KAREEM CAPTURED IN BRONZE

KAREEM CAPTURED IN BRONZE

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
http://www.nba.com/2012/news/11/16/kareem-abdul-jabbar-statue.ap/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpts

 LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's skyhook has been captured in bronze for future generations of basketball fans.

Staples Center unveiled a nearly 16-foot statue of the top scorer in NBA history Friday night, immortalizing Jabbar's famed hook shot alongside statues of fellow Los Angeles Lakers greats Magic Johnson and Jerry West.

Abdul-Jabbar pronounced himself humbled and grateful during a ceremony attended by numerous NBA greats ranging from Johnson and Pat Riley to West and Elgin Baylor -- and even Lakers superfan Jack Nicholson.

"Having lived my life and had the experiences I've had, I can understand now what a man like Lou Gehrig means when he considers himself the luckiest man on the face of the earth," Abdul-Jabbar said.

Abdul-Jabbar is depicted in his signature goggles, wristbands and the standard 1980s short-shorts below his No. 33 jersey. The 7-foot-2 center pulled a braided cord to drop a curtain revealing the statue to hundreds of cheering fans, who gathered under threatening clouds for the ceremony.

"I'm glad we got here before the pigeons got to it," Abdul-Jabbar said with a smile.
By any measure, Abdul-Jabbar is among the most significant figures in basketball history. His 38,387 points are the most in NBA history, and he spent two decades in the league with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Lakers. He won a record six MVP awards while setting records at the time for games played, total minutes, field goals, blocked shots, defensive rebounds and fouls.

Formerly known as Lew Alcindor, he arrived at UCLA in 1965 from his native New York City's Power Memorial High School. He won three NCAA titles with coach John Wooden, who received special mention while Abdul-Jabbar thanked the biggest figures in his basketball life.

"You never understand how important these people are until they're not with you," Abdul-Jabbar said. "With coach Wooden, I understood immediately."

The No. 1 pick in the 1969 draft won an NBA title with Oscar Robertson and the Bucks, who traded him to Los Angeles in 1975. The Lakers didn't break through until Johnson arrived in 1979, immediately teaming up for the first of five championships in nine seasons with the advent of the "Showtime Lakers."

"Thank you for taking us on a ride with you," Johnson said. "It was all because of your great leadership."

Riley recalled his first conversation with Abdul-Jabbar after he became the Lakers' coach.

"He said, `Pat, you won't have to worry about me,"' Riley said. "He was great, and he has been there for us his whole career. He was our protector, and he was the one who carried us."
Abdul-Jabbar did much of his scoring with the famed shot depicted in his statue -- including the basket with which he passed Wilt Chamberlain to become the NBA's career scoring leader on April 5, 1984, in Las Vegas. Former Milwaukee radio play-by-play announcer Eddie Doucette attended the statue unveiling and recounted the night he coined the term "Skyhook" while Abdul-Jabbar played for the Bucks.

Abdul-Jabbar also received praise from several speakers for his humanitarian work and dedication to education in his post-basketball life. He also has written books and worked on documentary films.

And though the Lakers insist there are no hard feelings with their sometimes-prickly ex-superstar, Abdul-Jabbar ruefully recalled a minor ruckus he started a few years ago by complaining that Johnson and West had been honored with Staples Center statues before him.

"I had a little too much to say about it not happening right away," Abdul-Jabbar said. "But they were patient with me."

Julius Erving, Bill Walton, Bill Sharman, Jamaal Wilkes, Kurt Rambis, A.C. Green and James Worthy also attended the ceremony. NBA Commissioner David Stern, former President Bill Clinton and Abdul-Jabbar's son, Amir, sent congratulatory videos.

"Kareem was the most selfless super player that I've ever seen in my life," West said.

ITS MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES

FINALLY....
Our Tourism Department 
FINALLY GOT IT RIGHT!!!

SOURCE MATERIAL:

THE PHILIPPINE DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM 
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
http://itsmorefuninthephilippines.com
http://itsmorefuninthephilippines.com/philippines-where-is-it/

http://frostwhisper2012.blogspot.com/2012/11/its-more-fun-in-philippines.html



OFFICIAL AVP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADNgEHFDYzo&feature=youtu.be

 

WHERE IS IT

The PHILIPPINES is an archipelago bounded by
the Pacific Ocean to the east
the Bashi Channel to the north
the Sulu and the Celebes Seas to the south.

You can find us East of Vietnam, North of Indonesia.

The country is divided into the geographical areas of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Its capital, the City of Manila, is in Luzon. You can also enter through the cities of Cebu in the Visayas, and Davao in Mindanao.



WELCOME TO OUR ISLES




We are made up of 7,107 islands. Some have grown into cities. Some are the epitome of tropical dreams. Some are just long enough to lay down on and get a tan.

Big. Small. Sandy. Sunny. Relaxing. Exotic. Beautiful. 

Our little clutch of islands make for one long stretch of beach – more than 15,500 kilometers. Here, no one is more than two hours away from a beach-side lounge chair — which explains 

WHY EVERYBODY KNOWS HOW TO SMILE
AND HAVE FUN

FAST FACTS

• Capital
  City of Manila
  
  
• Land Area
  300,780 square kilometers
  
  
• Population
  96 Million
  
  
• Average Temperature
  78 degrees F/25 degrees C. 
  
  
• Average Humidity
  77%
  
  
• Currency
  Philippine Peso (PHP)
  
  
• Government
  Democratic Republic
  
  
• Head Of State
  President
  
  
• Religion
  Predominantly Catholic. Muslim, Christian, Buddhist.
  
  
• Electricity
  220 volts, A.C. 60 cycles. Though most hotels have 110-volt outlets.
  
  
• Water
  Metropolitan Manila and many key cities and towns have ample supply of water. Bottled water is recommended for drinking purposes and is available pretty much anywhere. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

THOUSANDS GYPPED IN P12-Billion SCAM

MANUEL AMALILIO: Suspected mastermind disappears

TSK TSK TSK....
IT SADDENS and SICKENS ME TO POST THIS

 
Today's Headlines in the Philippine Daily Inquirer

Thousands Gypped in P12-Billion Scam
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/56132/thousands-gypped-in-p12-billion-scam

Teacher Kills Self After Losing All His Money In Scam
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/56146/teacher-kills-self-after-losing-all-his-money-in-scam





There is NO SUCH THING as a GET RICH QUICK SCHEME
Remember Bernie Madoff?

 
I HAVE LOST HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PESOS TOO
in Business and Leisure Opportunities
I HAVE DESPAIRED AND LOST HOPE AS WELL


Years ago, there was a PONZI Scheme also perpetuated
By a Filipino-Chinese Scam Artist
Some Filipino-Chinese family friends also
LOST EVERYTHING







A SON of a MANILA POLITICIAN 
Also DEFRAUDED THOUSANDS
OF CITIBANK PHILIPPINES CLIENTS 
YEARS AGO
USING MILLIONS OF THEIR
BANK DEPOSITS FOR HIS OWN
PERSONAL GAIN

HE WENT IN HIDING
 


But I tried my VERY BEST to come back and
Overcome these trials in my LIFE
Thanks to the ANGEL at my back
I AM STILL HERE...
FIGHTING


There is NO SUCH THING as a GET RICH QUICK SCHEME
You can read Francisco Colayco's Book
sold at National Book Store
to find out why?

DOES MONEY MAKE A WINNER

DOES MONEY MAKE A WINNER

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
http://www.philstar.com/sports/2012-11-12/865710/does-money-make-winner


The eternal debate in professional sports and all professionals, for that matter, is how much of a difference money makes. Why is it that even the greatest athletes in the world, who make the most prodigious salaries and revenues, resort to cheating when they have it all? On the other hand, why is it that providing the greatest funding does not guarantee success? Is money overrated as a motivator?

Eight decades ago Harry Harlow, a professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin, was studying primate behavior – rhesus monkeys in particular. It was at this time that he hit upon a theory that was just recently rediscovered. For his lab animals, the performance of a task provides reward in itself, or what is called intrinsic reward. This has nothing to do with receiving any compensation or external (extrinsic) motivation. 

This was reinforced famously by Mark Twain, as shown in Tom Sawyer, the ability to pass on a loathsome task of painting a fence to two buddies by making them want to do it. If it seems cool, people will want to do it, for nothing. Or as Twain’s proposition goes, “that Work consists of whatever a body is OBLIGED to do, and that Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.”

This is also a reason why collegiate basketball players seem to be more passionate than their professional counterparts. The consensus is that they seem to want it more. They choose to play for that school and they only have a limited career there. That seems to be hugely motivational, and it shows in the output. In many countries, collegiate basketball, for example, shows higher television ratings than professional basketball.

In studies around the world from the 1970’s onward, if someone expects a reward for completing a task, he inevitably performs the worst of all. The reasoning is that external reward turns play into work. This is also seen as the reason why the vast majority of Olympic champions do not achieve as professional athletes. It seems more artificial because they are being paid.

This is not to say that compensation is entirely bad. It is the basis for all business, after all, and relative value provides healthy competitive balance in all work environments. But there are flaws. Studies have shown that, even when you ratchet up the material compensation via bonuses and so on, there will only be a temporary spike in performance, followed by a prolonged dip.

After World War II, the stick was paired with the carrot. If reward did not do the job, would the addition of punishment at the other end of the scale help? That was the belief at the time. 

But eventually, the carrot and stick approach revealed flaws that have largely remained unacknowledged. First of all, the extrinsic reward may put out or even replace internal motivation. An offshoot of this is that when the reward is not big enough, performance stops altogether. It can also create a rollercoaster of bad behavior. Getting the reward (bonus, incentive, etc.) becomes the motivation, and the person being compensated may just be after that and do anything to get it. That’s one reason why more fouls are called in important games, and more cheating is revealed at higher levels where any little advantage makes a big difference, too. Players’ behavior deteriorates as the stakes get higher. Cheating, shortcuts and unethical behavior become the norm. Winning, not playing, becomes the overriding concern. And it’s been accepted as normal.

In another field, analysts predicted that open-source websites would never flourish. Large computer companies like Microsoft were confident that their encyclopedia programs would be best-sellers because you had to pay for them.  What happened was the reverse. Free online encyclopedias like Wikipedia exploded. People weren’t getting paid to contribute; they just wanted to. Now, new websites have found the balance. If you don’t trust free websites’ data, you pay for your own.

New research reveals that people work harder when they are acknowledged for their skills, feel they are part of a team, and have a certain degree of freedom to do what they want. This is spurring the change from old-school drill sergeant type of coaching to more flexible, analytical Mentoring. In sports, it is making the biggest difference.

CANADA TO FURTHER INVEST IN THE PHILIPPINES

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2012/11/11/865314/canada-further-invest-phl

 

MANILA, Philippines - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said his government would “make further investments” in the Philippines over the next three years with focus “on sustainable economic growth.”

Harper met with President Aquino and other government officials at Malacañang after he was given arrival honors yesterday. He said Canadian investments would come with assistance from the Asian Development Bank.

“These funds will help create new opportunities across the Philippines. The government of Canada has also approved the grant to the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. These funds will be used to help improve the rights of women and girls throughout Southeast Asia,” he said.

Harper is the highest-ranking Canadian official to visit the country in 15 years, after former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, who came in 1997. Harper said Canada and the Philippines share a long-term commitment to economic growth and prosperity of its citizens.

The Canadian leader also described the Philippines as “an emerging Asian tiger.”
“Our government is taking actions to aggressively expand commercial relations with the entire Asia Pacific region. We’re doing so to help create jobs, economic growth and a better quality of life both in Asia and in Canada,” he said.

“That’s why I’m pleased to see that the many ties that bind Canada and the Philippines are strengthening. In 1985, our countries signed a Foreign Investment Promotion Protection Agreement. The Philippines has thus become an important economic partner for Canada. In 2011, bilateral trade reached nearly $1.5 billion. Our hope is to build on this strong and expanding commercial relationship,” he said.

Harper said the Philippines and the entire Asian region are “very crucial” to the long-term plans of his country. He said his predecessor, John Diefenbaker, noted that the future of mankind “may depend largely” on the prosperity and economic development of Asia.
Aquino said the visit of Harper was significant and a recognition of the change of atmosphere in the country.

“We keep saying that the Philippines is open for business under new management…We see increased commercial trade ties between our countries. Things that hindered the development of those ties in the past, under new management it will cease to exist,” Aquino said.

“Therefore, it is but logical to assume that the $1.5 billion two-way trade between our countries is just the starting point. And we are very optimistic of growth not only in the more people-to-people ties, but more importantly, perhaps, in trade and business opportunities that will redound to the benefits of both our people, and perhaps, give the opportunities for advancement here in our shores rather than outside. Canada helps us in this aspect,” he said.

THE 1984 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC GAMES

THE 1984 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC GAMES
http://frostwhisper2012.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-1984-los-angeles-olympic-games.html


 

The 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games was the first time that the Olympics became Mainstream.

It was the first Olympic Games that I watched on the Television and Home Video.
I was mesmerized by this event, and till this day I consider myself an Olympic Games Fan.
The 1984 Summer Olympics are also often considered the Most Financially Successful Modern Olympics.

The Games of the XXIII Olympiad were held on July 28 - August 12, 1984 with
the Opening Ceremony held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The Olympics were opened by US President Ronald Reagan.
Los Angeles is the only US city to host the Summer Olympics twice.
The US Host Broadcaster was ABC Sports.

Philippine Sports Heroes - Lydia de Vega, Isidro del Prado, Leopoldo Cantancio,
Elma Muros and Christine Jacob competed in the 1984 LA Games.



THE STORY
 

After 52 years, the Summer Olympic Games returned to the United States in 1984, and once again, the Games came to Los Angeles. Looking for respite after the previous three difficult Olympics, the IOC would not find it in Los Angeles.

In May 1984, the Soviet Union announced that it would not attend the Olympics in Los Angeles, citing concerns over the safety of its athletes because of the "anti-Soviet and anti-Communist activities" in the Los Angeles area. Most people considered the boycott one of retribution for the United States' refusal to compete in Moscow. Most of the Eastern European countries joined in the Soviet-bloc boycott, notably East Germany (GDR), and they were joined by Cuba. Although only 14 invited countries did not compete in Los Angeles, the absence of the U.S.S.R., Cuba, and the GDR made many of the events mere shadows of what was anticipated.
 
The United States and it's Allies boycotted the previous 1980 Moscow Olympics as a result of the Cold War.

Still, more countries and athletes competed at Los Angeles than in any previous Olympics. However, what the 1984 boycott lacked in numbers relative to the 1980 boycott, it made up for it in its impact on the competition. Boxing, weightlifting, wrestling, gymnastics, and track & field would have been dominated by the boycotting nations. The nations which did not compete were: Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Ethiopia, German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Laos, Mongolia, North Korea, Poland, South Yemen, Vietnam, and the U.S.S.R. Bravely, Romania defied the boycott and competed at the Olympics, receiving an ovation at the opening ceremonies second only to that of the host country. Yugoslavia, not Soviet dominated, was the only other country from Eastern Europe to compete.

For the first time ever, the Games were managed in an entrepreneurial fashion.
Organizing committee President Peter Ueberroth insisted that the Olympics be designed to break even or even provide a profit. Again, the Europeans, used to the simon-pure idealistic image of the Olympics for the Olympics' sake, rebelled against this philosophy. But Ueberroth was determined not to have another white elephant like Montréal and he succeeded admirably in that regard. So admirably, in fact, that when the final tally came in, the organizing committee had made several hundred million dollars. It should be pointed out, however, that Ueberroth's marketing methods, though decried by the Europeans, have since been copied by all organizing committees and even the IOC itself.

Olympic Mascot - Sam The Eagle

OPENING CEREMONY HIGHLIGHTS
 

The 1984 Los Angeles Olympics Opening Ceremony featured the arrival of Bill Suitor by means of the Bell Aerosystems rocket pack (also known as a Jet Pack).

A Release of Huge White Balloons into the sky

A Mosaic of World Flags on the Background

John Williams composed the theme for the Olympiad, "Olympic Fanfare and Theme". This piece won a Grammy for Williams and became one of the most well-known musical themes of the Olympic Games, along with Leo Arnaud's "Bugler's Dream"; the latter is sometimes attached to the beginning of Olympic Fanfare and Theme. NBC, Official USA broadcaster continues to use this Theme in its Olympic Coverage.

As a result of an IOC agreement designating the Republic of China (Taiwan) Chinese Taipei, the People's Republic of China returned to the summer Olympics for the first time since Helsinki 1952 and won 15 gold medals.

Rafer Johnson was the Final Torchbearer. He ran the whole track and ran a whole long flight of stairs where he
lit a specially-designed Cauldron with 5 Burning Olympic Rings

LEVIS was the Official USA Outfitter








SOURCES:
http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1984/
Youtube
Wikipedia

SHIZUKA ARAKAWA

SHIZUKA ARAKAWA 
(荒川 静香) 

http://frostwhisper2012.blogspot.com/2012/11/shizuka-arakawa.html

 






Shizuka Arakawa is Japan's First-ever Ladies Figure-skating Olympic Champion.
In the Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games,
Japan was posed to have its WORST EVER Performance with a Gold Medal Shutout.
Arawaka won the Gold Medal and became Olympic Champion.

Shizuka Arakawa came through with Flying Colors as one-by-one her competitors fell by the wayside. She was the Most Consistent Performer of the Figure-Skating Program.

Her Signature Manuever is the INA BAUER ("The Arakawa Way").
It became a National Japanese Term and source of National Pride.
If you watch the Her Winning Performance below
...it is just Soooo Beautiful.


This is Shizuka Arakawa's Gold Medal Winning Long Program
from the 2006 Torino Winter Olympic Games.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6aSOpy2Z9g



Date of Birth:
December 29, 1981

Place of Birth:
Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan

Family:
Shizuka Arakawa is the only child of Koichi and Sachi Arakawa.
She grew up in Sendai, Miyagi.

Early Skating:
Arakawa began skating when she was five years old. It has been said that she began landing triple jumps when she was eight years old. She began to compete in national Japanese figure skating events in 1994.

Shizuka Arakawa's Olympics:
At the age of sixteen, in 1998, Shizuka Arakawa competed for Japan in the Olympics in Nagano. Japan. She did not qualify for the 2002 Winter Olympics, so she did not participate in the 2002 Olympic Games.

Shizuka Arakawa was not the favorite to win in 2006, but she skated a perfect long program and pulled up from third place to win the Olympic title.

Arakawa was twenty-four years old when she won the Olympic Figure Skating title. That made her the oldest women's Olympic figure skating champion since 1908 Olympic Figure Skating Champion Florence "Madge" Cave Syers.
Syers won at the age of twenty-seven.

Education:
Arakawa graduated from Waseda University in 2004.
She won the 2004 World Figure Skating Championships at the time she was completing her college education.

Hobbies and Interests:
Shizuka Arakawa enjoys gourmet cooking, swimming and diving, golf, collects beanie babies, and loved animals.

Trademark Moves:
Shizuka Arakawa did a beautiful layback Ina Bauer at the Olympics. In her winning performance, she bent back all the way with her head completely upside down. The Ina Bauer is now considered her trademark move. In Japan, when fans see the move, they don't call it an Ina Bauer; instead they refer to it as the "Arakawa way."

Arakawa is also known for doing beautiful spirals. Her signature spiral is a "Y-spiral." When she does that move, she releases her free leg and completes the spiral with her leg still close to her head. She does not use her hand to assist in holding the leg close to her head.

Professional Skating Career:
Shizuka Arakawa retired from competitive skating after the 2006 Winter Olympics.
She has performed in exhibitions and is a figure skating commentator for Japanese television.








SOURCES:

http://figureskating.about.com/od/olympicchampions/p/arakawa.htm
Wikipedia
Youtube
Google Images