Of Button-fly Jeans and Reverse Boxers

I’m a jeans guy. It’s only at work that I’m compelled to wear slacks; otherwise, it’s jeans for this dude.

For the longest time that I have worn jeans it has always been the one with zipper. Hmmm…zipper…when I was still a kid zippers has been a constant nightmare! As the old saying goes, “once is enough for a wise guy”---well, apparently, I’m not wise during my pre-circumcision years since I remember two instances where I got my wiener caught in my fly! Ouch! Moral of the story---wear briefs!

Anyway, I inherited a button-fly jean from my brother which I have begun wearing only recently. It has a nice fit and Levis-esque quality to it. However, it’s quite a hassle when taking a leak! Unlike zippers, where you just pull down, with button-fly you still need to unbuckle your belt and unbutton from the top down before you can relieve yourself. Now it’s going to be messy if you’re all set to go and you’re wrestling with the buttons!

And then there’s boxer short. To facilitate a faster draw, I don’t button the slit where my hose is going to go out. It’s a two step launch---unzip and draw. Simple, right? Now here’s the complication---dressing in the dark.

Since I wake up early (usually around 3am), I have to dress up with only a night light on (unless I want to wake up my wife and kids). Coupled by my poor eyesight things can get a little bit confusing sometimes…like figuring out the front from the back end! So there I was doing my usual routine getting that boxer and putting them on. Everything was normal until I felt this urge to take a leak at the middle of composing an important e-mail. Not wanting to lose my line of thought I decided to defer to answer nature’s calling and went on with my composition. I held on until I was ready to burst and ran to the loo! Remember that simple process I was talking about earlier? Well, I unzipped real fast but then I couldn’t seem to get the draw part done! Now where is that stupid opening?! My subconscious told me that it’s there so I kept on groping, groping, groping---until I just couldn’t hold it any longer and just yanked down the frigging boxer! Whew! What a relief! Curious as to what just happened I got my pants down to check the cause of the “malfunction”. Lo and behold there it was---I was wearing my boxer backside front! No wonder I couldn’t find the slit! Moral of the story: buy a flashlight!

Tim Tebow, #15, Florida Gators

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again---Tim Tebow is a MONSTER! He is the quarterback for the Florida Gators and he’s a mean, lean, fighting machine! He’s got brawn, the arm strength, and speed. He’s a scrambler who can hurt you on the ground and in the air. He was such an outstanding athlete that he was given the honor of being the Heinsman Trophy winner last 2007. The first college sophomore to do so!

And by the way…he’s WHITE!

Unlike any normal scrambling quarterbacks, Tebow is a power runner, who would barrel over the defense, lowers his shoulders and takes the hit. I have watched the highlight reels and man, can this guy take a hit!

The thing is he is exposing himself to being so banged up as a rusher he may not have much of a body left to play pro football. As a quarterback, his line may not be protecting him enough also. He has already been sacked 15 times after 7 games this season. The same number of times he was sacked the previous season.

Statistically, Tebow is prolific! During his Heisman winning season last 2007, he completed 66.9 percent of his passes for 3,286 yards, ran for 895 more and accounted for a whopping 55 touchdowns (32 passing, 23 rushing)---the first college football player to get more than 20 passing and rushing touchdowns in a season! The following year, he completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 2,746 yards, ran for 673 more and totaled 42 scores (30 passing, 12 rushing).

Florida’s “spread offense” was meant to confuse the defender with the dual threat of quarterback; however, the passing game is a two way street---a competent passing QB and wideouts that could make the catch.

Florida’s passing game was affected by the jump of their number one receiver, Percy Harvin, to the NFL. Now, Tebow is running the ball more than usual and passing the ball less. He has gone two games this season without a touchdown. Passing in the red zone has been a struggle. Their last two games were unconvincing. Their game against Arkansas was won by a late field goal and yesterday’s game against Mississippi State, where Tebow had no TD and was picked off twice at the end zone that were returned for touchdowns, was sealed by a Florida interception that was returned for a touchdown. No arguments though---a win is still a win irregardless of the situation and Florida remains unbeaten at 7-0.

There is no question about Tim Tebow’s athleticism or his heart. It’s just that no one can carry a football team all on his own---not unless he is actually Superman!

What were you thinking, Heff?!

I first heard about this from Mo Twister last Monday and I couldn't believe Playboy would degrade itself by featuring Marge Simpson as a Playmate! Yes, you got that right---the same Marge Simpson of the cartoon cult "The Simpson"! As in the mother of Bart, Liza, and Maggie! The wife of friggin' Homer! OMG!

Man, this is sacrilegious!

George "Jojie" Tecson, 1969-2009

I’m wrote this blog at the wake of my cousin’s husband, Jojie, who passed away last October 4 after a 5 month battle with colon cancer. It was a losing battle for Jojie given that colon cancer doesn’t get diagnosed until it’s already too late. He was 40 years old.

With his days already numbered he decided to spend the last remaining days of his life with his family and came back a couple of weeks ago from the US where he has stayed since 1994.

It was ironic that he was the one who dropped by our home one day for a visit (with him all sick and all). But upon seeing him that day, he didn’t look sick at all. In fact, he was all jovial and perky. Actually I can’t say that I knew him personally but his demeanor that day was so contagious I was under the notion that we were “magkababata”. It was a short visit as they were on their way to the hospital for a check up but I do believe Jojie and I could have hit it off given the chance. I guess some things I can only speculate on given the circumstances. “Sayang,” I can only say.

Jojie had no vices and from all the accounts I’ve heard he was an over-all good guy. Funny how life can be ironic. Some guys guzzle alcohol like it was water, smoke like a chimney, live on fat and cholesterol-high diet and then live up to a hundred! So what seems to be the deal here? No, I won’t go into a diatribe about God’s will---not in my place in the scheme of things to do so. So what is there to learn here?

Well, our lives are governed by the choices we make. We will definitely make mistakes and we will regret some choices. Jojie made had his number of mistakes and may have regretted some of his choices but he was at peace with them. He stared death in the face and embraced his fate.

We will all have to face death in our own time. How we’re going to go is our own choice.

Find peace Jojie. You are now in the care of God.

My Grade School Years

Social networking has definitely made the world smaller! Imagine, after 28 years I have once again rekindled ties with my former grade school classmates (Batch of ’81) at St. Mary’s College, Quezon City. With an alumni homecoming scheduled for July 2010, we are now asked to do a write up about our grade school years. The problem is: I have very little recollection of those years! Call it old age but it seems as if my life started out at high school---I couldn’t even picture myself clearly when I was in grade school! I guess it’s the fact that I’m really a forgettable character back then. I didn’t even stand up as a tall guy since the girls were actually the “giants” then. Well, except maybe for a guy named Michael Moreno. The thing is he was already 18 years old when he graduated from grade school.

I did keep my class pictures. Placed them together with my philosophy notes during my college days. Unfortunately, my father was in cleaning mode one day and included my stuff in the trash! Bummer! Now I’m at a lost in composing this write up! Man, this sucks!

Think! Think! Think!

Oh yeah! There were lots of beautiful girls!

St. Mary’s was supposed to be an all girls school. When I started Kindergarten, boys where only allowed there until Grade 4. But I guess for reasons of logic the nuns eventually decided to just let the guys finish elementary. High school was all girls. So statistically, the girls outnumbered the boys! Thinking about it now I’d say the place was heaven on earth!

Since there were no boys in high school, the elder girls picked on the younger boys. Nope, I wasn’t one of the “lucky ones” but I have an inkling that this was the reason why Michael Moreno stayed on for so long.

Crushes? Man, I had a lot! I won’t mention any names but I did enjoy the company of Alicar Estrada. I was Grade 3 or Grade 4 that time. She was a Spanish mestiza. Tall with long brown hair. She was really pretty but she was tomboy-ish. Every afternoon we would play “agawan base” at the playground and we would always chase each other. I don’t remember who got whom more often but man-oh-man---that girl can run! She’s got long strides like a gazelle! I know I can run fast (got lots of practice being chased by dogs in our neighborhood) but I guess she was faster! She left St. Mary’s after Grade 4, I think. I do believe she was the Alec Estrada who became a singer back in the late 80’s.

Now the memories are slowly getting back. I remember the library. I loved going there. Being an introvert, I’d often shelter myself in books.

Oh! Another thing I really enjoyed was the banana-que and sagot’t gulaman after school. The tinderas were twins whom I fondly called “Ate”. I’d bring my own tall container and for Php 1.50 I’d get a full tank’s worth! They also know how I want my banana-que: soft with lots of sugar! Yummy! I saw them last when I attended my brother’s grade school graduation back in 1983.

I entered the seminary after grade school but I still got to see my grade school alma mater every once in a while whenever I got to play altar boy during the early morning mass there (presided by priests from our seminary). Unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to see old classmates since we pack up early after mass and don’t get to see them during formation. I eventually gave up serving at St. Mary’s when I was second year high school. Mabenta kasi ang racket na yun kasi masarap magpa-breakfast ang RVM sisters. Tinamad na din akong makipag unahang gumising sa iba.

It’s really nice to reconnect with them after all these years! I just wish I could remember more…

To all you Marian Boys Grade School Batch ’81, Joy Zarate made this Marian Multiply site you wanna check out http://mariansbatch85.multiply.com/. Below is the class picture of Grade 6-Sipag courtesy of Joy.

Typhoon Ondoy Devastates Manila!

Manila and its nearby provinces was left in shambles after Typhoon Ondoy exited the country. The amount of rainfall surpassed Typhoon Katrina which hit New Orleans in 2005. In the last 24 hours, Ondoy dumped 455 millimeters of rain in Quezon City along compared to 250 millimeters brought by Typhoon Katrina!

I'm thankful to God for having spared our area from the floods and is praying for those who lost their homes and loved ones.

Sharing with you this prayer for those still in the midst of this calamity:

God of mercy,you know the secrets of all human hearts,for you
know who is just and you forgive the repentant sinner.Hear my prayer in the
midst of destruction;give me patience and hope,so that under your protection and
with you as my guide,I may one day be reunited with my family and friendsin
peace, tranquility, and love.Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Hard Way is Always the Best Way!

I tuned in my radio to “Boys Night Out” over 89.9 last Thursday (September 10) when I chanced upon Toni Toni and Slick Rick interviewing Senator Dick Gordon. Sam YG was out on a “personal business” (a date with Karylle maybe).

Apparently, the senator was not a first time guest of the show and has developed a good camaraderie with the boys. It was a fun discussion. Free flowing. The topics focused on Mr. Gordon’s bid for the presidency in 2010. However, as the senator mentioned, he was just a hopeful candidate since he has just expressed his intention to run but do not have yet the backing of his party.

The man is definitely outspoken and was able to answer all the questions thrown at him during his segment of the show---even the grilling of a woman accusing him of a 800 million civil liability allegedly pending in the office of the ombudsman.

Here’s a man who has an agenda to make our country better. However, duplicating what he did with Subic and Clark in a national level will entail a lot of political will. Being a man of action and result, Mr. Gordon has earned the ire of the corrupt, the do-no-gooders, and the political leachers. These people will definitely make life miserable for Mr. Gordon if ever he becomes president. However, it is amidst adversity that Mr. Gordon has made himself known. He said, “THE HARD WAY IS ALWAYS THE BEST WAY.” Very true indeed! It is during time of conflict and hardship that a man’s character is manifested---his moment of truth!

We are witnesses to Mr. Gordon’s transformation of Subic and Clark. We have seen him revitalize Philippine Tourism with his WOW Philippines campaign. We have seen him at work as a Red Cross volunteer---saving lives and alleviating other people’s suffering. And we have seen him work in the senate pushing for bills that seek to uplift our people and our country and standing up for issues with a firm but fair conviction.

We don’t need a lackey of a president! One who would not easily give in to the coercion of the power players and America! We have had enough ass bending for so long! Make the informed choice and do not let the commercials sway the way you’re going to vote!

I do believe Mr. Gordon is our man in 2010. I call on everyone to step into the light and grab a hold of our destiny!