The Golden Post

This is a milestone of sorts-- the 50th post of my first blog, Thinking Aloud.

I've often been asked why I blog. I might as well be also asked why I write, because my answers would be the same: because I enjoy it, and because I can. The first answer speaks for itself; the second is open to interpretation. "Because I can" may be interpreted as "because I know how to write," but that is subjective. By my own standards, I feel I write adequately, which is to say that I can at least get my point across without leaving readers befuddled.

But I digress.

I suppose the best way to interpret "because I can" is what millions of people have discovered-- that the internet has provided a means by which everyone can be heard. It doesn't matter if you can't put two phrases together to form a coherent thought (well, it does matter, but that's another story...), what matters is that if you have something to say, and you want people to hear it-- whether in carabao English or flawless insert language here, publishing a blog is just the way to do it.

That being said, thank God for the internet and free blog-hosting services.

Not a good day...

...to be Kim Jong-il.

In the Washington Post :

U.N. Votes To Impose Sanctions On N. Korea

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 14 -- The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Saturday to condemn North Korea and impose stiff sanctions on the communist government in response to its suspected nuclear test. More.

It's not enough that the whole world is breathing down your neck. To make matters worse:

South Korean Approved as U.N. Secretary General

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 13 -- The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly approved South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki Moon on Friday as the next U.N. secretary general. More.

Mo' power, mo' problems. Welcome to the world of nuclear powers.

A boatload of stars with mean Irish accents...

...that basically sums up my first impression of The Departed, which stars Jack Nicholson, et. al. Okay, I know that's an understatement. There's Leonardo "I'm from a family of criminals trying to do The Right Thing" Di Caprio, Matt "I look so clean-cut but I'm one sinister fellow" Damon, Martin "this is my first gig since The West Wing, and I still sound like Jed Bartlett" Sheen, Mark "one profanity a second" Wahlberg, and Alec "the best-looking but now looking extremely middle-aged" Baldwin.

Oh, yeah, and for some reason, they just had to put in an African-American actor-- Anthony Anderson. The name of the cop (state trooper!) he plays in the movie? BROWN. How's that for in-your-face irony?

Here's a synopsis of the movie, which is directed by Martin Scorsese and is a remake of the hit Hong Kong movie Internal Affairs.

Since I have yet to watch the original-- those who've watched it say it is awesome-- I won't make any comparisons. By itself, it's a pretty entertaining movie, if violence and blood being splattered all around is your thing.

(An aside. This is, by my count, the third movie Scorsese and Di Caprio have done together. Is this Di Caprio's way of distancing himself from his cheesy role as Titanic's boyish lead? Is he trying to say, "yeah, I am now a bad-ass dude who can do violent action movies and look credible doing it"? His next movie is Blood Diamond, another violent flick. My prediction? Di Caprio will not appear clean-shaven in his next few roles. He wants everyone to know that he is a MAN. My suggestion? Get a new voice box. You'll ALWAYS sound like a little boy.)

Another thing. The music in the movie kicks ass. I was expecting more U2, but I guess Bono and company are too busy saving the world to write songs for another bloody Scorsese project. If they do put all the songs here in their OST, it should be worth buying.

Overall, they do manage to sell you with their accents. Jack Nicholson, of course, steals the show as one real bad-ass. Nobody does it like Jack. If you only need one reason to watch this movie, he's IT.

A little ranting is good for the soul...

...and if you get published in a newspaper while you're at it, so much the better.

In page 14 of the October 4 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, my letter to the editor (based on this rather long blog of mine), sent during the (electricity-less) weekend after Typhoon Milenyo hit:

Can’t we avoid tragedies caused by typhoons?

IT DOESN’T take a genius to know that at least once a year, we will be hit by a tropical storm so strong it’s going to cause disasters and power outages in various places around the country.

Take Bicol, for example. In 1988, the region was hit by a storm that was so forceful the whole area went without electricity for months. In 1993, Typhoon “Sisang” hit Bicol and the region had no power for two weeks. After Typhoon “Milenyo,” Bicol might spend another Christmas in darkness. The reason for all these? Toppled power lines. Were these fixed in the past? Yes. Was something done to prevent similar episodes from happening? No.

So each time a powerful typhoon blows across our region, my fellow Bicolanos hear the same old refrains: “Be patient; don’t complain; everyone else doesn’t have electricity; you’re better off, because at least you have a roof over your head; prayer and national solidarity will get us through this crisis.”

Give me a break.

Patience, they say, is a virtue. In our case, however, it is a virtue that has been abused, time and again, by idiots who claim to be the best leaders we can have. Natural calamities have become so commonplace in this country you’d think by now we’d know what to do to cushion their impact.

When will enough be enough? How many people have to die, how many Filipinos have to lose their homes, how many floods do we have to put up with, how many “power-less” days must we live through before something is really done to prevent these from happening?

“An ounce of prevention,” the saying goes, “is worth a pound of cure.” It’s a lesson that our leaders, apparently, have yet to learn.

White Papers, Anonymity, and Cough Syrup

Around this time last year, a white paper criticizing former Chief Justice Davide's Memorandum Order making the Supreme Court Program Management Office permanent was making the rounds of the Court. The paper raised several issues regarding the Chief's Memorandum Order, and called on Court employees to wear red in protest.

I criticized the white paper, not so much on its merits (not that it had many), but the manner in which it advanced its positions. As I said in my blog, I don't believe in "supporting causes being espoused by nameless, faceless people" because I've always held that the willingness to express one's opinions must be accompanied by the courage to stand by them.

I've always maintained that anonymity is a blanket under which cowards hide, a convenient means to evade the responsibility of having to answer for their beliefs. You say or do something, you take responsibility for it. You write something, you sign your name and say, "hell, yeah, I wrote it." That's why when I was asked permission to have my blog printed and distributed, I had no qualms about saying yes. Did I offend the writers of the white paper? Probably. Did I care? No. I said the white paper's author was gutless, and one year later I still feel the same way.

Gutlessness, it appears, is catching. An anonymous officemate (or officemates) sent me and my fellow SC Chief Judicial Staff Officer, Atty. JM Erni, a bottle of cough syrup, with a short note. It seems someone was offended by our -ahem- coughing. According to our generous cough syrup donor, JM and I are insensitive, ill-mannered virus-spreaders who give no thought to the health and welfare of our officemates.

When did these supposed incidents occur? What exactly did we do? Who was at the receiving end of our spittle? Whose auditory senses were offended by my constant throat-clearing? So many questions, no answers forthcoming-- ah, the pitfalls of anonymity.

Anyway, for the benefit of the (anonymous) offended party (or parties), some clarifications are in order. You need not worry about catching something. You see, JM and I are both asthmatics and are allergic to many, many things. (I suspect we're allergic to idiots and cowards, hence our runny noses, coughing, and wheezing.) She carries a mini-drugstore in her bag. I have a stockpile of Claritin in my drawer. These are the only reasons we get through a day of working amongst (anonymous) morons and (anonymous) wimps without going through anaphylactic shock.

If-- as I suspect-- you are offended by things other than our coughing, you should feel free to fire off another anonymous note. I suspect there are other things about us you find distasteful. Maybe it's the smell of UP Diliman, something we can't get off our clothes no matter how hard we try. Maybe it's our youth, which we can't hide no matter how many lines public service adds to our faces. Maybe it's the unhidden sound of disdain in our voices, the contempt we have for those who are unwilling or unable to give Filipino taxpayers their money's worth.

It could be anything, but we won't know for sure until someone has the courage to say what he or she REALLY WANTS TO SAY, and grows enough backbone be held accountable for what is said.

Till then, don't blame us if we keep on coughing. As I said, we're allergic to cowards.

Unlike Mike

One point. One. Frigging. Point.

This was how much Kobe Bryant scored against the Phoenix Suns in the second half of Game 7 of their best-of-seven series. A do-or-die game. Win-or-go-home time. The pride of one of the greatest franchises in professional sports history on the line and what does Kobe do?

He only attempts THRICE in the second half of the game. THREE times.

It's not as if the game was beyond reach at the half. The Suns led, 60-45, but the Lakers had 24 minutes of basketball to turn things around. Sure, the Lakers were getting their asses handed to them, but for crying out loud, they had TWENTY FOUR frigging' minutes to play some defense, get their acts together, and win the damn game.

The pathetic performances of the other Lakers weren't surprising. That's a given. But I thought Kobe was going to do his darnedest to WILL his team to victory, which Michael Jordan tried EVERY time. Sure, Jordan's Bulls got beat. Hell, they got beat ALL the time. But their opponents bled for each and every win. Jordan may not have won games against Larry Bird early in his career, but at least he won Bird's respect.

(An aside. How competitive was Jordan? In practices, his team, naturally, would lead by a WIDE margin over the second team. At halftime, he would be put on the other team. And he would still play his ass off to win. And most times, he did.)

That, unfortunately, is what Kobe's lost in his sub-par Game 7 performance-- respect. Everything that defines him-- his competitiveness, his fire, his relentlessness-- these are the things that draw comparisons to Jordan. And these are the things that were absent in the most important minutes of the Suns-Lakers series.

This could have been it. The game that could've made Kobe Bryant a legend. He didn't have to win it. All he had to do was play his heart out and try. He didn't. That's why "Be Kobe" will never sound as good as "Like Mike."

"What's that? That's the sound of an upset, man!"

An Inconvenient Truth

An Inconvenient Truth is a new documentary about the environment set for release in the US on May 24. Aside from its really cool name, the documentary also features a very somber, very serious Al Gore declaring "if you look at the ten hottest years ever recorded, they've all occurred in the last fourteen years; and the hottest of all... was 2005."

The trailer, by itself, is enough to send shivers down your spine. Images of a not-so-snowy Mt. Kilimanjaro, shrinking polar ice caps, and disappearing land masses... really scary stuff.

Anyway, I got to thinking about the movie after spending a week in the not-so-cool mountain air of Baguio City for the Supreme Court's summer sessions. It wasn't cold. During the day, there were times I had to take off my barong tagalog and work in my undershirt because it was just SO FRIGGIN' HOT. Yeah, in the mornings, it was cold. In the evenings, it was cool too. But when the sun was up, FORGET ABOUT IT. Keep your jacket at home, folks, especially if you plan on walking around the City of Pines.

My point?

Global warming has been a concept scientists and environmentalists have used to scare governments and corporations into making efforts to protect the environment. Their success has been hindered by the inability to show that global warming is a phenomenon that is affecting us TODAY, not a hundred-- not a thousand-- years from now.

This movie gives us a first-hand look at the effects of global warming, and it looks like it's going to shock a lot of people. I hope it does. Because we need to stop screwing our environment. Or it's going to screw us back.

Life Is Unfair

Five things that have made me say “life isn’t fair...”

(In no particular order)

1. Allen Iverson is not asked to join the United States men's basketball team.

When NBA superstars turn down invitations to join the national team for personal reasons, you appreciate those few who unequivocally say they're willing to play, especially since joining the US national team pool is three-year commitment. Allen Iverson was the first, the biggest star to volunteer. And how is he rewarded? He has to stand on the sidelines as less-talented, less-experienced NBA players get to don the red, white, and blue.

Let's not talk about Iverson's talent, because everyone knows the guy can play. Let's talk about his heart. The guy earns his paycheck every game. He plays through injury. He plays his guts out. He doesn't whine. He's fearless. And-- as he showed in Athens in 2004-- he plays to win, even when his teammates don't.

This guy has nothing to prove. The way he plays-- banging into people who weigh twice as much as him-- he could suffer an injury while playing for his country. Yet, while those with his stature-- and less-- have turned down invites to the US basketball team, he's stepped forward. That someone so richly deserving has been denied the honor of representing his country is just plain criminal.

2. Paula Abdul continues to judge the contestants of American Idol.

Does anyone remember her classics... "Forever Your Girl?" "Opposites Attract?" "Straight Up?" If you can't remember, it's either (1) you're too young to remember (count yourself lucky), or (2) none of her songs was remotely memorable.

There's a reason Paula Abdul is no longer singing... she can't. Yeah, she can dance-- you don't become a Laker girl if you can't shake your booty. But sing? If you can find one of her songs on the internet, download one of them, listen to it, and hear for yourself. She's not incapable of carrying a tune, but she's certainly in no position to judge Idol contestants-- most of whom could out-sing her in their sleep.

3. Most of the world uses PCs, not Macs.

Most people are surprised when they learn that the Windows operating system "pioneered" by Microsoft was based on a Mac operating system. Most of those introduced to the world of personal computing by Windows are also unaware that the term "personal computers" was first used for the Apple personal computer. The mouse? First used on a Mac. The look of the modern laptop? Based on Apple's first PowerBooks. The first true touch pad? Another Apple product. (Read more here.)

Such is the story of Apple Computer, Inc.-- always on the cutting edge of technology, but unable to profit from its own innovations.

It's their fault, of course. They eschewed the IBM PC/MS OS business model, refusing to let other computer companies use Mac OS because they were afraid that other computer manufacturers wouldn't be able to make hardware good enough to do justice to their software. Bill Gates and IBM didn't care, and they raked in billions, while Apple built a very loyal-- albeit, very small-- following.

Still, the fact that most PC users spew expletives left and right from dealing with Windows-- while almost nothing uncomplimentary about Macs can be heard from Mac users-- has done little to increase Apple's share in the personal computer market.

Macs have a stable, crash-free, ridiculously easy-to-use operating system; amazing software that allows you to unleash your creativity without getting bogged down by the technical aspects; and they're simply beautiful. That Apple's desktops and portables have barely 3% of their respective markets is insane.

4. Filipinos are the biggest basketball fans in the world... and we're short.

We're a basketball-crazy country. Blame the Americans. Or the Spanish, for not sticking around long enough to pass to us their love for the Beautiful Game. Whatever the case, by becoming enamored with a game where height is might, we've doomed ourselves to a lifetime of heartache, as we watch incarnation after incarnation of our men's basketball team get manhandled in international competition, and content ourselves with cheering the US team during the Olympics. (Or Argentina... MANU! MANU! MANU!)

5. Filipinos are gifted artists who get no love from their people, or their government.

The Philippine Madrigal Singers are an award-winning choral group, "the most awarded and acclaimed choir in Asia, having consistently won all the first prizes in the world's most prestigious and toughest choral competitions for many years."

Have you watched any of their shows lately?

Anatoli Panasiukov, a product of the Bolshoi Ballet, is the ballet master of Philippine Ballet Theater (PBT), the country's premier classic ballet company. He's danced with the best in the world, but is now training our country's best dancers.

Why would someone who's danced with the best in the world want to teach here? PBT's dancers are so good that they have a ballet master who has stuck around despite small audiences and far-from-impressive wages. Sadly, even the dancers might disappear, too. With small audiences come small wages, and with Hong Kong Disneyland offering better compensation, our dancers are slowly following our other skilled workers abroad.

Government officials spend thousands of dollars to watch Manny Pacquiao fight. Pacquiao beats some Mexican up in the US, and he comes home a hero. When he's here, politicians fall over themselves to "honor" him. Politicos bring out the red carpet for someone who brings honor and glory to our country with his fists, but do little or nothing to honor the artists who make us proud. How about giving some love (and your money) to those who bring honor to our country with their voices, their bodies, and their talent?

Liberty

Words of wisdom for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Mike Defensor, and all those in her administration who think that arresting members of the opposition left and right (pun intended), and shutting down the media, will help ensure peace and order, and help keep them in power:

"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin, A Historical View of the Constitution and Government of Pennsylvania

A variation of the quote above is "Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both."

Many people have already pointed out the obvious-- that the arrests of Prof. Randy David, Crispin Beltran, et. al., as well as the raid on the Daily Tribune, couldn't have come at a worse time. You don't celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the rebirth of Philippine democracy by trampling on everything it stands for. Unless, of course, you want people to go back to the streets and take back what they fought for 20 years ago.

You can criticize Erap for all his faults, but at least he didn't do anything to stop the opposition or everyone else from converging at the EDSA Shrine to protest against what his cronies in the Senate did. He could have very well sent police to arrest members of the opposition who went to the EDSA Shrine to call for his ouster. For months before he fell, Erap was at the receiving end of calls for him to step down, much like the sitting President is now (albeit, for different reasons). But he didn't shut down the newspapers that slammed his leadership everyday, and reported on the various movements and groups being formed to kick him out. Our lives were miserable, but at least we could speak out without fear of reprisal. (Except if your name is Chavit Singson, but that's another story.)

Ah, but then again, maybe this president and her advisors have learned from the mistakes of her predecessor. Maybe they see the similarities and the parallelisms between the events that led to Erap's downfall, and the events of the past few days. Honestly, I don't. Most people, despite their distaste for the current leadership, have become resigned to the realities of a GMA presidency. They (myself included) aren't going out of their way (i.e., flock to EDSA) to bring her down, without more compelling reasons to do so.

Even if it were true that certain elements of the military were planning to use anti-GMA rallies as venues to announce their withdrawal of support for the current administration, this still wouldn't have meant squat without the same kind of popular support generated by EDSA II. Even if these elements of the military-- in tandem with the left-- attempted a coup, I doubt they would've been able to get the people behind them. On the contrary, such an undertaking would have only turned off the common tao. Asked to choose between the uncertainty of a revolutionary government headed by people with guns, and a questionably-elected, poorly-run democratic government, most would have found the latter to be a far more acceptable lesser evil.

As hard as life has become for most of us, we have at least had the benefits of living in a democracy. The prices of everything may have gone up, but at least we could sleep soundly every night, knowing we could damn the government to our heart's content, and not have to worry about being dragged to jail the next day. By hanging this cloud over our heads, this administration is starting to make the idea of a revolutionary transition government look like a more attractive alternative for more and more people.

If many of us had no reason to go to EDSA last week, we're being given more and more reasons every day. History tells us that repression does little more than stoke the fires of rebellion. There's a lot of wisdom in heeding the lessons history teaches; these are lessons, however, this administration refuses to learn.

The Disaster Cycle

Here is the sequence of events that follows every disaster (natural, man-made, or otherwise) that strikes the Philippines:

1. Disaster strikes, resulting in loss of life. The tragedy gives new meaning to the term "senseless deaths."

2. The media rush to the area to give the whole world a front-row seat to the tragedy. The ratings of news programs shoot up.

3. The government sends rescue teams to look for survivors.

4. Public officials express sympathy and condole with the families of the victims; the country is asked to pray for those affected.

5. Assistance pours in from other countries, well-meaning institutions, and good samaritans.

6. The Blame Game is played. Government officials and individuals involved point fingers at everyone except themselves.

7. Congress holds hearings; an "investigation in aid of legislation" is conducted. Questions with obvious answers are asked. Sound bites are delivered.

8. "Punishment" is meted out to the "guilty" parties-- those supposedly responsible, one way or the other, for the tragedy. Their "guilt," however, isn't so much the result of the "evidence" on hand; rather, it is determined by the strength (or lack thereof) of the party's (or parties') ties to the powers-that-be.

9. An unenforceable, inutile law or regulation is enacted, with the end in view of avoiding a repeat of the said tragedy.

10. The tragedy is slowly erased from the public's short memory. Tragedy strikes again. Return to # 1 of The Disaster Cycle.

Much Ado About Nothing

While riding the MRT today, a guy walked in the train holding a portable CD player. I noticed because (1) one rarely sees people bringing those things nowadays, with the proliferation of portable MP3 players like the iPod; (2) the guy was noisy.

Anyway, I went back to minding my own business when I hear the guy, in an agitated tone, say, in voice loud enough to be heard on both ends of the train:

"No!! Not again!"

Having caught my attention (as well as that of everyone on the damn train), he proceeds to (violently) shake the poor CD player and (violently) push its buttons. (From the scene it looked like the CD player was pushing his buttons, if you catch my drift.)

The CD player, apparently, was unresponsive, and could not be cajoled into providing the angry man with the music he so desperately wanted (and, it appears, needed-after all, "music hath charms to soothe the savage breast").

So the guy opens the player, removes the CD, and puts it back in. He then lets forth a stream of obscenities that lets everyone know that his CD player isn't working. I thought the guy was going to pop a vessel over the damn thing.

My thoughts during this outburst?

"Get a life, a man. Better yet, get an iPod."

TEN: The 51st State

What if the Philippines had become the 51st state of the United States of America? Here are some possibilities:

1. The University of the Philippines would be named "Philippine State University," or "PSU." Its basketball team wouldn't do very well in the US NCAA, but would be respected for being a scrappy bunch. Its alumni, on the other hand, would make waves in all intellectual fields. PSU grads become trailblazers in the fields of law, medicine, journalism, fine arts, and information technology. Its students would be the US' most feared debaters, with Fil-Ams representing the US in international tournaments
2. The Cordilleras would be accessible via well-paved, picturesque roads that make driving to the Banaue Rice Terraces, Sagada, and Mt. Data as easy as driving up to Baguio. Battles between conservationists and pro-development groups are waged over the development of eco-tourism sites in the Cordilleras, Palawan, Bohol, and other parts of the Philippine State. Unchecked logging leads to the passage of legislation to protect the archipelago's forest cover and the designation of certain areas as environmental reserves.
3. The Philippines becomes the top destination for retirees and senior citizens. The coastline of La Union up to Vigan is developed for this purpose. Many Fil-Ams are tapped to work in retirement homes, many of which are established around the country. Despite the proliferation of these, many Filipino families continue to take care of their elderly.
4. The steady supply of competent Fil-Am professionals like doctors and nurses to the US mainland ensures that US hospitals do not want for medical professionals. Because of the Philippine State's huge population, and because of the quality workforce it produces, the US State Department limits the issuing of working VISAs to foreign nationals to stop a glut in the US labor market.
5. Corporations owned by rich Fil-Am families like the Cojuangcos and the Ayalas are eaten up by American conglomerates. The landed elite slowly lose their hold over their haciendas as Corporate America buys them off and institutes modern farming methods that destroy the old Haciendero models. Filipino farmers have never been more productive. The US becomes the biggest exporter of rice in the world.
6. Manila gets its own NBA team, the Manila Matadors (I know, lame name). The Matadors sell out every game and establish NBA records for attendance and gate receipts. The fanaticism of Manila fans and the chance to play in one of the US' most beautiful states attracts the best NBA players, giving the Matadors a slew of NBA championships.
7. Numerous Fil-Ams make their mark in the US entertainment industry, with Oscar, Grammy and Tony Awards given to Americans of Philippine descent. When American Idol goes to Manila, judges are wowed by Fil-Am talent, and many go on to Hollywood to try their luck. Simon Cowell predicts that at least half of the finalists will be Fil-Ams, and that the next American Idol will definitely be from the Philippine State. Fil-Ams win the first American Idol. And the second. And the third. And the fourth...
8. The US expands its bases in Clark and Subic, and establishes new ones in Visayas and Mindanao. The presence of the US in the Pacific leads to various diplomatic run-ins with the Chinese and North Koreans, who resent American military presence in the Pacific. American bases in the Philippine Islands are frequently the victims of terrorist attacks, leading to increased security around the cities of Olongapo and Angeles.
9. The Roman Catholic Church loses many of its faithful to competing religions, with the Mormons gaining many converts among Fil-Ams. Concerned with the growing population of the Philippine Islands, the US mounts an aggressive birth-control campaign, distributing free birth-control pills and condoms to families across the archipelago. The Catholic Church urges its members to reject these campaigns, to no avail. It is successful, however, in blocking the passage of state laws that would allow abortion, same-sex marriage, and the death penalty.
10. A Filipina becomes the first Vice-Presidential candidate in US Election history, running and winning under the Democratic Party. A Filipina is also named the first woman to the US Supreme Court.

Eighty-One

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors the other day. That feat puts him only behind Wilt Chamberlain for most points in a single NBA game. In 1962, Chamberlain, then a member of the Philadelphia Warriors (now the Golden State Warriors, not the Philadelphia 76ers), scored a hundred points against the New York Knicks and established one of sports' most enduring, seemingly unbreakable records.

Kobe Bryant's unbelievable performance against the Raptors changes all that. Used to be that the notion of anyone breaking Wilt's record was unthinkable. Now, however, Kobe has everyone who has ever played or watched a basketball game think again.

The Game (as we shall now call it) begs the following questions:

Was Kobe's feat really that big a deal?

Yes. Says Vince Carter: "Eighty-one is 81, I don't care if you're playing summer league, pickup, Playstation - it's a lot." I play a lot of NBA Live. 81 is hard to get, even on an imaginary court. So Kobe's 81 point-game is a big deal, and is worth all the hype.

Was Toronto's defense really that bad?

Yep. Watch the highlights. The Raptors' opponents average 102.7 points a game on 48.9% shooting. Only the Seattle Supersonics play worse D. According to the Detroit Pistons' Chauncey Billups, the Raptors didn't even double-team Kobe, despite Raptors' coach Sam Mitchell's claim that Toronto "threw everything" at Kobe. Well, Bryant scored 81. Guess you know who gave the more objective assessment.

Is Kobe really that good?

Kobe leads the NBA in scoring, and has carried an untalented LA Lakers team on his shoulders all season long. The result is a 22-19 record. If the playoffs were held today, the Lakers would qualify. So yes, he really is that good.

Is this Kobe guy better than Michael Jordan?

Maybe Kobe is a better scorer, but that's debatable. Actually, you can look at all the different aspects of their game (ball-handling, passing, clutch shooting) and have a debate on your hands. Defense, however, is one department that Jordan beats Bryant hands-down. Kobe plays great off-the-ball defense, gets in the passing lanes, and is good for 1.33 steals a game. Jordan did this, plus, he shut people down. People forget that Jordan is the only player to win both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season (1988).

There are also the intangibles. Jordan was in his sixth year in the NBA when the Bulls won their first championship, and he already exhibited great leadership and the ability to make his teammates better. Kobe has yet to prove he can lead a team (glaring at teammates when they make bonehead decisions doesn't count) or make his supporting cast better (Lamar Odom ain't no Scottie Pippen, but that guy has skills), so until then, the answer is NO.

How does Kobe's performance compare to Wilt's? Or to the other great scoring performances?

There are those who say Kobe's performance was better than Wilt's because the latter was a freak-a giant at a time when most NBA players reached his shoulders. There are those that say that the fact that Kobe scored on jumpers and a host of other acrobatic moves makes his feat more impressive than Wilt's. I don't buy that. A hundred is still a hundred. Besides, Wilt didn't have the three-point shot, or free throws to help.

As for the other 70+ scorers-Elgin Baylor (LA Lakers), David Robinson (San Antonio Spurs), and David Thompson (Denver Nuggets)-all these were done during the regular season. Both Davids scored 70+ in the last games of the season, to jack up their scoring averages to win the scoring title, so these games had little meaning.

Jordan's highest-scoring regular-season game was 69-against the Cleveland Cavaliers. But this was hardly his most impressive scoring game. Jordan holds the record for most points in a playoff game. He scored 63 points against a Boston Celtics team that featured Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, Larry Bird, Danny Ainge, and Dennis Johnson-all future Hall of Famers. What's even more amazing is that Jordan did this in the Boston Garden, against a team which had lost only one game at home in the regular season (an NBA record), a team that would go on to become NBA Champions.

Kobe has yet to reach the playoffs without Shaq. He may break the record for most points in a playoff game, but for him to really make an impression, he'd have to do that against a great NBA defensive team like the San Antonio Spurs.

Can Kobe score over a hundred points in a single game? Will he?

Yes, he can. One of the consequences of expansion is the watering down of talent in the NBA. There are so many mediocre teams with players that couldn't defend their own shadows if they wanted to (i.e., the Atlanta Hawks, the New York Knicks). There also teams that are an injury or two away from mediocrity; take away the stars on some teams (i.e., the Houston Rockets, the Philadelphia 76ers), and what you get are terrible teams that could be whipped by a good NCAA team. So it's just a matter of time.

The US Embassy On Driving In The Philippines

I am often amused by the howls of protest coming from politicians whenever negative travel advisories are issued by foreign governments.

First, governments have a right to do what they think is necessary to protect its citizens, and that includes telling them when their safety is at risk when they visit a certain country.

Second, these are merely "advisories," which their citizens may or may not follow; they're not banning their citizens from traveling to our country outright.

Third, most of the time, these advisories aren't entirely untrue. If you've lived in the Philippines your whole life, then you know that if some terrorist wanted to bomb every single mall in Manila, he or she could do that.

But this isn't about anything remotely as serious as that.

Last weekend I started the New Year on the right foot-that is, with a big laugh-when I read about the US Embassy's newest advisory about the Philippines.

From the Manila Standard:


US issues 'driving advisory' on RP
By Joyce Pangco Pañares

VISITING American diplomats have been warned - not about terrorist attacks or other security threats but about the dangers posed by Manila drivers.

"For most Americans, the most frustrating aspect of traffic is the uniquely Filipino style of driving, which is often erratic and unpredictable," says a recent post report sent by the US embassy in Manila to Washington. "Those with orderly driving habits may find it difficult to adjust to the chaos of Manila's streets... In Manila, caution is the golden rule."

Manila traffic, the embassy says, can only be appreciated by experiencing firsthand the unique environment combined with Filipino's driving skills.

"Lane markings and crosswalks are mere suggestions, and stop signs might as well be in Braille. (Emphasis mine. Ha ha ha ha!) Of the few working stoplights, they are too long when obeyed and too dangerous when not. Buses stop in the middle of the streets, allowing passengers to exit into oncoming traffic," the report continues.

The embassy also described Filipino drivers' predilection for changing lanes without warning as a game of "chicken" - where the first to give way to an overtaking vehicle or a pedestrian trying to cross the street loses.

"Drivers also turn into oncoming traffic when the proper lane is too congested, while pedestrians and cars play a dangerous game of 'chicken' to see who will get to the intersection first."

The report doesn't vilify Filipino drivers, however, giving them credit for being "remarkably polite and less prone to road rage than their American counterparts."

Hilarious.

About the only thing I dispute here is the part where the report says that Filipino drivers are "remarkably polite and less prone to road rage than their American counterparts," a statement that is either (A) the result of glaring typographical errors (they neglected to put "im" before polite, and typed "less" when it should be "more") or (B) a lame at attempt at trying to be diplomatic.

I wonder if any politician will have the audacity to challenge this advisory.