And they're back in the game

I just knew it. I didn’t start watching Rockstar: INXS until there were six people left. The first episode I saw in full (episode being the entire two parts), was the time they kicked-off Ty and I even got teary-eyed with this farewell speech saying that people of his color (he’s black), no matter how hard he tried, would never get a place in rock. During this time I knew that JD Fortune will take the place of Michael Hutchence.

JD, with his cocky demeanor, sounded the closest to the former INXS frontman. I can already imagine him singing Beautiful Girl and Not Enough Time. I actually watched to see how our Mig Ayesa is doing. Again, I already knew that he’s not the one. I really liked him, with his effeminate ways, but by the time he gave his original composition, I knew he was out. He was lucky though to have gone as far as getting one of the Hondas. But I think he should stick to theater. Good thing he didn’t forget to thank his voters from the Philippines during his elimination speech. They, after all, saved him from all but one bottom three’s.

The last two girls were also great, such powerful voices. Even if Sweet Suzie, queen of the bottom three, was booted out later than Jordis, I liked Jordis’ voice better. It’s more funky and sounded like she’s not exerting any effort at all, unlike Suzie who makes me nervous everytime she tries to reach high notes. But you have to give it to Suzie, she rocks the crowd.

And the runner-up, Marty Casey, is not good. He is awesome. I won’t be surprised if I hear his Trees on the radio one of these days (wait..I think I got that from Dave Navarro). I wouldn’t forget his renditions of The Killers’ Mr. Brightside and Pink Floyd’s Wish You were Here. I should download those songs soon. He’s so cool, but as what INXS’ Tim Farris said, he’s just not right for them. I remember my sister saying that she’s rooting for Marty because between him and JD, JD’s already acting like a rockstar when he ain’t no rockstar yet. But then my other sister said that the INXS, who are way older than JD can kick his butt if he misbehaves. But then who would hurt a face like JD’s.

But from what I’ve seen from the six rockers that I was able to watch, none of them has got the rockstar attitude. From the way they hug and comfort each other and cheer the performer, I think they’re really cool rockers. When Jordis was eliminated, JD, Marty, Mig and Suzie didn’t even look jubilant, they had long faces.

Seeing and listening to JD and Marty perform with INXS actually made me all giddy. I kept repeating to myself how lucky these two guys are. The INXS guys are all old now, but thankfully they haven’t lost it.

Look who's talking

News that Catholic bishops have been receiving money from PAGCOR actually made me laugh. I don’t know which one’s more, should I say, laughable: Catholic church cleansing gambling money or Ephraim Genuino giving money to the Church all this time and not bothering to use this during his own days of disgrace.

What do you know? Philippine politics never fail to amuse me. What better time to have such juicy information leak to the media than after Pangasinan Archbishop Cruz’s high-strung jueteng expose. How lovely.

If jueteng money went to Erap and Chavit and allegedly to Mike and Mikey, casino money we understand goes to Cardinal Vidal and Archbishop Capalla. And apparently, there’s a big difference between the two. Politicans bagging money from local gambling lords is plunder and a capital offense while priests accepting money from the gambling behemoth is charity. There’s also an expanse of difference between poor people betting anywhere between P1 and P10 and the rich who win and lose hundreds of thousands. To begin with, the former is illegal while the latter is legal and even government-commissioned.

If indeed there is nothing wrong with receiving gambling money as donation for the poor, howcome Church leaders now claim they no longer receive gifts from PAGCOR since January of 2004. Is it because jueteng lords give even bigger amounts or Mr. Genuino has been using his funds paying P1M a night hotel suites.

The Church has never been this fragmented. On one side you have CBCP statement choosing a truth commission over the President’s resignation and Fr. Robert Reyes on the other side practicing voodoo in the halls of Congress. Now you have Cardinal Vidal saying there’s nothing wrong about receiving money from gambling so long as it goes to the poor and Archbishop Cruz saying the end doesn’t justify the means, it’s supposed to be elementary morality. No wonder Archbishop Cruz has been running a one-man crusade. Above all these there’s Pope Benedict XVI calling Church leaders to steer clear of politics. Please come again?

Hearing and reading about politicians bickering has become so ordinary I no longer take note who says what. But having our pillar of values and guard of morals crumble like this over something like gambling certainly made me fidget.

Money really makes the world go round.