< hmmm... >

   You know what, I'm more of the betting man than you think.  And I bet against Manny Pacquiao.  That's how much I hate him.  Even if he beat Erik Morales in three rounds.  Even if he cried during the playing of the Philippine National Anthem.  Even if some people are willing to stick their tongues inside his asshole every time he farts.

   You heard me.  There are people - sick people, at that - who are willing to stick their tongues inside his asshole every time he farts.  Mike Arroyo, Monico Puentevella, Korina Sanchez, Lito Camo, the President.  OK, I'm using a tasteless metaphor to describe the kind of tasteless relationship most of us - the lot of us - enjoy with regards to the Pacman.  We eat his endorsements - I tried the Pacman milkshake - like Pac-people.  We think of him as the better boxer even if his opponent, Erik Morales, looked anorexic in the effort to get to the prime weight (it wasn't even fair).  The langka ice cream I had is sitting idly in my stomach, and nobody would stick their tongues into my asshole when I fart.  It's that bad.

   Never mind the countless people who lost bets betting against Pacquiao.  I don't blame them.  It's called saturating the market: we're in too much Pacman Fever turned into an epidemic of sorts that some of us are just sick of Pacquiao.  Kayabangan does not cut it: I can't blame Pacquiao for being a patriot on these trying times for the Philippines, but come on, there's just too much of him going on that it doesn't make sense anymore.

   It happens.  We Filipinos are looking for heroes.  In a world full of lousy politicians, financial crises and doomsday scenarios that even the likes of Jim Paredes are thinking about leaving the country, even Wowowee is not the solution to our problems.  Oh, I almost forgot: like me, Manny Pacquiao is a fan.

   Some people tell me that I'm just jealous of Manny and that I should be a "patriot" and stop writing about Pacquiao in a negative fashion.  I don't know, but who could blame me?  Too much Manny is getting into my system that until the Barrera fight on February, I am not going to write any more Manny Pacquiao related entries.