k0b3's World

Villa stars as Spain signal their intent

2008-06-10T23:28:00.000-07:00

A scintillating hat-trick from David Villa gave Spain a clear-cut 4-1 victory over Russia in their first outing at UEFA EURO 2008™ and confirmed the immense power of the Valencia CF striker's partnership with Fernando Torres.

Thrilling match
In a high-quality Group D encounter, Russia provided moments to indicate that Luis Aragonés's side may still be vulnerable at the back and gained consolation with Roman Pavlyuchenko's 86th-minute header. But Villa's second goal in particular was a stunning team move which may already be one of the goals of the tournament. Only the seventh player in finals history to score three in a game, the 26-year-old's treble was the first in a EURO since Patrick Kluivert's against Yugoslavia eight years ago. Villa then utterly stamped his class on the match, crossing for Xavi Hernández to volley and substitute Cesc Fàbregas to head in the fourth in stoppage time.

Unerring finish
Torres has always asked for a quick supply of the ball at international level and in the 20th minute he got it. Courtesy of a Joan Capdevila interception and a notable right-footed pass from the left-back, the Liverpool FC forward was left one on one with his marker. Torres used good upper body strength to put Denis Kolodin under immense pressure and when the Spaniard skipped clear he allowed goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev to try and dive at his feet before slipping the ball to the right, into the path of Villa who finished unerringly. Such was the drama of the contest that within seconds Russia nearly equalised. Their love of overlapping full-back play had already caused havoc in the jumpy Spain back line, but instead of Aleksandr Anyukov this time it was Dmitri Sychev whose right-wing cross drifted, agonisingly, across Carles Puyol, Marcos Senna and even Andrés Iniesta before Konstantin Zyryanov cracked the ball off the post.

Second goal
Instead of daunting Spain, it seemed as if the players in red took their luck as an indication that this was their night. Within six minutes of Villa's first goal, he and Torres had created three outstanding opportunities – two of which needed smart blocks by Akinfeev. Russia, for their part, were fighting like terriers to impose themselves, repeatedly catching Iniesta in possession, and Pavlyuchenko even hit the bar with a left-footed shot though referee Konrad Plautz had already called a foul. Villa closed a sparkling 45 minutes with Spain's second, however, following a brilliant move. Zyryanov attempted an ambitious pass across the Spain box and David Silva ran to retrieve it, sparking a lightning-quick passing movement through Silva, Capdevila and Iniesta which left Villa sprinting into the box where he slipped the ball between Akinfeev's legs.

End to end
The introduction of Vladimir Bystrov for Sychev made an impact as Russia sought a way back. Guus Hiddink's men pushed forward relentlessly and Bystrov's header from Zyryanov's cross in the 51st minute brought Iker Casillas into action before Diniyar Bilyaletdinov shot narrowly wide eight minutes later. However, Spain were irrepressible. Fàbregas came on for Torres as Aragonés chose to rest his striker and give the Arsenal FC man a taste of the action. Villa almost had his hat-trick in the 66th minute but was prevented by a superb Anyukov tackle, yet the forward did not have to wait much longer. With 15 minutes left, he turned Roman Shirokov inside out and finished expertly with his right foot. It was just that Russia's commitment to attack eventually won some reward in the final minutes. Zyryanov, culpable for the second goal but Hiddink's best player, took a corner which Shirokov nodded on and Pavlyuchenko headed in at the back post. Even then Villa had the last word, though, creating Spain's fourth and Fàbregas's first for his country.

France's Gallas sets team goal

2008-06-10T23:23:00.000-07:00

The France players who started Monday's opening game against Romania were in pensive mood as they watched the rest of the squad rattle in seven goals in a 45-minute training match against a junior regional team in Chatel-Saint-Denis today.

'Decisive'
In Zurich, France's first XI failed to find the net once against a well-organised Romania side – and more worryingly still, they also struggled to create chances. The result has left the two-time European champions under pressure ahead of their next Group C match against the Netherlands, and defender William Gallas is counting on a positive reaction from Les Bleus. "We don't have a choice any more," he said. "Every match will be decisive from now on and it's up to us to beat the Netherlands and get on top of the group. That won't be easy but we are capable of getting three points."

Quick passing
With Romania adopting a cautious approach, the Arsenal FC captain had a relatively quiet evening at the back, leaving him well-placed to observe the shortfalls of France's attacking play. He believes the speed at which they constructed their moves was the root of the problem, saying: "We need to try to accelerate the play to create more openings. We seemed to lack the energy needed to play quicker and that gave Romania time to get behind the ball. Perhaps we'll need to change our style and start passing a bit quicker."

Team meeting
Having had a day to digest the first game, Gallas was full of bright ideas at Tuesday's news conference and said he is looking forward to a frank discussion between players and coach Raymond Domenech at the next team meeting. "We need to respond positively by discussing everything as much as possible," the 30-year-old said. "Personally, I'm really looking forward to the meeting. We've got a lot of things to talk about. Having discussions like that is very important because it's the only way to move forward as a team."

Goal threat
While France looked as solid as ever in defence in Zurich, the crux of the debate is likely to focus on rediscovering their attacking fluency. Thierry Henry should return in Berne on Friday, but Gallas insists it is up to every player to try to score – himself included. "We mustn't only talk about the strikers because it's important to have players supporting them as well," he stressed. "All that matters is that we score a goal, it doesn't matter where it comes from. Even a defender can score from a set-piece. I intend to start practising getting my head on corners in the next training session."

Is Henry France's missing link?

2008-06-10T23:07:00.000-07:00

Les Bleus produced little on Monday to suggest a third UEFA European Championship crown might be on its way, but there was some positive news when Thierry Henry revealed that the mystery injury he has been carrying is only a thigh strain and said he was confident of returning against the Netherlands.

Immense presence
Henry has divided opinions in his homeland for years. His elegant style has many fans in raptures, while others accuse him of arrogance and complain he has rarely shown his brilliant best in the blue of France. The 30-year-old has had a difficult season, but certain facts must not be overlooked: Henry is the most prolific player in France's history, he has also set up more goals for his country than the legendary Zinédine Zidane managed – and his immense presence was sorely missed in Zurich last night.

Exceptional strikers
Karim Benzema and Nicolas Anelka are exceptional strikers, bristling with pace and power, yet neither have Henry's presence, personality or know-how. They were starting together for the first time against Romania – and it showed. Henry may not have the legs he used to, but with Benzema and Franck Ribéry buzzing around him that would not matter. He gives the side a focal point, reassures team-mates and worries opponents in equal measure. He is also the man most likely to convert a scoring chance.

Dutch threat
If the FC Barcelona forward does not play against the Oranje on Friday, France could be packing their bags far earlier than they ever imagined. Do you agree, or do you feel Anelka and Benzema deserve another chance? Is Bafétimbi Gomis the answer, or would the out-of-favour David Trezeguet have won it for France last night? What do you think?

Bryant Leads Lakers to Game 3 Win

2008-06-10T22:50:00.000-07:00

L.A. Lakers 87, Boston 81 (F)

LOS ANGELES, June 10 (AP) On his floor and on his game, Kobe Bryant revived the Los Angeles Lakers -- and the NBA finals.

With his team one loss from having to make an impossible climb, Bryant was close to MVP form, scoring 36 points on an assortment of spins, drives and jumpers and reserve Sasha Vujacic added 20 points as the Lakers beat the Boston Celtics 87-81 in Game 3 on Tuesday night.

A change of time zones, jerseys and attitude did wonders for the Lakers, who staggered home from Boston in an 0-2 hole and couldn't afford to fall any further behind in the first best-of-seven matchup between the league's marquee teams since 1987.

No team in NBA playoff history has ever overcome an 0-3 deficit.

Bryant made sure the Lakers won't have to.

And this time, the superstar got some help.

Vujacic, the self-proclaimed "Machine,'' made three 3-pointers, including a crucial one from the left corner with 1:53 left that gave the Lakers an 81-76 lead. Pau Gasol finally flexed his muscles with two inside baskets in the fourth quarter and Derek Fisher, who took an $8-million pay cut to come back and play for the Lakers, made two free throws with 1:33 remaining as the Lakers held on.

"We just wanted to play,'' said Bryant, whose only glaring flaw was an 11-of-18 night from the foul line. "I don't think anyone was feeling desperate.''

Game 4 is Thursday night at the Staples Center, where the Lakers are 9-0 in the playoffs and unbeaten in 15 games since March 28.

But it took everything they had to keep that streak alive as the Celtics, two wins from their 17th NBA title, made the Lakers play a more physical, Eastern Conference-style game.

Ray Allen scored 25 points -- 15 on 3-pointers -- for the Celtics, but only one-third of Boston's Big Three showed up.

Kevin Garnett scored 13 points on just 6-of-21 shooting and Paul Pierce, playing a short drive from his childhood home, had only six points, missed 12 shots and was in foul trouble all night.

Momentum Shifts Too Late for L.A.

2008-06-10T00:42:00.001-07:00

BOSTON, June 8, 2008 -- Boston had Game 2 closed up in a Ziploc bag and just as it was applying the yellow plus blue makes Celtics green seal, L.A. almost pulled off a great escape.

Trailing 95-71 with 7:55 to go in the fourth quarter, the Lakers mounted a furious comeback as they drew to within two at 104-102 with less than a minute remaining before succumbing to the home team, 108-102 to fall down 0-2 in The Finals.

The Garden had transformed to The Graveyard for L.A. By midway through the fourth quarter, the game had all the makings of your classic blowout:

# Rajon Rondo had as many assists by himself as the Lakers did as a team. (Yikes.)
# The Celtics had a 10-0 run to start the second quarter and an 13-0 run in the third. (Uh oh.)
# Leon Powe had as many points as Kobe Bryant. (Seriously?!)
# Boston had as many made 3-pointers as L.A. had free throws attempted. (Not exactly a recipe for success right there.)

It seemed almost redundant that the capacity crowd at TD Banknorth Garden was continuing to shout its raucous “Beat L.A.! Beat L.A.!” chant because by that point, L.A. had already beat itself.

Instead of the Lake Show it was more like the Lake Didn’t Show Up.

But somehow, all of the sudden, despite all of the poor play by L.A. throughout the first 40 minutes of the game, the momentum started to shift in its favor. What appeared to be a too little, too late Kobe jumper sparked an unbelievable 31-9 run by the Lakers.

Bryant led the charge, scoring 13 of his game-high 30 points during the surge in which the Lakers shot 10-for-14 as a team, including 5-for-7 from deep.

It had to be most improbable turnaround since John Travolta’s career went from Look Who’s Talking Now in 1993 to Pulp Fiction in ’94.

“You just keep playing,” Bryant said. “You don't know what's going to happen.”

Bryant also said that he thinks his teammates learned on Sunday that, “you're never really out of a game,” which is an important lesson for a young squad to understand.

“We played with a sense of desperation and more aggression, and I think that's something for us to take home and learn from,” Bryant added.

Two Bryant free throws brought the Lakers within two with :38 seconds left, but the Celtics’ Paul Pierce (who showed no ill effects from the knee injury he sustained during Game 1) responded with two freebies of his own to boost his game total to 28 points and put Boston back up by four.

The Lakers called timeout with :22 seconds to go, still holding on to a glimmer of hope of returning to L.A. with the series tied 1-1, but Sasha Vujacic had his three-point attempt blocked by Pierce and the Celtics secured the victory.

L.A. scored 42 points in all of the first half and 41 points in the fourth quarter alone during its flurry.

Pierce said that he was disappointed in how his team closed out the game and Boston coach Doc Rivers damned the C’s performance with two C-words:

His team got “cute” when they raced out to a big lead and allowed L.A. to get “comfortable” in the game’s final stanza which opened the door for the Lakers to make their run.

As comfortable as Doc perceived the Lakers to have been, L.A. coach Phil Jackson doesn’t think his team’s cross-country flight back to STAPLES Center to host Games 3, 4 and 5* (*if necessary) will be too cozy.

And the Zen Master doesn’t expect the team’s plane to have a guest on it for the trip either.

Uncle Mo’ doesn’t travel coast to coast.

“It's 2,500 miles away,” Jackson said. “It's too far to carry [the momentum].”

Even if the Lakers don’t believe that they have momentum on their side, at the very least they should know their opponent better. Among the many adjustments Jackson will have make for his team before Game 3 you can expect Jordan Farmar to get more playing time in place of Derek Fisher to guard against Rondo’s first step, the Lakers to key in on their porous perimeter transition defense that allowed Boston to go 9-for-14 from three and for L.A. to ratchet up its intensity and aggression from the opening tip.

The game was reminiscent of Game 4 of the Lakers’ Western Conference Semifinals series with Utah when L.A. erased a 12-point deficit in the last four minutes of regulation to force overtime. But, just like on Sunday, the Lakers couldn’t complete the comeback as they lost that game to the Jazz by seven in OT.

“We just learned about momentum,” Jackson said. “We started turning the corner a little bit in the fourth quarter, but they'd come back, hit a three, something would happen, and I just kept saying we'll find a moment in this game to come back and play it. We just want this game to last long enough to carry it out. But it didn't. So we'll learn some lessons from that and we'll learn some lessons from what we have to do offensively to control the game and control the pace of the game.”

Celtics Squash Late Lakers Rally for 2-0 Lead

2008-06-10T00:37:00.000-07:00

BOSTON, June 8 (AP) -- Banner No. 17 is halfway to the rafters. The Celtics are two wins from another NBA championship.

And maybe a little lucky to be there.

Paul Pierce, darting around the parquet floor with ease, scored 28 points, Boston's defense mobbed Kobe Bryant long enough and unknown Leon Powe scored 21 points as the Celtics held off a remarkable Los Angeles rally for a 108-102 win over the Lakers on Sunday night. The Celtics have a 2-0 lead in these trip-down-memory-lane NBA finals.

The Celtics had to work every second to get the win.

The Lakers trailed by 24 with less than 8 minutes to go, but pulled to 104-102 on two free throws by Bryant with 38.4 seconds left. But Pierce made two free throws, then blocked a jumper by Sasha Vujacic, and James Posey made two free throws with 12.6 seconds left to ice it for Boston.

"I think we got kind of complacent with the lead,'' Pierce said. "We weren't staying aggressive. We let them pick up their pressure. We stopped guarding. We got to take a lesson from this fourth quarter to keep playing regardless of the score and finish the game.''

Boston was 27-for-38 from the line, while the Lakers were 10-for-10.

Pierce wasn't slowed by a sprained right knee suffered in the series opener, when he was carried from the court and plopped into a wheelchair. The Boston captain paced the Celtics, who are back in the finals for the first since 1987, when Larry Bird was the main man and gasoline cost 91 cents per gallon.

As usual, Boston's Big Three -- Pierce, Ray Allen (17 points) and Kevin Garnett (17) -- were the ringleaders but Powe, a second-year reserve had the game of his career, adding his 21 points in 15 minutes that may make him a Celtics fan-favorite for life.

Powe, who played a total of 68 seconds during one stretch of 13 games during the season, scored six points to close a 15-2 run ending the third quarter that gave the Celtics a 22-point lead, a burst had the Lakers California dreaming. At one point in the fourth quarter, Boston fans discarded the familiar chants of "Beat L.A.'' for cries of "Le-on Powe!''

Rajon Rondo had 16 assists and Garnett added 14 rebounds for the Celtics, back in the finals for the first time since 1987.

Game 3 is Tuesday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where the Lakers are 8-0 in the postseason and have won 14 in a row at home since March 28. Bryant had better hope the rims there are a little kinder than the ones in TD Banknorth Garden.

"We knew we had to get this win this was a big win going out West,'' Pierce said. "Our mind-set is to get Game 3 and try take away their confidence and win this series in L.A.. We knew it was going to be tough, but nobody said it was going to be easy.''

Bryant, who pledged to bounce back from a sub-par Game 1, scored 30 points -- 13 in the fourth -- on 11-of-23 shooting. In four losses to Boston this season, Bryant is just 35-of-93 from the field and can't seem to get the same easy looks he enjoys against every other team.

Pau Gasol had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers, who were down 95-71 with 7:55 when they mounted a comeback that fell just short.

Bryant's 3-pointer made it 102-91 and then the self-proclaimed "Black Mamba'' slithered down the lane for two quick baskets that got the Lakers, who scored 41 points in the final 12 minutes, within 104-95. The Celtics, meanwhile, began to stand around on offense, thinking the game was in hand.

It was anything but.

After Vujacic hit a 3-pointer, Vladimir Radmanovic made a steal and dunk to make it 104-100 and Celtics fans, who had been dancing moments earlier, began to panic. None of Boston's players seemed to want the ball as it moved around like a hot potato before Rondo missed a jumper with 44 seconds left.

Bryant's free throws brought Los Angeles to 104-102 before Pierce slashed down the lane and got fouled by Derek Fisher. As a few of his teammates locked arms on the bench like a college team trying to advance in March, Pierce knocked down both foul shots. Then, on defense, he got just enough of Vujacic's shot from the left wing with 14 seconds left.

Posey was fouled on the play and calmly made his two free throws. The Lakers rushed the ball down but missed on a couple jumpers, and when the final horn sounded, a collective sigh of relief rushed through the exits as the Celtics and their fans left the building confident, if not shaken.

Called "unstoppable'' by Lakers coach Phil Jackson, Bryant got off to another slow start. He missed his first two shots, one an uncontested layup underneath and was unable to get the looks he wanted as the Celtics followed the MVP around like a pack of hungry wolves on the hunt.

Bryant was just 1-of-4 from the floor when he was called for pushing off on Allen -- his second personal foul -- and spent the final 1:59 of the opening period a few seats away from Jackson. Soon, Bryant was joined by Lamar Odom and Jackson was forced to give his reserves extended early minutes.

They weren't good ones.

The Lakers' heralded bench bunch struggled, and the Celtics took advantage. Trailing by two after one, Boston opened the second quarter with a 10-0 run, capped by Pierce's 3-pointer. As bad as Los Angeles was playing, the Lakers hung around and closed within 41-37 on Gasol's three-point play.

But Pierce knocked down another 3, Allen followed with one of his own and the Celtics closed the half with a 13-5 burst to open a 54-42 halftime lead.

Notes: Jackson, a renowned world traveler who often reviews trips to his destinations, was asked for an overview of his extended stay in Boston, where the weather this week ranged from chilly, October-like conditions to sweltering heat. "It's very green,'' Jackson deadpanned, drawing laughter at the reference to the Celtics' primary colors. "Boston Commons, the Public Gardens. Very green.'' ... Among the celebrities in attendance: Boston Red Sox Curt Schilling -- wearing a Larry Bird jersey, Jon Lester and Josh Beckett, NFL quarterbacks Donovan McNabb and Vince Young and actor Leonardo DiCaprio. Lester, a cancer survivor who recently pitched a no-hitter, was honored during a timeout in the second quarter.

No Offense, But Lakers Blame Themselves

2008-06-10T00:32:00.001-07:00

BOSTON, June 5, 2008 -- If you choose to believe Kobe Bryant, the reason he missed 17 of the 26 shots he attempted in the Lakers’ 98-88 Game 1 Finals loss wasn’t the Celtics’ all-league defense designed to stop him, but rather it was just a matter of the way the cookie crumbled.

Or, more like, the way the rim rattled.

“I had some great looks, they just didn't stay down,” Bryant said. “I just missed some bunnies. I just missed some really, really good looks. I'll be thinking about those a little bit tonight.”

If someone was to go collect all those missed bunnies, they’d have enough inventory to open up a pet store.

Bryant started the night 2-for-8 from the field in the first quarter, wading into the offense by attempting midrange jumpshots rather than taking it to the Celtics in attack mode.

He righted the ship, hitting 6-of-12 over the second and third periods and keeping the Lakers within striking distance, down four headed into the fourth. The timing of Bryant’s turnaround from his first-quarter doldrums was critical because the Celtics were riding a dominant run by Paul Pierce who scored 15 points in the third quarter, including seven after emerging from the locker room in a Willis Reed-like return from an injury scare.

But when the fourth quarter rolled around, a quarter Bryant has owned in these playoffs, he couldn’t live up to the nickname Charles Barkley gave him during the Western Conference Finals -- “The Closer.” He did manage to match the last five letters of the moniker, however, going 1-for-6 in the final quarter and picking up his team-high fourth turnover while dropping Game 1 -- “The Loser.”

Derek Fisher, who finished the game with 15 points, six assists and three steals to serve as the Lakers’ lone bright spot, said that the poor shooting performance by Bryant might have more to do with Boston’s defense than the Mamba would like to admit.

“They're not going to give [Kobe] much of an opportunity to break down their defense off of dribble penetration,” Fisher said. “So, he's going to end up in a situation where he's taking more of catch and shoot opportunities when he's coming off of cuts and coming off of screens and catching and shooting the basketball. That's something that he's going to get used to as the series goes on. He's so great at breaking down defenses off the dribble. The Celtics' defense just doesn't allow that type of play.”

On the rare occasion when Bryant got a step on his man to get into the lane and kicked the ball to an open teammate out on the perimeter, it didn’t do much good as the rest of the Lakers shot 3-for-11 from behind the arc.

Bryant hasn’t played this poorly in the playoffs since Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals against Utah when he shot 13-for-33 from the field. In that game he tweaked his lower back and was visibly hampered from the injury, falling to his knees in pain several times throughout the contest.

Even with the bum back, Bryant finished with 33 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists, helping the Lakers force overtime before succumbing to the Jazz.

According to Bryant, Thursday wasn’t because of his back and it wasn’t because of how he was being defended, either. It just wasn’t his night.

“I think our rhythm wasn't there,” Bryant said. “Still, we played well enough to almost steal the game. Some balls bounced their way tonight.”

Most of those inopportune bounces ended up in the hands of Boston rebounders, who held a stranglehold advantage of 46-33 on the glass, resulting in a 12-4 lead in second chance points by the Celtics.

Like Bryant, L.A. swingman Luke Walton refused to credit Boston’s play for his team’s demise and placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of those wearing purple and gold.

“We stopped executing,” Walton stated matter of factly. “We stopped moving the ball. When you don’t move the ball their defense opens up on the ball carrier and it makes it tough to score.”

Lamar Odom, whose 14 points on 6-for-11 shooting and six rebounds look better in the boxscore than they did on the court, echoed Walton’s assessment.

“We just didn’t do a good job of moving the ball in the second half,” Odom said. “This game they played the right way, just for a little bit longer than us.”

The Lakers and their 105.9 points per game average on .478 shooting in the playoffs up until Game 1, took responsibility for the loss, but also almost embraced it as a wake-up call. Can some good actually come from an 88-point outing on .416 shooting by L.A.?

Several members of the Lakers think it can.

Bryant said, “It's a good experience for us. Nice little kick in the [butt].” Odom’s take was, “We probably needed that as a team. We were playing on a high horse a little bit.” And Walton added, “We got to soak this in and let it burn a little bit tonight.”

Lakers, Celtics Ready to Renew Rivalry

2008-06-10T00:27:00.000-07:00

Nearing Super Bowl-like proportions, the buildup has included black-and-white footage from the 1960s — images of Red Auerbach puffing a victory cigar, Bill Russell swatting away a shot and Jerry West rising for a jumper.

We've revisited the 1980s, taken back to those days of Ronald Reagan, bad haircuts and short shorts by Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, the icons whose meetings on the court defined an era and resurrected a league.

Memories of hard fouls, big shots, Jack Nicholson's shades and chants of "Beat L.A." All of it has led up to the rebirth of a rivalry, THE rivalry: Boston vs. Los Angeles. Celtics vs. Lakers.

"I've watched more Lakers-Boston games over the last three days on TV," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "It's been great. It's been fun to watch." It's time to watch again.

Like long, lost fraternity brothers who left school, drifted apart and barely kept in touch, the Celtics and Lakers are getting back together in a place they both know so well — the NBA finals.

"I feel like a little kid," said Celtics forward Paul Pierce, who grew up in L.A. and used to sneak into the Lakers' home arena. "Now I understand that, hey, I'm going to be a part of history. This is something I grew up watching, the Laker-Celtics rivalries."

Following a 21-year separation, pro basketball's pillars of power will revive their rivalry Thursday night in Boston for Game 1 of a best-of-seven series drenched in nostalgia and stuffed with hoops history.

The famed franchises, who have combined to win 30 of 61 championships, are squaring off in the finals for the 11th time and first since 1987. These finals figure to deliver a needed jolt of excitement to the league, which began the 2007-08 season entangled in a gambling probe involving one of its referees and whose signature event has strained to recapture the sporting spotlight since the '80s, when Celtics vs. Lakers, Bird vs. Magic was a rite of spring.

Television ratings are expected to jump dramatically thanks to a finals loaded with juicy storylines: Kobe Bryant's run toward a fourth championship ring — and first without Shaquille O'Neal; Boston's Big Three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen shooting for their first ones; and Lakers coach Phil Jackson trying to win his record 10th title, one more than Auerbach, the Celtics' late legend whose presence hovers over the team like smoke from one of his stogies. "I think this is a great thing not just for the NBA, but just for sports in general," Lakers guard Derek Fisher said. "I think it's a great thing when the best gets a chance to compete against the best, and whoever comes out on top, they earned it. I think both teams should be proud to be here."

A year ago, it would have been impossible to imagine these hardwood Goliaths in the playoffs, never mind clashing for a title.

The Celtics won 24 games last season, and all the mystique and charm that makes them special had seemingly vanished. Last year, Boston's immediate future looked bleak after the club failed to win the NBA lottery, a devastating blow for a team in full rebuild mode.

But the green-and-white began its rebound on draft night last June, when general manager Danny Ainge traded first for Allen and later managed to land Garnett, a superstar stuck in Minnesota, and a player, as it turns out, who almost became a Laker.

"We gave a great chase to Garnett last year," Jackson said Wednesday before his team practiced. "We put a lot of pressure on the Minnesota franchise and felt like we had the inside track on that, and that we could end up missing out on that opportunity and still be here in this challenge, the finals, is really kind of a great story in itself."

For the Lakers, though, nothing trumps what Bryant has done to get the franchise within four wins of a 15th championship. After the club was bounced in the first round of the playoffs last season, a frustrated Bryant challenged the team's front office to upgrade the roster.

By summer, he was demanding a trade while at the same time enhancing his reputation as a selfish, arrogant, egomaniacal player. In truth, Bryant just wanted to win — badly — and didn't want to be on a team that didn't share his drive.

However, in his 12th season, Bryant has matured on and off the floor. He has led by example, mentoring the Lakers' younger players and winning his first MVP award, an honor he probably deserved in the past but never received in part because of his perceived me-first, team-second image.

"He's the captain of this team, and we follow his lead," Lamar Odom said. "Kobe is the first one in the gym, the last one to leave. He's the first one in the weight room, the last one to leave. If we have a 10 o'clock practice, Kobe is there at 8:45 preparing to be the best.

"And some of that has rubbed off on me and my teammates, and that's the only reason why I'm sitting here talking today."

Bryant understands the importance of the league's fiercest rivalry and what it means to uphold the Lakers' legacy of greatness.

"It's such a rich tradition," he said. "I think when you look up at the jerseys that hang in the rafters at Staples Center, and with the Celtics, as well, they're not only great Lakers players, but they're some of the greatest to ever play. So that's a great deal to live up to."

And this series, with its link to games of yesteryear, is no different.

Boston created heartache for Los Angeles, especially Jerry West, until the Lakers' magical run in 1985.

2008-06-10T00:12:00.000-07:00

If, as Jerry West says, the NBA's greatest rivalry wasn't a rivalry at first since the Lakers never won in the '60s and the Boston Celtics never lost, it already seemed bigger than mere life or death, at least in West's life.

Nor did the zeal diminish in their '80s rematches when the Showtime Lakers and the Larry Bird Celtics battled on even terms.

It was the alpha and omega of rivalries, encompassing all human emotions, starting, of course, with hate.

The Lakers hated the Celtics and their blustering leader, Red Auerbach, but then who didn't?

No one hated Auerbach more than Lakers Coach Pat Riley, whose movie star looks masked his knife-between-the-teeth drive. Riley believed every horror story about Red, once ordering his team's water barrel emptied in Boston Garden.

LAKERS-CELTICS NBA FINALS THROUGH THE YEARS

1984

1985

1987

1960s

Riley wanted his players to hate everything about the Celtics, gathering his players to ask if they knew what a Celtic was.

"Finally, Kareem raised his hand," Riley wrote. "He said the Celtics were a warring race of Danes.

"I had to explain that they were also a cunning, secretive race."

Of course, Riley was Irish but he was a Laker first.

Not that you had to be paranoid since the teams were messing with each other.

Fans besieged the Lakers' hotel in Boston with phone calls, waking up sleeping players -- which Riley blamed on the Celtics for giving out their location. Lakers officials were delegated to wake up Boston players in their hotel here.

Happily, the fear and loathing ran second to respect that grew into reverence among the participants, or at least some of them.

After the Celtics' Game 7 victory in 1969, John Havlicek hugged West, who played for the Lakers with a sore hamstring wrapped like the leg of a mummy, telling him, "I love you."

Bill Russell flew out for West's farewell ceremony, announcing, "If I could have one wish in life granted, it would be that you would always be happy."

By the '80s, the two teams needed each other as they needed air and water.

Bird and Magic Johnson lived to beat the other from the start when they were bitter rivals to the finish when they were close friends.

When Bird retired, Johnson flew East and donned a Celtics jersey for his retirement ceremony, whereupon Bird told him, "Magic, get out of my dreams!"

Bird presented Johnson at his Hall of Fame induction, noting, "I was going to speak from my heart but, man, he broke my heart so many times, do I have anything left?"

Sentiment ended at the tipoff. After the Celtics' Game 4 win in the Forum in the 1984 Finals, Bird, on the bus, saw Johnson slouch past, looking devastated. Said Bird later: "I thought, 'Suffer.' "

One time or another, they all did.

the truth about chatting

2007-08-12T00:55:00.000-07:00

CAUTION!!! THESE ARE THE UNCENSORED NAKED PICS OF FE OLIVEROS OLARIO, of MEDINA, MISAMIS ORIENTAL, PHILIPPINES!
FE HAS TRIED TO CLAIM THAT I CREATED SOME OF THESE PICS, IN ORDER TO COVER UP HER LIES TO ME AND OTHERS.
OK, HERE THEY ARE, COMPLETELY UNCENSORED. YOU JUDGE FOR YOURSELF IF I CREATED THESE!!! THEY ARE IN FE'S LIVING ROOM AND KITCHEN AREA, WHERE WE ALWAYS CHATTED. LOOK FOR YOURSELF IF THE TOPS AND BOTTOM PICS ARE IN THE SAME ROOM, AND HER WEARING THE SAME CLOTHES, ETC. THESE ARE REAL SCREEN CAPTURES OF HER ON THE WEBCAM IN HER HOME!
BELIEVE WHAT YOU WANT TO BELIEVE! FE OLIVEROS IS A LIAR, DECEIVER, SCAMMER, SYMPATHY SCAMMER TRYING TO GET ME TO SEND HER HELP (MONEY) EVEN AGAIN!!!! ON JULY 3RD, MY BIRTHDAY, SHE IS NOW TRYING TO TELL ME THAT SHE IS LIVING ON THE STREETS BECAUSE OF ME, THAT SHE LOST HER JOB, THAT SHE CAN'T GO TO HER HOME AND CARE FOR HER CHILDREN, ETC. ALL LIES! LIES LIES LIES AND MORE LIES. UP TO THIS POINT, SHE DID NOT LOSE JOB, SHE LIVES IN HER HOME WITH HUBBY AND CHILDREN AND SHE IS LYING NOW TO HER WORKPLACE, HER COMMUNITY, HER HUSBAND, HER FRIENDS AND FAMILY, TRYING TO USE LIES TO COVER HER PREVIOUS LIES! TRYING TO USE LIES TO GET SYMPATHY AND MONEY FROM ME, EVEN UP UNTIL LAST WEEK! THIS WOMAN DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO JUST CONFESS AND BE HONEST AND CHANGE... SHE IS A PATHOLOGICAL LIAR!!!!!
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE RELEASED THESE!
THESE ARE THE UNCENSORED, UNBIASED, ABSOLUTELY REAL WEBCAM CAPTURES OF FE OLIVEROS OLARIO DURING OUR MOST INTIMATE MOMENTS. IT IS OBVIOUS TO ANYBODY THAT WOULD LOOK AT ALL OF THESE PICS THAT THESE ARE ALL REALLY HER, NOT JUST SOME OF THEM. THEY ARE ALL ON THE WEBCAM UNDER THE NAME OF CATHY ON THE YAHOO WEBCAM. THEY ARE ALL IN HER LIVING ROOM/KITCHEN AREA. THEY ALL SHOW THE SAME CLOTHES, CHAIR, SURROUNDINGS, WHETHER THE CAMERA IS AIMED AT HER FACE, HER TITS OR HER PUSSY. THEY ARE REAL, THEY ARE TRUE, AND THIS IS A COMPLETE RELEASE OF THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH OF THESE PICS AND THE REALITY OF OUR SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS, WHICH OFTEN WERE COMPLETE NUDITY, COMPLETE EXPOSURE, AND BOTH OF US MASTURBATING AND TALKING SEXUALLY TO EACH OTHER ON THE CHAT... HER ID THAT SHE USED THERE WAS cathyneedsyou and her email address used was cathyneedsyou@yahoo.com.ph - understand that at that time, she was known to me as Catalina Q. Oliveros - only later did I find out that that is her sister's name. Actually, her sister's married name is Catalina Oliveros Sabud... at least, that's what the REAL SISTER CATHY told me.
Even though there is some embarrasment to me, to admit this sexual online relationship, I have to EXPOSE ALL TRUTH ABOUT FE and this terrible situation, where I fell in love with a lie... I fell in love with her and her children through her manipulation even of her children.
WARNING: THESE PHOTOS ARE UNCENSORED AND SHOULD ONLY BE SENT BY EMAIL TO THOSE THAT ARE WILLING TO RECEIVE AND SEE THESE PHOTOS UNCENSORED. OTHERWISE, ONLY THE CENSORED VERSIONS OF THE PHOTOS SHOULD BE SENT, AND THEY CAN BE SEEN ONLINE AT: http://www.shopping-wizard.com/naked_truth/
You will even see, in the CHAT BOX on a couple of pictures, parts of our steamy talk as we made love online. These photos were not doctored, faked, or manipulated. These are raw screen captures on my computer of our webcam sessions. She knew what she was doing. Does it look like to you that she was in any way shy or reserved about our sessions? She is now trying to say that I made her do it, or that I seduced her, or such nonsense. I didn't have to coax her... she was more than happy to flash me her tits very early in our relationship online, and our sexual encounters became quite real and quite intense. She and I both spoke on the chats about what we were doing to each other... fantasies... how she wanted my cock in her hand, in her mouth, for me to fuck her and fuck her harder, etc. This was all very, very, very intense and very real. Maybe you think that I'm crazy for admitting all of this, that I should be embarassed... well, I don't care about all of that... I care about exposing the truth, even at the expense of my own dignity. I'm sure that as adults, we all have fantasies, and I make no apolgies for my sexuality or my sexual relationship with Fe... it is only a shame that this was just a game for her I guess, during a time when she told me that her and her husband had been seperated for 5 years! All lies! This during a time that she told me how much she loved me, missed me when we didn't talk, and how she wanted so badly for me to live with her in September, to eventually be her new husband, to be the father of her 3 children... actually, that even was lie, she had 4th child, the eldest that she called her niece, in order to cover up another of her lies. I fell in love with her and her children. It is very embarassing, considering that I've been busting dating scams online for years... fortunately, I never sent her any real money. I only one time sent small money by mail, because of her daughter Jazz, who I spoke with very often. The three youngest children called me DAD all of the time, even from maybe a week or two after I met Fe (who I thought was named Catalina).
WARNING! CAUTION! -- THE FOLLOWING INCLUDE COMPLETELY NUDE PHOTOS, UNCENSORED!
WARNING! CAUTION! -- THE FOLLOWING INCLUDE COMPLETELY NUDE PHOTOS, UNCENSORED!
WARNING! CAUTION! -- THE FOLLOWING INCLUDE COMPLETELY NUDE PHOTOS, UNCENSORED!

facts about wendy

2007-06-27T03:06:00.000-07:00

i think even if how hard we try to
hide our real “mukha” lalabas at
lalabas din to. i know wendy from FEU
(my school too) the main reason
why she passed her mascomm degree is
because she ****ed (sorry for the
term) our professor last february.
(this is true we have pix and cams)
inside the speech laboratory all
schoolmates know this. She said shes
went to japan as a dancer…it is true
but she works in a prostitute house
there and is charged $150 (pls convert
to yen) a night. Shes had
controversial issues in FEU before
about her story because she denied
this when called to explain herself
(kailangan ng FEU na mag background
check sa students for school image)
sabi ba naman niya “i went to japan as
a cultural dancer” may cultural bang
inuuwi at binababoy ng mga customer?
(confidential files from 2005 feu) IT
is true that she is a good person but
trust me when i say this. she should
not deny the fact of her past so she
can gain advantage over other people. SHe is NOT
POOR. her last boyfriend was a
Japanese DOM (62) named Hakimoto Ikita
who gave her more than a million
pesos. After she got the money she
enrolled herself AGAIN IN FEU. this
was around 2003. and left her lover to
rot in Japan. while she was with the
JAP guy. she was engaged sexually with
my cousin T.H. Morales. also a student
in FEU. reason they broke up. He
caught wendy in bed with another DOM. It is sad
to admit that my cousin is a shabu
addict and so is wendy.they have
sessions with drugs and after they
have loud s*x ( i should know my
cousin lives next to me i can hear
them). I am not against wendy or
anything…and im happy that this might
be her next step to changing her bad
ways of using people for money…i am
just sad that she keeps on making
herself look “nakaka awa” to other people on tv so she can get
more votes. i just want her to be real
and honest of who she is…she is hiding
from a beautiful face and a sexy body…
all i want is her honesty. I pity Bruce he seems to be a nice
guy to fall for someone like wendy…i
told you shes an evil genius. she has
her ways of convincing people to like
her… through her lies and many faces. i
bet after big brother and shes a star…
she will never look at bruce the same
way like shes trying to portray now.
She has used a lot of people already…i know miss M guidance councelor.
sometimes shes saddened of wendy’s
personality problem and wendy
being a
user.

if you found this article rude…my
apologies
if you found this article
enlightening…
thank you
im hoping that the true PBB
housemate
deserving to win should win…but i
hope
wendy won’t coz she is not
deserving
to me.

thank you…

Paris Hilton released from jail

2007-06-07T18:41:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES - Hours after Paris Hilton was sent home under house arrest Thursday, the judge who put her in jail for violating her reckless-driving probation ordered her into court to determine whether she should be put back behind bars.

Hilton must report to court at 9 a.m. Friday, Superior Court spokesman Allan Parachini told The Associated Press.

"My understanding is she will be brought in in a sheriff's vehicle from her home," Parachini said.

Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer issued his order after the city attorney filed a petition late Thursday afternoon questioning whether Sheriff Lee Baca should be held in contempt of court for releasing Hilton on Thursday morning.

The celebrity inmate was sent home from the Los Angeles County jail's Lynwood lockup shortly after 2 a.m. for an unspecified medical condition in a stunning reduction to her original 45-day sentence.

She was ordered to finish her sentence under house arrest, meaning she could not leave her four-bedroom, three-bath home in the Hollywood Hills until next month.

"What transpired here is outrageous," county Supervisor Don Knabe told The Associated Press, adding that he received more than 400 angry e-mails and hundreds more phone calls from around the country.

Hilton's return home gives the impression of "celebrity justice being handed out," he said.

City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo complained that he learned of her release the same way as almost everyone else — through news reports.

"It is the city attorney's position that the decision on whether or not Ms. Hilton should be released early and placed on electronic monitoring should be made by Judge Sauer and not the Sheriff's Department," said Jeffrey Isaacs of the city attorney's office.

Sauer himself had expressed his unhappiness with Hilton's release before Delgadillo asked him to return her to court. When he sentenced Hilton to jail last month, he ruled specifically that she could not serve her sentence at home under electronic monitoring.

Parachini said Sauer reminded the Sheriff's Department of that when he learned Hilton was about to be released.

"He reiterated the terms of his sentencing order. He did not agree to the terms of release that the sheriff proposed," Parachini told the AP before Delgadillo asked that Hilton be returned to court.

But, Parachini said at the time, it is the sheriff and not the judge who decides when inmates are released from jail.

Delgadillo's office indicated that it would argue that the Sheriff's Department violated Sauer's May 4 sentencing order.

Partial and Unofficial Tally as of Thursday 17th May 2007 by Namfrel

2007-05-20T22:56:00.000-07:00

Election Returns
Namfrel-PPCRV
as of Thursday 17th May 2007
3:45 P.M.

1st District of Cagayan de Oro City

House of Representatives
BACAL, Henry 2469
CANOY, Reuben 2798
DABA, Annie Yamut 6622
MONTESA, Camilo Miguel 6086
SORIANO, Antonio 8760
SPIERS, Michelle Tagarda 15609
UY, Rolando 16527

City Councilors
ABACAHIN, Reynalod 6955
ABADAY, Roger 21605
ABBU, Jose Pee 14227
ACEDERA, Ben Joseph III 8845
ACENAS, Caesar Ian 29901
BACAL, Alden 29614
BARBA, Adrian 21045
BAYLON, Wiliam 3457
BEJA, Camillo 11207
BRELLITA, Anthony 15318
CABAL, Ricardo 3319
CALIZO, Mary 18781
CALONIA, Dominador 6595
CANOY, Marc 9921
DABA, Ruel Roa 12902
DABATIAN, Douglas 9843
DAHINO, Edna 18070
DIEL, Carlos 2500
DOMO, Beverly 3122
GLEMA, Antonio 7531
GUIBONE, Cancio 18131
LACHICA, Jaime 2690
LICAYAN, Simeon 25164
NAGASAN, Rhodora 2955
OCON, Zaldy 25050
ORCALES, Michaelongelo 445
PAJO, Dante Betonio 19081
PANSACALAN, Pastor 1438
RAAGAS, Nicolas 5761
RAAGAS, Roy Hilario 15520
SAMBAAN, Allan Roy 7147
UCAB, Julieto 3886

2nd District of Cagayan de Oro City
House of Representatives

BENALDO, Jose Benjamin 35162
CABANLAS, Edjar 3322
JARDIN, Samuel 622
RODRIGUEZ, Rufus 43907

City Councilors
ABEJUELA, Emmanuel 35457
ADVINCULA, Reynaldo 40067
AGCOPRA, Joebert 21390
BACONGA, Pio 28659
CABACUNGAN, Constantino 19999
DACER, Alexander 35913
DAMO, Carmelito 15876
DAVID, Domingo 5873
ELIPE, President 44154
GAN, Leon 23472
GOKING, Alfonso 55484
JUDITH, James 17114
LAO, Teudolfo< 38125
MEDIANTE, Demosthenis 7042
NACAYA, Ian 40860
RAMOS, Jenny 2185
RAVANERA, Manuel 25268
SAARENAS, Eric 3303
SALCEDO, Enrico 29872
TABOR, Ramon 39258
VALMORIA, Vergillo 6188
YEE, Morito 10643

City Mayor District 1 District 2 CDO TOTAL
BORRES, Felix Jr 237 316 553
CALINGIN, Antonio 4106 4948 9054
CANOY, Rhona 1242 1551 2793
JARAULA, Constatino 29204 42438 71642
MAGTAJAS, Pablo 26834 34209 61043

Vice Mayor District 1 District 2 CDO TOTAL
CALINGIN, Alvin 15930 22815 38745
EMANO, Vicente 35977 50486 86463
TAGARDA, Manolo 7464 8329 15793

Misamis Oriental – 1st District

House of Representatives
LAGBAS, Danilo 74918
PADERANGA, Michael 44076
ZAGADO, Rommel 241

Misamis Oriental – 2nd District

House of Representatives
BACULIO,Augustus 36445
CALINGIN, Paul 6728
EMANO, Yevgeny 65254
UY, Julio 27045

Governor District 1 District 2 Total
BACULIO, Augusto 43455 44709 88164
MORENO, Oscar 83304 91168 174472
PO, Manuel 130 629 759

Vice-Governor District 1 District 2 Total
ABBOT, Henry 52406 35355 87761
BABIERA, Norris 44201 64576 108777
PANTANOSAS, Gregorio 2547 6103 8650

White lady, red eyes

2007-05-15T22:51:00.000-07:00

I am one who never believed in anything supernatural. Heck, I never even believed in God! I never went to church or anything like that. And then it happened...
It was a cold night, I just got home late because the next day would be November 1 and it's a holiday. So that night I went out, got drunk and had lots of fun.
When I got home, I went straight to bed.
Just as I began to fall asleep, I felt someone, or something sit on the side of my bed.
Still drunk, I opened my eyes and strained to see what it was. There was a lady there, dressed in white with eyes as red as you could imagine. And she was staring straight at me—and smiling.
I closed my eyes and wished it would all go away. But when I opened them I saw her floating right above me—her face almost close to mine!
That's when I broke out in a loud prayer. To my surprise I realized she was reciting the same prayer exactly in unison with me!
With all the strength left in me I shouted, "Please, God, help me!"
She stopped praying and said, "God? You don't even know him."
This event made me go to church. And I think all of you should too.

Jeepney ride

2007-05-15T22:22:00.000-07:00

It's funny when certain events in our lives occur and we blame it all to bad luck. What's funnier is the things that we do to counter the flow of bad energy that causes these so called bad luck or bad events. At least at that time I thought it was funny, until my friend shared her unlikely experience.
This story is about my friend and her scary jeepney ride going home. For those of you who don't know what jeepneys are, they are a popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. They were originally made from US military jeeps left over from World War II and are well known for their flamboyant decoration and crowded seating.
My friend went home late after finishing their school project, now since she lives within the vicinity of the U.P. Diliman campus (University of the Philippines) it was perfectly safe for her to take the jeepney instead of taking a taxi in going home during late hours. It was about midnight when she took the ride home, and she could not help but notice the driver kept glancing at her through his rear view mirror and then he would turn to her. (Now all jeepneys have their own route and do not take any turns and they have to stick to their route or else there is a big chance that they would run into some cop trouble). What's odd about this jeepney ride besides the eerie glances that the driver gave from time to time, he was also taking turns in corners that he was not suppose to. Afraid of what the drivers plans are, she was even more afraid of her surroundings because it seemed as if she was in the middle of nowhere already. So instead of going down, she just stayed on the jeep. On the last turn that the driver made, she noticed that they were back on the route that they were suppose to be in the first place.
Before reaching the end of the terminal, the driver turned to my friend and said, "Im sorry if I scared you or startled you! It was not my intention".. "Could you do me a favor and BURN all your clothes when you get home".. Wondering why my friend asked why he was acting very strange. The driver explained, "The reason why I kept glancing was because your head was not attached to your body when I looked through my rear view mirror." "That is why I changed my route awhile ago, hoping we could get away from the bad energy present in that area, and thats why I want you to BURN your clothes when you get home because I think its still with you."
Upon arriving home, still shaking from fear, my friend took all her clothes off and burned them as quickly as she could. A few days later she found out on the news that the jeepney driver died a day after the incident. It turned out the warning was not for her but for the driver.

Nookie almost spoiled by bunso

2007-05-15T20:19:00.000-07:00

It was two weeks before my finals week and I had to make pastillas for my biology class as a requirement. I wanted to be with my guy so I asked him to help me out. My older sister and my younger brother were also at home that time—my sister being the tenant at our mini store and my younger brother busy with his PC game. While working on my project I started to get so horny that I insisted on having sex. But we took it slow by doing the small, dirty things first: He massaged my boobs while I felt up his big cock—this happened while my brother, with his back to us, concentrated on his game. When things started to heat up even more I suggested that we have a quickie in the toilet.

The plan was I would go in first then he’d follow after, pretending that he needed to pee. When we got in, we started the show immediately. He banged me so hard doggy style but my very makulit little brother kept on chatting with my guy while we were both in the middle of sex! Fed up, my boyfriend just said to him nicely—and with a wry smile—“Mamaya mo na lang ako kausapin, hindi ako makapag-concentrate eh.” Ha ha!

Aiza Marquez. Where will she be?

2007-05-15T19:55:00.000-07:00

This is a positively delicious picture of Aiza Marquez, one of the hot young stars in Philippine showbiz today. Looks like she’s all ready for posing in a men’s magazine anytime soon. I think it’s inevitable, so the only thing left is to guess which magazine will she pose for: FHM, Maxim, or Uno?
My guess is that Maxim will get first shot at her, considering that she’s one of the contract stars for ABS-CBN, who owns Maxim. It doesn’t matter which magazine she poses for, anyway; all we care about is how she looks when the pictures finally come out. And please, don’t overdo the makeup and the costumes. We like her as she is right now.

2007-05-15T01:53:00.000-07:00

Probably one of the most-awaited films that will be be coming out in 2008, Iron Man features Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, and Robert Downey as Tony Stark/Iron Man.
Billionaire Tony Stark, previously one of the world’s most imaginative weapons defense technology creators, decides to retire from weapons manufacture. A powerful competitor attempts to kill Stark, and almost succeeds. To keep himself alive, Stark must build a modern-day suit of armor. He then begins to build more agile and powerful versions of the suit, and uses it to fight crime as the Invincible Iron Man!
Iron Man director Jon Favreau clears things up about who really designed the armor for the movie:
The suit was designed by an artist named Phil Saunders who collaborated with Adi Granov based on the comic art of Granov. It evolved over many months and then was brought to Winston Studios to refine the design in order to build it as a working practical costume. Winston modeled and then fabricated the actual suit. It is difficult to identify a single person as the designer because they each contributed to the final design. The EW article correctly stated, however, that the suit was built by Winston. I hope this helps.
Robert Downey also talks about his Iron man character.
“He’s a superhero who is just a man,” says Downey. “Not that I wouldn’t play a guy who got bit by a spider or who has some freaky connection with bats, but I think this is a little more accessible.

“I guess that when Stan Lee created the character back in the mid-1960s - to see if he could base a superhero on a hard-partying, womanising billionaire who manufactures weapons, and still make him likeable enough to sell comic books - he clearly won his bet.
“Tony Stark is someone who has the ability to be right at the forefront of science and we are finding out more and more nowadays that science and mythology are becoming somewhat interchangeable. Some of the things that seemed really far-fetched aren’t any more.”

Natural Sex Is it Good?

2007-05-14T22:04:00.001-07:00

NATURAL SEX
Sure, sex is "natural," if you're happy being a male premature ejaculator...
Of course, the nicest place to learn about sex is through the sexiest head-master or headmistress on earth: your "primemate," your partner-in-love. Yet, all too often your partner doesn't know much or has trouble expressing him or herself sexually. That's where the sex books, sex workers, sex educators, professional pervies, costume designers and relationship referees come in. "But why learn about sex?" folks ask me time and again, "Isn't sex natural?" Sure, sex is "natural," if you're happy being a male premature ejaculator or a pre-orgasmic woman or a couple that stops having sex after infatuation wears off. But if you want sex to be good, if you want love to last, you have to learn a thing or two. As that horny old Latin lover Ovid said a millenium and a half before Masters and Johnson, "Skill makes love unending." Another reason we need to learn our sexual ABC's & triple XYZ's: Repression relies on ignorance. Fascists tried to control their flocks by censoring and/or criminalizing erotic entertainment and sex education. But bit by bit, they are losing control. Though vociferous, erotophobic, anti-sex goons fight it like the proverbial dickens, the forces of sex education are winning over the forces of evil and ignorance, as it becomes irrepressibly apparent that this is what a civilized society needs.
We need education in the sexual sciences to wipe out damaging, sometimes deadly superstition and misinformation. We need education in the sexual arts to help improve our erotic lives and keep our families intact. We need education in sexual psychology and philosophy to help us understand our true sexual nature and to cultivate it in a fulfilling, ethical, manner..
So...My Mission (or is that "emission"?) is to educate your body and masturbate your mind (and vice versa) on every single sensual page of my this group
As sexual missionaries, I assume some fairly hot positions. I am pro-love, pro-choice, pro-freedom-of-speech, pro-decriminalization-of-prostitution, pro-education, and of course, pro-pleasure. I believe in The Bonobo Way of peace through pleasure. My motto: If you're so keyed up you want to shoot something, just shoot the "gun" between your legs! :)
I am also pro-fun, since humor makes sex great and life bearable. Oh, I weep and wail at times; the life of a sexual missionary is not always just a bowl of orgasms. But for the most part, we assume the position of our fellow Sexual Revelationary, Camille Paglia: "Sex is a comedy, not a tragedy." Tickle, tickle, tickle.
So, having positioned my Group for you, I want your positions. Don't hide from me now. Come on out of the closet. Give it up to me. Fill up this group with your love. Send your position with photos by group mail pages, personal missions, sexo-philosophical musings, fantasies, fetishes, opinion pieces, "dirty" stories, love letters, hate mail. Or send me photos of you and your loved one(s) in compromising positions. You see, my group is "reader-written," so, since you're obviously a reader, you're also, officially, one of my writers.

Partial and unofficial tally of Philippine Elections 2007

2007-05-14T18:44:00.001-07:00

Candidates
AMA
NAMFREL
COMELEC
Escudero, Francis Joseph (Chiz)
913,587
18,784
0
Legarda, Loren (Loren)
844,733
17,729
0
Lacson, Panfilo (Ping)
789,222
16,929
0
Aquino, Benigno Simeon III (Noynoy)
782,360
16,009
0
Villar, Manuel Jr (Manny)
745,243
15,420
0
Pangilinan, Francis (Kiko)
732,518
14,512
0
Cayetano, Allan Peter (Companero)
648,276
14,124
0
Arroyo, Joker (Joker)
602,123
9,850
0
Trillanes, Antonio IV (Magdalo)
570,369
13,449
0
Honasan, Gregorio (Gringo)
569,968
12,699
0
Angara, Edgardo (Ed)
565,642
10,009
0
Pimentel, Aquilino III (Koko)
554,042
12,477
0
Recto, Ralph (Korecto)
496,917
8,447
0
Zubiri, Juan Miguel (Migz)
491,490
8,727
0
Roco, Sonia (Inang Guro)
472,654
9,699
0
Defensor, Michael (Tol)
441,999
7,485
0
Pichay, Prospero Jr (Butch)
368,946
6,822
0
Osmena, John Henry (Sonny)
348,844
7,859
0
Sotto, Vicente III (Tito)
338,503
5,908
0
Coseteng, Anna Dominique (Nikki)
299,573
6,343
0
Montano, Cesar (Buboy)
263,148
5,115
0
Magsaysay, Vicente (Vic)
236,119
4,613
0
Oreta, Teresa (Tessie)
164,622
2,816
0
Singson, Luis (Chavit)
162,625
1,919
0
Gomez, Richard (Goma)
158,799
3,084
0
Kiram III, Jamalul (Kiram)
103,788
2,167
0
Paredes, Zosimo Jesus II (Jess)
76,293
943
0
Bautista Martin (Dr B)
62,660
1,042
0
Sison, Adrian (Dado)
52,519
627
0
Orpilla, Eduardo (Ed)
40,437
197
0
Chavez, Melchor (Mel)
34,439
599
0
Cayetano, Joselito (Peter)
32,839
715
0
Lozano, Oliver (Oli)
32,239
262
0
Enciso, Ruben (Bobby)
24,709
123
0
Wood, Victor (Vic)
23,494
350
0
Estrella, Antonio (Tony)
22,348
264
0
Cantal, Felix (Peck)
15,650
133
0

Escudero leads in first NAMFREL quick count tally

2007-05-14T18:37:00.000-07:00

Escudero leads in first NAMFREL quick count tally
Posted May 15, 2007 05:53:00(Mla Time)
INQUIRER.netAlexander Villafania
MANILA, Philippines -- Genuine Opposition senatorial candidate Francis Escudero is leading in the first partial and unofficial tally of the National Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), with 18,784 votes garnered from 602 out of 288,864 precincts.
Seven other GO candidates are also in the top 12 list of NAMFREL’s initial list, with only two Team Unity candidates entering the list.
Independent candidates Francisco Pangilinan and Gregorio Honasan are ranked sixth (14,512 votes) and ninth (12,699 votes), respectively.
Escudero is closely followed by GO colleague Loren Legarda with 17,729 votes and Panfilo Lacson with 16,929 votes.
Benigno Aquino III is fourth in the list with 16,009 votes while Manuel Villar is fifth with 15,420 votes.
The rest of the GO candidates in the top 12 are Allan Peter Cayetano (14,124 votes), Anthony Trillanes IV (13,449) and Aquilino Pimentel III (12,477).
Copyright 2007 INQUIRER.net and content partners. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

2007-05-11T02:35:00.000-07:00

This apparently created a HUGE scandal in the community where the girl lived… as if all those prudes and holier-than-thous didn’t do this one time or another in the past…
WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL HERE, PEOPLE??? She may indeed be bathing outside, but that doesn’t mean OUTSIDE HER HOME!!! If I recall, the vicinity located within your walls still constitutes part of your abode. Am I right or wrong? Nevertheless, I ask again: What’s the big deal here?!?

PinoySpy News Service) — An unidentified Pinay was caught bathing nude outside her home in a crowded neighborhood in Metro Manila, shocking neighbors who saw her from their windows.
Under Philippine laws, public nudity is a violation of city ordinances. Though the suspect was bathing nude within her walled property, her acts are still scandalous based on the social norms of the predominantly Catholic country.
According legal experts interviewed by the PinoySpy reportorial team, the suspect was still liable to public nudity even if she was within her property, because she can been by neighbors and passersby.
“This kind of behavior is not acceptable, what if my children see this? Or what if my husband sees that, don’t you think evil thoughts would enter his mind? That’s scary!” said a concerned mom who saw the pictures.

pauleen's cleavage

2007-05-11T02:31:00.000-07:00

Pauleen Luna showered love and friendship at the RockCandy Bar by being so generous with her cleavage, sending shockwaves as the country prepares for a bloody and dirty elections on May 14, 2007.
Pauleen made the right decision to wear the cleavage-revealing blouse, according to fashionistas interviewed by the PinoySpy investigative journalism team.
“Pauleen Luna radiated love and friendship with these pictures. She’s a positive sight in the midst of the decay of Philippine society and the violence in the elections.”

is it possible to bite ur nose

2007-05-11T01:20:00.000-07:00

just another thought

2007-05-11T00:18:00.001-07:00

There are 12 months a year...30 days a month...7 days a week...24 hours a day...60 minutes an hour...but only one like you in a lifetime.There are two reasons why I wake up in the morning: my alarm clock and you.Great minds contain ideas, solutions and reasons; scientific minds contain formulas, theories and figures; my mind contains only you!Love can be expressed in many ways. One way I know is to send it across the distance to the person who is reading this.If I could change the alphabet, I would put U and I together! Minsan caring is better than loving. Minsan tea is better than coffee. Minsan smile is better than laughter. Pero nobody is better than you.There is night so we can appreciate day, sorrow so we can appreciate joy, evil so we can appreciate good, you so I can appreciate love.You look great today. How did I know? Because you look great everyday. What is love? Those who don't like it call it responsibility. Those who play with it call it a game. Those who don't have it call it a dream. Those who understand it call it destiny. And me, I call it you.What is love? It is what makes your cell phone ring every time I send text messages. If love can be avoided by simply closing our eyes, then I wouldn't blink at all for I don't want to let a second pass having fallen out of love with you.I used to think that dreams do not come true, but this quickly changed the moment I laid my eyes on you. Press down if you miss me. Talaga? Sweet mo naman. You really miss me huh? Still pressing down. Impressed na ako, ha? Sobrang miss na yan. Well, I miss you too.Some people were born with talents. They can do beautiful things with their skills, knowledge and technology. But no one is as talented as you. You just come near, and there is already beauty.A lady is a woman who makes a man behave like a gentleman. You're such a lady to me. To forget you is hard to do and to forget me is up to you. Forget me not, forget me never. Forget this text, but not the sender.When situation gets you down, remember there's Someone in Heaven who loves you and watches over you and there's someone on Earth who cares… I do.Cell phones can be irritating sometimes. You always have to reload, recharge every now and then. Messages are delayed. But there's one thing I love about it. It connects me to you!Words begin with ABC. Numbers begin with 123. Music begins with do, re, mi. And friendship begins with you and me! Rain and sunshine do not always come together. Night and day never coincide. But you and I, whatever they say, is for me the perfect match.When I dream, I dream of you...maybe one day, dreams will come true. There is an ocean between us. Forests and mountains keep us apart. I may not be superman, but give me a second and I will fly across countries to send you my love. Have you received it?If, out of time, I could pick one moment and keep it shining, always new, of all the days that I have lived, I'd pick the moment I met you.I'm on a mission to get over you, in other words mission impossible.I wish I'd be a tear in your eye to roll down your cheek and end up with your lips but I never wish you'd be a tear in my eye for I would lose you every time I cry.When it rains, you don't see the sun, but it's there. Hope we can be like that. We don't always see each other, but we will always be there for one another.I may run out of message to text you. I may run out of jokes too. I may also run out of battery or even a peso but my heart won't run out of space for you! You'll know that you miss someone very much when every time you think of that person, your heart breaks into pieces and just a quick "Hello" from that person can bring the broken pieces back.Love. All my life I have read about it, dreamt of it, waited for it, cried for it, needed it. Now with you, I have found it.Sherlock Holmes was an idiot and Robert Watt was a fool. One was a detective, the other invented radar. But neither of them ever discovered you. I'm a genius!
When the time comes I can't smile anymore, don't worry about me, I know what to do. I'll just stare at one corner and think of you. No one else could make me happy like the way you do.There's a love that only you can give, a smile that only your lips can show, a twinkle that can only be seen in your eyes, and a life of mine that you alone can complete. Everyone wants to be the sun that lights up your life. But I'd rather be your moon, so I can shine on you during your darkest hour when your sun isn't around. Ah-- I forgot your name. Can I call you mine? And, in case you forget my name too, call me yours!If I had the letters "HRT", I can add "EA" to get a "HEART" or a "U" and get "HURT". But I'd rather choose "U" and get "HURT" than have a "HEART" without "U".
You may never see how much I care for you. You may never hear how much I treasure you. You may never feel how much I miss you. Coz only here in my heart can you see them true.There are 4 steps to happiness: 1. you, 2. me, 3. our hearts, 4. together! If kisses were water, I'd give you the ocean. If hugs were leaves, I'd give you a forest. If love were space, I'd give you a galaxy. If friendship were life, I'd give you mine for free.It's hard to say hello because it might be goodbye. It's hard to say I'm okay because sometimes I'm not. But it's easy to say I miss you coz I know that I really do.It's hard for two people to love each other when they live in two different worlds. But when these two worlds collide and become one, that's what you call you and I.
If you're feeling lonely and you think there is nobody there to love, support, listen or show they care, just save this message and every time you realize it, it will remind you that a part of me is always there with you.Roses are red, violets are blue. I am waiting to hear from a cute guy like you.They say that as long as there is one person loving you, life isn't a waste. So if you lose hope and thought that life is not worth living, just remember I'm here. Do you know that men and women are angels created with only one wing? And they need to embrace each other to be able to fly... Hope you can find your angel whom you can fly with forever.They told me I could do anything if I put my mind into it. Yet no matter how hard I try in all that I do, I just can't take my mind off you.
My biggest reward is to see you smile, know you are happy, and feel you are loved. I know life is sometimes cruel, but that's why I'm here, to show you that life can be good when somebody cares.I always think of you, but I always fail to know the reason why. Is there something else I should know about you? But there is one thing that I know is true. That life will always be sad without you.Hatred infects the mind; love dissolves it. You dissolve my mind. Don't say you love me unless you really mean it cause I might do something crazy like believe it.I'm afraid to close my eyes coz I might think of you. I'm afraid to open them coz I might see you. I'm afraid to move my lips coz I might speak of you. I'm afraid to listen coz I might hear my heart fall for you.
I'm sorry to be smiling every time you're near. I'm sorry my eyes twinkle whenever you're here. I'm sorry that cupid has made his hit. I'm sorry I love you, I can't help it.Caring for someone is easy but making someone care for you is hard. Now I keep wondering how did you make it so easy for me to care for you. Text me when you are sad, text me when you need someone to listen to and you can't find anyone who will. I don't care if I'm your last option, I just don't want you to cry alone.I don't want to say I miss you, though deep inside I do, coz I'm afraid you might see thru and know how much fear I have of losing someone like you.If love can be avoided simply by closing our eyes, I wouldn't blink at all for I don't want to let a second pass having fallen out of love with you.
I wish one day you will miss me terribly that no matter how hard you look for me, you won't find me. Why? Because, I want you to miss me the way I'm missing you right now.If I could be any letter in the alphabet, I'd choose "V" so I can be next to "U"; if you could be any note, I wish you're "RE" so your always beside "ME"! Whatever you do, I'll walk with you. Hoping that your every dream would come true. Anytime, anywhere, I'll always be there. Wishing you love and happiness because I care.The spaces between our fingers were created so that another person's fingers could fill them in. Hope you'll find your dream hand to hold you forever. Every part of me wants you, maybe because I was made just for you!
When you love someone, draw a circle around their name instead of a heart coz hearts can be broken but circles never end.Nobody tells fish to swim, birds to fly, cows to moo, dogs to bark - they just do. Just like nobody tells me to remember you. I just do!If you were a wound inside my heart, I'd rather leave it there with all the pain locked inside than leave it without a trace of you.Whenever you feel blue, I will be there for you. Whenever you are sad, I will stay by your side. Whenever you need someone to love, I will always be there for you to have.They can recycle paper till it's as good as new, reproduce cans and jars and old bottles too, but they can never recycle another person as wonderful as you.
I hate when you smile at me because you make me crazy about you. I hate when you talk to me because you make me run out of words. I hate you when I see you because you make me love you more.What good is beauty without brains, looks without charm, money without happiness, a smile without feelings, a life without you?To be disturbed by the beep of your phone only means that somehow, somewhere, somebody is thinking of you and at this very moment, that's me. Take care always.A person you love is an extension of yourself. Without it, you're not complete so better take care of yourself because I don't want to lose a part of me.I wish my eyes could speak what my heart feels for you, coz my lips can lie on what is true. My eyes couldn't coz even if I close them I could still see you.
Every time I hear my text tone, I always hope one of them is from you. My cell phone may have limited memory space but my heart has unlimited space for someone like you. I have you! If you hate me, shoot me with an arrow, but please not on the heart coz that's were you are!Someone asked what makes people happy. Some said wealth and some said fame. I was thinking about this when my cell phone beeped and received a text from you. Then, I smiled and said: "This makes me happy."You're like a target that I always try to aim at. How I wish I could aim you at the heart. But every time I fail, I feel so sad. You know why? It's because I always end up missing you.It was a simple crush, done and over with, then you looked at me.
Love is something special, a treasure I want to find... To others, love is blind but for me, its not true, coz when I fell in love...I saw you. I'll lend you my shoulder for you to cry on, my ears to listen to, my hand for you to hold, my feet to walk with you, but I can't lend you my heart coz it already belongs to you.Why do birds fall from the sky every time you walk by? Maybe because like me they want to be near you! If I get takot, would you hawak me tight? If I gawa something mali, would you make it right? If I build an apoy, would you bantay the flame? If I sabi I miss u, would you ramdam the same? Do you take me to be your lawfully wedded text mate, in sickness or in health, through metering or not, till low bat do us part?
Someone once asked me, "Have you ever fallen in love?" Then I answered, "Of course, once." Then they asked me another question: "Did it hurt?" I thought of you and told them "Yes, very much".You must be a thief coz you stole my heart. You must be tired coz you're always running through my mind. And maybe I'm a bad shooter coz I keep missing you. I asked God for a rose and He gave me a garden. I asked God for a drop of water and He gave me an ocean. I asked God for an angel and He gave me you! I have heard from the phone company, the water company, the electric company, but haven't heard from you. Too bad, it's your company I love the most.If someone would ask me what a beautiful life means, I would lean my head on your shoulder and hold you close to me and answer with a smile: "Like this!"
If only one star would fall every time I miss you, then all the stars in heaven would be gone. Don't wonder if there are no stars tonight! It's your fault coz you made me miss you a lot.Life may sometimes be a rough road to walk on where everything seems wrong. But don't give up. Just go on coz when you think you're all alone, look back and you'll find me walking along.They say as long as at least one person cares for you, life isn't a waste. So when things go terribly wrong, and you feel like giving up, please remember you still got me.True love is hard to find, special one, one of a kind. I know because it appeared to me on a strange day I met you.I've been wondering why you're not texting... Multiple Choice: a. busy b. dedma c. tired d. thrifty e. want me to miss you.
While you gave her flowers, you gave me thorns. While all she did was smile, all I did is mourn. While she was so happy, I felt so blue. Because while you loved her, I was loving you.An angel asked me a reason why I care for you so much. I told her I care for you so much coz there's no reason not to.First time I saw you, I was scared to touch you. First time I touched you, I was scared to kiss you. First time I kissed you, I was scared to love you. But now that I love you, I'm scared to lose you! If love is a disease then I'm very ill. But I would not want medicine and won't take any pill. I would instead suffer this illness and be bedridden with joy of knowing you.I will walk with you side by side for only one condition: hide your wings every time we walk together because the whole world might know that you're my angel!
Each of us is an angel with one wing. The only way we could fly is to hold each other and share wings. So if you have trouble flying, I will always share mine with you.I used to think that the world is so unfair, that it gave me so many reasons to hate it. But now, how can I hate such a wonderful world that gave me you?Can I say I love you today? If not, can I ask you again tomorrow? And the day after tomorrow? And the day after that? Coz I'll be loving you every single day of my life. A day may start or end without a message from me, but believe me it won't start or end without me thinking of you..See! I just did. Take care.You greeted me hi, I didn't reply. You gave me a sweet smile, I responded with a sigh. You showed me your love, you received a shrug. But when you bid goodbye I began to cry.

god's boxes

2007-05-11T00:15:00.000-07:00

God's Boxes"I have in my hands two boxesWhich God gave me to hold.He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black,And all your joys in the gold."I heeded His words, and in the two boxesBoth my joys and sorrows I store.But though the gold became heavier each dayThe black was as light as before.With curiosity I opened the blackI wanted to find out why.And I saw, in the base of the box, a holeWhich my sorrows had fallen out by.I showed the hole to God, and mused aloud,"I wonder where my sorrows could be."He smiled a gentle smile at me."My child, they're all here with me."I asked, "God, why give me the boxes, Why the gold, and the black with the hole?""My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings,the black is for you to let go."- Author Unknown

How Brats are created!!!

2007-05-10T23:30:00.000-07:00

To those of us who are involved in shaping the values of the young....HOW BRATS ARE CREATED
Who says only valuable jewelleries can become heirlooms? My daughter showed me a copy of a letter written by her friend's Dad on her 13th birthday. A few months after he wrote it, he died of a heart attack. Today, this letter is regarded as a family heirloom, shared not just with the immediate members of the family, but shown proudly to relatives and friends alike. I felt the message in this beautiful letter should be shared with as many people as possible. So I asked my daughter if her friend - the letter's addressee-would allow me to reprint it in BusinessWorld. She said there shouldn't be a problem, except that a note should probably precede the letter asking the readers to share this with their young married children. Hah! a not-so-subtle inference that BusinessWorld readers are not exactly "young parents" anymore. So, dear readers, do share this letter with your young married children. They will certainly find this letter - as I did - a very insightful treatise on how brats are created. "Daughter Dearest Happy 13th Birthday!"When you came to this world 13 years ago, you brought your Mom and I a lot of joy! We've always wanted a daughter and God in His wisdom gifted us with you. "This is not to cast any aspersions at your four older brothers; they are also a great blessing and we love them very much, but boys are boys, and I look forward to the day when I am old and grey to have you by my side. I can't see this happening with your brothers; you know what I mean, as we have talked about this at the dining-room table many a time. "You have also heard me say that we are gifted with a lot of material wealth. That's something we should be very grateful to the Lord about, but we should be aware that this has been loaned to us, as you too are loaned to us by God and that we will be asked to give a full accounting when our day of reckoning comes. "The reason for this letter is to warn you about one big, big danger you and your brothers may face in the next few years. I have seen it happen in other families. I don't want to see it happen here."I am referring to having you guys grow up as brats!" 'Brat-manship' is the process one has to go through to become a brat! "Unfortunately, it is an ailment imposed by parents! They are the creators of the brats!"In their desire to try to save their children from the difficulties they have been through, they do whatever possible to shield them from this. Little do they realize, that it is precisely these difficulties that have made them successful. Their love for their children may make them overprotective. They may even prevent them from taking public transportation. They come up with all sorts of rationalizations, going by public transportation is not safe, the buses are too crowded, the fumes on the road are bad for ones health, and so on! "They mean well, but in the process, they deprive their children of what it really means to live in a city like Manila which is comprised of two strata of society - the 'haves' and the 'have-nots!' And sad to say some of 'the haves' live in their little world. Unaware of that sampaguita vendor, drenched in the rain, so that her siblings may get a least one meal that day. "The other day, I was with an elderly wise gentleman, we are at the Polo Club waiting for his car. There was a girl, about your age. She, too, was waiting for her car. When her vehicle got there, she jumped into the front seat, and as she did, tossed her beautiful pair of riding boots into the back seat. She then asked the driver if her Mom was home. 'Wala po! Nagma-mah jong (She's not home. She's playing mah jong),' came the reply! The car drove off."My friend turned to me and said, 'There is an example of theunder-privileged rich.' Then he followed with, 'They have everything and they have nothing.' "This incident, short as it was, left me with a deep impression. I guess this is why I am writing this letter."Your Mom and I have tried to raise you kids to realize that our country is made up of the very rich and those who may not even have enough to have one decent meal a day. I hope you never lose sight of this. This is why we have taken it upon ourselves to adopt a squatter family during Christmas and share with them some of some things to make their Christmas more meaningful.In the process, we hope that you and your brothers will appreciate the conditions we live in. In the process, I hope that you always have compassion for these lesser fortunate. So that next time you see that sampaguita vendor knocking at our car window drenched in rain you do not get annoyed, but instead pull out your wallet and share with her in a small way your allowance."You will notice your brothers take public transportation to go to UP. It's not that we can't afford another car; we can't afford for them to grow up thinking that its part of their 'birth right' to be in the ruling class. "This is why we insisted that you do your bed in the morning, and to pick up your own toys and clothes, rather than have a yaya trailing you."And I could go on and on. As you are apt to say, 'You catch my drift!'

"When you feel you are not getting enough money in your allowance, or get new shoes like your friends always had or the latest fad of Guess jeans, take this letter out and reread what I have written. "We love you far too much to create a brat!"Your Loving Father"BUSINESSWORLD-------------------------------MANILA, PHILIPPINES Thursday, September 16, 2004

Kung Pinoy si Noah

2007-05-10T23:17:00.000-07:00

Taong 2005 at isang ordinaryong middle class pinoy si Noah. Nagpakita
sa kanya ang Diyos at sinabing "Pagkatapos ng isang taon ay bubuhos ang
ulan at babahain ang buong kapuluan ng Pilipinas. Gusto kong
gumawa ka ng isang malaking arko at isakay mo rito ang pares-pares
na mga hayop at mga mag-asawang pilipino sa iba't ibang
kapuluan." Ibinigay kay Noah ang specs ng Arko at taos puso nitong tinanggap ang responsibilidad na sagipin ang sambayanang Pilipino sa napipintong pagbaha.
Lumipas ang taon, muling nagpakita ang Diyos kay Noah. Walang arkong
nagawa si Noah at galit na galit siyang tinanong ng Diyos, "Nasaan ang arko na ipinagawa ko sa iyo?" Tumugon si Noah, "Patawarin po ninyo ako kung di po
natupad ang utos ninyo! Nagkaroon po ng malaking problema sa plano po ninyo."
At inilahad ni Noah ang mga sagabal na nakaharap niya sa pag-gawa ng arko.
Humingi siya ng Mayor's permit pero papayag lang daw si Mayor kung ang gagawa ng arko ay ang construction firm ng kanyang pamangkin. Tumungo siya sa
Congressman pero papayag lang daw si Congressman kung may matatanggap siyang
30% commission. Nagtayo ng unyon ang mga kinuha niyang manggagawa at nag-strike.
Natunugan ng mga left-leaning groups ang kanyang balak at ang mga ito ay
nag-rally dahil daw sa hindi makatarungang pagpili ng mga taong sasakay sa arko (mga taong naniniwala lang sa Diyos ang pwedeng sumakay). Nakisali sa rally ang mga bakla at tomboy dahil bias daw na normal na mag-asawa lang ang pwedeng sumakay.
Ang civil society group ay nakisali na rin sa gulo dahil napag-alaman daw nila na ang pondong gagamitin sa paggawa ng arko ay galing sa donasyon ng
mga gambling lords at katas ng weteng.
Sa kaguluhang ito ay napilitang magpatawag ng hearing ang senado "in aid of legislation". Sinubukan ni Noah na gamitin ang EO 464 para makaiwas sa hearing pero dahil hindi sya executive official, napilitan siyang tumistigo.
Nang malaman ng senado na utos ng Diyos ang pagpapagawa ng arko, dineklara
nila itong unconstitutional dahil hindi raw nito iginalang ang separation ng
church at state .
Nakialam na rin ang NBI at PNP at sinabi nilang meron silang impormasyon
na ang barko raw na ito ay gagamitin ni Erap sa kanyang pagtakas. Sinabi naman ng ISAFP at DOJ na ito raw ay gagamitin ng grupong Magdalo sa binabalak nilang coup laban kay Arroyo. Nilapitan ni Noah si Mike Defensor para makipag-usap kay GMA. Payag daw si GMA na ituloy ang arko kung ipapaskil
daw sa arko ang malaking mukha ni Arroyo na may slogan "Towards a Strong Republic". "Hindi po ako pumayag kaya hanggang ngayon po ay may TRO ang pag-gawa ng arko.
Sa palagay ko po kailangan ko pa ng 10 taon para matapos ang inyong proyekto." Ang huling wika ni Noah. Napa-iling ang Diyos at sinabing, "Di ko na kailangang wasakin pa ang bansang ito. Hayaan ko na lang kayong sumira nito."