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Lending a Hand for Typhoon "Ondoy" victims

Lending a Hand for Typhoon "Ondoy" victims

Are you a Facebook addict?

Facebook users beware. Psychologists are now probing a new kind of addiction called Facebook Addiction Disorder (FAD).

Psychologist Dr. Michael Fenichel, who has published numerous writings on FAD online, describes it as a situation in which Facebook usage "overtakes" daily activities like waking up, getting dressed, using the telephone, or checking e-mail.

"The amazing thing is that, like cellphones, nobody seems to notice the vast amount of time and energy - at work, at home, and now while on the move - people are devoting to Facebook. It has become a given," Fenichel writes in an online post titled "Facebook Addiction Disorder- A New Challenge?"

FAD could be classified under the more broad "internet addiction disorder" or internet overuse.

Academic papers have already posed theories on internet addiction and social networking addiction, and even less, cellphone addiction.

"Like most activities, moderation and integration are key. Those that may seriously label and treat FAD as a behavioral addiction will clearly need to use context in determining if a behavior has become demonstrably harmful to overall social, work, or face-to-face interpersonal efficacy," Fenichel added.

You are a Facebook addict if...

According to Joanna Lipari, a clinical psychologist at the University of California, Los Angeles who was interviewed for a CNN report, here are some signs that you are addicted to Facebook:

1. You lose sleep over Facebook. When using Facebook becomes a compulsion and you spend entire nights logged on to the site, causing you to become tired the next day.

2. You spend more than an hour a day on Facebook. Lipari said it is difficult to define how much is too much when it comes to Facebook usage, but that an average person need only spend half an hour on the site.

3. You become obsessed with old loves or exes you reconnect with on Facebook.

4. You ignore work in favor of Facebook. This means you do not do your job in order to sneak time on Facebook.

5. The thought of getting off Facebook leaves you in cold sweat. If you try going a day without Facebook and it causes you stress and anxiety, this means you need help.

According to the same report by Elizabeth Cohen, Senior CNN Medical Correspondent, Facebook addiction is not yet an actual medical diagnosis.

However, the report notes that several therapists in the United States have noticed a rise in the number of clients who get hooked on social networking, to the point of social dysfunction.

Facebook fun

Facebook, launched by the world's youngest billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, has over 300 million users worldwide, half of whom log on to the site every day.

Further, about 2 billion photos and 14 million videos are uploaded on various Facebook pages a month and about 6 billion minutes are spent on Facebook a day, worldwide.

According to Willis Wee, founder of the social media and marketing blog Penn-Olson.com, this is twice as much time that people spend on Google.

The global social networking website allows users to post and share content (like photos, links, videos, and notes), play casual games and applications, and interact with friends and family through messaging and chat.

Government In Action

Ondoy (international code name Ketsana), the worst typhoon to hit the country in 42 years, has caused a pathetically large swath of destruction in the country's main island of Luzon on Sept. 26 as the rains ruthlessly pounded Luzon before sunrise.

And it will be some time, after counting the death toll, that we may be able to fully appreciate the damage to agricultural crops and infrastructure projects.

And the Philippine National Red Cross has raised warning signals the death toll, as the silted floodwaters started to recede, albeit very slowly, was continuing to rise.

Two days after the rivers and creeks in Metro Manila swelled their banks, as the rice-rich Central Luzon plain and nearby low-lying provinces were virtually transformed into rampaging seas, many streets in the metropolis and areas north of the capital have remained impassable.

Never mind that Ondoy dumped rains during a 24-hour period with a volume equivalent to the average rainfall in a non-rainy season month and that, weather observers were saying, the heavy volume of water overwhelmed normal drainage channels which led to an unexpected overflow into outlying areas.

Even the president was fully aware that more rain had fallen in Metro Manila and surrounding areas than in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005.

The 410 mm of rain which fell in 24 hours on Saturday was twice the amount that drenched the United States during Hurricane Katrina.

What we have seen during this period, even as the president declared a state of calamity in the metropolis and nearby provinces, is a government truly in action, its hands full as it tries to help those marooned by the floods even as it sought out international aid to help the victims both in the national capital and beyond the city limits.

Soldiers in rubber boats were deployed by the government, through the National Disaster Coordinating Council or NDCC, to evacuate the victims to safety and higher grounds.

First reporters suggested army troops, police and civilian volunteers have rescued nearly 7,000 peopl.

Even military leaders, led by Armed Forces Chief Victor Ibrado, flew over Marikina, Cainta, and Pasig on Sunday on board Air Force helicopters.

They were greeted by sights of drenched survivors still marooned on top of half-submerged buses and rooftops along the major thoroughfares or in private subdivisions.

And, as expected, there will be those who will criticize the president for the government's response to the crisis - not knowing that the president is on top of the situation, getting strategic briefings while monitoring the situation.

Criticisms, particularly when misplaced and have no leg to stand on, must be reined in at this time when we should concentrate our energies to helping our fellowmen.

The president, beyond the tympanic membranes of her critics, is doing exactly what she needs to do as chief executive officer of the republic.

But even as the president barks out orders left and right to the appropriate agencies, the wrath of Ondoy should provide some lesson to everyone, who must rise to the challenges of global warming, the improper disposal of plastic and other waste materials in the water arteries.

Moving On with BAYANIHAN

The "bayanihan" spirit resurfaces anew among us Filipinos in the wake of the unexpected rains, flooding, deaths and devastation wrought by typhoon "Ondoy."

Time for moving on. Bayanihan to the rescue!

* * *

Likewise, the United Nations and the international community respond to the calamity by offering financial aid and other forms of assistance.

Hooray to the brotherhood of men and global assistance in time of need!

* * *

The DepEd and CHEd suspend classes till Saturday in Metro Manila and nearby provinces ravaged by "Ondoy" to make schools available for temporary evacuation/relocation and encouarage students to help in relief efforts.

Assignment for the week is Rescue and Bayanihan 101.

* * *

President GMA orders government agencies and calls on various sectors for coordinated action in relief assistance and clearing operations.

Help and share first. Walang turuan, walang sissihan, saka na lang!

* * *

Concerned organizations, including the Manila Bulletin and its Chairman Don Emilio T. Yap who donated P2 million, launch fund drives for the victims of "Ondoy."

Time for concern and generosity. Let's all give our support.

* * *

The nation exhorts the heroism shown by ordinary folks, concerned leaders and celebrities who tried to extend help to their friends and kababayans during and after the calamity.

May their sincerity be remembered and may their tribe increase.

* * *

The "Ondoy" calamity dramatizes the need for disaster preparedness from the barangay/community to the national level and for general concern against forest/environmental destruction, global warming and climate change.

God's wake up call. Henceforth, no more contributory neglect nor indiference!

Idioms

If you say, "the cat's out of the bag" instead of "The secret is given away," you're using an idiom. the meaning of an idiom is different from the actual meaning of the words. Here are some popular idioms. On cloud nine. This idiom comes from the National Weather Bureau, which ranks clouds according to their heights. Since the highest ranking for a cloud is nine, people on cloud nine couldn't feel happier. Dot the i's and cross the t's. Before typrewriters and computers were invented, people hand wrote letters and other documents. It was important to write carefully, especially letters like i and t, which were easy to confuse. the idiom has come to mean to pay attention to details. Saved by the bell. In 17th-century England, a guard at Windsor Castle was accused of falling asleep at his post. He proved that he was wrongly accused by saying he had heard the church bell chime 13 times at midnight. Townspeople supported this claim and he was not executed. The idiom means rescued at the last possible moment. Bury the hatchet. Native Americans used to bury weapons to show that fighting had ended and enemies were at peace. Today, the idiom means to make up with someone after an argument or a fight. A close shave. Barbers once used straight-edge razors to shave customers. Too close a shave could mean a cut or worse. Now, a close shave is a narrow escape from disaster. Shed crocodile tears. Crocodiles have a reflex that makes their eyes tear when they open their mouths. So it looks like they are crying while devouring their prey. In fact, neither crocodiles nor people who shed "crocodile" tears feel sad.

Cats and Dogs

Did you ever wonder why we say, "It's raining cats and dogs," when it's raining very heavily? In Norse mythology, the dog is associated with wind and the cat with storms.

I Have Fallen In Love (With The Same Woman Three Times)

I have fallen in love With the same woman three times In a day spanning nineteen years Of tearful joys and joyful tears I loved her first when she was young Enchanting and vibrant, eternally new She was brilliant, fragrant And cool as the morning dew I fell in love with her the second time When first she bore her child and mine She’s always by my side The source of my strength Helping to turn the tide But there were candles to burn The world was my concern While our home was her domain And the people were mine While the children were hers to maintain So it was in those eighteen years and a day Till I was detained, forced in prison to stay Suddenly she’s our sole support Source of comfort, our wellspring of hope On her shoulders fell the burden of life I fell in love again with the same woman the third time Looming from the battle her courage will never fade Amidst the hardships she has remained Undaunted and unafraid She is calm and composed She is God’s lovely maid That poem, titled I Have Fallen In Love (With The Same Woman Three Times), was written by Benigno Aquino Jr. for Cory Aquino at Fort Bonifacio on Oct. 11, 1973 for their 19th wedding anniversary and set to music by Jose Mari Chan who recorded it in 1989.

Cory Aquino 1933-2009

The icon of Philippine democracy is gone.

Corazon Aquino, the country’s first woman president, died yesterday at 3:18 a.m. at the Makati Medical Center after an 18-month battle with colon cancer. She was 76.

She had fulfilled her mission to lead her people from the oppression of a dictatorship toward democracy. And, once there, she never let her guard down. The world honored – and continues to honor – her for this.

“Our mother peacefully passed away at 3:18 a.m., Aug. 1, 2009, of cardio-respiratory arrest,” Mrs. Aquino’s only son Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III announced from the lobby of the Makati Medical Center around 6 a.m. yesterday. Even as Senator Aquino spoke, thousands of yellow ribbons fluttered on the streets around the hospital, the avenues winding through the metropolis, the thoroughfares crisscrossing country. Yellow was the color of protest against the Marcos dictatorship and Mrs. Aquino ascended to the presidency clad in fighting yellow.

Last night, she lay in state in a yellow gown at the De La Salle Greenhills Gymnasium, even in death, a symbol of the continuing struggle to safeguard democracy. Her son said his mother would have a private funeral, not a state funeral, as she had preferred to be a private citizen after her presidency. The former president will also not lie in state in Malacañang. She would be buried beside her husband at the Manila Memorial Park in Sucat, Parañaque City on Wednesday, after a two-day wake at La Salle, and another two-day wake at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros.

Although the wake would be a private ceremony, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police will provide honor guards hourly before her casket. Canon shots will be fired from all major military camps every half hour in deference to the late commander-in-chief. Senator Aquino said the La Salle gym was chosen because of its capacity and La Salle’s significance in the safeguarding of votes during the snap elections of 1986.

“It was her wish for all of us to pray for one another and for our country,” Senator Aquino said, adding that he and his siblings were drawing strength from each other.

News of Mrs. Aquino’s death was met with deep sadness by many, with hundreds of thousands crying, “like we had lost a member of our family,” said a US Embassy employee who found herself in tears the whole day.

“A part of all of us died with President Aquino. In darkness, she was our strength. In despair she was our inspiration. In her dying moments, she united the nation in prayer,” a lawyer-CEO, who was among the thousands who trooped to the La Salle gym yesterday to pay his last respects to Mrs. Aquino, told The STAR.

“Let our people go!” the housewife and mother of five declared in 1986 when she accepted the challenge to lead the opposition out of the dictatorship and into the Promised Land of democracy. Twenty-three years later, before she passed away surrounded by her daughters Ballsy Cruz, Pinky Abellada, Viel Dee, Kris Yap, sons-in-law and grandchildren, Mrs. Aquino was all too aware that she was amidst a robust democracy, an active political opposition, a free press, and a citizenry jealous of the freedoms they won in a bloodless revolt in 1986.

Mrs. Aquino fought hard to vanquish her cancer, the disease that claimed her mother Demetria Sumulong Cojuangco, and even underwent laparascopic colectomy and radiation in May this year. Relatives said the former president was in “excruciating” pain during her last days, and was being given morphine.

Senator Aquino said his mother would sometimes grimace in pain, but never complained. In an interview after she discovered her cancer in March 2008, Mrs. Aquino told The STAR, “We all have to suffer in life. Jesus Christ did not commit any sin, and yet he suffered greatly.” She had once told her children she did not wish to see them in tears, but yesterday they lovingly bid their mother a tearful goodbye. It was the one wish they couldn’t grant her.

“I have led a full life. I cannot complain,” Mrs. Aquino said in March 2008 when she was told that she had stage 4 cancer of the colon. “I cannot ask for more.”

Family friend Boy Abunda, who was with the family in the hospital room, said the family was praying the rosary, and was precisely on the fifth decade of the sorrowful mystery, when Mrs. Aquino breathed her last.

In one of her last interviews with The STAR, a chemotherapy bag slung over her shoulder and a smile on her face, Mrs. Aquino had said she was prepared. “If this is the end of the road for me, so be it.”

Also hailed as the “guiding light of Philippine democracy,” Mrs. Aquino burned brightest in adversity, and fought the last battle of her life with the same courage that sustained her through her life’s many trials. She suffered through her husband’s seven-year incarceration and his assassination. She bravely went against a well-entrenched dictatorship in 1986, wrote “housewife” in her form for candidacy. She said she had indeed no experience in “lying, cheating and assassinating political opponents.”

The first woman commander-in-chief, she repelled seven attempts to topple her administration in the six years she was in office. There were times in her presidency that Mrs. Aquino stared death in the eye – when rebel soldiers stormed the gates of her home near Malacañang in 1987 and 1989. She didn’t blink each time.

But yesterday, Mrs. Aquino surrendered to the will of God, as she had always done in her life. She had kept the faith, unbowed by the pain she underwent.

During a visit to the shrine of St. Francis of Assisi shortly after her presidency, she was told that St. Francis had always prayed to God for more suffering. When she got back to her hotel room, Mrs. Aquino said she went down on her knees and told God, “I will not ask you for more suffering. But if more suffering comes my way, I will not complain.”

She had won virtually all her life’s battles and liked to say she also won the final contest in her presidency, when the man she endorsed to take her place, retired Gen. Fidel V. Ramos, trumped his opponents. She proudly handed him the reins of government in a shining moment for democracy in June 1992 – the first peaceful turnover of power in two decades.

And she saw how the people power revolution she inspired created a tsunami for democracy that saw dictatorships tumble around the world. She became the first Asian woman and only the third woman to be hailed Time magazine’s “Woman of the Year.” In August 1999, she was again recognized by Time as one of the 20 Most Influential Asians of the Century. She also was conferred the Martin Luther King Jr. Non-Violent Peace Prize and the 1998 Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Understanding.

Former Sen. Franklin Drilon, who served as Mrs. Aquino’s justice secretary, said the “restoration of democracy was a legacy Cory wanted to leave the Filipino people. And she succeeded because of her strong moral leadership.”

In the cover story written by Pico Iyer in 1986 announcing the magazine’s choice of Mrs. Aquino as “Woman of the Year,” Time said:

For her determination and courage in leading a democratic revolution that captured the world’s imagination, Corazon Aquino is TIME’s Woman of the Year for 1986.

Whatever else happens in her rule, Aquino has already given her country a bright, and inviolate, memory. More important, she has also resuscitated its sense of identity and pride. In the Philippines those luxuries are especially precious. Almost alone among the countries of Asia, it has never been steadied by an ancient culture; its sense of itself, and its potential, was further worn away by nearly four centuries of Spanish and American colonialism. The absence of a spirit of national unity has also made democracy elusive. Even Jose Rizal, a political reformer shot by the Spanish and a national hero, called the Filipinos “a people without a soul.” Yet in February, for a few extraordinary moments, the people of the Philippines proved their bravery to the world, and to themselves.

Aquino’s revolution with a human face was no less a triumph for women the world over. The person known as the “Mother of the Nation” managed to lead a revolt and rule a republic without ever relinquishing her buoyant calm or her gift for making politics and humanity companionable. In a nation dominated for decades by a militant brand of macho politics, she conquered with tranquility and grace.

A recent nationwide survey showed that she was considered by Filipinos “the least corrupt” of all the presidents mentioned in the survey. Mrs. Aquino said she would have been “horrified” if the results were any different. After her presidency ended in 1992, Mrs. Aquino went home to a modest bungalow on Times Street in Quezon City, which, to this day, people miss for its nondescript façade. Callers often knock on the more affluent homes next door.

Mrs. Aquino saw for herself, in no uncertain terms, as she watched television from her sickbed, that the Filipino people respected her and appreciated her sacrifices for the country. She responded gratefully by saying that she, unlike Ninoy, was luckier in that respect. She heard the applause. She saw the yellow ribbons. She was bathed by yellow confetti in the drought of her fight for democracy. She was never alone.

Her long-time assistant Margarita Juico said Mrs. Aquino had once confided to her that she longed to be reunited with her husband and in fact expressed a wish that one day, her bones be interred with the bones of Ninoy, who died on Aug. 21, 1983.

Mrs. Aquino once told The STAR she never questioned God about her cancer and never considered her illness the greatest trial of her life, “because it involved only me.”

Selfless even in the midst of her own pain, she said her greatest trial was Ninoy’s seven years and seven months in prison, which she said prepared her for the pain of his death. She shrugged off her own pain, saying she had told her youngest daughter Kris, “Everybody has to experience suffering.”

She said she also reminded her children Ballsy, Pinky, Noynoy, Viel and Kris that despite everything, “We are luckier than most.”

In 2004, while in the pink of health, she wrote a “Prayer for a Happy Death.”

“When the final moment does come,” she wrote, “let not my loved ones grieve for long.”

“Let them know that they made possible whatever good I offered to the world.”

The girl who would be president

According to Mrs. Aquino’s niece Marisse Reyes McMurray, “My grandfather’s family would always associate the year of Cory’s birth, 1933, with some very happy memories. The blessing of their new house, which was finally built from scratch on Agno Street, coincided with her baptism.”

When she grew up, Cory was transformed from the shy child to the school achiever. “Unnoticed as the sixth child (of Jose and Demetria Cojuangco), Auntie Cory’s mettle was strengthened by the furnace of war. Her oldest living brother Pedro had always been the star, the perennial honor student. During the war years, Auntie Cory had found a prescription for attention: ‘To be noticed in a large family, you would have to excel in your studies.’”

She majored in Math and French at the College of Mount Saint Vincent in New York, but her law studies were cut short when she met the dashing Ninoy Aquino. On their wedding day in 1954, a dove from the ceremonial bell at the reception landed on Cory’s head, and people saw it as a good sign that Ninoy would be president.

Mrs. Aquino would later confide that no one knew then the dove landing on her head would mean she, not Ninoy, would be president someday.

Thirty-two years later, that day would come to pass.

Michael Jackson won't fade from limelight!

The public mourning of Michael Jackson may be done, but the saga that was his personal life is far from over.

Nothing made that more clear than the one surprise of Tuesday's memorial service, watched by millions around the world: the emotional speech by Jackson's 11-year-old daughter, Paris-Michael.

"Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father I could imagine," she said, dissolving into tears and turning into the arms of her aunt Janet. "I just want to say I love him so much."

Custody of Jackson's three children is one of the biggest legal issues still unresolved. In his 2002 will, Jackson made his wishes clear _ his three children should remain under the care of his mother, Katherine.

Debbie Rowe, the biological mother of Paris and her 12-year-old brother, Prince Michael, has indicated she may seek custody. The surrogate mother of Jackson's youngest child, 7-year-old Prince Michael II, is unknown. A custody hearing was scheduled for Monday.

As the world paused to remember Jackson, authorities released his death certificate, which did not list a cause of death. The official determination will likely wait until toxicology results are completed, which could be weeks away.

Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said Jackson's brain, or at least part of it, was still being held by investigators and would be returned to the family for interment once neuropathology tests were completed.

Investigators have honed in on drugs that were administered to the insomniac Jackson. The powerful sedative Diprivan, which is usually administered by anesthesiologists in hospitals, was found in his home, according to a law enforcement official.

Jackson's final resting place was another unknown. Permission is needed to bury him at his former home, Neverland Ranch.

A private memorial was held at a cemetery in the Hollywood Hills that is the resting place of many stars, but it does not appear Jackson will be buried among them.

No plans have been announced for Neverland, but it's already drawn comparisons as a potential West Coast version of Graceland.

Then there's Jackson's money. He died deeply in debt, but left an estate potentially worth $500 million and his enduring star power with its tremendous earning potential.

Former Sony Music chairman and CEO Tommy Mottola has said Jackson left dozens of songs that included newer material and leftover works from some of his biggest albums. Mottola predicted the potential playlist was bigger than the one left behind by Elvis.

The singer also left behind an elaborate production dubbed "The Dome Project," which could be Jackson's last complete video piece. Little is publicly known about the production, but its existence has been confirmed by two knowledgeable sources who spoke to The Associated Press on condition they not be identified because they signed confidentiality agreements.

There also is more than 100 hours of footage of preparations for his London concerts, which were canceled because of his death. Randy Phillips, president and CEO of concert promoter AEG Live, said last week that the company also has enough material for two live albums.

On Tuesday, about 20,000 people gathered inside the Staples Center on Tuesday for a somber, spiritual ceremony, watched by millions more around the world.

Crowds gathered outside Harlem's Apollo Theater in New York to soak it in. In Santiago, Chile, national police band played "We Are the World" during the traditional guard change at the presidential palace. About 50 fans lit candles and laid flowers in the main square in Stockholm, as "Billie Jean" and "Earth Song" poured out of a small stereo.

In London, dozens of fans sheltered under umbrellas against the rain as they watched the event on a big screen outside the 02 Arena, where Jackson was to have performed 50 comeback shows starting next week. Many more stayed dry at home after the BBC announced it would cancel scheduled programming and show the ceremony live.

"His whole life was a global broadcast in a way, so I suppose it's fitting that his death also is," said barista Robert Anderson, 26, in London.

Calculating just how many people in total watched the ceremony _ around the world and across all platforms _ will take several days and even then will likely have to resort to an approximation, given the huge variety of outlets.

At the ceremony, a star-studded lineup of performers closely linked to Jackson's life and music remembered Jackson as an unparalleled singer, dancer and humanitarian whose music united people of all backgrounds.

"Don't focus on the scars, focus on the journey," said the Rev. Al Sharpton, whose fiery eulogy was one emotional high point of the service.

"There wasn't nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with!" he said to Jackson's three children in the front row, drawing the longest ovation of the service.

Outside, More than 3,000 police officers massed downtown to keep the ticketless at bay. Helicopters followed the golden casket as it was driven over blocked-off freeways from Forest Lawn cemetery to the Staples Center. A bazaar of T-shirts, buttons, photos and other memorabilia sprouted in the blocks around the memorial. Movie theaters played the service live.

Inside, however, the atmosphere was churchlike, assisted by an enormous video image of a stained-glass window with red-gold clouds blowing past that was projected behind the stage.

The Rev. Lucious W. Smith of the Friendship Baptist Church in Pasadena gave the greeting, standing on the same stage where Jackson had been rehearsing for a comeback concert before his death on June 25 at age 50.

The ceremony ended with Jackson's family on stage, amid a choir singing "Heal the World."

"All around us are people of different cultures, different religions, different nationalities," Rev. Smith said as he closed the service. "And yet the music of Michael Jackson brings us together."

Deficit-ridden Los Angeles asked Jackson fans to help pay the bill for police and other public servants needed for the entertainer's memorial service.

A Web site was posted Tuesday seeking donations to cover the costs, estimated at between $1.5 million and $4 million, according to Matt Szabo, a spokesman for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

But Jack Kyser, founding economist of the Kyser Center for Economic Research of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, estimates the city could rake in $4 million from the event, thanks to the throng of media and other visitors who stayed at hotels, ate at restaurants and shopped in Los Angeles.

Kyser believes the city also got a major image boost because the memorial service went off without any major problems. "This thing went off very smoothly," Kyser said. "I think you had some good exposure for downtown and for the entire city."

Bryant leads Lakers to 15th NBA title

Kobe Bryant jumped and punched the air. He did it again, seven years of pent up frustration freed in a fit of joy.

This was the one he wanted more than all the others.

The one to top them all.

One year after failing miserably in the finals against Boston, Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers found redemption. They finished a season they felt was theirs with a 99-86 win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday night in Game 5 to win the 15th NBA title in franchise history.

For Bryant, this was the missing piece from his resume, his fourth championship and first without former teammate Shaquille O’Neal.

“I don’t have to hear that criticism, that idiotic criticism anymore,” said Bryant, the finals MVP. “It was annoying.”

For Lakers coach Phil Jackson, this was title No. 10, moving him past legendary Celtics coach Red Auerbach for the most by a coach in league history.“I’ll smoke a cigar in honor of Red,” Jackson said. “He was a great guy.”For Pau Gasol. For Derek Fisher. For Lamar Odom. For Trevor Ariza and for Andrew Bynum and the rest of the Lakers, this was a title to savor. “It’s a dream come true,” Gasol said. “The completion of a goal.”

Odom scored 17 points, Ariza had 15, Gasol 14 and 15 rebounds, and Fisher, whose two big 3s in Game 4 saved L.A., had 13 points.

It took longer than Bryant expected, but he has stepped from O’Neal’s enormous shadow—at last.

Bryant averaged 32.4 points, 7.4 assists, 5.6 rebounds and more than a dozen cold-blooded glares per game. He wasn’t out to make friends in these finals, he was out for redemption. Throughout the playoffs, he didn’t smile. He just snarled and bared his teeth.

“I was just completely locked in,” he said. “I was grumpy for a while and now I’m just ecstatic, like a kid in a candy store.”

O’Neal, who won three titles with Bryant before the pair had a major falling out, was glad to see his former teammate win another.

“Congratulations kobe, u deserve it,” O’Neal said on his Twitter page. “You played great. Enjoy it my man enjoy it.”

Bryant and Jackson, whose relationship strained and briefly snapped under the weight of success, are again at the top of their games.

Together.

Following the game, the pair shared a long embrace.Jackson, who once called Bryant “a selfish player” now sees the 30-year-old in a far different light. “He’s learned how to become a leader in a way in which people want to follow him,” Jackson said. “That’s really important for him to have learned that because he knew that he had to give to get back in return, and so he’s become a giver rather than just a guy that’s a demanding leader. That’s been great for him and great to watch.”

After the final horn, Bryant and his teammates bounced around the floor of Amway Arena. Moments later, Bryant swept his two daughters, both wearing gold Lakers dresses, into his arms.

It was just as he dreamed.

“It finally felt like a big old monkey was off my back,” he said. “It felt so good to be able to have this moment. For this moment to be here and to reflect back on the season and everything that you’ve been through, it’s top of the list, man.”Bryant had come up short twice in the finals before, in 2004 with O’Neal against Detroit, and again last season against the Celtics in the renewal of the league’s best rivalry. The Lakers were beaten in six games, losing the finale in Boston by 39 points, a humiliating beatdown that Bryant and his teammates had trouble shaking.

They went to training camp with one goal in mind. This was going to be their season, and except for a few minor missteps, it was.

In the locker room afterward, Bryant made sure Jackson got a champagne shower.

“He took his glasses off, threw his head back and soaked it all in because this is a special time,” Bryant said. “For us to be the team that got him that historic 10th championship is special for us.”

Orlando will be haunted by moments in a series that swung on a few plays and had two overtime games.

After losing Game 1 by 25 points, the Magic had their chance in Game 2 but rookie Courtney Lee missed an alley-oop layup in the final second of regulation. In Game 4, Dwight Howard clanged two free throws with 11.1 seconds, and the Magic allowed Derek Fisher to nail a game-tying 3-pointer to force OT.

Howard, the Magic’s superhero center, was hardly a factor in Game 5. He scored 11 points and took just nine shots. Rashard Lewis scored 18 points, but was only 3 of 12 on 3s for Orlando, which after living on the 3, finally died by it. The Magic went just 8 of 27 from long range.

When the game ended, Howard didn’t move. As his teammates headed to the locker room, Howard stayed on Orlando’s bench and watched as the Lakers celebrated on the Magic’s floor. Jameer Nelson, Orlando’s point guard who came back for the finals after missing four months with a shoulder injury, finally joined him.

The two sat stunned.

“What I just told Jameer is look at it, just see how they’re celebrating,” Howard said. “It should motivate us to want to get in the gym, want to get better.”Orlando was trying to become the first team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the finals. They had rallied to knock off Philadelphia and Boston, and then upset LeBron James and Cleveland in the conference finals. The Magic always felt they had a shot at history.

Bryant, though, wouldn’t be denied his place.

“They had an answer,” Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said, “for everything.”

botbot's 2nd day in school

1st day in school

The true story, according to Martin

I am a big fan of Martin Nievera...and it really hurt me when they started criticizing his rendition of Lupang Hinirang during the Pacquiao-Hatton fight. Nevertheless, his rendition of the song was awesome. It really came from the heart of a true Filipino and Martin sung it with pride and passion. Don't mind those critic...Inggit lang mga yan! Read the true story of what happened during the Pacquiao-Hatton fight. This was e-mailed by Martin to Mr. Ricky Lo. (E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph or at entphilstar@yahoo.com) - FUNFARE By Ricardo F. Lo (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com) Dear Ricky, I have been waiting to speak to you to share a very heart-warming behind-the-scene story that happened backstage during the Pacquiao-Hatton fight right before I entered the ring to sing the “now” very much-talked-about Philippine National Anthem. This story may not mean anything to anyone but I want to share it with you anyway. It’s funny but this is the first time in all the years I have known you that I am writing you feeling nervous and insecure. I have never been one to look before I leap, but with all the names and words that have been thrown at me, above me, through me and below me, I come to you now wounded, hurt, confused but inspired. It happened during the second to the last round of the last fight before the big, very publicized “main event” between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton. I was so nervous I could actually hear my heartbeat as I paced back and forth like an expectant father alongside Tom Jones. I was going over the lyrics of Lupang Hinirang for the one millionth time. It was right about the time we were all being called to stay together to form the first half of the usual boxers parade and their teams, when my son Robin tapped me on the shoulder with what I thought at the time was extremely bad news. “Hey Dad, remember the minus one CD we used during the sound check earlier today? Well, I left it in the car.” I nearly had a heart attack. If you have ever been to any Pacquiao fight or any event of this size, you know the car was not right outside the backstage. No, no, no. The car was parked just a little closer than Earth is to Mars! So before I could be arrested for killing my first-born, I calmly, in almost a crying kind of a voice, asked Robin, “What? Am I not a good father? Do you really want to kill me now? Or, if you do, puede after the fight?” I mean, with all that was going on way before this recent controversy, with the rumors about being a jinx because I was the first male anthem singer and so many people telling me to NOT forget the lyrics, and so on and so forth... I was a wreck! Okay, pause. Let’s go back to a month before the fight... Weeks before flying to Las Vegas, I think I asked at least 10 people about how I should or should not sing the anthem. If I remembered correctly I asked Louie Ocampo, my back-up singers and vocal coaches. Then there was Karylle, Christian Bautista, Regine Velasquez, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Kuh Ledesma and even Pops. Oh, and lastly, Ryan “Mr. C” Cayabyab did “advise” me against changing notes and melodies. All of the above did. But Mr. C “advised” me; he did not “warn” me. There is a big difference. In fact, he was the first one I received a text from right after I sang that night and it read, “Awesome!” I am forever grateful to you, Mr. C! Anyway, right before I left I took the advice of all the above mentioned and had another minus one arranged that was more traditional and safe even though I knew no matter how I sang it I was gonna get criticized. So I decided to put my original “version 1 minus one” on hold and made “version 2” to try and avoid even more criticism than I already knew I was gonna get. Okay, back to real time... You can probably feel my frustration and pain right about now, but I tried to keep calm and not de-focus from the enormous task ahead. Just as I was already telling myself to sing it a cappella, my son Robin leaned over to me and told me a mouthful I will never forget for as long as I live. “Don’t worry, Dad. I have already put in the ‘version 1 minus one’ in the sound booth. Come on Dad, this is the version you dreamed of doing and now we are finally here. I know how hard you worked on this song and you got it! I know you want to do this version and not the one we did during sound check so I purposely left that CD in the car. So you can finish what you started. Never mind what others may say, Dad. You get that all the time. Don’t compromise a goal that you yourself set. If you compromise, what will that mean for the next singer? Get up there, Dad, and do it!” My eyes, already watery, finally gave way. Everything went silent...no screams, no music, nothing. After my son pushed me up into that ring with his wisdom, I thought either I was dead or going deaf. Then I realized that I had plugged in my monitors into both ears and I wanted to laugh. I realized at that moment that my son was absolutely right. With all my heart and my love for the Philippines mixed together with my wanting Manny to win just like anybody else, I felt a surge of energy that literally lifted my feet off the ground. It was as if the Holy Spirit ran through my veins right at that moment and, with as much humility mixed with an over abundance of honor, I knew I had to make this the proudest moment for every Filipino. That night I was not a concert king. That night, I was the proudest Filipino alive. That night, I was a hero in my son’s eyes and that to me was all I needed to get over the fear and finish what I started. I think we all learned loads from all this and I know that the next anthem singer will be more informed the next time around than I ever was or those who sang before me. My hope and prayer is that he or she be free to sing the anthem without laws and limitations, but with pride and passion and respect for country and the history that defines it. For me, History should be remembered, taught and learned, but never repeated. Unless, of course. You are Manny Pacquiao. Thanks, my friend. — MARTIN

Swimming at Narvacan, Ilocos Sur (Despedida for Jongjong and Manet)

Last April 11, 2009, we went to Nalbu, Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, an hour drive from Bangued, Abra, to give a despedida to Jongjong and Manet who will stay for good at California. The beach is beautiful there and my kids really enjoyed the sand and the water. Foods and wine flooded the table. Just see the pictures below to see how we enjoyed this outing.