So far, this has been a disappointing World Cup. However, that doesn’t mean I haven’t seen great performances from certain players of different countries. I decided to make a list of the best players I have seen thus far in this tournament. So, who made my list? Cristiano Ronaldo? Kaká? Lionel Messi? Wayne Rooney? Fernando Torres? Think again! These players left, or are leaving, much to wish for with their dismal performances. This list is of the players who proved the gems that they are.

1. Mesut Özil- Germany

This is, in my view, the best player of the world cup. His speed, his dribbling ability, and vision to create an attack has been excellent for this attacking midfielder throughout the tournament. I can’t imagine anyone in Germany missing their star, Michael Ballack (who missed the cup do to an injury), since Özil, a 21 year old youngster of Turkish descent, is filling Ballack’s role magnificently. With his dazzling display and the consistency he has shown so far, he will quickly be bought from his current German club, Werder Bremen, as soon as Germany’s World Cup ends. He is no longer worth 4.3 million Euros as his stock has risen. I look forward to seeing him play in a better team, in either the English Premier League or the Spanish La Liga. A great break-out star!

2. Javier “Chicharito” Hernández-Mexico

The Mexican sensation didn’t disappoint in the World Cup. Chicharito (Spanish for little pea) managed to score two tremendous goals for Mexico in a total playing time of 169 minutes (less than 2 complete games). His first was a jaw-dropping goal against France where he broke the offside trap and ran towards the French goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris, at an amazing 19.97 mph (the fastest player of the tournament according to FIFA), easily feinting him and scoring the crucial opening goal. Against Argentina, he netted a great consolation goal as Mexico succumbed to Argentina 3-1. England’s Manchester United was smart enough to buy this recently turned 22 year-old before the cup, saving money and beating several European clubs for his services. On July 1, 2010, Chicharito will become Manchester United’s first ever Mexican player and Red Devil fans are looking forward to see this ambidextrous striker take some goal-making burden from Wayne Rooney.

3. David Villa-Spain

The prolific goal scorer from Valencia, where he scored 107 goals in 166 games, has recently been bought by Barcelona to accompany Messi in the attack. Villa is Spanish magic, his speed and abilities to shake off defenders on the pitch make him one of the world’s most dangerous strikers. He has scored 4 goals in this World Cup and it seems he will score more as Spain just entered quarter finals. His total tally for the Spanish national team is 42 goals in 62 Games. He looks set to be Spain’s legendary hero if they win their first ever World Cup. Definitely one of the most exciting strikers to watch.

4. Bastian Schweinsteiger- Germany

What?! Another German on the list? Well, yes. This midfielder, who plays regulary for Bayern Munich, is a Field Marshal on the pitch. He sets order and is the switch which sets up Germany’s tempo on the field. He is a player that pursues every ball, fighting for the rebounds and quickly filters passes out to Podolski, Klose, and Özil. This 25 year-old shows much maturity and coolness in the most nerve-racking moments and is fun to watch. His football skills are very, very impressive.

5. Luis Suárez- Uruguay

Everyone thought Uruguay was a one-man team, Diego Forlan’s team, but fellow striker Luis Suárez proved everyone wrong. The striker for Ajax, one of the top teams in the Netherlands, has scored 3 very important goals in this tournament. What makes him special? His speed and intelligence of moving to the right place, at the right time. The world expected Forlan to shine, but he has been overtaken by this 23 year-old as Uruguay’s fan favorite. Clubs all over Europe are now going to be after his services due to such a good performance in this World Cup. Uruguay still is alive in this tournament and I look forward to seeing him play more.

6. Keisuke Honda- Japan

You read right, a Japanese footballer is on the list! Honda not only is a great car manufacturer but also the last name of Japan’s most distinguished football player. In fact, he is so good, that according to FIFA, he is one of the players that incurred the most faults. Defenders have no way to stop him and resort to faulting him. He scored two goals this World Cup, helping Japan reach the Round of 16. Unfortunately, Japan got disqualified in penalty shootouts. Honda will serve as inspiration for future players in the Asian region as they, along with South Korea, have demonstrated that their football has improved drastically.

7. Alexis Sánchez- Chile

Fast, excellent ball control, and the ability to get by defenders as if he was covered in oil, Alexis Sánchez used this World Cup to show his qualities to the football world. “The Wonder Boy” helped an imposing Chilean team to advance to the Round of 16 where they, unfortunately, were humbled by Brazil. Teams, such as Manchester United, have expressed interest in obtaining his services. His ability to create attacks will certainly be noted by European clubs hungry for his outstanding play, and if Udinese of Italy is smart, they will sell him for a large amount of Euros to the bigger clubs. One of the most exciting wingers/attacking midfielders at this cup!

8. Michel Bastos- Brazil

No list is complete without at least one Brazilian present. Bastos is not as flashy as Ronaldinho or a prolific goal scorer as Ronaldo, but when you see him play– one sees magic. He can wiggle his way past defenders and his crosses are some of the best I have seen. He never gives up and he runs the whole game, looking for opportunities to wreak havoc on the opposing team. This 26 year-old winger/left back who plays for Olympique Lyonnais in the French league truly plays from the heart and sweats his country’s jersey. Prior to the World Cup, I had never heard of him but seeing his style of play, he is the Brazilian to watch, along with Luis Fabiano. Brazil is my bet to reach the finals, with only the Netherlands as the sole serious opposition from being in the finals. Will Bastos continue his assists and keep shining?

9. Eduardo dos Reis Carvalho- Portugal

The finest goalkeeper I have seen thus far in the Cup. The 27 year-old Eduardo did not concede a single goal until Spain’s David Villa scored against Portugal. In the game against Spain, Eduardo stopped many venomous shots from Villa and Fernando Torres but it took a single goal to knock him and all Portugal from reaching quarter finals. His saves reminded me of Oliver Khan’s brilliant performances in 2002.

10. Arjen Robben- Netherlands

I have always liked the Netherlands national team, they always seem to be a clockwork orange and are like a well-lubricated machine. Though they have won all their games in this World Cup, they still have yet to show us beautiful football. Robben has only played 2 matches in this tournament, due to starting the cup with a recent injury, but he has quickly shown the quality of player he is. Despite not being 100% fit, his presence on the pitch automatically improves Holland’s game drastically. On his first match in the tournament, one of his strikes bounced off the goal post and rebounded to a fellow Dutchman, allowing an easy score. He also was responsible for scoring a great volley against Slovakia in the Round of 16, showing off his speed and powerful left kick. Robben has impressed since last World Cup. Can he do it against Brazil?

The United States of America and Mexico have never had the most cordial of friendships. Mexico entered political turmoil after achieving its independence from Spain in 1821; unfortunately, political corruption still plagues the country today. It is estimated that there are 111 million Mexicans in a land area of over 760,000 sq. miles. This places Mexico as the 11th most populous country and the 14th largest by total area in the world, respectively. The United States, on the other hand, declared its independence on July 4, 1776 from the British Empire and was recognized as independent in 1783. Its remarkable Constitution led to a stable government, which the former British colonies and new American States all ratified in 1788 and amended with the Bill of Rights in 1791. Currently, there is an estimated 309 million Americans in about 3.8 million sq. miles, the 3rd largest by both population and land area, with only Russia and China being larger. Maintaining unity at the end of the US Civil War, securing the Louisiana Purchase from Napoleon, and winning the Mexican-American War in 1848 and the Spanish-American War in 1898– all helped make the United States one of the strongest countries in the world and defined its present day boundaries. After World War II and the subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union, America eventually became the sole super power in the world.

The reason Mexico and the USA aren’t warm friends goes a long way back. In 1821, the American, Stephen F. Austin, carried his father’s vision of buying 307 parcels of land in Texas, a province belonging to Mexico after attaining their Spanish independence, and bringing 300 colonists to the area. The settlers had to eventually become Mexican Citizens and upon receiving their land titles became known as the Old Three Hundred, the first approved Anglo-American immigrants in Texas, along the Brazos River. Mexican law required the new immigrants to be Catholic and prohibited the possession of slaves, but the settlers didn’t pay much attention to that, since they were settling where no Spanish or Mexican settlements existed; consequently, most were Protestant and about 25% of them brought slaves with them. This would eventually become a problem with Mexico, as more and more Anglos continued to settle in Mexican land, as illegal immigrants. By 1834, Texas had a population of approximately 37,800 with only about 7,800 of Mexican origin. With this in mind, the Anglo immigrants started to think of independent statehood. This ties in beautifully with something Sun Tzu describes in his treatise, The Art of War, which I completely agree with:

Mo Tun of the Hsiung Nu established his power near the end of the Ch’in dynasty. His neighbors, the Eastern Hu were mightier and constantly sent ambassadors, making demands. “They said: ‘We wish to obtain T’ou Ma’s thousand-li horse.’ Mo Tun consulted his advisors, who all exclaimed: ‘The thousand-li horse! The most precious thing in this country! Do not give them that!’ Mo Tun replied: ‘Why begrudge a horse to a neighbour?’ So he sent the horse. Shortly after, the Eastern Hu sent envoys who said: ‘We wish one of the Khan’s princesses.’ Mo Tun asked advice of his ministers who all angrily said: ‘The Eastern Hu are unrighteous! Now they even ask for a princess! We implore you to attack them!’ Mo Tun said: ‘How can one begrudge his neighbour a young woman?’ So he gave the woman. A short time later, the Eastern Hu returned and said: ‘You have a thousand li of unused land which we want.’ Mo Tun consulted his advisers. Some said it would be reasonable to cede the land, others that it would not. Mo Tun was enraged and said: ‘Land is the foundation of the State. How could one give it away?’ All those who advised doing so were beheaded.” Mo Tun then sprang to his horse and made a surprise attack on the Eastern Hu, swiftly decimating them.

The point I’m trying to make is precisely that, the importance of land to a country. All those centuries ago, Chinese generals understood the importance of land to the State and General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna knew this. The white colonizers couldn’t just keep land that wasn’t theirs, simple as that. It is analogous to owning land, inviting people to live for a while and those same people wanting to keep your lands afterwards. Thus, Santa Anna marched from Mexico City to keep the Texas colonists in order. We all know the subsequent battle at The Alamo and the Texans’ victory at San Jacinto, which led to Texas independence in 1836. Mexico always planned to take it back, an effort hindered by the United States’ annexation of Texas into the Union on December 29, 1845. This led to further discontent between the two countries. The 19th century American belief of Manifest Destiny was crucial to the countries falling out with one another. Americans arrogantly believed that it was the United States’ “destiny” of expanding from the Atlantic to Pacific Ocean by any means possible. This precipitated the Mexican-American War, a ruse to take land from Mexico. At the time, Mexico was weak and America saw a juicy opportunity in 1846-48, under President Polk’s administration, declaring open war on its southern neighbor. Many Americans protested and disapproved of the war. One of my heroes, Henry David Thoreau was one of them. He refused to pay his poll tax, money used to fund the Mexican-American War and was imprisoned for it. Thoreau’s famous Civil Disobedience essay emerged from that experience:

“…The standing army is only an arm of the standing government. The government itself, which is only the mode which the people have chosen to execute their will, is equally liable to be abused and perverted before the people can act through it. Witness the present Mexican war, the work of comparatively a few individuals using the standing government as their tool; for, in the outset, the people would not have consented to this measure.”

Here, one can easily discern that Thoreau saw the Mexican War for what it was, a scheme by a small group of men to take land from Mexico. However, Thoreau rebukes his fellow countrymen for not being more honest and protesting the war and slave trade in a proper fashion. The war was a disaster for Mexico, as it lost approximately half its territory, in the end only receiving 15 million dollars and an external debt to America cleared. The United States, in turn, had total control of Texas, the Rio Grande River became the official U.S.-Mexico border, and it obtained the present-day states of Utah, Nevada, and California and parts of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Gold was almost immediately found in California afterwards, spurring the Gold Rush.

I don’t know about you, but the way I see it, Mexico has reason to be upset, wouldn’t you agree?

If we now shift focus to the present day, we can see the current problems between the two countries. Namely, drug trafficking and immigration. Let’s keep it with immigration. America is the melting pot of the world, everyone knows that. Immigrants, either illegally or legally, come here in search of prosperity, of the “American Dream”– a better life for each person and their family. That is nothing new. Mexico is a third-world country, which means people will migrate to the nearest country with the best economy, and that happens to be their northern neighbor, the USA. It isn’t rocket science that people will be prone to leave their country in search of a better way of life. America exports much pop culture to the rest of the world, making it all the more attractive. Today, most immigrants come from Mexico, Central and South America, and Asia. The largest flow of illegal immigrants, of course, comes from Mexico. Are they breaking the law? Yes. Are they harming the country? I do not think so, and I can debate anyone, any day of the week, on this issue. I think the common American is truly misinformed of what it means to be an “illegal” immigrant. This so, because they do not directly experience the day to day struggle these people go through. It’s easy to label someone a “wetback” and to use them as scapegoats for our dilemmas, but people air their opinions without once putting themselves in their shoes. People are so naive that they think, “people should come here legally”. Trust me, if people could, they would. It isn’t easy for the new waves of immigrants to get here and survive here. Millions upon millions of immigrants from all over Europe used to arrive at Ellis Island in New York, with a much easier pathway to citizenship than the one illegal immigrants face today.

What is an illegal immigrant, by the way? Is it the name of a second or third rate citizen? Is it someone below human level? More than anything, an illegal immigrant is someone who fights for a better life. Did not God endow us with a visa to the whole world, from the moment we are born? Are people to stop at man-made boundaries, because elite people say so? Modern illegal immigrants come to work, the grand majority anyways. There is always that small fraction that come to commit crimes, but we shouldn’t form a judgment by such a small group alone. Most do come to work, doing the jobs hardly anybody wants to do. People who do dry cleaning, house keeping, construction, restaurant servers, lawn people, and all types of handymen are often illegal immigrants, for example. It is a rare sight indeed to see an illegal immigrant of not only Mexico, but any country, to be asking for handouts at a traffic intersections–like many white and black American citizens do everyday. These immigrants come to work. They have the guts to leave home and country behind, facing uncertainty– all in search of a better life for themselves and their loved ones. They start from zero. Can you do that? Would you risk death by crossing the desert or swimming the Rio Grande if that was the means to prosperity? For it is necessity not pleasure that spurs people to leave their homeland. Think of it this way, if your family needs prescription medication but you cannot afford it, and there’s a pharmacy on your street corner, what would you do? Let your family die for not having the money to buy the medication or break into the pharmacy and take the medication? If you had no other choice, what would you do? I would break into the pharmacy. FYI, the pharmacy is the United States.

Not to offend anyone, but what type of illegal immigrant is worse? The illegal white immigrant who came to America and eradicated the Native American population and subjugated African slaves, or people that come here to make an honest living by doing the toughest, often most physical of jobs?

I know which one Thoreau would deem as worse. So, what is the big deal with providing a pathway to citizenship for 11 millions illegal immigrants and passing the DREAM Act, so illegal students can have financial aid for college and a way to get a job when they graduate? Let us not forget that by being an illegal immigrant, you are denied of many things that can best be summed up as crimes against humanity. Even after being in America for years, illegal immigrants cannot obtain a social security card, a driver license, a passport, financial aid from FAFSA, and many other things. People are prohibited from reaching their true potential and their dreams. What is the point of having a grade-A brain and not being able to find a job worthy of you capabilities? That is a shrewd waste of talent, if you ask me. Now, some people who are anti-immigrant would always point out that illegal immigrants create a strain in our economy. Namely, that such people abuse welfare and medical treatment, that billions of dollars go to waste, money that comes from American tax payers. While that is true, people fail to grasp the larger part of the picture. Illegal immigrants help the economy by paying 8 cents on every taxable dollar for goods and services. They eventually purchase houses and vehicles, thus, helping the economy move. Moreover, many illegal immigrants resort to using fake social security numbers, hence, they never get reimbursed on federal taxes, allowing Uncle Sam to keep billions of dollars every year. Most people don’t even know that, or just plain don’t accept it. One must also note that more and more Hispanic immigrants establish their own businesses, with revenue accumulating in the billions of dollars. Therefore, when people come my way arguing how illegals are ruining the country, I return them stupefied. And If you think I am just airing my opinions, think again.

From Wikipedia:

“According to James Smith, a senior economist at Santa Monica-based RAND Corporation and lead author of the study “The New Americans: Economic, Demographic, and Fiscal Effects of Immigration”, immigrants contribute as much as $10 billion to the American economy each year. Separate research by both George Borjas, Robert W. Scrivner Professor of Economics and Social Policy at Harvard University and Paul Samuelson, Nobel Prize-winning economist from MIT has shown that illegal immigration had a substantial effect on reducing the economic status of U.S. poor while benefiting middle class individuals and wealthier Americans.”

Immigrants, be them illegal or legal, are what makes our country strong. If America wants to curtail the flow of immigration, it should build a wall all along the border and add more border patrol and aerial surveillance as well… but to the people that have been living in the shadows for many years– those 11 millions immigrants– they should receive a pathway to permanent residency and citizenship… now. You simply cannot deport 11 million people. What’s more, people become Americans by being exposed to the American way of life. A paper shouldn’t dictate if you are an American or not, it is our values and morals that make us Americans in the end.

The way things are right now, with the current Arizona law passed by governor Jan Brewer (another reason I dislike conservative republicans), things are beginning to get ugly. If the federal government doesn’t do something soon, the problem will escalate. It is my hope that the Latino community rises up from its slumber and demands its due. There is a feeling of hatred bubbling up among people on opposite sides of the issue. The fact that U.S. Border Agents shot and killed a 15 year old boy in Ciudad Juarez for reportedly throwing rocks and the murder of a man, Anastasio Hernandez Rojas, who was applied taser 4 times and beaten on the head with a baton for resisting deportation, have no doubt exasperated the Hispanic community this month.

Having said that, now that I have the iPhone… I cannot believe what I was missing out on! The GUI is amazing and seamless, very user friendly. My twin nephews already had iPhones and previously, I would always ask if I could borrow the darn thing, quickly draining their battery in the process. The phone made a great impact with all the things you can do: surf the web, take pics, upload pics to Facebook on the go, stream YouTube videos, add all types of useful Apps… and more. Using their iPhone, it convinced me to just go ahead and get one for myself. It is a decision I will never regret for we all know the quality of Apple hardware and I’m quite happy with my investment.

When exposing the truth of this church, we point at the history of the church, the subsequent inheritance of the church by Samuel, and how the church is molded today. I mostly have focused on the history and the life-impacting aspects of the church while others, like Colin, Blue, Christopher and Alberto have put forth very solid and fool-proof biblical Scriptures challenging the authenticity of “Apostle” Samuel Joaquin Flores. A connoisseur of the Holy Bible, Colin has submitted evidence that convince, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Samuel’s “apostleship” is a farce.

Revelations 2:2 instructs thus:

“…You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars.”

As Colin has pointed out elsewhere, Samuel Joaquin Flores is 0 for 5 in the requirements of a true apostle:
Samuel has never seen Jesus Christ, Samuel was never chosen by Christ, Samuel has never performed a sign or miracle, Samuel has never written an Epistle, and Samuel never had the role in the foundation of the universal church by preaching the original and only Gospel of Jesus Christ… in short, Samuel soundly fails the prerequisites of a true apostle. Moving on, if you take an objective view on the lifestyle Samuel has had, it is not on par with the rest of the true apostles of Jesus Christ. For example, Samuel is very wealthy, living in luxurious mansions, owning luxurious cars, owning ranches with a zoo of exotic animals, owning other properties all over Mexico and abroad, vacationing frequently to Las Vegas, and dressing in expensive Italian designer clothes… it begs the question, were the biblical apostles filthy rich? All these are facts. Though we live in modern times, living like this was not the example set by the original apostles. Jesus, in Matthew 6:19, even commands us to not collect treasures on earth, but that is precisely what Samuel Joaquin Flores does.

Now, when you present these points to people who attend LLDM, we are the enemy. A member even claimed that I live a horrible life, made-so by the devil! They call us ignorant, stupid, morons, and other things that aren’t of a “Christian” nature. Regarding his wealth and properties, fanatics will always counter that God has simply blessed Samuel and if he lives in luxury, so be it. Members state that their “apostle” never asks for anything (though he sure is quick to accept a yacht, among other things) and that they simply want to “accommodate” and treat their spiritual leader well. Pretty preposterous, right? Most of the congregation are dirt poor, and pastors are sent with family in-tow to the poorest of regions to start-up new churches. As one commentator most eloquently put on the other blog, some of the pastor’s families only have tortillas with salt to eat (if that), while the tithe was mailed religiously to Guadalajara for Samuel and his family to live like royalty. Still, members see nothing wrong with this. They have filters for the reality surrounding their leader. The widows of the pastors exploited by the church do not even receive a pension. On the contrary, the church convinces widows and other members who are ill and close to death to donate their houses and/or their other properties to the church. Pastors have no insurance. As another frequent commentator stated, if a pastor falls ill and needs surgery and medication, he is pretty much on his own and headquarters reluctantly loan money to that particular church to temporary cover the medical costs, money that has to be paid back by the people that attend that church (basically, they pitch in money for the cause). All these points lead to the conclusion that LLDM executives are full of greed and unscrupulous. Yet another example of this is that members are pretty much required to pilgrim to Guadalajara on August 14th and February 14th to pay homage to the self-labeled “apostle”. What might surprise you is that February 14th is his birthday! Again, members will say that during this “holy supper”, mention of his birthday is never made. Be as it may, the day is still his birthday. As you read this, LLDM churches from every location are collecting and raising money to buy gifts for Samuel. Since most of the members have little to no education, it is an easy matter to brainwash them. For instance, they are told that the Bible can only be properly interpreted by their pastors, as it is too sophisticated for them to understand on their own. This, of course, means most of the members know very little about the Holy Bible. Even the ones that know the Scriptures interpret them in their own skewed way and defend their faux apostle with such zealot that it is almost admirable. They should remember the old adage “Just because you believe in something… it doesn’t mean it’s true”.

Naturally, the truth hurts and LLDM proponents have come out to defend their church. Unfortunately, most only state their opinions and cannot defend their beliefs, while rebuking us for “insulting” their religion. On the other hand, those who share my view mostly state clear biblical truths. What is closer to the truth? Contents from the Bible or opinions? If we are honest, and as academics it is our duty to be so, one can easily discern that what we write is VERITAS. Sadly, it has even come to the point that a member has researched me, trying to find out who I truly am, where I live, etc., as well as investigating my father’s history. Very creepy behavior, wouldn’t you agree? Yet, not unexpected. Still, who would go through such lengths to find out about a blog writer if the truth written here is not damaging their church? Digging into my family’s history and contacting some of my father’s siblings from the church is rather disturbing. It gives an unsettling feeling that I may be targeted for elimination. How far would this cult go to protect its interest? We have but to look to the past to see how fanatics were quick to shed blood like say in the crusades, all for their beliefs. Let us remember David Koresh who preyed on the ignorance of his followers and manipulated them to carry out his whims. The only difference here is that Samuel uses his claim as an “apostle” to get rich. Yes, many members are mad at my blog and for writing about LLDM. In their minds, they are blasphemies and God will surely punish me for it.

To make matters worse, some people have given testimonies that on top of all I have mentioned, sexual abuse has been occurring from long ago. Allegedly, Samuel has had many young women working in his mansion in Guadalajara and, intuitively, one can gather that the apostle has engaged in sexual intercourse with more than one woman throughout the years. Is it true? I do not know, I was not there. What is known is that said young women do wear clothing that reveals their voluptuous feminine figure. Investigation to these claims have always led to dead ends, primarily due to the money and influence of this church in Mexico.

Samuel Joaquin Flores is in his 70s, and his death is imminent. Will he chose a son of his to carry the mantle of “apostleship” just as he received it from his father Aaron?! That is precisely what will happen… and it will happen quite soon. LLDM criticizes the Roman Catholic Church for having the Pope as their maximum spiritual leader, failing to see that they themselves have their own ‘pope” who lives just as luxuriously and worse, by lying to 5 million people that he was appointed by God himself! Samuel has no education… but to make amends, he purchased an ‘honorary doctorate’… so he is now called “doctor”! It is an abomination that this man has never been convicted. In Mexico, government authorities like the police are easily bought and controlled. That LLDM steers its congregation to vote for PRI in every election guarantees them immunity from the government. Members always will tell you that Samuel is a kind hearted human being who builds schools, hospitals, clinics, and such… what they fail to understand is that none of those services are free. They are all charged for.

There are people who play poker, people who play dominoes, people who play Uno, people who play Counter Strike… and then there are people who play chess. I am one of the latter. Chess is my favorite board game of all time. Why? Because it is a mental war game! It requires deep thought, focus, and creativity. Opponents have to prepare both a defense and an attack and must endeavor to outwit each other… aiming for the precious capture of the enemy king… the checkmate! I learned to play chess when I was 13 years old and have been hooked ever since. I would be lying to you if I were to tell you that I have always played throughout the years. In fact, it is a hobby that I leave and come back to from time to time. This is because in my social circles, hardly anybody knows how to play chess… and if they do, they usually aren’t good at it. It is not that fun to play with someone who only knows how to move the pieces, the game requires the strategy of a knowledgeable opponent to make it interesting. I used to think I was a strong player in my teens and in my early 20s. That was until I started playing with a 40 year-old co-worker named Victor. Oh, my God… the guy annihilated me so bad that I still have nightmares! He would even give me odds of a knight and a bishop! It hurt my ego so I started reading chess books and opening theory. I learned tips and tricks and used them accordingly against him. It took weeks but then he would only give me a pawn… and soon we started our games on equal terms. I must have played over a hundred games with him! I did manage to beat him about 40% of the time eventually. Whatever I learned, he would learn from me during our matches, so I was only making him stronger! I started employing the Queen’s Indian Defence, the Caro-Kann, the Grünfeld Defence and the Queen Gambit’s Accepted! Sadly, I changed jobs and never saw him again. I still miss our grand chess games during our breaks and lunch hour.

Since Victor was a strong player by my standards I decided to read chess books… to become a better player. However, with school and other work (and the fact that nobody at home wanted to play chess), I walked out on my hobby. I just recently returned in full force! I bought a large, hand-carved wooden chess set made in Bethlehem worth $300 and I also bought Garry Kasparov’s book, On My Great Predecessors. It is part one of a 5-part series in which the 13th world champion, Kasparov, analyses the games of the early masters and tracks the evolution of chess to modern times. Kasparov is actually considered one of the greatest players to ever play the game, with a peak FIDE (the mafia that organizes chess tournaments) Elo rating of 2851 in addition to him being World Chess Champion from 1985-2000. The book is a compilation of masterpieces played by the best players both before and after the World Chess Championship was established and includes select games from the first four official world champions: Steinitz, Lasker, Capablanca, and Alekhine. It is interesting to note that there were several “unofficial” world champions… Philidor, Le Bourdannais, Staunton… and most notably Adolf Anderssen of Germany and the great Paul Morphy of America. These players were vastly ahead of their time. Anderssen dazzled everyone with his combination play in which he often sacrificed a rook, a bishop, even a queen to checkmate his opponents! He was the strongest player in Europe with no equal… that is, until “The Pride and Sorrow of Chess”, Paul Morphy, obliterated all opposition in both the New and Old Worlds.

Paul Morphy is actually my favorite chess player of all time! I would like to tell you about him. As Kasparov states in his book, Morphy was a “super-genius”. He was the epitome of a child prodigy. Born in New Orleans in 1837, he always surprised his family with his intelligence and acute memory. He learned chess from his father and his uncle, who valued chess as a family past-time. He learned just by looking at his father and uncle play, and upon their finishing a certain game, Morphy pointed out that his uncle had missed a “checkmate”. They were in shock since they did not even think he knew how to move the pieces, much less know any tactics. Morphy even arranged the chess board and demonstrated how his uncle had missed the checkmate! Naturally, his family encouraged him to play at the local chess club and at home, and soon, he made everyone his bitch… General Winfield Scott, while camping in New Orleans, asked his aides to bring him the town’s strongest chess player for an evening’s game. The general thought of himself as an extraordinary player and felt insulted when his aides brought him a 9 year-old Morphy, he thought it was a prank but his aides told him that everyone said the young Morphy was the strongest player around. Needless to say, Morphy vanquished the General not once, but twice. The General refused further games with him and preferred to go to bed! Sometime later, Löwenthal, one of Europe’s distinguished masters, visited New Orleans and consented to play with a 12 year-old Morphy… a few moves into the very first game and he knew he was facing a chess monster… he swiftly lost 3 games during his visit. Morphy went to get a law degree by the age of 19, and legend has it that he memorized all of Louisiana’s penal codes! However, he had to wait until he was of 21 years of age to practice law, so he decided to return to chess in the meantime. The rest is history. He easily became national chess champion by beating Paulsen, a very strong chess player. He then set off in 1958 to England in search of a match with the great English master, Staunton. He easily beat all the top English masters and Staunton, out of fear, refused to play him. Also, he beat Löwenthal yet again (+9 -3 =2)! However, Morphy was nice enough to buy his defeated opponent furniture with the prize money. Not satisfied, he crossed the channel into France. There, he beat all the top French players! Still not content, he challenged the awesome Adolf Anderssen to a match. Anderssen was not a coward like Staunton and accepted if only Morphy would wait until Christmas vacations since he had teaching duties. Morphy agreed and even pledged to pay Anderssen’s travelling expenses! While he thus waited for the German master, he kept busy crushing all opposition in grand style, even playing blindfold games with multiple opponents as exhibitions! He crushed two strong amateurs, the Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard, who consulted with each other as to what to move during an opera, the well known “opera game“. Morphy, perhaps irritated because he wanted to see the performance, quickly destroyed his opponents in a mere 17 moves. When December arrived, Anderssen finally made it to Paris. Anderssen was given the title of ‘chess romantic’ and no one could match his combinations on the board. However, combinations, in which emphasis was placed on attacking as the best type of defense was to prove useless with the advent of positional theory, in which small advantages by position could render combinations ineffective. Paul Morphy, though also a combination genius, was the forefather of modern chess because his positional play was here to stay. Later, Steinitz would publish the first positional theories and made them known to the world. Reckless combinations were to become a thing of the past for the most part. Upon Anderssen’s arrival, Paul Morphy was very ill from an intestinal infection and was being treated with leeches. Morphy, subsequently, lost the first game against Anderssen, then forced a draw on the second game, and then won five in a row! The final score was +7 -2 =2 (Seven wins, two losses, and two draws)! Needless to say, he was a celebrity and Paris hosted a banquet in his honor, he was crowned ‘World Chess Champion’ (It is a pity that the official event of World Chess Championship was not established yet, so Morphy will always be “unofficial” world chess champion in the books). Upon returning to America, Morphy was hailed as a hero and was given a grand reception. In a short two years, he did something never before seen. Unfortunately, Morphy gave up serious chess competition forever upon his return. With the start of the Civil War, he was unable to practice law adequately and people sought him more for chess matters than for legal affairs. As it is with certain geniuses, Morphy started to exhibit signs of mental disorder. The disease progressed and he began to lose his grasp on reality, walking the streets of New Orleans everyday, disoriented and without purpose. He died of a stroke at the relatively young age of 47, in 1884. However, he will always be a chess immortal and many world champions since still regard him the best of them all.

If we analyze a male-to-male pairing or a female-to-female pairing, we would arrive to the conclusion that these combinations do not function in the reproduction, propagation, and survival of the human species. It sounds harsh, but a two plug combination or a two socket combination… is not what nature intended. If all the peoples of the world became homosexual, our species would be in big trouble. There is a possibility that we would cease to exist, or reproduction would become a “burden”. Just to be clear, I am not implying that homosexuals contribute nothing to humanity. There are many great people with great hearts and charisma, who help and contribute to society in countless ways. I do believe everyone is entitled to live life as they want, personal lives are private and to each his own. Most of the time, I care not for how people decide to live, as long as they do not affect or interfere in my own life.