Song: La Mer/Somewhere Beyond the Sea

La Mer by Charles Trenet

Beyond the Sea by Michael Buble

Note: I learned about this song in the movie "Mr. Bean Holiday". Cannes, French Riviera and Paris. Vive La France.  I also felt nostalgic about this song because as a kid in Ilocos Norte, our family and relatives frequently went to the beaches of Fort Ilocandia, Currimao and Pagudpud every summer and Christmas. Those where the days.

Sports: Dissecting the Oblation (UP Maroons Basketball)

Sports: Dissecting the Oblation (UP Maroons Basketball)

Part II-Out of the Crisis, Renewal

Not Ready for the Next Level:College

     If there is a hallmark of the Woody Co-era Maroon team, its their lack of improvement. Or to put it in a better terms, consistency. Woody Co is such a player. He was really a good player in high school winning many accolades at Xavier in the Tionglian basketball tourney. As a freshman in 2006, he bagged the Rookie of the Year award playing aside spitfire point guard Marvin Cruz. But 2007 would be a tough year as the Maroons experienced their first 0-14 sweep in their history (a feat they would repeat in their last year). There are possible factors that could be considered. One is the coaching. I've watched one PBL game and I saw Coach Aboy Castro for taking an ill-advised three-point shot. This kid has lots of weapons in his arsenal. Offense, three-points and streaky shooting. He could have been ripe for a Mythical Five nod but the opposite happens.

     Other players too are like this. Martin Reyes, Mikee Reyes, Mark Lopez, Mike Silungan and my pet-peeve Mark Juruena (UAAP Juniors MVP). So where the problem lies? A lot could be blame. Conditioning (there are a lot of games that UP squandered a big lead), coaching motivation (Aboy Castro doesn't rotate his players much) and maybe academics (Typical way UP people ward off a basketball loss)? 

    I also think we picked the wrong players for the basketball system (if there is any). The criticism that had been thrown against the team is that they picked any blue-chip (star players) yet neglected their development knowing the level of competition between college and high school is different.

Hope for Next Year

     The Season 74 team was actually weaker in comparison with their predecessor. They lost some key players through injuries and other problems. Padilla, Mikee Reyes, Raul Suyod and Joshua Saret. One could predict they are bound to repeat another ignominious 0-14 slate. They remove that possibility when they won their first game against UE (a rebuilding team). The biggest suprise was their upset of FEU.

     I see in the team the grittiness of former Maroons. And player development. For the first time, a UP player  that is Jet Manuel came out of his former self to develop as an off-the-bench two-guard. Despite their low scoring output, their games have been far from blowout. In fact, they could have won some games.

Keys for Improvement

1. Find a better big men- Paolo Romero is good but for us to win, we need to protect our paint from the opposing team centers. Mark Juruena, Martin Pascual and to a certain extent Mbah were easily bullied.
2. Conditioning- There are certain games we could have won. It's just that we don't know how to finish it. 
3. Veteran Leadership- I am hoping Michael Silungan finally exploded in his final year. His stats shows he is an all-around player

Politics: Mambo Magsaysay (First Philippine Political Jingle)

Mambo Magsaysay

written by Raul Manglapus

sang by Rosita De La Vega-Da Roza

ORIGINAL TAGLISH LYRICS
Everywhere that you woud lookWas a bandit or a crookPeace and order was a jokeTill Magsaysay pumasok!
That is why, that is whyYou will hear the people cryOur democracy will dieKung wala si Magsaysay. 
Mambo, Mambo MagsaysayMabu, Mabu- Mabuhay!Our democracy will dieKung wala si Magsaysay! First they voted in LanaoAt pati aswang pa dawAng election lutong MacawTill Magsaysay showed them how
Too much people's money spentBut no honest governmentNo more built-in ten percentIf Magsaysay is president
That is why, that is whyWe will hear the people cryOur democracy will dieKung wala si Magsaysay.

     A clever way to advertise a good man as president. But I think he would won the 1954 presidential election. The president he preceded (Quirino), was a political disaster. Corruption, bribery (maybe not him but his cronies) and warlordism rocked his administration. The people were sick of all of these. Remember that during those time the Huks are nearing Metro Manila (Luis Taruc could go there unopposed). Then came this man from Zambales who was a UP drop-out, a mechanic graduate from JRU and an ex-defense chief. The most humble and compassionate president ever. Sorry Erap or Villar. You will not equal this man.

Credits:
Video from youtube.com
Lyrics from http://tagaloglang.com

Plan:Upcoming This Month (Hopefully)

1) An ending to Rizal's Makamisa (it doesn't have such) in a fan fiction way.

2) Planning for the a "Word of the Month" section.

3) The Philippine Golden Age (1930s and 1950s).

4) A review on Magsaysay, my favorite Philippine president. Humble and compassionate to the mass.

5) An article on the Philippine Market and why its a a towns soul (so with the Church). Link with the concept of panem et Circe.

Song: You'll Never Walk Alone (Liverpool FC Anthem)

You'll Never Walk Alone

Liverpool FC Anthem

     I'm a fan of Beatles, Atomic Kitten and other Liverpool singers (they have a lot great singers). And I hate joining the Manchester United FC bandwagon. My sports is walking. I felt alone sometimes. I like their chants and cheers, the fans,and Anfield. I love gritty, hardworking players like Dirk Kuyt, Luis Suarez, Pepe Reina, Andy Carrol. And former England captain, Steven Gerrard and his deadly freekick. Last Sunday I enjoyed the Liverpool game despite the draw (I don't have a cable but I read the news online). I am starting to like Liverpool and someday I hope to watch football there. YNWA!

Sports: Dissecting the Oblation (UP Maroons Basketball)

Dissecting the Oblation (UP Maroons Basketball)-Part One

Part One - UP Defense: Stolid as the Oblation Statue

     This analysis of the team might be overdue but until their problem is sort out his kind of analysis will be relevant. I think their problem had infect the whole UP basketball program from the Juniors and my favorite Women's team (which is a perennial Final Four team but is quite in a slump in the past three years). But I will be mild unlike the other fans who have gone overboard (either being too critical or too pessimistic. It has not  been like this. As a fan of this team since 2004 (my favorite then was Ateneo with UP as second) when they made their impressive six win run that almost catapulted them to  Final 4 and as an UP alumnus, there are still some memories left to avoid dumping this team. Its just that now my favorite team have been the UP Men's Football team, a consistent champion and the only UP team to give me a glimpse of winning a UAAP Title. Hence the guarded optimism (or pessimism to the team).

     I've learned  that in order to love something, there should be some good memory (no matter how small) to sustain it. I have but with the team of Coach Lito Vergara, Toti Almeda, Jireh Ibanes, Marvin Cruz, Abby Santos and Nestor David. But not for those who succeeded them. From a 6-8 win-loss record in 2005 (that was my freshman year), it was never equaled. The problem then seems to lie in the succeeding squad?Who to blame? The coaches, players, the program,their offensive/defensive philosophy? Or a confluence of these factors? I have a theory but I think it does not paint the overall picture.

1) Defense wins more games

Year	Offense	Defense	Wins
2011	60.2 ppg	69.6ppg	2
2010	60.9ppg	73.8ppg	0
2009	72.2ppg	79.1ppg	3
2008	66.9ppg	77.5ppg	3

     The problem with my data is I only have statistics from 2008. I used to have those for 2004-2007. But let's use the available data we have. What we must first note is that 2008-2010 was Aboy Castro's term as UP Head Coach. The most noticeable statistics is the wins he bagged, a measly six wins in three seasons (2010 was a transitional year because he was sacked in the middle of the season and was replaced by Boyet Fernandez). Notice the second numbers, the Offense (points scored per game) of UP. Very high but somehow very erratic (it dropped in 2010). He is known to be run-and-gun type of coach so this explains that number. However, if we look at the Defense (points allowed for the opposing teams), we see the Maroons' real problem. Too many points given to the opponents offsets the points scored. That is basic basketball. 

     I think this coaching philosophy is what Coach Joel Lipa then emphasized in 2006-2007 (he led the team's first 0-14 sweep in 2007). If I could remember in 2004-2005 (Coach Lito Vergara's glory days), the team is not known for their offense but their grittiness on defense. Relentless if might say. They don't chalk a lot of points but THEY WIN. Through their defense.

2) What Makes Good Defense?

     

     What makes a good defense? There are no simple answer but the most reasonable explanation is grittiness or the work ethic of a team. Good defensive teams don't built on one or two persons. Its a total team effort. There would always be a bad defensive player in a team but good teams will remedy it. It would make that player good defensively. A notable example is Orlando Magics. Dwight Howard is the main defensive man of that team and it infects the other players. Another example is the Ateneo Blue Eagles, there is no single good defensive player (or maybe Kirk Long) but the team communicates well  to preserve their defensive formation. So there is no one good defensive system. It should fit one's tempo (half-court or up tempo). And the players should be familiar with it (physically and mentally). The coaching staff might have neglected on this aspect as they focus more on scoring points.

3) Final Note on Defense

UP's Eight Wins *
Year/Team/Round	UP	Opponent
2011/FEU/1	76	63
2011/UE/1	69	61
2009/DLSU/2	83	78
2009/NU/2	78	76
2009/ADMU/1	68	58
2008/AdU/2	73	42
2008/AdU/1	76	68
2008/NU/1	86	72

          *Note: Six of those wins are from Aboy Castro.

     Most of the impressive wins we have had been shot down of opposing teams through good defense. There are few like in 2009 where we scored a lot in order to win but it hide the fact that we played good defense at the final minutes to save the victory. One final note. The offense of UP in 2011 under Coach Ricky Dandan is actually lower than in 2010 but the former had two wins compared to none for latter. But points allowed actually dropped. So for UP to improve next year, they have to work hard in developing a good defensive system.

Photo credit:
inboundpass.com

Song: Seven Nation Army by White Stripes

Seven Nation Army

by White Stripe

     When I was looking for football songs, I stumbled into this song. A bit catchy and has a good beat to it (especially the bass guitar). When I delved into its history, I was surprised that is not just a football song, it could be used for protest. Come to think of it, what is the SEVEN NATION ARMY? At the personal level it might be a person or a thing we are irritated because they are dominating, humiliating and downgrading us. At the political level it could mean literally a seven nation ARMY, the tool of the state to control us. For sport matches, it could mean the opposing team or teams. And look at World Cup. Each nation will fight for seven games (and possibly seven teams) just to get the coveted Jules Rimet trophy. Maybe the subtle message of the song is this: any adversity I could face so bring them out and I'll fight them off!

Politics: Danger Months in Philippine Politics

     Machiavelli, the brilliant political scientist he was, could be a good starting point for those aspiring to be a good leader (or bad depending on how one sees it). In his classic work The Prince , he listed the abilities(virtu) of a good leader would make him hold the state. However, he also talked about the role of fortune (fortuna). Neither the two are exclusive. As Machiavelli had pointed, those who have the abilities will be able to control fortune if its blowing in favor for them. And in times when the opposite happens, he would be able to minimize its damage when the tide turns against him. Fortunes too are time of opportunities for new leaders to rise. But only those who have virtu will spot this and take it to their advantage.

     

     Now for those aiming to seize the opportunity to enter Philippine politics (whether through violent and peaceful means), it will be helpful to look at what the so called "danger months" in Philippine politics. Here are the months of turmoil and I hope good citizens will seize it for the good of the country (like what Ninoy did). I also hope that few scoundrel opportunists will use this times.

January-February: New Beginnings

     This is the first danger periods for Philippine politics. I could guess its the fact that people had just celebrated Christmas and New Year. The euphoria had waned off and Filipinos suddenly comes back to reality. Who would they blame first? Not themselves nor their family. Its the government (or the state), an entity that gave them sufferings through inefficient delivery of basic social services, abusive police and other in competencies  Its no surprise that the First Quarter Storm and the Two EDSAs happened on these months. However by March on wards, expect people to lighten up their mood as summer and the fiestas of May will come to give them something to cheer.

August-September: Can't Wait for Christmas

     This is the more dangerous of the two periods. Its between two periods of celebration (summer and Christmas). This is also the middle of the year when typhoons will wreck the archipelago and bring lots of suffering of the people. Who would not remember Pedring, Ondoy, and the other typhoons. It is also a time of great political upheaval. The Hello Garci scandal, Martial Law and the Katipuna revolution escalated during this period. I said this is the more dangerous months because Filipinos have experienced two difficulties (the unrest in the first period and the typhoon months). For those opportunists, this is the better period. But there is a caveat. Don't extend it to Christmas as most Filipinos will be tired of politics by that time.

Photo Credit:
http://fqslibrary.wordpress.com
http://akosiemersonsy.wordpress.com
http://barriosiete.com