Battles Political, Literal, Physical

Like it or not (and many of us don't like it), politics will take center stage this year as both our homeland and the US hold their presidential elections. The upside of these, of course, is the wealth of materials that satirists and comedians will have at their command. Rene Ciria Cruz, our editor who is also the bureau chief of Inquirer.net for North America, fires the initial volley with "Scientists studying ailing PH senator's miraculous recovery." This is satire, dear readers, so no need to get into emotional knots about it.

From the present to the past, contributing writer Larry Ng who writes from Australia, takes us back 75 years during the Battle of Manila that started February 4, 1945. In "Ordeal by Fire," the gruesome realities of war is juxtaposed with the unexpected kindness of fellow victims. Larry's family story is painful but is ultimately inspiring since it restores faith in human nature.

In the San Francisco Bay Area which is currently awash with tourists and festivities for the Super Bowl, the biggest sports event in the US, Dr. Elaine Serina, an expert in bio-mechanics, is on alert. Her firm, Talas Engineering, specializes in scientific analysis of accidents, and the SuperBowl events are ripe for such eventualities. Beyond her professional expertise, Serina is a strong advocate of empowering Filipina women in the field of engineering. Positively Filipino Correspondent Elizabeth Ann Quirino writes about this amazing role model.

And for our very special Super Bowl Video of the Week, veteran broadcast journalist Lloyd LaCuesta, along with videographer Ken Guanga, brings out the Filipino flavor to the festivities with their interview of Jordan Norwood, the Denver Broncos' wide receiver whose Filipino roots run deep. Norwood talks about his pride in his mother's heritage and about his brother, Gabriel, who currently plays for the PBA in Manila. Our video team also had a brief chat with Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach who is covering the Super Bowl for CNN's Inside Edition, and with Stephanie Rivera, the Filipina wife of the Carolina Panthers' head coach Ron Rivera, whose grandfather is Filipino. We hope you enjoy our exclusive Super Bowl video. 

For the hundreds of thousands of balikbayans and other tourists enjoying the Philippines right now, here's a re-post of Manuel Hizon's award-winning article, "11 Great Beaches You Probably Haven't Been To." Often the best vacations are in off-the-beaten-track places. Just saying.

Our Happy Home Cook feature, Scampi and Crab Pasta, an easy-to-make dinner recipe from Bernie Cervantes, a documentary photographer who used to have her own restaurant in UP Diliman.