Good Vibes

HONOLULU - Kobe Bryant was reportedly "very disappointed" with the lack of professionalism displayed by the FIBA referees and the stadium security.

The media caught up with Kobe Bryant after practice at the University of Hawaii at Manoa's Stan Sheriff Center and asked him several questions regarding his health and the upcoming preseason exhibition between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Utah Jazz.

When asked whether he watched the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship tournament the Black Mamba said, "I watched the finals. Yeah, the Chinese national team vs the Philippines."



"It would've been fun to see Jordan Clarkson there," Bryant said. Clarkson was supposed to be part of the Gilas Pilipinas squad but because of time restraints, the Lakers didn't clear him to play overseas.

When asked what he thought on the controversial officiating and off-court events before and during the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship Bryant said, "I was told that the Philippine team was having issues with transportation or something similar. The fishy thing is when they only attempted to fix the net when their crew was warming up. I'm not pointing fingers, but you know there's got to be something going on [laughter]."

"I didn't think too much about the early calls, but when they called the Filipino point guard for travelling while he was dribbling the ball, I knew something was wrong," Bryant said referring to a moment in the game when Jayson Castro William was called for a travel although he never moved his pivot foot before dribbling the ball.



The 5-time NBA World Champion also shook his head when showed the footage of several fans taunting the Gilas Pilipinas bench.

"Like I said, it is what it is. I hope the Philippine team still gets in the Olympics at Rio. [There's] still the qualifiers. It's not the end of the road for them. As for China, they have an impressive youthful squad. No matter the off-court antics are, they wouldn't get to where they are now without good staff and coaching."

Kobe Bryant expressed his excitement to play the upcoming NBA season alongside star rookie D'Angelo Russell telling the media that he's not afraid to play as a forward if he has to. "All for the team, man. All for that ring."

Basketball at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil will be held from 6 to 21 August 2016. The preliminary and knockout matches for both men and women will be played inside the first hall of the Olympic Training Center in Olympic Park which seats up to 16,000 spectators.

ESPN: Kobe Bryant on season opener against Utah Jazz

There has been a ton of debate in regards to the burning question of whether Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte will eventually run for president this coming 2016 elections. The hopes of many rooting for Duterte to run has been quelled when the mayor himself declared he will not do so because of a myriad of factors contributing to his decision. But many have been anticipating a mighty change of heart for the prominent mayor of Davao City, as many deem he is the answer to turning this country around and the change everyone needs. After turning Davao City from one of the more dangerous cities in the Philippines to being one of the safest, it is a massive turnaround indeed many are hoping he will provide with the country once he is seated as the president of the Philippines. Many are anticipating when he will announce his true intentions, as people consider that politicians tend to throw around 'smokescreens' to bluff oppositions and confuse them at this time of the year. But that announcement has finally come. Mayor Rodrigo Duterte will pair up with Senator Alan Peter Cayetano as they will run for president and vice president respectively.

On Tuesday night Senator Cayetano personally met with Mayor Duterte to discuss and talk about their potential tandem in the upcoming 2016 elections. Senator Cayetano will challenge Senator Chiz Escudero as vice president while Duterte will run for president. According to sources of Radyo Inquirer, the tandem of the two candidates are now official and up for running. Certainly this news will bring life to the supporters of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. The source of this breaking news came from an anonymous retired lawyer and general not named by INQUIRER.net. The potential for the Duterte-Cayetano is looking pretty good, as they pose a challenge to other candidate tandems as well. The race is heating up, and expect more announcements from other candidates as well.

After a long wait for everyone, the announcement has been made and will surely make resounding waves echoing throughout the nation. What do you think of the Duterte-Cayetano tandem for the 2016 elections? Do they possess a ton of potential in the upcoming elections? Let us know your thoughts and comments by leaving it down below!

A heavy winter weather on the 20th of December, 1980 was the day a story of mind-bending proportions was born. It was considered a myth; a story too good to be true after many people heard of the remarkable tale of then-19-year-old Jean Hilliard, who was on her way home from a friend's house when she suddenly lost control of her car and swerved, falling into a dike. The unforgiving weather and the blistering snow was too much for any mere mortal to handle. Stranded and left searching for help, Jean embarked on a journey she will never, ever forget in her entire life.

Knowing her car got busted because of the crash, Jean started walking against the punishing frigid wind below zero temperature, as she started to tread the path back from the home of her friend Wally Nelson, which was approximately two miles away. She was determined to get back to her friend's home, and her burning desire helped combat the blistering weather conditions as she finds her way. But due to the extreme weather conditions, it proved too much for Jean to handle, as she collapsed and ended up frozen just about 15 feet from his friend's door. Six hours have passed since her collapse, she was found frozen solid, like a huge block of human ice. Her pupils were obviously dilated, and her eyeballs were frozen, seemingly like a molded statue carved out from ice. Her friend Wally fortunately found her in his driveway and says his friend looked like a frozen meat before he carried her to his vehicle to rush to the hospital. One of the medical doctors who took care of Jean, Dr. Edgar Sather, stated "her body was so frozen that it was impossible to use a thermometer or find a vein to get a pulse." She was then subjected to a heating pad with a 102 degree water temperature. Dr. Edgar's brother, George Sather, who also assisted in treating Jean's condition, said "I can't explain why she's alive. She was frozen stiff, literally. It was a miracle. I thought she was dead, but then we picked up an extremely fain whimper. We knew there was a person existing then." Miracle it was indeed. Doctors believed her chances or survival were slim - very slim, almost none at all. She was a frozen block of ice, and her body temperature didn't even registered on the thermometer. What's extremely mind-bending is her body parts didn't even need to be amputated, as the common medical conditions suffered in minus zero temperatures is frostbite. Jean's mother, Mrs. Erickson gathered the locals in their area and everyone close to the family, asked for a prayer chain in hopes that Jean would survive and eventually make it alive. Soon, hundreds and thousands of people joined the prayer chain, and certainly their prayers were answered, as Jean was given a second chance to live life once again, defying the odds of what fate has dictated. Her legs and feet started to lighten, and regain their natural skin color instead of getting darker and suffering to frostbite. Then, the miracle happened. Jean's arms and hands began to thaw, and by the third day she was able to move her legs. After 49 days of being confined in the hospital, Jean is fully up and running once again and was discharged from the hospital, alive, well, and healthy. Her burning desire twisted the strings of fate, and it was truly a remarkable story that seems too good to even believe, but everyone was glad that Jean was able to make it and live to tell the tale of her epic story. Watch the video below and see Jean's amazing story!

For some extra tips during the harsh winter seasons, here are some important reminders to take note of for your safety:
1st Tip: It's always imperative to carry a survival pack with you whenever you go out in harsh weather conditions. The kit should have blankets, extra clothes, flashlight with batteries, food, water, first aid kit, a candle, emergency flares and a red light. Blankets and clothes keep you warm and other light sources help rescuers see you in the dark.
2nd Tip: Stay in the car. Unless it's totally wrecked, it's a much safer option to stay inside your car and seek help from there instead of treading the punishing weather conditions looking for help. Rescue teams also have a much easier time finding you if you are in a stable location instead of having to wander in search of dire help.
3rd Tip: If the car's still working and you can start it, use the car heater. Run the heater in 10-minute intervals to preserve the gas and make it last longer. It provides you with warmth needed in generally cold conditions.

The weather can be an unpredictable force, and we should be ready to adapt at any given time should there by any problems along the way. Be safe, be alert, and be ready. Don't forget to share us your thoughts by leaving us a comment down below!

The irony is strong in this one. After this guy decided it would be best to prank his girlfriend that he's cheating with three meagerly clothed women in bed, it completely backfired off in a huge way, so much that you won't believe what happened after watching the video! Maybe this will make you think twice in attempting to prank your significant other so that you'll avoid catastrophe written all over your face.

In the video, Kivork from KeyForkTv, a popular YouTube channel known for making pranks and comical japes, gathered the services of three beautiful women to aid him in his quest to prank his girlfriend and give her the surprise of her life! He sets up cameras around the room to film everything in action, and once things are up and running, they're all set and ready to go. His girlfriend was coming home from dance practice roughly about 3:30 in the afternoon, and once he heard his girlfriend enter the house, the prank begins. He stirs up a chitty-chatter with his scantily clad girls laying right next to him, and his girlfriend was shocked at the sight she saw when she entered the room; his man in bed with three women. Three! Baffled at the scene, the girls seemingly tried to give and explanation, but his girlfriend was having none of it! She's a mad dog, and they just triggered her anger in many ways not even her boyfriend was expecting! She suddenly pulls out a gun and points at the girls! Everyone was frantic and freaked out as the girls flee in terror and fright, and in an instant they were all gone. We gotta say this prank took a whole 360 degree turn with the way things ended. But that's not all, who knew that the joke was on the guy the whole time? After the girls fled away from the bedroom terrified, she reveals she saw the hidden cameras her boyfriend has set up and knew it was a prank the whole time! So she decided to play along with the game and keep things interesting until a trigger is pointed, as a culmination that her boyfriend should know that when it comes to pranks, he better not mess with his girlfriend or he'll end up being the butt of the joke. That girl is bad, and she's not one to mess with if you don't want guns being pointed at you when you try to prank someone and it completely backfires. Check out the full video and see for yourself how everything happened!

Maybe that'll teach us a lesson to be more aware of our pranks, unless we want to be the butt of our very own jokes. His girlfriend played it pretty well, and she gets the last laugh certainly. What do you think of the comical prank? Don't forget to leave us your thoughts and opinions by commenting down below!

It was a heated competition between the two countries vying for the top spotlight in FIBA Asia's 2015 Championship versus the Gilas Pilipinas and China, with the latter eventually winning the championship crown and solidifying themselves at the peak of asian basketball. But of course, it didn't come with much criticism and controversy from many basketball fans especially the Filipinos considering the game was allegedly rigged by China along with the referees so that they would eventually win the championship. After a heartbreaking 78-67 loss, the Gilas team finished with a silver medal, but in the hearts of many Filipinos the Gilas Pilipinas basketball team was without a doubt their own champion as the team displayed grit, toughness and Filipino pride.

Many have come to the conclusion that the game is indeed set up for the China basketball team to win, of course playing in their own country in Changsha, Hunan, China definitely helped their cause in playing a massive advantage against the unwavering Gilas basketball team. This prompted netizens to take over the social media and express their disappointment and rage over Twitter and Facebook, with the hashtag #‎GilasTamangPanahon becoming a trending topic. They felt that the Gilas team was stripped of the victory that is rightfully theirs by the biased referee calls working against the Chinese basketball team's favor. Chowking, a popular Chinese fastfood restaurant in the country, is humorously and jokingly getting blasted by netizens on Twitter, expressing that the Chinese restaurant should be banned for being apart of the "cooking" of the FIBA Asia 2015 Championship, all in good fun of course. And here is what some netizens have to say in regards to the matter.
Of course, Chowking decided to play the game as well, as their official Twitter account tweeted a response to netizens voicing to boycott the Chinese fastfood restaurant, and here is their latest tweet.
They amusingly made it clear that the cooking only happens in the kitchen, and they hade nothing to do with China's triumph over Gilas Pilipinas, which they jokingly state that their chefs aren't referees, calling for a truce and hopefully avoiding getting banned from the country, all in good humor and laughter. While the heartbreaking loss is still a lingering fresh wound for many, it would rather be best to head to Chowking and savor the flavor of Chinese style food made by Filipino chefs. And why not? They're referees.. in their own kitchen. What do you think of the loss by Gilas Pilipinas? Let us know your opinions by commenting down below!

PASAY - Students walked out of the SM Mall of Asia Arena after NU Pep Squad was announced the 2015 UAAP Cheerdance Competition champions.


"LUTO!"
The majority of the viewers both in attendance and at home felt that the crown should've went to either UP or UST, but when both were announced as runner-ups, everyone felt there was anomaly in the judging.

"Luto yun, luto," said a student from University of the Philippines. "Congratulations to NU, but I think everyone who watched would agree it was either us or UST at the top."

Another student said, "nobody was even talking about NU's performance. The contenders were UST, UP, FEU and UE. How would NU three-peat?"

Even the students from NU were shocked after finding out they won. "For me, di ako nag-expect na papasok kami sa top three. Wala, ganun talaga." ("For me, I didn't expect that we'll get in the top three. Oh well, it is how it is.")

UUAP Cheerdance Competition Rigged?

Netizens also took to Twitter to voice out their displeasure with the results while those who were at the SM Mall of Asia Arena simply walked out while the dumbfounded National University Pep Squad accepted their reward in front of a booing audience.

TWITTER - Social media lit up with accusations that the 2015 UAAP Cheerdance Competition was rigged after the much-hyped UP Pep Squad delivered on the floor, but not on the rankings.

I'm still rooting for a technical mistake in the announcement. Something is obviously and terribly wrong somewhere. #UAAPCDC2015

— Renier Louie B. Bona (@renierbona) October 3, 2015

Honestly, it should be 1.UST 2.UP 3.others😂 OR 1.UP 2.UST 3.I really don't care #UAAPCDC2015

— Kyle D (@putthisinmind) October 3, 2015

My reaction when they announced UP as the 2nd runner up #UAAPCDC2015 pic.twitter.com/ZGUgWv07uy

— Jhap Estepa (@Jhaaaap) October 3, 2015

Reaction ng UP Pep upon announcement, sobrang heart breaking. You guys deserve a higher place!! #UPPepSquad #UAAPCDC2015

— Jepoy (@jernarvasa) October 3, 2015

UP deserves higher placement. #UAAPCDC2015

— Neil Baquiran (@tahoboi) October 3, 2015

Though i'm a thomasian, i know that UP deserves a higher spot. #UAAPCDC2015

— Kumander (@dendenyumol) October 3, 2015

Umm, transparency please. What were the basis again? #UAAPCDC2015

— Mhem Solania (@meirneyangelie) October 3, 2015

In terms of difficulty and creativity, UP is still the champion. ❤️🏆✊🏼 #UAAPCDC2015

— Gabiola (@marcogabiola) October 3, 2015

Though the scoring system of the UUAP CDC is vauge, this is the first time it came under major scrutiny among the students of participating universities. The National University won three-peat while UST placed just between NU and UP.