Barclays Center on my mind

By Alex P. Vidal

“Shop has also spared Brooklyn another retro stadium. The architects have created something tougher, more textured and compelling, an anti-Manhattan monument, not clad in glass or titanium but muscular and progressive like its borough.”—The New York Times on Barclays Center

IF we’ve been to Brooklyn and we’ve not visited Barclays Center, we haven’t gone to Brooklyn.

We can’t afford to miss visiting the imposing Barclays Center, which resides in Brooklyn, not exactly the center of the universe, although any local Nets lover will gladly tell us their location qualifies as the epicenter of culture and life.

In 2013, or a year after it opened on September 21, 2012, Barclays Center was the top-grossing North American arena for concerts and family shows.

In that year, Madison Square Garden (MSG) in Manhattan was putting the finishing touches on a $1 billion-plus renovation that year, making 2014 the first time the two went head-to-head for the entire year on equal ground.

World class concerts and sports and entertainment shows like the WNBA and NBA games, championship boxing matches are regularly held at the Barclays Center.

We can’t forget when then WBC heavyweight king Deontay “The Brown Bomber” Wilder knocked out Robert “The Nordic Nightmare” Helenius in that Center on October 15, 2022.

Meanwhile, April 22 was the last opportunity for us to watch and chronicle the Game 4 of the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference First Round at the Barclay Center.

Sadly, the first-round series between the Sixers and the Nets lasted just four games. As the Sixers asserted their dominance against a fairly new, and re-tooling Nets team, Seth Curry and his Brooklyn-based teammates didn’t have what it takes to overpower a squad of championship-hopefuls.

The Sixers steamrolled the Nets in the Game I, 121-101, on April 15; Game 2, 96-84, on April 17; Game 3, 102-97 on April 20; and finallly in Game 4, 96-88, on April 22.

“Words cannot do the Game 3 that the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers justice,” reported the NetsDaily after Game 3.

“It was, at the very least, an inner-circle contender for weirdest game of the season, playoffs or not, the sort of game that simultaneously lasts five minutes but also six hours.”

There were two ejections in the match, neither of which resulted from an attempted kick to the jewels that came two minutes into the game. NetsDaily reported that Joel Embiid, a shoe-in for the MVP award, “was so hobbled by game’s end that he did not touch the ball on his team’s two most important possessions, but momentarily recovered to fly across the court for a superhuman, game-saving block in the game’s final seconds.”

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New York City is home to a significant Filipino community, with a population of approximately 236,000, making it the third-largest population of Filipinos in the United States, after Los Angeles and San Francisco.

This community has a rich cultural heritage, which is reflected in the city’s diverse neighborhoods, businesses, and cultural events.

Filipinos in NYC come from different backgrounds, speak different dialects and have different traditions.

The largest concentration of Filipinos in NYC is in the borough of Queens in Little Manila, with 54 percent of the total population, followed by Manhattan with 15.7 percent, Brooklyn with 13.8 percent, the Bronx with 8.5 percent, and Staten Island with 7.3 percent.

These neighborhoods have become cultural hubs, with Filipino restaurants, shops, and community centers, where residents can connect with their roots, participate in cultural events, and build a sense of community.

Many Filipinos who have lived in the city for decades are choosing to return to their homeland for retirement. According to Pew Research Center, there are several reasons why Filipinos are choosing to retire in the Philippines.

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One of the primary reasons is the cost of living. Many retirees find that they can stretch their retirement savings further in the Philippines than in New York City.

The lower cost of housing, food, and healthcare can make a significant difference in their quality of life. Additionally, the strong family ties and support system in the Philippines can help retirees feel more secure and comfortable in their retirement years.

Another reason why Filipinos are choosing to retire in the Philippines is the cultural connection. Despite living in New York City for decades, many Filipinos still feel a strong connection to their homeland and want to spend their retirement years in a place that feels more familiar. The Philippines is rich in culture and traditions that are important to many Filipinos, and retiring there allows them to reconnect with their roots and immerse themselves in their heritage.

Some Filipino retirees are choosing to return to the Philippines to contribute to their communities. Many retirees use their skills and expertise to start businesses, mentor young people, and give back to their hometowns.

Retiring in the Philippines allows them to make a meaningful impact in their communities and leave a lasting legacy.

The decision to retire in the Philippines is a personal one, but for many Filipinos, it is an attractive option. The lower cost of living, cultural connection, and opportunities to give back to their communities are just a few of the reasons why Filipinos are choosing to return to the Philippines for retirement.

For those who have spent most of their lives in New York City, retiring in the Philippines can provide a sense of comfort and familiarity that may not be found anywhere else. (Source: Filipinos of New York)

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WE HAVE BEEN OBSERVING THIS RECENTLY. The greenhouse effect is a warming near the Earth’s surface that results when the Earth’s atmosphere traps the sun’s heat. The atmosphere acts much like the glass walls and rook of a greenhouse.

WE ARE STILL SUPERIOR. Human brains are smarter than creatures whose brains are larger than ours in absolute terms, such as the killer whales, as well as those animals whose brains are larger than ours in relative terms, such as shrews. Thus, the size alone does not explain the uniqueness of the human mind.

GOD. The fact that God is omniscient or all-knowing is enough argument that science is part of His creation and by being omnipotent or all-powerful is enough evidence that God is in total control of the universe.

YES OR NO. If we believe in God, we are called theists (no matter what particular conception of God we believe in). If we don’t, we are called atheists. If we say, “I don’t know,” we are called agnostics. Yes? No? Don’t know?

SEXY. One in five women finds a man with long hair sexy. (GDP)

HUMAN RACE. To save the human race, we must reduce our number. The only way to do that is to restructure our entire socioeconomic system.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)