We are sorry, the requested page does not exist
‘Margaritaville’ singer Jimmy Buffett dies at 76
American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, best known for his 1977 hit "Margaritaville," has died at age 76, according to a statement on his website. "Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs," the statement said. "He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many." The statement did not include a cause of death. Buffett's classic chill-out anthem "Margaritaville," about beachfront living with a drink in hand, spent 22 weeks on the Billboard chart, and helped launch his decades-long music career and a business empire. Known as the "Mayor of Margaritaville," he released nearly 30 studio albums of country, folk and tropical tunes, and also launched a line of resorts, restaurants and retail stores that capitalized on his laid-back, escapist image. Born December 25, 1946, in the US state of Mississippi and raised in Alabama, Buffett began playing guitar in college and later started performing on the streets and in the clubs of New Orleans, according to his website. He released his first record "Down to Earth" in 1970, and a year later traveled to Key West, Florida, a place that became synonymous with Buffett's paradise-themed music and lifestyle brands. Buffett also penned bestselling books, appeared in movies and on television, and had a brief Broadway run with his musical "Escape to Margaritaville." But his signature song -- and its refrain: "Wastin' away again in Margaritaville, searchin' for my lost shaker of salt" -- is what his legions of fans and beach holidaymakers remember most. "There are people out there looking for a good time for a few days a year," Buffett told Rolling Stone magazine in 1996, referring to his fans, known as "Parrotheads." "We come to town and we're the carnival or the Mardi Gras. People blow off steam and then go back and become basically law-abiding citizens," he said. "But to see them on those two days, you'd go, 'My God, this is the most drunk and boisterous maniac crowd you ever saw!'" "Rest in power @jimmybuffett," rapper LL Cool J wrote Saturday on social media platform X. "I'm glad we had time to vibe. You were and always will be a Truly inspiring human." Former US senator from Alabama Doug Jones said he was sad to hear of Buffet's death. "Following the election in 2017 he serenaded us in Key West with 'Stars Fell on Alabama,'" Jones posted on social media platform X, referring to Buffet's 1981 song. "He lived life to the fullest and the world will miss him." Buffett was preparing to release a new record this year, according to his website. sco/leg © Agence France-Presse The post ‘Margaritaville’ singer Jimmy Buffett dies at 76 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Dirty brew
Harmony with the communities where San Miguel Corp. — which gained fame for its renowned beer — has put up its energy plants is not what the company is projecting, as most plants have been the subject of massive complaints from residents. According to a survey by think-tank Center for Energy, Ecology and Development, most of the complaints are related to the effects on the environment of the projects. For instance, in 2017, communities and civil society organizations launched the Break Free 2017 campaign to oppose the expansion of fossil fuel industries at the project site of SMC’s Limay Coal Power Plant. Residents of Limay, Bataan complained of being exposed to the emissions of the then 300-megawatt, or MW, coal plant and the 140-MW plant of the Petron Bataan Fuel Refinery. The groups’ claim that the plant’s testing operations may have resulted in ash spills was found to be accurate by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, which issued a Cease and Desist Order. Before SMC acquired the Masinloc power plant in 2018, the plant was already subjected to opposition, which led to delays in its operation during the 1990s. Environmentalists, farmers, and fishermen at the time staged protests, claiming that contaminated water from the plant would reduce the fish catch. The Masinloc power plant was then owned and operated by state firm National Power Corp. and was billed as the solution to the long brownouts that Luzon suffered daily. Using his emergency powers, then-President Fidel Ramos endorsed the quick construction of the project, displacing over 1,000 individuals in the process. It was then discovered that the plant produced over 385,000 tons of ash yearly, putting local communities’ health at risk. The previous owners of the Masinloc power plant claimed to have spent over $1 billion for its realignment to make it more environmentally friendly. SMC considered the power asset as allowing them to increase their footprint in clean coal technology. There were then also complaints from residents whom CEED said were directly impacted by some of SMCGP’s coal power plants. The residents alleged harassment and intimidation by various individuals for them to give up their properties. In 2016, SMCGP proposed to construct and operate its Limay Power Station in Limay, Bataan. A portion of the power plant site was thereafter fenced off by private individuals who claimed to have sold the property, and people were prohibited from entering or accessing the crops they had planted in the area. The situation was the same in Sariaya, Quezon in 2018, after SMCGP proposed the construction of a circulating fluidized bed coal-fired power plant in the municipality. In Mariveles, Bataan, where SMC’s Mariveles coal-fired power plant units 1 to 4 will rise, residents found themselves ousted from the property they were living on, through rights, at the peak of the Covid-19 lockdowns by alleged landowners claiming the property had been sold. SMC’s mining business is also facing its fair share of opposition. Its Daguma Agro Minerals Inc., or DAMI, was granted a coal development and production operating contract in South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat by the Department of Energy back in 2002. The contract included the 17,000 hectares of collective land that the SMC mining companies planned to explore. San Miguel Energy Corp. acquired full ownership of DAMI, which was owned by a group headed by businessman Ben Guingona. DAMI has coal mines in South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat, in areas known for being rich in mineral deposits. DAMI’s projects in South Cotabato were opposed by environmental advocates, the local Catholic diocese, and the host communities, due to environmental and encroachment concerns. DAMI uses the strip mining method, a form of open-pit mining that is forbidden by South Cotabato’s 2010 environment code. The provincial board of South Cotabato rejected a resolution that would have endorsed DAMI’s mining operations since it violated South Cotabato’s ban on open-pit mining. The provincial board, however, moved to amend the code and lift the ban. Local officials are now under fire as they kept residents unaware of SMC’s tree-clearing operations. South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr., in response, vetoed the lifting of the ban on open-pit mining. The classic sound bite of the company of leaving no one behind is hard to discern from the way SMC treats communities it considers as getting in the way of its massive projects. The post Dirty brew appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Star gymnast Biles poised for August return to competition
Gymnastics superstar Simone Biles is poised to compete in August for the first time since mental health and safety concerns cut short her Tokyo Olympics campaign, entering the August US Classic near Chicago. USA Gymnastics announced Wednesday that the four-time Olympic gold medallist was entered in the August 4-5 event, which would be her first since she withdrew from most of her events in Tokyo in 2021. "Registration...does not guarantee participation," USA Gymnastics warned in the statement. "Every athlete is at a different place in their season and career, and we will support each of them, wherever they are in their journey," said USA Gymnastics chief programs officer Stefanie Korepin. Biles electrified the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, where she won gold in team, all-around, vault and floor exercise as well as a balance beam bronze. She entered the Covid-delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021 as a heavy favorite to win as many as five gold medals. She hadn't lost an all-around competition since 2013 and her build up to the Games included mastery of a daring Yurchenko double pike vault that had never before been seen in women's competition. However, she would depart Tokyo with only team silver and a balance beam bronze, however, her campaign cut short after she experienced the "twisties" -- the phenomenon in which gymnasts lose the ability to orientate themselves in mid-air. Biles withdrew from the team event after performing on one apparatus and later withdrew from the all-around competition and the finals for vault, uneven bars and floor exercise, saying at the time she needed to prioritze her mental health. Biles said in a video released after Tokyo that her problems had been building for a while. "I wouldn't even say it started in Tokyo. I feel like it was probably a little bit deeper-rooted than that," Biles said. "I think it was just the stress factor. It kind of built up over time, and my body and my mind just said no. But even I didn't know I was going through it until it just happened." "It just sucks," Biles said in the video. "But I know that I helped a lot of people and athletes speak out about mental health and saying no. Because I knew I couldn't go out there and compete. I knew I was going to get hurt." After the Tokyo Games, in September 2021, Biles testified before a U.S. Senate committee looking into FBI failures in investigating sexual abuse by former gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar. Nassar received a life sentence after pleading guilty in late 2017 and early 2018 to sexually assaulting women and girls while working as a sports medicine doctor at USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University. - Another Olympics? - In recent months Biles's popular social media feeds have featured not gymnastics but news of her personal life, including her marriage to NFL Safety Jonathan Owens, then with the Houston Texans, in April. When Owens signed with the Green Bay Packers in May she endeared herself to Green Bay fans by soliciting suggestions on what to see and do in the couple's new town. Biles has won 25 world championships medals, 19 of them gold, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Joe Biden in 2022. Although she hasn't outlined her plans, the US Classic is roughly a year out from the 2024 Paris Olympics, and Biles has used the event to launch a comeback before. She returned to competition at the meeting in 2018, having taken a break after her stunning Rio Games campaign. bb/pb/nr © Agence France-Presse The post Star gymnast Biles poised for August return to competition appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ed Sheeran copyright trial over Marvin Gaye similarities underway
Ed Sheeran arrived at US federal court Tuesday for a trial over whether the British pop star plagiarized American music icon Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" in his own 2014 hit "Thinking Out Loud." Industry members are closely following the copyright lawsuit as it could set precedent for protections on songwriters' creations and open the door to legal challenges elsewhere. It's the second trial in a year for Sheeran, who successfully testified at a London court last April in a case centered around his song "Shape Of You," saying that lawsuit was emblematic of copyright litigation going too far. The judge ruled in his favor. He arrived Tuesday at the courthouse in Manhattan silently and with his head lowered, wading past the throng of cameras and journalists stationed outside. At issue in the New York case are alleged "striking similarities and overt common elements" between Gaye and Sheeran's songs. During the trial, Sheeran told the court "Yes, Amy Wadge and I wrote the song 'Thinking Out Loud,'" referring to the ballad's co-author, said The New York Times, which had access to the room. The plaintiffs are the heirs of Ed Townsend, a musician and producer who co-wrote Gaye's 1973 soul classic, who were also in court Tuesday. "I am here for justice, protecting my father's intellectual properties," Townsend's daughter Kathryn Townsend Griffin told journalists outside the courthouse. "As Marvin Gaye would say, 'Let's get it on,'" quipped Ben Crump, lawyer for the plaintiffs. 'Coincidence' Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" shot up America's Billboard Hot 100 charts when it was released, and won Sheeran a Song of the Year prize at the Grammys in 2016. Townsend's family has pointed out that the group Boyz II Men has performed mash-ups of the two songs, and that Sheeran has blended the songs together on stage as well. Crump pointed to a 2014 fan video showing Sheeran performing a mash-up of his song and Gaye's at a concert, which the lawyer said amounted to a "confession" and a "smoking gun," according to the Times. The lawsuit, filed in 2016 -- and refiled in 2017 after being rejected on procedural grounds -- also names Sony. Sheeran's team contests the allegations, saying "there are dozens if not hundreds of songs that predate and postdate" Gaye's song, "utilizing the same or similar chord progression." "These medleys are irrelevant to any issue in the case and would be misleading [and] confuse the jury." There have been a flood of such copyright trials in recent years, notably in 2016 when Gaye's family -- who is not part of the New York lawsuit against Sheeran -- successfully sued the artists Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams, and T.I. over similarities between the song "Blurred Lines" and Gaye's "Got to Give it Up." They were ordered to pay some $5 million in damages, in a result that surprised many in the industry including legal experts who saw many of the musical components cited as foundational musical elements largely in the public domain. Five years later an appeals court decision confirmed Led Zeppelin's victory over a similar case with the classic "Stairway to Heaven" at issue. But jury trials over music copyright could go any which way, and in this case likely will ultimately come down to the arrangement of a single chord progression. A musicologist retained by the defense says in court documents that the four-chord sequence was used in a number of songs before Gaye's hit came out in 1973. "There's only so many notes and very few chords used in pop music," Sheeran said in an Instagram video last April. "Coincidence is bound to happen if 60,000 are being released every day on Spotify." The post Ed Sheeran copyright trial over Marvin Gaye similarities underway appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
SEA GAMES: The silver that glittered like gold
When the editorial staff of ABS-CBN Sports was tasked to come up with our most memorable coverage, it didn’t take long for this writer to respond. The Philippine men’s volleyball team’s Southeast Asian Games semifinal match was the first thing that came to mind. Pesonally, that game against the highly-fancied Thailand squad topped all the countless volleyball matches that I’ve covered in my career. I’m at a loss for words on how to describe the emotions I felt that chilly night of December 8, 2019. Around 6,700 fans filled the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City not knowing that what they were about to witness was something historic. A magical night that would take away the frustrations they felt the day before when the more popular women’s team finished the preliminary round winless. For us sportswriters covering that assignment, we knew the Filipinos were up for a tough ride. Thailand ruled the last four editions of the event. On the other hand, the Philippines’ last significant outing in the biennial meet was a bronze medal finish back in 1991 – or when the current national team’s oldest member, setter Jessie Lopez was just five-years old. Did we doubt our own team? Let’s just say we prayed to the high heavens to give us something positive to write about. But don’t get us wrong. Those who followed the formation and preparation of the squad knew it would yield results come the SEA Games. After all, in all three batches of the Nationals that participated in the regional sports meet since 2015, this particular team had the longest time to prepare – around eight months to be exact. The team’s composition itself looked really promising. For the first time, two of country’s best hitters in Marck Espejo and Bryan Bagunas, who both have experience playing in the Japan V. League, donned the tricolors together. Espejo returned after skipping the 2017 edition so did his teammates in the 2015 squad Rex Intal and setter Ish Polvorosa. Bagunas was on his second tour of duty along with team captain John Vic De Guzman, Mark Alfafara, RanRan Abdilla and libero Jack Kalingking. Head coach Dante Alinsunurin, who was appointed to handle the team after Oliver Almadro and Sammy Acaylar in 2015 and 2017, respectively, tapped an old hand in Lopez and injected young bloods in playmaker Owa Retamar, Jau Umandal, Kim Malabunga, Ricky Marcos and Francis Saura. As part of their buildup the Nationals joined the Thailand Open Sealect Tuna Championship July last year. The Filipinos achieved a great feat when they won bronze. Fans were able to witness the Nationals’ campaign via YouTube streaming while we volleyball writers, got to file our full stories through the help of De Guzman and Bagunas (God bless their beautiful hearts) who supplied us with game stats and granted postgame interviews. It’s just a shame I never got to cover the team’s training in Japan when the Nationals’ preparation went on full throttle. (Note: A little confusion in the training camp coverage assignments had me flying to Japan with the women’s squad and Lance Agcaoili of Spin.ph joining the men’s team. But it was a great experience, nonetheless, and I’m grateful for Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas, Inc. for the opportunity.) I was as confused as the other sportswriters present during the draw for the group stage a couple of months before the SEA Games when Alinsunurin chose to join the four-team bracket with Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia. Those three teams are considered contenders every SEA Games edition. And earning a semifinal spot would be harder compared to the other group composed of Thailand, Myanmar and Singapore. Fortunately, the gamble was worth it. Espejo and Bagunas were superb offensively, Malabunga and Retamar made their presence felt and the Nationals’ blocking shocked Cambodia and Vietnam as the Filipinos swept them both to secure a semis seat. Then came the steamrolling Indonesians. Honestly, I thought the Nationals would sweep their way to the group’s top seeding. That way the PHI’s would've avoided a semis clash with Thailand. Forced to take on the defending champions, the Filipinos found themselves down in the first set. They got back in the second frame before yielding the third. And when the Thais came to match point, 24-21, in the fourth we all thought it was over. Fans were slowly emptying the bleachers not wanting to see the impending defeat. I was already waiting for the final score. Ready break the result. Then a miracle happened. The Nationals nibbled on the Thais' lead to force a deuce. After another deadlock, the Filipinos stole the set. The fifth frame was classic story of ‘who wants it more will win.’ An extended set made it even more dramatic. I vividly remember that sequence when Bagunas hammered the game-clinching kill off a lob from Lopez. After that all that I can recall was me pumping my fist up in the air and slapping the hardest high-fives I ever did with those inside the press room while howling like a madman. The national team assured itself of a silver after 42 years. A silver after four freaking decades. They did it. Of course, the Indonesians bullied their way to winning the gold medal in a sweep of the inexperienced Filipinos. But who cares, the host team exceeded its podium expectations. That silver that glittered like gold made that coverage truly memorable. But it never crossed my mind that it would be the last important volleyball event that I will get to report. (Note: It would’ve been the UAAP if not for the health crisis that put all sporting events to a halt. Sad.) And that’s why I ended up writing these last few paragraphs. A farewell from this section. From my first article for this website back on December 1, 2014 – a post-mortem of Petron’s breakthrough title in the Philippine Superliga Grand Prix – to my last published story, these were all written with only one thing in mind: in the service of the Filipino sports fan worldwide. Our run may have not been perfect, of course, we had our flaws. We had our fair share of criticisms from fans, athletes, sports personalities and sometimes even from our partner leagues and properties. We accepted our shortcomings. We tried to be better. But we are proud of what we did. We take pride with how we delivered sports stories through various digital executions that showcased sports beyond the confines of competition. On midnight of September 1 while most of you lay sound asleep, deep in slumber, hopefully, having a good dream and hours away from waking up looking forward to a better day, this website will be snapped out of existence. More than half a decade of sharing stories to the Filipino sports fan will be seeing its last presence online on Monday – a holiday to celebrate the nation’s heroes. This website will then hear its final buzzer, its final whistle. Thousands of articles – written with passion, dedication and love – will be taken down as this website goes offline together with majority of ABS-CBN Sports’ social media accounts. But soon, hopefully, it will once again see the light of day. We do hope that you will remember us, for we will remember all of you who made us your Kapamilya. -- 30 -- --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @fromtheriles Mark Escarlote has served as a sub-section editor for ABS-CBN Sports' website since 2014. He is among thousands of ABS-CBN employees who will be retrenched on August 31, 2020. .....»»
SEA GAMES: The silver that glittered like gold
When the editorial staff of ABS-CBN Sports was tasked to come up with our most memorable coverage, it didn’t take long for this writer to respond. The Philippine men’s volleyball team’s Southeast Asian Games semifinal match was the first thing that came to mind. Pesonally, that game against the highly-fancied Thailand squad topped all the countless volleyball matches that I’ve covered in my career. I’m at a loss for words on how to describe the emotions I felt that chilly night of December 8, 2019. Around 6,700 fans filled the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City not knowing that what they were about to witness was something historic. A magical night that would take away the frustrations they felt the day before when the more popular women’s team finished the preliminary round winless. For us sportswriters covering that assignment, we knew the Filipinos were up for a tough ride. Thailand ruled the last four editions of the event. On the other hand, the Philippines’ last significant outing in the biennial meet was a bronze medal finish back in 1991 – or when the current national team’s oldest member, setter Jessie Lopez was just five-years old. Did we doubt our own team? Let’s just say we prayed to the high heavens to give us something positive to write about. But don’t get us wrong. Those who followed the formation and preparation of the squad knew it would yield results come the SEA Games. After all, in all three batches of the Nationals that participated in the regional sports meet since 2015, this particular team had the longest time to prepare – around eight months to be exact. The team’s composition itself looked really promising. For the first time, two of country’s best hitters in Marck Espejo and Bryan Bagunas, who both have experience playing in the Japan V. League, donned the tricolors together. Espejo returned after skipping the 2017 edition so did his teammates in the 2015 squad Rex Intal and setter Ish Polvorosa. Bagunas was on his second tour of duty along with team captain John Vic De Guzman, Mark Alfafara, RanRan Abdilla and libero Jack Kalingking. Head coach Dante Alinsunurin, who was appointed to handle the team after Oliver Almadro and Sammy Acaylar in 2015 and 2017, respectively, tapped an old hand in Lopez and injected young bloods in playmaker Owa Retamar, Jau Umandal, Kim Malabunga, Ricky Marcos and Francis Saura. As part of their buildup the Nationals joined the Thailand Open Sealect Tuna Championship July last year. The Filipinos achieved a great feat when they won bronze. Fans were able to witness the Nationals’ campaign via YouTube streaming while we volleyball writers, got to file our full stories through the help of De Guzman and Bagunas (God bless their beautiful hearts) who supplied us with game stats and granted postgame interviews. It’s just a shame I never got to cover the team’s training in Japan when the Nationals’ preparation went on full throttle. (Note: A little confusion in the training camp coverage assignments had me flying to Japan with the women’s squad and Lance Agcaoili of Spin.ph joining the men’s team. But it was a great experience, nonetheless, and I’m grateful for Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas, Inc. for the opportunity.) I was as confused as the other sportswriters present during the draw for the group stage a couple of months before the SEA Games when Alinsunurin chose to join the four-team bracket with Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia. Those three teams are considered contenders every SEA Games edition. And earning a semifinal spot would be harder compared to the other group composed of Thailand, Myanmar and Singapore. Fortunately, the gamble was worth it. Espejo and Bagunas were superb offensively, Malabunga and Retamar made their presence felt and the Nationals’ blocking shocked Cambodia and Vietnam as the Filipinos swept them both to secure a semis seat. Then came the steamrolling Indonesians. Honestly, I thought the Nationals would sweep their way to the group’s top seeding. That way the PHI’s would've avoided a semis clash with Thailand. Forced to take on the defending champions, the Filipinos found themselves down in the first set. They got back in the second frame before yielding the third. And when the Thais came to match point, 24-21, in the fourth we all thought it was over. Fans were slowly emptying the bleachers not wanting to see the impending defeat. I was already waiting for the final score. Ready break the result. Then a miracle happened. The Nationals nibbled on the Thais' lead to force a deuce. After another deadlock, the Filipinos stole the set. The fifth frame was classic story of ‘who wants it more will win.’ An extended set made it even more dramatic. I vividly remember that sequence when Bagunas hammered the game-clinching kill off a lob from Lopez. After that all that I can recall was me pumping my fist up in the air and slapping the hardest high-fives I ever did with those inside the press room while howling like a madman. The national team assured itself of a silver after 42 years. A silver after four freaking decades. They did it. Of course, the Indonesians bullied their way to winning the gold medal in a sweep of the inexperienced Filipinos. But who cares, the host team exceeded its podium expectations. That silver that glittered like gold made that coverage truly memorable. But it never crossed my mind that it would be the last important volleyball event that I will get to report. (Note: It would’ve been the UAAP if not for the health crisis that put all sporting events to a halt. Sad.) And that’s why I ended up writing these last few paragraphs. A farewell from this section. From my first article for this website back on December 1, 2014 – a post-mortem of Petron’s breakthrough title in the Philippine Superliga Grand Prix – to my last published story, these were all written with only one thing in mind: in the service of the Filipino sports fan worldwide. Our run may have not been perfect, of course, we had our flaws. We had our fair share of criticisms from fans, athletes, sports personalities and sometimes even from our partner leagues and properties. We accepted our shortcomings. We tried to be better. But we are proud of what we did. We take pride with how we delivered sports stories through various digital executions that showcased sports beyond the confines of competition. On midnight of September 1 while most of you lay sound asleep, deep in slumber, hopefully, having a good dream and hours away from waking up looking forward to a better day, this website will be snapped out of existence. More than half a decade of sharing stories to the Filipino sports fan will be seeing its last presence online on Monday – a holiday to celebrate the nation’s heroes. This website will then hear its final buzzer, its final whistle. Thousands of articles – written with passion, dedication and love – will be taken down as this website goes offline together with majority of ABS-CBN Sports’ social media accounts. But soon, hopefully, it will once again see the light of day. We do hope that you will remember us, for we will remember all of you who made us your Kapamilya. -- 30 -- --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @fromtheriles Mark Escarlote has served as a sub-section editor for ABS-CBN Sports' website since 2014. He is among thousands of ABS-CBN employees who will be retrenched on August 31, 2020. .....»»
Li at his best and builds early lead at PGA Championship
By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Still young, often inconsistent, forever fearless, Li Haotong is capable of just about anything on a big stage in golf. He was at his best Friday in the PGA Championship. Three years after his 63 in the final round of the British Open, Li hit only four fairways at Harding Park and still managed a 5-under 65 that gave him the early lead and set the target for Jason Day, Brooks Koepka and Tiger Woods to chase. The 25-year-old from China capped a bogey-free round with his eighth straight par and was at 8-under 132, two shots ahead of Tommy Fleetwood of England among the early starters. Surprised? Depends on the day. “The last couple days, I've been pretty much all hit in the right spot,” Li said. Getting as much attention was the logo on his hat — WeChat, the Chinese social media company and one of his biggest sponsors. Li was in the spotlight at Harding Park one day after President Donald Trump signed executive orders on a vague ban of WeChat and TikTok in 45 days. Just as unclear was whether Li was aware of the development. “I don't know,” he said. “Who knows?” Li is a two-time winner on the European Tour, most recently in 2018 at the Dubai Desert Classic when he rallied down the stretch to beat Rory McIlroy by one shot. He was sensational at Royal Birkdale in 2017 — only five other players have 63 in the final round of a major. But he had a terrible week in his Presidents Cup debut at Royal Melbourne in December. When he first came to America, he made fast friends on the developmental tours with his constant laughter, engaging personality and aggressive play. “He's got the arsenal to take it low,” said Adam Scott, his teammate at Royal Melbourne. “But we don’t see that kind of consistency out of him, and that probably matches his personality a little bit. He’s young, though, and that’s the kind of golf he plays. He plays pretty much all guns blazing, and when it comes off, it’s really good.” And when it doesn't? He beat Koepka in the Match Play last year and reached the round of 16. But that was his last top 10 in America. And then there was the Presidents Cup. Li brought his trainer to be his caddie, and the caddie got lost on the course during a practice round, gave up and headed for the clubhouse. Instead of finding him, Li played the rest of the round out of another player's bag. International captain Ernie Els wound up benching him for two days, playing Li only when he had to. Li lost both matches he played. “It's been very tough on me, the Presidents Cup, because I didn't play until Saturday,” Li said. “So not quite in the Presidents that way, actually. But anyways, good experience.” Fleetwood had one of those final-round 63s in the majors two years ago at Shinnecock Hills in the U.S. Open. He had a 64 on Friday and was two shots behind at 134. Much like Li — maybe the only thing they have in common — it's been a slow start back. Fleetwood stayed in England during the pandemic, not returning to competition until Minnesota two weeks ago (he missed the cut). He also played a World Golf Championship last week with middling results, but he found his form in San Francisco. “It’s funny really, like when you’ve played poorly, you feel a long way off, and then you have a day like today and you obviously feel a lot better about it,” Fleetwood said. “I feel like I’ve prepared well last week and this week and felt way more in the groove of tournament golf.” Cameron Champ, who grew up in Sacramento, had a 64. He was three shots behind Li, along with Paul Casey (67). Brendon Todd, who shared the 18-hole lead with Day, settled for a 70 and joined them at 135. Li, who primarily plays the European Tour, went back to China in March when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down golf. He returned at the Memorial and missed the cut, and then tied for 75th in a 78-man field last week in Tennessee. “I didn't even (think) I could play like this ... got no confidence,” Li said. “Probably it helped me clear my mind a little bit.” He's wise enough to realize the tournament is not even at the halfway point. If the lead holds, Li would be the first player from China to hold the lead after any round of a major......»»
Morikawa builds big lead at Muirfield Village before storms
By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Among the lessons Collin Morikawa took away from missing his first cut as a pro was that his reliable cut shot had left him. He found at it Muirfield Village, and suddenly looks as though he'll be tough to catch at the Workday Charity Open. Morikawa ran off four straight birdies after making the turn Friday, finished with another birdie and shot 6-under 66 to build a four-shot lead over Sam Burns (66) in the storm-delayed tournament. His 13-under 131 was one shot off the course record set by Jason Dufner in 2017 at the Memorial. The Workday Charity Open, which replaces the canceled John Deere Classic for this year only, has been set up a little easier than it will be for the Memorial next year, with slightly slower greens and rough that isn't quite as high or thick. Morikawa is still playing a different brand of golf than anyone else. Through two rounds, he has 15 birdies and an eagle. His four bogeys have come from silly mistakes that are bound to happen. Ian Poulter, back at Muirfield Village for the first time since 2009 because of a reconfigured schedule brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, had a 69 and joined Chase Seiffert (69) at 7-under 137. The second round had a pair of 75-minute delays because of the rumbling thunder and lightning that seems to appear whenever the PGA Tour is at Muirfield Village. “Who knows who's going to take it deep today?” Morikawa said. “Whether I have the lead or not, I've got to go into the weekend feeling like I've got to make the same amount of birdies I have the past two days. I feel like there’s a lot of birdies out there for me especially, the way I’ve been hitting it.” Morikawa, who turned pro just over a year ago after graduating from Cal, is making his debut at the course Jack Nicklaus built, and perhaps it's no coincidence that Nicklaus was famous for hitting a cut. “I had heard from a lot of people before, this course was going to suit a left-to-right shot, anyway,” Morikawa said. “Obviously, Jack hit that, and I think it does. But I’ve been able to leave myself some really good numbers into approach shots. I’ve been keeping myself in the fairway for the most part, and that obviously helps.” Among those playing in the afternoon, Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka first had to worry about making the cut after sluggish starts. Koepka started at 2 over. Rahm was at even par. Phil Mickelson had another exciting day, minus the meltdown at the end of his round. He opened by chipping in for birdie and making a 12-foot eagle putt. With the tee moved forward on the 14th hole, the par 4 guarded by a pond right of the green, he hit driver to 10 feet and had to settle for birdie. And right before the first batch of storms arrived, Mickelson felt the wind shift and get stronger, so he took driver on the par-5 fifth and whaled away over the trees and just inside backyard fences. It settled in the rough, but it left him only 114 yards away and a pitching wedge to the green. The speed of the greens fooled him, and he repeatedly left putts short. Even so, he managed to post a reasonable number. Jordan Spieth wasn't as fortunate. He took double bogey on his 17th hole, the par-3 eighth, and was likely to miss the cut. Morikawa had made 22 cuts in a row to start his pro career, a streak that ended two weeks ago at the Travelers Championship. That was three short of the streak Tiger Woods put together when he turned pro. But the 23-year-old Californian was more interested in low scores than simply getting in four rounds and a pay check. “At the end of the day, you’re out there to win tournaments,” he said. “If you miss the cut, make it by whatever, you just want to learn from each week. And like I said, I learned a lot from those two days missing the cut than I have in a lot of events so far when I’ve been finishing whatever." This one caused him to take a closer look at what was lacking in his game, instead of being reasonably content with a solid finish. “I think sometimes when something really doesn’t go your way, like missing a cut, it just stands out a little more,” he said. Somewhere along the way, he couldn't rely on his cut shot, allowing him to aim some 6 yards left of his target and fade it toward the pin, no matter where it was located. It was after his practice round Wednesday that he figured out what was missing, and he went back to an old drill of sticking his glove under his left arm. It's a rotational drill, and it paid off. He had to wait until the storms to see if anyone could catch him, with the second round not likely to end until Saturday......»»
The future of food
I met Ella, Singapore's first robotic barista, at Changi International Airport. Ella serves various drinks non-stop, from a classic latte to a Pandan Tea latte......»»
Flintlock: A Classic Summer Blockbuster – The Daily Guardia
A44 Games, a New Zealand-based developer, is set to release their highly-anticipated third-person action-RPG, Flintlock: The Siege Of Dawn. The game pays homage to the.....»»
Zachary Levi, Zooey Deschanel may kakaibang adventure sa upcoming movie
IKA nga nila, “dreams come true.” Kaya naman, samahan natin sa kakaibang adventure ang Hollywood stars na sina Zachary Levi at Zooey Deschanel sa upcoming movie na pinamagatang “Harold and the Purple Crayon.” Ang pelikula ay ang kauna-unahang film adaptation ng 1995 children’s classic book na may kaparehong titulo na isinulat ng American cartoonist na.....»»
IN PHOTOS: Palm Sunday’s blessings on the faithful
Take a look at these photographs of mass-goers and the faithful gathering to have their palm fronds blessed this Palm Sunday.....»»
Chito ibinandera ang ‘fitspiration’ journey sa edad 48: ‘Gym muna bago gig’
TODO flex at proud na proud si Chito Miranda sa improvement ng kanyang katawan matapos talikuran ang bisyo sa pagyoyosi at pag-inom ng alak. Sa isang Instagram post, ibinandera ni Chito ang before and after photos niya. Sa “before” picture, agaw-pansin ang malaki niyang beer belly. Habang pagdating sa “after” na litrato, makikita na malaki.....»»
Balamban site is for road project, not Capitol bldg – Gwen
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The cleared site in Barangay Cambuhawe, Balamban, in western Cebu, is not for the new Capitol building, but for nationally funded road projects. Cebu Provincial Governor Gwen Garcia made this clarification after photos of a deforested mountain in Balamban, initially thought to be the site development of the new Capitol building,.....»»
Constantino claims classic win on fiery last-day charge
Harmie Constantino fought back from five strokes down with a brilliant frontside 33 then held sway to finish with a 69 and win the ICTSI Palos Verdes Championship by three as her rivals faltered one after the other in a tense battle of skill and character here yesterday......»»
Ma-inspire, maantig ang puso sa pelikulang ‘White Bird: A Wonder Story’
NAAALALA niyo pa ba ang 2017 hit movie na “Wonder?” Makalipas ang pitong taon, mayroon na itong follow-up movie na pinamagatang “White Bird: A Wonder Story” na eksklusibong mapapanood sa Ayala Malls Cinemas. Ang bagong pelikula ay base rin sa nobela na isinulat ni RJ Palacio na author din ng “Wonder.” Inspiring at talaga namang.....»»
Abegail Rait donates Francis M photo memorabilia to Boss Toyo
After a few months of silence since revealing in the same online show that she has a child with the late Francis M, Abegail Rait has returned to Boss Toyo to give him six photos allegedly taken from her and Francis M's past trips. .....»»
Jhong Hilario ibinandera ang song cover ni Sarina, may 1.5-M views na
SA murang edad, tila naging isang recording artist si Baby Sarina, ang 2-year-old baby ng TV host-actor na si Jhong Hilario. Sa latest YouTube video, proud na ibinandera ni Jhong ang sariling rendition ng anak sa classic song na “Fly Me to the Moon.” Caption ng TV host, “Sarina’s first music video. She has been.....»»
Singson, Ababa rekindle rivalry
After a setback at the Apo Golf Classic, Mafy Singson is poised to come out stronger in the ICTSI Palos Verdes Championship, which begins today at the Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club here......»»
Anybody’s game at Palos Verdes
The ICTSI Palos Verdes Championship unfolds today at the Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club here, featuring a formidable roster led by Apo Golf Classic winner Jhonnel Ababa and bolstered by the return of seasoned Angelo Que, along with Lloyd Go, Sean Ramos and Gab Manotoc......»»