Steve Nash Crosses Up the Defense against Spurs in Game 1

Kobe's Tough Shot Against Utah (Game 1)

LeBron James Named MVP

AKRON (AP) -- LeBron James won his second straight NBA MVP award Sunday, dominating the voting just as he dominated on court all season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers star received 116 of a possible 123 first-place votes to win in a landslide over Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant. Durant was picked first on four ballots and Orlando center Dwight Howard, who finished fourth, received the other three first-place votes.

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant had no first-place votes and finished third.

Voting was done by a nationwide panel of sports writers and broadcasters, and this year one ballot was cast by fans in an online vote. Players were awarded 10 points for first, seven points for second, five for third, three for fourth and one for fifth.

James finished with 1,205 points, nearly doubling Durant (609). His margin of victory is the second largest in history, topped by only teammate Shaquille O'Neal, who by 799 points in 2000.

James is the 10th player to win the award in consecutive seasons, joining Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan and Steve Nash. Russell, Chamberlain and Bird won it three times in a row.

"I never imagined I would be on a list with names like that," James said. "Those are players I always looked up to when I was a kid."

For the second straight year, James accepted the Maurice Podoloff Trophy in his hometown of Akron.

Last May, he returned to St. Vincent-St. Mary High School and received the award in the quaint gymnasium in front of family, friends and the student body. He chose a larger but still familiar stage this year, opting for Rhodes Arena on the campus of the University of Akron.

As James' popularity soared as a prep star, his high school moved many of its games to Rhodes to accommodate overflow crowds and a growing media contingent interested in his story.

The ceremony was open to the public, and fans, many of them wearing an assortment of No. 23 James jerseys, stood in line for hours for their chance to witness yet another coronation of Ohio's basketball king.

"Akron Ohio is my home," he said to loud cheers. "Akron Ohio is my life and I love this city."

More than 3,000 fans chanted "M-V-P" when James finally walked on stage to accept his award. He was later joined on the podium by his teammates, each of whom congratulated him with a hug before surrounding him as he completed his acceptance speech.

James led the Cavaliers to 61 regular-season wins. He averaged 29.7 points, 8.6 assists and 7.3 rebounds.

Source: NBA.com

Watch the interview here: ESPN

Samsung UN55C8000

Samsung UN55C8000

THE GOOD: Better black levels than other edge-lit sets; accurate color with linear grayscale; numerous picture controls and tweaks; sleek styling with inch-deep panel; superb streaming and widget content via well-integrated Apps platform; 3D compatible; 2D to 3D conversion system works better than expected.

THE BAD: Extremely expensive; subpar uniformity and off-angle viewing; lighter black levels than full-array local-dimming sets; black areas tinged bluer; doesn't handle 1080p/24 content properly; 3D exhibited ghost images along edges (crosstalk); does not include 3D glasses; terrible remote.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Its 3D is still a work in progress and its 2D picture quality comes up short of the best available, but the high-end Samsung UNC8000 series still offers superb features, solid performance, and unique style.

Among HDTVs we've reviewed, the UNC8000 series is the first 3D TV, the first edge-lit LED-based LCD with local dimming, and the first example of Samsung's Apps for TV platform. It has the company's best LCD picture quality specs for 2010, packs in more features than ever before, and yet manages to measure just under an inch thick. As you can imagine, it doesn't come cheap.

The verdict? We haven't been able to compare the Samsung UNC8000 to any other 3D TVs in the lab, and until we do, our evaluation has more caveats than an ad for allergy medication. That said, 3D on this TV (with this firmware version), though definitely an impressive technology demonstration, won't satisfy videophiles, and at times even made us feel queasy. We'll take 2D Blu-ray for now, thank you, although we're interested to see how non-animated 3D Blu-ray content looks on this set.

Speaking of comparisons, in 2D mode the UNC8000 had a hard time keeping up with the better local-dimming LED-based LCD TVs available, although it does own the edge-lit crown for now. The Apps platform is probably the company's biggest win on this set, proving to be well-integrated, snappy, and chock full of useful content. Of course, it's also available on plenty of cheaper Samsung TVs. All told, despite its cutting-edge features and design, the high-end UNC8000 left us wanting better picture quality to justify its high price.

Series information: We performed a hands-on evaluation of the 55-inch member of the Samsung UNC8000 series, but this review also applies to the other screen sizes in the series. All sizes have identical specs and should provide very similar picture quality.

Source: cnet

Google TV to be announced in May

Google is trying to bring the Web to your living room.

The search engine giant plans next month to unveil a new software package to help developers better display the internet on TV sets, according to the Wall Street Journal, which quotes unnamed sources familiar with the announcement.

Google TV, an android-based software platform, has drawn interest from TV makers, the Journal says.

Google is expected to break the news at the Google's I/O conference, which will be held May 19 and 20 in San Francisco, California, the newspaper reports.

At the conference, Sony also will announce a TV that runs an Intel chip and Google's software, Bloomberg reports.

In an e-mail to CNN, a Google spokesman declined to comment, saying, "We don't comment on rumor or speculation."

This comes as the idea of "connected TV," or television sets that let people browse the Web for video, news stories, video conferencing and to stream music, continues to get a push from electronics and internet companies.

A number of companies are developing apps, or software programs, that format the Web for optimal viewing on TV sets. Some are creating hardware to help with the transition, too.

source: scitechblog

Aquino poised to become Philippine president

MANILA - The Philippines' presidential election campaign enters its final phase this week with surveys showing Benigno Aquino headed for an historic win, but tensions remain high with fears of cheating and violence.
Aquino has deftly capitalized on the legacy of his democracy hero parents by promising to fight corruption, following 9 years of rule under President Arroyo that have been marred by allegations of massive graft.
"People want somebody they can trust and to clean up the mess Mrs Arroyo will leave behind," said Ramon Casiple, a political analyst and executive director of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reform.
"Noynoy Aquino is headed for a landslide win, based on all the major surveys."
Nevertheless, with just over a week to go before the May 10 elections, one of Asia's most vibrant democracies remains capable of conjuring up all manner of surprises.
Ex-movie star Joseph Estrada insists he can pull off what would be one of the country's greatest political comebacks, after he was deposed as president in 2001 amid charges of massive corruption for which he was later convicted.
While Aquino has 39 percent support, according to a Pulse Asia opinion poll released last week, Estrada's numbers have climbed to 20 percent to place him in a tie for second place alongside business titan Manny Villar.
"They (his rivals) will get the surprise of their lives," Estrada, 73, said after the Pulse Asia survey was released.
Villar, meanwhile, has pointed to his formidable political machinery across the nation as a major reason why he should still not be discounted.
One of the ominous backdrops to the elections is a fear that an automated polling system being used for the first time could fall victim to cheating or technical failures.
About 50 million people are eligible to cast their ballots in more than 80,000 polling stations across this vast archipelago, and critics of the automated system have warned it could be beset by a myriad of problems.
Meanwhile, Aquino has said cheating, and not the legitimate challenge of any rival, is the biggest obstacle between him and victory.
Philippine Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales also said there would be cheating in elections, although he did not identify by whom.
"I'm telling you that the cheating has begun," Gonzales said last week.
Philippine elections have traditionally been characterized by violence, and this campaign season has been no exception.
Thirty-three people have been killed and 31 others wounded in political violence during the official 3-month election campaign, according to national police chief Jesus Verzosa.
This does not include 57 people who were murdered late last year in the southern province of Maguindanao.
The massacre was allegedly carried out by a local Muslim warlord and Arroyo ally who wanted to stamp out the challenge of a political rival.
Aside from the presidency, more than 17,000 posts -- from seats in the national parliament to town councilors -- are up for grabs in the election.
It is typically in the battles for the lower-ranking positions that the violence flares, with politicians seeking to intimidate or eliminate their rivals instead of beating them at the ballot box.
Amid the chaos, the quietly spoken, bespectacled Aquino has sought to portray an air of calm while assuring voters he can deliver on the promise of his famous parents.
Aquino, 50, is the son of Corazon Aquino, who led the "people power" revolution that toppled dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. She then earned a reputation for honesty during 6 years as president.
An outpouring of sympathy following her death from cancer last year propelled her son from low-key senator to presidential frontrunner.
His father, also named Benigno, was shot dead at Manila's airport in 1983 as he tried to return from US exile to fight Marcos's dictatorship, and he remains a revered political martyr.

source: abs-cbnnews

Mayweather says no Pacquiao fight without blood tests

LAS VEGAS - Floyd Mayweather overwhelmed Shane Mosley by unanimous decision to remain unbeaten on Saturday, then vowed he will not fight Manny Pacquiao unless the Filipino star accepts his blood test plan.
Mayweather was staggered early but dominated the last 10 rounds to win by judges' scores of 119-109, 119-109 and 118-110, the 33-year-old American improving to 41-0 while dropping 38-year-old countryman Mosley to 46-6.
"My ultimate goal was to box early and start pressing the attack later in the fight," Mayweather said. "I should have started pressing the attack earlier. Perhaps we could have gotten the knockout."
Mosley was a substitute foe after talks broke down on a mega-fight between Mayweather and unbeaten Philippines hero Pacquiao, who instead fought Ghana's Joshua Clottey on March 13, beating him by unanimous decision in Dallas.
Mayweather insisted on random pre-fight blood tests, beyond typical governing body doping tests, before he would face Pacquiao.
When the Asian star refused, Mayweather broke off talks. Critics said it was Mayweather's way of avoiding a fight against a foe who could beat him, a charge Mayweather denied even though he did not relent on his blood test demand.
"If Manny Pacquiao wants to fight, it's not hard to find me," Mayweather said moments after the victory. "If Manny Pacquiao takes the blood and urine test, we can satisfy all the fans."
But if not?
"We don't got no fight," Mayweather said.
That dealbreaking condition means boxing fans will likely continue to suffer without real hope of seeing the two stars of the era meet in the ring in their pugilistic prime.
Mosley agreed to the tests in order to make the fight with Mayweather happen.
"He done what I asked him to do. He took a blood and urine test," Mayweather said. "If every athlete in the sport of boxing is clean, take the test.
"I want to be on an even playing field. That's all I ask."
When Mosley was asked about the chances for a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, the blood test was foremost in his thoughts.
"If Manny takes the blood test, you'll see him fight Manny," Mosley said.
Mosley, a Maori tribal tatoo adorning his left shoulder, landed a hard right cross early in the 2nd round that staggered Mayweather and followed with several more punches that threatened to end the fight early.
But Mayweather weathered the storm and slowly began to use his speed and skill to seize command.
"That comes with the territory," Mayweather said. "Sometimes you're going to get hit with hard shots. You have to suck it up and keep fighting."
By the 6th round, Mayweather was landing hard rights and getting inside to work on Mosley time after time, dominating all the way to the finish.
"I thought I was going to knock him out sooner or later," Mosley said. "He started being able to avoid the punches. He didn't surprise me. I just couldn't adjust and he adjusted. That's why he won the fight."
Mosley had not fought since a 9th-round stoppage of Antonio Margarito in January of last year.
"I'm happy I took the fight," Mosley said. "I'm happy he gave me the opportunity."
Mayweather declined to fight for Mosley's World Boxing Association welterweight title because he did not wish to surrender 3% of the purse total to the sanctioning body.

source: abs-cbnnews

Truths Spoken by Richard "Dick" Gordon

Earthquake in Naga City

It was 12:47 am on April 30, 2010 when an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.9 happened in South Luzon and Metro Manila.  I personally experienced the strength of the earthquake.  It is so far the strongest earthquake ever felt here in Naga City.  It is felt at intensity III here while in metro manila, specifically in Pasay City, Muntinlupa City and in Quezon Province.  it is felt at intensity II.  

The epicenter is located at Naga City, Camarines Sur, thus resulting the Earthquake to have that intensity here.  There was no immediate reports of accidents, lanslides, destructions.  It's a blessing in disguise having this extreme heat because we happened to evade towns getting buried due to landslide.