Guiao sees battle for ‘fifth place’
With powerhouses Ginebra, San Miguel, TNT and Magnolia fortifying their rosters, NLEX could Yeng Guiao believes it will be an uphill battle for the rest of the field to crack even the top four in the coming PBA season......»»
DoTA 2 star N0tail sees eSports thriving in new normal
With physical distancing being enforced and mass gatherings being prohibited during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, most, if not all major sports have taken big blows. While most professional sports are slowly getting back on their feet, it might take a while - if ever - for the live sports experience to return to normal. For eSports, an industry that really doesn’t require physical interaction or mass gatherings, surviving and thriving in the new normal should not be an issue, and DoTA star Johan “N0tail” Sundstien is confident that will be the case. Speaking to a handful of Filipino media before his 1 on 1 DoTA 2 battle with Filipino gamer Zedrik “Jeff” Dizon, N0tail spoke about how the eSports industry can survive, how it has grown since he began playing, and what Jeff’s 2020 Red Bull r1v1r Runes Championship can do for the Filipino eSports scene. For the 26-year old native of Denmark, eSports should have little to no problems getting back on track after the COVID-19 pandemic. “Yeah, I think eSports is in way better shape than other physical sports, for sure. Physical sports, sports in general, have probably made more of a business and they’ve been used to offline events and monetizing fans coming into stadiums, so obviously they’re having a much harder time than we would be,” N0tail explained. Prior to eSports exploding and becoming a live attraction, tournaments were done mainly online, and N0tail believes that this is one of the industry’s advantages especially in the ’new normal’. “We come from a place where we used to have online tournaments, we used to do these things online purely, and when [the COVID-19 virus pandemic] happened, I think all streaming and all online entertainment platforms had this opportunity to thrive and to exist. It’s a good time to be playing video games and not doing live music or something like that.” “The Coronavirus] hit a lot of people pretty hard, but we have a good chance,” he added. Speaking of the explosion of eSports, N0tail recalls the industry’s humble beginnings and how far it has come now. “When I started, it was nowhere near what it is today. Today, obviously, we travel the world, have all these tournaments, have so many more viewers than we’ve ever had,” N0tail said. “Humanity really likes games, obviously, chess, sports, any kind of game for entertainment, and we’ve come a very long way. We’re way more professional, and financially, way more stable.” The prizes now have also come a long, long way from what they used to be, N0tail shared. “Ten years ago, we were playing for headsets and a couple hundred dollars, and now it’s way, way bigger, for millions. It keeps going up, it keeps getting more traction and attention, and I like to see that trend, I hope it keeps going.” The Philippines has slowly emerged as a hotbed for eSports talent, and Ateneo’s Zedrik “Jeff” Dizon could be on his way to becoming a top star following his 2020 Red Bull R1v1r Runes Championship victory. Apart from the win, Jeff also had the opportunity to go one-on-one with N0tail, Team Captain of the 2-time The Internationals champions Team OG. For an established name and veteran like N0tail, being able to compete against people from all over the world is always a sign of progress for eSports. “DoTA connects people, and whenever somebody from one region that might be weaker plays against another region that might be stronger, or even if they’re both strong or equally [matched], DoTA is a game of ideas and experience, so whenever there’s this cross-country or cross-region game happening, I think there’s always progress. It’s the same when we shape a metagame, when those events were happening, all these teams came together, you quickly saw ideas transfer and a meta being formed between regions and, SC might be doing something one way and it might take something that Europe or NA might be doing, so everytime that it happens, I think it’s a postive thing.” “It makes the ideas evolve and they evolve into something better,” he added. Jeff came up big against N0tail in their one-on-one match, winning 2-1. Catch the replay HERE.....»»
How Hackett and Harris went beyond 100 points
(This story was originally published on June 30, 2016) One-hundred-point explosions are a rarity in professional basketball. Even in the NBA, no one has ever eclipsed Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 points in his game with the Philadelphia Warriors in trouncing the New York Knicks, 169-147, on March 2, 1962. So when you learn that two men, Americans playing as imports in the Philippine Basketball Association, had scored more than Wilt, you’d certainly be awed and astonished that such incredible feats in the history of the sport had actually occurred in our shores. Legends These legends, Michael Hackett, the man-mountain who leisurely takes care of business in the paint while reinforcing Ginebra San Miguel, and Tony Harris, the “Hurricane” who brings down opponents with his devastating scoring sprees through quick, shifty on court moves while playing for Swift Mighty Meaty Hotdogs, definitely left an indelible mark in PBA annals with those historic barrages that surely left everyone, foe or fan, stupefied and dazzled. Hackett, the hulking yet amiable giant, achieved the first-ever milestone on November 21, 1985 as Ginebra faced Great Taste in a battle for third place in the PBA Reinforced Conference. His burly 6’5” frame would always have its way in the shaded lane, barreling his way through thick defensive walls and converting—all in bewildering succession. He pumped in 48 points at halftime, before scoring another 33 in the third quarter, and swishing 22 in the final period—for an eye-popping record-setting total of 103 points in one game. Breaching the Chamberlain record, Hackett had been praised as pro ball’s greatest scorer ever, even if he had not made the cut in the Los Angeles Lakers’ lineup during the Showtime era after being the 22nd pick in the 3rd round of the 1982 NBA Draft. During that conference, Hackett averaged 50 points, 20 rebounds and 6 assists in 24 games that made him a hands-down choice for Best Import. With this lofty achievement, who would even think, much less imagine that this record would be broken seven years later. Best scorer Perhaps the all-time best performing scorer in the PBA’s history walked into a packed town gym in Iloilo City on October 10, 1992 in the elimination round of the PBA Third Conference to show Robert Jaworski and his Ginebra squad what he’s got. And, it was simply merciless. Scoring relentlessly from the field through lane incursions, midrange jumpers, slam dunks off the fastbreak and baskets from beyond the arc, the Hurricane already reached the highest score anyone could produce at halftime, 59 points. Harris continued his romp in the last two quarters, just leaving the never-say-die squad in the dust with another 46 points, leading Swift to a 151-147 victory and achieving a record-breaking single-game individual score of 105, surpassing Hackett’s record by two points. This scoring record remains to this day. Indeed, a double heartbreak for the country’s most popular team and a historic achievement by the flamboyant and perplexing import. Tough fouls But what was really exceptional was that he accomplished this feat despite Ginebra players fouling him a record 52 times, which he claimed in an NBA Philippines interview two years ago as “tough fouls” with “knees purposely extended to hit my groin, or the spitting on my face.” He was unfazed and this motivated the Monroe, Louisiana native even more by converting most of his points in his amazing 105-point game from the free throw area, where he made 45 out of 53 attempts. But what’s even more mind-blowing about Harris is that this was no single-game fluke or a stroke of luck. He scored 98 points only seven days after his 105-point game to lead Swift to a 157-147 victory over Presto Ice Cream. Harris also scored 82 points in Swift’s conquest of Purefoods in Davao City a day before that record-breaking feat. Before all of these scoring exploits, he actually “introduced” himself to the league with an 87-point performance in his debut in routing the San Miguel Beermen, 134-106. He also had 69, 57, and 54-point games throughout the season, ending up with a record 60.4 scoring average. Best achievement The best achievement of them all was that he steered the Mighty Meaties to the RFM franchise’s first-ever PBA championship by sweeping the 7-Up Uncolas in the Finals, 4-0. It was the current Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao’s first title. After his high-flying PBA stint, Harris tried his luck in the NBA via short 10-day deals with the Boston Celtics, but fell short with a mere 5-point clip in 14 games—a far cry from the fearsome offensive form he displayed in the PBA. He has since distanced himself from professional play, and now heads a sports apparel, supplies and equipment company in Los Angeles. Hackett, on the other hand, also did not engage in competitive basketball after his spectacular PBA run from 1985 to 1988, although he had once served as an assistant coach for a school in his native Jacksonville, Florida, and is now a sales consultant for a wine and beverage firm. But even if Harris or Hackett’s storied scoring feats and iconic stints did not replicate on their real home courts and since hung their jerseys for other careers, their astounding on-court achievements in the PBA remain an inspiration for greatness in this basketball-crazy nation......»»
Musing on AI use in this day and age
With technology, the youth are getting more exposed to the latest updates of the world. Siri, Alexa, Grammarly, Tesla self-driving cars, ChatGPT, oh my! Imagine being so fortunate to be born in the 21st century, surrounded by robots that contain some degree of “sentience” that lessen the hassles of life. A robot you can speak to and command? Task done. An app that writes for you on prompt? Task done. A car that drives you to any place with you not having to move your hands around? Task done. Welcome to the wonderful world of Artificial Intelligence. Our future — a world of opportunity because your tasks get done effectively. The problem with AI Yes, AI has benefits but there is also a downside to it. Since the youth are the ones frequently exposed to AI, they tend to use it to their advantage. But what if these “advantages” are simply that which may impede on their development due to their reliance on an artificial mind? Many teachers and parents are worried that their children are becoming more dependent on AI when it comes to schoolwork. Whatever happened to sitting down to think of an essay? What about surfing the net for research? Will ChatGPT do all the work? Will Grammarly be the one to count on for grammar skills? How will kids learn to think for themselves through these tasks if they simply rely on a robot to do it for them? Same goes for safety. No matter how accurate the tracking device of a Tesla car may be, at the end of the day, it is still a machine. Relying too much on its navigation could lead to accidents. AI filtering content online may allow certain distressing content to slip through, even in minor and child-oriented websites, which could cause problems in the psyche of an impressionable mind that just wanted entertainment. Lastly, AI could remove traditions and identities that should be preserved and passed on by this generation. Imagine if everybody started using AI to create art. What will happen to the traditional oil and watercolor painting skills? If people just relied on Siri for conversations, how would they respond to a living, breathing human? And last, if every skill, talent and word got handed over to a robot that simply emulates what it sees, how can children learn to think individually and creatively? How can they keep their human identities while improving their lives with AI? Don’t delete Wait! Before thinking AI is bad, the real issue to be pondered on is how to use it. It takes patience and skills to use it wisely, just like with the inventions of the past. Instead of being passive, mentors and parents should be involved and supportive of their children’s investment and use of AI. Teachers should encourage students to ask questions about this technology and schools could implement programs to teach students passionate about AI. Schoolwork should also be monitored for any reliance on AI to preserve learning. It should be made clear that a robot should not be a replacement for technical skill. Parents should also be involved with their children’s tech usage. An AI is still a robot and isn’t in full control of what it interacts with, so it merely filters what it is programmed. Mistakes are bound to happen. Parents should be the ones choosing and monitoring what their children interact with and play with to avoid anything that could negatively impact such pliant minds. Lastly, encouragement of learning through AI and not depending on it should be encouraged. It should be okay for young people to use AI prompts for writing, art and interaction, but it should be emphasized that these are only for ideas and should be integrated and refined in your own creations. That way, human and machine can work hand-in-hand while retaining individuality and uniqueness. It sure is a wilder world now, but it should be remembered that with new inventions comes challenges and adjustment. If we know how to use AI to add to our knowledge and wisdom as humans, then, it shouldn’t be branded as taboo. As long as we all know as an intelligent species that we can get the task done in the right way, AI can still be seen in a positive light. The post Musing on AI use in this day and age appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Dark, lustful and complex: It’s a woman’s world at Cannes
From a sex offender to far-from-perfect mothers and girls unabashedly exploring their sexuality, this year's Cannes Film Festival has thrown out the stereotype of the one-dimensional female character. Cinema has long stood accused of ignoring women's inner lives and complexities or telling a story through the male gaze. However, men and their opinions were relegated to a secondary role in many films at the world's leading industry shindig. In "May December", Julianne Moore plays a woman who had a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old boy -- now her husband -- and is in denial years later over her wrongdoing. A loving mother, but also a registered sex offender, the film sees her character grappling with buried crimes, in the role alongside Natalie Portman. "The entire range of human behavior should be accessible to women because women are simply humans," said Portman, who loves to see women "behave in morally ambiguous ways". "It always drives me crazy when people are like, oh, if only women rule the world, it would be a kinder place. No, women are humans and come in all different complexities." This year Cannes boasts a record seven female directors in the official competition for the Palme d'Or prize -- and some films barely focus on men at all. Even in "Firebrand", starring Jude Law as a repulsive King Henry VIII, the spotlight is on his sixth wife Catherine Parr as she struggles to avoid the fate of her predecessors. Multi-faceted mothers In "Homecoming", by French director Catherine Corsini, a black woman returns to Corsica with her two daughters years after fleeing the French island in a hurry. As they explore their mysterious past, her teenage daughters -- even the model student -- experiment with crime, drugs, and sexuality. At the same time, the complexity of motherhood, sacrifice, and the decision to lie to your children all run under the surface. Cannes cinemagoers also got an unusual glimpse into the lives of women from countries where they are often portrayed as merely oppressed and conservative. In "Four Daughters", Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania made a hybrid film-documentary about a real mother, Olfa Hamrouni, whose two daughters joined the Islamic State group. Hamrouni is at times sympathetic and at times repulsive as she recounts her own violence towards her daughters. She is seen joking about her awful ex-husband, yearning for affection, yet intolerant when she overhears her daughters giggle about kissing boys or exploring their bodies. "I wanted to show how women have internalized some patriarchal reflexes," Ben Hania told AFP. In "Goodbye Julia" -- not in the main competition -- male director Mohamed Kordofani confronted his own sexism and racism as he put women at the forefront of a story about war in Sudan. The movie explores the complex friendship between a black woman from pre-independence southern Sudan and an Arab woman from the north with an overbearing conservative husband. "I started to review how I was behaving in my previous relationships. I reviewed my own racism," Kordofani told AFP. 'How to Have Sex' Elsewhere at Cannes, British director Molly Manning Walker took a nuanced look at sexual assault and consent in her feature debut "How to Have Sex" on a judgment-free alcohol-fuelled girls' trip abroad. "For me consent isn't black and white, it's not yes and no... if someone is having a bad time you should be able to recognize that," she said. One Cannes showing that drew scorn for its portrayal of sexuality was the new HBO series "The Idol" and its graphic raunchy scenes, directed by "Euphoria" creator Sam Levinson. While the main character, played by Lily-Rose Depp, is portrayed as a complex character exploring her sexuality, some critics did not buy it. Variety slammed its "tawdry cliches" and said the show "plays like a sordid male fantasy. "One could argue there's something revolutionary in the way Levinson depicts female sexuality... but Levinson takes things too far in the other direction." The post Dark, lustful and complex: It’s a woman’s world at Cannes appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Robots, we are not
A chicken and beer place somewhere in South Korea has an adorable robot going around serving orders. Perhaps it made some customers order more, so they could keep seeing this contraption approach, bearing food. It is still such a novelty and, right now, this robot looks exactly like a machine — just moving parts with no face and “personality.” What if, in this lifetime, robots such as these begin to take on more character? It may not be too far-fetched. Movies have given us previews of these already, making viewers laugh or cry for and with a robot character. The truth is, robotics has been around for a long time, and so has artificial intelligence. It’s just a matter of harnessing the technology for global advancement, and this requires planning and strategy. The need to be at par with our neighbors, for one, calls for the addition of such subjects in the school curricula. The Department of Information and Communications Technology is correct in raising the possibility of making robotics and computer programming a part of the elementary school curriculum. New technology classes are needed, said DICT Assistant Secretary Jeffrey Dy at the opening of the Singapore-based robotics learning center Nullspace in Taguig recently. Catching up or keeping up is one thing, but there is a whole other consideration we may have to take note of at the same time. It has to do with speed, and more so with capacity. Human versus machine? Fiction is no longer too far-fetched these days. AI, former Google chief Eric Schmidt told a magazine, represents an “existential risk” that could threaten humanity. The article said, “He doesn’t feel that threat is serious at the moment, but he sees a near future where AI could help find software security flaws or new biology types. It’s important to ensure these systems aren’t ‘misused by evil people.’” Meanwhile, machine learning tools present the threat of surpassing the human capacity to learn. It took ChatGPT two months to learn something that its developers expected it would in six years. ChatGPT is “an AI chatbot that uses natural language processing to create humanlike conversational dialogue.” Of course, “a natural language processing tool” may seem harmless, but it is the fact that AI technology can pretty much perform functions only humans could before, including “composing emails, essays, and (eventually write) code.” Robotics are mostly applied in the manufacturing sector, but combined with AI and machine learning, humans are in for some tough competition. A robot who can talk, reason, and make decisions? A robot that learns at the speed of light, and becomes self-aware? We, humans, have never learned from our mistakes and history. We refuse to see reason, make laws we break, and create machines that destroy. It’s even said that “super soldier” robots may be in the works at this point. How are we expected to be in control of AI and intelligent machines when we are not even in control of ourselves? The post Robots, we are not appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DiCaprio and Scorsese score raves at star-packed Cannes
Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese were set for a victory lap at Cannes on Sunday after their Native American crime epic, "Killers of the Flower Moon" scored rave reviews, while the festival prepared to bow down before Jude Law as King Henry VIII. Scorsese's latest opus, about a wave of murders among oil-rich Osage Indians in the 1920s, was showered in words like "searing", "triumph" and "masterpiece" by critics who scored the Cannes Film Festival's hottest ticket on Saturday night. Based on a non-fiction bestseller, the film sees DiCaprio as a weak-willed man who marries a wealthy Osage woman and is drawn into the deadly schemes of his kingpin uncle, played by Scorsese's other long-time muse, Robert De Niro. IndieWire said DiCaprio gives "his best-ever performance", while The Guardian awarded five stars for a "remarkable epic about the bloody birth of America". The stars were due to address reporters later on Sunday. But the festival was already set for another glitzy premiere later in the day, with "Firebrand" starring Jude Law as 16th-century English king Henry VIII alongside Alicia Vikander as his sixth and final wife, Catherine Parr. Drives me crazy While Scorsese's Apple-funded film had an out-of-competition slot at the festival, "Firebrand" is in the increasingly close race for its top prize Palme d'Or, to be announced on May 27. Among the entries are Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore's new film "May December" which received positive reviews after its Saturday premiere. The tale of a woman who caused a tabloid scandal by marrying a schoolboy -- and the actress who enters their lives years later to research a role -- was described as "deliciously campy" by IndieWire. Portman told AFP she liked seeing women "behave in morally ambiguous ways". "It always drives me crazy when people are like, oh if only women rule the world, it would be a kinder place. No, women are humans and come in all different complexities," she said. Arguably the current favorite for the Palme is British director Jonathan Glazer's "The Zone of Interest", a unique and horrifying look at the private life of a Nazi officer working at the Auschwitz concentration camp. Critics were near-unanimous in their praise, Variety calling it "chilling and profound". It was partly inspired by a book of the same name by British novelist Martin Amis, who died on Saturday at 73. Also well received was "Four Daughters", a heartbreaking documentary about radicalization within a Tunisian family that is both inventive and engaging. That may go down well with jury president Ruben Ostlund, last year's winner for "Triangle of Sadness", who likes his arthouse films with some lighter touches. A total of 21 films are in the main competition, with entries from past winners Wim Wenders, Ken Loach, and Nanni Moretti still to come. Aging icons The weather has been untypically wet this year, but Cannes has had no shortage of splashy moments. Law is not the only one playing a monarch -- the festival opened controversially with Johnny Depp's "comeback" film, "Jeanne du Barry", in which he takes the role of French king Louis XV. Aging Hollywood men have been a key theme of this 76th edition, with honorary Palmes for Michael Douglas and Harrison Ford, the latter at the world premiere of "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny", as well as an appearance by Sean Penn for paramedics drama "Black Flies". The post DiCaprio and Scorsese score raves at star-packed Cannes appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Of battles and bottles: Books on Norzagaray and Philippine history and culture
Whether it’s heavy rains or times of drought, attention is given to the level of water in a number of water reservoirs in the country, which are mostly located in the island of Luzon. One of these reservoirs, which are massive engineering feats of the 20th century, is the Angat Dam in the province of Bulacan, which supplies water for irrigation in the Central Luzon province and adjacent Pampanga and for domestic use in Metro Manila. A common misconception is that this dam is in the town of Angat as its name suggests, but it is geographically and politically located within the town of Norzagaray. The dam was built in the 1960s at the upper portion of the Angat River, hence the name. Apart from the Angat Dam, Norzagaray has another dam called Ipo, located downstream from the former. The present Ipo Dam was completed in 1984 but the old one which was replaced by the current one was completed in 1938 and was the site of the Battle of Ipo Dam in 1945. Historic battles In that battle, the dam was taken by the Filipino and American forces from members of the Shimbu group of the Japanese army commanded by General Shizuo Yokohama, which had control of the important water supply installations for Manila and its environs. Half a century prior, the town also had its share of history during the battles for Philippine independence. In the Philippine Revolution against Spain, a local unit of the Filipino revolutionaries was organized by Sinfroso de la Cruz and made the Pinagrealan Cave in the village of Minuyan as their hideout and secret meeting place. His group was involved in battles against the Spanish forces in Norzagaray, Angat and San Jose in 1896 to 1897. Now, the said cave is a tourist destination in the town together with other natural and cultural sites. These pieces in Norzagaray’s history are discussed in the recently released book, Casaysayan ng Norzagaray Año 1860, by Bulacan historian and cultural advocate Jaime Salvador Corpuz. [caption id="attachment_130022" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Photographs courtesy of Jaime Corpuz | A book on the history of Norzagay, Bulacan.[/caption] Corpuz also presents different facets of the town’s culture and heritage including the Dumagat ethnic group, which also inhabits the area, being a part of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range; its foundation as an independent town from Angat in 1860; its church dedicated to San Andres de Apostol; the Philippine-American War, Commonwealth and World War II; educational development; barangays; known personalities; and the history of the Norzagaray, Culture, History, Arts and Tourism Council, the publisher of the book. The book, an added resource in the study of local histories, is a product of a cultural heritage mapping done more than five years ago. Uncapping the history of bottles Corpuz also recently launched another book on the history of bottles in the country, the first of its kind in the Philippines. A novelty and an important undertaking, the book MaBOTEng Usapan: Samu’t Saring Kuwentong Bote is his joint project with fellow author Kyle Gianan, who is popularly known as the “Filipino Picker.” It was co-published by Corpuz’s Bahay Makabayan in Marilao, Bulacan and Gianan’s Museo ng Kahapon in Mandaluyong. The book presents the various stories about bottles in the country including those that are now considered rare such as the Balintawak Beer, Halili Beer and Mactan Softdrinks of San Miguel in Bulacan. [caption id="attachment_130023" align="aligncenter" width="525"] A book on the history of bottles in the Philippines.[/caption] The book is replete with information on the role of bottles in Philippine movies and old print advertisements. It even tells about how bottles for alcoholic drinks were reused as disinfectant alcohol bottles during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. This book is important as it delves into a lesser known or lesser discussed aspect of Philippine society and history. These bottles are artifacts that are historically, culturally, economically, scientifically and socially significant. They are mute witnesses in the planning of revolutions and important events as well as significant social gatherings. This undertaking by Corpuz and Gianan is laudable and is definitely a source of “ma-boteng usapan” among its readers. The post Of battles and bottles: Books on Norzagaray and Philippine history and culture appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Elreen Ando targets SEAG gold
Settling for silver medal the last time in Hanoi, Elreen Ando feels she will get the gold when she competes in next months’ 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh. Saying she already feels comfortable in the 59-kilogram event, Ando swears she has “adjusted” and “adapted in her new weight class after her stint in the 64-kg division in Vietnam. With Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz skipping this year’s SEA Games for the 2023 Asian Weightlifting Championships that will run from May 3 to 13 in South Korea, Ando will banner the nine-man team to Cambodia. “I hope I can get the gold medal this time in Cambodia and improve my lifts. It was a big help for me playing in the Olympics because I saw things that I didn’t back then. After the Olympics, I became more inspired to play and I hope I can play there again.” Also joining Ando in Phnom Penh are SEA Games gold medalist Vanessa Sarno (women's 71kg), Kristel Macrohon (women's +71kg), Angeline Colonia (women's 45kg), Lovely Inan (women's 49kg), Rosalinda Faustino (women's 55kg), John Febuar Ceniza (men's 61kg), Dave Lloyd Pacaldo (men's 67kg) and John Dexter Tabique (men's 89kg). The Philippines won two gold, one silver and one bronze to place fourth place overall in Hanoi. Ando insists she sees something similar with her current condition and Diaz’s. Diaz started competing in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics in the women’s 58kg before going down to 53kg for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, where she bagged the silver medal. National team coach Edmundo Cardano wants the delegation to surpass the two golds won in Hanoi. “More gold medals than the last SEA Games and I expect a good, clean fight. Just follow the coaches, they know how to guide you,” Cardano said. “We’d like to see them improve and get three or four gold medals,” he added. The post Elreen Ando targets SEAG gold appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BuzzFeed to close news operation
BuzzFeed announced Thursday that it was shutting its news division as part of layoffs, signaling the end of one of the most notable news websites of the internet era. The company cited challenges including recession in the tech sector and the struggling stock market, with CEO Jonah Peretti admitting he was partly at fault for the closure. "We are reducing our workforce by approximately 15 percent today... and beginning the process of closing BuzzFeed News," Peretti wrote in a memo to staff. The announcement is the latest to rock the US media landscape as outlets battle with falling reader numbers and lower advertising revenue. Shares in BuzzFeed, known for its viral content and journalism, plunged more than 20 percent on Wall Street following the news. Peretti said the company had come to the conclusion that it "can no longer continue to fund BuzzFeed News as a standalone organization." He added that it would now concentrate its news output on its HuffPost website. Peretti also cited the coronavirus pandemic, less capital, a decelerating digital advertising market, and "ongoing audience and platform shifts." "Dealing with all of these obstacles at once is part of why we've needed to make the difficult decisions to eliminate more jobs and reduce spending," he said. Peretti conceded that he could have reacted differently to the challenges. "I could have managed these changes better as the CEO of this company and our leadership team could have performed better despite these circumstances," he wrote. Peretti admitted that he had decided "to overinvest in BuzzFeed News because I love their work and mission so much." "This made me slow to accept that the big platforms wouldn't provide the distribution or financial support required to support premium, free journalism purpose-built for social media," he wrote. BuzzFeed, created in 2006, first became known for its lists and topical quizzes. Awards But in 2011 it founded BuzzFeed News, which won a number of awards and became a symbol of a new wave of internet media companies. It received plaudits for its investigative work and won a Pulitzer Prize in 2021 for coverage of the Chinese government's detention of Muslims in Xinjiang. But it was criticized after it published a cache of unverified information about Donald Trump known as the "Steele Dossier." BuzzFeed defended the decision by saying the public had a right to read the unsubstantiated claims since many in Washington already had. Ultimately, making money was Buzzfeed's problem and Peretti said he regretted that he "didn't hold the company to higher standards for profitability." The New York-headquartered company announced in May 2020 that it would shutter part of its loss-making news operations in Britain and Australia as it scaled back global ambitions to cut costs. In November of that year, BuzzFeed bought the Huffington Post news site from Verizon without disclosing the amount. "Moving forward, we will have a single news brand in HuffPost, which is profitable, with a loyal direct front page audience," Peretti wrote. Newsroom employment has declined steadily in the United States, falling from 114,000 in 2008 to 85,000 in 2020, according to a 2021 study by the Pew Research Center. Layoffs have taken place at CNN, NBC, MSNBC, and Vox Media in recent months. The post BuzzFeed to close news operation appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Grizzlies hold off Lakers to level series 1-1
The Memphis Grizzlies shook off the absence of star guard Ja Morant to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 103-93 on Wednesday and knot their NBA Western Conference playoff series at one game apiece. Xavier Tillman scored 22 points and pulled down 18 rebounds to lead the Grizzlies, who led by as many as 20 points in a bruising battle that saw Lakers center Anthony Davis suffer a small cut on his right eyelid and LeBron James drawn into a verbal back and forth with Dillon Brooks. With All-Star point guard Morant ruled out with a bruised right hand, the Grizzlies clamped down defensively, Tillman saying their message to Morant was "we've got his back, and we're going to hold it down for him." Tillman keyed Memphis's quick start, connecting on his first six shots and finishing 10-of-13 from the floor. The Grizzlies led by as many as 16 points on the way to a 59-44 halftime lead as the harried Lakers failed to find a way to get their offense firing. Davis blocked five shots in the first half but connected on just one of nine shot attempts. He finished with 13 points on four-of-14 shooting. James led all scorers with 28 points and Japan's Rui Hachimura added 20 to become the first Laker to score 20 points off the bench in back-to-back playoff games since Magic Johnson in 1996. But unlike in game one, there would be no late resurgence for the Lakers, the Grizzlies absorbing the Lakers' second-half push. Jaren Jackson Jr., the newly named NBA Defensive Player of the Year, scored 18 points, Desmond Bane added 17 and Brooks chipped in 12. Tyus Jones, starting in place of Morant, added 10 and eight assists. After the Grizzlies pushed their lead to 20 points early in the third quarter, the Lakers began to push back. Two baskets and two free throws from James launched a 17-3 Lakers scoring run that sliced the deficit to six points, but that's as close as they would get the rest of the way. Now, Tillman said, the Grizzlies will summon a "road warrior mentality" for game three of the best-of-seven series in Los Angeles on Saturday. Antetokounmpo ruled out Elsewhere the Milwaukee Bucks were without Giannis Antetokounmpo as they tried to claw back a victory against the Miami Heat in their Eastern Conference first-round series. Antetokounmpo, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, suffered a lower back contusion in the first quarter of the Eastern Conference top seeds' 130-117 loss in game one on Sunday. The Bucks, the top seeds in the East and owners of the best regular-season record in the league, had hoped he would be fit to return but he was ruled out less than two hours before tip-off. "He's continued to improve," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said before the game. "But organizationally, talking and working with him and the sports performance group, a decision was made. He's out." Two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, meanwhile, sought to extend their series lead over Minnesota when they hosted the Timberwolves in game two of their Western Conference clash. The post Grizzlies hold off Lakers to level series 1-1 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ginebra, TNT go for broke
Games Wednesday: (Smart Araneta Coliseum) 5:45 p.m. Ginebra vs TNT Series summary: Game 1: Ginebra 102, TNT 90 Game 2: TNT 95, Ginebra 82 Game 3: Ginebra 117, TNT 103 Game 4: TNT 116, Ginebra 104 An all-out war gets underway as Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and TNT Tropang Giga collide for an all-important victory in Game 5 of their Philippine Basketball Association best-of-seven finals series on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Action starts at 5:45 p.m. with both squads tipped to be at their best to deliver a win that will put them a heartbeat away from clinching the title of this season-ending conference. According to PBA head of statistics Fidel Mangonon III, the battle had turned into a cold-blooded shootout with Ginebra piling a total of 405 points with 56 three-pointers while TNT compiled 404 points with 55 treys. In Game 3, in fact, the Kings ran wild from the rainbow area, hitting 18 three-pointers to set a franchise record for the most number of treys. But TNT responded in Game 4 as it unloaded a finals record of 21 long bombs to eclipse its previous mark of 20 that it tallied in a 121-119 double-overtime win over Rain or Shine in Game 7 of its 2015 Commissioner’s Cup best-of-seven finals series. TNT head coach Jojo Lastimosa said their sharp form from downtown was a product of their good spacing and ball movement. “If you shoot well, most likely, you’re gonna win,” said Lastimosa, also the team manager of the Tropang Giga. “I think what we did was we went back to what we do best. If we have Rondae (Hollis-Jefferson) there as a screener and we have proper spacing, and we can locate shooters on the corner, we know that we’re gonna get shots.” He added they marched into Game 4 with fire in their eyes after realizing their mistakes in Game 3. “The problem with our last game was that we didn’t have good spacing. Rondae was our facilitator and the ball didn’t go to the shooters,” he said. “But in Game 4, Calvin had a lot of looks and it stemmed from our spacing. If it’s your night, it’s your night. We have a lot of heroes, Kib Montalbo was a huge part of this game, and without Roger there, having a broken finger, we need somebody who can step in and help out in the scoring side.” For Montalbo, it’s all about getting prepared, whatever your role is, and in Game 4, he was promoted to become a starter and immediately made a huge impact, scoring 16 points and hitting 4-of-8 treys. “I wasn’t able to play much previously, but I was inserted to the starting position and I just took advantage,” Montalbo said. “For me, it’s about putting in the work because, you’ll never know. Things like that can happen in the finals.” “We also brought that mentality of refusing to lose and Coach Jolas is one guy who doesn’t want to lose,” added Montalbo, who played one of his better games in the tournament capped by a buzzer-beating desperation heave from way, way out to close out the first half. Ginebra coach Tim Cone admitted that Lastimosa, his team captain when he won a grand slam with Alaska in 1996, outwitted him. “We played badly and they we’re off to a good start, so now the series is tied,” Cone said. “It was quite disappointing and, in many ways, it was embarrassing. But it’s a series, so we need to get ready for Wednesday.” Seeing Justin Brownlee, who lost the Best Import plum to Hollis-Jefferson, getting into early foul trouble and watching his team missing 10 of 23 attempts from the free throw line are some of areas Cone sees need some improvement. With Brownlee, a three-time Best Import winner, nursing five fouls, TNT was able to attack his defense, putting to waste his 28-point effort. In Game 2, Brownlee was limited to only 12 points, his lowest in the conference, and went without a three-point field goal for the first time in 77 games. That’s why if there’s one player who can inspire the Kings to regroup, it’s Brownlee, who is on his quest for record seven championships that will make him the winningest reinforcement ever to play in the PBA. The post Ginebra, TNT go for broke appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pimentel sees administrative liabilities over New Year’s Day airspace outage
“There must have been negligence to the point that there is no system in place, a fool-proof system, or even if there was a system in place, it was just on paper and was not followed,” Pimentel said......»»
Russian forces claim gains along Ukraine frontline
As the first anniversary of the Russian invasion neared, much of the fighting is taking place around the eastern city of Bakhmut, still in Ukrainian hands amid a months-long battle.....»»
Baldwin sees more future Ateneo-UP battles
The Battle of Katipunan has lived up to its billing this 2022 after Ateneo and UP slugged it out against each other a total of 10 times in the span of one year......»»
Tab Baldwin braces for ‘wild,’ more physical decider for UAAP crown
MANILA, Philippines — With a chance to regain their place atop the UAAP men’s basketball, the Ateneo Blue Eagles will leave everything on the floor as they battle University of the Philippines in another Game 3 ending for the crown on Monday. In the Blue Eagles’ sixth consecutive finals, Tab Baldwin is set to coach […] The post Tab Baldwin braces for ‘wild,’ more physical decider for UAAP crown appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Archers, Falcons battle for last Final Four slot
Action erupts at 6 p.m. after the Archers and the Falcons' tie at fourth place with similar 7-7 cards set the stage for a sudden elimination game with the winner advancing to the semifinals against No. 1 Ateneo. The other semis pairing features No. 2 and reigning champion UP versus No. 3 National U......»»
DoE sees tight power supply in 2022
The Department of Energy (DoE) is seeing tight power supply next year that could affect the polling period, but measures are already in place to mitigate the situation. “For 2022, we see the thinning of supply on election day and thereafter that is why we are closely monitoring the situation. We are coming up with […] The post DoE sees tight power supply in 2022 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Tumulak sees no need placing Inayawan in state of calamity, barangay to help waste pickers
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Councilor David Tumulak, the City Council’s committee chairperson for disaster risk reduction and management, does not see any reason to place Barangay Inayawan in a state of calamity or emergency. Tumulak said on July 8, 2021, that the situation in the Inayawan Transfer Station is under control with the […] The post Tumulak sees no need placing Inayawan in state of calamity, barangay to help waste pickers appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Cebu-based chess teams resume PCAP battle
CEBU CITY, Philippines—Four Cebu-based pro chess teams will resume their online chess campaigns in the ongoing Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) Wesley So Cup Conference on Wednesday, July 7, 2021. The Lapu-Lapu City Naki Warriors, who are at eighth place in the south division standings with eight wins and 21 losses, will have […] The post Cebu-based chess teams resume PCAP battle appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Djokovic to Nadal: Let& rsquo;s have a great battle
Paris—Novak Djokovic said facing Rafael Nadal for the 58th time on Friday, with a place in the French Open final on the line, will be “a great battle” against his “biggest ever rival”......»»