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[Can you believe it??? The Lakers beat the Spurs in 5!!! And now they're on the Finals!!!!!!!11111ONEONEONE]

Of course you can. [Spurs fans?]

The Lakers won Game 5 by eight points, from being down 17, thanks to Bryant's 39 points and Gasol's 19 rebounds. Despite the Spurs' quick start which gave them the early lead, and Tim Duncan's triple-double, they seemed to have lost energy in the second half, when the youthful Lakers outran them and slowly chipped into the game.

Thanks to this win, the Lakers are Western Conference Champions for the first time since trading Shaquille O'Neal. They will be facing the winner of the Celtics-Pistons series[which I know will be the Celtics], on a disadvantage. Whether it's the Pistons or the Celtics[but I really know it's the Celtics^^], four games will be played away from the Staples Center. However, they'll be getting a week's rest before Game 1 of the Finals[try to stop the urges, Kobe... please.].

Emdyey's say: [HAH!! I told you!] A year after calling the team a "mess", the MVP is back in the Finals, and this time, without Shaq. [His "childish" acts in the pre-season proved beneficial, didn't it? [Skeptics?]] The Lakers actually have the best chance to win the title for me, since they perform better on the road, compared to either the Celtics or the Pistons. They also have a perfect home record in the post-season, and I don't think they'll be disappointing their home fans in the Finals. Moreover, they have the youngest lineup among the three remaining teams. [Just saying.]

[I want the Celtics to win the title, actually. By one point, thanks to Ray Allen's 38-foot bank shot in the last second of the third overtime in Game 7. That close. Why? The Lakers have five or six more years left to catch two or more titles, while the Celtics only have this season and the next one to do so.]

By the way, the Celtics are up, 3-2. One win away from renewing the rivalry.

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Goodbye Valerie Weignmann, the latest evicted teen housemate. Ejay will miss you, and oh, beware of male celebrities like Luis Manzano. He might sweep you off your feet and then let you down.

I'm really pissed at the schedule. Eviction, then nomination, then eviction again, only after two days? Aren't the final evictions the more important ones. Why give the people only two days?

Way to go with your schedule, ABS-CBN.

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Make your own morphs on MorphThing.com

I'll add more when I think up of other combinations. Suggestions? Tag or Comment!

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Dammit! I wasn't able to catch Vanessa Carlton live in Trinoma last May 9. Oh well. This video makes it up for me. This is her second single from her third album "Heroes and Thieves". I think this is a very open-minded video, not discriminating the third gender. However, this may be NSFW or NSFK. She looks better in this video than in all her other videos. Video behind the cut.

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::Start Copy Here::
Rule:
1. Copy from ::Start Copy Here:: through ::End Copy Here::.
2. Add your blog to the list. Feel free to add all your other blogs. Just make sure to post this to each of the blog you added in the list.
3. Tag other online friends you know.You don’t need to be tag in order to join. If you want to join just post this one in your blog.
4. Let me know your blog’s name and url by leaving me a comment HERE. I will add you to the master list.That way, everyone is happy and can meet new friends too!
5. Come back once in a while to get the master list! Let’s see how this makes our Technorati and PR goes up!
6. DO NOT REMOVE THIS: scrap page made by Yen. Using alphas and tapes from Kate H., flowers from Ida,paper by Catrine.

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Boston leads series, 2-1.

Their first road win of the postseason couldn't have happened at a better time.

After six straight road losses in two consecutive series, the Boston Celtics finally snatched one away from home, with a 94-80 win in Detroit. Thanks to a solid contribution from the Big Three, whose points totaled half of the team's points, and 12 points each from Rondo, Posey, and Perkins, the Celtics led most of the way, if not the whole game[didn't see the whole game. woke up late].

Yeah. I underestimated the Celtics mystique once again. Probably, because of Ray Allen's passive performance throughout the playoffs, the Big Three seems to be reduced to a mere tandem of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, with Allen just an auxiliary shooter. But signs of aggressiveness from him in the past two games make me think again.

Maybe the Celtics-Lakers match-up almost everybody's been dreaming about would happen after all. The Celtics just have to protect their homecourt[again] now that they've regained their advantage. But can they keep it up against the ever-resilient Pistons?

The Celtics led by 18 at halftime, according to Yahoo! Sports, but when I woke up and turned the TV on, the Pistons were on a run. Series of plays late in the fourth, including a steal by Tayshaun Prince, followed by a three by Chauncey Billups and a dunk by Prince, brought the Pistons to within 9. I thought they were gonna make a huge comeback, as the Celtics seemed rattled, missing free throws and turning the ball over, but thanks to Rodney Stuckey's ill-advised shots, and an in-and-out miss by Billups from downtown, the win was sealed. Still, they didn't lose without a giving the Celtics a fight, did they?

The Pistons should bounce back and try to win the next one at the Garden, I expect them to really be on fire this time.

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The Lakers are up 2-0, thanks to a 101-71 win.

If they win the next game in San Antonio, it's a wrap. The Spurs should look to fight back, being the champions that they are. However, they're not against the Hornets anymore, and judging the way they played today, they must have lost a lot of energy in the last series. The series where they came back from the same 0-2 hole. They may not have enough energy to pull off the same feat anymore.

The Lakers, on the other hand, have the MVP, and the best support cast in the world. They also had all the rest they could ask for. This series is turning out to be shorter than expected.


The Celtics-Pistons series is tied at 1-1, after the Pistons ended the Celtics' home winning streak yesterday. It may not look so bad, but it's very scary for Boston, who has yet to win a road game. Because now, they have to.

The Celtics are 0-6 on the road, as they have been relying on their home crowd to win games. Two consecutive series of luck at home is all they could get. Maybe they were hoping to do the same thing until they reach the finals, but not here. Not now.

Not against the Pistons.

Their string of luck ends here, and now, they are the ones at a disadvantage. The road woes will stay, unless they win in Detroit. Game 3 is very crucial, and the Detroit fans should be on fire. I expect the Celtics to try and win this game, but fall short. They need Ray Allen to continue his newfound stroke, and to keep out of foul trouble, as Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce will still be their normal 25-point selves.

Detroit is a playoff-tested team, while no one can take away the fact that although Boston is a very hungry team, they are still inexperienced. The Pistons have seen the hole in that Celtics greatness, and will be looking to take full advantage of it. Pistons in 7.

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I watched it partially on Rock Myx, so the first thing I did today was to watch the full vid on youtube. I like to think they're the female Taking Back Sunday, without the overly emo lyrics and with a bit more of a pop sensibility. I can just ogle at Hayley Williams for days in this video. I wonder what her natural hair color is. I'm guessing black. But I'm a sucker for girls who dye their hair red. The video appears when you click "Read More".

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Four teams. Four strong teams.

Two teams vying for the East. Two for the West.

Gone are the flashy one-man teams, as well as the youthful inexperienced ones.

It's all about toughness now. Experience. Killer instinct.

See who's in and who's out.



The San Antonio Spurs are up against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Lakers lead series, 1-0.

The Lakers just won a while ago in a low-scoring but exciting game. The Spurs, coming from a close victory in New Orleans last Tuesday, blew a 20-point lead in the second half, thanks to Bryant's heroics. Bryant, who performed when his team needed him most, and in front of his home crowd, scored 25 of his 27 in the second half, including a go-ahead jumper that clinched the come-from-behind win. Kobe also had 9 assists, 5 in the first half, when, according to Gregg Popovich, Kobe did a "trust-his-teammates thing" and came out unsuccessful.

Emdyey's say: This is a classic match-up between two teams that won seven of the last nine championships. The Spurs are not strangers to this territory, as opposed to the Lakers who only have three players with Western Conference Finals experience, namely: Bryant, Fisher, and Walton. Gasol and Odom haven't reached this plateau playing for their former teams.

Experience will be a big factor, but the revitalized Lakers and an inspired Kobe Bryant should be too much for the San Antonio Spurs, who almost fell for the young New Orleans Hornets. I expect this to be a close match-up, though, as both teams, especially the Lakers, shall be looking to protect their homecourt. The Spurs, however, need to steal one in Los Angeles. The teams may not be evenly matched-up against each other, but homecourt advantage is on the Lakers' side. Lakers in 7.

The Boston Celtics face East Finals veterans Detroit Pistons.
Celtics lead series, 1-0.

Fatigued or not, the team with the best record delivered once again in their homecourt.

The Celtics go up 8-0 in the Boston Garden, as they defeated the Detroit Pistons in the first game of the East Finals. As expected, it was a low-scoring, defensive oriented game. Both teams are known for their tough, and sometimes dirty, defense. Kevin Garnett lead the Celtics with 26, Paul Pierce with 22, and sophomore point guard Rajon Rondo outplayed 2004 Finals MVP Chauncey Billups, pouring 7 of his 11 in the fourth quarter. The Celtics, coming off a Game 7 victory, got just a day's rest. On the other hand, the Pistons had a week to prepare. Go figure.

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This nomination was "different". The housemates all sat in the living room, blindfolded, away from each other. Mariel selects a teen to take off his/her blindfold and place a 2-point/1-point medallion on the housemate they nominated earlier.

WTF?!? What happened to the non-blindfolded nomination that was oh-so-tense and added to all the conflict inside the house? I guess they don't want any destructive conflicts ala-Wendy Valdez back in PBB Regular Edition Season 2. This nomination is oh-so-sissy.

Nominated are:

Rona - She is nominated because of her commanding attitude that kinda scares off some of the other housemates.

Robi - He is nominated because he is well-off in life and because he is a tough contender for the title of Big Winner.

Who goes home?
It's a very tight one, though I'm thinking there's a bigger chance of Rona being eliminated. I refuse to vote on this one.

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It was a very interesting night, with all the conflicts in the WWE settled via high-energy matches. Here are the results of this year's Judgment Day.

• John Cena defeats JBL via a surprise FU, despite having his injured arm tortured by JBL throughout the match.
• 
  John Morrison and The Miz defeat Kane and CM Punk to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship. CM Punk was pinned via the Moonlight Drive of Morrison.
• 
  Shawn Michaels defeats Chris Jericho after countering the Walls of Jericho and turning it into a straddle pin. Shawn Michaels shook hands with Chris Jericho after the match.
• 
  Mickie James defeated Beth Phoenix and Melina in a Triple Threat match to retain the WWE Women's Championship. Mickie pinned Melina after a Mickie-DT. Nice double backbreaker by Beth Phoenix against the two near the end of this match.


• Undertaker defeats Edge via count-out. However, GM Vickie Guerrero interrupted the announcement of the champion to declare that the World Heavyweight Championship is still vacant, stating that the championship can only be won via pinfall or submission. Undertaker then attacks Edge with a Tombstone. Come on. This is gotta be the most ridiculous overturning of a decision ever. It is known that the championship cannot be won via DQ ONLY WHEN there is a defending champion. In this case there is none. Way to go, Vickie.


• Jeff Hardy defeated MVP via Whisper in the Wind. Such VIP attitude, MVP. You're going down. Hehe.


• Triple H defeats Randy Orton via Pedigree and pinfall in the Steel Cage Match to retain the WWE Championship. Quite a match, so many attempts to bail out of the cage. Triple H proves that he has what it takes to be the WWE Champion. The Age of Orton may might as well be over. Nice use of the steel chair to your advantage, Triple H.

Match of the Night goes to the Undertaker and Edge's battle for the World Heavyweight Championship. Despite the annoyance by Vickie Guerrero at the end, the match was exhilirating.

I give this event a grade of B.

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Beating out three female guardians and garnering a whopping 65% of the total text votes, Ejay's dad won 500,000 pesos and the title of first-ever PBB Teen Edition Plus Guardian Big Winner. The Guardian Big Night was held last night.

Coming in second is Alex's mom Minda with 16% of the total votes. Third and fourth are Nicole's mom Sandy and Nan's mom My Love, respectively.
Erning's humility and simple charm earned the respect of his fellow guardians and also of the teen housemates. His love for his son Ejay, whom he found out to not be his real son, endeared him to the viewers.

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Visit this site. My personal site! Hitik.

Oh. By the way, I answered some questions in Yahoo! Answers. I'm At 15 there. Felt like answering some NBA questions. Feel free to comment, and maybe answer the questions too. =P

Who would the Lakers & Pistons rather face in the Conference Finals?

Who will win tomorrow night's Game 7 Hornets vs. Spurs, and why?

If the miami heat will be no.1 in the 2008 draft and they pick michael beasly,can they make a big improvement? (Shouldn't that be Michael Beasley?)

Who will win the celtics -caviliers game? (Yeah, I know.)

Just felt like sharing. It's fun answering questions. You should try it. =)

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Cavs, Spurs force Game 7, as they hang on the knife's edge. Lakers edge Jazz in a close Game 6 to advance to West Finals.


Spurs big three scores at least 15 points each, sweep Hornets at home. Winless on the road though, they go back to New Orleans for a rubber match to cap this very memorable series.


LeBron's 32 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and made free-throws lifts Cavs at home. A key three by Szczerbiak with over two minutes left, and two free-throws by Joe Smith finished the Celtics off.


The Lakers knock the Jazz out by three points. 108-105. It started as a blowout, the Lakers led by 19 at the half, and it seemed as if it was destined to be a blowout. Until Deron Williams started a Jazz run in the late fourth quarter with a wild magic shot, followed by a series of dishes for a speeding Millsap and a hot three-point happy Okur that eventually brought it to within seven. With Boozer out of the game, the Jazz held on to their defense and their three-point shooting. A block on Kobe shared by Kirilenko and Millsap gave the Jazz a running start, leading to a Kirilenko three on the other end that brought them to within four.

Then the Jazz managed the clock wisely, fouling quickly and answering back.

Until Fisher missed a free-throw. The Jazz started running. They had the chance to tie it up, but Okur and Williams missed at the other end.

And that was it. Done. Period.

The Jazz gave a good fight, but the Lakers were just meant to win. Nice job by Kobe, by the way. He scored ten straight at one point in the fourth. Very huge. And now they go back to a place they haven't been in since the 04-05 season, with a line-up that's much youthful and revitalized, and most importantly, Kobe Bryant performing like a real MVP.


That's all for now. Until next time. [Thanks to Yahoo! Sports for the image up there] =)

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I watch Pinoy Big Brother regularly, but I feel too lazy to post aout it. There are just so many things to say. I think i'll just be providing short comments. By the way, I found out a site where you can watch episodes you may have missed. Here

PBB Teen Edition Plus

What's Up:

Shy and Andy, two "houseplayers" just exited voluntarily. Too bad. They are fun to watch, yet they couldn't take the pressure. Mikan is the only houseplayer left. He's so fun, he should have been a housemate.

Weekly task: Training with the Philippine Air Force. I thought it was too easy. Just 100 merits? They already got it one day before the deadline.

Who's nominated?

Beauty - I'm voting for her. Her cute mannerisms add energy to the house. Also, she's for real.

Nicole - Why does this girl have many fans? We all know she has some issues. I think she needs to go, so Josef won't be oh-so-lonely after his girlfriend broke up with him (he said he found out about it on her blog).

Priscilla - She was a dark horse at the start, but houseplayer Shy "revealed" her true colors. At least now we know she's not perfect.

Guardian Big Four:

Erning, Ejay's Dad: I'm voting for him. He's the most natural of them all. His love for his son (he's not the real father, though), really shows. Besides, he really needs the money, for his family.

Minda, Alex's Mom: Uh, not too much to say. However, she had some camera time. And she's funny sometimes.

My Love, Nan's Mom: Why is her name like that again? Her chemistry with her son is quite good.

Sandy, Nicole's Mom: Her disciplining Nicole earned her a lot of respect. For that reason alone, she deserves at least 2nd place.

Who's going home? Maybe Priscilla, but if it's Nicole, I'd be glad.
Who wins Guardian Big Winner? Erning, I hope.

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Three teams go up 3-2 against their opponents. Pistons advance to their sixth straight East finals.
In the remaining games of the second round, it's gonna be all about knockout punches. You see Muhammad Ali here pwning his opponent. I see the Hornets, Celtics, and Lakers doing the same to theirs. (image from: monroegallery.com)

It has been an interesting week. How much more interesting can it get? I mean, you don't often see defending champions get beaten by absolute first timers, and the Boston-Cleveland series is as complicated as ever. The Lakers-Jazz series is a classic in the making, provided the Jazz pushes it to a game 7. Anyway, here's what hap-unned.



Whoop-dee-doo.

Celtics go up 3-2 despite James 35.

It's when LeBron picked up the slack that his team lost.

Many will say it's a lucky win for the C's, since they were down by at most 14 in the first half. But for me, this just shows how resilient this team is, how strong they are at home, and how much the Cavs have to improve to be real contenders. LeBron had a good game actually, finally getting out of his four-game slump to shoot 12-25, but the whole team missed 13 free throws, and apparently, the whole team found themselves watching James and West, who scored 21, as they try to carry them to what would've been a huge win. Szczerbiak is the only other Cavalier to score in double digits.

You have to give lots of credit to the Celtics, though. Garnett and sophie hotshot Rondo was hot. Winless in the road or not, they're a great team. And so is their legacy.

So maybe, you can't blame the Cavs for being outwilled by a new team living up to their franchise's prestige, and in their very historic homecourt. Plus, the C's are really good when they're working together and not Sam Cassell-ing.

But it's still a wasted chance. Wasteeeed.


Stiff but sagely Bryant lifts Lakers to 3-2 lead.
An MVP doesn't have to carry his team on his shoulders all the time. He can simply jumpstart his team, back off, and let them do the rest. It takes a lot of trust to do that, and the wisdom of a great player to know when and how. And in Game 5, Kobe Bryant gave more proof that he wasn't just good, he was great. And no, yeah, it wasn't through his scoring.

Kobe shot 6-10 in the first three quarters, enough to boost his team and let him take the backseat in the fourth quarter, where he didn't attempt a single shot and just scored 3 on free-throws.

And they won. Won. Now they head back to Utah, where they've struggled for years, looking to finish the series, and be in the West Finals after a pretty long time. If the Lakers' role players step up again, with Kobe limited, they can win the next game and advance.

Hornets-Spurs? 3-2.
A game after losing two straight games in San Antonio, after hearing thousands of forecasts going against them being a young and inexperienced team, David West and Chris Paul showed Dallas wasn't actually that bad.

I mean, the Spurs are losing to this surprise team. So Dallas might've stood a chance against them, if it weren't for, well, the Hornets.

David West has a penchant for subtlety, and greatness. If you can't call having 38 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 blocks, against the champs, matched-up with arguably the best power forward in the league, in a playoff game, and still remaining unnoticed, subtle greatness, I don't know. On the same page, Chris Paul has had his way with miracles, and he definitely will try to make one happen now. Looking forward for the knock out punch.

Detroit wins, what else is new?

For the sixth straight season, the Pistons have been in the East Finals, yet they won only one championship. They are definitely stronger than ever, almost sweeping the Magic, with the help of their trusty tested starters and their young and energetic bench. The East has been weak for some seasons now, yet the Pistons advanced to the Finals only twice. I don't expect them to match up well with the Celtics or the Cavs.


That's all for now. Spurs-Hornets game next..

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It's neck and neck as the top three battle it out for the two slots in the finale. Each finalist sang three songs-- one chosen by a judge, one chosen by him/herself, and one chosen by Nigel Lythgoe.


David A

Paula's Choice: "And So It Goes" (Billy Joel)

God, I'm tired of his style, but performance wise, it's okay.

His Choice: "With You" (Chris Brown)

Bad, bad song choice. Why would you sing that song? It really sucks. Damn. Randy even said, "you singing 'my boo', i didn't believe it". Simon said, "it's not quite you'. Perfect.

Nigel's Choice: "Longer" (Dan Fogelberg)

A better performance from him. It's better for him when he sings this way, but is he all just "ballad"?

-------------

Syesha

Randy's Choice: "If I Ain't Got You" (Alicia Keys)

Cliché. Nothing new. I've heard that song sung a million times by a million other contestants. Stop please.

Her Choice: "Fever" (Peggy Lee)

Another cliché song. But I appreciate her effort to be sexy, as it did help her stage presence. Thanks to the stand-up bassist for adding to the energy up there. Simon said "cabaret", I said "oh yeah".

Nigel's Choice: "Hit Me Up" (Gia Farrell)

Good stage presence, but this performance says "I'm another one of those black singers who sing while moving their head from side to side". This is not gonna help her chances tomorrow.

David C

Simon's Choice: "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" (Roberta Flack)

Slow pick up at the start, but it gets better at the end.

His Choice: "Dare You To Move" (Switchfoot)

Too short, but it's all the arrangement I can do. Nice rose on the guitar. Hm, it's an okay song for me.

Nigel's Choice: "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" (Aerosmith)

Didn't Paula predict Bo would be in the top 2 back in season 4? She says "David, see you in the finals". That says it all.

Performance of the Night:

David Cook - I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing


Who Goes Home?

It's a cliché, Syesha may go home, most likely.

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Hackosphere: Blogger hack: Expandable posts with Peekaboo view

Your blog's main page usually shows the entire content of each post. If your posts are usually more than 2 paragraphs, then your visitor will find it difficult to quickly find the topic of interest to him because he needs to scroll down a lot. This is where expandable post summaries helped in the old Blogger. This hack serves the same purpose for the new Blogger and more! That is, main page will show only post summaries and when you click "Read more", the full post appears in the main page itself (Peekaboo view)!!

This is taken from a blog called Hackosphere. I will now get this to work on my site as seen in this post. This must be one of the most used scripts in blogs, and I'm glad I found it.

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Yeah. You heard it right.

It may not be Mark Caguioa being signed by Toronto Raptors, or Ritualo by the Nets, or anywhere similar to the Hornets drafting Abbarientos, but it's as close as we could get right now. The 37-year-old Erik Spoelstra being the Miami Heat head coach after Pat Riley's retirement, that is.

The dude is Filipino, and Riley and the team likes him a lot, as he came from rock bottom as well. Having spent 13 years in the Heat's coaching staff, he has gained a lot of respect in the team, and in the league. Sign a Filipino player dude! The Heat could get some international players in this rebuilding phase around Wade, Marion, and their 2008 draft pick, hopefully Michael Beasley. Anyway, cool!

More here on ESPN.

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Philippine Science High School student Gian Karlo Dapul wins in the English Speaking Union International Public Speaking Competition (ESU ISPC) after delivering a speech entitled "Fish Mucus and Foot Fungus", about the impact and the still unfulfilled potential of research in the Philippines today. Dapul made it to the finals after making the short list of four in the semifinals out of nine speakers.

The competition was open to all Filipino students age 16 to 20, enrolled in any high school or college. The participants were asked to prepare a speech based on the theme New Horizons, New Frontiers. After speaking uninterrupted for five minutes, the panel or members of the audience then asked the speaker questions related to the speech.

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At first look, it seemed as if it's gonna be a quick second round, that upsets were about to happen and clichés looming once again. Apparently, it's not happening. And the role home court advantage is playing in this year's playoffs is getting clearer and clearer. As the series near their pivotal stages, teams and players are still trying to figure out a lot of things. The next games are pretty much do-or-die now.


Boston vs. Cleveland
Boston leads series, 2-1.

This series is a match-up between the best defensive team in the NBA, against this season's top scorer. So far, Boston still hasn't won any road game, and King James has been shooting bricks in three straight games. Whoever gets out of their slump first should have one of the Eastern Conference Finals slots. Boston just has to hold on to their most coveted home court advantage though, while Cleveland has to protect home court and steal one in the Boston Garden to get a chance. The Cavs might win the next game, but once the game goes back to the Garden, momentum should favor the C's. Boston in 6. Sorry LBJ fans.

Detroit vs. Orlando
Detroit leads series, 3-1.

The playoff-tested Pistons should rip the young and inexperienced Magic in this one. These cold-hearted, tough-minded, and hard-headed veterans are looking for their second championship in four years, and they would settle for a close victory, or even a controversial win just to close it out. With Billups out indefinitely due to a hamstring injury, the Pistons were still able to finish Game 4 with a victory, thanks to the Magic's inconsistencies. Expect them to close the series out next game. Detroit in 5. Not yet Howard's time. Maybe next season.

Los Angeles vs. Utah
Series tied, 2-2.

The Lakers were on a six-game playoff winning streak entering the third game of the series.

And then they lost. Two games in a row. Though both those games were held in Utah, it brings a tough question to the Los Angeles vicinity, and to the MVP's mettle: Can Kobe and the Lakers bounce back at home? If not, they'll be down 3-2, and might end up losing the thing, succumbing to a very huge upset. However, the Lakers have this great history of performing under pressure, most especially Kobe. The Jazz has a legacy for never winning when it mattered. Will the teams live up to their dynasties' reputation, or will the Jazz steal this one from Kobe?

I have the Lakers winning this one in seven games.

New Orleans vs. San Antonio
Series tied, 2-2.

The defending champions were in a deep hole coming into Game 3. Buzzes of an upset were hounding them, as the young and hungry Hornets were seemingly unbeatable.

And then, they fought back. Spurs style.

Or maybe, not really. It was their first time being down 0-2, and they responded valiantly, as expected. With Parker leading the charge, the Spurs neutralized Chris Paul's superb plays by limiting his teammates' performance. That gave them two lopsided victories, which knotted things up coming into New Orleans. And now momentum is on their side. Expect the stingy Hornets to come back fired up and try to save their wonderful season, in front of their home crowd. So it's actually down to home court advantage again, and I expect the Hornets to capitalize. Hornets in 7.

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The video first:



I really hate to do this, since I'm a fan of Jen, ever since her Starstruck days. I even met her when she was still promoting her debut album, Living the Dream. Patrick Garcia, you wasted her! Look at how lame this song is.

A cover song is supposed to be comparable to, or even greater than, or in a different style from the original. This is a lame duet version of the Leann Rimes version of this song. The changes in the melody were inappropriate. Maybe they're trying not to strain Jen, but come on, sacrificing the entire song? I don't think so. I think the high notes in the "ever survive" part should have been retained, because the bulk of the song's emotions depend on those glory notes. And look at Janno's expression somewhere in the video, while she's touching Jen--it's like, "eew, people know she's pregnant yet they expect me to act as if I'm her lover? eeew". Come on, Jen, don't overwork yourself. Get some rest.

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In the West, where West Side Sorries exist.

Dallas and Phoenix, that is. These well known rivals tried to shake up their line-up in their hopes of getting a ring this season. Both gambled a lot: Dallas lost its future by giving away Devin Harris and future first round picks for veteran Jason Kidd, while Phoenix gave up their philosophy by trading speedy Marion for a slow and aged O'Neal. Both of them got knocked out in the first round. And now, they're looking for some major changes to mend their losing ways. They may have been the best teams in the NBA at some point, but they just can't bring it to the playoffs. Hard luck. But things happen.

And maybe hard luck has fallen on the Spurs' heads too.

Paul, West, and Stojakovic fuel New Orleans to 2-0 lead over defending champs.

The Hornets are this season's biggest surprises. They made no major change in their line-up. They just avoided injuries, and worked on executing plays with Paul leading the way. In a tightly-contested Western Conference, they were able to snatch second place. Almost the first place, actually.

And now, they have the defending champions San Antonio Spurs in a big hole, winning two games at home, both by large margins. If they win in Texas , it's practically a series unless some miracle happens. Most likely not, though. This hungry young Hornets team is poised to knock out the defending champs, with MVP runner-up Chris Paul performing like Magic, David West and unshaven Peja Stojakovic bringing their A-game, and with the Coach of the Year Byron Scott, the Spurs' experience might not be able to save them this time.

From the look of this series, and with the way the Hornets are doing, they are in pace for a championship. If they succeed, it'll be a modern day phenomenon.

On the other side of the bracket, the Lakers are off to a great start, especially Bryant.

Lakers draw first blood against Jazz, Kobe awarded "M-V-P".

Do I have to say anything here? The Lakers are on a roll. They have yet to lose in the playoffs, and in these five solid wins Kobe Bryant was on the top of his game, proving the skeptics wrong, and maybe this notion(though it's a little outdated) right.


News Flesh.

LeBron's near quadruple-double leads the Cavs to a loss in Boston. 12 points on 2-of-18 shooting, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, and 10 huge turnovers. Boston is now up 1-0. So much for a well rested LeBron. Three superstars are better than one this time. But LeBron is LeBron, maybe he'll bounce back, maybe he won't. Watch out.

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Brooke was eliminated last week. Too bad, but we all saw it coming, didn't we?

Theme: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Greatest Rock and Roll Songs of All Time


David C - "Baba O'Riley" & "Hungry Like the Wolf"

I think: 1st song. He mumbles the words. Bad opening number for him. 2nd song. Nice buildup, nice Daughtry-like arrangement, good comeback.

Syesha - "Proud Mary" & "A Change is Gonna Come"

I think: 1st song. The choreography was good, but she's no Tina Turner. Kind of a Broadway performance for me, but okay nonetheless. 2nd song. Nice vocals, great range, but the arrangement is quite boring for me. Why did she cry? Maybe because she knows she may go home the next day.

Jason - "I Shot the Sheriff" & "Mr. Tambourine Man"

I think: 1st song. Nice moves there man. Kinda awkward, but fun to watch. Vocals? He's in his element here. Why did the judges keep bashing him? Maybe because he didn't go home last week. "I was thinking Bob Marley!" was the best retort I have heard from him, when Simon asked him "What were you thinking?"
2nd song. When he forgot the lyrics and hummed instead, I thought that was part of the song. But all in all, I really liked it. He went for the singer-songwriter style again, which is his niche. To hell with Simon and Randy for bashing him.

David A - "Stand By Me" & "Love Me Tender"

I think: 1st song. He put too much runs, some of which are off-key, to the song. Some notes were off, and the ending was quite painful. And Randy calls it hot? Come on. 2nd song.

Performance of the night goes to:

Jason - I Shot the Sheriff. He deserves this. I really liked his performance.




Who goes home? Jason most likely. In fact I accidentally saw the result at the VFTW site (as of May 8, Philippine time). Too bad.

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My favorite video of the moment. Even if this is overplayed on MTv and Myx, I don't care. I just can't seem to get tired of it. Quark Henares makes the coolest videos nowadays. Loved the colors and "the moves" in this one.

From youtube:

debut single off of the new Sandwich album, "S Marks The Spot"
directed by quark henares
lensed by ja tadena
designed by christina dy
art directed by gino nacianceno
styled by jeck cogama and hannah kim
edited and graded by edsel abesames
motion graphics by nico puertollano
line produced by mads adrias
housed by furball
produced by emi records

The video:

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Emmy Rossum. You've seen her sing the high notes on Phantom of the Opera, brave the end of the world in The Day After Tomorrow, and escape from a sinking ship in Poseidon. The young and talented actress is also a singer-songwriter. I'll review her album "Inside Out" later. This video is the carrier single from her album. The great video editing, along with the cool hundred-voice-layered song (she says this on her official site), makes this a great audiovisual experience. Experience Emmy like never before.

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In the East, where upsets happen... Not quite.

The Celtics almost fell for the younger, higher-flying Hawks. And now they face LeBron.

When the Hawks won Games 3 and 4 at home and tied the series at 2-2, they made it a series instead of a formality. We might have expected them more to be swept by the Celts, and least expected them to push the best team in the league to a Game 7, but they did the unexpected. The Celtics' weaknesses displayed were also unexpected. The Hawks made the Celtics look old and extremely reliant on their home court advantage, because even though the Celtics capped the series with a 99-65 win on Monday night(Tuesday morning in the Philippines), they never won a game in Atlanta. And what do you know? One day after the clincher, a tired and shocked Boston Celtics team will face a well-rested LeBron James and the Cavaliers. Second round starts for the two teams later.

Emdyey's say: If the Cavs are able to steal the first game later, they have a greater chance of exploiting the Celtics' road game woes. It's all about home court advantage now, or maybe better, road games. LeBron might give the Celtics a hard time defending, or it could go the other way. LeBron has proven a lot in playoff games, but this would be his ultimate chance to turn nonbelievers into die-hard fans. A very exciting match-up, where the team with one of the top three players clashes against the best team in the league.

Detroit exploits clock and ruling mistakes to make it 2-0.

Rules, rules, rules. Every rule should be essential to a game like each letter is in a keyboard, but one rule in the NBA could lead to its undoing. And whoever saw the Detroit-Orlando game on Monday, should know what it is.

With 5.1 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, Chauncey Billups dribbled to the top of the key, passed the ball, got it back and shot a three at the buzzer. But the clock freezed at the 4.8 second mark, and according to clocked replays, it took him more than 5.1 seconds to make that shot. It counted though, as the officials weren't allowed to refer to these replays. So they had to make a decision using a video, showing Billups draining the three before the buzzer. The video, which was also showing a bad clock. So yeah, it counted.

The Pistons won it 100-93, with Billups' free throws sealing it with 11 seconds to play. Game 3 is Wednesday in Orlando. The Pistons won 4-2 against the Sixers in the first round, where a sweep was also expected.

Emdyey's say: The Magic commited a lot of turnovers during the game, so we couldn't blame one wrong call for the outcome of the game. But in a game where every point counts, these officials should do better. The rules just doesn't make sense.


Western Conference, next.

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Found this site

It's a great find for songwriters like me who have so many ideas for songs but do not know where to put them. I'm currently exploring the site.

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Here is a great, yet seemingly controversial video from a very in-demand Filipino band, Urbandub, directed by a seemingly controversial, but very talented young director. From the album Under Southern Lights.

Loved the story, loved the editing, and loved the ending. Broootal! for a seemingly romantic song. Nope, it's a bitter love song.

From youtube:

directed by quark henares
photographed by pong ignacio
edited and colored by bernard dacanay
designed by christina dy
produced by adi lopez
assistant directed by mihk vergara
art directed by king palisoc with harold soon
assistant camera by mackie galvez
housed by prod madnezz
starring iza calzado
and introducing ryan eigenmann in his first dramatic role

Here's the Video. WARNING: May not be safe for work or for kids! NSFW! NSFK!

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I liked Nancy Castiglione. Back then. When she was an actress. Yes, she was petite and pretty and prim and proper with a maldita side to her. So when I heard she was becoming a singer, I said, "Now that's interesting". I was wrong. I was so wrong. I don't know, but I saw her video first. I realized that's a bad way to be introduced to her "music". Then I had to go through the agonizing task of watching her in the Myx Music Awards 2008. Oh God. "Dance diva"?!?!? You call raising your hands "dancing"? And the song, isn't it a Kylie Minogue song? Please tell me

See for yourself. The original mix and the live version.
Even Dense Modesto can't save her. Please go back to acting. Please?

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