Jed Yuseco’s Blog

Freddie Hubbard, the Grammy-winning jazz musician whose style influenced a generation of trumpet players and who collaborated with such greats as Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins, died Monday, a month after suffering a heart attack. He was 70.

A towering figure in jazz circles, Hubbard played on hundreds of recordings in a career dating to 1958, the year he arrived in New York from his hometown Indianapolis, where he had studied at the Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Music and with the Indianapolis Symphony.

Soon he had hooked up with such jazz legends as Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley and Coltrane.

Hubbard played on more than 300 recordings, including his own albums and those of scores of other artists. He won his Grammy in 1972 for best jazz performance by a group for the album “First Light.”

As a young musician, Hubbard became revered among his peers for a fiery, blazing style that allowed him to hit notes higher and faster than just about anyone else with a horn. As age and infirmity began to slow that style, he switched to a softer, melodic style and played a flugelhorn. His fellow musicians were still impressed.

“The sound he gets on just one note. I know he does all the flashy stuff and the high stuff and it’s all great but … he’d play `Body and Soul’ on the flugelhorn and it was just that much better again than everyone around him,” trumpeter Chris Botti said in an interview earlier this year.

Rest in peace, Mr. Hubbard … you will surely be missed.

One word, nestled amid the eloquence of Barack Obama’s victory speech, lingered long after the cheers subsided: SACRIFICE.

It’s a word too long absent from the political discourse, one that speaks to the change that Obama claims his presidency will represent. We cannot fix our finances without it. We can’t address our foreign oil dependence without it. We can’t repair our broken health care system without it. We can’t simply shop our way through the crisis, and we can no longer afford to delude ourselves into thinking we can.

Last Tuesday’s election was about many things, but fundamentally it was about the economy. On the cusp of Obama’s victory, the stock market rose more than on any previous Election Day, but a day later it turned in its worst post-election drop.

These extremes serve as bookends to history, a reminder that an election doesn’t fix the kind of economic problems we now confront, and that hope, no matter how audacious, isn’t a cure by itself. The Obama presidency faces the worst stock, bond and commodity markets in three decades. Even strong performers such as oil companies are now facing the prospect of weaker earnings because of lower commodity prices.

Employers nationwide eliminated more than three quarters of a million jobs so far this year. Manufacturing jobs have disappeared at their fastest rate in 26 years, as the credit crunch and shrinking global economy undermined exports. Last month, bankruptcy filings topped 100,000 for the first time since Congress changed the law three years ago to make filing more difficult. Retailers are bracing for an ugly Christmas.

All of those disturbing numbers come against a backdrop of stagnant wages and rising health care costs for most Americans. Obama faces a nation hungry for fiscal direction and Congress will return for a lame-duck session to discuss a stimulus plan.

A broad stimulus, aimed not at putting single checks in people’s hands but at addressing the underlying economic problems of unemployment, battered credit and foreclosures, is probably needed. But it must come with the assurance that fiscal restraint will follow.

We entered this crisis in a precarious position because our federal deficit had ballooned under the borrow-and-spend policies of the past eight years. That makes it more difficult to deal with the crisis we now face, because it limits our financial flexibility. No stimulus, no bailout, no amount of hope and soaring rhetoric can succeed if it’s not accompanied by fiscal responsibility.

At some point, higher taxes are inevitable to bring the deficit back in line, and Obama’s plan to limit the increases to the rich isn’t likely to be enough. That is the sort of sacrifice we must make to resolve the crisis.

We must also make sacrifices at the personal level by reducing our use of credit and curtailing our spending, building our savings so that we are better prepared. This is a crisis spawned in large part by our own delusion. We wanted to believe in ever-rising stocks, in a shop-till-the-terrorists-are-defeated foreign policy and homes that were worth whatever our mortgage broker told us.

For eight years, our government borrowed to pay for wars, tax cuts and prescription drugs, while we borrowed to pay for HDTVs, iPhones and Xboxes. Buy now, pay later wasn’t just a sales pitch, it was fiscal policy.

Later is now. To fix our economy we first must change our views of debt and savings. That will take sacrifice, the one word from the president-elect’s speech that we must heed before all others. Sacrifice, after all, is the prefix for change.

Oscar Peterson, whose early talent, speedy fingers and musical genius
made him one of the world’s best known jazz pianists, has died. He was
82.

Peterson died at his home in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga on
Sunday. Peterson’s family were with him during his final moments. The cause of
death was kidney failure.

During an illustrious career spanning seven decades, Peterson played with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie and Dizzy Gillespie. He is also remembered for touring in a trio with Ray Brown on bass and Herb Ellis on guitar in the 1950s.

Peterson’s impressive collection of awards include all of Canada’s
highest honors, such as the Order of Canada, as well as a Lifetime
Grammy (1997) and a spot in the International Jazz Hall of Fame.

Born on Aug. 15, 1925, in a poor neighborhood southwest of Montreal,
Peterson obtained a passion for music from his father. Daniel Peterson,
a railway porter and self-taught musician, bestowed his love of music
to his five children, offering them a means to escape from poverty.

Oscar Peterson learned to play trumpet and piano at a young age, but
after a bout with tuberculosis had to concentrate on the latter.

He became a teen sensation in his native Canada, playing in dance
bands and recording in the late 1930s and early 1940s. He got his
real break as a surprise guest at Carnegie Hall in 1949, after which he
began touring the United States and Europe.

He quickly made a name for himself as a jazz virtuoso, often
compared to piano great Art Tatum, his childhood idol, for his speed
and technical skill.

He was also influenced by Nat King Cole, whose Nat King Cole Trio album he considered "a complete musical thesaurus for any aspiring Jazz pianist."

Peterson suffered a stroke in 1993 that weakened his left hand, but not
his passion or drive for music. Within a year he was back on tour,
recording "Side By Side" with Itzhak Perlman.

As he grew older, Peterson kept playing and touring, despite worsening arthritis and difficulties walking.

"A jazz player is an instant composer," Peterson once said in a
CBC interview, while conceding jazz did not have the mass appeal of
other musical genres. "You have to think about it, it’s an intellectual
form," he said.

In 1972, Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law
which allowed him to stay in power indefinitely. His term was marred by
personal health issues, government mismanagement, political repression,
graft and corruption and rampant human rights violations.

In 1986, he was re-elected for the fourth time, in a disputed snap election which resulted in his unceremonious removal from office through peaceful means by the "People Power" EDSA Revolution. The event was an unprecedented event in Philippine
history. While the EDSA Revolution is almost universally acknowledged as a
great example of democracy at work, the Philippines has largely failed to
actualize the possible gains from a fresh change in government.

Among the conditions cited are the overall slow growth of the Philippine economy, especially compared to that of other nearby Southeast Asian countries, the essentially unchanged political atmosphere in the
country, the general feeling of worsening living conditions
especially among the poor sectors of society, and the continued serious violation by the Philippine security forces of human rights, despite efforts of civilian authorities to control them.

Although the government "generally" respected human rights, some security forces elements—particularly the Philippine National Police—practiced extra-judicial killings, vigilantism, disappearances, torture, and arbitrary arrest and detention in their
battle against criminals and terrorists. Prison conditions were harsh,
and the slow judicial process as well as corrupt police, judges, and
prosecutors impaired due process and the rule of law. Besides criminals
and terrorists, human rights activists, left-wing political activists,
and Muslims were sometimes the victims of improper police conduct. Violence against
women and abuse of children remained serious problems, and some
children were pressed into slave labor and prostitution. KARAPATAN, a major human rights alliance in our country, has recorded over 800 cases of extrajudicial killings of activists and another 200 abducted and missing since President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo took power in 2001 and ordered intensified campaigns to those against her government. 

This government seems intent on silencing anyone who dared speak against it.  As Filipinos, we should not take this sitting down. We should not stop until Maria Luisa Posa-Dominado and her companion are
released and until there is justice for every man, woman and child who
suffered from political violence under this tyranny of murderers.

God bless the Philippines!

Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling, Enron Corp. two former top executives, were convicted of conspiracy and fraud by a federal jury for one of the biggest scandals in US history. Jurors found the once wealthy and powerful corporate chiefs repeatedly lied to cover up accounting tricks and business failures that led to the 2001 collapse, wiping out more than $60 billion in market value, almost $2 billion in pension plans and 5,600 jobs.

Sentencing is set on Sept. 11, 2006. The charges against Lay carry a maximum penalty in prison for 45 years for the corporate trial and 120 years in the personal banking trial. The charges against Skilling carry a maximum penalty of 185 years in prison.

The conspiracy conviction was a major victory for the government, serving as a bookend to an era that saw prosecutors win convictions against top executives from World Com, Inc, Adelphia Communications Corp. and Martha Stewart.

Just goes to show that in the United States, no matter who you are as long as you have committed a criminal offense, the long arm of the law will catch up with you sooner or later. How I wish the same can be said of the Philippines, where unfortunately, justice is only reserved for those in the upper echelon. Can’t blame the plight of the poor as they often have to resort to rendering justice by themselves or through the aid of the NPA, especially in the remote areas of the provinces where the rebels’ swift justice is still prevalent.

Everyone knows the Marcoses’ looted our country’s wealth by leaps and bounds. Has justice been served? Hell no! And to make matters worse, there is speculation that the government is in deep talks with Imelda for a compromise resolution to this matter. Naman! Sila na ang nagnakaw, tapos ang gobyerno pa ang nakikipag areglo sa mga criminal! Plleeeaaassseee!!!!

The Gospel of Judas is an ancient document which has been lost for more than 1,700 years. In Egyptian coptic text, it portrays Judas not as a sinister betrayer but as Jesus’ confidant, chosen to be told spiritual secrets that other apostels were not.

The gospel was found sometime in the 1970s when a farmer stumbled upon a limestone box in a remote burial cave in middle Egypt. Inside the box was a leather-bound codex - a volume of papyrus documents whose pages turned out to be the Gospel of Judas. The journey of this document spins like a Indiana Jones adventure. First comes the discovery in a cave, then thievery and smuggling.

Eventually, the document reappeared in the 1980s and it was turned over to the Maecenas Foundation for Ancient Art headed by Mario Roberty. His foundation sold the rights to exhibit and publish the manuscript to the National Geographic Society for $1 million. A Swiss foundation understook restoration, and translators were set to work with funding from America’s Waitt Institute and the National Geographic.

Responding to this discovery, Pope Benedict XVI used his Holy Thursday homily at the Vatican to recount the Biblical portrayal of Jesus by Judas, calling the apostle a double-crosser for whom "money was more important than communion with Jesus, more important than God and his love".

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lost gospel

Mon David, a veteran multi-talented artist from the Philippines, recently won the prestigous London International Jazz Competition (LIJC) vocalist award for 2006. The event was held at Chelsea’s splendid Cadogan Hall last March 22, 2006 and featured over a hundred competitors from 25 nations.

David is one of our country’s top rate singers, as well as songwriter, musician and record producer. He has exposed himself in various types of songs, whether it be pop, rock, ballad, broadway or classical. His baritone voice enables him to render jazz pieces with a great amount of soul. His most recent album, "Life and Times", contains 15 tracks of jazz tunes and ballads that reflects the crooner’s adept songwriters skills.

To Mon, congratulations! And oh yes….keep on jazzing

In February, 1986, Filipinos shocked the world by ousting a dictator without bloodshed, an event that signalled a new chapter in our nation’s history.

Sad to say, 20 years after the uprising, there remains disappointment and frustration at where the country is headed. Filipinos continue to wait for things to change as corruption and patronage continues to exist. No government has been able to make reforms vital to encourage investment, increase tax collection and narrow the gap between the wealthy and the underprivileged.

Unemployment has forced millions of Filipinos to seek greener pastures abroad. Our economy, which was one of the most promising in Asia decades ago, is now among the poorest. And even if democracy has been restored with Marcos’ ouster, the institutions that were his instruments during his tenure have not been dismantled.

People power left a legacy of shortcut democracy, the easy abandonment of legal processes in favor of removing unpopular leaders by mass protests. The year 2001 saw the ouster of ex-President Estrada after the collapse of his impeachment trial for corruption stirred the people to revolt.

President Arroyo’s critics are now agitating for her removal using the same techniques used before. Yet, even if the conditions for another uprising are ripe, Filipinos have grown weary of people power as they have seen that changing political leadership without guarantees does not lead to long standing changes.

If Filipinos truly desire reform, solidarity is the solution. We need to sacrifice for the sake of our beloved country and learn some selflessness.

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

With the Ultra stampede still fresh in our minds, another tragedy has struck our poor country early Friday morning as heavy rains caused a major landslide in Southern Leyte, with the death toll expected to be in the thousands.

Massive search and rescue operations have been ongoing for the past days, with international assistance in this endeavor coming from the Americans, Malaysians and Taiwanese, to name a few. Although we remain optimistic that some lives could still be saved; unfortunately, this faint glimmer of hope slowly ebbs away as the days progress. We can only pray that the bodies of the deceased be recovered and given decent burial proceedings.

For the only Asian country that is predominantly Catholic and God-fearing, it is  understandable why certain Filipinos would think that God has deserted them. Year after year, the nation has continued to bury its own grave, as graft and corruption, plus political bickerings have grown worse. The  gap between the rich and the poor has widened, with the middle class nowhere to be seen.  The recent success of both boxer Manny Pacquiao and our SEA athletes lifted the spirits of our countrymen to a new high; however, these are short-lived and soon, we will be back in survival mode.

The year 2006 has barely began and we are already plagued by these terrible accidents. It is in these uncertain times that constant prayer is most needed. Even if we are beset with all these problems, we should never lose faith in Him, for He is all good and all knowing. He has a purpose in this world.

Amen.

ABS-CBN’s very popular game show "Wowowee" was turning a year old and their celebration was to be held at Pasig’s ULTRA Arena last Saturday. Thousands of Filipinos from all walks of life had already camped outside the edifice since Thursday. They came in droves, both near and far, each aspiring to cash in on the show’s various prizes.

What transpired that early Saturday was uneventful. For reasons yet to be explained, a stampede occurred, killing more than 70 people, mostly the elderly. Assistance came too late, as ambulances and other medical personnel got delayed entering the premises due to poor crowd control. To make matters worse, those who were present when the tragedy happened failed to deliver immediate medical aid to the victims.

The Arroyo government has started an investigation to this matter; however, as always, I really don’t expect them to come up with any solution. Surely, it is hard to pinpoint who is accountable for this tragedy. But one this is certain … driven by poverty, thousands of Filipinos showed up in Ultra with the desire to gain some financial windfall without batting an eyelash. "Wowowee" has become a top-rated show due to its popularity with the masses; unfortunately, its theme of getting cash and other awards from various sponsors and TFC subscribers then giving these to its fans leaves much to be desired. Even with its good intentions, it is just despicable to think that it has transformed the low-income family groups to beg.

The entertainment industry needs to come up with more quality shows that would highlight the Filipinos’ best traits, instead of exposing its flaws. We Filipinos are known the world over for being hard workers with a seal of intelligence far better than other Asian neighbors. And even though our government and our politicians have betrayed us, we have survived and held our head up high.