June 27, 2009 (Part 1); NBA Draft 09

Here are the players chosen at the NBA Draft yesterday from The Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

NOTE: First written are their draft order, the team they landed on, their names and the college or place they came from. And placed inside an parenthesis is the original team that should have picked the player but traded their picks to another team.

1st Round
1 LAC Blake Grifin Oklahoma
2 MEM Hasheem Thabeet Connecticut
3 OKC James Harden Arizona State
4 SAC Tyreke Evans Memphis
5 MIN Ricky Rubio Spain (from Washington)
6 MIN Jonny Flynn Syracuse
7 GSW Stephen Curry Davidson
8 NYK Jordan Hill Arizona
9 TOR DeMar DeRozan USC
10 MIL Brandon Jennings Italy
11 NJN Terrence Williams Louisville
12 CHA Gerald Henderson Duke
13 IND Tyler Hansbrough North Carolina
14 PHX Earl Clark Louisville
15 DET Austin Daye Gonzaga
16 CHI James Johnson Wake Forest
17 PHI Jrue Holiday UCLA
18 MIN Ty Lawson North Carolina (from Miami, traded to Denver for future first-round pick)
19 ATL Jeff Teague Wake Forest
20 UTAH Eric Maynor VCU
21 NOH Darren Collison UCLA
22 POR Victor Claver Spain (from Dallas)
23 SAC Omri Casspi Israel (from Houston)
24 DAL B.J. Mullens Ohio State (from Portland, traded to OKC for 25th pick Rodrigue Beaubois)
25 OKC Rodrigue Beaubois France (from SA, traded to DAL for 24th pick B.J. Mullens and future second-round pick)
26 CHI Taj Gibson USC (from Denver via Oklahoma City)
27 MEM DeMarre Carroll Missouri (from Orlando)
28 MIN Wayne Ellington North Carolina (from Boston)
29 LAL Toney Douglas Florida State (traded to NYK for future second-round pick and cash)
30 CLE Christian Eyenga Congo

2nd Round
31 SAC Jeff Pendergraph Arizona State (traded to POR for Sergio Rodriguez, 38th pick Jon Brockman and cash)
32 WSH Jermaine Taylor UCF (traded to Houston for cash)
33 POR Dante Cunningham Villanova (from Los Angeles Clippers)
34 DEN Sergio Llull Spain (from Oklahoma City, traded to Houston for cash)
35 DET DaJuan Summers Georgetown (from Minnesota)
36 MEM Sam Young Pittsburgh
37 SAS DeJuan Blair (from Golden State via Phoenix)
38 POR Jon Brockman Washington (from New York via Chicago, traded to 31th pick Jeff Pendergraph)
39 DET Jonas Jerebko Sweden (from Toronto)
40 CHA Derrick Brown Xavier (from New Jersey via Oklahoma City)
41 MIL Jodie Meeks Kentucky
42 LAL Patrick Beverley USA (from Charlotte, traded to Miami for future second-round pick and cash)
43 MIA Marcus Thornton LSU (from Indiana, traded to New Orleans for tow future second-round picks)
44 DET Chase Budinger Arizona (traded to Houston for future second-round pick and cash)
45 MIN Nick Calathes (from Philadelphia via Miami)
46 CLE Danny Green North Carolina (from Chicago)
47 MIN Henk Norel Netherlands (from Miami)
48 PHX Taylor Griffin Oklahoma
49 ATL Sergey Gladyr Ukraine
50 UTAH Goran Suton Michigan State
51 SAS Jack McClinton Miami(FL) (from New Orleans via Toronto)
52 IND A.J. Price Connecticut (from Dallas)
53 SAS Nando De Colo France (from Houston)
54 CHA Robert Vaden UAB (from San Antonio, traded to Oklahoma City for cash)
55 POR Patrick Mills St. Mary's (from Denver)
56 DAL Ahmad Nivins St. Joseph's (from Portland)
57 PHX Emir Preldzic Slovenia (from Orlando via Oklahoma City)
58 BOS Lester Hudson Tenn-Martin
59 LAL Chinemelu Elonu Texas-A&M
60 MIA Robert Dozier Memphis (from Cleveland)

And for some trade news! The Cavs traded Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic and some cash to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Shaquille O'Neal. While the New Jersey Nets traded Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson in exchange for the Orlando Magic's Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee and Tony Battie.

There you have it! You guys have been fed!

God bless you guys! Stay safe! Peace out! The Wizard was here... :)

Comments, questions and suggestions are highly appreciated! :)

June 21, 2009 (Part 1); NCAA Season 85 First Round Schedule

First of all, I would to greet all the dads around the world a Happy Father's Day, most especially to my super dad. I wouldn't be walking on this world without you. I love you so much, you know that :) I hope that God would give you more strength to face every challenge that may come your way.

And now, since I gave you guys the schedule of the UAAP last night, I will now cover the counterparts, as I give to you the first round schedule of the 85th season of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Mens' Senior Division. San Beda College will serve as this year's host.

The games will start on June 27, 2009, Saturday, at the Araneta Coliseum, with a triple-header.

There will be 10 teams all in all for this season, after the Philippine Christian University submitted a leave of absence, 3 new teams are going to play for this season as "guest teams". They could apply as regular participants of the league for next season, once this season concludes. The three new teams are the Emilio Aguinaldo College, Arellano University and the Angeles University Foundation.

First up, here are the team names.

Angeles University Foundation (AUF) Great Danes
Arellano University (AU) Chiefs
Colegio de San Juan de Letran (CSJL) Knights
College of Saint Benilde (CSB) Blazers
Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) Generals
Jose Rizal University (JRU) Heavy Bombers
Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT) Cardinals
San Beda College (SBC) Red Lions
San Sebastian College-Recoletos (SSC-R) Stags
University of Perpetual Help System Dalta (UPHSD) Altas

Now, here's the list of games. Take note that there are no times specified.

June 27, 2009
Araneta Coliseum
CSJL vs. JRU
MIT vs. SBC
SSC-R vs. UPHSD

June 29, 2009
FilOil Flying V Arena
AUF vs. CSB
AU vs. EAC

July 1, 2009
AU vs. CSJL
SBC vs. SSC-R

July 3, 2009
CSB vs. MIT
JRU vs. UPHSD

July 6, 2009
AUF vs. EAC
AU vs. SBC

July 8, 2009
CSB vs. SSC-R
CSJL vs. UPHSD

July 10, 2009
JRU vs. EAC
AUF vs. MIT

July 13, 2009
CSJL vs. MIT (Battle of Intramuros)
CSB vs. SBC

July 15, 2009
AU vs. JRU
AUF vs. UPHSD

July 17, 2009
EAC vs. SSC-R
SBC vs. UPHSD

July 20, 2009
CSJL vs. CSB
AU vs. SSC-R

July 22, 2009
AUF vs. JRU
EAC vs. MIT

July 24, 2009
CSJL vs. SBC
CSB vs. UPHSD

July 27, 2009
CSB vs. EAC
AUF vs. SSC-R

July 29, 2009
AUF vs. CSJL
JRU vs. MIT

July 31, 2009
AU vs. CSB
EAC vs. SBC

August 3, 2009
JRU vs. SSC-R
MIT vs. UPHSD

August 5, 2009
CSJL vs. EAC
AUF vs. SBC

August 7, 2009
CSB vs. JRU
AU vs. UPHSD

August 10, 2009
JRU vs. SBC
MIT vs. SSC-R

August 12, 2009
AUF vs. AU
EAC vs. UPHSD

August 14, 2009
AU vs. MIT
CSJL vs. SSC-R

There you have it! You guys have just been fed!

God bless you guys! Stay safe! Peace out! The Wizard was here... :)

Comments, questions and suggestions are highly appreciated! :)

June 20, 2009 (Part 1); UAAP Season 72 First Round Schedule

Here's the complete list of games for the first round of eliminations for the upcoming 72nd season of the University Athletics Association of the Philippines, or most commonly known as the UAAP, which will open on Saturday, July 11 at the Araneta Coliseum.

This is for the mens' seniors division guys. Here it goes!

Saturday, July 11, 2009
Araneta Coliseum
1:00 PM Opening Ceremonies
2:00 PM UST vs. AdU
4:00 PM DLSU vs. UE

Sunday, July 12, 2009
Araneta Coliseum
2:00 PM UP vs. NU
4:00 PM ADMU vs. FEU

Thursday, July 16, 2009
Araneta Coliseum
2:00 PM UST vs. NU
4:00 PM UE vs. ADMU

Saturday, July 18, 2009
Araneta Coliseum
2:00 PM UP vs. AdU
4:00 PM FEU vs. DLSU

Sunday, July 19, 2009
PhilSports Arena
2:00 PM UE vs. NU
4:00 PM UST vs. ADMU

Thursday, July 23, 2009
PhilSports Arena
2:00 PM DLSU vs. UP
4:00 PM FEU vs. AdU

Saturday, July 25, 2009
PhilSports Arena
2:00 PM NU vs. FEU
4:00 PM ADMU vs. UP

Sunday, July 26, 2009
PhilSports Arena
2:00 PM AdU vs. DLSU
4:00 PM UST vs. UE

Thursday, July 30, 2009
Araneta Coliseum
2:00 PM DLSU vs. NU
4:00 PM AdU vs. ADMU

Saturday, August 1, 2009
PhilSports Arena
2:00 PM ADMU vs. NU
4:00 PM FEU vs. UP

Sunday, August 2, 2009
PhilSports Arena
2:00 PM UE vs. AdU
4:00 PM UST vs. DLSU

Thursday, August 6. 2009
Araneta Coliseum
2:00 PM UP vs. UE
4:00 PM UST vs. FEU

Saturday, August 8, 2009
Araneta Coliseum
2:00 PM UST vs. UP
4:00 PM AdU vs. NU

Sunday, August 9, 2009
Araneta Coliseum
1:00 PM ADMU vs. DLSU
5:00 PM UE vs. FEU

The schedule for the second round will be released when the first round is about to conclude. I will hook you guys up with the updates from this moment on.

The much-awaited UAAP Cheerdance Competition will be held on Sunday, September 13, 2009 from the Araneta Coliseum.

Time to show your true colors once again! It's college hoops season once more! It's Season 72 of your UAAP, where school spirit happens! :)

So there you have it. You guys have just been fed.

God bless you guys! Stay safe! The Wizard was here... :)

Comments, questions and suggestions are highly appreciated! :)

June 16, 2009 (Part 1); The Lakers are champs for the 15th time

Dwight Howard sat down the bench, pulling his jersey into his mouth, and stared at Kobe Bryant and the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrate on his homecourt.

He couldn't move.

The Orlando Magic best season in history came to a close yesterday as they were defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers, 99-86, to bag thier 15th NBA title in franchise history, just second to the 17 titles of the Boston Celtics.

It was also a historic night for coach Phil Jackson, as he surpassed Red Auerbach's 9 championship titles, as he bagged his 10th title as head coach.

Kobe Bryant finished the game with 30 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals, as he was awarded with the Finals MVP trophy. This is also his first title without Shaquille O'Neal.

Lamar Odom had 17 points off the bench, Trevor Ariza had 15, Pau Gasol finished with 14, while Derek Fisher catapulted with 13 points.

All the starters for the Magic scored in double figures, but that wasn't enough for them to win the game. Rashard Lewis led with 18, Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee and Hedo Turkoglu all had 12, while Howard only had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

The city of Los Angeles are now planning for a championship parade for their champions.

Once again, congratulations for the Los Angeles Lakers, the 2009 NBA Champions!

Game 5
NBA Finals
LA Lakers 99
Orlando 86
Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida
LAL: Kobe Bryant- 30 pts, 6 rebs, 5 assts, 2 stls.
ORL: Rashard Lewis- 18 pts, 10 rebs, 4 assts, 1 stl.
Lakers win series 4-1, wins their 15th NBA title
Kobe Bryant is NBA Finals MVP, his 1st ever.

So there you have it. The season is over. Until the next season for the NBA.

God bless you guys! Stay safe! Peace out! The Wizard was here... :)

Comments, questions and suggestions are highly appreciated! :)

June 14, 2009 (Part 1); A(H1N1) cases up to triple digits

Here is the latest update of the A(H1N1) situation in our country. This was as of yesterday, June 13, 2009.

Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III today informed the public that the Department of Health (DOH) is soon shifting to a policy of mitigation in response to the decision of the World Health Organization to raise the Pandemic Alert Level 5 to Level 6.

“A policy of mitigation means that the DOH will shift focus in preparing households and health facilities to respond to the challenge posed by A (H1N1) in anticipation of more confirmed cases,” Duque said.

“This means that we have to make sure that our health system is equipped to treat and manage particularly severe cases which may require more intensive care in our hospitals and that mild cases are appropriately treated at home,” he added.

Under Pandemic Alert Level 6, WHO has alerted all countries that the A H1N1) virus is now widespread in at least two WHO regions and that further spread is inevitable. As a logical response, WHO advised all its member states to focus on the appropriate management of patients, particularly those at high risk for developing flu complications and a decreased emphasis on stopping the spread of the virus.

In a press conference held this afternoon, Duque presented the DOH’s Strategic Plan and stepwise approach for the country’s mitigation response to the novel Influenza A virus. The stepwise approach consists of four phases according to the number of cases and the presence of community level transmission in a certain locality.

The mitigation approach also outlines key management imperatives in the areas of activating the command system, surveillance, health facility response, public health interventions and risk communication strategies.

“I want to make it clear that mitigation will be done in phases and that it will not be applied across the nation completely and instantaneously. This will depend on the presence of community-wide transmission and whether there is a high or low volume of cases in a community. Therefore, in areas where there are few cases and we can still contain the spread of A (H1N1), mitigation strategies generally will not apply,” Duque said.
Duque also made clear that with the mitigation strategy, the DOH will now concentrate on promptly giving care to populations found to be at high risk for developing flu complications based on the epidemiology being shown by the A (H1N1) locally and in many other affected countries thus far.
“This virus, as explained by WHO, causes very mild symptoms and a self-limiting course in the overwhelming majority of patients largely those who have no preexisting conditions. We need to focus on giving more attention and care to patients with preexisting diseases like diabetes, heart and renal disease, immmunocompromised state, the pregnant, the very young and the elderly and those with infections like HIV/AIDs and TB. We advise these patients to immediately consult their doctors as soon as they develop flu-like symptoms,” Duque said.

Duque said that the DOH will continue to monitor geographic spread and severity of illness to determine application of mitigation measures on a case to case basis.

Thus, with the policy shift, DOH will be implementing a change in its criteria for hospital admission and giving of antiviral treatment and prophylaxis.

“Only those with progressive symptoms and preexisting conditions will be hospitalized and will be given antivirals immediately. For the majority of cases we expect to be mild, they will only have to be put under home treatment and they will be advised regarding supportive care and to observe social distancing for 10 days,” Duque said.

Duque also reported today 19 new cases, all mild in nature. Eleven of these new cases are males, the other 8 are females. The age range of these cases is from 6-49 years old. All but one of the 19 are Filipinos. These new additional cases bring the total count to 111.

Duque announced that 6 more fully recovered patients have been sent home today thus, bringing the total count of recovered A (H1N1) cases to 38.

“So far the country has no reported case of death or severe illness in all of the 111 documented positive cases,” Duque stressed.

In their latest report dated June 12, the WHO has reported 29,669 cases and 145 deaths from 74 reporting countries.

There you have it! You guys have just been fed!

God bless you guys! Stay safe! Peace out! The Wizard was here... :)

Comments, questions and suggestions are highly appreciated! :)

June 12, 2009 (Part 2); A(H1N1) now a global pandemic

This is an official statement from Health secretary Francisco T. Duque III, MD, MSc on the World Health Organization's declaration of a pandemic alert due to the Influenza A(H1N1) virus.

The statement of the transition from Level 5 to 6 was made at 12:00 MN this morning by WHO Director-General Margaret Chan from the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. It was shown to the public LIVE via CNN, BBC News and Channel News Asia.

Here is the what the Health secretary has said, from the official website of the DOH.

On June 11, 2009, Director-General Margaret Chan of the World Health Organization declared that the “world is now at the start of the 2009 Influenza pandemic ” after raising the Pandemic Alert Level for the novel Influenza A virus from Level 5 to Level 6.

This means that the new A (H1N1) virus has now spread and caused sustained community level outbreaks in at least one or two countries in two WHO Regions. It has initially affected US and Mexico (North America) which are the epicenters of this pandemic and has shown a fast and steadily increasing number of cases particularly in the United Kingdom (Europe), Chile and Argentina (Latin America) as well as Australia, Japan and China (Western Pacific Region) which show that the virus is contagious and easily transmissible from person to person.

To date, there are nearly 30,000 confirmed cases of A (H1N1) from 74 countries and this is expected to increase further in the coming days and months. This is because of the nature of the virus to be an efficient spreader of disease and also because of unrestricted travel within and across national borders.

Thus, WHO has already alerted all of its member states that further spread is inevitable and governments will do well by preparing their health systems to treat and manage an increasing number of patients. It needs to be emphasized however that the current grading of a pandemic by WHO focuses on the geographic spread of the virus and not on its virulence or its capability to cause deaths or severe disease. Thus far, WHO says that “the overwhelming majority of patients experience mild symptoms and make a rapid and full recovery, often in the absence of any form of medical treatment.” This is the same picture that we are seeing in all of the nearly 100 cases we have documented in the Philippines, all of which were mild with some infections resolving even without antiviral treatment.

The novel influenza A virus has caused 144 deaths out of the total reported 28,774 cases globally. This translates to a case fatality rate of 0.5%. In the country, it is fortunate that we have not had any deaths nor any severe manifestation of A (H1N1) though our cases are increasing because we expect this with aggressive surveillance, good reporting and intensive contact tracing.

To put it in perspective, the number of deaths due to A (H1N1) is few compared with deaths from other diseases with pandemic potential such as SARS and avian flu which kill about half of their victims. In the country, more people die from dengue with a case fatality rate of anywhere between 1-2 %.

WHO has thus assessed the current pandemic as having “moderate severity” because 1) most patients recover and survive without hospitalization or medical care, 2) Levels of severe illness from A (H1N1) appear similar to levels seen during local seasonal influenza periods, and 3) most countries’ health systems have been able to cope with the number of people seeking and requiring care.

As the Pandemic Alert Level has been raised to the highest alert level globally and as we foresee more cases to appear in the coming weeks, the Department of Health will soon be shifting toward a strategy of mitigation, particularly in localities where there are indications of community level transmission. To date, we stress that we still do not have community level transmission in the Philippines.With mitigation, the government will be recommending to localities and areas concerned to now focus on taking care of the sick, providing guidance for people to protect themselves and their families, and monitoring the outbreak. I have already called for a Task Force Meeting which will be held tomorrow to ensure that there will be a smooth transition to this new policy.

The DOH is also heeding the general recommendations the WHO with regard to the announcement of Pandemic Alert Level 6: 1) No border closure as it will not be possible to stop it at said points of entry; 2) No restriction of travel as people who are infected may not show symptoms so they cannot be identified from others who are not infected; 3) Greater emphasis on providing care with a decreased emphasis on stopping the spread of the virus.

As WHO has repeatedly emphasized, the goal in any pandemic is to save as many lives, reduce deaths and severe illness and minimize the impact of the pandemic on society.

Although majority of cases due to a (H1N1) have so far been mild, this picture might change from country to country depending on so many factors that is not limited to the innate nature of the virus. Our ability to overcome the challenge posed by A (H1N1) or any pandemic threat will depend largely on the efficiency and effectiveness of our systems to respond. Thus I call on all relevant agencies and all local governments to closely monitor the situation and to coordinate very closely with the Department of Health to be vigilant about unusual and increasing cases of flu-like illnesses throughout the country. Report them immediately to the Department of Health. Also, ensure the readiness of your hospitals and your health workers to manage the minority of cases which will experience complications and thus require hospitalization or higher level of care.

For the public, again I emphasize early and appropriate health seeking behavior. For those with only mild symptoms, supportive care at home consisting of fluids, bed rest, vitamins and antipyretics should be enough for most cases. If you have progressive symptoms and preexisting conditions (i.e diabetes, asthma, COPD, heart disease, pregnant, immunocompromised, HIV, TB, malnutrition, extremes of age), then immediately seek medical care.

The Department of Health will continue to closely monitor the situation and inform the media and the public of any development as they unfold. We are updating our strategies and continually improving our national pandemic preparedness and response plan on a weekly and sometimes, daily basis to adapt to changes in the local and global situation. We call on everyone’s sobriety, cooperation and understanding as together our nation faces this unique and extraordinary challenge.

Thank you and good morning.

There you have it! You guys have just been fed!

Let's all pray that the virus won't hit any of us.

God bless you guys! Stay safe! Peace out! The Wizard was here... :)

Comments, questions and suggestions are highly appreciated! :)

June 12, 2009 (Part 1); The Lakers a win away from the trophy

Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher have waited much too long for this moment to come.

As for the first time in seven years, they are a win away from grabbing their 4th NBA Championship trophy and the 15th overall for their franchise, as they defeated the Orlando Magic, 99-91, to grab the commanding 3-1 series lead.

The game was intense from the get-go, as both teams exchanged shot after shot. They went through as many ties and lead changes.

But it was the old reliable Derek Fisher who got the calling today, as he hit the game-tying three-pointer to send the game into overtime, and then drilled another one to lift the Lakers with 31.3 seconds left in overtime.

It was the first time since 1984, when Magic Johnson's Lakers and Larry Bird's Celtics hooked up, that two games in the Finals went into an extra period.

When the clock expired, Bryant, trying to win his first championship without Shaquille O’Neal, looked at Tiger Woods and wiped sweat from his brow in relief. Fisher, who has bailed out the Lakers in plenty of big games before, thrust both arms in the air in triumph.

Bryant led the Lakers with 32 points on 11 out of 31 from the field, along with 7 rebounds, 8 assists and a steal. Pau Gasol and Trevor Ariza finished the game with 16 points each, with Gasol having 10 rebounds, an assist and a steal and Ariza with 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals, while Fisher contributed 12 points, 4 assists, 1 assist and 2 steals.

This game was all about missed foul shots, as Orlando missed some during the crunchtime, with 2 from Turkoglu and 1 from Howard, which in the later part cost them the game. They went on to finish 22 out of 37 from the charity stripe, for 59%.

Hedo Turkoglu was the main guy for the Magic today, scoring 25 points on 8 out of 13 from the field, along with 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal. Mickael Pietrus had 15 points and 2 rebounds, while Rafer Alston made 11 points, a rebound, 2 assists and a steal.

Dwight Howard on the other hand, was a block shot away from a triple-double. He finished the game with 16 points on 5 out of 12 from the field, along with 21 big rebounds and 9 block shots, setting new NBA Finals record for the most blocked shots in a single game, surpassing the 8 block shots set by Bill Walton back in the 1977 Finals, Hakeem Olajuwon in the 1986 Finals and Patrick Ewing in the 1994 Finals.

The players will have two days off as the Finals will resume on Monday, June 15 at 8:00 AM Manila time, still from the Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida. It will still be shown LIVE on C/S9 and BTV, with C/S9 having our very own Mico Halili and "Dr. J" Andy Jao calling the shots.

Game 4
NBA Finals
LA Lakers 99
Orlando 91
Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida
LAL: Kobe Bryant- 32 pts, 7 rebs, 8 assts, 1 stl.
ORL: Dwight Howard- 16 pts, 21 rebs, 2 assts, 9 blks.
Lakers lead series 3-1
Game 5 on Monday, June 15 at 8:00 AM from the Amway Arena in Orlando.

There you have it! You guys have just been fed!

God bless you guys! Stay safe! Peace out! The Wizard was here... :)

Comments, questions and suggestions are highly appreciated :)

June 11, 2009 (Part 2); Man Utd accepts record $131M offer for Ronaldo

BREAKING NEWS!

Manchester United have accepted a world-record $131 million offer for Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid.

The English champions have given the big-spending Spanish giants permission to talk to the World Player of the Year, according to the United Web site.

United said on Thursday that the Portugal winger had again expressed his desire to leave Old Trafford, and the club now expect the deal to be concluded by June 30.

Real, who have fallen behind bitter rivals Barcelona, have swooped to follow up the $100 million signing of Brazil star Kaka from AC Milan earlier this week.

Real held the previous record when they paid 73.5 million euros (now worth $103 million) for Zinedine Zidane in 2001.

The club's president Florentino Perez said after the Kaka deal was concluded that he would do "everything possible" to sign the 24-year-old Ronaldo as he sought to build a new empire that would match his first stint at the Bernabeu.

United held off Real's advances last summer, with manager Alex Ferguson traveling to the Portugal camp during the Euro 2008 finals to hold crisis talks with Ronaldo.

The player committed himself to another season in Manchester, but was affected by injuries early on and -- despite a sizzling end to the campaign -- was unable to help United retain the UEFA Champions League title, losing to Barcelona in last month's final.

There you have it! You guys have just been fed!

God bless you guys! Stay safe! Peace out! The Wizard was here... :)

Comments, questions and suggestions are highly appreciated! :)

June 11, 2009 (Part 1); RP with most cases of A(H1N1) in Southeast Asia

This is the latest about the current A(H1N1) situation in our country.

Health Secretary Francisco T., Duque III today disclosed that the DOH has already discharged 32 fully recovered A (H1N1) patients even as he met with the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education and World Health Organization (WHO), together with the members of the DOH Task Force on Pandemic Preparedness and Response, to discuss the government’s plan of shifting the management of A (H1N1) shift from containment to mitigation.

Duque said that during mitigation, the government will work closely with the WHO to exchange information about the virus in this country, help understand how the pandemic is evolving and follow developments in scientific and clinical issues.

Duque disclosed that in the event of a pandemic alert 6, the WHO is recommending the following: 1) No border closure as it will not be possible to stop it at said points of entry; 2) No restriction of travel as people who are infected may not show symptoms so they cannot be identified from others who are not infected; 3) Greater emphasis on providing care with a decreased emphasis on stopping the spread of the virus.

Duque also reported today 15 more confirmed A (H1N1) cases, all mild in nature, bringing the total count of positive cases to 92. These 15 new cases involve 10 males and 5 females with age range of 9-50 years old. All are Filipinos. Four have history of travel. These 4 travelled to Japan, Singapore, Mexico and the USA. Contact tracing of said new cases is on-going.

Meanwhile, one confirmed mild case of A (H1N1) in Helera Elementary School in Jaen, Nueva Ecija was reported to the Department of Health (DOH). The voluntary suspension of classes in said school starts today. Contact tracing is now being carried out to determine cases and to put affected households in self quarantine.

With this development, Duque reiterated his call for school authorities across the country to continue reporting to their respective local government officials any unusual occurrence of flu-like symptoms among their students, especially those who travelled lately to countries affected with the novel virus.

Since May 1, 2009, the DOH has monitored a total of 698 Cases Under Observation (CUOs). Of these, 92 were positive A (H1N1) cases, 44 have pending laboratory results, and 562 were negative and have been discarded. There were 31 new CUOs today.

In their latest report dated June 10, the WHO has reported 27,737 cases and 141 deaths from 74 reporting countries. The latest country to report A (H1N1) is Ukraine.

There you have it! You guys have just been fed.

The Wizard was here... :)

June 10, 2009 (Part 2); 23 new cases of A(H1N1) in our country

Today marks the most significant increase in the number of confirmed A(H1N1) cases in our country, as 23 new cases were announced by the Health department this afternoon.

Health secretary Francisco Duque III today urged school authorities across the country to continue reporting to their respective local government executives any unusual occurence of flu-like symptoms among their students especially to those who travelled last summer to countries affected with the A(H1N1) virus.

Duque made this call as he reported today 23 more confirmed mild A (H1N1) cases that are related to the cluster of schools that have already voluntarily suspended their classes due to the novel virus. These schools include De La Salle University Taft, East Asia College, De La Salle-College of St. Benilde, St. Andrews School Parañaque, and Ateneo de Manila High School. The new cases bring the total to 77 mild A (H1N1) confirmed cases. Twenty-three of these 77 mild cases have been discharged.

Duque said that the increase in cases was due to the relentless contact tracing done by the DOH in the five affected schools. Duque also said that the 23 new confirmed mild cases are responding well to treatments.

Duque stressed that there is still no community spread yet as the new cases were all traced to one case that earlier caught the virus during a travel to an A (H1N1) affected country.

The 23 new confirmed cases include 19 Filipinos and 4 foreigners. There are 18 males and 5 females with an age range of 8-49 years old. Seven of the new confirmed cases have a history of travel. The said cases travelled to the US and Japan.

Since May 1, 2009, the DOH has monitored a total of 667 Cases Under Observation (CUOs). Of these, 77 were positive A (H1N1) cases, 85 have pending laboratory results, and 505 were negative and have been discarded. There were 68 new CUOs today.

In their latest report dated June 8, the World Health Organization has reported 25,288 cases and 139 deaths from 73 reporting countries.

There you have it! You guys have just been fed!

God bless you guys! Stay safe! Peace out! The Wizard was here... :)

Comments, questions and suggestions are highly appreciated! :)

June 10, 2009 (Part 1); The Magic are back in the NBA Finals!

Yes, they are back.

The Orlando Magic prevented a 0-3 hole by beating the Los Angeles Lakers at home, 108-104, to trail the series at 2 games to 1.

This marks the first ever win by the Magic in their NBA Finals history. They were swept by the Houston Rockets back in the 1995 Finals.

The main difference of the game were free throws. Kobe Bryant missed five free throw shots in the entire game. And given that he made all of those, they would have won the game by 1 and have the 3-0 lead in the series.

While for Orlando, it's been a good night from the charity stripe as Dwight Howard, a 56% free throw shooter, was 11 out of 16 from the line. Rashard Lewis and Mickael Pietrus were perfect all night, combining from 6 out of 6 from the line.

Bryant caught fire in the first half, scoring 21 points, not enough to beat the record set by the greatest ever Michael Jordan back in the 1992 finals against Portland when he scored an amazing 35 points by the end of the half.

But Bryant, as good as he is, just scored 10 points in the second half, credit to the defense shown by Pietrus.

Howard and Lewis led the Magic with 21 points each. Howard had 14 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal, while Lewis had 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Rafer Alston finished the game with 20 points on 8 out of 12 from the field, along with 2 rebounds and 4 assists. Pietrus and Hedo Turkoglu both had 18 points, with Pietrus having 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals, while Turkoglu had 6 rebounds, 7 assists and a steal.

Meanwhile for the Lakers, Kobe Bryant led the charge for the Lakers with 31 points on 11 out of 25 from the field, with 3 rebounds and 8 assists. Pau Gasol finished the game with 23 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. Trevor Ariza contributed with 13 points, 7 rebounds, an assist and a steal, while Lamar Odom came off the bench with 11 points, 2 boards, an assist and a steal.

Game 4 will be on Friday morning at 9:00 AM, still from Orlando.

Game 3
NBA Finals
LA Lakers 104
Orlando 108
Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida
LAL: Kobe Bryant- 31 pts, 3 rebs, 8 assts.
ORL: Dwight Howard- 21 pts, 14 rebs, 2 assts, 1 stl.
Lakers lead series 2-1
Game 4 on Thursday, June 12 at 9:00 AM from the Amway Arena in Orlando.

There you have it! You guys have just been fed!

God bless you guys! Stay safe! Peace out! The Wizard was here... :)

Comments, questions and suggestions are highly appreciated! :)

June 9, 2009 (Part 6); New announcement from DLS-CSB

This is an official and a follow-up of this morning's announcement from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde regarding their first confirmed A(H1N1) case.

June 9, 2009

Confirmed Case of Influenza A(H1N1) and Extension of Suspension of Classes
De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) announces the extended closure of its campuses until June 18, 2009 in view of its first confirmed case of Influenza A(H1N1) virus. Based on existing Department of Health Guideline on A(H1N1) in schools, DLS-SCB will reopen on June 19.

The students has mild symptoms, has been admitted in a healthcare facility and is being closely monitored by medical practitioners.

The College has been cooperating fully with the DOH in its contact-tracing activities. DLS-CSB and the DOH team have been communicating with everyone on the contacts list to provide them with information and medication, if necessary.

This morning, DLS-CSB released an announcement on suspension of classes following the CHED regulation, which was sent to the College at 7:30 am. At 11:30 am, administrators of the College met with DOH officials and were informed of the two confirmed cases, which prompted the amendment of the previous announcement.

During the closure period, the DLS-CSB academic community is advised to monitor flu-like symptoms, to stay away from crowds, and to practice good hygiene. If symptoms appear, members of the academic community should immediately seek medical attention. They should also inform the DLS-CSB Clinic or Department of Student Life of their condition by sending their full name and ID number through email at clinic@dls-csb.edu.ph, lazatinc@dls-csb.edu.ph or bacays@dls-csb.edu.ph.

Inquiries may also be made to the following numbers:

(0918) 916-3475
(0917) 570-2944
(0917) 570-2952
(0917) 570-2955
(0917) 521-9818
(0917) 859-2988
(0922) 843-2097

The DLS-CSB Clinic may also be contacted from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm for medical inquiries at the following numbers:

Taft Campus: 526-7441 to 47 ext. 106 or 245
AKIC Campus: 523-888 loc. 253
SDA Campus: 536-6752 loc. 301

Any updates and developments on the issue and on class schedules will be posted on the DLS-CSB website: www.dls-csb.edu.ph.

Other concerns and inquiries may be sent to mco@dls-csb.edu.ph.

There you go, instead of the 15th, you guys from CSB will have 4 more days of rest. June 19th will be the resume of classes for all of you. Take care and pray that no one should have the virus.

God bless you guys! Stat safe! Peace out!

The Wizard was here... :)

June 9, 2009 (Part 5); DLSU has 4 new A(H1N1) cases

This is an official news from the Department of Health.

The Health department today has confirmed 8 new cases of A(H1N1) over the last 24 hours, bringing the total of the country's cases to 54.

Health secretary Francisco Duque III said that they are really expecting the number to increase because of the aggressive contact tracing that the Health department is doing right now and he also said that the hospitals are ready for this situation.

He also pointed out that the new cases are similar to the previous ones, saying that they are just mild in nature, very similar to the cases seen in other affected cases.

The eight new confirmed cases include seven Filipinos and one foreigner. Four are males and four are females with an age range of 16-44 years old. Six of the new cases are students of the De La Salle University, bringing the school's total to 13 confirmed cases, while one is the first confirmed case from the College of Saint Benilde, also in Taft Avenue, Manila.

Two of the eight confirmed cases had a history of travel. The said cases travelled to the US.

Duque also pointed out that all new cases responded positively to the treatment.

Since May 1st, the DOH has monitored a total of 599 CUO's. Of these, 54 were positive A(H1N1) cases, 148 have pending laboratory results, and 397 were negative for A(H1N1) and have been discarded. There are 58 new Cases Under Observation (CUOs) today.

In their latest report dated June 8, the WHO reported 25,288 cases and 138 deaths from 73 reporting countries. The case fatality rate is 0.55%. Cayman's Islands, Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago and United Arab Emirates are the newest countries with confirmed A(H1N1) cases.

There you have it! Take care you guys! Just pray that the virus won't hit you.

God bless you guys! Stay safe! Peace out! The Wizard was here...:)

Comments, questions and suggestions are highly appreciated! :)

June 9, 2009 (Part 4); RP 5 relentless over Indonesia

Hotshot James Yap starred in Powerade-Team Pilipinas' 103-64 onslaught of Indonesia to remain unbeaten in the 8th Southeast Asian Basketball Association (SEABA) Men's Championship last Sunday night at the Angkasapura Lanud Basketball Hall in Medan, Indonesia.

The Purefoods stalwart poured 13 of his game-high 21 points in the first half, drilling in three consecutive triples in one breathtaking run in the second quarter as the Nationals notched their second consecutive win in as many games in the meet serving as qualifier for the FIBA-Asia men's basketball championship.

Next for the PBA-backed national squad is winless Singapore late Monday as it tries to complete a sweep of the preliminary round and move into the championship game Tuesday against the winner of the Indonesia-Malaysia game.

Ryan Reyes joined injured teammates Jayjay Helterbrand and Sonny Thoss in serving as utility personnel during the pre-game shootaround. Reyed pulled a hamstring during Saturday's game against Malaysia.

The Nationals now has a total of 4 injuries in Helterbrand, Thoss, Reyes and Kelly Williams, who was diagnosed with a blood disorder.

There you have it!

God bless you guys! Stay safe! Peace out! The Wizard was here... :)

Comments, questions and suggestions are highly appreciated! :)

June 9, 2009 (Part 3); Lee's miss cost them Game 2

What was a perfectly designed play ultimately cost the Orlando Magic the game.

With 0.6 seconds left in regulation, Hedo Turkoglu was assigned as the inbounder. A screen was provided by Rashard Lewis to the rookie Courtney Lee, with whom Turkoglu lobbed the ball to. Lee received the ball dead-on in the air, boards the ball up, but misses the layup.

The game went into overtime.

The Lakers pretty much owned the overtime period. Lewis made the final hurrah for the Magic as he reduced the Laker lead to just three points, 99-96. But that was all she wrote for the Magic as they succomb to a 0-2 deficit.

The Lakers won the game, 101-96, to grab the commanding lead in the Finals series.

The loss came on the 14th anniversary of Orlando's NBA Finals debut, which was an equally painful one. Poised to beat the defending champions Houston Rockets in Game 1, the Magic watched Nick Anderson brick four consecutive free throws late in the game with a chance to put it away and ended up losing 120-118 in overtime.

Same date, same painful June 8 ending for the Magic.

Kobe Bryant led the charge for the Lakers with 29 points on 10 out of 22 from the field, with 4 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals. Pau Gasol finished with a double-double, scoring 24 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Lamar Odom had 19 points and 8 rebounds off the bench, while Derek Fisher had 12 points, 3 assists and 3 steals.

Rashard Lewis led the Magic with 34 points on 12 out of 21 from the field, with 11 rebounds and 7 assists. Hedo Turkoglu had 22 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, while Dwight Howard contributed with 17 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals on a losing effort.

Game 3 will be played tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM from the Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida.

Game 2
NBA Finals
Orlando 96
LA Lakers 101
Final/OT
STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, California
ORL: Rashard Lewis- 34 pts, 11 rebs, 7 assts, 1 stl.
LAL: Kobe Bryant- 29 pts, 4 rebs, 8 assts, 2 stls.
Lakers lead series 2-0
Game 3 tomorrow, June 10 at 9:00 AM from the Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida.

There you have it!

RP Team news up ahead!

The Wizard was here... :)

June 9, 2009 (Part 2); The moment CSB students have been waiting for!

This is an official news from your school's website at http://www.dls-csb.edu.ph

Not a hoax guys, just facts :)

Here it is.

June 9, 2009

Suspension of Classes until June 15, 2009

In observance of the CHED regulation, which we received at 7:30 am today, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) is suspending work and classes until June 15, 2009. Please see the CHED regulation for more information.
All campuses shall be closed, except for the CSB Hotel. The CSB Hotel shall remain open and fully functional, following the guidelines of the Department of Health and the Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines.

Any additional announcements and updates will be posted on the DLS-CSB Website: www.dls-csb.edu.ph.

It's official guys. The moment you've been waiting for. Your classes have been suspended, thanks to your president and to CHED's regulation. :)

There you have it!

Sports news up next!

The Wizard was here... :)

June 9, 2009 (Part 1); A(H1N1) cases up to 46

As of yesterday, the cases of Influenza A(H1N1) in our country has risen to 46, according to the Department of Health, after 13 new cases were reported.

But even though it's a big number, our country is still fortunate since the cases are just mild ones, unlike the ones in other countries with the said virus.

The 13 new confirmed cases include 8 Filipinos and 5 foreigners. Five are females and 8 are males with an age range of 12-63 years old.

Four of the said cases are once again, students of the De La Salle University, which now has 7 cases all in all, while one is the first confirmed case from the East Asia University. Eight of the 13 new cases have history of travel to the US, Japan and Canada.

The good news is that according to Health secretary Francisco Duque III, all are responding to the treatment very well.

Since May 1st, the DOH has monitored a total of 541 CUO's. Of these, 46 are positive A(H1N1) cases, 98 have pending laboratory results, and 397 are negative for A(H1N1) and have been discarded. There are 91 new Cases Under Observation yesterday.

In the latest WHO report dated June 3rd, there are 21,940 cases and 125 deaths from 69 reported countries. Countries which are now included in the list of A(H1N1) affected countries are Barbados, Luxembourg and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

There you have it. More infos to come later on!

The Wizard was here... :)

June 6, 2009 (Part 3); Lakers takes first crack of the series

Yesterday was a big day for basketball fans, as the NBA Finals started, pitting the best of the East, the Orlando Magic, and the best of the west, the Los Angeles Lakers.

It was a sell-out inside the STAPLES Center, with every fan cheering and jeering each and everytime the Lakers score and the Magic miss.

We all remember Magic Johnson with his magnetic smile. Michael Jordan with his patented "tongue-out" everytime he drives to the basket. Kobe Bryant on the other hand, is baring his teeth and scowling in these NBA Finals.

He, along with his co-captain in the Lakers, Derek Fisher, talked on the bench during practice, while the other players enjoyed themselves on the floor.

And with that, the Lakers gained advantage as they defeated the Orlando Magic in a blowout fashion, 100-75, to draw first blood in their best-of-seven Finals series.

Bryant scored an amazing 40 points, his highest output in his Finals career, beating his 36 point output in last year's Finals against Boston.

With that, he joined an exclusive club with 40 points, eight assists and eight rebounds in Game 1. Only Shaquille O'Neal, Jordan and Jerry West before him posted those numbers in a finals game.

Pau Gasol had 16 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists, while Lamar Odom finished the game with 11 points and 14 rebounds.

Mickael Pietrus led the Magic with 14 points and 3 rebounds. Hedo Turkoglu had 13 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists, while Dwight Howard finished with 12 points, 15 rebounds and 2 assists.

Jameer Nelson made his comeback for the Magic, but he came up short, scoring just six points on 3 out of 9 from the field, along with 2 rebounds and 4 assists.

Game 2 will be on Monday, June 8 at 8:00 AM, still from Los Angeles. It will be shown LIVE on BTV and C/S9.

Game 1
NBA Finals
Orlando 75
LA Lakers 100
STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, California
ORL: Mickael Pietrus- 14 pts, 3 rebs.
LAL: Kobe Bryant- 40 pts, 8 rebs, 8 assts, 2 stls.
Lakers lead series 1-0
Game 2 on Monday, June 8 at 8:00 AM from the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

There you have it!

God bless you guys! Stay safe! Peace out! The Wizard was here... :)

Comments, questions and suggestions are highly appreciated! :)

June 6, 2009 (Part 2); CHED moves class opening to June 15

This is an official news. No hoax. No jokes. All truths.

After the De La Salle University, University of Santo Tomas and the Far Eastern University's postponement announcement this past week, the Commission on Higher Education followed suit just this morning at 10:30 AM, saying that due to the Influenza A(H1N1) virus, the opening of classes in colleges and universities will be postponed to June 15.

CHED Chairman Emmanuel Angeles said that the one-week period will give enough time for those students who came from abroad to have self-quarantine.

He also sited that due to the number of foreign students here in our country and students who came from countries that are exposed to the virus, as the reason for the postponement.

Angeles said a second reason for the postponement is the inclement weather for the past few days.

He also said a third reason is that many parents of college students could not raise enough money to pay for tuition. June 15 falls on a payday and may give them time to pay for tuition.

UST had already announced yesterday that it will move the opening of classes for college students from June 8 to the 15th, while classes in elementary and high school will be suspended and will resume on the 15th as well.

While FEU has moved its opening to the 17th of June.

The annoucement by UST also said that the First Semester of this Academic Year will thus end on Wednesday, October 21, 2009.

There you have it. You guys have just been fed.

God bless you guys! Stay safe! Peace out!

The Wizard was here... :)

June 6, 2009 (Part 1); 3rd A(H1N1) case from DLSU

The Department of Health has confirmed yesterday that there are 4 new cases of A(H1N1) virus in our country. The new cases are two siblings (ages 9 and 11), a person who arrived in the country last Monday, and a 17-year old student from the De La Salle University.

Details of the patients like their names and where they from will not be released to the public for confidentiality purposes.

As of May 1, the DOH has recorded 450 possible cases of the novel virus, of which 33 are confirmed infected, 76 are awaiting laboratory tests results, while 341 people have been discharged. And as of June 5, 36 new cases are under observation, Health Secretary Franciscon Duque III said.

People infected here in the Philippines has shown "mild" symptoms, Dr. Eric Tayag said, adding that the public could do best by observing proper hygiene and to report possible indications of the disease to Health authorities.

The virus, since it was discovered, has already infected more than 19,000 people in 66 countries.

There you have it.

An important announcement will follow suit on my next post a little later on.

The Wizard was here... :)