Too much hype

Sports journalists and reporters, at times, put a lot of hype in to certain sporting events. This is for viewers to not only watch the sporting event but also to follow the story leading up to the event itself. However, there are times when the hype is just too much.

Take this year's NBA playoffs. There was a lot of hype about how competitive it was going to be but in the end the powerhouses were the ones reigning supreme. Another disappointment was the second season of the Cleveland Caveliers' dominant season coming to an early end. He just can't do it on his own.

Next is the supposed UFC Match of the year, Rashad Evans vs Rampage Jackson. It was boring. A lot of people thought that it would one for the ages, instead it was just a technical bout no highlights what so ever.

Another is the 2 boxing matches with Manny Pacquiao going up against Joshua Clottey and Floyd Mayweather taking on Shane Mosley. Both of the big blockbuster fights were boring, there were no knockouts nor referee stoppage, except for the judges score card to determine the winner.

Steven Cojocaru once said "We all get swept up in the hype machine. Nobody is immune to that." Sometimes the hype is just too much. People tend to hype up an event to attract a lot of people to either support or watch it. But I guess in the unscripted world of real sports you just have to deal with what ever the outcome may be.

Smile Haiti

Be a man for others - St. Ignatius Loyola

The world has watched as Haiti was attacked, not by a foreign country but instead mother nature. It was a terrible tragedy that left thousands homeless and dead. Also it has put a dent in the progress of Haiti.

Instead of using their funds/money to attract investors and to improve their economy and infrastructures, they now have to rehabilitate their country. But there is good news. The World Bank has canceled Haiti's debt of $36 million from donations from the first world countries. Not to mention $379 million will be made available to Haiti for their recovery as well as $10 billion in long term assistance.

Haiti was devastated but now there is a reason for them to smile again. No amount of money will ever be enough compensation for the lives that were lost but at least they will be able to have a better beginning. In a world were war and devastation create headlines and makes people believe that the world is not like what it used to be, there is hope for good news after all.

Starbucks in the coffee section

When someone utters the name Starbucks, one thing comes to mind it isn't coffee but more of a lifestyle. Why would you pay a lot for a cup of coffee? Its because when you drink from Starbucks you are somewhat living the lifestyle of the stars. Its kind of a Western influence all thanks to the movies.

However, times have changed and Starbucks will have to result into selling some of their products in supermarkets. One would ask why is that when there is a Starbucks store about to open near by, well its because people don't anymore buy a cup of coffee as they used to.

People would rather buy everything they need in one go. Why should they go out of their way and spend a significant amount from their hard earned money for a cup of coffee in which they can enjoy at home at a cheaper price? Sometimes people don't care about the ambiance anymore they just want to save for a rainy day.

Starbucks has seen that there is a shift in the interest in their customers and has reacted to this change. They plan on capturing that market or that piece from their initial customer pie. By wanting achieve that goal they resorted to selling their product at the supermarket, with this move Starbucks aims to capture their lost piece.

Starbucks isn't taking chances. It is sticking to their core value that has made them one of the popular coffee brands the world over and that is making every customer count. Maybe this move will work, maybe not we will just have to find out. Starbucks is teaching us that everyone matters.

Like water.

There is an old Chinese proverb that says "Be like water and you will survive."

No, it doesn't mean that you should be literally like water you know like living solely on water. It means that we should incorporate the properties of water into our own lives. Water is one of the most power elements because you can mold it. It can take any shape and it can go through almost anything. It is in short versatile.

We can learn a lot from water. Water takes the shape of its container, so one must be adaptable. Don't resist the unfamiliar for water isn't like that it goes with the flow it adapts to its surroundings. Water can break a rock hence it is powerful. One must approach an object or obstacle for that matter with all its might and strike it until it breaks. When we overcome them we become stronger, we grow with each obstacle we over come. Water is clear and refreshing. Don't be clouded, clear your mind be free so that others will be able to quench themselves with what you have to offer. Don't be selfish for water is not selfish, it gives and gives.

Water doesn't only give us life but it also teaches us on how to live life. It is essential to our survival in this world and its properties as well if we choose to incorporate them in our life.

Are you better than a 3rd Grader?

They say when you are a kid everything you do is like gold and parents treat it as an a achievement. Well, a girl named Makenzie Melton should be the model for that line. Her work was chosen by a panel of experts and beat out 30000 plus entries.

This just goes to show that kids can create masterpieces. I mean common, who would have thought that a 3rd grader would win the Doodle 4 Google Contest?! Parents please encourage your children to do what they want and not what you want. Seriously, who knows your child's next piece of work could be a masterpiece or could land him or her a scholarship.

By the way that is what Makenzie drew.

Source: google.com and cnn.com

A is for APPLE

Remember that old saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away". Well now they should rephrase it to "An Apple a day, keeps the Microsoft at bay".

Microsoft didn't believe what experts were saying that Apple will overtake them in the future. Well, the future is here and Apple just did! Microsoft was so pent up in revolutionizing and counter attacking Apple's products that they forgot to create their own trademark product. Sure they have Windows but that's about it. Apple on the other hand, developed the Iphone, Imac, Ipad, Mac book and the like instead of just merely concentrating on the Ipod.

Its no surprise that Apple is beating the living hell out of Microsoft, the question is "How will Microsoft respond?"

The Special One to lead the Galacticos

Its no secret that Real Madrid is in need of a trophy and they had to buy new and expensive players last summer in the hopes of leading them to glory. However, their hopes were shattered with two early exits in the Copa del Rey and in the Champions League and a heartbreaking second place in the La Liga table. Clearly they need to do something this summer.

Jose "The Special One" Mourinho is considered one of the best managers to ever lead a team. What ever he touches turns into gold or in football terms, silverware. Mourinho has won a trophy with every team that he has managed from Porto to Chelsea to Inter Milan.

If Real Madrid plans on spending this summer then they should spend on Mourinho. He wants a new challenge and he wants to win and he can find it all in Real Madrid. The question now is, how long will Real Madrid prolong the signing of the one person who can bring back the glory days to the Bernabeu.

FC Barcelona the New Galacticos?

The Galacticos was what sports commentators and analysts called the Real Madrid team during the reign of Florentino Perez from 2000-2007. The reason behind that was because their squad consisted of the biggest stars in the galaxy playing in one team. That is now being copied by their arch-rivals FC Barcelona.

FC Barcelona has been trying to outplay Real Madrid on all fronts. Be it success on the pitch or off the pitch in terms of being recognized the world over. The thing is Barcelona maybe winning on the pitch with its European titles and La Liga titles but Real Madrid has been winning off the pitch. They may not be winning titles but they are gaining followers especially with the addition of big names like Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo, Raul Albiol, and Karim Benzema who were added last summer Real Madrid has become more popular than ever.

Barcelona is now trying to beat them in the popularity game, and they have acquired Spain's top striker David Villa. They say they are merely strengthening their already strong squad. If you just smell the coffee, don't you think that they are trying to get the market share of Real Madrid as well? I mean common, signing a star striker will tend to boost your team's popularity and David Villa is sure to do that.

Barcelona is not stopping there, they plan on signing Arsenal's captain and a young player with the potential to become one of the greatest midfield players, Francesc Fabregas. This will really shift the balance of market share in terms of popularity and will definitely further strengthen their squad.

Barcelona is winning trophies but that doesn't really bother Madrid but if Barcelona starts to become more popular than the original Galaticos then Real Madrid will be deeply alarmed. To topple a giant you must be a giant. New breed of Galacticos on the horizon? We shall see, besides the summer signings has just begun.

North vs South

Its no secret that North Korea and South Korea haven't seen eye to eye in a long time. The tension between the two states has not boiled down, it some how was just silent or dormant but with the latest issue at hand there is a huge possibility of a War erupting.

If you ponder upon this issue, South Korea has the say on how this will end. This can end in two ways they can be civil and let a higher authority handle this issue and show that they have class or they can take matters into their own hands and wage war against their neighbor.

In the words of Abraham Lincoln "Any man can stand adversity. If you want to test a man's character, give him power." Now, it is South Korea's time to either show some class or to stoop down to North Korea's level.

Source: cnn.com

The Space Between

Most people believe that relationships will work if the people in it spend time together, respect each others space and also that the trust should also be there. What if you are in a long distance relationship, does it change everything?

Why do people enter into it, is it because there is no one else and people result to that? I say no. People enter it because of the same reason that other people enter a relationship and that is to be loved and to love. There is no difference actually except for the fact that both of you don't always see each other.

Why do people make it a big deal, being in a long distance relationship? Is it that hard that people can't wait to be together again? Yes, trust is a factor but isn't it always a factor whether you are always together or far apart? If that is the case then what really matters is patience. People at times can't wait because of that animal instinct in them or because they just simply can't wait.

People say it will not work, that is because no one has ever invested enough to make it work. Its all about being able to wait. Being able to wait makes the space between a little smaller.

Toyota's Second Coming.

When we hear the name or Toyota several things come to mind. One is Japanese ingenuity, the other is quality automobile at a cheaper price. Some may say its a name linked with success and the only car to dethrone and conquer the American automobile industry who isn't even an American brand. Basically Toyota is linked with success and greatness, but the fact of the matter is greatness doesn't last for long.

The financial crisis has hit a lot of companies, well if not all companies and some of them even had to file for bankruptcy while others had to merge with other companies to save themselves. A lot of people thought that Toyota wouldn't that be affected since it has gone through a lot and is one of the most stable automobile companies in the world.

However, even the great Toyota wasn't spared but they were able to still maintain the edge with the launch of their Hybrid car the Pruis, the first of its kind in the whole world. But it wouldn't last long because they were in a bad shape and it showed when Volkswagen over took them to become the world's number 1 automobile producer. To make matters worse they had to recall their hybrid Prius' and Camrys because of manufacturing defects.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel and Toyota has recently ended its fiscal year with profit even though there has been a lot of bumps in the road. Akio Toyoda is optimistic with this result and who shouldn't be? They were able to weather the storm but it is not yet over, Toyota has to still increase its unit sales.

Beware because Toyota will look to jump back from its loss and will try to regain its title of being the world's leading automaker. This is the start of Toyota's second coming, expect an increase in new models to push for more unit sales.

Who's next?

Whenever a chess grand master picks apart his/her opponent and checkmate them they say "Who's next?" Or when the likes of Roger Federer dismantles his opponents, he tends to make facial gesture saying "Next Victim!" Those are signs of dominance, of hunger and thirst for glory.

It is hard to say that a team or an individual is dominating the competition but when you talk about the Orlando Magic this season then you have to think twice. The playoffs is in its mid-way point since the Conference Finals is just around the corner and the NBA Finals after that and the Orlando Magic have yet to lose a playoff game this season.

One may think, nothing fantastic the L. A. Lakers did that during their second championship run when they went 16-1 during the post -season and take not losing only in the first game of the Finals. But did the Lakers beat every single team during that season? Well, the Magic did. The Magic may not have the best record. Heck, they don't anymore have home court advantage but they have that mentality of being the only team who was able to beat every team.

They have that confidence in them that this year will be different. Last year, no one thought they would even reach the finals, but they did. They didn't do much to prevent the Lakers from getting the trophy though. However, Dwight gained a lot of experience and the team matured especially with the addition of Vince Carter.

Orlando has the chance to go all the way and win it all this year, they have matured, they are ready, they are more n sync and they have no injuries and have the momentum behind them. But the question is will they grab that opportunity or will they let the championship slip from their grasp once again?

Revenge or Respect

The Western Conference Finals is already set, its a match up between the Lakers and the Los Suns. One team will be looking for revenge while the other will be gunning for some respect.

The Suns or the Los Suns, they recently changed their name to show their disgust with Arizona's immigration issue, will be proving something on the 17th of May. They want to earn the respect of the NBA and regain their their status as a Western powerhouse. They lost that status over the past seasons because of injuries and lack of heart in some of their players. Now, however is a different story, they have beefed up their squad and the veterans are stronger than ever.

No more injury set backs for Stoudemaire and Hill who are both having an excellent season. Then there is the stepping up of Jason Richardson and the always reliable Steve Nash. The will definitely come out with guns blazing and will show to the whole that they are back and what better way to other than to eliminate the defending champs.

The Lakers however, will not go down with out a fight. They have shown during the playoffs last season that they will not go down without a fight. This year is a different story. They had a tough task in their first round fixture, even Kobe admitted that Oklahoma was a tough test, if not the toughest test they had to face. Then they went on to sweep the Jazz in the second round of the playoffs.

The Lakers have both momentum and revenge on their side as Kobe looks to avenge their 2006 and 2007 playoff exit in the hands of the Phoenix Suns. 3 years ago, it was all Kobe and he couldn't do it but now he has Pau Gasol, Artest and Odom who are more than ready to carry the team when they are needed.

Both teams will gut it out and on May 17 we will all see who will draw first blood. Will the Los Suns deny the Lakers of a 3rd straight trip to the finals or will the defending champs prove that they were able to get that chip of their back and reach the Finals yet again.

Numero Uno

In life God gives us someone who makes a huge impact in our lives. That person gives us something, it could be anything from material stuff to words of wisdom and words to live by, that will help us win in life.

You were always there for me. You were there when I needed a hug. You were there when I needed and ear. You never stopped caring even if at times I was rather stubborn. You always had patience. You never stopped loving me even if hurt you so many times, when I would abuse your kindness. You never gave up on me even when I had given up on myself. You were always my number one fan and treated my works and achievements as if they were gold and diamond. And I firmly believe that no matter what, when everyone has left my side that you will still be at my side until forever is through.

I may not always show it, but I thank God that you are part of my life. I love you and you will always be the number one girl in my life, MOM.

Waking up to global warming.

Ever tried waking up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet or to drink water and find yourself sweating all over? Or, have you ever noticed that the weather is changing? How about just feeling the temperature rise all of a sudden? Well then ladies and gentlemen it is my privilege to introduce to all of you GLOBAL WARMING! (Music starts: Hot in herre by Nelly)

Start becoming an ECO-geek. Save our planet.