under "Golden Boy" Oscar de la Hoya.

The two are a natural pair. Hometown heroes with a weakness for booze and babes, they enter the ring waving Philippine and British flags to the tune of "Hatton Wonderland". Both fighters are mischievous, rebellious, and sing atrociously. They are not the tag-team champions, though the Hitman holds an Intercontinental championship belt and Pacman, the USA championship.

Hatton and Pacquiao like to play tricks on Oscar. One screening of Monday Night Raw shows the HItman gleefully displaying alleged secret photos of the big boss dressed in fishnet stockings to a capacity crowd in Madison Square Garden. Oscar makes a big show of looking furious, and sends his henchmen, the "Three Amigos" to ambush Hatton during his next match. The Brit is subsequently attacked by Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera simultaneously, before the Pacman runs out of the dressing room, dives in the ring and saves the day. The Golden Boy then declares a "Full House" match between Hatton/Pacquiao and the "Three Amigos". Pacquiao and Hatton win with aplomb, and are crowned the "Pair of Kings".

Meanwhile, de la Hoya's prime stooges Bernard "the Executioner" Hopkins and "Sugar" Shane Mosley brutally wrest the tag team championship from Filipino brothers Nonito and Glenn Donaire. Then in a personal insult to Hatton, the two viciously ambush British wrestler Joe Calzaghe. The Kings challenge the new tag-team champs for their title, and in the main event of "No Way Out", the Kings beat the Executioner and Sugar via submission.

Oscar de la Hoya, livid, demands that the Kings "pay sanctioning fees for their multiple title belts". Hatton and Pacquiao refuse, so the Golden Boy declares the win a no contest and forces the Kings to reliquish all of their titles.

Unexpectedly, reigning WWE champion Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. retires from wrestling, leaving the WWE championship vacant. Oscar immediately calls for a Royal Rumble tournament to determine the new champion. In an unexpected plot twist, he enters the tournament as a fighter as well.

Pacquiao starts first, and Hatton second. Rather than fight each other, the Kings agree to work together to take out everyone else, and face each other last. New fighters enter the ring: Oscar Larios, Jorge Solis, David Diaz, Kostya Tszyu, Juan Lazcano, Paulie Malignaggi... one by one, the Kings take them out, until the last fighter enters, and it's the Golden Boy himself.

The three wrestle desperately. Hatton launches his special move, the "Blue Moon", to no avail. Pacquiao manages to launch his "Destroyer" left hook, but in the last instant, de la Hoya ducks... and Pacquiao knocks out Hatton by accident! The Pacman and de la Hoya wrestle, until Pacquiao again throws his "Destroyer", and knocks de la Hoya out of the ring. Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao is now WWE champion.

When the Hitman wakes up, he finds the Pacman with the championship belt around his waist, and assumes the worst. He shouts at Pacquiao, who pleads innocent, and the Hitman does a "Blue Moon" on his old buddy, sending him flying out of the ring. Hatton immediately renounces his tag team belt and joins Oscar's stable, turning "heel".

Oscar, seeing potential in a new rivalry, arranges the Pacman's first title defense in Wrestlemania XXV against his former tag team partner, Ricky "the Hitman" Hatton.

Michael/Sam Perez

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:43:45 GMT

Michael went home one evening and found that his house was no longer there. Just a place, with bedrooms and bathrooms and a kitchen, that was no longer his.

He fumbled in his pocket for his house keys and they were still there. He tried them out on the front door and saw that they worked, but when he entered the living room and glanced around, there was nothing there that was familiar, in the sense that your two hands are familiar, or your own reflection.

The house smelled empty. He climbed the stairs to the second floor and found three rooms, somewhat tidy, with only a few scattered clothes and unmade beds and closed windows. The lights were off. The bathroom faucet was slightly leaking. There was a half-used bar of soap in the shower.

And then he looked in the bathroom mirror, and he saw Sam Perez, a man he once met in a graveyard during his parents' funeral. That man was not the man Michael thought he would become one day, but there was his reflection, and Michael was now undeniably Sam Perez.

Michael went to the nearest bedroom and sat on the floor, and cried.

Irving Ackerman, 87

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 19:39:04 GMT

Two years ago, when I was still a reporter for BusinessWorld newspaper, I did a feature article on the life of Irving Ackerman, one of the Philippine Stock Exchange's oldest and most respected stockbrokers. He was one of my regular contacts for comments on the stock market's activities. I found it amazing that a man who helped give birth to the stock exchange should still pay attention to its minute daily movements. I got the sense that trading stocks was his last attachment to the old life, when Makati was just a boom town built in a swamp, and the name Ortigas belonged to a man and not a city.

Mr. Ackerman was a WWII veteran and a businessman, at once a relic of Makati's rustic past and a reminder of its relative youth. He died last Saturday of lung cancer.

The Philippine stock market: He's seen it all
March 23, 2007

Irving I. Ackerman, president of brokerage I. Ackerman & Co., began watching the local stock market almost 50 years ago.

From a window of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) in Makati, he relates the history of the city as seen through his own eyes.

"In 1963, it was just beginning to grow. I can only spot three or four buildings that were here. I've seen all the others sprout up."

In between sips of coffee, he glances at a computer monitor to note the market's movements, then returns to his chair to continue his story.

"That year, Benny Gaberman left the Manila Stock Exchange and decided to start a stock exchange in Makati with some 10 prominent businessmen, and he asked me to join them as a member. I leaped at the opportunity."

And so Mr. Ackerman was one of the pioneers of the exchange, In 1963, he formed a brokerage firm with a staff of only four people, including himself and his friend Alejandro de Castro.

But Mr. Ackerman's exposure to stock markets began even earlier, while taking a summer job in a brokerage in New York as a young American college student before World War II.

After graduation, he served as a soldier in the US army and met a woman in the Philippines whom he married in 1948. The young couple lived in the US for 10 years but returned to the Philippines in 1958, with Mr. Ackerman dead set on trading in the Manila Stock Exchange.

Since then he became a trader and an analyst, formed the brokerage firm Ackerman & de Castro, wrote the country's first stock market newspaper column, wrote a book, taught graduate classes in investment management, and watched Makati's rise from obscurity into the financial capital of the Philippines.

Mr. Ackerman said the market had seen several significant changes in his time, perhaps the largest of which was the adoption of a computerized trading system by the Makati Stock Exchange in 1993.

"All I can say is that I'm glad it's no longer here. It was very disturbing. When it got busy, people just ran around like chickens without heads," he said.

The second principal change was the unification of the Manila and Makati stock exchanges under President Fidel Ramos.

"Before the unification, each one was trading on its own and prices were slightly different, and at times that led to a little bit of arbitrage. When they were unified, foreign brokerages started to come in, and the volume of activity increased, so that was good for everybody. By doing what we did, foreign brokers began to see the wisdom of investing locally."

Mr. Ackerman had been treasurer of the Makati Stock Exchange at the time of its dissolution, and was elected to the board of governors of the new PSE in 1995.

Mr. Ackerman has seen his share of hardships as well. His brokerage continued trading even through the country's economic troubles under the Marcos dictatorship.

"I didn't want to give up what I had spent so many years of hard work building. When Benigno Aquino, Jr. died in 1983, our firm was 20 years old. It's over 40 years old now, and many of our people have been with us for 30 or 35 years."

And he has seen many old friends come and go - "The first 10 people that joined the Makati Stock Exchange with me are all dead," he said.

More recently, in 2005, his wife of nearly 60 years passed away.

None of this has erased Mr. Ackerman's love for stock market trading, though it has made him cautious about the market's future. He noted that while the stronger economy is now encouraging foreign investors to enter the PSE, local dependence on foreign investments is potentially dangerous.

"Foreign brokers are doing a great deal of good now because when they enter, they bring up the volume. But they're so predominant now in the market that when they're fully sated, if they ever turn around and start selling, we're slumped. The only way to confront this is to get more people interested in the securities industry so that we can make local securities brokers stronger," he declared.

Mr. Ackerman admitted that the problem of increasing local investment is complex.

"The government has to set up an organization that will show people how to save money. But that's also a question and function of earnings. Are people earning enough to save? They are earning enough in Hong Kong and they have a stock market there that makes us look tiny."

Decades of careful investment have taught Mr. Ackerman to prepare for the future. He remarried in 2006, and his wife is now training to be a broker in his firm.

"I don't know how long I'll be alive. So I'm training her to take over the company eventually," he explained.

Until then, Mr. Ackerman continues to monitor the factors that affect the market's daily performance.

"As far as the Philippines is concerned, I'm very optimistic. Yields from government treasury notes are very unattractive compared to the possibilities in equities. And Filipinos working abroad are sending a lot of money here, and some of that will end up in the stock market through companies," he said.

As for continuing stock trading, Mr. Ackerman doesn't see himself stopping anytime soon.

"I'm still enjoying what I'm doing very, very much."

A life worth reading

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 08:32:37 GMT

I don't read many books these days. My stint in journalism gave me the terrible habit of reading four or five newspapers every day, a habit which makes you something of an expert in current events but teaches you nothing about how to read things from a distance. And then the next day comes and all that you learned the previous day is washed away, and suddenly you're useless again.

I did just finish reading "A Farewell to Arms" by Ernest Hemingway, who was once a cub reporter for a small publication himself. His writing style is sharp and devoid of sympathy, his sentences are brutally concise, and he uses almost no adjectives. Like the newspapers, the content is thick, tragic and full of meaning, but he offers little or no interpretation. You're alone in this, he tells you. You're alone in your own mind.

Sometimes a man searches for meaning in the things he does, and fails to find it. Hemingway's protagonists are often caught between the banal (hiking through fields, getting drunk with strangers, smoking and drinking in bars) and the weighty (sneaking through war zones, sabotaging bridges, lusting after beautiful women). A reader might read his books and become a nihilist; a reader might also decide that life is bleak, but worth living.

Am I being vague? Am I using allegory to establish meaning? Let me be clearer. I think I might read a thousand newspapers, or a thousand novels, and find nothing in them that enriches me, until I find something in my own life worthy of putting in a book.

Manila

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:09:51 GMT

Manila waltzed into my house one evening smelling of sweat and cigarette smoke, singing Sinatra's "My Way" as if mocking the man and the era. He smiled and said to my father, "I'm coming back into your life," then turned to me and said, "you may not know me, but I've been peeking over your shoulder since you were a baby." Then he sat down on the couch in the living room and told us that he would be staying with us for a while. He hasn't left my house since.

On sunny weekends and February afternoons, he regales us with stories of better times when the Spaniards and Americans ruled, sometimes lamenting their untimely exodus and sometimes ruing the fact that they ever came. "Corruption!" he yells. "POVERTY!" he screams into my face, the stench of Pale Pilsen and cigarette-stained teeth making me cough. And then, self-conscious, he steps back, smoothens his shirt with his fingers, looks at the floor. "I apologize," he says. Slipping his hands into his pockets, he turns around and climbs up the stairs into our guest room, forgetting to shut the door behind him. My family chooses to pay him no heed; we have our own lives to get back to.

Some evenings, he invites us to dinner in town. Dressed ostentatiously in a barong and shiny leather boots, he whisks us away to expensive restaurants in Makati and Serendra. He opens the door to the car and helps my mother to her seat. He compliments my sisters on their skirts and their hair. And he offers to foot the bill for our meal, but Dad always declines and pulls out his credit card. Dramatically courteous, exuberant and flushed, he tells us of a woman he once met in a bookstore on his birthday, and how they stayed in a coffee shop the whole day chatting about Alexandre Dumas and Nick Joaquin, and then spent the evening dancing in silence against the lights of Fort Santiago, a few steps from the old cell of a poet and patriot.

Ateneo and UP Rise in World University Rankings

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:34:05 GMT

Ateneo, UP rise in 2008 world university rankings

By KRIS DANIELLE SUAREZ, abs-cbnNEWS.com | 10/13/2008 11:32 PM

Two local universities, the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) and the University of the Philippines (UP), saw their rankings rise in The Times Higher Education - QS (THE-QS) World University Rankings 2008, a leading global ranking of higher education institutions.

In the overall rankings released Monday, Ateneo rose from number 451 in 2007 to number 254 this year, while UP rose from 398 last year to 276.

The THE-QS World University Rankings are based on data gathered in the following categories: peer academic review, recruiter review, international faculty ratio, international student ratio, student-faculty ratio, and research citations per faculty.

Ateneo had an overall score of 48.0 out of 100, up from 30.8 last year, while UP posted a 45.9 overall score, up from 34.7 last year.

Ateneo was tied with Spain's Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, while UP was tied with Germany's Universitat Ulm and Universitat Wurzburg, and the United States' Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

The two universities also figured in the subject-specific rankings for the first time.

Ateneo and UP were both ranked in the top 100 Arts and Humanities institutions worldwide: ADMU was ranked number 79, while UP was at number 82, along with the University of Notre Dame in the US.

ADMU, UP, and another local university, De La Salle University, were also part of the 100 institutions with the highest employer review scores.

Ateneo was rank 76 in employer review, tied with the University of Western Australia, with a score of 88; UP was tied with the University of North Carolina at rank 82, with a score of 87; and DLSU was at rank 92, with a score of 84.

In the overall rankings, universities in the United States and the United Kingdom, led by Harvard University at rank 1, continue to dominate the rankings. The highest-ranked Asian university was the University of Tokyo in Japan (19), while the National University of Singapore (30) was the highest-ranked for Southeast Asia.

Meanwhile, two other Philippine institutions - the University of Santo Tomas and the De La Salle University - were part of the group ranked 401-500.

"Further down the rankings, fewer data are available to evaluate each university and the statistical appropriateness of discerning one university from the next begins to decay. Responses for institutions in our survey drop off exponentially from the top of the table, by the time it gets past 400 the results become highly sensitive to error. As a result, precise positions beyond 400, are not published," QS explained in its rankings tally in topuniversities.com.

Now in its fifth year, the research is conducted and compiled by QS Quacquarelli Symonds and features in print in Times Higher Education on 9th October and online on the QS web site www.topuniversities.com on 10th October.

And here's the link to the article.

Finally, here's the link to the THE-QS Rankings.

Why Manny Pacquiao Should Fight Oscar de la Hoya

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 21:11:50 GMT

Because the fight will look something like this:

Go Pacman!

Pacquiao-Diaz Pre-fight Analysis

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 20:15:52 GMT

I suppose it's too late for anybody to actually read this entry about the Pacquiao-Diaz fight right before the event on Sunday morning, but I'll post it anyway.

How to predict a battle that breaks new ground? By asking a few key questions.

1. What are Manny's general strengths and weaknesses?

Strengths: Tremendous stamina, fast combinations, solid right hook counterpunch. Tends to fight better under pressure. His specialty is his straight left, which could probably knock out a heavyweight. This punch has been the key element in nearly all of his wins, and is the reason why Ring Magazine and countless other publications list him as the best fighter, pound-for-pound, in the world. And don't forget, his trainer Freddie Roach is one of the best in the business.

Weaknesses: Mediocre defense, helpless in a clinch, easily fouled, panics when cut (though this can be a good thing when he's fighting against lesser fighters, since he goes berserk). He depends too much on his jab-jab-left straight combo. He also has dozens of conflicting interests and distractions in between fights.

2. What are David Diaz's strengths and weaknesses?

Strengths: Diaz sports a stone chin and endless stamina, which he put to good use against Erik Morales in his 2007 title defense. He's also a natural lightweight, unlike Pacquiao. And he has more to gain from a victory than Pacquiao does, since beating Manny would make him a legend-killer.

Weaknesses: His defense is dismal, though his high pain threshold seems to make up for it. His fighting style is also one-dimensional: move forward, keep the pressure up, and the opponent will fall. This cannot work against more resourceful and intelligent opponents. Frankly, I think he was only able to beat Morales because the guy was old and faded in the second half of the fight. His most recent fight against Montano showed his lack of knockout power. The guy might lack the juice to end a tough fight early.

3. How does Manny fare against southpaws?

Very well, actually. The Philippines is noted for having an extraordinarily high ratio of southpaws (or left-handed fighters who fight with their right foot forward. Orthodox fighters fight with their left foot forward). Pinoy trainers often instruct new fighters to fight southpaw to give them an advantage in bouts against foreigners, who aren't used to facing southpaws. Pacquiao grew up fighting local lefties, so he's quite comfortable with it. In fact, he's beaten every southpaw he's ever fought but one: Agapito Sanchez, who battled Pacquiao to a controversial draw in 2001. However, some things that may come into play in tomorrow's fight:

a) Manny's defense, already one of his weak points, seems to be even worse against southpaws. He's particularly vulnerable to the right straight and hook.

b) Manny's left uppercut, rarely seen in fights with orthodox fighters cause it's too slow, is extremely effective against southpaws. He knocked out Fahsan 3K Battery with it.

4. Can Manny Pacquiao hack the 135lb division?

Manny's moving up in weight class once again and heading straight for the gold in WBC Lightweight champion David Diaz. Fighting in a heavier weight class is always a danger because opponents will hit harder and shrug off bigger punches. So can he hack it?

History suggests the answer is yes. Manny actually started his career in 1995 as a diminutive 107lbs! (I weighed about that much in the 4th grade... that was also back in 1995, haha) Despite that, he's miraculously been able to keep his speed and power as he bulked up to 130lbs. He won championships in three weight divisions: 112lbs, 122lbs and 130lbs. He also has a solid record in weight division debuts: 5 wins (light flyweight, flyweight, super bantamweight, featherweight) to 1 loss (against Erik Morales in super featherweight). Translation? Manny Pacquiao is a genetic freak of nature.

But there's a limit to how far up the scales a 5'6 fighter can go. He's already increased his body mass by a shocking 26% since the beginning of his career. He used to beat the crap out of 108 pounders, but now, his opponent will probably weigh close to 145lbs on fight night. Will Manny finally hit a brick wall he can't knock down? We'll soon see.

Final analysis:
Both fighters are brawlers: crude, with little taste for countering and fighting from a distance. There's no deep strategy here, no complicated fight plan--the man who will lose is the man who gets knocked around more and earlier. Pacquiao, however, has faced the better opposition, is faster, smarter, and possibly even stronger. It remains to be seen if the bigger man Diaz can be hurt by Manny's big punches; if he can, this fight will be over early. If not, Manny will be forced to play the unfamiliar role of the counterpuncher and distance boxer, and he hates this. It just doesn't fit. The fight could then go all the way to the scorecards.

Looking at it objectively though, Diaz simply isn't of the same caliber as Pacquiao's more famous opponents Morales, Marquez and Barrera. He's probably in the same league as Oscar Larios or Lehlohonolo Ledwaba, just bigger. When all's said and done, the only way Pacquiao can lose this is if he took Diaz for granted before the fight, that is to say, if he didn't train hard enough. Either that or a lucky punch. My prediction is that it'll be over by round 8. Pacquiao by TKO.

Barack Obama is the new Chuck Norris

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 07:21:15 GMT

Got this from an article in Slate.com.

There are many things people do not know about BARACK OBAMA. It is every American's duty to read this message and pass it along to all of their friends and loved ones.

Barack Obama wears a FLAG PIN at all times. Even in the shower.

Barack Obama says the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE every time he sees an American flag. He also ends every sentence by saying, "WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL." Click here for video of Obama quietly mouthing the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE in his sleep.

A tape exists of Michelle Obama saying the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE at a conference on PATRIOTISM.

Every weekend, Barack and Michelle take their daughters HUNTING.

Barack Obama is a PATRIOTIC AMERICAN. He has one HAND over his HEART at all times. He occasionally switches when one arm gets tired, which is almost never because he is STRONG.

Barack Obama has the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE tattooed on his stomach. It's upside-down, so he can read it while doing sit-ups.

There's only one artist on Barack Obama's iPod: FRANCIS SCOTT KEY.

Barack Obama is a DEVOUT CHRISTIAN. His favorite book is the BIBLE, which he has memorized. His name means HE WHO LOVES JESUS in the ancient language of Aramaic. He is PROUD that Jesus was an American.

Barack Obama goes to church every morning. He goes to church every afternoon. He goes to church every evening. He is IN CHURCH RIGHT NOW.

Barack Obama's new airplane includes a conference room, a kitchen, and a MEGACHURCH.

Barack Obama's skin is the color of AMERICAN SOIL.

Barack Obama buys AMERICAN STUFF. He owns a FORD, a BASEBALL TEAM, and a COMPUTER HE BUILT HIMSELF FROM AMERICAN PARTS. He travels mostly by FORKLIFT.

Barack Obama says that Americans cling to GUNS and RELIGION because they are AWESOME.

And I've got a few of my own!!!

Barack Obama's full name is Barack Hussein Washington Lincoln Kennedy Luther King Obama.

When he was a baby, Barack Obama's first words were "I have a dream."

Whenever Barack Obama says the Pledge of Allegiance, 100 Republicans nationwide are instantly converted to the Democratic Party.

Jesus watches Barack Obama YouTube videos and wears a flag pin just like Obama.

Barack Obama taught black people how to dance.

On wisdom and the dream ticket

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:42:44 GMT

Enough about Obama-Clinton or Clinton-Obama. It's obvious that neither individual would be happy being in the same state as the other, let alone the same White House. Instead let's explore that OTHER dream ticket: Obama-McCain or McCain-Obama!

And why not? Both candidates are widely admired men with fascinating backgrounds. Both claim the ability to stretch across party lines and attract moderates. Their constituencies also complement each other--idealistic younger voters for Obama, more cynical older voters for McCain. Together they could attract a much larger crew. A shared ticket would also promote racial unity, as the cool, intelligent black man and the quintessential down-to-earth Midwestern white man would reinforce America's image of tolerance.

But what about the feminists, how do you please them? That's easy. The campaign could highlight the fact that Obama has grown up under the influence and guidance of strong women, from his white Kansan mother to his WWII-riveting grandmother. He's also married to a particularly charismatic woman in Michelle. McCain, meanwhile, is himself a strong supporter of women; after all, he's been married to two.

Oh wait! I forgot. Elections are supposed to be decided on differences in policy and opinions, not on personality. It's easy to forget, considering that the issues were virtually abandoned in the past five months. Belatedly we realize that McCain and Obama are worlds apart on the two most important issues: the war in Iraq and the struggling economy. Only now do we recall... Clinton and Obama were almost identical after all.

After months of truly absurd media coverage of imaginary Bosnian snipers and dancing pastors and seductive lobbyists, we're FINALLY starting to get back to the real meat of this election. May the battle continue.

**********

Here's a tragic realization. The older I get, the dumber I become. Not in an absolute sense perhaps; rather, as the issues we face are more urgent than those we dealt with as children, and as excuses no longer work, the more impact mistakes seem to make as well. Sure, sometimes we learn from our mistakes, but we have time to make new ones as well.

I always thought ignorance and stupidity was a curable disease. Now, to be honest, I'm not so sure.

Question #1

Tue, 13 May 2008 18:40:34 GMT

Why should American presidential candidate Hillary Clinton--who with her husband Bill earned some $109 million in the past seven years from giving keynote speeches and the like (and will probably earn even more in years to come)--be handed $20 million by her own constituents to pay off debts for her poorly-run and ultimately unsuccessful campaign?

Let me put it this way: if I applied for a job in Quezon City and drove all the way there for the job interview, only to get rejected in the end... should the HR department refund me for my gas?

Here's another perspective: if I took a four year course in law but failed to pass the bar exam, should the law school give me back my money?

The Philippines owes New York P450 million

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:24:55 GMT

Whoops. Apparently, the Philippines has been, uh, getting a free ride, so to speak. Now where are we going to going to get P450 million bucks?

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/03/19/america/nations.php

New York wins $57 million tax case against 3 countries
By Diane Cardwell
March 19, 2008

NEW YORK: The governments of India, Mongolia and the Philippines owe New York roughly $57 million in property taxes, a federal judge has ruled, closing a long chapter in efforts by the administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg to force foreign governments to shoulder some of the costs of their presence at the United Nations.

The ruling, released Monday by Judge Jed Rakoff of the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, awards the city $42.3 million from India, $10.9 million from the Philippines and $4.4 million from Mongolia. The bulk of the amount is interest that had accrued on outstanding taxes over decades.

Whether that money will ultimately land in New York's coffers remains to be seen, since the city cannot enforce the liens in the usual way, by foreclosing on the buildings. But Michael Cardozo, the city's corporation counsel, said he hoped the ruling would persuade the three countries and other nations to pay taxes they owed.

"If the consequence of not paying your taxes simply is you're going to get sued and you're going to pay a lot of interest, I think a rational person would say, I just might as well pay my taxes," Cardozo said. "We don't like to sue these countries; that's not what we want to do. We want to be good neighbors and we want to be a good host, but they should be paying."

Robert Kandel, a lawyer for the three countries, declined to comment. Sukhbold Sukhee, second secretary of the Permanent Mission of Mongolia, said the mission did not yet have an official response.

Leandro Lachica of the Philippine Consulate General in New York said officials were weighing their legal options. Efforts to reach representatives of India by phone were unsuccessful.

The city filed suit in 2003 against the three countries and Turkey, claiming they should pay taxes because nondiplomatic activities like housing low-level staff and, in the case of the Philippines, operating a bank branch and an airline office took place on their properties.

Turkey settled its case that year, but India and Mongolia appealed the city's right to sue, arguing all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court that the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976 generally kept the federal courts from hearing suits against foreign governments.

But last year, in a 7-2 ruling, the Supreme Court agreed with the city that the tax issue was an exception and allowed the case to proceed in U.S. District Court.

Pacquiao-Marquez: A Legendary Rivalry

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:30:44 GMT

Years from now, I think the defining rivalry of Pacquiao's career won't be his trilogy with Erik Morales, whom he chewed up and spat out in the tail end of Erik's career. Pacquiao's true Mexican nemesis is Juan Manuel Marquez, his stylistic opposite and the only man who truly put him to the test twice.

If you combine the scorecards of their two fights, Pacquiao edged out Marquez by a single point after twenty-four rounds, a testament to how evenly matched these two really are. Leaving the movie theater after the fight Sunday morning, I heard something I never thought I'd hear from normally rabid and loyal Pinoy fans: doubt.

"Pare, sa tingin ko, hindi talaga nanalo si Pacquiao sa laban na 'yun. Ang galing ni Marquez, e."
"Oo, kung 'di niya pinatumba si Marquez, talo siguro siya."

Fascinating, a rare admission of fallibility. The debate on Pacquiao-Marquez II will probably last as long as the sport itself, or at least until another rematch happens and settles the score. Here's my small contribution to the discussion: while I was one of the doubters who thought Pacquiao was lucky to get a draw back in 2004, I honestly thought he won this one. I think he hit Marquez with some bombs down the stretch that, when you include the knockdown, justify a close decision. And Marquez, everyone knows you're the better student of the sweet science, but if you really want to call yourself the better fighter, deja de caerte, stop falling down! It's just hard to justify a victory when you've been dropped four times in two fights!

That being said, Pacquiao didn't really follow the game plan. Manny's problem in the first fight was that he relied too heavily on moving forward and landing the classic one-two combination. After four years, I think little's changed. Manny almost never went for the body, didn't show lateral movement, didn't bother with the right hook, and never lowered his aim to catch Marquez dipping his head to avoid the dangerous left straight. In other words, he was still too predictable for Marquez, who really did outfox Manny for the better part of the fight. Not only that, he rarely played the aggressor, looking just a little too wary of Marquez to follow through whenever he rocked him. You could actually hear his trainer Freddie Roach urging Manny to be more active:

"Now Manny, get busy son!"
"Yeah..."

Still, a win's a win, and Pacquiao is now the recognized super-featherweight champion. He's also arguably the greatest Asian boxer ever, being the first Asian to win world championship belts in three different weight divisions (though it'd have been four by now if Barrera didn't voluntarily give up his featherweight belt over a petty dispute with the WBC right before Manny destroyed him in 2003). Both Pacquiao and Marquez deserve massive respect for their performance, and I'm looking forward to a third chapter in the developing story. Perhaps when Manny's the lightweight champ? Three title fights in three weight divisions... it's almost deliriously beautiful.

**********

My mother and I have no interests in common but boxing. It's our unique mother-son bonding activity; we sometimes spend evenings reviewing fight videos, and we were the only two members of my family to watch the fight live in the theaters. While we're both avid fans, our approaches to the sport are a bit different: Mom's more loyal and emotional and cheers for Pacquiao mainly because he's Pinoy, while I'm more interested in his technique and in the sport as a whole.

Strangely enough, it was me screaming like a bloody idiot on fight day. When Manny knocked Marquez down in the third, I leaped to my feet and was like, "YEAH! COME ON! YEAH! TAKE THE MOTHERFUCKER DOOOOOWN!" But in the eighth round when Pacquiao's face was bloody and the pained look on his face was plain to all, I heard her moan and say a little prayer on Manny's behalf.

In short, I love my mother.

Pacquiao-Marquez II Pre-fight Analysis

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:16:14 GMT

Just days before the big fight, and in typical fashion, Philippine coverage of the fighters' training camps has remained largely shallow and idolatrous. According to local newspapers' generally biased sports commentators, Pacquiao is nearly invincible, because a) he trained eight weeks for the fight, b) he didn't play basketball or gamble during training, c) he's set to make the 130lb weight-limit easily, and d) he's improved since their first fight in 2004. While I agree that these are all good signs, the question now, as it was back then, is this: is he better than his crafty Mexican rival?

Pacquiao's training camp for his most recent fight with Marco Antonio Barrera was plagued with concerns about his dedication to the sport. Local reporters reveled in Manny's accessibility and the multiple issues surrounding him, including illicit affairs, movie-making, gambling, an ongoing college education and a misguided attempt at politics. The relative lack of controversies leading to this fight and the gleaming coverage of his physical conditioning show that Pacquiao does seem a lot more focused this time around.

So conditioning won't be a factor. Passion won't be a factor. Distractions won't be a factor. Where then does that place him in this bout? Rather than spend time writing my own analysis, I'll just steal the analysis of a writer from boxing website thesweetscience.com. I completely agree with him anyway.

How It'll Happen: Pacquiao/Marquez II

By John Nguyen

Few sports have the potential to be as satisfyingly conclusive as prizefighting. The image of one fighter knocking out their opponent is about as decisive as it gets. The superior competitor is decided without dispute, which is essentially the heart of competitive athletics.

It’s for this same reason why boxing can also be so agonizingly dissatisfying. Whenever the fans, as well as the fighters, are deprived of conclusiveness and closure, an unresolved void remains. Boxing craves declarative statements, not interrogative questions.

It is from this vein that the upcoming rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez springs forth. Since their maddeningly inconclusive first meeting in May 2004 ended in a draw, fight fans have clamored for a definitive ending to a bout that was essentially left “to be continued…” On March 15, the fans and the fighters will get their opportunity for closure when boxing’s biggest little men clash.

Pacquiao’s Gameplan:

For Pacquiao, (45-3-2, 35 KO), the key is to make the old man work, forcing Marquez into a fast-paced fight. If it comes down to attrition, the smart money would be on the younger, stronger, fresher Pacquiao.

The critical element for Pacquiao is to fight with intelligent, controlled aggression. This is something he failed to do in the second half of his first encounter with Marquez. After bouncing Marquez off the canvas three times in the first round, Pacquiao decided that a blitzkrieg assault was his ticket to success. He was wrong. His recklessness allowed Marquez, one of the best counterpunchers in the game, to play pinball with his head in the middle and late rounds. Even after the draw with Marquez, Pacquiao apparently had not learned to avoid careless aggression, since it was exactly that which cost him against Erik Morales in 2005. In the upcoming rematch, Pacquiao must make his punches both abundant and meaningful. Marquez would be all too happy to pull the trigger if presented with the same gaping holes he saw in Pacquiao’s defense the first time around.

The final ingredient to a Pacquiao victory is in his right hand. In the first fight, Pacquiao’s offense was stifled once Marquez solved the puzzle of his powerful straight left. Once that happened, Pacquiao may as well have had no arms at all; that was how sharply the dynamic of the fight changed. In the rematch, it’s a safe bet that Marquez will have studied tapes of the first fight and will have a plan to blunt Pacquiao’s left. Pacquiao needs to respond by utilizing his vastly improved right hand, which he has put on display in recent fights. Pacquiao’s newest weapon has added new dimensions to his game, making him more multi-faceted than the one-two puncher he once was.

Marquez’s Gameplan:

No surprise what the primary objective will be for Marquez: counter effectively. At this advanced stage of his career, it is highly unlikely that he will be able to match the Pacman punch for punch. It’s also tough to see Marquez keeping Pacquiao at bay for the entire fight. Such a strategy would force him to fight at a tempo for which he is ill suited at age 35. The older, grizzled Marquez, (48-3-1, 35 KO), has made the subtle adjective shift from slick to crafty; he now has to dig deeper into his bag of tricks when his once abundant physical gifts come up a little short.

As a result, timing will be critical for Marquez to be successful. He will have to sit squarely in the eye of the storm against Pacquiao, which is clearly not going to be a vacation. He will be in the line of fire the entire fight. Whether this turns out to be success or suicide rests on Marquez’s ability to make Pacquiao miss and, even more importantly, make him pay. As Marquez displayed last fall against Rocky Juarez, he remains a clever boxer. One ounce of over-aggression from Pacquiao will be all Marquez needs to capitalize. Still, this remains a tall order for Marquez, who basically needs to be technically perfect for the entirety of the fight.

Along with effective countering, Marquez will need to work Pacquiao’s body, something he doesn’t usually focus on. Among his measured, precise punches, Marquez will need to mix in effective body work to sap Pacquiao’s strength, which may be especially relevant if Pacquiao has difficulty making the 130-pound weight limit. A compromised, slightly wearied Pacquiao is a much more manageable assignment for Juan Manuel Marquez.

The Outcome:

An examination of each fighter’s performance against Marco Antonio Barrera (whom both faced in 2007) might provide the most accurate forecast for how the impending rematch will turn out. While Marquez won a close, competitive, punishing decision against Barrera, Pacquiao managed a dominant decision over the venerable Mexican icon in a fight that grew especially lopsided late. If this serves as an accurate barometer for each fighter, it can only mean bad news for Marquez.

Conventional wisdom is that while Marquez has grown four years older since their first meeting, Pacquiao has grown four years better. Pacquiao has gained patience, maturity, and versatility since the first encounter. As he showed against Barrera, he is now capable and willing to win a fight without the high-risk, search and destroy tactics that characterized him a few years ago. Let’s not kid ourselves; Pacquiao is not the second coming of Pernell Whitaker, nor will he ever be. However, he has made unexpected strides in technical savvy that can’t be ignored.

Can the same improvement be spoken of in reference to Marquez? Not particularly. As demonstrated in his fights against both Barrera and Juarez, and to a lesser extent against Jimrex Jaca and Terdsak Jandaeng, Marquez is a bit more stationary and a more willing to trade. This makes for more exciting fights but, against a fighter like Pacquiao, could spell disaster for Marquez. Pacquiao’s improvement coupled with Marquez’s ever-so-slight decline tip the scales in favor of Manny.

The guess here is that the fight will unfold a little something like this:

A focused and dedicated Marquez fights on relatively even terms early with Pacquiao, landing enough hard counterpunches to keep Pacquiao honest. The ever-determined Pacman will continue to pressure Marquez because he knows no other way. Somewhere in the middle rounds, Marquez will feel the cumulative effects of being 35, being in the twilight of a long and taxing career, and being in the ring with a buzzsaw who is better than he remembered. Pacquiao will continue punching all the while, and soon enough the desire for self-preservation will impose itself upon Marquez. Surviving will sound a heck of a lot more appealing than trading with Pacquiao. Marquez’s pride and caginess will allow him to finish the fight in an upright position, but expect this one to be pretty lopsided by the end.

The Pick: Pacquiao UD 12 Marquez

You've gotta be kidding me.

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:55:25 GMT

STILL haven't had the opportunity to upload photos of the rally. By the time I get to, it'll be old news I'm sure, though I doubt this crisis is going to be over anytime soon.

Just a couple of interesting news updates I read before leaving work:

From BusinessWorld:

Poverty worsens despite growth

THE PHILIPPINES’ POOR are expanding by around 1.3 million people every year, as rising food prices and sluggish wage growth mean that more families cannot afford to feed themselves, government data on Wednesday showed.

The bleak picture of 3.8 million people slipping below the poverty line in 2003-2006 was an embarrassment for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who has paraded her government’s anti-poverty credentials amid a growing economy.

And from the Philippine Daily Inquirer:

Poverty blamed on scrimping

By Michelle Remo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:10:00 03/05/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- James Wolfensohn, former president of the World Bank and a well-known figure in the area of fighting global poverty, said rising poverty in the Philippines was partly due to government’s measly spending on education.

Wolfensohn, who delivered a speech on Wednesday at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati City, expressed dismay over reports that the poverty incidence in the country had worsened from 2003 to 2006, despite economic growth.

“Education spending is too little,” said Wolfensohn in a press briefing after his speech before academicians and businessmen. He cited estimates that Philippine education spending was only one-tenth to one-eighth of spending by other developing countries.

Meanwhile...

Another China contract missing

Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:19:00 03/05/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- Another China-funded government contract has been reported lost and Senator Maria Ana Consuelo “Jamby” Madrigal is fuming.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Madrigal denounced the Philippine National Railways Corporation’s claim that it could not find an agreement it signed on April 27, 2005 with China National Technical Import -Export Cooperation for the $932 million South Railway project.

The opposition senator charged that this was a “cover-up similar to the NBN-ZTE deal.”

Government officials had also claimed the agreement with ZTE Corp. of China for the $329 million National Broadband Network project had been lost, or stolen.

In his reply to Madrigal’s request, PNR General Manager Jose Ma. I. Sarasola II said: “We respectfully inform you that based on available records so far, we do not have such document. We shall continue, however, to go over files and should we find one, we will provide your office a copy.”

WHO do they THINK they're KIDDING???? There's a lot of angst in the air these days, and though I can't see a clear way out of the woods, I know who to blame.

Something to look forward to

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:51:01 GMT

I'll post pics and a fuller discussion of the rally tomorrow evening when I get back home. Right now, though, I think this much is obvious: people are increasingly frustrated with GMA, but as long as the traditional democratic ways of removing her from office, i.e. impeachment in June, a snap election, or simply replacing her in 2010, are still possibilities, then People Power won't happen. Eighty thousand angry nuns, leftists and students are nothing to laugh at, but not enough people feel personally offended by the administration's transgressions, or feel that this would effect permanent change.

But if GMA attempts to clamp down on major media outlets (the Daily Tribune and Manila Times don't count), if she orders the assassination of Lozada or even Neri, or if she pushes through with charter change between now and 2010, no force on Earth will keep her in power. She'll be thrown in jail or exiled to the US or Europe à la Bhutto and Thaksin, and we'll start another chapter in the endless soap opera that is Philippine politics. We WILL be having a new president in 2010, even if his name is Noli de Castro.