USA Men's Basketball wins Gold in Beijing

This was the only medal the 2008 USA Dream Team and the whole USA wanted.

The US team won the Gold medal in this year's 2008 Summer Olympics. They only gave the mightiest men that the NBA has so it is quite obvious that they will win.

USA 118 (Dwyane Wade 27, Kobe Bryant 20, LeBron James 14, Chris Paul 13, Carmelo Anthony 13, )

Spain 107 (Rudy Fernandez 22, Pau Gasol 21, Juan Carlos Navarro 18, Carlos Jiminez 12, Marc Gasol 11, Felipe Reyes 10).

In the end, USA prevailed 118-107. Gripping the Gold medal in the games!

Scores shows that this is a highly defensive match between the two countires. US Team while on play were complaining heavy fouls and bombardment from the Spaniards. This meant a lot of course so they all did their very best. ^_^

A superb game-high 27 points from Dwyane Wade (21 of them in the first half) and 20 from Kobe Bryant the US took the best shots from the Spanish. They led 69-61 at the half, but saw Spain close to within four in the third quarter and two in the final period. Then Bryant nailed a four-point play and the momentum was with the Americans, try as the Spanish might.

And they tried plenty, right till the bitter end. The electric Rudy Fernandez and the towering Pau Gasol were huge for the gallant silver medalists. Repeatedly, the likes of Bryant, Wade and LeBron James had repeated the mantra that this was bigger than anything they'd done in the NBA. This was for their country, they said, and that made it so. After six long years, the USA finally rules the basketball world again. Argentina, even without injured star Manu Ginobili, were too good for Lithuania in the bronze playoff with an 87-85 victory giving them their second straight Games medal after they had won gold in Athens.

LATEST MEDAL STANDINGS : BEIJING 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES (UPDATED 2:22am Aug 24 PST!!!)

Well, the Philippines won a Gold Medal in Wushu but since it is not a recognized Olympic sport its not going to count in the Medal Standings. Good job though! I am disappointed however because we did not win a single medal that can be counted there.

Willy Wang from the Philippines wins WUSHU gold and lone medal of the Philippines
Wushu is considered as an Olympic demonstration only and not counted in the Medal Tally

Click image to see clearer! ^_^

New York City: A Crazy City

NY Public Library and Cabs with International drivers ^_^

I still remember the lights at Times Square, when this young Filipino lad landed in the land of promise US of A. I can never forget the feeling of being squeezed in between expecting that everything was "Sex and the City" where Sarah Jessica Parker would suddenly just pop up into the open and greet me with her infamous GIGANTIC flower and Manolo Blahniks while getting splashed in the streets. Well right in front of me, after hours and hours of sleep and deprivation of it was just the city's public library and CABS... hundreds of CABS with Indian and Jamaican looking fellas. Talk about a mix of cultures! O_O

My friend promised me a night of enjoyment, well I said yeah yeah you can probably do anything that you want and we could end up anywhere but I won't even know where I am anyway. Sure enough, he became an instant tour guide... well not exactly...he gave in and got a city tour instead! ^_^ all expenses paid, courtesy of him (lol). It has the nicest name too… Trusted Tours & Attractions which you’ll surely love! ^_^

I saw couple of pictures of well known comedian Rex Navarette when I watched a couple of his shows in the Phillies. Yeah he knew what he was taking about. He really knows where to hit funny bones of people like me. Just a pat on the back and a couple of "messing up" of my friend's hair suddenly gave me free tickets to see his show that night. Man was I in for sumthing... Something crazy as Rex Navarette.

Since that was in the evening, we hopped around the streets and pointed me to some of the coffee table book pictures I saw at shops like starbucks in my homeland. That was really a sight to behold. Liberty... and I was at an awe!

OMG! Liberty moved! O_O

The tour was to blame for that, it was the culprit why was I holding my breath everytime! I even had fun at the famous Madame Tussauds wax museum! All included in the New York tours package they offered.

Bush and me discussing WORLD and International matters

By the way, they have a special promotion where a person can win a $150 Magellan’s Gift Certificate by signing up for their newsletter (http://www.trustedtours.com/newsletter.aspx). You should get this and never think about wasting time ever again! Go with New York tours! It's just awesome! ^_^ I STRONGLY suggest you start with their online travel guides

Denster and his weekly, funny short stories ^_^

Denster and his officemates
Photo from Ketchuplease.com

Customer Service (Bad effects of outsourcing to India)

My Aunt passed away this past January. Her bank billed her for February and March for their monthly service charge on her credit card, and then added late fees and interest on the monthly charge. The balance had been $0.00, but had now grown to somewhere around $60.00.

I placed the following phone call to the bank:

Me: "I am calling to tell you that she died in January."

Bank: "The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply."

Me: "Maybe, you should turn it over to collections..."

Bank: "Since it is 2 months past due, it already has been."

Me: "So, what will they do when they find out she is dead?"

Bank: "Either report her account to the frauds division, or report her to the credit bureau...maybe both!"

Me: "Do you think God will be mad at her?"

Bank:"Do I think God... excuse me, what did you say?"

Me: "Do you understand what I was telling you... specifically the part about her being... dead?"

Bank: "Sir, you'll have to speak to my supervisor!"

(Supervisor gets on the phone)

Me: "I'm calling to tell you, she died in January."

Bank: "The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply."

Me: "You mean you want to collect from her estate?"

Bank: ".....(stammer)" .... "Are you her lawyer?"

Me: "No, I'm her great nephew, but feel free to contact her lawyer at: XXX"

Bank: "Could you fax us a certificate of death?"

Me: "Sure."

( Later, After they have gotten the fax. )

Bank: "Our system just isn't set up to handle this..."

Me: "Oh..."

Bank: "I don't know what more I can do to help..."

Me: "Well... if you figure it out, great! If not, you could just keep billing her... I suppose...don't really think she will care...."

Bank: "Well...the late fees and charges do still apply."

Me: "Would you like her new billing address?"

Bank: "That might help."

Me: "Fredrickson Memorial Cemetery, Hwy 19 and plot number 233."

Bank: "Sir, that's a cemetery!"

Me: "Yes sir, that's what we do with our departed loved ones."



Potato Sacks


For those keyboard jockeys (those with jobs that require sitting at a computer all day) who don't want to spend the money for those fancy exercise machines, here is a little secret for building arm and shoulder muscles. Three days a week is best.

Begin by standing (in your cubicle works well) with a five pound potato sack in each hand. Extend your arms straight out to your sides and hold them there as long as you can.

After a few weeks, move up to ten pound potato sacks and then fifty pound potato sacks, and finally get to where you can lift a one hundred pound potato sack in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute.

Next, start putting a few potatoes in the sacks.



Now don't you feel like laughing? ^_^ Hehehh....