A plea to the local government of Barangay Pasong Tamo, Quezon City

The puddle at the corner of Aramis and Ambuklao isn't this bad...but it
will be unless someone will do something about it. Click the image
for a clearer view.

If you're expecting me to discourage people from lighting up firecrackers or going Grifter tonight, well, sorry to disappoint. I ain't hopping on the New Year bandwagon and join the bigwigs of local media in warning people about the dangers brought about by our traditional way of welcoming the New Year. Whatever I had to say about the festivities, I already blogged it for more than a month now.

PC Shopper: Holiday Edition in stores now

With Christmas a few days away, shopping for good gifts can prove to be a very tedious task.

And just when you thought you got things figured out, reviews, ads and information from random sources may force you to think twice.

Smartphones: The future of handheld gaming

While catching up with some friends through Facebook some nights ago, I decided to check on the guy who has inspired me to blog and greatly influenced my works, Siopao Master, and noticed that he’s status said something like being hooked on Infinity Blade.

Now, for gamers like SM and me, being addicted to a video game is nothing new. But what caught my attention was the fact that SM was getting high on a game that runs on a smartphone.

Arenas, Richardson and Turkoglu will be joining the Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic may have been on the upper echelon of the NBA for the past few seasons, but this is one group that won't rest on its laurels. They want to win, and they want to win now.

So they'll be getting rid of two fading All-Stars to get productive players in return. 

Nate Robinson is invisible

From the guy that brought you Shrek and Donkey comes Nate Robinson: Invisible.

Six teams that should trade for Andre Iguodala

Come and get me.

Andre Iguodala, probably the best dunker to never have won the Slam Dunk contest, is rumored to be on the trading block.

And while Rod Thorn insists that the Philadelphia 76ers isn’t looking to part ways with the versatile swingman, there are reasons for them to have Iggy shipped out of the City of Brotherly Love.

And such reasons are highlighted by his purse-aching contract. ‘Nuff said.

Stoudemire steps out of Nash's shadow

It wasn’t too long ago that the names Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire belonged to one sentence.

The crafty playmaker and the explosive power forward led the Phoenix Suns to numerous games and have been the face of the franchise for five seasons.

But now, that honor belongs solely to Nash after Stoudemire decided to take his talents to New York.

And Sony definitely wants to replace your iPhone

Back in October, I remember talking about rumors of Sony working on a PSP-mobile phone hybrid.

Well, it ain't rumor no more. If you're gonna believe everything you'll see on this video, it seems that there is already a PSP Phone somewhere out there and its undergoing development. But because Sony won't admit to anything, nothing is official.

Cool Video Game Shirts

I was doing my regular Net Surfing routine where I go online to looking for news when I came across the cool image below.

Bus-tards part 2

EDSA-Ayala

While everyone is wondering about the next guy who will be stepping in the ring with Manny Pacquiao, another rematch is already in the works.

The MMDA seems to be issuing another challenge to bus operators and drivers as the said government agency seeks to revive the Radio Frequency Identification project.

Milicic may have found his niche

Pssst. Thought you said you gonna let me score?

At 25 years old, Darko Milicic is now in his 7th NBA season and the experience has been anything but easy.

Milicic was 18 years old when he was drafted second overall by the Detroit Pistons back in 2003. Lebron James, Milicic, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade were the Top 5 overall picks of the 2003 NBA Draft.

Having your name mentioned in the same breath as those guys isn’t actually a bad thing. But in Milicic’s case, it has been a curse.

Bus-tards

I, along with several thousand other commuters, didn’t get to work or home on time, thanks to some bus drivers and operators who felt like going on strike.

I really don’t take the bus when reporting to work, but as the domino effect implies, one thing leads to another, and before I knew it, it took me an hour before I could get a cab.

Now I may not know a thing about a bus operation, but I’m sure that this development has stirred quite a ruckus and caused inconvenience of epic proportions.

New New Year

We’re halfway through with November and it won’t be long before we trash 2010 calendars for 2011 editions.

Booze, grub, loud audio system and firepower are always part of the festivities. A once a year event should be welcomed with a bang after all. But with Filipinos, it’s always celebrated with the wrong kind of bang because firepower involves firecrackers and guns.

Open Letter to John Silva

Dear John Silva,

First of all, I’d like to express my admiration for your writing. Since I’m still a rookie in the blogging world, I’m fully aware that my works don’t even compare to that of yours.

I wrote you this letter to express my Lone Opinion on your Open Letter to the Philippine Catholic Bishops. A loved one told me about your website when she was checking her e-mail. I got wind of this letter just today so apologies for the late response.

Warcraft fan becomes NPC

Correcting people has its rewards.

That’s what a Warcraft fan learned after he confronted Blizzard game developers in the recently concluded Blizzcon Fan Expo.

The fan, only known as “The Red Shirt Guy”, noticed something wrong in the Warcraft lore. He noticed that one character, Falstad Wildhammer, was missing in World of Warcraft. The game developers were quick to respond that Falstad is supposed to be dead, only to be burned by The Red Shirt Guy who stated that Falstad is supposed to be alive, as implied in the novel “The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm”.

Sony wants to replace your iPhone and iPad

Rumor has it that two new PSPs are in the works, and if these gizmos turn out to be real, Sony can make a killing out of them.

What NBA Tip Off tells us

Nagpuputukan dito!

The greatest basketball show on Earth has resumed and it kicked things off with very entertaining games.

First, let’s tackle the less-talked-about Phoenix vs. Portland game. And then one of you guys says, “There was a Phoenix-Portland game? See, there was so much attention on the Black Mamba, The Young Big Three and The Ancient Big Three that everyone forgot about Captain Canada and that big man who always gets injured. Everyone expect for Phoenix Suns and Portland Trailblazers fans.

Five scary games for Halloween

The dead will rise, the vampires will feast and the werewolves will howl as October nears its end. Good thing in the Philippines, trick or treating is restricted to malls and some posh barangays. Otherwise, I have to fill some costumed kid’s pumpkin with my stash of Hello wafer bars. Not good.

Moving on. In the spirit of the scary season, Lone Opinion revisits five of the scariest games that’ll give you goosebumps in time for either Halloween or All Souls Day. So if you need that dose of adrenaline, give yourself a scare with these games which are played best, or worse, when the lights are off.

Kobe Bryant knows his place in NBA history

It’s been a while since I posted something here at Lone Opinion. Apologies to my readers. I had some work to finish before I can start vandalizing this virtual wall in Cyberspace. Next time I’m going on hiatus, I’ll keep you posted.

Now on to the post.

100 Days and Counting

Pres. Noynoy Aquino has finally reached the century mark and once again, he has to report to his superiors: the Filipino people.

For the second time around, P-Noy dedicated his speech to his predecessor, Pampanga Congresswoman Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo, and enumerated the previous administration’s anomalies and mishaps.

We already know GMA was a bad egg okay, so what’s the point of raising it all over again? Have you forgotten we were her constituents for 10 years? Or did it slip your mind that you already bashed her, and have been bashing her, prior to your return to Malacañang?

ESPN shoots Amar'e Stoudemire naked

What's worse than seeing Shaquille O' Neal wearing a pink Speedo? How about Amar'e Stoudemire in the nude?

Why we need Ferdinand Marcos today

When will this hullabaloo end?

There are so many things going wrong right now that I’m left wondering what kind of president can put a stop to all this chaos.

Feel free to ride your De Lorean for this one. We’ve only had 14 presidents, excluding the incumbent one that can’t figure things out. Feel free to choose from Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo up to Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. But if you ask me, I’m placing my bet on Ferdinand Marcos.

Before you start bashing me for writing this piece, kindly hold on to your horses.

Latest PC Shopper magazine out now!!!

Tired of all those tech mags that just won’t talk to you? You know, those kind of reads that’ll bombard you with lots of jargons then give you nosebleeds and migraines?

Busy week for Marvel Superheroes

Here’s Chris Evans, the guy who’ll be playing Captain America in the movie of the same name.

If Evans looks familiar, well he should. Take another look at him playing as a different superhero.

So as you can see, when Evans isn't covered in flames to kick some ass, he's wearing a patriotic costume to kick some ass.

I’m just wondering why Marvel didn’t look for another actor to play as Captain America. Not that I’m questioning Evans’ qualifications. After all, he did a pretty good job of playing as a Marvel superhero prior to CA. But wouldn’t this cause some problems in the future, especially if Marvel will produce a movie that will involve both characters that Evans played?

Hollywood must be running short on superhero-worthy actors.

Anyways, there's been recent photos of the Captain America shoot proliferating online. Just click here if you're interested.

* * *

Your friendly neighborhood superhero is getting extreme makeover.

According to IGN, starting November, Dan Slott will be taking over the Amazing Spider-Man series. And with him calling the shots, expect the Spiderman universe to undergo major changes.

For one, some of the web-head’s archenemies will be getting new identities, looks, motives and powers, in addition to new baddies that will make their debut in the comic book series;

Second, Spidey will become an Iron Man wannabe (more on this later);

Third, to level the playing field, Spiderman also gets new powers;

And lastly, he’ll be changing careers. That’s nice, Spide….WTF?! Peter Parker won’t be taking photos anymore?!

For those who have read their fair share of comic books, or have seen the movie, we all know that Parker is a nerd of sorts and is simply working as a part-time photographer in the Daily Bugle to get through college.

In connection, Slott wants to focus the Amazing Spider-Man on Parker’s intellectual side. Instead of being a photojournalist, Peter will now earn his living as a scientist. But don’t expect him to mope in his laboratory while waiting for trouble ala Mr. Fantastic. Parker will use his wits and resources to produce gadgets and suits that would aid him in crime-fighting (thus, the Iron Man reference).

Aside from the career switch, Spiderman will also get new powers. Though no official word has been released regarding this matter, Slott mentioned that some of Spidey’s abilities from the ‘Other’ arc will be making a comeback. Such abilities are: night vision, fangs, wrist-based spear-like stingers and cocoon-based regeneration.

I’m really behind with my comic book reading and the closest I have for a collection are a pile of Archie comic books from the 90s and some tattered issues of Funny Komiks, so please forgive me if I don’t know what the heck the ‘Other’ arc is.

But let me tell you this, those new powers don’t sound good to me. I know Marvel’s just trying to reinvent the web slinger so that people will have renewed interest in him, but you can’t simply go around nerfing or boosting Spidey like some DOTA hero.

Part of what made Spiderman appealing is that his powers stay true to the attributes of a spider: Wall crawling, Spider-sense, agility and some superhuman strength. And since he can’t produce web out of his butt, Parker artificially produces some and shoots it through a wrist-based device. So you see Spidey doesn’t go beyond this parameter. Even Armored Spiderman doesn’t shoot rockets and emit lasers in Marvel vs. Capcom.

Because of this characteristic, Spiderman becomes easily identifiable unlike some of his peers who either have so many destructive powers or have abilities that don’t match their names. I mean, what’s up with the cocoon-based regeneration? Spiders don’t have cocoons. Butterflies do. And that’s the kind of insect spiders feed on.

And as Parker leaves behind his lenses and camera, what happens to the Bugle? Is there any other photographer skilled enough to get photos of Spiderman other than himself?

Whatever the case may be, this things gonna get mixed reviews for sure.

NBA expands technical foul guidelines

Ah, the technical foul. The only weapon a referee can use to directly get back on a player that he/she dislikes.

But seriously, the goal of the tech is to help players keep their emotions in check.

When players become too physical and starts turning the court into a ring, give them a ‘T’. When coaches start cursing and character assassinating the refs, give them a ‘T’. When a team official hits the head of a player, give his team a ‘T’ and ban him from the league. When a baller, coach and/or team official still has the guts the pull another technical foul-worthy stunt after earning one, give him another one so you can kick him out of the game.

See, techs are good. In a competitive game like basketball, there are so many emotions involved that you need rules like this to save the hardwood from turning into a war zone.

Glee's 2nd season lives up to expectations

The award-winning TV series Glee returns to Philippine TV and I barely got to see it. ARGH!!!

Don’t get me wrong, unlike other Pinoy Glee fans, I’m not in it for Charice Pempengco. I’ve been watching Glee even before the talented Filipina became part of the musical-comedy’s cast, thanks in part to Naya Rivera.

Cheerleaders aside, Glee’s tunes are so catchy and ear-friendly (with emphasis on New Directions rendition of Madonna and Journey songs) no one can blame you if you start turning into a Gleek yourself.

Moving on to the new season, I can only provide my insights to parts of the show I actually saw. But before I start babbling, here’s a quick recap of the 1st episode of season 2 (SPOILER ALERT…for the uninitiated).

10 things to look out for as NBA draws near

With the conclusion of the FIBA Men’s World Championships comes another major basketball event set to take place after a few weeks.
The world’s premiere basketball league, the NBA, opens on October 6, and in anticipation of the coming 2010-2011 Season, Lone Opinion gives you a rundown of 10 things to watch out for when the ballers return to the hardcourt.

Post World Championships Reaction

ISTANBUL, Turkey – Kevin Durant led the American onslaught to lead Team USA past…Tur…key…Zzz…Zzzz…Zzz.

Don’t get me wrong, the World Championships was exciting, but I’m not surprised that USA is back on top of the global basketball scene. All that talk about the ‘B-Team’ being underdogs is nothing but rubbish. Even without the members of the 2008 Olympic team, Team USA pretty much owns the most talented roster in the tourney. Other participating countries could only put up little resistance against the American delegation since key personalities like Tony Parker (France), Manu Ginobili (Argentina) and Pau Gasol (Spain) were missing in action.

Never mind that previous representatives of Uncle Sam had early exits in the World Championships albeit as talented as this one. There are no prima donnas in 2010 and that secured the gold medal for the US.

Mark Cuban gives Dallas $100,000

In third-world countries like the Philippines, the masses are often burdened by lots of things – usually economic in nature.

Low wages, inflation and of course, taxes.

Taxes that were meant to fund important projects that'll benefit the public ended up becoming a bulge in the pockets of few politicians.

Taxes spent wrongfully on expensive dinners and resulted into the emptying of the National Treasury.

Because of such circumstances, people, if not reluctant, don’t like paying taxes. And who does anyway?

If there’s anything worse than taxes, it’s gotta be tax hike.

Origin introduces Xbox and PC hybrid

In a fast-paced world, time is 10,000 tons of 24K gold.

Whenever we’re in a jiffy, wasting seconds in search of your essentials can prove costly. That’s why getting hold of multipurpose stuff ain’t a bad idea.

Nowadays, the norms are camera-phones with music players and Wi-Fi, Swiss knives with storage devices, and to top it off, you also got cars turning into speedboats.

Now, if you’re a hardcore gamer, you’ve probably wasted precious hours (every second worth it) of your life and loads of cash on various gaming consoles and gizmos. In the desire to play games in almost every platform available, it’s quite understandable.

Barking at the barkers

bark•er (bär-kər) a person who stands at the entrance of an establishment especially movie houses or theaters and tries to attract customers to it.

In the Philippines, barkers call the attention of passengers towards public utility vehicles like cabs, buses and jeepneys. Not only do they make the job of drivers a bit easier by saving the latter’s throat from hollering whole day, they also help commuters locate PUV terminals and inform them about a PUV’s destination.

Quirino Grandstand: The Aftermath

It’s been 9 days since the Quirino Grandstand Hostage Crisis took place, and since then, little progress has been made.

While the Philippine government is still busy pointing fingers as to who should take the biggest credit for this blunder, Hongkong forensic experts are currently in the country to conduct their own investigation.

'The Glove' was running on love all this time

Before the FIBA World Basketball Championships began, the NBA provided basketball hungry Filipinos their much needed fix for hoops action with the NBA Asia Challenge 2010.

Former NBA stars Glen Rice, Chris Webber, Mitch Richmond and Gary Payton, along with some NBA D-League standouts, graced the Araneta Coliseum last 27 August 2010 in Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines to showcase their basketball prowess.

Better ending for Quirino Grandstand Hostage Crisis

If its reality TV you want, it can’t get any real than this.


We all know what went down in Quirino Grandstand, Manila, Philippines on the night of 23 August 2010 so I’ll spare you some of the details and fast forward to my observations.

So many things went wrong in this hostage crisis. So, so, so many.

Review: Inception

When I said Lone Opinion is going to talk about everything under the sun, I did mean everything, so expect reviews to be a regular on this blog. Now, if only I could find the time and money to watch movies on a regular basis…

Moving on, I know Inception doesn’t merit a review anymore since it has been running for more than a month now (that’s counting the Philippines and other countries where the film was shown) and so many reviews about it have already been posted online. But since I’ve only seen this film yesterday, and much enjoyed it, I still feel like giving my two-cents about this epic. 

I’ll try to make the storytelling part of this review as short and spoiler-free as possible because what I’d like to focus on is the film’s controversial ending instead.

Donnie Nietes triumphs over Mario Rodriguez

SINALOA, Mexico - Filipino Donnie 'Ahas' Nietes managed to squeeze a victory and defend his WBO Minimumweight World title against Mexican toughie, Mario Rodriguez.

Nietes dominated the earlier rounds of the bout by landing uppercuts on Rodriguez, causing the challenger to stagger his way for most parts of the fight with a bloodied nose.

It wasn't until the tenth round that Rodriguez came alive and started throwing power shots towards the champion and this led to a cut on Nietes' left eye.

The last two rounds of the 12-rounder featured two fighters gasping for air. Rodriguez pursued and bombarded the champ with punches, however, Nietes' was able to defend and parry the challenger's juggernaut to hold off a potential comeback.

The judges eventually gave the match to the Pinoy boxer via a unanimous decision.

With the win, Nietes became a four-time champion.

Pacquiao: Move on; Green Ranger returns to action

nPacman played referee to his
co-legislators.

Culled from:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/291903

Before his fists echo in the boxing ring, boxing superstar and Saranggani Province Rep. Manny Pacquiao made sure that his voice will be heard in the political arena.

During yesterday’s session of the House of Representatives, Camarines Sur Rep. Diosdado ‘Dato’ Arroyo delivered a privilege speech in defense of his mother, former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who received accusations of corruption from opposing lawmakers.

Ondoy: Lessons and Learnings

As the smoke from the recent National Elections fades into the annals of history, we now find P-Noy in charge of all our beloved 7,100 islands.


So many issues are being lobbied towards the administration of the 15th President of RP, but no one seems to bring up disaster preparedness.

In the Beginning

Today I officially launch Lone Opinion to cyberspace (applause).

Lone Opinion was originally a column for the IgKnighters, a project for my 'Editing for Print Media' course back when I was still college. Seeing that my name ends with the letters L-O-N-E and I have a lot of things to say about almost any issue or topic known to man, thus, the name Lone Opinion.