THE TV IS TURNED OFF AGAIN

It was last June 5, 2018 that I last watched TV. The last program I watched was Season 6 of Arrow on 2nd Ave. I thought that this was a very good series, only it was just a so-so one for me. I would not anticipate to go back and watch the next season. This was also the time that 2nd Ave. closed.

TV has lost it's appeal. Before when you have a bunch of variety of programs now boils down to only one genre:SOAPS. When before you spend almost the whole day watching different programs, now they only cater to one audience. You have to look for other channels to find other source of different programs. I was asking myself how it all came to this.

The so called BIG TWO is the one responsible. They have brainwashed the minds of the masses to just churn out this kind of programming. Why? Because they were just after the money. They stuck their programs with a lot of advertisements that a 45 minute show becomes an hour long thanks to ads. Not to mention only one content. It's not that I hate dramas, but these two only thought of two particular audiences: maids and stay home moms (not that I am against any of these, My wife is a stay home mom, BTW). Yup, I can't take all that screaming, slapping and whatever things they throw at each other. Same plot, same story, almost the same cast. Just young pretty faces with no acting talent. Just because they wanted more money. Great.

I am sorry if I'm going on a rant here. See, I have a 3 year old daughter who may not watch any good program on TV. Where are all the educational and funny cartoons that I grew up with? Kinda makes me miss Sesame Street and Batibot. Not to mention the constant immorality they are showing nowadays.

R.I.P TV

BRIAN LUCIANO

AUGUST 28,2018       

ROAD TO THE NBA FINALS

I haven't watched the NBA games since 2015 when the Golden State Warriors won their fourth NBA Championship. Now the stage is set, as four teams, all NBA champions will face each other for the most coveted NBA Championship. Overall, these four teams have combined for 25 championships. They are the Boston Celtics (17), the Golden State Warriors (5), the Houston Rockets (2) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (1). Three also of these four teams have met before in the NBA Championship, with just one possible match-up being the first time. Without much ado, let's analyze each match up, and rank each one according to it's merits and also pick who would win.

1.) HOUSTON ROCKETS VS BOSTON CELTICS
They met in the 1981 and 1986 NBA Finals with the Celtics winning both meetings. It was the time that the Bird-Magic rivalry was in full swing. However, the shoe is on the other foot now. The Rockets have gained the best record in the NBA, and will have homecourt advantage throughout the series. With Harden and Paul, the hungry Rockets can easily dispatch the Celtics which are without all star Kyrie Irving. MY PICK- HOUSTON IN 5 GAMES OR SIX.

2.) GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS VS BOSTON CELTICS
They met in the 1964 NBA Finals which was won by the Celtics. It was at this period that the Celtics were at their stunning eight consecutive championship run. They were unstoppable at that time. Almost 54 years later, the ball's on the other side of the court. The Celtics last won in 2008, while the Warriors have won 2 of 3 consecutive NBA Finals appearnces, in 2015 and 2017 respectively. The Warriors are showing no signs of slowing down, and even if their superstars are there, it's going to be very hard to defeat the Warriors at this point. MY PICK-GOLDEN STATE IN SIX GAMES.

3.) HOUSTON ROCKETS VS CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
These teams will meet for the first time. It is an exciting match up since there will be all stars involved here. LeBron James has appeared in the NBA Finals since 2011, becoming a finals veteran at that. He has also won 3 NBA Championships but only 1 with the Cavaliers. He will need a lot of support since Houston will be a team that will be hungry and the team with the NBA best record. With the superstar tandem of Harden and Paul, we don't know how the Cavaliers will be able to stop them. But they have been there for the past 3 years, so their championship experience will kick in.
MY PICK-HOUSTON IN 5 GAMES.

4.) GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS VS CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
They met since 2015 and 2 championships were won by the Warriors and 1 by the Cavaliers. I honestly don't want to see them anymore. Even if the Cavaliers were to split the series, I couldn't care less. For me, this is the least NBA Finals I want to watch. Actually, if they make it again, I won't watch the NBA anymore. MY PICK-SAME AS LAST YEARS RESULT.     
   
Anyway, these are just my thoughts.Again, I based it on my analysis of each teams performance. So, how are yours? Who do you pick?  Please comment and have a nice day!!!

BRIAN LUCIANO

05/11/18

IN DEFENSE OF THE BIBLE

Lately, I have read an article in GQ.COM (GQ magazine) which published an article regarding 21 BOOKS YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ. While some of them that made the list are really good books, I am really just amazed and angry at Number 12: THE BIBLE.  According to the article, this is the reason why it made the list:

"The Holy Bible is rated very highly by all the people who supposedly live by it but who in actuality have not read it. Those who have read it know there are some good parts, but overall it is certainly not the finest thing that man has ever produced. It is repetitive, self-contradictory, sententious, foolish, and even at times ill-intentioned."

Hmmmm........not the finest thing man as ever produced. Possibly this guy may nit have read the entire bible, or possibly didn't fully understand what it means. In  Paul's letter to Timothy, he states that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" (2 Timothy 3:16).  See, the Holy Bible is God's inspired word to us. God used man to write his words by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is written by men, but the inspiration is the Holy Spirit. I should know this because I am also a writer. I write my ideas based upon things I know or experienced. I am a wide reader and I also have a very big imagination, thus I can write about topics I like. But not so with the bible. God himself is the author. He puts his words using people to spread his promise to us. It is the only book we need about living. Can we use Harry Potter or any other book in application of our daily lives? Guess not. To call it not the finest book is a lie, since if the author is an all powerful God, then it is finest thing and the best book ever produced.

It is repetitive, self-contradictory, sententious, foolish, and even at times ill-intentioned. Guess who ever wrote this article was reading the bible in perspective of the world. The bible is repetitive because it is also a book of instruction. It means that for the Christians to grasp the messages of the bible it has to be repeated. But the repetition is not in the same context but a different one. Let us look at the Gospels in the New Testament. Some of the parables and events repeat in other authors simple because they are an account of them that wrote the bible. But if we can comprehend, each Gospel is unique of it's own. With repetition, we are able to put the message of the gospel and not forget it. Now is it self contradictory. Hmm....I never encountered any book in the holy bible that contradicts. Instead of contradicting, it enforces each other. Each book in the bible is giving the readers one common theme...that is that there is an all powerful God that we should love and fear. It also tells that we have a savior, and that he will save and protect us from harms. Now the other words, as the bible being sententious, foolish and at times ill-intentioned. These are very harsh words for the bible. Sententious (moralistic), foolish and ill intentioned (having malicious intentions). In my two years of reading the bible, I have never encountered these descriptions. The bible teaches us how to live our lives in way that the Creator (God ) wants us to live. He gave us laws for us to follow, so that we don't live like heathens. In truth, most of the laws that we have right now were actually based upon the bible. Where is the malice in that? Or when is that foolish? Is the bible too moralistic, or we just like to do what we want?

In closing, I pray that whoever is the person that wrote this find the love and grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, that he will be inspired of what the bible wants to tell us. The Bible is not just a book of stories, poems, prophecies and teachings. It is the book of life, specially one that leads to life eternal.

MAY OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST BLESS YOU

BRIAN LUCIANO

MAY 9,2018                             

P.S. Here's the link to the article: https://www.gq.com/story/21-books-you-dont-have-to-read

MISSING ALL OF YOU

It was around April 16,2008 that a 35 year old and 4 month married man entered the 28th floor of the IBM Plaza Building in Eastwood City in Quezon City, one of the largest cities in Metro Manila. He was met a group of people who told him about his job. The president of the company greeted him with a smile and told him about his job. He told him about how he should love his students, and how they rely on them for their education. He told him about his role in changing their life. A fire was lit under his belly, determined to do his job no matter what. Life was good.

It's now almost ten years, and he is still working in the same company. He's now in a different shift, already a father and worked the same job as he had before. However, many things happened in the course of those years. He experienced ups and downs. But before was quite different. Now, he is again all alone. A lone wolf as they would say. How did it came about to this?

See, he loved his co-workers before like family. When one of them was abducted, he always prayed that she would be released. And she did. There was also his boss that made him laugh when when things are hard. He himself also became a supervisor, even for a short period of time. Things changed, but never for the better. As the years passed, his family went away one by one, leaving him alone.

He really misses them, and there are times that he just cries. He can't leave his current job though he knows that he needs it now. He's just become a father, and he has a loving three year old daughter, of whom only in Facebook pictures does his old friends see. He is also an old worn out teacher who thrives like a mouse on a wheel. He is a but a shadow of his former self, trapped in a prison of loneliness and pain. He wishes that he could be let out.

This goes out to all my friends here in YBM PNT that have left and moved on. I cherish each and every time that I was with all of you. Life was not easy here. Hope we can talk sometime. Until then.

BRIAN LUCIANO

MARCH 23,2018