Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Hottest Cover Girls of December 2008



   

Hottest cover girls from the top Philippine magazines this December 2008. The top 4 magazines this December who made the list were Mariel Rodriguez of FHM, Jewel Mische of UNO, Christine Reyes of Maxim and Angel Locsin of Rogue. The question now "Who will be the best, the most hottest and the mouth-watering cover girl?".


Cover's Preview


Angel Locsin of Rogue Magazine December 2008

Angel Locsin of Rogue Magazine December 2008

Mariel Rodriguez of FHM December 2008

Mariel Rodriguez of FHM December 2008

Jewel Mische of UNO Magazine December 2008

Jewel Mische of UNO Magazine December 2008

Christine Reyes of Maxim Magazine December 2008

Christine Reyes of Maxim Magazine December 2008

Make your choice...





Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Pinoy bags gold in Moscow World Cup



   

Harry Tañamor, a flop in the Athens and Beijing Olympics, redeemed himself on Sunday by nailing the light flyweight gold medal in the Boxing World Cup at the Megasport in Moscow, Russia.

The 31-year-old Tañamor manhandled Cuban favorite Yampier Hernandez, 15-7, in the finals to join the roster of winners in the inaugural edition of the event organized by International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) for the world’s top eight fighters in their respective divisions.

A longtime member of the national team from the Philippine Army, Tañamor counterpunched his way to victory, keeping the surging Cuban at bay with his longer reach and smooth footwork.

The victory was worth $10,000 for the fighter from the southern city of Zamboanga, whose biggest achievement until Sunday was a silver medal during the 2007 AIBA World Championships in Chicago.

Tañamor, however, didn’t get a chance to avenge his Chicago loss to China’s Zou Zhiming. Zou, who won the gold medal in the Beijing Olympics in August, did not compete in Moscow.

“I felt vindicated by Harry’s win. It proved that the decision to send him to the Olympics wasn’t a wrong decision, after all. He wasn’t fortunate to win in the Olympics but his victory in the World Cup is proof that he can compete with the best,” said Manny Lopez, former president of the Amateur Boxers’ Association of the Philippines (ABAP).

Tañamor won only his opening bout in the 2004 Athens Olympics and was roundly criticized for failing to survive his debut in the Beijing Summer Games against the unheralded Mangyo Plange of Ghana.

3 victories

Because of the limited number of entries, the Filipino bet needed just three victories to win the gold in Moscow. He beat Tajikistan’s Murodjon Rasulov, 8-4, in the quarterfinals before downing Polish Lukasz Masczczyk in the semifinals, 12-4.

Hernandez, who won $5,000 as silver medalist, beat Kazakh Birzhan Zhakypov in the semis, 13-3.

Tañamor was accompanied by coach Ronald Chavez, who saw action in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Their trip was supported by Pacific Heights and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

Lopez, now vice president of the ABAP and incoming first vice president of the Philippine Olympic Committee, said, “He [Tañamor] told me that the gold was a gift as I leave the presidency of the ABAP.”

Tough and prestigious

Butch Ramirez, PSC chairman and also president of ABAP Mindanao, hailed Tañamor’s victory.

“I’m not just happy, but proud of his achievement,” he said. “Though this is not the Olympics, the World Cup is a prestigious and tough competition and I would like to congratulate Manny [Lopez].”

“Tañamor makes the country proud,” Ramirez added. “The lesson here is that while we cannot win them all, we must stay united as we go for the gold in the 2012 London Games.”

Cuba with 5 golds

The Philippines and Armenia were the only teams outside of Russia and Cuba that produced a winner in the Moscow competition, which started as a team affair using the Davis Cup format in 2005 and 2006.

Cuba, which finished without a gold medal in the Beijing Olympics, won the overall title with five gold medals, courtesy of bantamweight Yankiel Alarcon Leon, featherweight Idel Torriente, welterweight Sotolongo Iglesias, light-heavyweight Osmai Duarte Acosta and super heavyweight Robert Alfonso.

Russia captured three gold medals through flyweight Misha Aloyan, lightweight Albert Selimov and welterweight Artur Eterbief.

Middleweight Andranik Hakobyan gave Armenia its gold by nipping Venezuelan Alfonso Blanco, 10-9, in the finals.

Pride of Zamboanga

Dubbed by the respected Sports Illustrated in its Olympic preview as a medal favorite, the pride of Zamboanga City was heavily criticized for his lackadaisical showing in the Beijing Games.

Lacking intensity, Tañamor broke the hearts of Filipino sports fans when he bowed to his little known Ghananian opponent in the preliminaries, 6-3.

The loss mirrored what happened during the 2004 Athens Olympics when Tañamor failed to enter the medal round after winning his first bout but losing in the next round.

Tañamor’s Olympic debacle is partly to be blamed for the decision of Lopez to relinquish the Abap presidency last November.

source: sports.inquirer.net


Lopez, son of former Manila mayor Mel Lopez, decided to hand over the presidency to a group identified with sports philanthropist and telecommunications magnate Manuel Pangilinan.





No keyboards in the future?



   

A survey predicts that by 2012 keyboards will become "quaint relics."

Step aside, keyboards, laptops, and 9-to-5 jobs. A survey of more than 1,000 Internet activists, journalists, and technologists released Sunday speculates that by 2012, those quaint relics of 20th century life will fade away.

It's not a formal survey of the sort that, say, political pollsters use. Nor are computer journalists especially known for their prognosticative abilities. Still, the Pew Internet and American Life Project hopes the effort will provide a glimpse of the best current thinking about how online life will evolve in the next decade or so.

Lee Rainie and the other Pew researchers asked their survey respondents to respond to a series of questions about 2020 future scenarios, including whether the mobile phone will be the "primary" Internet connection (most agreed), whether copy protection will flourish (most disagreed), and whether transparency "heightens individual integrity and forgiveness (evenly split).

The rough consensus was that "few lines divide professional time from personal time," and that professionals are happy with the way work and play are "seamlessly integrated in most of these workers' lives."

Another, which also met with broad agreement: "Talk and touch are common technology interfaces. People have adjusted to hearing individuals dictating information in public to their computing devices. In addition 'haptic' technologies based on touch feedback have been fully developed, so, for instance, a small handheld Internet appliance allows you to display and use a full-size virtual keyboard on any flat surface for those moments when you would prefer not to talk aloud to your networked computer."

One respondent was Google chief economist Hal Varian, who said: "The big problem with the cell phone is the (user interface), particularly on the data side. We are waiting for a breakthrough."

It's easier to read the report itself, which you can find here (PDF). This is Pew's third report in the series; further reading can be found in its 2005 first survey (PDF) and 2006 second survey (PDF).

source: tech.yahoo.com





Thursday, December 11, 2008

World's third biggest shopping mall



   

The world's third biggest shopping mall is to open in the Philippines capital, Manila this week, a vote of confidence on the country's economic prospects amid a global slowdown.

The launch on Friday, December 12, 2008 of a 90,000-square-metre (22-acre) annex will make the SM City North Edsa mall the third biggest in the world with a gross floor area of 425,000 square metres (105 acres), SM Prime Holdings Inc. said in a statement.

The company, a holding firm of the country's richest man Henry Sy, also owns the world's fourth, seventh, and 11th biggest malls, it added.

SM Prime President Hans Sy said launching the project amid the global crisis "speaks of how we view the longer-term prospects of the country."

The Asian Development Bank forecast Thursday that Philippine economic growth would slow to 4.5 percent this year and further down to 3.5 percent next year after growth of 7.2 percent in 2007.

Hundreds of Filipinos employed abroad, part of a huge number that remits the equivalent of 10 percent of the country's gross domestic product to their families back home every year, have lost their jobs, the government said.

SM Prime said tenants have signed up for 70 percent of the leasable space in the six-storey extension to the mall.

SM Prime has recently opened two other malls with a third also set to open on Friday.

source: business.inquirer.net





Saturday, December 06, 2008

Essentials to success for both Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao



   

Oscar 'Golden Boy' De La Hoya and Manny 'Pacman' Pacquiao are popular and accomplished enough that even general sports fans are familiar with their styles and track records. Any self-defined fight fan has an opinion on who will win Saturday’s showdown and why.

While fans and members of the media disagree on whether Pacquiao, who is making the leap from lightweight (135 pounds) to the uncharted territory of welterweight (147) to challenge De La Hoya, can even be competitive with the taller, naturally bigger man, most observers agree on the keys to victory for each fighter.

Oscar 'Golden Boy' De La Hoya vs Manny 'Pacman' Pacquiao - The Dream Match
FOR DE LA HOYA:

1. Establish distance/jab

Regardless of the size of his opponent, De La Hoya is at his best when he’s on his toes and working his hard jab from the outside, where he gets the most leverage on his left hook and right hand.
He’s never been terribly effective when fighting on the inside. If De La Hoya, who stands half a head taller than Pacquiao, elects to swap punches in close, he will give the frenetic speedster his best opportunity to compete.

Common sense dictates that the more room De La Hoya has to operate the more effective he’ll be against an opponent who tends to lunge in when he attacks.

“Oscar’s fought aggressive fighters his whole life,” said Dundee, who was brought into De La Hoya’s camp as a “second set of eyes” three and half weeks ago. “He knows how to handle them. You let an aggressive fighter move you or back you up, you got trouble, but Oscar knows how to ‘surround’ aggression – just like Ray Leonard did with (Marvin) Hagler – by stickin’ ‘em with the jab and sliding to the right or left.”

2. Control Pacquiao on the inside

But what if Pacquiao manages to get past De La Hoya’s jab? The six-division titlist’s conditioning coach Rob Garcia says De La Hoya will shut Pacquiao down inside by borrowing grappling tactics from two all-time-great former heavyweight champs

De La Hoya usually doesn’t initiate clinches, but Garcia says Beristain had him practice locking the arms of his sparring partners whenever they got too close for comfort.

“Any time Pacquiao gets inside Oscar has to be able to tie him up so he can’t get off,” said Garcia, who been an integral part of De La Hoya’s training team since 2001. “He has to shut down and control Pacquiao by pulling him in and weighing down on him the way (Muhammad) Ali did to his shorter opponents like (Joe) Frazier, or by grabbing him behind his shoulders or elbows and muscling him back on his heels the way (Evander) Holyfield did to (Mike) Tyson in their first fight. Holyfield never allowed the explosive puncher to get going inside and that’s what Oscar has to do with Pacquiao.”

3. Dictate the pace

Apart from his blinding speed, the biggest threat Pacquiao brings to Saturday’s fight is a featherweight’s workrate in a welterweight’s body.

It would be a cardinal mistake for De La Hoya, a boxer who faded in the late rounds even when he was in his prime, to fight fire with fire against Pacquiao, but one of Beristain’s prize pupils, Juan Manuel Marquez, doesn’t think there’s a much of a chance of this happening.

“Pacquiao’s youth, speed and activity could be too much for De La Hoya if he tried to fight Pacquiao’s fight, but I think Oscar’s too smart to do that,” said Marquez, who knows a thing or two about ‘the Pac-Man’ having fought 24 competitive rounds with the Filipino icon. “Oscar has to use his footwork to keep Pacquiao turning and slow him down. His punches have to be about timing, not volume.”

Garcia confirmed Marquez’s hunch.

“There’s no way Oscar’s going to oblige Manny by trying to match his punch output,” he said. “That’s OK when it’s too young guys, but this isn’t like that. This is a veteran vs. a young tiger.”

FOR PACQUIAO:

1. Get in close/slip the jab

Roach has made no secret of the fact that most of his strategies to break down De La Hoya begin with his fighter neutralizing the bigger man’s jab.

Many fans and boxing writers expect Pacquiao to take the fight right to De La Hoya from the opening bell Saturday night, but Roach doesn’t want his fighter to make a forward move until he’s either feinted the bigger man out of position or slipped past the jab.

For the past eight weeks Roach has drilled a dozen counter-punch moves targeting the body and head, and they all begin with Pacquiao blocking, side-stepping or rolling under De La Hoya’s long left jab. During intense mitt work and sparring sessions, Pacquiao was instructed not to advance forward during the early rounds. He could be first with the jab (shooting his straight right to the chest in order not to over extend himself), he could catch and counter with his right hook or he could duck under De La Hoya’s left stick before pounding the body, but he wasn’t allowed to jump in without dealing with the jab.

2. Work the body

“Everybody knows Oscar’s got a pretty good chin,” Roach said. “We’re not going to try to hurt him to the head; we’re going to concentrate on the body because that’s where we think we can really hurt him. He leaves his body open when he punches and the one time he was stopped [against Bernard Hopkins] it was from a body shot, so Manny’s going to attack the body every time he can.”

3. Set the pace

De La Hoya has faded down the stretch of most of his close fights and losses. In high-profile showdowns with Pernell Whitaker, Ike Quartey, Felix Trinidad, Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather Jr., De La Hoya’s punch output dropped dramatically between the eighth and 12th rounds.

Roach is confident that it will happen again Saturday night.

“Manny’s going to make Oscar work harder than he’s used to from the first round on,” Roach said. “We’re not going to do anything stupid in the early rounds, but we’re going to make lead, make him move around the ring more than he likes. As soon as we see him slow down I’m going to have Manny step on the gas. I’ll take a win any way we can get it, but I think there’s a good chance that Manny stops him late.”

The X-Factors

De La Hoya-Pacquiao is a 147-pound catch-weight bout between a 35-year-old veteran who has campaigned at junior middleweight (or higher) since 2001 and a 29-year-old southpaw who only recently moved to the lightweight division, so there are more than a few wild cards to Saturday’s showdown.

Pacquiao’s chin

Two of Pacquiao’s three losses were third-round knockouts that occurred in the flyweight division. Some fans ask how a chin that’s been dented by 112 pounders can hold up under De La Hoya’s left hook, which left durable Ricardo Mayorga in a heap?

It’s a fair question, but to be fair to Pacquiao, it has to be noted that his first KO loss occurred 12½ years ago in his 12th pro fight when he was two months removed from his 18th birthday. Pacquiao’s second KO loss took place in 1999 after he completely drained his growing body in a failed attempt to make the 112-pound limit for a defense of the WBC flyweight title he held.

Since that body shot stoppage, Pacquiao’s chin has held up in title runs through four weight classes.

The weight

More than a few boxing writers consider this fight to be more of a side show than a legitimate contest because of the weight difference between the combatants. However, Pacquiao’s average weight during training camp was around 152 pounds, while De La Hoya claims to have maintained the welterweight limit of 147 pounds for the last month.

De La Hoya was under 147 pounds two weeks ago and says that he even dipped as low as 143 pounds at one point.

Garcia believes that welterweight is De La Hoya’s natural weight.

“Oscar was taxing his body by fighting at 154 pounds and middleweight,” he said. “I know 147 is right for him because we haven’t limited his food or liquid intake during this whole camp. The amount of energy he’s expended in training is what has dictated his weight, and I can tell you that he has more energy at welterweight than at the higher weights.”

Roach reports that Pacquiao, who currently weighs around 144 pounds, did not lose much speed in gaining the added weight during his camp.

“He ate more protein and he gained more power,” Roach said.

Pacquiao’s left-handed stance.

Based on De La Hoya’s less-than-stellar performance against Whitaker and a sparring session he observed between The Golden Boy and left-handed 108-pound champ Ivan Calderon, Roach believes De La Hoya has problems with southpaws.

That could be true, but it should be noted that Pacquiao is a very different type of southpaw from Whitaker and Calderon, both of whom are slick defensive specialists.

Dundee believes that De La Hoya, a converted southpaw with an extra heavy left hand, should pose more problems for a smaller left hander because his left hook will land on Pacquiao’s blind side.

But Dundee is also quick to point out that observers can only guess what will happen until the opening bell.

At Wednesday’s press conference, Dundee told an anecdote about working a fighter’s corner along with Roach and the late, great Eddie Futch.

“Our fighter got licked,” Dundee said, “(The corner) don’t mean a damn thing. These great trainers worked with him and he still lost.”

source: www.thering-online.com

Related Post:
Manny 'Pacman' Pacquiao ready for de la Hoya dream match
Oscar De La Hoya vs Manny Pacquiao : Head to head





Manny 'Pacman' Pacquiao ready for de la Hoya dream match



   

Confident Pacman ready for Golden Boy 'The Dream Match'

Manny 'Pacman' Pacquiao said he was focused and ready for his weekend "Dream Match" with American Oscar 'Golden Boy' de la Hoya.

The Dream Match - Oscar 'Golden Boy' De La Hoya vs Manny 'Pacman' Pacquiao
Pacquiao, the World Boxing Council lightweight champion who is acknowledged by many experts as the world's best pound-for-pound fighter, said he was "ready and excited" going into Saturday's fight, billed by promoters as the "dream match" against the much bigger de la Hoya.

"I am prepared for the Saturday fight. This will be a good fight," Pacquiao told local radio from Las Vegas on the eve of the official weigh-in Friday.

"I am focused on the fight. I am ready, I am excited," he said, adding that he was counting on his legion of fans back home to pray for him.

Pacquiao is a superstar in the boxing-crazy Philippines, where practically everything grinds to a halt during live broadcasts of his fights.

The "dream match" is expected to generate a purse of 100 million dollars to be divided between the two fighters, with "Golden Boy" de la Hoya taking in the lion's share at 60 percent.

The non-title bout is to be fought at the 147-pound welterweight limit, the first in this category for Pacquiao, who has won four world titles at four lower weight divisions.

With a 47-3 record, with two drawn and 35 knockouts, Pacquiao is the current WBC lightweight champion after knocking out Mexican David Diaz in June. He is the first Asian to hold belts in four different weight classes.

De la Hoya, who has won world titles in six different weight classes, meanwhile has not fought as a 147-pounder in seven years. He has held belts in six different weight classes and brings to the ring a 39-5 record, with 30 knockouts.

Pacquiao, known for his relentless combinations, is expected to use his speed to attack de la Hoya's body, his coach Freddie Roach has told the Philippine press.

source: news.yahoo.com

Related Post:
Essentials to success for both Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao

Oscar De La Hoya vs Manny Pacquiao: Head to head






Oscar De La Hoya vs Manny Pacquiao : Head to head



   


Oscar 'Golden Boy' De La Hoya vs Manny 'Pacman' Pacquiao


Oscar 'Golden Boy' De La Hoya vs Manny 'Pacman' Pacquiao : The Dream Match
Oscar 'Golden Boy' De La Hoya

The essentials

Age: 35

Height: 5-10½

Hometown: Los Angeles

Turned pro: 1992

Record: 39-5 (30 knockouts)

Trainer: Nacho Beristain

Fight-by-fight: http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=8253&cat=boxer

The Ring rating: No. 3 junior middleweight

Titles: WBO super featherweight; WBO lightweight; IBF lightweight; WBC light welterweight; WBC welterweight; WBC welterweight (second time); WBC light middleweight; WBA light middleweight.

Biggest victories: Fernando Vargas, Sept. 14, 2002, KO 11; Ike Quartey, Feb. 13, 1999, W 12; Pernell Whitaker, April 12, 1997, W 12; Julio Cesar Chavez, June 7, 1996, TKO 4; Rafael Ruelas, May 6, 1995, KO 2.

Biggest losses: Bernard Hopkins, Sept. 18, 2004, KO 8; Felix Trinidad, Sept. 18, 1999, L 12; Shane Mosley, June 17, 2000, L 12; Shane Mosley, Sept. 13, 2003, L 12; Floyd Mayweather,May 5, 2007, L 12.


Manny 'Pacman' Pacquiao

The essentials

Age: 29

Height: 5-6½

Hometown: General Santos City, Philippines

Turned pro: 1995

Record: 47-3-2 (35 knockouts)

Trainer: Freddie Roach

Fight-by-fight: http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=6129&cat=boxer

The Ring rating: No. 1 pound-for-pound; No. 2 lightweight

Titles: WBC flyweight; IBF super bantamweight; WBC super featherweight; WBC lightweight.

Biggest victories: Ledwaba, Jan. 6, 2001, TKO 6; Marco Antonio Barrera, Nov. 15, 2003, TKO 11; Erik Morales, Jan. 21, 2006, TKO 10; Barrera, Oct. 6, 2007, W 12; Juan Manuel Marquez, March 15, 2008 W 12.

Biggest losses: Rustico Torrecamp, Feb. 9, 1996, KO 3; Medgoen Singsurat, Sept. 17, 1999, KO 3; Erik Morales, March 19, 2005, L 12.


HEAD-TO-HEAD

Skills: Pacquiao evolved from a one-dimensional brawler into a very good boxer under the guidance of Freddie Roach. However, De La Hoya, even with his revolving-door approach to trainers over his career, has always been an extremely sound all-around boxer.
Edge: De La Hoya

Power: De La Hoya was once a devastating puncher but his power has diminished as he’s gone up in weight. Of course, he’s going down to 147 for the first time since 2001; he might have extra pop at welterweight. Pacquiao is not a one-punch KO artist but has always been powerful. However, at 147, he won’t be able to hurt De La Hoya.
Edge: De La Hoya

Speed: One thing Pacquiao’s opponents are often surprised by is his remarkable speed. Combine that with his tenacity and improving boxing ability and you get the best fighter in the world. De La Hoya has always been quick-handed; he’s just not as fast as Pacquiao, particularly at 35.
Edge: Pacquiao

Defense: Again, Pacquiao has improved significantly as a boxer. Still, he’s never been particularly difficult to hit. That can be attributed in good part to his aggressive fighting style. De La Hoya has always put a premium on safety, one reason he’s lasted so long in the sport. He knows how to avoid punches.
Edge: De La Hoya

Experience: Both fighters have been at the top of the sport for a generation of fighters, fighting in a combined 40 major world title fights (De La Hoya 29, Pacquiao 11). Nothing phases either one of them. De La Hoya gets a slight edge because he’s been a major player a bit longer.
Edge: De La Hoya

Chin: Neither fighter has been hurt many times. De La Hoya has been stung a few times by punches to his head but was never in serious danger. Only Bernard Hopkins has stopped him, with a body shot. Pacquiao was stopped twice early in his career but has taken some huge shots in his prime without a disastrous result.
Edge: De La Hoya

Conditioning: Freddie Roach, who has been around boxing for several decades, said he’s never seen a fighter train harder than Pacquiao. He could probably fight 20 rounds if he had to. De La Hoya has had periods in his career when he didn’t train as hard as he should have, which might explain his tendency to fade late in fights, but he seems to be extremely serious about this fight.
Edge: Pacquiao

Wear-and-tear: De La Hoya, 35, has never taken a beating but appears to have declined at least somewhat after 30 years of boxing. Pacquiao, 29, has been in many wars but seems to be as fresh as ever.
Edge: Pacquiao

Corner: Both trainers garner tremendous respect. Nacho Beristain has trained a number of champions from Mexico, making him a legend in his country. And Freddie Roach, too, has worked with many big-name champions. Clearly, he’s at the top of his game. Pacquiao gets the edge here because he’s worked long term with Roach; this is De La Hoya’s first fight with Beristain.
Edge: Pacquiao

Outcome: Ask yourself: What was your first reaction when you heard this fight would take place? Answer: Pacquiao is too small. That is the most-significant factor in the fight. Pacquiao will attack and land his share of punches. However, in the end, if De La Hoya fights a smart fight – stay outside, wrap Pacquiao up when he gets inside – he’ll wear the smaller man down.
Prediction: De La Hoya KO 10

source: THE RING BLOG

Related Post:

Manny 'Pacman' Pacquiao ready for de la Hoya dream match

Essentials to success for both Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao