Thursday, January 28, 2010

So You Wanna Win The Lottery?


For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

<< Mark 8:36 >>




Who of us have never dreamed of winning the lottery? All that money for nothing. Or next to nothing. Our lives will change. Everything will be rosy. No more problems. Well, there is a saying the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Allow ABC News Nightline to show you the other side.


Ed





http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/florida-lottery-winner-shakespeare-disappears/story?id=9571974

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=9661275








Wednesday, January 27, 2010

What A Lame Campaign Noynoy Related



"In his interview with UKG, Noynoy admitted that the controversies hounding his youngest sister somehow affect his presidential bid."



http://ph.news.yahoo.com/abs/20100126/tel-noynoy-let-s-give-kris-aquino-james-336e25d.html





Read that quote from a Yahoo story again. What is it saying? My personal opinion is that Noynoy's campaign is being buoyed by the legacy of his dearly departed parents and the fame of his drama queen sister. He has nothing to fall back on. With the possible exception of some of my relatives campaigning for him. If he had any substance, any distinct identity then any public shenanigans by any family would have as much impact as ping pong balls on Rambo's chest. But this is Noynoy we are talking about. Like Barack Obama before him, no one can name one significant accomplishment that predates the campaign. That is why the actions of his family will define him more than his own actions will. Because he has none. I countered a Noynoy supporter here in Multiply. I would like to believe I made so much sense that he did not bother to handle my objections. If these are your supporters Noynoy, I would hate to see your adversaries. Noynoy govern this country? He can't even control his sister.


Ed



Links:




http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/913/Riding_the_Momentum_of_Death


http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/918/Call_Me_Cynical_Kris_Aquino_Related



http://robnazario.multiply.com/journal/item/31/Interesting_Information_on_Noynoy_Aquino


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/28/AR2008072802464.html






*********************************************************
http://robnazario.multiply.com/journal/item/31/Interesting_Information_on_Noynoy_Aquino




For those who want to Know Noynoy Aquino, read on. Remember that voting for a president is one of the biggest responsibilities that we are given in this life. And we all have to do our part in order to keep the future of our company as bright as possible. Here are some interesting facts about Noynoy Aquino that you might not know about.
Noynoy Aquino was born Benigno Simeon Cojuango Aquino III on the eight of February 1960. He is currently a senator but is dropping his place in order to run for President for the election next year as part of the Liberal party.
Here are some among other interesting facts about him. He is a proud product of Ateneo University. During a coup d'etat that was staged by rebels way back in Cory Aquino’s term of presidency, there was an incident that led to the serious wounding of Noynoy. During the year 1998, Noynoy Aquino sat in the House of Representatives of Tarlac as elected in that year’s congress. Then last 2007, he became a Philippine Senator.
Of course, as a result of his bid for presidency, a deluge of criticism has been thrown his way. A lot of people, for example, say that he does not really deserve to even run for president because he has not enough accomplishments to show for. Neither is he vocal enough for his presence to be actually felt anywhere. It seems that he takes after his mother who was also soft spoken. And it seems that it is his sister Kris Aquino who inherited their father’s blatant honesty.
In all those eleven years that Noynoy has been in the government seat, his main detractors note that there seems to be no major contribution to the legislative body from him. There seems to be not enough political will in Noynoy as well. After his mother’s well televised burial which the whole nation mourned, he was then approached by the party to head them as a presidential candidate. It does not really seem, even in just looking at Noynoy smiling shy demeanor, that he deserves to be president nor even really has enough political will to be president. Is he seems to just be riding the fame of his mother and father, something that is in very bad taste.
But of course, none of these are true. It is a fact that Noynoy Aquino just needs to get the chance to be president and his parents’ legacy shall be continued especially since a son will never be able to stain such a high legacy.




Monday, January 25, 2010

From Out of the Rubble



Who has not heard of the disaster in Haiti by now? But for me the trick for anything I do is to offer a viewpoint that you may not have heard before even if the main topic is familiar enough. No sense being cliche. In my own little cyber world it is not new to anyone that every once in a while I will voice my strong opinion on a certain word that begins with "A" . It is a very divisive word. The people who oppose my view always lead off with about bringing a child into the world whose life might be miserable. Like it's the choice of the mother whether or not the little human inside her deserves that chance. Well, in the debate we rarely bring up the other "A" word which is adoption. If you know of adopted people who are grateful that they were adopted then you may have a similar perspective to me.

There might be a chance that what you will see in the video is staged or exaggerated. Different people will look at the same thing and see different things. For me, I see love. In the midst of so much pain and death comes this story of love. Of a couple that loves a child that is not "theirs". A child that "looks" so different from them. Yet , I look at it and I see love. I believe that if such love can exist between that couple and that child from a far away place then the less rationale there is for any of us to extinguish a human life within the womb. Whatever your view on the subject there is no way you can watch this real life miracle from the site of that complete disaster and come out with some appreciation of life and love.

God Bless Matt and Mandy Poulters and God Bless You.


Ed




http://abcnews.go.com/WN/HaitiEarthquake/haiti-orphans-airlift-takes-haitian-children-pittsburgh/story?id=9600870&page=1









Saturday, January 23, 2010

Talk About A Call to the Bigs



http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/A-s-prospect-leaving-baseball-for-call-of-the-pr?urn=mlb,215238


Once again this post is about a baseball player but it's not about baseball.

Why am I writing about this? Unless you are a member of my immediate family and have a good memory from 27 years ago, you will not know I thought for a while I was getting the Call. I am not saying it makes me special or anything since others who have gotten the call were Vinnie Barbarino and Tom Hagen's son.

One of my common themes in my blog is that we will all see the same thing but our view on the same thing will be processed by our own values. In this audio blog you will hear the voice of who had potential to be a star in the major league level. Then is giving it up to answer the Call of God to serve as a priest. Some people find that decision silly. The weird thing is I am a baseball nut. A nut enough to know the lifestyle, culture and values can be very detrimental to anyone who values looking themselves in the mirror.

I will not go into extreme detail what I mean by that but baseball at times condones cheating of all kinds and ignores all kinds of long term well being for the sake of immediate gratification.

What Grant Desme is is doing is the exact opposite of that. In part 2 of the audio blog, you will hear all sorts of players thinking he is nuts for throwing away all that baseball skill and going into an unrelated profession. Or should I say vocation.

Those people can't relate. Their values may only lie in baseball. A sport that does not even respect its own history enough to allow slimy chem lab experiments to deprive the all time greats of their records. A sport where the bad guys winning is glorified.

Those people can't relate to one who will rather take a difficult job with little pay with intent of serving the Lord. The honor of performing sacraments and preaching the Gospel.

My point here is that there are some people who have values they prioritize over materialism, deception and hedonism. And it is an honor for me to know about them and to spread their voice to people like you to give the world some hope.

Ed




Friday, January 22, 2010

Manny Pacquaio Speaks Live Without A Net Audio Blog

ESPN Jan 20 2010 . Live without a net.




With so much money on the line I don't see why Manny Pacquaio has to make his case himself when the word articulate does not exactly come to mind when you hear him. Manny can do no wrong in the Philippines even if he can't spell the word so of course everybody here thinks Floyd is a coward. This was broadcasted on ESPN January 20 2010.

These are Manny's words and Manny's voice and its up for you to decide if this is a guy who was stood up at the altar or a guy who had no intention of getting married without a prenuptial.

My opinion: Floyd may be manipulative and self promoting but his blood test condition is not demanding. Manny should have just said yes. He would have been compensated a cool 40 mil.


One of my questions is how badly does Manny have to speak before there has to be an interpreter doing the answering?




Ed





Highlights from the audio interview


  • On the interview question why did the fight not push push through? He mumbles something about Floyd reasons and Floyd did not want fight.
  • On the question asked of Manny why he won't submit to blood testing. - Floyd is bigger.
  • On the question why he would agree to blood testing 14 days before the fight? - all he can say is heavy training, hard training.
  • On the question he would not agree to full random testing ?- the one time he agreed to it , he was weak and lost to Morales. He claims that there was a blood test the day of the fight.
  • Brian Kenny then asks if a test 15 days before the fight would bother him?- he still sprouts heavy training over and over again. Let's not forget his opponent is subject to the same test.



Additional note: For some other reaction to Manny excuses, please read and listen :

http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/1049/Dog_Ate_Manny_Pacquaios_Homework_-Audio_Blog

Additional link:


http://slumz.boxden.com/f16/espns-brian-kenny-interviews-manny-pacquiao-about-blood-tests-1333468/

http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/1058/Manny_Pacquaio_Speaks_Live_Without_A_Net_Audio_Blog

Friday, January 15, 2010

Which One Of Him Is Going To Fight? One Man's Battle With Dissociative Identity Disorder


On Thursday Herschel Walker did the rounds of the ESPN radio shows I listen to. He will do an Mixed Martial Arts fight tonight at age 47. But that is not why I am blogging about it. I heard him on several shows. They talked about his past and they talked about his successful poultry business and his upcoming fight.

I am a freak. I have never lived in the US but I have a very decent appreciation of US Major College Football. Herschel Walker was one of the first college stars that grabbed my attention. Please understand when we moved in 1980 I was simultaneously inundated with the NFL, The CFL , NCAA football and Lower Mainland high school football. There was nothing like seeing my classmates play football right after I did my paper route and not even score against their opponents. Ten years after I heard of him, I saw him play in person in my first NFL game. Seattle vs. Minnesota. To show you what a small world this is. The son of his college coach was subject of an unrelated Tweet I did earlier today. You don't have to be a freak like me to appreciate what I will tell you next.

Even back then Herschel was a versatile guy. I go back a long way with football that I clearly the times when all players played 4 years of college before being eligible for the NFL. Walker was the first one I heard of that did not do the 4 years.

Despite not finishing college before he played football this guy even back then was into so many things. Martial arts, FBI Agent ambitions, ballet dancer and one of the rare African Americans who tried out for a Winter Olympic Sport. It was only yesterday did I know about his poultry business.

What made the ESPN interviews noticeable was that none of them mentioned why Walker was in the news two years ago. Not sports news but mainstream news. He was diagnosed with having multiple personality disorder. I just found it curious that it was like it did not exist. Anyway there are some of us that remember things that go beyond a month ago and I think it is an interesting thing to put on your plate if you are at all curious about multiple personality disorder.


Ed


http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/story?id=4156516&page=1

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/04/15/herschel.walker.did/index.html

http://www.insidesocal.com/tomhoffarth/archives/2009/09/herschel-walker.html


http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3202776






Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Mark McGwire 101




This is only for those curious what the big deal is about Big Mac. You may already have your opinion on this. The facts and other opinions are in the links below. Colin Cowherd as usual provides both a critical and humorous look at the McGwire admission. Also in the multiply post was a video news story from that fateful day in 1998 when McGwire got the record. Preserved from good old VHS. One interesting revelation was that McGwire wanted all this to come out in 2005 but was not granted immunity. My opinion is what a crock. The FBI grants mob informants immunity because their sins pale in comparison to the guys who they testify against. Lost in all the steroid debate is the illegality of them. Some people treat the issue of steroids like people who Coles Notes. Coles Notes for your test in Macbeth is not illegal to sell, buy or own. The steroids these guys were using were. That is why McGwire wanted immunity. He broke the Roger Maris record using something that was illegal. No one will ask for immunity if their chemical of choice was Mountain Dew. Baseball is a marvelous game. Despite what idiots like Mcgwire, Sosa and the MLB Players Association have done with it. Ed




http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010/01/12/sports-bbo-mcgwire-steroids-statement_7266173.html

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AiPJgT7I0VC6du6F5nSBLUg5nYcB?slug=ap-mcgwire-canseco&prov=ap&type=lgns

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/D12-Maris-family-forgives-McGwire-but-won-t-le?urn=mlb,213064

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/A-few-quick-thoughts-on-Mark-McGwire-s-interview?urn=mlb,212973
http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/1053/Mark_McGwire_101


http://www.tmarchman.com/ic/2010/1/11/hes-here-to-talk-about-the-past.html


http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/tag/steroids

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcgwima01.shtml?redir

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/A-few-quick-thoughts-on-Mark-McGwire-s-interview?urn=mlb,212973

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2010-01-11-mcgwire-sought-immunity_N.htm

Friday, January 8, 2010

How Sad is This? Iphone Related


"I rather have a real Casio than a fake Rolex"- eponymous


Definitions of counterfeit on the Web: * forge: make a copy of with the intent to deceive; "he faked the signature"; "they counterfeited dollar bills"; "She forged a Green Card" * a copy that is represented as the original * not genuine; imitating something superior; "counterfeit emotion"; "counterfeit money"; "counterfeit works of art"; "a counterfeit prince" wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn






This is a sad story but not really a tragic story. Two days ago, a guy from work was proud to show me his "Iphone". We all know an Iphone looks like this. First a few things about my protagonist. My office mate is a very likable person. You can't say a bad thing about him. Ever. He is good at what he does. In short I like that man. This is the "Iphone" he showed me: He volunteered the price to me which was 5000 pesos. He also made a point of bragging this was smuggled and bought from customs. 1) I can not look up the specs of my officemate's so called "Iphone" online. Which is already a red flag. I know from personal experience that you can buy this phone for a little over 5000 from a legit source. Yes, an establishment that pays taxes. What a concept. You can look up the specs on line. From the brief time I was looking at the "Iphone" , it did not seem to do what most people perceive an Iphone to do. I doubt it even matches to the quality and utility of the legit name brand phone sold at the same price. 2) What is there to brag about inferior quality goods that bypass normal channels and therefore do not add to what little tax revenue this country earns? Chew on that? From what I said so far, I am trying to comprehend the appeal of this so called Iphone. 1) A fake Gucci bag I can comprehend. Though smart people who really know a person will know if they are type to buy fake or authentic anyway so the only people they might be fooling are the uninformed. 2) I thought the whole idea of counterfeit was that it was supposed to pass as the real thing. This is obviously not the case for the fake Iphone of my office mate. 3) One of Shakespear's many famous quotes is " A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" from Romeo and Juliet. It does not matter what you or I or a guy in Bolivia calls a rose but that rose will always have the same look and smell. Now based on that perspective, I am still trying to comprehend my office mate using his so called "Iphone" as a source of pride. It did not look like the real Iphone nor could it do what a real Iphone could do. It was brought into the country by criminals. You saw the definition of counterfeit. It was not even good by those standards.Imagine that, crappy counterfeit. I am just baffled by this episode. I did not want to ask him questions or take pictures. Because I knew in my head that even if I accomplished my goal of enlightenment and education I would be bursting this person's bubble. If I were to ask him questions I am sure he would expect me to ask out of genuine interest over what he was gushing over. But how many times can you have genuine interest over something that is not genuine? In my gut it was not the thing to do. I just find the behavior curious enough to document. Overall I just find it sad that a good educated person fell for this cheap ploy.That's why idiots will always hatch these schemes because there is a market for it. I hope a year from now that he still feels he got his hard earned money's worth. I did want to take a picture of this "Iphone" but could not bring myself to do it as I told you above. But was able to find the pics online. In an article dated March 18, 2007 it shows the exact fake "Iphone" and tells of its existence and it's street price. The real Iphone was launched June of 2007. It also concludes " Hard to believe they will find any suckers for this one." Well I saw it first hand and it is indeed sad for me. Ed


Websites referenced:

http://www.clivir.com/lessons/show/iphone-clone-learn-about-cloned-iphones-and-chinese-iphone.html

http://www.textually.org/textually/archives/2007/03/015356.htm


http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_7210_supernova-2447.php


Sunday, January 3, 2010

Start Your New Year With a Bang

Got this from my online friend Tin. Either you will enjoy this or you will not. The production values are actually really good. I watched the whole thing.


Ed