Sunday, April 29, 2012

Caguioa named BPC, Bowles hands-down choice for Best Import


Photo: PBA/Nuki Sabio

Denzel Bowles ran away as the choice for Best Import while Ginebra's Mark "The Spark" Caguioa beat Powerade's Gary David to get the Best Player of the Conference plum for this tournament, the Commissioner's Cup.

Caguioa gained the nod of the media, his fellow players and the PBA, accumulating 1,085 points as
against David’s 900. Cyrus Baguio finished third in the race with 556 points, followed by Marcio
Lassiter with 470 and LA Tenorio with 434.


(The official tabulation c/o the pbaologist)

David, despite his monster numbers has failed to bring the Tigers to the playoffs.


Having been told that the BPC winner is an automatic contender for the season-ending MVP honors, Mark expressed how much he wanted to play. He wanted another championship for his team, that the BPC honors are just for himself.

However, with his injury, Mark Caguioa might miss the rest of the season.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Globe's Tattoo Personalized Plan 999: Thumbs Up or Down?





If you are always on the go and see the need for a legitimate internet connection, you might consider getting a dongle like this, Globe Tattoo's Personalized Plan 999, for a base plan worth P 999.00, you could enjoy surfing speeds up to 7.2 mbps and is upgradeable to 21 mbps.


You could also customize your base plan to the following:

STEP 1: Subscribe to your favorite publication for free:

Add caption
STEP 2: Upgrade your USB dongle to a wi-fi stick which allows 5 devices capability.

STEP 3:  Upgrade to 21 MBPS.



Lottery Chances and other Draft Order for NBA Draft 2012

2012 FIRST ROUND DRAFT CHOICE ORDER
The teams entered in the lottery, to be held on May 30, 2012, are as follows (note: the first three picks in the Draft will be determined by the lottery and the remainder of the "lottery teams" will select in positions 4 through 14 in inverse order of their consolidated standings at the end of the regular season):

Team record (Lottery changes, out of 1,000)
Charlotte 7-59 250
Washington 20-46 199
Cleveland 21-45 138
New Orleans 21-45 137
Sacramento 22-44 76
New Jersey* 22-44 75
Golden State# 23-43 36
Toronto 23-43 35
Detroit 25-41 17
Minnesota (To New Orleans via LA Clippers) 26-40 11
Portland 28-38 8
Milwaukee 31-35 7
Phoenix 33-33 6
Houston 34-32 5

The order for the remainder of the first round picks is as follows:
15. Philadelphia 35-31
16. New York (To Houston) 36-30
17. Dallas 36-30
18. Utah (To Minnesota) 36-30
19. Orlando 37-29
20. Denver 38-28
21. Boston 39-27
22. LA Clippers (To Boston via OKC) 40-26
23. Atlanta 40-26
24. LA Lakers (To Cleveland) 41-25
25. Memphis 41-25
26. Indiana 42-24
27. Miami 46-20
28. Oklahoma City 47-19
29. Chicago 50-16
30. San Antonio (To Golden State) 50-16
* - This pick may be conveyed to Portland.
# - This pick may be conveyed to Utah via New Jersey.

2012 SECOND ROUND DRAFT CHOICE ORDER
31. Charlotte
32. Washington
33/34. New Orleans (To Cleveland via Miami)
33/34. Cleveland
35/36. New Jersey (To Golden State)
35/36. Sacramento
37/38. Toronto
37/38. Golden State (To Denver via New York)
39. Detroit
40. Minnesota (To Portland via Houston)
41. Portland
42. Milwaukee
43. Phoenix (To Atlanta)
44. Houston (To Detroit)
45. Philadelphia
46. Dallas (To Washington)
47. Utah
48. New York
49. Orlando
50. Denver
51. Boston
52. Atlanta (To Golden State)
53. LA Clippers
54. Memphis (To Philadelphia)
55. LA Lakers (To Dallas)
56. Indiana (To Toronto)
57. Miami (To New Jersey)
58. Oklahoma City (To Minnesota)
59. San Antonio
60. Chicago (To New Jersey via Milwaukee or to LA Lakers via New Jersey and Milwaukee)

Friday, April 27, 2012

Missing Persons Bulletin: Jimmy Alapag and Ranidel De Ocampo



Let's go back in history, I heard the missing person's bulletin again, the term was last used by Coach Chot Reyes when his team faced a depleted Petron Blaze back in the 2011 Governors Cup Finals, is this the way that Chot would raise the game of his players? By almost issuing a MISSING PERSON'S Bulletin? Ali Peek's game that time picked up, how would Jimmy and Ranidel respond? It's for us to go find out come Game 4 as B-Meg takes Series Lead 2-1.

The Scores:
B-Meg (91) - Bowles 28, Yap 21, Urbiztondo 12, Simon 12, Intal 5, Barroca 4, Reavis 4, Pingris 2, De Ocampo 2, Devance 1.

Talk 'N Text (87) - Harvey 21, Reyes 21, Peek 15, Castro 11, Fonacier 7, Alapag 6, Williams 5, De Ocampo 1, Gamalinda 0, Dillinger 0.

Quarter Scoring: 19-21, 37-36, 60-62, 91-87.

Are you a TEAM Fan or a PLAYER Fan

With all the trades currently happening for almost every conference, it is highly improbable that fans appreciate the end results. On the recent trade which involved Marcio Lassiter and Celino Cruz (Powerade) for Rey Guevarra, Rabeh Al Hussaini and Lordy Tugade (Petron), there were different reactions, much more, a divided fan base on what has happened.

Powerade's fans felt sorry that Marcio was traded, which is perfectly understandable by anyone, playing just 2 conferences in the league (He's just a rookie), He has outshine veterans based on his experience with the Smart Gilas National Squad. They also felt bad that they got a bunch of bench-warmers in the form of Guevarra, Al Hussaini and Tugade. Petron fans were happy of getting Marcio, but some of them pointed the fact that Petron now lacks a body in the center position with the departure of Al Hussaini (and so on and so forth)...

So here is now a question, you are aware that trades mean business and change is inevitable in the league, what kind of a fan are you? Are you a team fan? Are you a player fan.

A TEAM fan cheers for his favorite team, most often, the fan does not care about the trades his team goes into. "I was rooting for Petron and I would root for them always".

A PLAYER fan is someone who follows his idol where he goes... If Marcio is in Powerade, I'll root for Powerade and now that he is in Petron, I'll cheer for Petron.

No answer is correct, but it is up to you how you would analyze yourself.

What kind of a fan are you?

Thursday, April 26, 2012

PBA Imports Update for the 2012 Governors Cup

Updated: Confirmed Governors Cup Reinforcements
1. Talk and Text - Paul Harris
2. Alaska - Jason Forte
3. Ginebra - Cedrick Bozeman
4. B-Meg - Marquis Blakely
5. Rain or Shine Elasto Painters - Jamelle Cornley
6. Air 21 Express - Zach Graham
7. Petron Blaze (Defending Governors Cup Champions)  - Eddie Basden
8. Powerade Tigers - Rashad McCants
9. Meralco - Champ Oguchi
10.  Barako Bull Energy - Jamine Peterson

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Ruffa G and Derek Ramsay to host Miss World Philippines


Former Beauty Queen/Actress/Host Ruffa Gutierrez and Derek Ramsay are the hosts for Miss World Philippines 2012 broadcast by TV5 by June.

THE GRAND CHINA NATIONAL ACROBATIC CIRCUS LEGENDS OF THE DRAGON



Here is the seat plan if you have the tickets for THE GRAND CHINA NATIONAL ACROBATIC CIRCUS LEGENDS OF THE DRAGON, a show of Chinese Acrobats to be held on May 9-13 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.


Seat and Price:
Seat Location Price
UPPER BOX B 400-407 AND 419-423350
GENERAL ADMISSION150
PATRON VIP (SECTIONS 101 & 103 ROW A TO R) (Reserved Seating) 1340
PATRON SIDE (SEC 113, 114, 115, 104, 105, 106) (Reserved Seating) 1100
LOWER BOX (Reserved Seating) 950
UPPER BOX A (PREMIUM) 321,300,301,302 (Reserved Seating) 750
UPPER BOX A (REGULAR) 303-306 AND 317-320 (Reserved Seating) 550


For ticket reservations: Click here.

DISCLAIMER: The blog is in no way affiliated with any members of Smart Araneta Coliseum, Araneta Center and any other related institutions.

A Tale of Two Coaching Geniuses

Photo: During the Finals Press Conference (INQUIRER)



The ongoing Finals series between B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados and Talk and Text Tropang Texters is not just about Denzel Bowles, Donell Harvey or even the locals like Jimmy Alapag, Peter June Simon, Marc Pingris or James Yap, It is also about their coaches: Tim Cone and Chot Reyes, who both come from a winning tradition and are poised to be champions.

Tim is no stranger to championship runs - He has been a Grandslam coach (Alaska in 1996) and has successfully catapulted his team then (Aces) for 13 championships ever since he started coaching in the country back in 1989. Now with B-Meg, he hopes to add more championships to his name, He has successfully imparted his basketball knowledge to his new boys, with the help of his former Alaska wards turned Assistant Coaches Jeffrey Cariaso and Johnny Abarrientos, but it would still be better if they win the championship -  far cry from where they were last conference, eliminated by Powerade Tigers during the first round of the Philippine Cup, which the Llamados has considered their inspiration to grow as a team.

Chot meanwhile is one of the greatest coaches in present PBA history. He has been to the finals for the past 5 conferences and has won 4 championships (they lost in the 2011 Governors Cup to the injury depleted Petron Blaze). He has a lot of wards that bring true to his coaching masterpiece, He has employed a discipline that even if Donell Harvey would have an off-night, his locals would step up and bring their import's performance on a higher level. Now on his second to the last conference as Tropa's Head Coach, his players would like to give their best and give Chot a championship or even two before their coach goes to the Smart Gilas 2 squad.

Whatever would happen, these two coaches are the epitomy of basketball IQ, and I salute them both, it's now a matter of will and desire to win 4 games, as par as coaching is concerned, both teams are absolute equal.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Metta World Peace suspended for 7 games without pay


Metta World Peace is suspended for 7 games without pay after throwing an elbow to Thunder's James Harden in their game Sunday which gave Harden a concussion. World Peace will miss the season finale of the Lakers against the Kings on April 26 and 6 games in the playoffs on which Lakers would be eligible of playing.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Pinoy Tech Blog: Smart Exclusive is Nokia Lumia

Last Thursday night, Smart Communications launched the Windows Phone Nokia Lumia 710 at the Republiq Club in Resorts World Manila. The press conference for the media and bloggers was hosted by Rhian Ramos and KC Montero who gave away 10 units of Lumia 710 to lucky attendees, and no, we weren’t lucky enough.

The Nokia Lumia 710 will be exclusively available on Smart via its affordable amortization of only P450 a month for 24 months under the Special Edition Plan 1000. If you really want this phone, Smart is the only place where you can get it outside they grey market. It won’t be available in Nokia stores.
Smart’s Special Edition Plan 1000 comes with 500 all-networks texts, 500 minutes of calls to Smart and TNT users, and 1GB of mobile data. The limited plan is available until May 8, 2012 only.
The Lumia 710 has a 1.4GHz Qualcomm processor, 3.7″ display (800 x 480 resolution), and with 8GB storage. This phone also packs a 5-megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash and is the slightly upgraded version of the Nokia Lumia 610, which is already a capable Windows phone by itself.

“We are very excited to be the exclusive carrier of the Nokia Lumia 710 in the Philippines,” said Smart Broadband Internet and Data Services Head Lloyd Manaloto.
Smart will not only carry the Nokia Lumia 710 but also the entry level Nokia Lumia 610 and the Nokia Lumia 900 which is the top of the line Lumia. Hmm, this reminded me of the earlier days of Nokia, I would have mistakenly call Lumia 710 as Nokia 7110 and Nokia 6110 for the Lumia 610.
After the press conference the party followed with free food and booze to all attendees. It was likewise open to the public and even trended worldwide on Twitter ranking no. 2 that night.
Original Article: http://www.pinoytechblog.com/archives/smart-gets-exclusivity-on-the-nokia-lumia-710

Interaksyon: Palace Websites Attacked

MANILA, Philippines (Update 7:17 p.m.) -- At least three websites of Malacañang were attacked by Chinese hackers Monday afternoon.
The attacks took place at around four o' clock in the afternooon, Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said on Monday.
The Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office "noticed a significant spike in traffic with malicious URL requests from forged user-agents" being channeled to the Official Gazette website (www.gov.ph), PCDSPO website (www.pcdspo.gov.ph), and the Presidential Museum and Library website (www.malacanang.gov.ph), Lacierda said.
The cyber attack, as described by Lacierda, can be attributed to a method called "distributed denial of service attack" (DDoS), used by hacking groups to take down particular websites.
The method involves overwhelming the website’s server by executing external commands from a number of terminals, subsequently crippling the server indefinitely.
Lacierda said the attacks "caused our servers to momentarily lag."
"Information gathered through our data analysis indicated that the attack originated from IP addresses assigned to Chinese networks," Lacierda said.
"We determined that this was a denial-of- service attack," the Palace official added.
The three websites are now up and running.
On Friday, the University of the Philippines website featured a photo depicting China’s territorial claim of the Spratly Islands, particularly the Scarborough Shoal, which has been the subject of an ongoing standoff between Chinese and Philippine naval forces.
“We come from China! Huangyan Island is Ours!” a caption below the photo of the defacement said.
In retaliation, a group of Philippine-based hackers defaced a Chinese university website on Saturday.
The group Anonymous #OccupyPhilippines broke into one of the sub-websites of the Chinese University Media Union (UMU) and replaced the main page with a defaced website that declared “Scarborough Shoal is ours!” as loud, screaming music played in the background.
Other segments of the website were also inaccessible as of posting time.
Other Chinese web properties that were broken into included the websites of China Youth Online, P. Loft Youth Hostel, and a Chinese government website, among others.
Images of the Philippine map and flag with text asserting that the Kalayaan Island Group (Spratly Islands) belongs to the Philippines were posted on the Chinese government website gh.rc.gov.cn.
The note “You got f****d by the Philippines! Spratlys Island is OURS! You started the fire we end it with dust!” also appeared across the said website.
A text scroll saying “STFU Chinese government is clearly retarded Scarborough Shoal is ours!” appeared on the website of the Chinese University Media Union.
Below it was the text: Anonymous #OccupyPhilippines We are Anynymous, We are Legion, We don’t forgive, We don’t forget, United as one, divided by zero, expect us.
In a separate report, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) condemned the virtual war in cyber space that has erupted after Chinese and Filipinohackers defaced websites from the other's country.
"We denounce such cyber attacks regardless of who engages in them. They are counterproductive and only add to the tension. We call on the netizens of both countries to act more responsibly," said DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez.
He also said the government is already working on securing its web properties to "prevent disruptions." (with Veronica Uy, InterAksyon)

Fast Facts about the PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals Game 1

B-Meg takes first blood 88-82 over their Best of Seven Series to take a 1-0 lead over the defending Champions, Talk and Text Tropang Texters.

TNT's 20 missed FTs (16 of 36) equals the most number in a game this season. Which team did it tie? Sister team Meralco, who however won...
102-98 over Powerade in their playoff for d last QF slot last Mar 30 despite only going 22 of 42 from the FT line.
-ThePBAologist (via twitter)

That's also d most no. of FT misses in a gm by TNT since it went 14 of 37 vs Brgy. Ginebra on 6/5/10 in d 2010 Fiesta in Batangas City...
-ThePBAologist (via twitter)

Leading Best Import Denzel Bowles showed his usual A game along with Peter June Simon who came in and almost disregarded the poor shooting of James Yap by being the game's Best Player with 18 pts, expect a bounceback from Tropa.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Around the PBA

Commissioner's Cup Finals:Monday is the Start of the Game 1 between Talk and Text Tropang Texters and B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados. Venue is at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.


(A cool poster of Shohoku and B-Meg Llamados: what made me smile is that B-Meg players almost had the same poses to their Shohoku counterparts).

Candidates for BPC (Commissioner's Cup)
David (34.5 SPs) and Caguioa (31.0 SPs) lead the BPC race, this would be the first time that the BPC would not come from the teams playing in the finals for the past 6 years.

Trades:
I do not know what mountain you have been if you haven't heard that Marcio Lassiter and Celino Cruz was already traded to Petron in exchange for Rabeh Al Hussaini, Rey Guevarra and Lordy Tugade.

Imports for the Governors Cup:
Talk and Text Coach Chot Reyes confirms Paul Harris to be their import.
Gabe Freeman is measured over the limit of 6 foot 5, thus he cannot be an import for Barako.
Jason Forte to come back for Alaska Aces.


Want to know how and what ways can you earn online?

Friday, April 20, 2012

Marcio and Celino to Petron, Guevarra, Tugade and Rabeh to Powerade


The end result of the trade rumor: Marcio is now in Petron
My first post as a reminder: http://newsbitsfromevents.blogspot.com/2012/02/trade-proposal-powerades-super-rookie.html

After my countless blog posts on how Petron wanted to acquire Marcio Lassiter's services from Powerade Tigers, it has finally been approved today, April 20 by the Commissioner's Office in a trade where Powerade gave up Lassiter and Celino Cruz for Rey Guevarra, Lordy Tugade and Rabeh Al Hussaini of Petron Blaze Boosters.

Petron gets Marcio, the super rookie who catapulted Powerade to the Philippine Cup Finals this season. They also now have the experienced guard in Celino Cruz: a journeyman point guard who has seen action for Shell, Red Bull, Burger King, Purefoods, and Ginebra.

Powerade gets their wish in a big man in Rabeh Al Hussaini and proven shooters in Rey Guevarra and Lordy Tugade, three of them seeing limited minutes with the Boosters.

Hope that this trade goes well for both parties.



Finals Preview: Hungry B-Meg versus the Winning Tradition of Talk and Text

The Commissioner's Cup Finals is about two things: Hunger and Winning Tradition.
The B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados who first booked a seat to the finals while beating erstwhile crowd favorite Ginebra in 4 games have not won a championship since the 2009-2010 Philippine Cup. They have a champion coach, Tim Cone who seeks his first title outside the Alaska franchise and a loaded local line up backed by James Yap, Peter June Simon and Marc Pingris and an import, probably, the tournament's Best Import of the Conference in Denzel Bowles.

Being in the Finals in the tournament is a vindication after what happened to them last conference after being ousted by Powerade in the first round.

Meanwhile, the Talk and Text Tropang Texters is back in the finals, playing for the 5th straight conference in the Finals, fatigue factor may be an issue here because of the number of games that TNT has to play per tournament but expect that their talent, which has brought them 3 of 4 titles in their finals contention bring them back to the promise land and of course, the strength of Donell Harvey would be tested against the B-Meg team who thrives on half-court offense and outside shots. TNT is a force to definitely reckon with as they try to win this before Coach Chot Reyes moves to the Smart Gilas after this season.

How would this finals drama unfold? Watch Game 1 of this series on Monday at Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

Interaksyon Alert: Aquino to finally marry

Sorry folks, but it is not PNoy who will finally bid good-bye to his bachelor days, but Ninoy look-alike Bam Aquino, the President's first and brainier cousin.
Aquino, 35 this May 7, will marry his girl friend of six years, Timi Gomez, on September 15 in Tagaytay in what is planned to be a "small intimate affair," Aquino himself told Cocktales.
Gomez, 28, is a brand manager of Unilever in China whom Aquino met while he was still head of the National Youth Commission under the Gloria Arroyo administration.
Aquino and his uncle, former Senator Agapito "Butz" Aquino, will be featured in this Sunday's episode of Cocktales on Aksyon TV, where the two good-naturedly answered questions on noynoying, P.Noy's failure-to-launch syndrome and the sudden dearth of Aquinos and Cojuangcos in electoral positions.
Headed for departure lounge
Despite being friends with San Miguel president Ramon Ang, Lucio Tan daughter Vivienne has made it known that she would also be stepping down as executive vice president for commercial group of Philippine Airlines upon the entry of the San Miguel management group in the flag carrier.
According to the grapevine, Vivienne Tan might move over to the listed Eton Properties, another family company which is incidentally still headhunting for a president.
Unlike in 2010 when she was bitten by the political bug, Vivienne has told close friends that, no, she would not be running for Congress in 2013 despite Vincent Crisologo finally graduating from Tan's congressional district in Quezon City. But then again, a lady is entitled to change her mind.
Money-go-round
- Bloomberry Resorts plans to charge "higher" room rates than Makati Shangri-la when Bloomberry's 500-room hotel by the Pagcor City opens next year, casino-hotel owner Enrique Razon Jr. told reporters.
Makati Shangri-La's weekday rate currently averages $260 a night.
- Despite being jailed by the Marcos regime, President Estrada spokesman Fernando Barican has gotten rid of his martial law-era demons by accepting an assignment to write a book about another colorful Marcos business "crony," Herminio Disini.
Heard through the grapevine
The three leading ladies in Joseph Estrada's extended family - Laarni Enriquez, Loi Ejercito and Guia Gomez - have decided to each throw a dinner to mark the former president's 75th birthday, with the former commander-in-chief dutifully agreeing to attend all three festive occasions, thankfully held not on the same night.
Enriquez's dinner came first, on the eve of the birthday; the former First Lady's turn followed, on April 19, the birth date itself; and Gomez's, the San Juan mayor's, was scheduled last, but definitely not the least, on the third night.

Posted from Interaksyon: http://www.interaksyon.com/article/29908/cocktales-aquino-to-finally-marry

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Miss Philippines-Earth Online Voting Competition for Miss Photogenic


For those pageant fans who would like to support their favorite Miss Philippines - Earth candidate, I urge you to go to MPE's Official FB page or here at their website: http://missphilippines-earth.com/photogenic.html

Who would follow Athena Imperial and be the next Miss Philippines Earth? Coronation Night is on May 27.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Pageant Hype Over For Now




News Bits Online would be giving you updates on the Miss World Philippines and Miss Philippines - Earth during the coming months. NBO would resume updating you on Bb. Pilipinas as Janine Tugonon (Miss Universe Philippines 2012), Nicole Schmitz (Bb. Pilipinas International) and Katrina Dimaranan (Bb. Pilipinas Tourism 2012) face their international pageants come 3rd and 4th Quarter of this year. This blog would also like to congratulate the brightest pageant crossover, Elaine Kay Moll (who was first seen in the Miss World Philippines) who was awarded 1st Runner Up and Annalie Forbes who was awarded 2nd Runner Up.

And if ever there would be an update on the Supranational thing, I would definitely let you know. :)

Verifying Paypal with RCBC MyWallet Visa

How to get RCBC myWallet VISA CARD?Before I give you the details on how to verify your paypal using RCBC myWallet VISA CARD. We should have our own RCBC myWallet VISA CARD.


1. First, go to the nearest RCBC Commercial Bank. There are two RCBC bank - a) RCBC Savings bank; b.) RCBC Commercial Bank.
2. Fill-up the form given by teller and give a 1 VALID ID(original and photocopy) but they mostly needed the photocopy while original is for verification. List of VALID IDS, OTHER VALID IDS
3. Wait for the card to release after several minutes (depends on the bank)
4. You're done! You have your own RCBC myWallet VISA CARD


When you have the RCBC myWallet VISA CARD, of course you need to verify your paypal account using the RCBC myWallet VISA CARD to withdraw the money on your Paypal. Take a look on your balance(online or ATM machine), your balance is 100php since only 10 is being charge for the card.


How to Verify Paypal using RCBC myWallet VISA CARD?
1. Wait for 24 hours after you get the card to activate your card
2. After 24 hrs, you can deposit 50 pesos to verify paypal since you already have 100 on your account.
3. Then, go to your paypal account
4. Add Debit/Credit card
5. Put the details asked like First and type of the card
6. Select VISA for the type of the card
7. Add the card number(number at the front of the card), expiration date and the Card verification number(refer to the back of the card) and the billing address. Card Verification number is the last 3-digits on the back of your card. Be sure the billing address in paypal is the same as you apply for RCBC Visa Card

Reposted: http://jomarlipon.blogspot.com/2011/12/how-to-verify-paypal-using-rcbc.html

Pacquiao officially joins UNA

Boxing superstar and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao formally joined Vice-President Jejomar Binay's camp on Monday night.
Pacquiao took his oath as a member of Binay's Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), which has joined forces with former President Joseph Estrada's Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) for the 2013 mid-term elections.
Senator Koko Pimentel, PDP-Laban president, led the oath-taking ceremony at Makati Shangri-La.
"We took in Pacquiao not because he can make us win but because he believes in the tenets of the party," Pimentel said.
"Sarangani Representative Pacquiao is a great addition to the party's goal of further developing and helping Mindanao," PDP-Laban said in a statement online.
Pacquiao used his left hand in taking the oath, which is a PDP-Laban tradition, according to the party.
"Left is closer to the heart, PDP-Laban said. "Using the left hand in taking one's oath of membership, reciting the party creed, and shaking hands with a member has been a 30-year tradition."
PDP-Laban secretary general Joey de Venecia and party leaders were present during Pacquiao's oathtaking.
"Most had prior commitments but even if it's late at night, it still pushed through! Everyone's committed to having Pacman," the party said.
Pacquiao will be PDP-Laban's candidate for governor of Sarangani in the May 2013 local elections.
Jumping political ships
It is the third time that Pacquiao has switched political parties.
He was part of the so-called "Atienza wing" of the Liberal Party before joining then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi), which has fallen into the shadows since Arroyo's term ended in 2010.
Pacquiao left Kampi for the Nacionalista Party of Senator Manny Villar, before joining Binay's PDP-Laban.
Although he was a Nacionalista Party member, he was an ally of the Aquino administration and the ruling Liberal Party.
The Liberal Party has said that Pacquiao has not been an "official" member of the party.
No snub
Meantime, Pacquiao has denied being snubbed by President Aquino in Davao.
"Sa harapan, nakita naman niya ako, nag-hello naman ako. God knows na wala akong pagdaramdam kung di niya ako kamayan. Akin lang sana maresolve ang problema sa power sa Mindanao," he said.
He hinted at being no longer being welcome in the administration party.
"Kaibigan rin naman natin si Vice President Binay, so we also support him. Kung hindi ka tanggap doon sa kabila, bakit mo ipagsisiksikan ang sarili mo," he said.
A Binay confidante, former Senator Ernesto Maceda, said Pacquiao's decision to join PDP-Laban is a "big loss" for the Liberal Party.
He said Pacquiao's support is huge and gets lots of votes in Mindanao, particularly Sarangani, South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and General Santos City.
“He is a big loss for the LP. He is an incumbent congressman. He is a big fish, a big addition. I don’t know why he didn't push through in the LP but there are a lot of reports that if there are original Liberals in a province or municipality and if they say no, they will not take in the new member,” Maceda said.
"I admire Pacquiao because it was not easy to shun the administration and join the opposition," he added.

Reposted: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/04/16/12/pacquiao-officially-joins-binay-camp

Monday, April 16, 2012

Facebook buys Instagram for $1 billion

Social Networking giant Facebook just announced its acquisition of the hottest iOS photo-sharing app Instagram for a cool billion dollars in cash and stocks. Recently, Instagram became available to the Android users making the acquisition more lucrative for Facebook.

A Screen Capture of Mark Zuckerberg's announcement:


The app, including its team headed by CEO Kevin Systrom who was a graduate of Stanford University in 2006 with a BS in Management Science & Engineering, and Mike Krieger, a graduate from Stanford University where he studied Symbolic Systems with a focus in Human-Computer Interaction will be joining Zuck’s Facebook team.
The announcement made more than a hundred thousand Likes within four hours of posting in Zuck’s Timeline which is a testament on how popular and well-loved Instagram is. Now let’s wait and see what Facebook is going to do with their new toy.

Reposted from: http://www.pinoytechblog.com/archives/facebook-acquires-instagram-for-1-billion

New Orleans to host All Star 2014

New Orleans will host the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) 2014 All-Star Game, the league said on Monday, which will mark the second time in six years the city will enjoy the economic boost the event provides.
The mid-season event will be played at the home of the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets on February 16 pending the completion of arena and hotel agreements, the league said in a statement.
“There is no better place to celebrate and showcase the NBA than in New Orleans, a city with a rich tradition of hosting major events that is second-to-none,” NBA Commissioner David Stern said in a statement.
The Sunday All-Star Game caps a busy week of festivities that includes a Friday game between the NBA’s top rookies and second-year players and a Saturday skills competition featuring slam dunk and three-point shooting contests.
Orlando hosted All-Star festivities for the current season and the NBA previously announced that the 2013 edition will be in Houston, Texas.
New Orleans, renowned for the music that pours out of its Bourbon Street nightclubs, has also hosted nine Super Bowls and will be the site of the National Football League’s (NFL) title game a 10th time in 2013.
Tom Benson, the owner of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints and who recently agreed to purchase the Hornets, was thrilled to be hosting an event that will bring millions of dollars to a city still recovering from the ravaging effects of Hurricane Katrina.
“In February 2013, we will host the Super Bowl. In February 2014, we will host the NBA All-Star Game,” Benson said in a statement. “The city of New Orleans is the place to be. Hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact will be generated for our region.”

- Reuters

Luigi Trillo is Alaska's interim head coach



It all started with a rumor that Super Mario's partner would be the coach of a team that is ALA. Yes, it was formally announced Monday that Luigi Trillo is Alaska's interim head coach replacing Coach Joel Banal who left after the team has not made it to the Semifinals for the past 2 conferences.

Both Luigi Trillo and another Alaska deputy, Jojo Lastimosa were considered for this post.

Alaska Team Owner Wilfred Uytengsu went with Trillo, who had experienced coaching in PBA D-League and PBL. Meanwhile, Alaska Team Manager/Governor Joaqui Trillo inhibited from the final decision being Luigi's father.

Trillo would be reinstating the triangle offense. Alaska also announced the return of their import, Jason Forte for the third conference.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Janine Tugonon: Miss Universe Philippines 2012

Janine Tugonon may not be my personal bet for Miss Universe Philippines but she has been struting it all out to prove that joining Binibini the second time around would be successful. Tugonon, 22, a BS Pharmacy graduate of University of Santo Tomas bested 29 contestants to succeed Shamcey Supsup as the Miss Universe Philippines.

Ginebra stays alive, forces Game 4 (B-Meg still leads 2-1)

Never Say Die - Ginebra

Ginebra proved they won't back down as behind the efforts of KG Canaleta's 23 points , they forced a Game 4 with an 88-79 victory over B-Meg Llamados.

They say Ginebra feeds on this Do-or-Die games, and its something people awaits come Game 4. Can the Llamados bounce back or will Ginebra force this to 5? How can Marc Pingris show his game as it was cut short early in the first half because of a flagrant foul and a technical? Can Denzel Bowles rise to the expectations? It is indeed a Manila Classico that we must all watch out for.

B-Meg should be wary about KG Canaleta, give him a good night and he could definitely light it up inside and out.

Ginebra meanwhile should look at JC Intal who gave them headache this game. JC is not called "The Rocket" for nothing.

The Scores:


GINEBRA 88 - Canaleta 23, Cortez 17, Ababou 13, Helterbrand 12, Hatfield 9, Vroman 8, Labagala 3, Raymundo 3, J. Wilson 0, Mamaril 0.

B-MEG 79 - Intal 18, Simon 15, Yap 14, Bowles 11, Urbiztondo 8, Devance 7, Reavis 6, Barroca 0, Burtscher 0, Villanueva 0, De Ocampo 0.

Quarter scoring: 17-12, 37-37, 61-57, 88-79

Bb. Pilipinas 2012 Coronation Night Winners

The 49th Edition of Binibining Pilipinas was held April 15 at Araneta Coliseum.

Best in National Costume - Nicole Schmitz (No. 8)

Ms. Friendship - Chloe Zanardi (No. 25)

Best in Talent - Katrina Dimaranan (No. 13)

Manila Bulletin Reader's Choice - Roxanne Tadique (No. 20)

People's Choice - Giselle Angelica Muñoz (No. 21)

Best in Swimsuit - Nicole Schmitz (No. 8)

Best in Evening/Long Gown - Angelee De los Reyes

Miss Photogenic - Karen Gallman (No. 1) 

Philippine Airlines/Miss Avon  - Mary Jean Lastimosa (Candidate No. 9)


SEMI-FINALISTS:

Sherlyn Gonzales
Liezel Alcantara
Patricia Ejercitado
Ali Forbes
Angelee delos Reyes
Mary Jean Lastimosa
Katrina Dimaranan
Janine Tugonon
Elaine Moll
Gina Joy Howell
Nicole Schmitz
Karen Gallman

WINNERS:
Miss Universe Philippines: Janine Tugonon
Bb. Pilipinas International: Nicole Schmitz
Bb. Pilipinas Tourism: Katrina Dimaranan
1st Runner Up: Elaine Kay Moll
2nd Runner Up: Ali Forbes

My Top 5 picks for Binibining Pilipinas 2012

My Bold Predictions:
Miss Universe Philippines - Mary Jean Lastimosa
Bb. Pilipinas International - Nicole Schmitz
Bb. Pilipinas Tourism - Janine Tugonon
1st Runner Up - Jaine Hidalgo
2nd Runnerr Up - Patricia Ejercitado

Top 12
Karen Gallman
Roxanne Jesalva
Rose Ann Aguilar
Elaine Kay Moll
Golda Soller
Sherlyn Gonzales
Katrina Jane Dimaranan

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RESULTS: SEMI-FINALISTS (TOP 12):

Sherlyn Gonzales
Liezel Alcantara
Patricia Ejercitado
Ali Forbes
Angelee delos Reyes
MJ  Lastimosa
Katrina Dimaranan
Janine Tugonon
Elaine Moll
Gina Joy Howell
Nicole Schmitz
Karen Gallman

8 out of 12 of my picks got in. :))))

With Barako up 2-1, to what aspect are you going to credit it for?

@ronnathanielsz
Stop crediting Baraka Bull players for winning because of experience. They are hurting the TnT players whose careers are being threatened

If you have a twitter account and follow famed PBA sportscasters, you might have encounter this tweet of Ronnie Nathanielsz, a pioneer of the PBA. Last night, Barako Bull Energy took game 3 85-81 in a physical battle that brought about injuries to players on both sides. Ronnie Nathanielsz sayis that Barako hurts TNT players for them to win and that the old guys (Pena, Pennisi, Seigle) only have few years left, but it is wrong to discredit them their experience for winning the game. They have Freeman... they have the former Beermen who has won championships...

Looking forward to Game 4 in a physical battle. Let's do hope that those who would react would not try to be bias on a certain side. I know both would be ready, and if TNT shows the character of the defending Champions, they would not back down. :)

Friday, April 13, 2012

Kerby Raymundo: Was things better at B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados?

UPDATE: B-Meg gets to inch closer to the Finals after winning their game today, 83-77.

While Ginebra had to rely on the mess that their import Jackson Vroman made today and missing the services of Mark "The Spark" Caguioa, fans seemed to have noticed the low on the game of Kerby Raymundo.

Kerby Raymundo who was traded to Ginebra during the early part of this year was involved in a three-team trade which involved:

"The approved trade saw Brgy. Ginebra's JC Intal shipped first to Barako Bull for Dylan Ababou. Then, Intal and Barako's 2012 2nd round pick (acquired from Shopinas.com, which will be known as Air21 starting next conference) got traded for Bmeg's Raymundo. Finally, Barako Bull sent Raymundo to Brgy. Ginebra for Ronald Tubid, rookie Reil Cervantes and a 2014 2nd round pick. " 

For Kerby's fans, it was a joy to see him in a Ginebra uniform, but with his recent slips on to his performance, where things actually better when he was in B-Meg where his role in the court was defined and he was a starter? How would you want to see the impact of a Kerby Raymundo on Ginebra?

From a Standpoint: Can Dallas Mavericks play like their 2011 form?

"We've been talking about playoff mode for two-and-a-half weeks. It's a must. The pressure that comes with that is a good thing, because it's the kind of pressure that you like. It brings you to a higher level and we embrace it. We embraced it last year in the playoffs and it got us a ring."
-- Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle

Pressure comes about to the defending NBA Champions Dallas Mavericks, as of this writing, they are placed Number 6 in the NBA standings with it being glued together. Can they still show their form?

Others would say that the Mavs had been of mediocre performance this year, after all the injuries they had, the Mavs had become an older, wiser but definitely down this year. However, I would not count their chances when they reach post-season, but because this is a short season, it's still a wait and see for me.

- MAVS FAN.

Caguioa can still be BPC

Barangay Ginebra’s Mark Caguioa is still in contention for Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Best Player of the Conference Award.

Before he was sidelined by injury, “The Spark” was in second place behind Powerade’s Gary David in the statistical race in the quarterfinals stage of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

According to PBA.ph, David was leading the race with 34.5 statistical points per game, followed by Caguioa (31.5), Powerade’s Marcio Lassiter (30.3), Alaska’s Cyrus Baguio (29.1) and LA Tenorio (29.0), and Petron’s Arwind Santos (28.9).

Among the top six players, only Caguioa managed to lead his team to the semis and this could boost his chances in the balloting among the players, the media and PBA officials.

Barako Bull’s Willie Miller, Talk N’ Text’s Jimmy Alapag, Ranidel de Ocampo, Jarred Dillinger and Jason Castro are the other players with strong chances of breaking into the Top 5 after the semifinals.
Meralco’s Macmac Cardona fell from 2nd to 9th place after he was ejected in Game 2 of their quarterfinal duel with B-Meg.

Tugonon and Lastimosa: Would one of them make history of being the next Miss Universe Philippines?

Joining Binibining Pilipinas after winning a Runner-up award is not new, but winning the  Miss Universe Philippines after being a runner-up last year is a history in the making. Will Janine Tugonon (2011 Bb. Pilipinas 1st Runner Up) or Mary Jean Lastimosa (2011 Bb. Pilipinas 2nd Runner Up) make history and become the next Miss Universe Philippines?


MARY JEAN LASTIMOSA
24, Quezon City

Pageant Experience:
2011 Bb. Pilipinas 2nd Runner Up
2008 Aliwan Festival Queen
2008 Mutya ng Dabaw











JANINE MARI R. TUGONON
22, Bataan

Pageant Experience:
2011 Bb. Pilipinas 1st Runner Up
2010 Miss UST
2010 Miss Pharmacy @ UST












Watch them and thirty other ladies vie for the 4 crowns of Bb. Pilipinas (Miss Universe Philippines, Bb. Pilipinas International, Bb. Pilipinas Tourism and the newly acquired Bb. Pilipinas Supranational)

22

Interaksyon: PAL reverts flight to normal routes


Philippine Airlines (PAL) on Friday said all flights affected by the rerouting triggered by North Korea's rocket launch have reverted to normal schedules.
In a statement, the flag carrier said flights that departed or were airborne before 9:30 a.m. were still following contingency routes.
The return to normal flights paths stemmed from the government's decision to rescind its Notice to Airmen, which contained alternative flight paths to be followed by airplanes traversing the eastern section of Luzon as well as the no-fly zone.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines rescinded the notice after North Korea's failed rocket launch.
The no fly zone had been slated from April 12 to 6, from five in the morning to one in the afternoon.

Source: http://www.interaksyon.com/article/29352/pal-reverts-to-normal-flight-plans-after-failed-north-korea-rocket-launch

After 2 games, TNT - Barako series tied 1-1

Talk and Text Nation was alive last night when the defending Commissioner's Cup Champions tied the series 1-1 in a Best of  5 series 123-98 at Ynares City, Antipolo. The distraction of the Tropa was lead by Donell Harvey who rebounded from 9 pts during the opener by scoring 24 pts.

This levels the playing field with them.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

In Pursuit of Marcio, Who should Petron give up?



Powerade Head Coach Bo Perasol recently confirmed the active rumor regarding Petron's pursuit of Marcio Lassiter, while Perasol has said his side that he doesn't want any trade to happen, Perasol believes that it is not in his hands, but he had echoed the sentiment that Petron should give up something to their advantage.

If you are a fan, will Rabeh and Rey G be enough in pursuit of a streaking Marcio Lassiter? Is Petron greedy to defend the Governors Cup title to get Marcio or would they fill the slack in their lineup once they get him? How would this drama all end, as much as I'm also curious, I also await the ending as you do.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Gabe Freeman for Barako next conference?


Gabe Freeman, the 2-time Best Import has certainly changed the game for Barako Bull Energy, and even if their Best of 5 Series with Talk and Text had not tipped off, Barako Bull players has expressed their thoughts on how it would be an honor for them to have Gabe in the Governor's Cup.

The only thing that restricts Barako from having Gabe is the 6-5 height limit imposed in the next conference, the last time he was measured, Gabe was 6-5 and 1/4 the last time he was here for the San Miguel Beermen (now Petron Blaze Boosters). With Commissioner Salud announcing that he wishes to remeasure all the imports that came before his tenure as Commissioner, will Gabe pass the height limit and continue playing for Barako next conference?

How about Petron Blaze Gabe? kidding! Gabe Freeman deserves a place in the PBA Import Greats, no matter where he is. *thumbs up*

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Nicole Schmitz wins Best in National Costume


Bb. Pilipinas 2012 Candidate No. 8 Nicole Schmitz wins Best in National Costume. Congratulations Nicole.

You still have 6 more days to vote for your favorite Binibini. Vote now.

Today in PBA History



April 9, 1975 marks the first playdate in PBA History:
Crowd: 18K at Araneta Coliseum
Teams: Mariwasa Noritake vs. Concepcion Carrier, 101-98
             Toyota vs. U-Tex
First Field Goal: Scored by Noritake's American Import, Israel 'Cisco' Oliver who scored 48 points.
(Henry Liao)  

How Powerful was the Crews - Fazekas combination on their first game

Nick Fazekas first game in an SMB uniform (ABL)

Crews - Fazekas Team Up vs. KL Dragons: VICTORY
Cres and Fazekas combining for 54 of the 92 points of San Miguel Beermen when they won against the KL Dragons today in the MABA Stadium in Malaysia.

Semifinals Match 2: B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados vs. Barangay Ginebra Kings

Update: B-Meg wins over Meralco headed by their import, Denzel Bowles and proved to be that he was no choker against Earl Barron, and of course, Jonas Villanueva never backing down

The scores:

B-MEG 86 - Bowles 28, Simon 16, Devance 15, Yap 9, Barroca 6, Pingris 6, Intal 2, Reavis 2, De Ocampo 2, Urbiztondo 0, Villanueva 0.

MERALCO 76 - Mercado 27, Barron 23, Hugnatan 10, Ross 9, Macapagal 3, Cardona 2, Taulava 2, Borboran 0, Artadi 0.

Quarters: 21-23, 42-40, 61-67, 86-76

Semifinals Match 2: B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados vs. Barangay Ginebra Kings
Both teams are crowd darlings (B-MEG Planet & Barangay Big Dome) and they command respect when they face each other. How would Denzel Bowles fair well with Jackson Vroman? Do we expect to see Mark Caguioa in this series? Will James Yap, PJ Simon, Mark Barroca and the rest of the Llamados locals show their deep bench against the likes of Eric Menk , Jayjay Helterbrand, Rob Labagala, Dylan Ababou and the H-Bomb, Rudy Hatfield?

Wow cant believe BMeg/PF & Ginebra are meeting in a playoff series for d 1st time since 1997 All-Filipino Cup Finals.
-ThePBAologist (via twitter)

What team are you picking? :

Semifinals Match 1: Barako Bull Energy vs. Talk and Text Tropang Texters

UPDATE: Barako Bull Energy beats Alaska Aces 105 - 86
Best Player: Gabe Freeman 34 pts. 19 rebs.

The first Semifinals date is set, Barako Bull Energy wrapped their Best of 3 series with Alaska Aces booking a date with the Tropang Texters for the Semifinals which would start on the next play date (April 10). Gabe Freeman living up to his name as a 2-time Best Import.

As they set the date, Barako cannot be considered "inexperienced", they've already live up to the monicker "Ang Bumangga, Giba...". Seigle, Pennisi, Pena, Arboleda, Miller are all veterans and have championships across their name. It would be interesting how a talent-loaded Texters would dangle with Barako and how they can defend their title this conference by winning the Semifinals and going back to the promise land, Finals.

Talk and Text, coming from a long rest should not be doubted, they have a prolific team and core headed by Jimmy Alapag, I'm sure the #TNTNATION would like to give now Smart Gilas Coach Chot Reyes a championship before going on the international arena.

This is CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE vs. COMBINED VETERAN WITS

Can Talk and Text be one step closer to the Finals, or will the Barako Bull Energy lead by 2-time best import Gabe Freeman commit an upset to the defending champions.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Picture This: Duke Crews and Nick Fazekas at the San Miguel Beermen practice


Picture this: Former PBA imports Nick Fazekas and Duke Crews at the San Miguel Beermen (ABL) practice, can they bring SMB to the ABL Championship?

Nick Fazekas debuts with the KL Dragons today.

Gregorio defends Cardona


Ryan Gregorio had blamed it to himself when they lost to B-Meg. He also said in an interview that he wanted to get better on stuff he can control, taking a shot when B-Meg Coach Tim Cone complained about too much physicality on the game

For Gregorio, they must work on their defense and FT shooting, which turned 19-34 in Game 2.

Gregorio also defended his star player Mac Cardona in Game Two. Cardona was ejected early in the contest after incurring two technical fouls. The first was for using profane language and the second for hitting Denzel Bowles on the head.

He was not suspended but was given a P 6,500 fine.
He also told Mac that a best player of his caliber would be the target of dirty tactics. He also mentioned that Mac's passion for winning was viewed to be as arrogance.

Interaksyon: PBA bans controversial horns

Citing fan complaints, the PBA on Saturday announced that airhorns, vuvuzelas, and similar noisemakers will be banned from all the league’s games.
“Fans ang nagreklamo,” wrote PBA commissioner Chito Salud in a text message to InterAKTV, who said the league is making the move for “health reasons and general welfare and well-being of the paying public.”
Salud also said that the noisemakers has adverse effects on the playing conditions of the games, relating to distractions on player and game officials as well as communication difficulties encountered by players, coaches, and game officials.
Fans of Meralco started the trend with the use of vuvuzelas during games, a move that was protested by officials of the Bolts’ quarterfinal round opponents, B-MEG, before the PBA. Citing lack of action by the league, fans of the Llamados decided to bring airhorns to Game Two of the series last Wednesday.
The use of noisemakers has drawn negative reaction from the fans, who complained that it affected their viewing experience on television.
Meralco team executive Ramon Segismundo, who represents the Bolts on the PBA Board of Governors, said that the ban would not affect the team’s supporters.
“Meralco’s fans are passionate about supporting their team and will come out in full force on Sunday against B-MEG. With or without cheering equipment, the supporters will cheer the team relentlessly. While we we will abide with PBA rules on vuvuzelas and air horns, I would like to call on all Bolts fans — the Orange Brigade — to demonstrate, more than ever, our fighting spirit,” he said.

Source: http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/pba-bans-controversial-horns

Recycled Gowns Vol. 2




Nina Ricci (2000), Maricar (2004) and Denille Lou (2006) - gold gown



Cai Kuijpers (2009) and Isabella Manjon (2011)



Dianne Necio (Miss International 2011) and Arabella Hanesh (Bb. Pilipinas 2011)


Thursday, April 5, 2012

Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy confirms Dwight wants him out


Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said Thursday he has been told by high-ranking team officials that star center Dwight Howard has previously asked that he be fired.
"I know he has," Van Gundy told reporters after the team's morning shootaround ahead of Thursday night's matchup with the New York Knicks. "That's just the way it is. Again, I've been dealing with that all year. It's not anything real bothersome. You go out and do your job."
Sounds simple - something that's become rare in Orlando.
The stay-or-go drama surrounding Howard has haunted the Magic all season. After securing Howard's services for at least another season at the trade deadline last month, Thursday brought the latest wrinkle to the saga.
Howard has denied reports that he has asked for Van Gundy's dismissal. He again denied it Thursday.
"Whatever happens at the end of the season is not under my control," Howard told reporters. "I am a player for the Magic. I am not the GM. I am not (owner) Rich DeVos I am not (Magic CEO) Alex Martins. So that's not my job. So you guys should stop ... every other week ... trying to find something, because there's nothing.
"I haven't said anything to anybody about anything. Our main concern is winning. So all the other stuff should stop."
Asked how he was sure of a report that has been circulated and repeatedly denied by Howard and other team officials throughout the season, the 52-year-old Van Gundy said he had been told by "people right in our management, right from the top."
Van Gundy's normal pregame media availability was canceled Thursday night.
Howard was in the locker room before the game, but didn't address the issue any further.
Magic reserve guard Ish Smith said he didn't hear about the morning's comments by Van Gundy until he arrived in the locker room to get dressed for the game. He said he doesn't think any internal issues have played into the Magic's recent losses.
"My mom loves soap operas, so for me to be a part of one is pretty special," Smith joked. "From the outside I think it looks like (a soap opera), but when you're on the inside I think it's no effect on us. I think defensively the last three or four games has been what's been hurting us. I don't think anything off the court is causing us to lose these games."
The whole episode was a definite change in approach by Van Gundy, who is usually mum when it comes to issues dealing with his job status.
The day before the trade deadline last month, Van Gundy himself sidestepped questions about reports that Howard had asked management to jettison both himself and general manager Otis Smith as a condition for him signing a long-term contract extension.
"If they want to fire me to please somebody, fire me," Van Gundy said at the time.
Van Gundy's current contract runs through the end of the season. He has guided the Magic to at least 50 wins in each of his four previous seasons and led Orlando to the NBA Finals in 2009.
Howard and Van Gundy have seemingly always been on cordial terms, though he's sometimes been critical of Van Gundy's direct and vocal coaching style, which he has previously said can be counterproductive to team morale.
Smith and Van Gundy met during the offseason. The coach left the meeting pledging to tone down some of his intensity during games with both officials and players. So far this season he has yet to receive a technical foul.
Asked this week to address the status of Van Gundy and Smith, Martins said only that both he and Smith will undergo end-of-the-season evaluations, as do all Magic employees.

Source: http://www.nba.com/2012/news/04/05/magic-van-gundy.ap/index.html 

WWE Hall of Fame 2012


The following are the 2012 Hall of Fame Inductees during the Wrestlemania 28

Mil Mascaras
Edge
The 4 Horsemen
Mike Tyson
Yokozuna
Ron Simmons


Bb. Pilipinas 2012 Coronation Night


Watch 30 beautiful ladies vie for three titles to  become the successors of Shamcey Supsup (Miss Universe Philippines), Dianne Necio (Bb. Pilipinas International) and Isabella Manjon (Bb. Pilipinas Tourism) on Sunday, April 15 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Seat and Price:
Seat Location Price
UPPER BOX A (Reserved Seating) 770
UPPER BOX B390
GENERAL ADMISSION140

Do or Die Sunday Matches: Winners go to the Semifinals, Saan Ka Kampihan Na?



After tying the series 1-1, Alaska and B-Meg would try to do a back-to-back while Meralco and Barako Bull would try to bounce buck for there is no more tomorrow come Easter as the winner of the Alaska vs. Barako series would play the Defending Champions, Talk and Text Tropang Texters while B-Meg and Meralco would slug it out to play crowd favorite, Ginebra.

Alaska vs. Barako:  Freeman vs. Parada, the tale of Veterans and the Warriors
Gabe Freeman has proven himself in his first game with Barako, but the local warriors of the Aces did it on Game 2. Will Gabe Freeman double his effort to bring Barako to the next stage along with Dorian Pena, Dynamite Danny Seigle and Willie Miller, or will L.A. Tenorio spark the Aces to go one step higher?

B-Meg vs. Meralco: Can James Yap do a Gary David on Meralco?
After bouncing back on Game 2, the Llamados has proven how hungry they are to go to the next level, even by ending up practicing on Good Friday. Meralco meanwhile want to go out of the playoffs slump they had by going to the finals. Will James Yap do what Gary David did to them last conference? Can Mark Cardona bounce back after being ejected last game?


On a Good Friday, the Llamados are practicing (photo courtesy of SMC Sports Director Noli Eala)


Find out on Sunday,  April 8 with the continuation of this series going down the wire.

Adobe Products Discounted for Both Teachers and Students

For the first time in the Philippines, Adobe Systems Inc. announced the availability of significantly discounted versions of its industry-leading software for students and teachers. How much of a discount are we talking about? How about up to 80% off the full retail price?
Products in this program include Adobe® Creative Suite® 5.5 Design Premium, Creative Suite5.5 Design Standard, Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium and Adobe Acrobat® X Pro. The products offered under the Student and Teacher Software program are identical to the commercial edition and include a number of Adobe suites and individual products, encompassing the best-selling design and development software that applies to almost all creative processes.
So again, how cheap will these products be for qualified teachers and students? Well for example, the Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Design Standard which retails for Php69,000 is going to be just Php3,599 under this program. Talk about savings!
“The launch of Adobe Student and Teacher Software program in the Philippines is an important step for Adobe’s digital education strategy,” said Vicky Skipp, Regional Director, Southeast Asia, Adobe. “Our experience is that when students have access to digital media software at very affordable prices, there is a rapid increase in their digital skills and confidence. Students display their talents, express their creativity and learn to collaborate more effectively. Adobe software offers an excellent way for students and teachers to produce web pages, videos and mobile content, applications and epublishing content – and helps them understand how to merge the creative process into their daily assignments and work tasks.”
“Teachers and students in the Philippines need the right tools to help them acquire the latest digital media skills needed for developing content for the digital industry. By making our leading software available to students and teachers at highly discounted prices, Adobe is proud to support Philippines’s initiative to develop ICT-based education to drive the next generation’s workforce,” Ms. Skipp further added.
Eligibility Requirements
Students enrolled at, and teachers, faculty and staff employed by educational institutions as defined by Adobe on www.adobe.com/sea/education/student-eligibility-guide.html
Pricing and Availability
Qualified students, teachers, faculty and staff can purchase Adobe Student and Teacher Edition software from Adobe authorized reseller(s) in Philippines, currently Senco Link.

 
Design by Free WordPress Themes | Bloggerized by Lasantha - Premium Blogger Themes | Best Buy Printable Coupons