pezzonovante!

3-0!

the Ukrainians' Cinderella journey ends the same way they started - massacred (i bet those were Spaniards masquerading as Italians). but still, getting to the Elite 8 is not bad for World Cup newbies. the Pinnochios still flopped their way to victory but had some beautiful scoring drives.


though i'm picking Brazil against France tomorrow, if the latter wins and England doesn't get upset by Ferdinand Magellan's children, it'll be a WWII-themed Final 4. then it boils down to the Axis Leader vs the Allied Champ for the Cup.

thanks to Delphi's Slingbox (who is still snorkeling under the Santa Monica pier).

don't cry for them

won by PKs again!!!

Argentina goes home, after 1-1 deadlock turned into a nightmarish 2-4 loss in penalty kicks.

a near fight also broke out on the field after the game was decided. should Argentina now come clean and give up all the Nazis who hid there after WWII? nyhahahaha. (ok, ok, they apologized for this back in 2000. geez.)

thanks to Delphi's Slingbox (who is now snorkeling under the Santa Monica pier).

o cam o ye faithful

who is this nut on the Santa Monica Pier?



www.westland.net/piercam

third

want more? come get some!

he's zeke

and the Isiah Thomas era in New York is about to end ... (hopefully sooner rather than later)

the Thomas touch

coney reyes

took me some time to post these (hey i got other things to do too!) ... but anyway, just a small slice of pics of last weekend's coney island jaunt. for newbies, coney island was new york's (and even the US') premiere amusement area until after World War II (when Disney finally became king of the theme parks). it still clings on to its faded glory, with the Wonder Wheel and the famous Cyclone roller coaster defiantly standing against father time and urban progress.


the sideshow bob barker ... here's one of his alaga.


let's just puke, and say goodbye ...



after all ... you're my wonder wheel


babaeng pakalat-kalat sa coney


dito nawala si Dakota Fanning sa Uptown Girls (yes, yes, i saw the movie, stop laughing)


(l-r) Neat Freak, Freak.


"the great barrier reef is the earth's largest-" oh, just shut up and check these out


someone has ... man-boobs!!!


i swear ... i didn't photoshop this


"whatchu takin' my pitcher for? get outta here before i kick your ugly asian ass!"



watching the mermaid parade ... heck, just go to that smiling guy's blog and be done with it.

global village

This is how you do it:

Superfast internet cafe launches

things like that, the upcoming $100 laptop, and proliferation of wi-fi, should wipe out the digital divide.


let a few regulate the Internet? pfah. down with monopolies. power to the people. let the people regulate themselves.

mediocrity

2006 NBA Draft tonight.

what, there's still a draft ? and who's going to be picked no. 1 ..... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

what, no high schoolers allowed? yeah, ok ..... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

what, the Raptors have the first pick? yeah sure ..... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

these are the names ... Andrea Bargnani, Adam Morrison, Brandon Roy, Tyrus Thomas, LaMarcus Aldridge, Rudy Gay, Randy Foye, Rodney Carney and Shelden Williams. oh, and that JJ Redick guy (hope he doesn't DUI on the way to Madison Square Garden).


again ..... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Pyreene Punchout

3-1!!!

Spain crashes out and Ukraine gets the last laugh. The French defense was stout, temporarily wiping away jokes of how they usually fold when being invaded.

now for all of the Frogs' troubles, they go up against Brazil this Saturday. the former best player vs the current best player.


thanks to Delphi's Slingbox (i should already pay royalties).

brother ay!

so - yung mga madaming kuya dyan ....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5120004.stm

A$$-OL

AOL is the most useless web portal ever.

http://www.break.com/index/aolhell.html

escape

Republic Act 9346, signed into law 3 days ago, effectively abolished the death penalty in the Philippines.

great. this means all the scum who committed heinous crimes and were on death row, or awaiting conviction for heinous crimes and who might potentially get the axe, are now simply sentenced to reclusion perpetua, which gives them more chances to enjoy life in God's green earth.

this also means that all corrupt politicians and government officials, just in case a day of reckoning (just in f**king case, ok???) comes, and they get found out, placed on trial and sentenced, will only be given a maximum of a life sentence to serve as their punishment for their misdeeds. as we all know, criminals who are well-connected get to enjoy their life in prison with even more perks than the normal juan de la cruz on the street. reclusion perpetua, pwe.

as far as i remember, plunder is still a capital crime. corruption and economic sabotage should also be. what if we finally nail Ninoy's killer (again, just to throw that out there)? f**k forgiveness. f**k leniency.


* i hope that law wasn't signed because our current president wants to win points with the Pope, and thus curry favor and legitimacy for her fragile administration. current headlines say that the Pope is 'aware' of the crap that's going on inside Philippine politics. i hope he really is. but that's not really saying anything.

Through the Fire. To the Limit!

2OT and 3 PKs!!!

Ukrainians win!!!!

i'm even too exhausted to talk about this. Roman is already drunk and he hasn't had a drop.

thanks to Delphi's Slingbox (yes, who knew it'll last this long).

Whodathunk?

... that just less than 2 decades after the end of the Cold War, the former Communist capital becomes the most expensive place to live in. Capitalism rules!!!!

Source: CNN Money/Mercer Consulting

NEW YORK -- The vodka may be cheap, but according to the latest cost-of-living survey from Mercer Consulting, Moscow now ranks as the world's most expensive city, edging out Tokyo, which held the No. 1 spot for four straight years.

Moscow ranked No. 4 last year, but rose through the ranks for a few reasons, according to Mercer senior consultant Rebecca Powers. The currencies of Tokyo, Osaka and London -- the top 3 cities last year -- fell relative to the dollar, while the Russian ruble remained fairly stable. Plus, Powers added, the price of housing for expatriates in Moscow has risen considerably in the past 12 months.


Top 10 most expensive cities
1. Moscow
2. Seoul
3. Tokyo
4. Hong Kong
5. London
6. Osaka
7. Geneva
8. Copenhagen
9. Zurich
10. Oslo, New York (tied)


The weakened yen places Tokyo in the No. 3 spot, just behind Seoul, while Osaka fell to No. 6.

London, meanwhile, still makes a pricey showing at No. 5, making it the second most expensive city in Europe behind Moscow. It's followed by Geneva, which ranks No. 7 worldwide.

"For many companies it can now be more expensive to send employees to work in Russia or Korea than places like Japan or Switzerland, which are often perceived to be more costly," Powers said in a statement.

The survey uses New York City, ranked No. 10, as its cost base -- scoring it at 100. Then it compares the prices of more than 200 items, including housing, household goods, food, entertainment and transportation in 144 cities around the globe.

Mercer found that Moscow costs 24 percent more than Gotham, while Asuncion, the perennial last-place finisher, costs about 56 percent less than life in the five boroughs.

In the United States, the most expensive cities are New York, Los Angeles (No.29 worldwide), San Francisco (No. 34) and Chicago (No. 38).

In Latin America, Sao Paulo (also ranked No. 34) and Rio de Janeiro have the highest cost of living, while in in Asia, the most expensive cities are Seoul, Tokyo and Hong Kong (No. 4).

Eastern European cities like Budapest (No. 65) and Prague (No. 50) that don't use the euro dropped in the rankings from last year as local currencies fell against the dollar.

Sydney at No. 19 remains the costliest city in Australasia, far ahead of Melbourne (No. 74) and Brisbane (No. 99).

The cheapest cities in the world are Paraguay's Asuncion, Zimbabwe's Harare, Buenos Aires, Manila, Pakistan's Karachi, India's Bangalore and Uruguay's Montevideo.

To give a sense of just what life costs in various cities, Mercer priced out the cost of a two-bedroom unfurnished apartment, a cup of coffee served, a fast food meal and an international paper.

In Moscow, the apartment will run you $3,000, the coffee $5.27, the paper $3.40, and the burger with fries $3.87.

By contrast, Buenos Aires provides a better deal price-wise, to say nothing of warmer temperatures. You can nab the apartment for $999, the coffee for $1.47, the paper for $4.55 and the happy meal for $2.77.

no wonder Brooklyn's Brighton Beach is becoming overcrowded, and you can see a lot more Russian madams going out in a mink coat for a can of milk. Anybody seen "Lord of War"? Great movie.

Spice!

1-0!!!

England wins by the skin of their teeth - or by a lock of hair of pretty boy Becks.

with Owen still out, and Rooney flashing his old form as the match progressed, it fell upon the Brit captain and Spice BoyToy to get on the scoreboard on a free kick. the cameras also captured Posh Spice and her bouncing fake puppies, reveling in her husband's eventual-game--winning goal. for at least 4 more years, the Beckham name brand will still be rolling dough in.

No thanks to Delphi for the use of his Slingbox. This was on a regular cable channel. didn't bother with the Portuguese and the Dutch (which begs the question of whether one-time Becks fling Rebecca Loos was in this game or the previous one - nyahahahaha!)

na-susi-an

and we still can't get over (laughing at) this unfortunate performance:

Alyssa Alano wants you to keys her

it seems to be a stereotypical situation: looker from da prabins gets "discovered" and made to pose and preen, with promises of stardom. having barely a shred of talent, but gets thrown to the wolves anyway. congrats to Alyssa (who???), you have possibly reached the pinnacle of your fledgling career - YouTube notoriety. well, you could end up as some rich man's mistress, not a bad way to go (ok, was that being bitchy? she'll still be richer than me! furthermore, i have issues with people who horribly destroy a good song - and this is not a videoke session.).


i mean, WWJD*?

* (based on Alyssa's age, she's part of the Philippine generation of kids that was touted as 'kinabukasan ng ating bayan'. well, every generation probably is, to make up for the mistakes of the previous ones - but still).

lifeline

pre-Skype.




sorting thru the mountains of accumulated stuff through the years (for appropriate disposal), i came across interesting stuff like the above, a collected bunch of used phonecards. this was during those times when i didn't have a proper cellphone (activated for international calling). i remember sometimes running out of the house at odd hours just to get one from the neighborhood convenience store.

total value: $580.00

on one hand, you can say (or even i can) that i could have saved the money for something else.

but on the other hand, i can only speculate on the amount of warmth and emotional goodwill a phone call can bring, through the miles. if the people i called will consider that priceless, then ... thank you.

win or go home. the answer: go home.

1-2!!!

a scattershot effort by the USA team, wasting the Italians 2-0 outing.

just when they try to put in a scoring attack, every one seems out of place, the kick too weak or too strong. Ghana wanted this more. Try again in 2010, boys.

Thanks to Delphi for the use of his Slingbox.

somewhere in the world, Osama Bin Laden is issuing a video statement lauding Ghana for "heroically" defeating the Great Satan. this despite only 1/5 of the country being Muslims, and appearing to play well with their Christian countrymen. the video will be leaked to Al-Jazeera within 24 hours.

Brown Out

okay, let's see what Isiah Thomas can do with this collection of players.

one thing sure, my Madison Square Garden boycott isn't ending anytime soon.

-
update: a pointblank column from Daily News sportswriter Mike Lupica (one of the regulars i read)

A Flagrant Foul by MSG boss
Dolan listens to toady Isiah & makes Larry latest scapegoat for dismal Knicks

It is not surprising that James Dolan, the rich man's son who owns Madison Square Garden, the worst single caretaker in the history of the place, now tries to use the full force of Cablevision money and Cablevision lawyers to harass the outgoing coach of the Knicks, Larry Brown. There are at least two lawsuits that say women get harassed in Dolan's Garden all the time. Why should Brown be any different?

James Dolan finally fires Brown, a great coach who had a real bad year coaching the Knicks. Dolan does not fire Isiah Thomas, the incompetent general manager who spent $125 million on a Knicks' team that won 23 games last year, an all-time world's record sum for incompetence in the NBA.

Thomas has absolutely no résumé that does not involve either dribbling or shooting a basketball. But now he not only gets to keep his current job, he gets another one:

Coaching the Knicks.

It is truly wonderful. Only in an operation run by a lump like Dolan does a job performance like Thomas' rate what is in effect a promotion. Somehow, though, he has convinced Dolan that only he, Isiah Thomas, really wants the Knicks to win. It is the best lie of all from Thomas, which is saying something.

"There'll be a day when I have my full say," Brown said yesterday, sitting with an iced tea in front of him. He had already been advised not to say very much in public yesterday about his meeting with Dolan and Thomas and Steve Mills, who somehow has the title of Garden president.

But he was still amazed, even more amazed than angry or hurt, at what he had heard from Dolan and Thomas at the meeting, in the weird parallel Knick world in which the owner of the place and the Knicks general manager currently exist.

"I don't think today's an appropriate time to comment on everything that's gone on," Brown said. "But I'm just gonna say this: Nobody gets to say that I came to New York, and to the Garden, and didn't want to win."

You can talk about what a lousy job Brown did. He sure has. You can be as thick as Dolan and actually believe the lies he has been fed by Thomas about how it was Brown who really tried to sink the franchise. And after all that you look at the three of them - Dolan, Thomas, Brown - and have to understand that only Brown has any kind of résumé at his present job. Or what was his job until Dolan and Thomas fired him yesterday.

Now James Dolan, the Son of Cablevision, will do everything in his power to beat Brown out of as much of the $40 million he has left on his contract as he can. Why? Because Dolan is desperate not to be the owner who paid a coach a total of $50 million for 23 victories, that's why.

When all you are is Cablevision money, money produced by Charles Dolan, the real father of the company, you eventually have to show that you actually care about throwing it around. It is still pretty funny: Dolan would rather keep paying some of the stiffs Thomas brought to the Knicks rather than his Hall of Fame coach. Maybe he thinks this makes him look tough in front of Dad.

"I'm not taking the blame!" Isiah Thomas said all season to Brown, then would go out and tell the media that the opposite was true, that everybody had to do better, himself included. He is as two-faced as anybody to ever hold sports jobs as big as the ones he now holds on to for dear life. (amen! - grifter)

Once the season went south, once he realized he could not do what he promised Brown he would do and move some of these stiffs, there was only one job for the man whose job it is to hire the right talent for the Knicks: save his own sorry self.

He finally did that yesterday. At least Isiah Thomas wins something this season.

Everything is Brown's fault, Thomas tells Dolan, who would believe Thomas if he told him Seventh Ave. ran north. It was Brown who sabotaged all these brilliant deals he, Thomas, was trying to make. Like all the brilliant deals of the past. Always, there is always just enough truth to what Thomas says to make it believable, especially to a sucker like Dolan.

Behind the scenes, whispering to reporters, Thomas goes on and on about Brown dealing with the media. We now hear about all these media rules and media gag orders that the Knicks have imposed in their increasingly paranoid world. But at the exact same time these Garden phonies worry about Brown giving nothing answers to reporters who stop him at traffic lights outside the Knicks training center, these same people are working the phones to get Thomas' version of the story out there.

They talk about media rules at the Garden and have a network there that doesn't allow its announcers to even mention sexual-harassment charges made by a former employee against Thomas.

So now Dolan will lawyer up Larry Brown the way he has tried to lawyer up Anucha Browne Sanders, the woman who filed those charges. Dolan's brilliant solution on that one? Fire the woman, trust Thomas. How much has that decision cost Cablevision already, just in terms of public relations? There is no way of telling, and no way of getting Dolan to care. It's Dad's money.

They will try to lawyer up Brown the way they have lawyered up the young woman, Courtney Prince, who used to be captain of the Rangers City Skaters, another woman who has accused Dolan's male employees of sexually harassing her.

Whatever happens from here, Larry Brown is better off without these bums. He still ought to let them know he'll see them at the courthouse. Thomas, who can't win at the Garden, has somehow convinced James Dolan, the Son of Cablevision, he can at least win there.

i'm actually rooting for the Knicks to fail, so Thomas can finally get canned and be banned from holding another job ever. but then again, you never know with Mr. Dolan. at least George Steinbrenner's Yankees boughtwon a few championships, despite looking like he gobbles up talent because of his bottomless wallet.

now if Thomas' Knicks suddenly start winning ... nahhhh, they have to win at least 2 championships convincingly before i'll even start respecting him.

argh.

remind me not to prognosticate ... arrgh.


Congratulations, Dwyane Wade/Miami Heat.

Finally, a ring for Payton and Zo.

Dallas was just plain careless. but at the same time, did the Commish set this all up? will Mark Cuban declare war come Monday? and what about Stan Van Gundy?

not yet.

2-2!!!

the Swedes are still a proud owner of a long non-losing streak against England (38 years - and counting?).

just when London pubs were almost at riot-point at 2-1 with time running out, Sweden came back within a few minutes to score the tying goal - and saved national pride.

Thanks to Delphi for the use of his Slingbox (yes, we were screaming at work, but it was mostly when work was winding down).


in non-futbol areas:
- Go, Dallas Mavericks!!!

redemption

4-0!!!

man, dem saudis better learn how to play futbol better. that, or don't join the World Cup at all.

okay, dem Ukrainians just redeemed themselves. They had too much vodka the night before their first game.

Thanks to Delphi for the use of his Slingbox (yes, we were screaming at work, courtesy of two beautiful goals - the 2nd and the 4th).

WWJD?

(or rather ... AKAGNJ? - Ano Kaya Ang Gagawin Ni Jose?)
if he sees his beloved country like this.

yep ... what would he do?




what would he do ...

... about our black-hole politics and politicians

when he sought to effect change through peaceful means

... when our ego and greed gets paired with power

perhaps Rizal's only display of ego was allowing himself to be captured (leading to his death), distancing himself from a revolution that he kick-started - in the Filipino heart.


... about idiot-cation and the dumbing down of the masses

no one wants to learn hard work anymore? incredible.

... about useless rolemodels

i mean, can she even say she contributed anything to the Philippine arts? and i'm not talking about STDs, cult of personalities, or gossip-fodder here.



.... yeah, what would he do?

i personally think he might commit suicide ... but that's just the bitter me. how about you?


maligayang kaarawan po, Ginoong Jose Rizal.

0-6!!!

man, them serbians better learn how to play futbol better. that, or don't join the World Cup at all.

granted, that was Argentina but ... what, Milosevic died and y'all lost your balls?

nope didn't use Delphi's Slingbox (yes, i do work once in a while).

goa- wtf!?! part 2

0-4!!!

man, them ukrainians better learn how to play futbol better. that, or don't join the World Cup at all.

roman, i think your guys were replaced by the US team. or maybe the players were all American Green Card holders.

thanks to Delphi for the Slingbox broadcast. (yes, it wasn't lunchtime, ya wusses)

slam dunk da funk

Album:
Prince
3121

Snaptrax:
Lolita
Black Sweat
Incense and Candles
Te Amo Corazon
Love
Satisfied

i know, i know, i'm a throwback Prince fan. the Prince who did funky, sexy songs and let you forget he's just almost as reclusive and weird as Michael Jackson. You can even tolerate his Love Symbol era as that was his 'f-k you' to the powers-that-be. what's the difference between him and Jacko? Prince writes better songs and has more talent (he started substituting symbols 4 words long b4 u had ur first Nokia). but i was yearning for the Prince of old, and his last album Musicology was more for his own eclectic musings (but sold more than expected). 3121, for the most part, satisfies my craving - though i'm still researching what does numbers mean. i didn't listen to the album in its set order - the randomness contributes to more appreciation, i think. you have his usual slinky stuff (Incense and Candles, Satisfied), but what surprised me more is the return of his funky hook mojo - listen to Lolita, Black Sweat, Fury and Love. all sound like they were written by Prince during the '80s - that says a lot about him being ahead of his time. there is still that yearning for the perfect Prince record (according to my standards) - song for song, holding up to anything - but even with the other weak tracks, this comes close. especially after a long time.

coconut news ngayon 061406

from the news wires ...

RIGHT SAID FRAUD
An audit conducted by the US Government Accountability Office yielded the discovery that about $1 billion in disaster relief funds have been used in potentially fraudulent claims in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina/Rita in the Gulf Coast.

Debit cards given to people displaced by the storms were improperly used to buy diamond jewelry, a vacation in the Dominican Republic, fireworks, a $200 bottle of champagne at a Hooters in San Antonio and $300 worth of "Girls Gone Wild" videos, the audit found.

According to the GAO, $1,000 from a FEMA debit card went to a Houston divorce lawyer, $600 was spent in a strip club and $400 was spent on "adult erotica products," all of which auditors concluded were "not necessary to satisfy legitimate disaster needs."

The GAO concluded that at least $1 billion in disaster relief payments by the Federal Emergency Management Agency were improper and potentially fraudulent because the recipients provided incomplete or incorrect information when they registered for assistance.

FEMA acknowledged its shortcomings late Tuesday.

MORAL LESSON: Give a man a fish, you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, you will ... oh, f-k it, just give him the money!!!


JIHAD ON YOUR ASS
Speaking of disasters, looks like Indonesia is still on Bad Santa's list ...

Indonesian authorities have raised the alert status for Mount Merapi, the volatile volcano in central Java, to the highest level after downgrading it in recent days.

The Indonesian Center for Research Technology and Volcanology raised the alert to red from yellow on Tuesday after noticing an increase in activity.

"The status was upgraded at 2 p.m. (0700 GMT) because of the increasing hot clouds," said Triyani, an official at the state-run monitoring center in the city of Yogyakarta, a city of about 500,000 people, in the province of the same name.

Last week, about 11,000 residents living near Mount Merapi were evacuated after hot ash spewed from the volcano's dome.

As if they haven't had enough of tsunamis and earthquakes. Were the victims predominantly Muslim? Wow, looks like Mother Nature declared a fatwa on you guys.


BLOODY CUP FLOWETH OVER
And apparently, this World Cup stuff is still too much even for those watching at home. i mean, would you rather get buried in an earthquake, die from HIV/AIDS from that Patpong transvestite, or check out like this:

Thai police are searching for a gunman who shot and killed two soccer fans at a beach resort after complaining they were cheering too loudly during a broadcast of Italy's World Cup opener against Ghana, officials said Wednesday.

The two men, both Thais, were watching Italy's 2-0 win over Ghana at a restaurant Monday at the Thai beach resort town of Pattaya, and erupted in roars when Italy scored its first goal, said Panipha Wattakul, a girlfriend of one of the victims.

A man seated at a nearby table asked them to quieten down, prompting a heated argument during which the man pulled out a handgun and shot the football fans at point blank range. Police know the identity of the gunman, who fled after the shooting.

Thailand has never competed in the World Cup. But despite the Southeast Asian nation's poor showing on the international football stage, millions of fans are glued to their televisions during the World Cup and millions of baht (dollars) are spent on illegal betting, polls show.

MORAL LESSON: Always have safety in numbers, especially when cheering for your favorite team. Or bring a gun and shoot first.


DAT IS SO GHETTOH
And just when you think it was safe in New York (decrease in Homeland Security funds notwithstanding ...)

Four young men suspected of beating a recording artist while yelling anti-gay slurs were arraigned on assault charges, but did not enter a plea.

They are accused of chasing and jumping Kevin Aviance, 38, at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday in the city's East Village.

According to a felony complaint filed by prosecutors, the men followed Aviance, called him derogatory names and threw two garbage bags and a paint can at the singer before surrounding and attacking him.

Len Evans, Aviance's publicist, said the singer could hear passers-by yelling at the attackers to stop.

Aviance suffered a broken jaw, bruised knee and other injuries, the complaint said.

Granted, Aviance is a black drag queen. Would this news get picked up if he wasn't? Oh, wait - his attackers were also black.


IT WAS THAT PSYCHO GUY FROM 'SCREAM'
And then, just yesterday, the NYC subway system seemingly became a time warp, as it materialized in the mid-'80s, pre-Guiliani purges.

Two people were stabbed, with one left critically injured, in separate incidents on the city's subway system in a roughly 12-hour period, police said.

The latest incident occurred about 4 a.m. Wednesday, when an unidentified man waiting with a friend on a platform at the Rockefeller Center station in midtown Manhattan was stabbed twice in the stomach, apparently during a robbery, police said. He was hospitalized in stable condition. The stabber fled.

On Tuesday afternoon, Christopher McCarthy, 21, of Houston, was hospitalized in critical condition after he was stabbed by a man sitting across from him in a subway car on Manhattan's Upper West Side, an attack police said was random and apparently unprovoked.

No words were exchanged between McCarthy and the man, who police said was in his 20s and wore all black.

The man left the train and police launched an extensive search, scouring subway tunnels and nearby Central Park. He remained at large Wednesday.

That's it, I'm not going out of my apartment until doomsday.

goa- wtf!?!

0-3!!!

man, them yanks better learn how to play futbol better. that, or don't join the World Cup at all.

thanks to Delphi for the Slingbox broadcast. (hey, it was lunchtime, ya wusses)

kalayaan

Bayang Magiliw
Perlas ng Silanganan,
Alab ng puso
Sa dibdib mo'y buhay.

Lupang Hinirang,
Duyan ka ng magiting,
Sa manlulupig,
'Di ka pasisiil.

Sa dagat at bundok,
Sa simoy at sa langit mong bughaw,
May dilag ang tula
At awit sa paglayang minamahal.

Ang kislap ng watawat mo'y
Tagumpay na nagniningning,
Ang bituin at araw niya
Kailan pa ma'y 'di magdidilim.

Lupa ng araw, ng luwalhati't pagsinta,
Buhay ay langit sa piling mo;
Aming ligaya, na 'pag may mang-aapi
Ang mamatay nang dahil sa 'yo.

words by Palma/Balmaceda/Santos/Caballo

balla 3

now i have only a few more days before i stop tracking sports (not exactly. there's the World Cup for the whole month of June, and then its off for the summer).

and it has come down to this: the Miami Heat vs the Dallas Mavericks for all the marbles. both franchises are in their first Finals, though some of the players (and definitely the coaches) have been down this road before. Miami is only the second team among the expansion teams of the last 20 years to get to a Finals (it is the notable that both had Shaquille O'Neal in their rosters when it happened). the Mavericks had long been a laughingstock (the "Mav-wrecks") until Internet billionaire/ultimate fanboy Mark Cuban bought the team and started rewriting the rules of how to run a sports team - a model already being emulated by some forward-thinking owners.

Heat has only beaten the Mavs once in the last 8 meetings over the past 4 years, even with Shaq in 3 of them.


Matchup Heaven

A Flash of Lightning
among the young & elite NBA guns of recent memory, only Dwyane Wade is left standing in the 2006 playoffs. oozing with charisma and talent, Wade is both a throwback and new-school, knowing the value of offensive efficiency, humility and deference to his elders, but can match anybody step by step, throw wicked dunks, and draw the usual Jordan comparisons (does being picked #3 overall sound eerie?) with his athleticism, defense and attitude. last season was his coming out party, but fell short against Detroit. i expect him to go wild in this series (and provide a rivalry to the anointed King LeBron for the next few years), just like i expect the next fellow to do the same.

the next ... don't even say it.

Dirrrty
"lo and behold, the cattle shalt be led by a German ..." so says the book of Naismith. Dirk Nowitzki, thought of as a project back when he was drafted 9th overall in 1998, has single-handedly erased the widely-held notion of European players being finesse-oriented and soft (Peja Stojakovic, Darko Milicic) and would amount to no more than complimentary players for great teams (e.g., Arvydas Sabonis, Detlef Schrempf). even eventual champs like Tony Parker and Toni Kukoc still largely played second banana to established players. Dirk Diggler had to endure doubts about his talents, criticism about his toughness and D, and even the departure of his longtime teammates Steve Nash and Michael Finley to finally come full circle and embrace his destiny. being a Mavs watcher for years, its sad to see that Nasty and Fin won't be celebrating with Dirk when he wins this championship.

reminds you of someone? (hint: initials L.B. and it isn't Larry Brown)

Diesel
this could be the time that Shaq finally brings a championship to Florida (if that happens, the city of Orlando will riot). he's getting old but he can still be the Shaq of yore when he wants to. taking Wade under his wing and spitting at his former championship partner Kobe, as well as "dissing" his former coach Phil Jackson, Shaq will have to win this one to finally cement his legacy (although it is already impressive). if he does, he should retire asap and do the Miami Vice thing. he should learn from Jordan. can you imagine him tackling gang members in Miami Beach? hooohaaa, that's another cop show right there.

kazaaaaaam!

Coach? First Class: AJ vs Riles
the Li'l General vs Gordon Gekko. Avery Johnson's young career has been stellar as can be, reaching the NBA Finals in only 2+ seasons, and that even includes the much-deserved Coach of the Year accolades. Pat Riley had an inauspicious start, engineering a (backstabbing) coup worthy of Trump and Gekko that (re)installed himself as coach, replacing his friend Stan Van Gundy, whom he designated his successor not-so-long ago. despite much criticism, he got the Heat where they've been trying to get to since he left the Big Apple like a worm and rose to power in South Beach. i respect the 4 rings - but that's far as I'll go. AJ can be as fiery as Riles, and he's been in this situation as a player. i'm rooting for him to be the next one to win rings both on the court and on the sidelines.

X-Factors
Josh Howard/Jerry Stackhouse (Mavericks)

Howard practically made Michael Finley expendable, and is now the perfect compliment to Dirk. athletic as hell, he has come of age and whenever he doesn't produce anything, the Mavs almost always lose. Stack has certainly overcome his own ego (being a Tar Heel already guaranteed the "next Jordan" comparisons) through his own winding journey in the league.

Antoine Walker

'Toine probably lost his trademark shimmy, but the guy can still bomb away with the best of 'em (and not too long ago, he was a Mav) . he's the long, tall forward in any of Riles' championship team blueprint (James Worthy, Charles Smith) and though he may not be in Worthy's class, he's dangerous enough. i wonder how former Celtic teammate Paul Pierce feels, now that Walker is in the Finals. i wonder how Danny Ainge feels.


Rocks and Roles

Take Me to the Zo

Alonzo Mourning is practically a Heat legend in their brief team history. once a storied rival to Shaq (drafted 2nd right after the Big Fella), his health problems of recent years have forced him from the main stage, but his ferocity and tenacity remains (including the oft-annoying muscle-flexing after a dramatic shotblock). whudathunk they'd be playing together in their twilight years? its not quite Chamberlain+Russell, but those two never played together at all.

UD Man
not bad for an undrafted rookie just 3 years ago. solidified the power forward position taking over from Brian Grant. probably the most accomplished person named Udonis. will battle the two-headed monster below to allow Shaq to last up to the 4th Q.


D&D
DeSagana Diop and Erick Dampier. the critical ink they both got before today combined probably will stretch across the continental US - both underachieving malcontents. suddenly, they're useful resources. Diop can claim to be an NBA Finals starter while Dampier is starting to earn his huge salary.

there is a D in Erick's last name.

Blanco

play that funky music, white boy
really? the White Chocolate in the Finals? Florida Gators must be proud. Jason Williams is having the last laugh after all his pit stops with contenders (Sacramento, Memphis) garnered him the evaluation that he wasn't the model point guard. perfect poster boy for Eminem songs.

Jettin' Devin

the duo of Jason "The Jet" Terry and Devin Harris should be something that Riley should factor in, since only Wade can run with these two. Miami is going to play slowdown because if the Mavs turn on the afterburners, the Heat are going to get fastbreaked out of the arena (assuming of course the Mavs get the offensive rebounds).

KVH is the only Mav player with Finals experience (New Jersey Nets '02). a kind of mirror image of Walker, but not as tough. still dangerous with his 3 point shot.


Gary Payton returns to the Finals with his 3rd team. no longer considered the Glove, he is more of a Mitten. but the man is too proud not to let it all hang out one last time. it's all for the ring, baby!

where have you gone, Shawn Kemp?

and yes, i haven't forgotten you, Michael Doleac.

during the 1998-99 lockout season, the first time i ever watched an NBA game was in Orlando, where the Magic went up against the Knicks (and won - though the Knicks would go the Finals that season). it was the post-Shaq era and Penny Hardaway was consolidating his (soon to be short-lived) grasp of power in the Magic Kingdom. i was rooting for a pair of rookies then - Doleac and vinegary swingman Matt Harpring. Harpring has found a home with the best old-school mentor, Jerry Sloan in Utah. Doleac also bounced around since, and its ironic that he's backing up the man he replaced in O-Town. best of luck, man.

also on the Maverick side, we have old man Darrell Armstrong, another alumnus of that 1999 Orlando Magic season. ah, memories.


... and the winner is ...



can you believe they own naming rights on both teams' arenas? i didn't realize till a little while ago.


ok, seriously, i'm giving it to the (new) man with the tongue.



Prediction: Mavs in 7. *



* despite the fact that a longer Finals run means more TV broadcast money for Mark Cuban. unless he gets fined for the same amount they earn hahahaha.

Suri, its not a robot

somewhere in the world Rachel Green is crying.

zarqed

Comments (and comments on comments) on the recent whacking of Al-Qaeda sales rep in Iraq, A.M. al-Zarqawi (sounds like a noted poet ... of death).


"Today Zarqawi has been terminated. Every time a Zarqawi appears we will kill him."
- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki

Sounds like a video game. There are probably patches and hacks for Middle East war games for PS2, to display likenesses of known targets.


"Zarqawi's death marks a 'great success,' but ... will not end violence in the country."
- U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad

At least someone's not getting drunk off this news, and shooting guns in the air.


"Today's announcement was very good news because a blow against al Qaeda in Iraq was a blow against al Qaeda everywhere."
- British Prime Minister Tony Blair

Sales are down, but that's how the market goes. There is also no truth to the rumor that this news strengthened Blair's reputation and the Labour Party for the next UK elections.


"This is a very important victory for the people of Iraq. He was the evil of terrorism. Having him killed is a very important achievement for us."
- Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih

As opposed to the 'good of terrorism'? (V for Vendetta!!!) At this rate, Iraq in itself has attained numerous important achievements if only for the death toll in their internal fratricidal war.


"We anticipated that he would be killed for a very long time. We hope that he will join other martyrs in heaven."
- Sayel al-Khalayleh, al-Zarqawi brother

Yep. With 7 virgins, right? Or was it 77? Damn, boy's gettin' some, yo.


"We're not sad that he's dead. To the contrary, we're happy because he's a martyr and he's now in heaven."
- Abu Qudama, al-Zarqawi brother-in-law

Well, General Casey et al, to paraphrase the great Patton - to win a war, you don't die for your God and your country; you let the other guy die for his God and his country. They all want to go to heaven - do it!


"Zarqawi's death, if confirmed, will have little effect on the jihad in Iraq."
- Islamist expert Yasser al-Sirry

Yep - they already friggin' cloned the bastard. Am sure al-Jazeera suppressed that story.


"I think he's been a nasty, effective terrorist threat and he will not be quickly replaceable, in that sense, as an icon ... he has been a very extraordinary and I think influential figure."
- Jeremy Greenstock, ex-UK representative in Iraq (on BBC)

Did you see the latest sales figures on the Zarqawi action figure? Man, that thing is outselling the G.I. Joes and the latest line of Justice League toys.


"Al-Zarqawi in recent times did not represent an important element in violent operations on the ground in Iraq. Out of the violence of the insurgency Zarqawi's group represented only 5 to 7 percent."
- Diaa Rashwan, al-Ashram Center for Political and Strategic Studies

You're kidding me. No way! ("Way!" - Rashwan)


"Zarqawi was a symbol ... if Zarqawi has fallen, there are others to take his place and take responsibility."
- Montasser al-Zayyar, lawyer with contacts with Egypt's militant Islamists*

but none as good-looking as the shit. he is the shit, i tells ya.


* "lawyer with contacts with militants"? wtf is this shit? this is a zarzuella. everyone there knows everyone. if the US had the right contacts, they'd have ended this war by now.

666!

Vegas odds are 100,00 to 1, the world will not last beyond 12 midnight. $500 bid gives you a penny if you lose, gazillions if you win (but good luck collecting on that one! nyahahahaha!).

driver hate

That's right. Make it a 'disease'. Make more excuses for idiots.

If they do that, then shouldn't all drivers be tested and those found to be positive of this "disorder" be banned from driving??

Serenity now!!!!

-----
Study: 16 million might have road rage disorder
Doctors say condition is far more common that they thought
Monday, June 5, 2006; Posted: 4:03 p.m. EDT (20:03 GMT) at CNN.com

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- To you, that angry, horn-blasting tailgater is suffering from road rage. But doctors have another name for it -- intermittent explosive disorder -- and a new study suggests it is far more common than they realized, affecting up to 16 million Americans.

"People think it's bad behavior and that you just need an attitude adjustment, but what they don't know ... is that there's a biology and cognitive science to this," said Dr. Emil Coccaro, chairman of psychiatry at the University of Chicago's medical school.

Road rage, temper outbursts that involve throwing or breaking objects and even spousal abuse can sometimes be attributed to the disorder, though not everyone who does those things is afflicted.

By definition, intermittent explosive disorder involves multiple outbursts that are way out of proportion to the situation. These angry outbursts often include threats or aggressive actions and property damage. The disorder typically first appears in adolescence; in the study, the average age of onset was 14.

The study was based on a national face-to-face survey of 9,282 U.S. adults who answered diagnostic questionnaires in 2001-03. It was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.

About 5 percent to 7 percent of the nationally representative sample had had the disorder, which would equal up to 16 million Americans. That is higher than better-known mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, Coccaro said.

Four a couple of decades, intermittent explosive disorder, or IED, has been included in the manual psychiatrists use to diagnose mental illness, though with slightly different names and criteria. That has contributed to misunderstanding and underappreciation of the disorder, said Coccaro, a study co-author.

Coccaro said the disorder involves inadequate production or functioning of serotonin, a mood-regulating and behavior-inhibiting brain chemical. Treatment with antidepressants, including those that target serotonin receptors in the brain, is often helpful, along with behavior therapy akin to anger management, Coccaro said.

Most sufferers in the study had other emotional disorders or drug or alcohol problems and had gotten treatment for them, but only 28 percent had ever received treatment for anger.

Jennifer Hartstein, a psychologist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, said she had just diagnosed the disorder in a 16-year-old boy.

"In most situations, he is relatively affable, calm and very responsible," she said. But in stressful situations at home, he "explodes and tears apart his room, throws things at other people" to the point that his parents have called the police.

Hartstein said the study is important because many people are not aware of the disorder.

x = broken

Jen Vaughniston breaks X-Men by $4M. guess my contribution didn't help.