FIFA.10.. get your face in the game...

watch this video. You can customize your face to be in he game.. Cool... Great Job EA...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLNeupu_hRg

Register first in this site..

http://www.easportsfootball.co.uk

Ferguson: Liverpool are true rivals | ESPNSTAR.com

Ferguson: Liverpool are true rivals | ESPNSTAR.com

Shared via AddThis

AVATAR : the last Air Bender!

Next summer, the return of the last air bender. Im always an avid fan of this kid.

the adventures of the main protagonist Aang and his friends, who must save the world by defeating the evil Fire Lord and ending the destructive war with the Fire Nation.

Avatar: The Last Airbender was popular with both audiences and critics,[7] garnering 5.6 million viewers on its best-rated showing and receiving high ratings in the Nicktoons lineup, even outside its 6–11-year-old demographic.[3][8] Avatar has been nominated for and won awards from the Annual Annie Awards, the Genesis Awards and the primetime Emmy awards, among others. The first season's success prompted Nickelodeon to order second[9] and third[10] seasons. The first part of a movie trilogy tentatively titled The Last Airbender is expected to be released on July 2, 2010.

http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php

http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php

Shared via AddThis

Berba: Rooney better than Ronaldo

Berba: Rooney better than Ronaldo

Dimitar Berbatov has launched a stinging attack on Cristiano Ronaldo claiming he was never the best player at Old Trafford.

Ronaldo left Manchester United for Real Madrid this summer after a lengthy transfer saga.

Whilst many observers have hailed Ronaldo's Red Devils stint and, in the wake of United's 1-0 midweek loss to Burnley, started to wonder if the new Galactico will prove to be irreplaceable, former team-mate Berbatov is adamant that Wayne Rooney remains a far better player than the Portugal international.

"Ronaldo was a fantastic player for us and I'm sure he will be very good for Real Madrid," the Bulgarian striker told The Sun.

"But, for me, our biggest talent is and always was - even last season - Wayne Rooney.

"He is an incredible talent and will be one of the best players in Europe for many years to come.

"The scary thing with Wayne is he's four or five years off his peak and, when you see the level he's at now, that is almost impossible to get your head round."

While Ronaldo has always enjoyed the trappings that come with being one of the planet's most recognizable faces, Berbatov has revealed that strike partner Rooney is solely concerned with being a footballer.

"Wayne just loves to play football, it was what he was born to do and you can see that. He is not concerned about any of the glamour that goes with it," he explained.

"He amazes us on the training pitch almost every day and his hunger seems to get bigger with every game.

"His attitude and love for the game reminds me of a child who could spend all day in the park with nothing but a football."

ESPNSTAR.com readers vote for Man United

ESPNSTAR.com readers vote for Man United

Manchester United will win the 2009/10, according to espnstar.com's readers who voted on the online poll.

By Eugene YS Han

ESPNSTAR.com readers were asked "Which club will win the BPL this season" and they voted for Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

A whopping 72% voted for the defending champions to win their fourth league title in a row.

The voters were seemingly not perturbed by the fact that the Red Devils were set to start the season without talisman Cristiano Ronaldo for the first time since 2003. Manchester United have not started brightly - losing to Burnley on Wednesday. But as BPL insiders all know, United are slow starters and Ferguson has already laid down the gauntlet for his players to secure 90 points this season. Yes, 90!

Chelsea are a distant second with 10% voting for the Blues who have Carlo Ancelotti as their new coach. They have gotten off to a good start with two wins in two games. Ancelotti is still getting to grips with the English game.

Liverpool are next with 9% of the votes. Perhaps people who did not vote for the Reds have been swayed by the departure of the influential Xabi Alonso and did not have much confidence in Lucas, Alonso's replacement. However, Rafael Benitez has spoken in defence of the Brazilian midfielder. The Spaniard has also denied claims that he is set to quit because of the lack of transfer funds. No smoke without fire, I say ...

About 6% voted for Arsenal to become champions of England again and on the form they are in - this season could be it for the Gunners. Just so long they stay injury-free. And Barcelona don't keep knocking on their door. And if Arsene Wenger buy a defensive midfielder.

Next, about 1% voted for big-spenders Manchester City. They have gotten off to a great start - and even won a friendly against Barcelona during midweek. If they can continue this form, they could yet make mark in the title race.

Another 1% voted for 'Others' and perhaps they want a fairy tale ending in the title race - a sort of Cinderella story. Will we get one at the end of the season? Nah ...

And that's it Im Tagging: oleole

Fergie: Tough to break into top four | ESPNSTAR.com

Fergie: Tough to break into top four | ESPNSTAR.com

Shared via AddThis

TAGGED- 5 School Facts

xegben Tagged Me..So Here's My School facts....

1. Its been hard to enroll in college before. because its done manually, but thanks to my friends they make it easy for me.

2. I dont have any troubles also with Registrar's Office..I can get documents there and do not require to fall in line (Arben's mom work's there).

3. Damn if my classmate was 10 mins late, count another 10 mins, thats the time I will enter.. hehe

4. Im a B'dadali dance troupe member, one of the prestigious dance troupe here in North Cotabato, and there I met my wife.

5.  And beacuse of that I didn't graduated on time. But my first child gave me a new meaning in life.

And that's it Im Tagging: xegben, Marai, Julio, Chinky Eyes, and Gerald

Seoul people screeming for Man United

Thousands of fans are watching.. Though without the likes of David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo this time, but all eyes on the team.. Ji-Sun Park is the obvious favorite but other players like Wayne Rooney are seemingly adored..

Here are the highlights..

United have found themselves a thoroughbred striker in Owen

Phil Chisnall believes that Manchester United’s move to acquire Michael Owen will pay huge dividends for the BPL Champions.

Chisnall, who moved from Man United to Liverpool in 1964, said that the striker's transfer to Old Trafford was fantastic news.

"It's a brilliant piece of business," Chisnall told United's official website.

"Michael's had his injury problems, but he didn't become a bad player during his time at St James' Park. If you'd put George Best into that Newcastle team he'd have struggled!"

"When United are playing well, and the passing movements are flowing, they create countless chances, and he'll poke in a high percentage of them. "

"He won't be bombing about all over the place as Carlos Tevez did, but he'll wait for his opportunities and he'll score hatfuls."

Chisnall is confident that Owen can reclaim his prolific Liverpool strike-rate while donning the shirt of the Red Devils.

"United have found themselves a thoroughbred striker without paying a transfer fee and Michael Owen has got himself back in the top bracket."

"It's a perfect scenario for both parties."

ESPNStar.com

David Beckham slams Galaxy teammate Donovan

David Beckham has slammed comments made about him by Los Angeles Galaxy teammate Landon Donovan.

The former Manchester United star was criticised by Donovan in a book entitled The Beckham Experience but he has hit back at Donovan, labelling his comments as unprofessional.

"What Landon said is unprofessional in my eyes and in the eyes of every footballer in the world - you don't talk out against your team-mates,” Beckham said.

"In 17 years I have played at some of the biggest clubs in the world and with some of the biggest players in the world, not to mention some of the strongest managers.

"And not once in those 17 years has there been a question about my professionalism. Me and Landon will talk but it will be a private conversation."

Ronaldo's first practice in Madrid

Here is the clips.. Ronaldo live in madrid...

Ribery shock move to Liverpool...

ESPNSTAR.COM

Liverpool are set to make a shock move for Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery.

British bookmakers have today dramatically slashed the odds on Ribery moving to Anfield from 66/1 to 8/13.

This unusual transfer story has been backed up by similar betting cirumstances surrouding Michael Owen's shock move to Manchester United.

Reports from England have suggested that Reds manager Rafael Benitez will make a big-money offer to sign the highly sought-after French international.

Real Madrid, Manchester United, Barcelona and Arsenal have all been linked with Ribery but so far Liverpool's name has never mentioned.
Bayern Munich have already stated Ribery is not for sale but the winger has already stated his desire to leave the German club.

This news will definitely raise doubts over the futures of Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano. In order to secure Ribery, Liverpool may have sell first before making this huge transfer outlay.

The Reds want to keep the pair, but their tight budget means Benitez - who has already splashed more than £17 million on Glen Johnson - will have to sell before making another big buy.

Speculation is that Liverpool could also put together a player-exchange deal involving Andreas Dossena, Andriy Voronin and Ryan Babel plus £25million cash.

Ron Artest "#37 tribute to Michael Jackson"

Fist of all I would like to welcome the new La LAker Ron Artest. Few among Kobe Stopper in this era..i know he will make a big impact especially in diffence on both ends of the floor. He respect Kobe so much.. and he knew what calibre he is. A great competitor who is eager to win every game...

If Ken Griffey Jr.'s Michael Jackson tribute came off as cute, then Ron Artest's(notes) tribute to the fallen pop purveyor is coming off as a little strange. And kind of dorky. Very strange and dorky.

Because Ron Ron apparently owns a copy of the Guinness Book of World Records, he knows that Jackson's Thriller album stayed on top of the pop charts for exactly 37 weeks in the early 1980s. And because he just signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, he gets to choose a new number. And because Kareem, Wilt, Magic and Jerry West never wore the number 37, Artest chose the number 37.

As a tribute to Michael Jackson. By pointing out the number of weeks Thriller stayed at the top of the charts. Oh-kay.

Death is a pretty serious topic, and we don't mean to demean the loss of Jackson, or intimate that his death won't seem as shocking or relevant enough toward the end of Artest's five-year contract to necessitate he keep wearing number 37, but ... yeah, we're intimating that Jackson's death won't seem as shocking or relevant enough toward the end of Artest's five-year contract to necessitate he keep wearing number 37.

This is nothing new for Ron. He previously wore number six, for the amount of members in John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, 88 for the number of keys on Joe Sample's piano, and zero for the amount of Eagles albums I can listen to without wanting to throw things.

Actually, none of those facts are true. But Artest has worn 15, 23, 91, 93, and 96 over his career. 15, because that was his original number. 23, because that was Michael Jordan's number, and 91 as a tribute to Dennis Rodman.

He wore 93 and 96 because he's bat-dung crazy.

It should be noted that Ron has also released a musical tribute to Jackson that is completely and utterly unsafe for work. (Ball dont lie)

Inter striker Ibrahimovic keen to sign in Manchester Utd..

Ibrahimovic could be on United's hitlist
Sir Alex Ferguson is weighing up a move for Inter Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Manchester United boss Fergie, who yesterday completed the £3.5million signing of Bordeaux winger Gabriel Obertan, has missed out on several of his top targets to replace Cristiano Ronaldo. Lyon striker Karim Benzema opted to join Real Madrid, while Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery revealed his desire to play in La Liga. That has left Fergie with limited options in terms of finding a forward to supply the goals without Ronaldo - despite the free signing of former England striker Michael Owen. Now Inter striker Ibrahimovic, 27, has emerged as a target, with Fergie having had the Sweden international watched on several occasions last season by his European scouts. Inter would be reluctant to sell £30m rated Ibrahimovic, twice voted Serie A Player of the Year, but sources in Italy suggest they may be persuaded by a sizeable fee.
David McDonnell, Daily Mirror

Ronaldo in front of 80,000 fans...

Unveiled to Madrid fans at the Santiago Bernebau and officially signs on the dotted line to seal his transfer to Real Madrid.

Good evening.

I just want to say, I told my friends that I was going to be very natural.

I'm just so happy to be here.

For me, I have made my childhood dream a reality, which was nothing less than playing for Real Madrid.

I didn't expect a jam-packed stadium. This is truly impressive!

Thank you very much, and I'm going to ask you all to say with me, I'm going to count to three to say Hala Madrid.

Ready?

One, two, three - HALA MADRID!

Here is the video presentation..

United are thought to be set to offer Eto'o a deal..

The Barcelona striker was thought to be discussing terms with United's bitter rivals Manchester City, and a move to Eastlands was expected to happen sooner rather than later.

However, according to reports in the News of World, the Cameroon international is now willing to take a substantial pay cut in order to continue playing his football at the very highest level.

Eto'o's proposed transfer to City has seemingly hit a brick wall, with the forward reportedly asking for a lucrative £200,000-a-week deal.

Barcelona, who want £25million for the 28-year-old, are also unwilling to give Eto'o the £12million he is demanding should his transfer fee be met.

Sources close to the player now believe that Eto'o would be willing to drop those particular demands if a team of United's calibre were interested in signing him, a move that would, so the former Mallorca favourite believes, give him a better shot at winning trophies than City can offer.

"Samuel has not been convinced by a move to a mid-table side in the Premier League," the News of the World source said.

"He will also not sign a new deal at Barca."

United are thought to be set to offer Eto'o a deal worth some £150,000-a-week.

Manchester United seal Luis Antonio Valencia deal

WINGER Luis Antonio Valencia last night flew in to seal his £16million dream switch to Manchester United.

The Ecuadorian ace cut short a break in his homeland to have a medical at Old Trafford today while his contract is finalised.

Valencia has been holding out for the move for five months since Sir Alex Ferguson showed an interest and the Wigan man has given Real Madrid the brush-off to ensure his Old Trafford dream comes true.

Valencia will quadruple his wages and sign a deal worth around £75,000 a week while Wigan will hand the transfer fee to new boss Roberto Martinez to go on a signing blitz.

"Joining Manchester United is a dream come true for me," he told the club's official website www.manutd.com.

"I have enjoyed my time at Wigan, but I am thrilled to have the chance to challenge for the biggest honours in club football here.

"Playing in front of 76,000 fans alongside players like Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs will be an amazing experience. I can't wait to get started."

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he had tracked Valencia's progress since his arrival at Wigan two seasons ago.

Here are some of his goals..

Eusebio: Ronaldo is now god

Eusebio: Ronaldo is now god | espnstar.com

Shared via AddThis

Mariah Carey says about MJ in Twitter. (RIP)

"No artist will ever take his place. His star will shine forever. - Mariah"

"millions of devoted fans throughout the world. I feel blessed to have performed with him several times & to call him my friend."

"his unparalleled contribution to the world of music,his generosity of spirit in his quest to heal the world & the joy he brought to his"

"I am heartbroken. My prayers go out to the Jackson family,and my heart goes out to his children. Let us remember him for"

Its true.. So long Michael..See you in heaven.. Heal the world for us up there.. We will miss you.. Legend...

USA soccer team stuns numero uno Spain..

Yes.. They did it by defeating Spain 2-0.. It's like a Dream team last Olympics which knocked out the 2006 FIBA world champions.. The U.S. soccer team is in the final of the Confederations Cup and maybe they will face the undisputed Brazil team led by the 2007 Footballer of the year Kaka..

Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey scored the goals as underdogs USA, having lost their opening two games in the tournament and only squeezed through Group B by the skin of their teeth, set up a final showdown against either Brazil or hosts South Africa on Sunday.

Call it a miracle on grass—maybe not the World Cup, but still an American soccer echo of the U.S. hockey team’s upset of the Soviet Union at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics.

"It's a big disappointment and it hurts not to be in the final because we would have liked to be there," Xavi (Spain/Barcelona midfielder) told reporters after the game."We always had this feeling in the second half that we would tie the game," he explained. "The team was feeling more comfortable, we were getting close to their goal, but we did not have luck on our side.

The United States had lost its three previous matches against Spain, including 1-0 in an exhibition on June 4 last year at Santander. But the Americans were boosted by Bocanegra, who had been sidelined since injuring a hamstring during a World Cup qualifier on June 6. He played left back instead of central defense.

On this night, everything came together.

Who would have thought that USA can beat Spain, knowing Soccer are not that admired by the most people in US. Well this win, maybe, will realize by the millions who lived in US that their team are the best team in the world.

Ronaldo, Kaka could debut for Madrid in Ireland

MADRID: Real Madrid's world record transfer signing Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka could debut for the Spanish side on July 20 in a friendly match against Shamrock Rovers in Dublin, the Spanish club said Monday on its Web site.

Shamrock Rovers said the match, to be played at in the 3,500 seater Tallaght Stadium, is sold out.

"Shamrock Rovers F.C. members and season ticket holders purchased over 3,000 tickets in the 48 hour window over the weekend," the Irish club said.

Madrid are to spend July 13-22 preparing for the new season at the Carton House training ground in Ireland said director general Jorge Valdano.

"We are delighted with the trip to Ireland we have prepared so as to begin this very important phase in our preseason training," Valdano said.

"We know Shamrock Rovers is a very important team in Ireland and playing against them is going to suit us very well in our preparation," Valdano said.

Madrid have agreed to pay Manchester United a record 80 million pounds ($131 million) for Ronaldo and Kaka was signed from AC Milan for a reported fee of around euro65 million ($92 million).

Personal terms with Ronaldo are still to be agreed. - AP

FIFA 10 updates...

Well kudos to Luke and Diddie for making things happen. My favorite EA sports game, FIFA10 is going to release by late August or early September. Sure, I can't hardly wait. interesting stuffs' are about to happen.. Thanks to all of the guys for making this possible.. I'm just a huge fan...

Here are some of the gameplay update:

New Collision System
The new collision system includes a new collision avoidance system to ensure players have the intelligence of where other are on the pitch.
This will result in less colliding with team mates (should only happen when appropriate) and more realistic collisions with opponents.

More realistic gameplay responsiveness
We looked at ways to make the responsiveness of the game more realistic than before. This will see you noticing:
- Faster transition between control command to action, removing frustrations with waiting for things to happen.
- Fluid movement with more better animations.
- Improved player switching
- Auto-Evade slide tackle system to allow players to continue dazzling runs when slide tackle come flying in.

Heading and crossing
Heading and crossing is more realistic than ever before, with the following:
- Aerial Battles, battle with your opponent and win those all important headers.
- New Heading power physics see you scoring those bullet headers, making those runs down the wings all important

Referees:
Referee realism is also a feature of FIFA 10, with more intelligence and realistic decision making. We have also improved the animations too.

The start of FIFA 10 PC in the above list is a taster of things to come, so stay tuned for more information on FIFA 10.

2009-2010 Manchester United BPL fixtures

This is a year of a new era.. First season without my favorite winger Cristiano Ronaldo. But i guess I have to move on and be delighted for what will happen this season.. Still Manchester is United. Go on Reds..

Manchester United will face Premier League new-boys Birmingham City at Old Trafford on the opening day.

The holders, who secured their third successive Premier League crown last season, then face another promoted team in Burnley three days later in what will sure to be an electric atmosphere at Turf Moor.

United then finish the week travelling to Wigan in what is a relatively straight forward opening month for Sir Alex Ferguson's men.

However August ends with a massive clash with potential title challengers Arsenal at the Theatre of Dreams, a game which is swiftly followed by a trip to Tottenham and a derby match with Manchester City at home in September.

August
15 Birmingham (H)
18 Burnley (A)
22 Wigan (A)
29 Arsenal (H)
September
12 Tottenham (A)
19 Man City (H)
26 Stoke (A)
October
3 Sunderland (H)
17 Bolton (H)
24 Liverpool (A)
31 Blackburn (H)
November
7 Chelsea (A)
21 Everton (H)
28 Portsmouth (A)
December
5 West Ham (A)
12 Aston Villa (H)
15 Wolverhampton (H)
19 Fulham (A)
26 Hull (A)
28 Wigan (H)
January
9 Birmingham (A)
16 Burnley (H)
26 Hull (H)
30 Arsenal (A)
February
6 Portsmouth (H)
10 Aston Villa (A)
20 Everton (A)
27 West Ham (H)
March
6 Wolverhampton (A)
13 Fulham (H)
20 Liverpool (H)
27 Bolton (A)
April
3 Chelsea (H)
10 Blackburn (A)
17 Man City (A)
24 Tottenham (H)
May
1 Sunderland (A)
9 Stoke (H)

Lakers, 2009 NBA CHAMPS!!!

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Lakers, who earned their first NBA championship in seven years and 15th overall with a 99-86 win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday night.

In the end, Los Angeles' defense was just as up to the task as Los Angeles' vaunted offense. The team circled the wagons after Orlando busted out with a 28-point first quarter. Orlando's screen-and-roll attack was barely a factor, as the Lakers' spacing and efficient perimeter shooting on the other end made this a one-sided game by halftime.

Kobe Bryant finished with 30 points, five assists, and four blocks, but in spite of a series of jaw-dropping drives and perimeter looks, he was merely a brilliant part of the championship puzzle. Pau Gasol's defense in the interior was a huge part of Dwight Howard's limited effectiveness in the paint, and Trevor Ariza's 12-point second quarter helped turn a close game into a Lakers walk.

We'll have more quotes and analysis live from Orlando as the night moves along, but for now, pop a cork, and don't turn over a car, Los Angeles. Your hometown team is a champion, once again. (Yahoo.com)

Kobe Bryant: NBA 2K10 cover..

Found this site as KB24 as the NBA 2K10 cover... after 12 years of pro, this is the first time I saw him as a cover of the said game...

Kobe Bryant: At the Top of His Game

Kobe Bryant is 30 years old. In August, he'll be 31. In basketball years, that's getting pretty high up there, and as a result, the consensus among sports writers is somewhere between "he is not the player he once was" and "he can't continue to play at this level for much longer." The problem? He's been as good as ever, and he shows no signs of slowing down.

I believe the problem here is that people are evaluating Kobe based on expectations, rather than reality. It's like a referee who expects a foul to occur in a certain situation; when that situation occurs, he immediately calls the foul – not because there was one, but because he was already predisposed, be it consciously or subconsciously, to the idea that a foul would occur in that situation. Much like that ref, who is officiating based on expectations rather than based on what he sees in front of him, many in the sports world are judging Kobe Bryant based on their expectation that his performance should be declining, if not now then soon.

But what is right there in front of their eyes tells a very different story. And not only is Kobe Bryant playing amazing basketball in his own right, but even when compared to LeBron James (whose individual performance has fans, bloggers, and media types raving) Kobe Bryant has been better — both in terms of individual performance and end result.

Star-divide

Let's review, shall we? We'll breeze right on through the first two rounds of the playoffs, where Kobe was "just" pretty great, and then spend some time on the Western Conference Finals, where he was truly magnificent.

In the first round, Bryant started slowly. He took only two shots in the first quarters of each of the first two games, and an average of only five shots by half. In the third game, he shot poorly, as did most of his teammates. In Game 4, however, Kobe changed his approach. He had been looking to facilitate his teammates early in the game, looking for his shot more and more later on. In that fourth game, he took eight shots in the first quarter, making six of them, and then hit four of five shots in the second quarter. He went into the half with 24 points on 10-13 shooting. He finished the game with 38 points on 16-24 shooting (67%), along with six rebounds and two steals. His True Shooting Percentage (TS%) for that game was an astounding 72.5%. In the next game, he scored 31 points on an excellent 62.1% True Shooting, adding four steals and four assists, to lead the Lakers to an 11-point win to close out the series.

A slow start, perhaps, but after a necessary adjustment, I'd say that's not too shabby.

In the second round, Bryant faced the defensive duo of Shane Battier and Ron Artest. In these two players, the Rockets had what no other team has ever been able to throw at Bryant: not one, but two elite perimeter defenders on the court at the same time, whose primary purpose was to make Kobe's life difficult for 48 "minutes" every other day. Rarely has Kobe has to work so hard on the offensive end, and yet, this was nothing like LeBron James vs. Boston. Artest and Battier "held" Bryant to 27.4 points on 45.3% shooting (just 1.4% below his season average), 34.4% from distance, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. Not exactly basement-dwelling numbers. In addition, Kobe turned the ball over only 1.57 times per game, while collecting 2.0 steals per game on the other end.

Not his best series ever, but when that's the best that two premier perimeter defenders can do against Kobe, it seems counter intuitive to suggest that Bryant is playing anything other than excellent basketball.

And now we get to the good stuff, because the Western Conference Finals against Denver was one of Kobe Bryant's best series ever. He didn't waste any time, dropping 40 points on the Nuggets, on 59.3% True Shooting, along with six rebounds, four assists, and only one turnover. Most importantly, the Lakers won, and mostly thanks to Bryant. In a two-point victory, Kobe scored the Lakers' final six points. He scored a total 18 points in the fourth quarter, coolly hitting all nine of his free throws along the way. He also doled out two assists in the final frame, making him responsible for 23 of the Lakers' 31 fourth quarter points.

In Game 2, another contest decided by a single possession, the Lakers lost, but Kobe Bryant still continued to perform. He scored 32 points on only 20 shots, good for 65.6% True Shooting. He also had five rebounds, three assists, a block, and a steal, and by (questionable) design, he never got the chance to take potential game-tying shot.

In Game 3, Kobe Bryant continued his otherworldly performance, scoring 41 points on only 24 shots, continuing his incredible efficiency with 65.1% True Shooting accuracy. He added six rebounds, five assists, and two steals, versus only one turnover, as he led the Lakers to a closely contested come-from-behind win. Not surprisingly, Kobe scored 10 of the Lakers final 13 points.

Game 4 was a Nuggets' blowout, and while Bryant never gave up, I have come around to ascribe Chris's theory that Phil Jackson intentionally conceeded this game in exchange for much needed rest – leaving Kobe Bryant, never one to simply surrender, to go into desperation mode, throwing up tough, low-percentage shots in an unlikely effort to shoot the Lakers back into the game. Even still, Bryant shot a very decent 53.6% True Shooting, adding seven rebounds and five assists to go with only a single turnover.

In Game 5, the Lakers came back with a vengeance, and Kobe Bryant led the charge – but not in the way you'd expect. He scored 22 points, but he took only 13 shots in the game (an impressive average of 1.7 points per shot), but it was his passing that secured yet another hard-fought win for the Lakers. In this game, the Nuggets double teamed and trapped Bryant more aggressively than they ever had before, and he made them pay. With the game on the line, he resisted the urge to do it all himself, instead making every right decision. He let the double team come, and rather than passing out early, he made them commit. As a result, his passes out of the double teams were unbelievably difficult, but he hit them with precision and made them look easy. With two Nuggets fully committed to Bryant, his teammates were left to play 4-on-3, and they took advantage of their numbers over and over again.

If Bryant was brilliant in Game 5 – and he was, even without posting gaudy individual numbers – he was godlike in Game 6. The Lakers absolutely dominated this game, and once again, it started with Kobe. He scored 35 points on only 20 shots (1.75 points per shot), posting an absolutely unbelievable True Shooting Percentage of 73%. He also had 10 assists, six rebounds, one huge block, and yet again, only one turnover.

Once again, the Nuggets aggressively trapped Bryant in Game 6, and once again, he made all of the right decisions. He never forced his shot, never attempted to play one-on-many, and consistently found the open man for an easy score. Along the way, he provided some very solid leadership, encouraging Gasol to be aggressive with his own shot, diagramming plays during timeouts, and instructing players like Shannon Brown during free throw breaks. As a result, the Lakers rolled to a 27-point blowout to close out the series.

In the six games of the Western Conference Finals, Kobe Bryant made 48.1% of his shots from the floor, averaging 34 points, 5.8 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game. Very importantly (as we will soon see), he shot 93.1% from the free throw line, making 67 of 72 attempts. He was incredibly efficient with his own shot, averaging 1.56 points per shot and scoring at an insanely great clip of 62.7% True Shooting over six games.

Throughout the Conference Finals – and even now that they are over – the general consensus has been that Kobe Bryant has been "not bad," and LeBron James has been incredible. Clearly, Bryant's performance by itself should be regarded as truly incredible. But beyond that, the disparity in how Bryant and James were seen in their respective Conference Finals series demonstrates the different predispositions with which people evaluate each player.

by Josh Tucker

Superb Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo has underperformed in big games the last few seasons, the same cannot be said this campaign. Ronaldo has scored in every knockout round, and tonight blasted home two goals, as well as making Park's first. Man-of-the-match.

Manchester United hero Cristiano Ronaldo believes he has hit peak form at exactly the right time.

This was after he helped to fire his side into the Champions League final in Rome.

United beat Arsenal 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium tonight to secure a 4-1 aggregate success and will face Chelsea or Barcelona in Rome on May 27.

Ronaldo scored twice after Park Ji-sung's opener and when asked if he is now back to his best, the attacker told ITV1: "I think so, yes.

"In the last few games I have felt good, felt fit. This is a crucial time in the season and the best games are coming."

Ronaldo moved to spare Manuel Almunia's blushes by admitting his first goal, a 40-yard free-kick, swerved past the Arsenal stopper.

"The shot was quite difficult to save because the ball moved a little bit," he said. "I just try to do my best to put the ball in the net and it was a good goal."

Darren Fletcher's harsh sending off in the second half led to Robin van Persie's penalty-spot consolation and Ronaldo expressed sympathy for his team-mate, who will now miss the final.

"It is very disappointing, he deserves to be in the final because he is a fantastic player, he runs a lot and is a team player," said Ronaldo.

"He deserves to play in the final but this is football."

ESPNSTAR.com

Man Utd make record offer for Ribery

Yahoo sports - Manchester United have offered Bayern Munich 70 million euros for French midfielder Franck Ribery, in a deal which would set a new world record, the Guardian newspaper reported Tuesday.

The offer, which would better the 66 million euros transfer fee paid by Real Madrid for Zinedine Zidane in 2001, would be conditional on the sale of United winger Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid, it said.

The report came after Ribery last week threatened to quit the German giants unless they qualify for the Champions League next season, as the defending Bundesliga champions struggle to defend their title.

The German club, which has long ruled out letting Ribery go, last weekend hinted it could sell the 26-year-old former Marseille star, who has been at Bayern since July 2007.

But the clubs reported as possible new homes have so far been Barcelona and Real Madrid.

United outgun Arsenal, reach Champions League final

It was a massive game from both teams. But the Red Devils crash Arsenal and reach the Champions League final in Rome.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side arrived at the Emirates Stadium holding only a slender 1-0 lead from last week's first leg, but United scored twice in the first 11 minutes to set up a 4-1 aggregate triumph that booked their place in the final against Chelsea or Barcelona, who meet in their decider Wednesday.
United, who beat Chelsea in last year's final, were given a helping hand from Arsenal as South Korea winger Park Ji-Sung punished an embarrassing slip from Kieran Gibbs to open the scoring.

Cristiano Ronaldo then deceived Manuel Almunia with a long-range free-kick, and the Portuguese striker put the result beyond doubt when he added his second goal after half-time.

The only blot for United was the red card for Darren Fletcher, who'll miss the final in Rome on May 27. But Ferguson can have little else to complain about after Arsenal managed just one consolation goal, a Robin van Persie penalty.

For United, the English Premier League is all but wrapped up, so the Red Devils can effectively concentrate on their Champions League final preparation weeks ahead of time. It is hard to see anyone stopping them, although Chelsea and Barcelona (who meet at Stamford Bridge in the other semifinal tie Wednesday) may have other ideas.

United's domestic dominance from 1998 to 2001 was a truly spectacular run, but this current period of excellence both at home and in Europe is even more impressive. Share your thoughts and comments below on where this United team ranks alongside the all-time greats.

Game over, and Ferguson could even afford the luxury of substituting Rooney and Patrice Evra to ensure the duo didn't earn a booking which would have ruled them out of the final - Fletcher was not to be so lucky.

Rooney goal 1

One of my best rooney's goal in Fifa 09.. check it out...

Many expected Manny Pacquiao to win Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Nobody expected it to be so quick, so brutal.

Especially Ricky Hatton’s fans.

The Hatton band, full of forlorn faces, slowly meandered around the media center after Hatton’s second-round knockout defeat. Its members were largely unable to muster even a smile when taking a picture with a Hatton fan.

“Stunned,” is how one member of the band described the feeling. “Didn’t expect it would be so fast.”
See, these fans knew Hatton could lose. They just didn’t necessarily believe it.

“There’s only one Ricky Hatton!,” the fans would chant to the tune of “Winter Wonderland.” They beat their drums, and they drowned out the announcers and anything else they didn’t want to hear. This was their fighter, their life.

And all the cockiness the affable Hatton refused to display, these fans happily compensated for with unabashed enthusiasm. They stood and screamed and chanted here all weekend, during the undercard Saturday night and throughout the main event until the very last second.

You know, the 2:59 mark of the second round.

A smaller but just as passionate nation of Pacquiao fans exploded while Hatton’s army fell into silence as their fighter fell to the canvas. And as referee Kenny Bayless waived his arm, as Pacquiao retreated to his corner to pray and then celebrate, all these fans from U.K. could do was stare in shock as Hatton’s camp rushed into the ring to tend to their fighter laying motionless on his back.

Even in the face of defeat, even stricken with the initial uncertainty surrounding their hero’s health, many of the fans could think of nothing else to do than again offer a chant.

“There’s only one Ricky Hatton …”

For what they saw, they still couldn’t believe.

They had crossed an ocean, painted their faces, spent who knows how many paychecks and rearranged their lives for this fight, only to see it end all too fast, all too stunningly.

“Vegas makes [the trip] worth it, but I don’t know about the fight,” said Hatton fan Gavin Levey, who traveled from Scotland.

The Hatton supporters weren’t the only ones coming from long distances for the fight. Pacquiao is as much of a hero in the Philippines as England’s Hatton is in the U.K., if not more so. And those fans, filled with that same pride, that same emotion, were rewarded in seeing their fighter offer a stunning, potentially career-defining (for now) performance.

Even the Hatton fans could appreciate this.

“We’re disappointed, but at the end of the day, Manny was great,” said Levey, draped in a Union Jack flag.

Said fellow fan Cameron Stark: “We’ve seen the greatest fighter ever.”

That remains to be seen. Perhaps an eventual bout between Pacquiao and the newly unretired Floyd Mayweather Jr. will help determine that.

But Hatton’s future is less clear. Promoter Bob Arum said Hatton will be fine, that he told him not to be discouraged, that he still has more bouts to win. But Hatton’s weaknesses were exposed Saturday night. And that wasn’t lost on his fans.

“Ricky should say enough is enough,” Lewis Baird said.

It was hard not to feel for these fans. Still, Stark, Baird and Levey had a couple of chants left in them hours after the fight. But some Pacquiao fans made it their own.

“There’s only one Manny Pacquiao!”

Pacquiao floors Hatton in Vegas

Ricky Hatton's reign as light-welterweight world champion was brought to a brutal second round end by Manny Pacquiao on Sunday.

A crunching left hook from the Filipino knocked Hatton out cold with one second remaining of the round and the Englishman, previously unbeaten in the 140 pounds division, caused concern as he lay prone on the canvas for some minutes as Pacquiao launched wild celebrations among his devoted fans at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Hatton, whose record now stands at 45-2, had been all business as he entered the ring while Pacquiao, now 49-3-2 (37 KOs), walked into the arena with a big grin on his face before reaching his corner and kneeling to pray.

Pacquiao had plenty of reasons to smile after a first round in which he launched an all-out assault, twice sending the Englishman to the canvas.

Hatton had started brightly, landing his jab as promised but he was soon on the backfoot as the Filipino warmed to his task.

In a torrid final minute, a right hook caught Hatton on the chin and sent him to the deck. He took the majority of the count from referee Kenny Bayless on his knees before rising calmly to his feet but with 40 seconds left to the bell he was quickly in trouble again.

A straight left sent Hatton onto the floor in front of his corner and this time he rose he had the relief of hearing the bell.

Hatton again began the second round well and appeared to rock Pacquiao back on his heels early on but he would not have the Filipino in trouble again and when the end came it was brutal.

Pacquiao sent a crushing left hook to Hatton's chin and this time he was poleaxed, out before he hit the ground.

Bayless took one look at the prone Mancunian and immediately ended the fight as Hatton's corner rushed into the ring to attend to their fighter and pandemonium broke out inside and out of the ring as his corner and thousands of fans went wild with delight.

Hatton stayed on the canvas for at least three minutes before he was helped onto a stool brought into the middle of the ring. He was also well enough to walk unaided from the ring back to his dressing room, albeit minus his IBO and Ring Magazine title belts.

Sorry kuya (Virced)....

It was a day when Lakers lost to Jazz, Game 4 in their 1st round match-up.

Pagkatapos ng trabaho ko, umuwi ako agad ng bahay. Pagod, dahil sa sobrang busy… Mabuti na lang pag dating ko nang bahay nandyan si Virced at Zyanne para mag comfort sa akin. We played together. Laugh at each other.

Maya’t-maya nagluto ang asawa (Jessa) ko ng aming makain.. Nag ihaw sya ng dalag. Ito ang paboriong isda ng panganay na anak ko na si Virced. Sarap na sarap sya nito. At sabi nya pa, “si Papa lang subo sa akin Mama ha?”.. Natawa ako sa nasabi nya.

Pagkaapos kumain, inutusan ako ni Jessa na paliguan at trapuhan ang mga bata. Una’y ayaw ko pa dahil sa sobrang pagod galling sa trabaho. Pero wala akong magawa, at medyo uminit ang ulo ko. Pagkatapos paliguan si Kuya (Virced), bigla itong tumakbo sa sala, at naglaro pa. Sa sobrang inis ko, dahil baka madumihan na naman, nagalit ako sa kanya.. I yelled at him.. medyo na sermonan ko. At habang binibihisan ko, umiiyak siya. Medyo natagalan pa bago ako humingi ng sorry sa kanya..

Patulog na kami nun, nang maisipan kong humingi ng tawad sa Kuya ko. Pero he fell asleep at naisip ko ipagpabukas na lang. Kinabukasan, on my way to work, natutulog pa rin ang Kuya, well lately na lang after work, I told myself..

Habang nasa trabaho, hindi ako mapalagay. Iniisip ko pa rin ang nagawa ko sa anak ko. Para bang napakasama kong tatay. Gusto ko talagang bumawi sa kanya.

Pag-uwi nang bahay, biglang pumunta sa kwarto, at hinahanap si Virced. Andun pala siya sa kabilang kwarto nanunuod ng favorite channel nya.. Which is Disney Channel, yung’ pambata. Pinuntahan ko siya at kinausap, pero hindi nya ako pinansin. Maya-maya kinausap ako ni Jessa, she told me that she was shocked sa kilos ng Kuya ko pagkagising nya sa umaga. Bigla lang siya bumangon, at pumunta lang sa isang bed namin, at nilaro ang favorite nyang mga toys.. Nung una tinanong siya ng Mama nya na kung gutom siya at gusto nya ba daw kumain kasama ang ading niya (kapatid na bunso). Masigasig niya itong sinagot na “Opo mama”. Pero bigla natahimik ang kuya ko, at biglang napaluha na hindi alam ni Jessa ang dahilan, at biglang sinabing, “galit Papa akin mama? Galit papa akin…” I was stunned, napaluha na lang rin ako sa kwento ni Jessa sa akin.

I was totally mad at myself. Pinuntahan ko agad si Virced, at malumanay ko tong kinausap. At humingi nang sorry, at ni-explain ko sa kanya kung bakit ko nagawa yun. Na kahit pinapagalitan ko sya, I doesn’t mean na I don’t love him. Mahal na mahal ko mga anak ko. At gagawin ko lahat para mabigyan sila nang magandang kinabukasan.

On my way to the market at naisipan kong isama ko ang kuya ko para mamalengke. Masaya kami habang nasa palengke.. at yun marahil ang Peace Offering ko sa kanya..

Buisan -car-

hehe.. I got this picture in Friendster.. pi-nost kasi nila doon.. Buisan Clan btw ang profile name nya.. A Mercedez Benz car with Buisan plate on it.. no kiddin.. sana mag karoon rin ako ng ganito.. (someday) who knows. it might gonna happen...

Futures Odds Favor Lakers and Cavs to Meet in Finals

Online betting players should have a big weekend, as Masters odds are out, the MLB betting season has started, and NBA betting players are thinking about who will represent the Eastern and Western Conferences in the Finals. The Lakers are the Western favorites, by far, while Boston and Cleveland could have some competition from Orlando in the East.

The Lakers are listed at +135 to win it all, and they’ve had the top spot wrapped up in the West for a while now. They’ve even managed to keep Kobe Bryant’s minutes down in hopes of keeping him fresh for the postseason, which should scare the rest of the West. Denver is listed at +1815 and, while they put up a lot of points, the Nuggets give up a lot of points as well. In the postseason, the game slows down, so it’ll be interesting to see how they handle a slower pace.

Houston has NBA betting odds of +2550, but they still have to prove they can get out of the first round, much less win the NBA championship. San Antonio is rated at +2850, but they just received word that Manu Ginobili is out for the season with an ankle injury, while Tim Duncan’s knees don’t enable him to play back-to-back games. It could be the first chink in the Spurs’ armor.

The Cavaliers are the top East team with NBA odds of +265, and Cleveland’s homecourt advantage in the playoffs will be crucial. Cleveland is an insane 38-1 at home, with the Lakers ruining their shot at a perfect record back in February. The Celtics are listed at +465, and Kevin Garnett’s knee is probably the biggest injury worry in the postseason. Garnett’s intensity, especially on defense, is what powered thNBA Playoffs Betting - Finals Future Odds - Cavs, Lakerse Celtics to last year’s title, and he’ll need to be at least 95 per cent for Boston to make it out of the East.

Orlando is listed at +1015, and it’s not a stretch to think that the Magic can do it. They are 2-2 against Boston this year, and 2-1 against Cleveland, and if their outside shooters can keep the opposition from crowding Dwight Howard, the Magic could easily end up in the Finals.

The darkhorse in either conference? Miami, who is listed in the field at +2250. The Heat have a player, Dwayne Wade, who has already carried his team to a championship, and his numbers this year have been simply outstanding. If the Heat can play defense, and Michael Beasley can become a second option, the Heat are in the running for an NBA betting upset.

3 days left - PLAYOFFS!!!

There are three days left in the season, and except for one series, we don't have a clue as to who's playing who in the first round of the playoffs.

The Hawks and Heat are locked in (or LOCKED IN!!! as @iamdiddy would twitter) to the fourth and fifth spots in the East, respectively. Atlanta will host Miami for Games 1 and 2 of their first round series beginning Saturday or Sunday.

The Cavs, Celtics and Magic are No. 1, 2 and 3 for sure, but they don't know who they'll be matched up with. While the Sixers' slump has made things much more interesting, Monday's matchup between the Bulls and Pistons should clear things up a little.

In the West, all we know is that the Lakers are No. 1. After that, it's a big mess. In fact, if things go a certain way, we could have four teams tied at 54-28 and three more tied at 49-33. That would sure be interesting, wouldn't it?

Maybe instead of having them play their last two games, we should just gather the Nuggets, Spurs, Rockets and Blazers together for one giant game of Knockout. The winner's team would get the two seed, second place would get the third seed, and so on. Then do the same with New Orleans, Dallas and Utah for sixth, seventh and eighth.

Otherwise, we'll just have to watch a lot of games over the next three nights. On second thought, that sounds like fun. Lets make the most out of our last three days with League Pass.

By John Schuhmann, NBA.com

Thank You Kiko.... Macheda...

Manchester United kept their lead at the top of the Barclays Premier League table thanks to an Italian kid named 'Kiko'.
HEROES

MANCHESTER UNITED

This is how champions respond. With a team missing almost six regulars including their first-choice central defence, Manchester United were thought to be up against it against Aston Villa at Old Trafford. After Liverpool cranked up the pressure on the reigning champions with a Fulham win, United knew they had to respond. And respond they did. Although they were not convincing against Villa, United still came away with all three points. Sir Alex Ferguson has proved yet again how astute he has been in procuring young players who can step up the plate when it matters. His youngsters are usually thrown into the fray when the team is 2-1 down and not when 4-0 up. That's how you learn - the hard way. One could argue that Ferguson had no choice but to place his trust in kids. But these kids are proven. Consider this - 17-year-old Federico Macheda have been prolific for United at every level while 19-year-old Danny Welbeck already has a Wembley appearance under his belt. Both were pivotal in United's victory over Villa and their contributions could prove to be the last turning point in the title race. Ferguson dares to put his faith in his kids when the chips are down. As the saying goes, he who dares, usually wins.


FEDERICO MACHEDA

Federico Macheda has a joker's face and he is proving to be Man United's joker in the pack. While United's ace, Cristiano Ronaldo, stepped up to the plate in the absence of Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov, 'Kiko' almost stole Ronaldo's thunder with his late, late winner. Scratch that. Judging from the elation coming from the United camp, the Italian teenager has completely overshadowed everybody. There is no doubt about his promise though. The way Macheda set up the winning goal was fantastic. His deft turn took out Curtis Davis and with a swerve of his right boot; he curled a-contender-for-the-season-goal past Brad Friedel. Cue pandemonium at OT. Amazingly, it was reported that Macheda was pulled out of the Italian U-17 squad at the last minute by Alex Ferguson on Saturday so that he can be fielder for the Villa game. The rest, as they say, is history.

Mickey Rourke Comes Correct

Just because he's an Oscar-nominated actor doesn't mean Mickey Rourke is afraid of a good fight. True, the tussle was staged, but the Mickster's battle with WWE grappler Chris Jericho stirred up the Search box and sent the Buzz into a tizzy.

For those of you who don't follow the never ending soap opera that is professional wrestling, here's a brief recap: Several months ago, Mr. Rourke, who played pro wrestler Randy 'The Ram' Robinson in "The Wrestler," challenged Jericho to a match. Jericho accepted and then, seemingly, Rourke had second thoughts. Apparently, that was a ruse. Last night, Mr. Rourke got into the ring with Jericho, but instead of wrestling his singlet-clad rival, he boxed.

Here's how it went down. Jericho had just beaten old time legends Jimmy Snuka, Rickey "The Dragon" Steamboat, and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, when Mickey, who was sitting ringside, answered Jericho's challenge and climbed into the ring. The Mick calmly removed his cowboy hat and "knocked out" the pro grappler with a left hook, much to the crowd's delight.

Jericho was the winner over Piper and company, but all anybody seems to care about was that Rourke dropped Jericho like a bad agent. Queries on "mickey rourke wrestlemania" and "mickey rourke chris jericho" both posted huge gains. The battle also inspired plenty of articles and blogs. NJ.com offers a nice recap of the event and Yahoo's omg gives a 4 star play-by-play of the battle.

Now that Rourke has taken Jericho down a notch in the ring, perhaps Jericho will challenge Rourke on "The Actor's Studio." Winner gets to body slam James Lipton.

New tech could make consoles obsolete

OnLive promises on-demand, streaming games....

What if you could stream top-end games to your TV, just like a Youtube video that you can control? You'd never need to buy a console again.
That's the future envisaged by Palo Alto startup OnLive, which plans to launch a groundbreaking gaming service this winter. OnLive will supply players with a small set-top box, not much bigger than a Nintendo DS, which will plug into your TV and your home broadband connection. From there, you can start playing games just like those on the Xbox 360, PS3 or PC -- but with no install time, no waiting for downloads, and no need for big, noisy, expensive consoles cluttering up your living room. OnLive's service can be continually upgraded, too, so you'll never be stuck with obsolete hardware again.
Skeptical? So were we, until we actually sat down and played with an OnLive box last week. Even a blisteringly fast racer like Burnout Paradise was totally playable over the service, and top-spec shooter Crysis: Warhead -- which normally requires an expensive gaming PC -- ran excellently too. It's all rolled together with a slick interface that requires just a few button-presses to get playing.

OnLive also includes some features you might associate more with your DVR than with a gaming console, including a Replay feature that lets you save the last ten seconds of your gameplay, and send it to your friends.
PC gamers aren't left out, either: OnLive's service can be accessed with a browser plugin from either Mac or PC platforms, works identically to the TV version, and has hardware requirements so low you'll be able, the company boasts, to play the most advanced of games on a $300 netbook.
OnLive has already signed deals with an impressive range of partners -- including EA, Take-Two, and Ubisoft -- and promises to have an up-to-the-minute selection of games when the service launches. Along with Burnout and Crysis, we spotted Grand Theft Auto IV, LEGO Batman, and Mirror's Edge among the games on offer, although the lineup will likely change before the service launches.

There's a catch, though. Being an online, streaming service, OnLive is only going to be as good as your Internet connection. High-definition resolutions will require a higher-end broadband connection, and if your service is prone to drop out unexpectedly, you're probably going to wind up frustrated. Even if it works, all that streaming video's going to add up over the months, and heavy users might find themselves the receipient of some unwelcome attention from their ISPs. Modem users, needless to say, need not apply.
OnLive won't talk price, other than to say that they'll be competitive with subscription services like Xbox Live. The box itself is simple and cheap to make, they told us, and it's easy to imagine it being thrown in with subscriptions -- rather like a cable or satellite TV set-top box. Games will most likely be available to rent or buy, and with free demos that don't need to be downloaded.

My son's favorite ---------> Thomas!

“Pooof…. Pooofff..” toot Thomas.

And my son Virced wakes up early every morning (7 am in Disney Channel) just to watch his favorite cartoon “Thomas and his friends” the first “Railway Series” books published in 1945, and the rest—as they say—is history. It’s a short jump from that to stop-frame animation on PBS, apparently.

I dug around a bit, and I found a pretty good summary of how Thomas and his friends came to be. It turns out that the Rev. Awdry invented these tales to entertain his son Christopher while the boy was recovering from scarlet fever.

My son really loves Thomas. He also memorized the song.. the last part of the word that is.. hehe..

I’m not going to lie to you. I would watch these trains roll their eyes around and talk without mouths in David Archuleta or David Cook’s voice, and I may have wished for the sweet release that only death or a total cable outage and the magical disappearance of our DVD collection could bring. I perhaps didn’t have the same appreciation of Thomas and his pals as my son did.

There are just a few of the timeless lessons Thomas and his cohorts have imparted:
• It’s good to be a very useful engine.
• Hiding in a tunnel to try to keep your paint fresh and shiny can result in getting stuck.
• Being snotty has repercussions.
• It’s not nice to play tricks on your friends.
• It’s uncomfortable to have fish in your boiler.
• Doing as you’re told is probably the wisest choice.

See? Everything we needed to know. My son concurs.

Computerized Election

The approval this week of an P11-billion budget for the computerization of the Commission on Elections should be cause for elation. Unfortunately, it’s not.

As an IT-based businessman, I must agree with those who say that the Open Election System optical scan software chosen for the project will be prone to hacking. In other words, massive cheating can still occur in the 2010 elections.

If it can happen, it probably will. And we don’t have to guess which group has the most to gain by altering the results of the elections. Gloria Arroyo may not be a candidate, but she will certainly do everything to make sure that those she backs win at all costs. They will be her insurance that she and her husband will be protected from liability as a result of acts committed during her term as president.

The fact that the allotted budget was forwarded to the Office of the President by the Senate without passing through the usual bicameral body is also bothersome. Or suspicious might be the better word; P11 billion is a lot of money, and already talk is rife about how much the bigtime influence peddlers will be getting as kickbacks.

My encounter with a now disgraced former Comelec chief tells us that corruption could be widespread within the commission. A political analyst told me that cheating is done throught the alteration of certificates of canvass, and is usually done in the mid-level bureaucracy of the Comelec.

I am willing to give the new Comelec commissioners the benefit of the doubt, but the software to be used in the 2010 elections still leaves some doubt in my mind that every vote cast will be counted.

Computerizing the voting process is long overdue as it is supposed to eradicate cheating. It was supposed to be a major first step to clean up the Comelec. But that first step taken by today’s Comelec only adds to the question of how honest and free next year’s elections will be.

While there is still time, a public review of all available software should be conducted. Industry experts should be invited to make recommendations. Too much is at stake in the 2010 polls. Only the best possible hardware and software should be used to guard the sanctity of the ballot.

by: JDV III

my Daughter's first "word" - - - - ppppa-paa!!

It was a rainy day.. Leaves are declining as the winds passed by. But no one can describe the feelings I have come upon.

“Ppppp….” utter my 7 month old child.. “pppp…paa-pa”.. “Alas”…

That is the longest 20 seconds I ever bumped into.. Hindi ko ma- describe ang feeling and emotions na nararamdaman ko.. Napaiyak ako sa tuwa.. dahil ako mismo ang unang “word” nang aking anak.. Well of course, kasama ko that time ang aking asawa (Jessa) and my elder son (Virced). We spent the day hugging and talking to each other.. My son, went across my hips and do “Batista bomb” stuff.. hehe.. How he loves WWE.. and he’s only 2 yrs old..

I’m very happy. I keep on thinking that being a father is not an easy task. Full of worries, conflicts. But I was wrong.. Jessa, Virced and Ziyanne shows me how much I will love my life to the fullest.. As a husband of my loving wife and a father to all my adoring children.