Monthly Archives: June 2008

Thought this would be an interesting follow-up to Forty5’s previous entry covering Pacquiao’s fight against Diaz.

Whenever I watch a Pacquaio game, I’m smiling through the entire thing. I could never imagine myself smiling while two people hit each other over and over again. But something about seeing Pacquiao’s strength and fight in him, plus a majority of the arena chanting his name makes me sappy proud of Manny – and Filipinos in general. And I think that applies to many Filipinos across the entire globe. There’s no doubt Manny got love – but how much of it does he got? Apparently, enough to keep 14 million Filipinos in Manila safe from harm.

The Metro Manila police reported no major crimes Sunday as residents – even criminals – stayed glued to radios or television sets for the duration of the bout between boxers Manny Pacquiao and David Diaz.

In a text message, Metro Manila police spokesman Superintendent Rhodel Sermonia said the period covered by the zero crime rate is from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. He also said there was a 30 percent reduction in the number of vehicles on the streets compared to regular Sundays.

Via ABS-CBN News. Read full article here.

And as mentioned earlier, he fortunately did not make a shout out to GMA – even when she was watching him live in the crowd! Good riddance. Maybe it’s because the man is actually thinking of his people in the Philippines:

“We’ll be leaving the US on July 2, which means we will be there on July 4,” he said.

He also promised to visit some of the victims of Typhoon Frank.

“When I get there, I will visit them, our kababayans who were hit by the storm. I’m already thinking of ways on how to help them,” he said.

Link.

I like how this cat breaks it down, real understandable for those who might not retain all that academic jargon in books.

Read a book read a book read a muthuckin book, cause these things still happen today. Bye bye writ of habeas corpus.

Jim Lampley: … a moment of great sportmanship here. David there was a moment between rounds that you said to your trainor Jim Strickland: “I can handle his punches, he’s just too fast.” Was that basically the story of the fight?

David Diaz: Yeah, he was too fast. The fucker was too fast.

I haven’t seen boxing commentary that funny in a while. Wow though, Pacquiao was throwin some heat. Although I missed the fight live, right as I got out my car from the trip from Portland, my neighbor busts out “Ninth Round Knockout!.” We all then proceeded to yos on the steps, and with the head/humidity I felt a weird reminiscent  feeling of bein in the Phils.  I think it was just that sticky feeling though, and my neighbors Ilokano that brought me back.

Anyways, Versis and myself hope to make it to the next fight in Vegas. Whoooo. In the meanwhile as we save up our pocket change, we finna use this summertime to create a fly shirt design. Stay posted.

PS. Like Bambu said, its good he didn’t shout out GMA. Her punkass

I found this real fascinating.

Millionaire receives 11-year sentence in case of enslaved maids

Now, lets pause real quick and take a look at the following. At first it may sound completely unrelated, but bare with me…

Crack cocaine is the only drug for which the first offense of simple possession can trigger a federal mandatory minimum sentence. Possession of 5 grams of crack will trigger a 5 year mandatory minimum sentence. “Simple possession of any quantity of any other substance by a first-time offender-including powder cocaine-is a misdemeanor offense punishable by a maximum of one year in prison.” (21 U.S.C. 844.)

Oh no you start to say, I skipped out on math and have no clue what 5 grams looks like. Well, it’s a little bit smaller than the size of a 25 cent quarter.

In federal court today, low-level crack dealers and first-time offenders sentenced for trafficking of crack cocaine receive an average sentence of 10 years and six months. This is:
–only 18% less than the average prison sentence received by those who committed murder or manslaughter (153 months);
–59% longer than the average prison sentence received by rapists (79 months);
–38% longer than the average prison sentence received by those guilty of weapons offenses (91 months).

Am I losing you yet? Completely and utterly confused? Well my point is this, for a individual to have 5 grams of crack on them, they would receive 5 years. BUT these millionaires who were just convicted of the following: forced labor, conspiracy, involuntary servitude and harboring aliens and the victims of their abuse report that “they were beaten with brooms and umbrellas, slashed with knives, and forced to climb stairs and take freezing showers as punishment” get 11 years?

I don’t know about you, but I would think whoever sick enough to treat their maids as modern day slaves, and to treat them less than human should deserve [much] longer in prison. I wonder if it has to do with money. Or being able to pay the huge fines, bails, lawyer fees, etcetera and just plain old gettin’ off easy. Naaah, that could’nt be true. I mean it’s not like this happens all the time, with rich people doin some shit only to receive a slap on the wrist.

Yesterday I was working on a post about David Ho, who flew JetBlue. The twist is that he was sick, so like anybody who wants the cold gone, he put some Airborne into his water bottle. A nearby passenger thought it was something concerning so she told her sister who then told the pigs, I mean police.

Anyways, doing my daily reading in between work I came across this story, and felt the need to put it up. It is some fucked up shit. I almost threw my monitor at a nearby coworker, just because he’s a idiot. Well also because when he heard about Journeys new singer being from the Philippines he made it a point to wine “oh hes gotta be lip syncing”. Back on topic…

Read the story here.

“I have paid my dues to earn my permanent residency. I have worked hard to try to give my family (her husband and six siblings) a better life,” said Tejada, who has been apart from her family since 1995, when she began working abroad as a domestic. “I didn’t want to have cancer. It is not my fault.”

Wow. Then I read

“Tejada, who is on morphine to ease her pain, was forced to quit her later job at a Tim Hortons because of her illness and has been living on disability assistance – another factor working against her application to stay. Her husband, Noli Azada, has flown in from their poor village to look after her.”

Whats worse, is that this isn’t a isolated incident. There has been numerous times of our folks getting 1) Deported and 2) Not receiving the proper aid/support. *Cough* See previous post about the pitiful Dictator President of Philippines here in the United States to see Pacquio fight instead of bein back home. Especially with the recent events just happening. Take for example this Inquirer article, criticizing her absence. I also prefer to check out BayanUSA and BAYAN Phils, for the really real word in the streets.

I was just gonna make a post about the 8 movies that I’ve seen in the past 3 weeks. I know, that’s a bit excessive, but hey, Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) had some good’uns this time around. Anyway, I have to save that for next time since there has been breaking news.. at least I think it’s breaking news. Well, it sure is broken.

Philippine Presdient (and idiot) Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo came to the United States to meet with US President (and idiot) George Bush to talk about their plans to ruin the world and reap all the money US-Philippine foreign relations. These two have a lot in common, but it’s apparent both these presidents butcher Filipinos. Some more literal than the other. But that’s not the breaking news. During the June 24th meeting of the two, Bush says,

PRESIDENT BUSH: Madam President, it is a pleasure to welcome you back to the Oval Office. We have just had a very constructive dialogue. First, I want to tell you how proud I am to be the President of a nation that — in which there’s a lot of Philippine-Americans. They love America and they love their heritage. And I reminded the President that I am reminded of the great talent of the — of our Philippine-Americans when I eat dinner at the White House. (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT ARROYO: Yes.

PRESIDENT BUSH: And the chef is a great person and a really good cook, by the way, Madam President.

PRESIDENT ARROYO: Thank you.

Told you! Idiot! Read the entire transcript here. The entire talk was just stupid. (Sorry for lack of evidence… or too much evidence – which ever way to decide to look at it.) After reading the transcript I was reminded of what Bayan Philippines secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said about these two prior to the meeting:

“It would be a meeting of the ‘Unpopulars’. Both presidents have plummeting approval ratings in their own countries. Both presidents have dismal human rights records. Both presidents support unconditionally the so-called global war on terror. The only difference is that one cracks the whip while the other follows without question.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

So today, not only did this happen but also this.  Wow. Martial Law in full effect. I’d love to extend this post and make it longer, but my coworkers are little busters. So until next time.

What else do you expect? Keep pinchin’ our staple foods, and I guarantee your gonna see a bunch of folks throwin’ down outside of your local supplier.

My Mama called me lastnight asking what my plans were for the upcoming weekend. When I told her nothing, she asked me out to a Tagalog film that’ll be screening in my area. I had no idea about it so she hipped to to it: Caregiver, starring Sharon Cuneta. I’m usually hesitant when it comes to ABS-CBN productions for their lack of depicting the real conditions of the Philippines, especially when it involves a the sappy drama actress. But this movie plays into the 3,000 Filipinos who leave the homeland a day to become Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), so I’m a bit more interested. Plus, my Mom invited me to watch it with her because, as she says, “It’s a little bit like her own story”.

Stay tuned for my review after I catch a screening of Caregiver…