Azkals in the AFC Challenge Cup 2012

Philippine Azkals will be playing in the AFC Challenge Cup starting March 9, 2012 with a match vs. Korea DPR.


AFC Challenge Cup started out as an international football competition for emerging nations (those in the lowest of three categories as designated by the AFC president) that are members of the Asian Football Confederation but emerging nations have likewise participated in the qualification and final rounds. (Source: Wikipedia)


Following the FIFA Friendship game with Asian Powerhouse Malaysia Tigers, Philippine Azkals showed great confidence, perseverance and superior defense. We expect the Azkals to give these experienced teams a strong fight (I hope) in the AFC Challenge Cup. 


In the FIFA friendship match, the game ended in a draw (1-1 PH vs. MY) with excellent performance from Dennis Wolf, Jason Sabio, Neil Etheridge, Angel Guirado, Phil Younghusband. 


Here are the Azkals game schedules in the AFC Challenge Cup:
March 9        PH  vs. DPR Korea   3:00 PM 
March 11      PH  vs. India            3:00 PM
March 13      PH  vs. Tajikistan     3:00 PM


Watch it on Studio 23! Go Azkals! We believe!

A Case of Information Diarrhea

Information overload. That is how I felt today. At 6:45am, I had to "pep talk" a colleague friend who's in a frenzy about feeling too incompetent for the job. It took me until an hour later for a swift realization and bring him back to reality.

Lunch came early at 11:30am with a seemingly dreadful news about a near-future rationalization. I suspect high possibility. This has left a remarkable anxiety. I suspect others felt the same way too.

Then a quick meet up that culminated severe anxiousness. My thoughts flowed with immense sadness, wishful thinking and unsurmountable chest pain. Could be another case of acid reflux.

Too much information. A case of information diarrhea. A sure hit to a spot where it can hurt you.

Giveback

We did a little Christmas giveback to children affected by Typhoon Sendong in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. Just few of the snapshots I did to capture the moment.

Following JEREMY LIN

nydailynews.com

There's a new craze in town. Call it JEREMY LIN. 23 years old, 6'3", New York Knicks Point Guard, Taiwanese/American. Everybody knows the story - once unknown, now on his way to stardom. People call it a Cinderella story. 

Floyd Mayweather, Jr lashed out on Jeremy Lin saying that he is getting attention only because he is Asian. Was it a racist remark? But as Jason Reid of the Washington Post would say, ethnicity is only part of the story. What Mayweather don't get is, it is all about winning - 38 points and outscoring Kobe Bryant is simply more than impressive.

Maybe he is getting attention, just like any Asian who made it in the big world. Yao Ming, Tiger Woods and Manny Pacquiao to name a few. But not just because one comes from an ethnicity means one gets attention. There are more than two asians who are in the NBA right now [http://asianathletes.wordpress.com/basketball/]. It takes more than one's color or race to get noticed. One has to have the talent, ability, intelligence. One has to be a genius in what he does.

I believe this is just a start of Jeremy Lin's rise. JEREMY LIN - now a name, soon a (NBA) legend.

"Players playing that well don't usually come out of nowhere. It seems like they come out of nowhere, but if you can go back and take a look, his skill level was probably there from the beginning. It probably just went unnoticed."

—Kobe Bryant, after Lin scored 38 points on February 10, 2012. ESPN

Photo courtesy of National Post

Photo courtesy of Washington Post

Mga Patok na Miriam Pick-Up lines

At the recently concluded doctor's convention, I had the chance to listen to the irrepressible Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago. Suffice to say that I was elated upon learning that she was the guest speaker at the opening ceremonies.

For more reasons than one, I was looking forward to her infamous "PICK-UP" lines. True enough, she didn't fail me or the hundreds who instantly turned on their camera phones in the hope that she might juggle a few new researched spiels.

I decided not to record her speech but instead I listened intently to her talk. As expected, the nature of her topic was the impeachment trial. But I guess everyone has her or his piece of mind on that, so let me share a few and those that I have collected in the net from Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago.

Image owned by sunstar.com.ph                     

"Pangalan mo palang kinikilig na ako, paano pa kaya kung magka-apelyido na tayo!?"


"Tatakbo ka ba sa eleksyon? Boto kasi magulang ko sayo eh.."


"Sana magkasama tayo sa pila para kapag may sumigaw na ng 'Next!', tatanungin mo ako nang 'Tayo na ba?'! "


"Sana Facebook status ka na lang, para pwede kitang i-LIKE"


"Ibenta mo na bahay mo, total dito ka na nakatira sa puso ko"


"Sana OFF ang ilaw, para tayo na lang mag-ON"


"Noodles ka ba?, kasi 'Lucky Me'"


"Para kang holdaper, lahat ibibigay ko sayo, wag mo lang akong saktan"


"Maglaro tayo, huwag lang taguan, kasi 'a girl like you is hard to find'"


"Bastos ka rin ano, di ka man lang nagpaalam, tuloy-tuloy ka sa puso ko"


"Nakalimutan ko pangalan mo eh, pwede na lang ba kitang tawaging 'AKIN'!"

Girl: Saan mo ako idi-date?

Boy: Sa sementeryo...

Girl: Ha!? Bakit?

Boy: Para mapatunayan kong patay na patay ako sayo!

Nasa sementeryo na sila...

Boy: [parang natatakot sa mga multo] May nararamdaman ka ba?

Girl: Naku, nakakatakot naman..ano yun?

Boy: Ang tibok ng puso ko!

Boy: Para kang isang bulaklak...

Girl: Aww...dahil ba mabango ako at maganda?

Boy: Hindi, dahil maugat ang mga paa mo!

Watch for more! Till the next blog!

Can't wait til March

Subsequent to my previous post, I've attempted to search for Ipad 3 news. The big Apple fan that I am.

Here's what I've got. According to SlashGear (www.slashgear.com), the Apple Ipad 3 event will be held on first week of March. This is apparently what is also reported by IGNTech and TheNextWeb. But another news is coming through the grapevine - that Apple will launch an Ipad 2s rather than 3. Then this can be another case of WTF!

The NextWeb has shown what is the likely difference between an Ipad 2 to an Ipad 2s or Ipad 3. Here's a clip from TNW.

Image courtesy of The Next Web/Repair Labs Blog

Excerpt from TNW: http://thenextweb.com/apple/2012/02/08/this-photo-suggests-that-the-ipad-3-will-come-with-a-larger-battery

A. You can see here that the mounts for the logic board are very different, which means the logic board shape will be different allowing for . . . .

B. More battery. The width of where the logic board sits on the iPad 2 appears much larger than that of the iPad 3. We have long heard that the iPad 3 was going to provide longer battery life, and this back housing seems to support that.

C. The camera is different. It is hard to make a judgment just by looking at the casing, but what we can expect is a different camera on the iPad 3 than what we had on the 2.

D. LCD will be different than what we have had before. Whether or not it will be the super screen we have seen reported will have to wait. But the different mounting does mean that the LCD has been redesigned at the very least.

There has never been such a huge anticipation of a gadget launch than that of an Apple product. Oh well, many can be so cynical about Apple, perhaps those who owned non-Apple gadgets. At least my twitter timeline has perhaps updated at least 100 tweets in less than 30 seconds!

Until then, I can't wait til March.

Take Xian Lim

Xian Lim on Men's Health Feb 2012 issue

Some girls going gaga over Xian Lim. I am not just talking about some girls - my daughters. And I  do not take offense.

At this day and age, I have a mouthful to say about the local show business (showbiz). I will not expound on this but suffice to say that I dread the thought of my daughters expressing their desires of becoming artistas one day. Of course the prospect of earning money and becoming famous might excite them to no end but there are reasons a father would rather dream that their daughters, or sons, finish a degree and become successful chefs, or lawyers, or get a career in the corporate world or put up a business of their own.  Hoping of course that there are still  huge opportunities waiting for them by the time they finish college.

Here is a singular thought: Celebrities or showbiz personalities should strive to become role models for their fans and followers.

But there are those whom we learn and discover to be worth following. Take Xian Lim. He is multi-talented (acting, singing, playing instruments, sports, etc. ). I take Xian to be somebody with a huge brain and heart. He is romantic and he has remained tarnish-free [read as no drugs, no fathering some teeny booper) even after a couple of years in the business. I also learned that he is a good son.

Little girls and yes, wives, mothers and lola's have experienced some kilig watching ABS-CBN's "My Binondo Girl". Undoubtedly, there is an exemplary chemistry between Xian Lim and Kim Chiu. Kim must have been so thrilled when Xian Lim took time to get a choir to serenade her. Guys like Xian - hopeless romantic.

And this is what every father dream that their daughters meet one day. Not an artista, but somebody who is, among other things, responsible, intelligent, charismatic, romantic, a good son to their parents and perhaps sports minded.

I wish that Xian Lim continues to become a great role model to all young men in and out of Philippine showbusiness.

Note: The author is in no way connected to Men's Health Magazine Philippines or Summit Media.