Ondoy Aftermath

Thinking it was just another typhoon, I did not even bother to look outside to see the flood everyone's going crazy about. Seriously, I thought it was just an ordinary rain. Ondoy turned out to be the local version of Hurricane Katrina.

I had not realized its depth until I stepped outside to celebrate Ondoy's withdrawal. Our location, which is supposedly one of the 'most unaffected area', morphed to a swamp city. Suddenly I was concerned as to what happened to the rest of Metro Manila (Cristine Reyes, good to hear you are safe now.) A number of rescue operations are still being held on several locations. Also, a salute to the generous citizens of the Philippines for providing a much needed helping hand during a crisis such as this. I am sure your donations are greatly appreciated by our fellowmen. Want to help? Click here



More Images and info @ Yahoo! News Read more>>

Metro Manila's Worst Flood in 4 Decades

Here are some photos of the after effects of typhoon 'Ondoy.' Note that these photos were taken the following morning in one of the LEAST affected locations in Metro Manila. The last flood comparable to this magnitude can be traced back to the '80s when rains swept Metro Manila for days. This time, however, did not take as long. In less than 24 hours, the flood covered many areas notably Marikina, Pasig, Quezon City and Rizal. Several communities suffered not only the discomfort of a flooded home but the discomfort of power outages. Thankfully, it seems the calamity is a short lived one. Some areas are back to an almost normal status except for stagnant floods such as the pictures shown here.


Sunday morning in Manila.

Is he really a police?

By this time, rains have stopped in this area and electricity's up and running.

This SUV is happy to 'breathe' again.

Where is your beach attire?

The author with his dog.


This owner-type jeep was soaked overnight.


Is like a coming out party.


Zorra the cat wondering what is going on.


Water-bound: that is not chocolate.

More NEWS about typhoon Ondoy:
HEADLINES

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Cristine Reyes Returns to FHM

"Oh, La La..."

FHM Philippines' September issue (oh yes, Oktoberfest is just around the bend) slaps you in the face with Cristine Reyes gracing its cover (errr, two covers, with Robin Padilla on the other side.) The shoot, which was held in North Luzon (NLEX) and Subic Clark Tarlac (SCTEX) express ways, almost inflicted a minor vehicular accident. I just hope they were not with their wives when they were looking...


"Caught my dog taking a peek."

Any magazine with Cristine on the cover I'd surely patronize. I even have a DVD of her movie Green Paradise, along with my good old classmate-friend Paolo Paraiso, just because Cristine's name is on it. A girlfriend picked it for me because she knows I am a big fan. Oh well, it was just 200 pesos. Perhaps because it's been out for a while when I bought it. I swear it is the only Cristine Reyes movie that I have, so I am neither an obsessed nor a creepy fan! Read more>>

Boxing News: Handpicked Links (Pacquiao/Mayweather)

Boxing fans have witnessed Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s magnificent comeback. Outclassing veteran Juan Manuel Marquez, some take advantage of the opportunity to dim Manny Pacquiao's brilliance in favor of Money Mayweather's return.

The debate continues as to who is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world of boxing. Although it is a mythical and symbolical title, the status of being the best pound-for-pound in a fighting sport is important at least coming from a business perspective. Mayweather continues to sell and make the sport popular (as opposed to the 'Boxing is Dead' propaganda.) Think what you may, but there is no denying Mayweather is a naturally gifted athlete. Manny Pacquiao, in contrast, continues to break the barriers allowing Asian fighters, make that Filipino fighters, to earn a well deserved place in the sport. Filipino boxers were once unpopular, thus seldom given a spot in a world event. Pacquiao, being the smaller man, amassed success on an uphill climb. Now that all eyes are on this once undernourished Filipino baker who earns barely US$4 a day, it shows how far he has taken himself and how gigantic his accomplishments are. From making bread to MAKING BREAD. Millions of them.

"The fans are not interested in seeing a Money-Pacman matchup" is a lie. They were interested enough to see Mayweather gobble the smaller and slower Marquez. I bet they would love to bear witness to a possibility of Mayweather doing the same to Pacquiao? Or would you like to see the little fella' take a shot in beating the 'unbeatable' Mayweather? Whatever your preference is, most likely you would love to see it happen. If not, then you can get back to your surreal world and come back later. Perhaps you could use a jab in the face to wake up your senses.

All the possibilities will be based on the outcome of Pacquiao-Cotto this November. What are the chances of Pacquiao? I like his chances based on Pacquiao's last three outings. Cotto is the most dangerous he has faced so far, but you've heard it before. How many times has Pacquiao been doubted, perhaps as many as ALL of his major bouts. Yet he talks with performance and seldom in words. Still, Cotto is priority and we will find out if Mayweather and Pacquiao will ever face-off.

Here are some related links from other sites:

The Man to Beat Floyd Mayweather Jr....
-by Jeff Pryor, THE BOXING BULLETIN. One of the clever comments goes:

Froifroi said...

Nice article. However, a better title would be "The Fighters Floyd is Expected to Avoid..."

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao: Doing the Math
-by Dave "Large" Larzelere, THE RUMBLE. The article estimates Pacquiao-Mayweather matchup, if it happens, based on both fighters' recent performances.

Floyd Mayweather Sr: Manny Pacquiao Ain't Got No Skills Like My Son
-by Michael David Smith, FANHOUSE. Money Mayweather's dad speaks his mind.

Bad Left Hook Pound-for-Pound Top 20 Update: Welcome back, Floyd
-by SC, BAD LEFT HOOK. Mayweather and Pacquiao both ranked #1 in this site's best pound-for-pound list.

Pacquiao in fiery start
-by Nick Giongco, MANILA BULLETIN. Pacquiao's preparation status on upcoming Cotto bout.

From this site:
The Aftershock of Floyd Mayweather Jr.
-talks about Mayweather's comeback to beat Marquez and a hint of Mayweather-Pacquiao.

Who Won Pacquiao-Marquez I & II?
-an insight regarding how Marquez was beaten in his own game: counterpunching not enough to warrant a win. Read more>>

The Aftershock of Floyd Mayweather Jr.

A day after Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s domination of Juan Manuel Marquez, mixed emotions surface in the boxing world, of which denial and the need for reassurance tops the list.

Although he stepped in the ring as the bigger man, penalized $600,000 for not making weight, Floyd without question demonstrated what could be described as the finest style in defensive boxing, outclassing JMM a full 12 rounds. Marquez's speed failed to duplicate Pacquiao's in the higher weight which sapped his chances of upsetting the talented Mayweather Jr. The size advantage in favor of Mayweather is tremendous, but the speed differential already evident in the first round, is what killed it for Marquez. Mayweather's slick and quick approach masterfully penetrated Marquez's defenses. On the other hand, Marquez's attacks were too slow, as he realized the 'hit to hurt' nature of boxing, while Mayweather's punches constantly hit its mark. The resilient Marquez, hurt during most of the fight, was knocked down in the 2nd round. The heart of Marquez is what won him fans around the world and did not disappoint despite the lopsided loss.

"Floyd without question demonstrated what could be described as the finest style in defensive boxing."



Has Floyd Mayweather reclaimed title as the best pound for pound fighter in the world? Not yet. Marquez is not Pacquiao. Manny Pacquiao, unlike Juan Manuel Marquez, has successfully carried his strength and speed in the heavier divisions and seems to continually improve in every aspect of his game. Pacman emerged as a new breed of fighter in 2008. After a close decision win to beat Marquez in 2008, Pacquiao and Roach worked double time to master some crafts never before utilized by Pacquiao himself. The results were tremendous as he claims perfection and dominance in his last three outings, namely David Diaz, Oscar dela Hoya, and Ricky Hatton. Excuses and bitterness aside, those were great lopsided fights. Although it is doubtful he can duplicate a perfect match against a bigger and much more difficult fighter in Miguel Cotto this November, Pacquiao has a chance to provide fans a blockbuster fight to be remembered. More importantly, a chance to prove himself as the pound for pound king. With a win over Cotto, a possible clash of kingdoms with Mayweather Jr.

Now, would it not be a chance for 'King' Mayweather Jr. to prove himself as champion of champions? We will soon find out.

Also try:
Boxing is Alive
Boxing News: Handpicked Links (Pacquiao/Mayweather)
Who won Pacquiao-Marquez I & II?
Read more>>

Almost A Sweep For Pinoy Boxers

Filipinos settled for an almost perfect mark as 3 out of 4 Pinoy boxers managed to seal victories. Donnie 'Ahas' Nietes, Z Gorres and Fil-American sensation Ana Julaton won their respective bouts. Rodel Mayol is the only unfortunate fighter of the week.

A closer look:

NIETES RETAINS CROWN, GORRES WINS BY TKO

Gorres Stops Injured Carbajal After Five Rounds

ANOTHER CLASH OF HEADS EARNS CALDERON SPLIT DECISION OVER MAYOL

Ana Julaton Pulls Off Upset


Other boxing related topics:

Who won Pacquiao-Marquez I & II?

Boxing is Alive Read more>>

Scent and Spice

Today I got me my nth bottle of my favorite scent. It is nice to randomly post some pictures of the things we like because if this blog still exists, say 10 or 20 years from now, these sorts of snapshots shall bring back memories of the old trends and cherish what we call today as future ancient artifacts.


I do have several scents but hardly use anything else because I love this.


Goodbye to the old bottle on the right.


A little bit bigger than usual.

Let me tell you about my liking for spicy things. I like hot sauce so much I literally drink it. This Kajun Fire though is a little bit too hot for my taste. A half liter sized bottle of hot sauce is usually consumed an average of 5-7 days. I guess I'll have to double or triple that number this time because of Kajun Fire.


Kajun Fire


Based on the 'Hot Meter' this is the Kajun Fire's degree of hotness. In that case, I'll pass on anything hotter and take a step down to a tamer one. Now if only hot sauce bottles were women I would have no problems dealing with it. Would you? Read more>>

Michael Jordan: The Greatest Ever

NBA legend Michael Jordan, David Robinson, John Stockton and coach Jerry Sloan comprise the Class of '09 and will be inducted in Massachusetts this week. It will take me a full NBA season, round the clock, to write about Michael Jordan's accomplishments alone so I decided to share some excellent links instead from www.NBA.com as tribute to these great players.


Michael Jordan, 1992 Barcelona Olympics

NBA fans will be delighted to read great memories which include:

• MJ's string of triple doubles in 7 straight games
• David Robinson winning the NBA scoring title by scoring 71 points in the last game of the regular NBA season
• John Stockton's record for most seasons with the same franchise (18 years with Utah Jazz)
• Coach Jerry Sloan's record breaking 1,000 win with the same team
• More on Michael Jordan: unforgettable performances in detail

Michael Jordan Timeline

David Robinson Timeline

John Stockton Timeline

Jerry Sloan Timeline

Jackson: MJ's contributions will never be eclipsed

BULLS: Michael Jordan

Read more>>

My Top 10 Moments of Procrastination

Image by CarbonNYC

Procrastination is almost a sin. It hinders maximum productivity. Admittedly, I am one hell of a procrastinator. There are many reasons why people procrastinate. According to Mr. Paul Graham, there is also such a thing as "good" and "bad" procrastination. Click here to learn more.

Regarding MY TOP 10 MOMENTS OF PROCRASTINATION, I will write about it LATER. I am still busy procrastinating. Read more>>

If shoes were a man's wife...

I am not crazy about footwear. It feels strange because lately I find myself stacking up on shoes. I do have a few decent pairs but I somehow can live with just one pair. Call it favoritism. My loyalty to shoes is extreme. Just look at these photos:







Some of you may flinch at the sight of this untidy and worn out shoes. Before you judge me, let me state at least one positive thing.

If shoes were a man's wife he looks at her beyond what is superficial. Others may look at the shoe as being old, crumpled, smelly and with no resale value. Its equivalent in human terms is a fat, wrinkled, loud-mouthed and undesirable woman. But to her husband, he looks at her like the day they fell in love. Always beautiful and irreplaceable.

Of course shoes are shoes and there can be no excuse to being lousy. Even Forrest Gump's boots for swamp trekking is well maintained. So I decided if Forrest lives a happy feet, so must I.

If shoes were a man's wife, old ones will be constantly replaced:

Read more>>