Reap a windfall

Barangay Ginebra forward Japeth Aguilar dunks against San Miguel Beer in the 2022 PBA PhilippineCup at Mall of Asia Arena. PBA IMAGES MANILA, Philippines—Slowly but surely, Japeth Aguilar is rediscovering his old, fiery form and Barangay Ginebra is quick to reap the fruits as it shares the top spot in the PBA Philippine Cup. With the 6-foot-9 veteran finally recovered from a left calf injury, the Gin Kings notched two big wins last week for a similar 4-1 record as San Miguel Beer. Aguilar imposed his will in Ginebra’s comeback win against NLEX (83-75), and then played a key role in helping the Kings pull off a gritty 75-72 triumph over the Beermen. Aguilar averaged a double-double of 17.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in those games. He also shot 54 percent from the field and normed 2.5 blocks per outing to clinch the Cignal Play-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week for the period June 22-26. Aguilar hit 20 points on a stellar 9-of-13 shooting, grabbed seven rebounds, and had … [Read more...] about PBA Player of the Week Japeth Aguilar regaining old form for Ginebra

A LOCALLY produced movie based on the historical character Mat Kilau created waves when it reaped more than RM1mil at the boxoffice on the first day of its release. This is good news for the Malaysian movie industry, which was as badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic as most industries. It is also heartwarming to know that Malaysians have not forgotten their heroes who fought injustice and oppression. History is witness to the fact that Mat Kilau was one of the greatest nationalists to fight colonialism. Born in Pahang in the 1860s and raised in Malay Muslim traditions, he was guided by his father to obey and be loyal to the rulers. Coming from a simple family, he learnt humility at an early age. He was against oppression and felt that the Malays were oppressed by the British who forbade any tax collections by the locals. The locals also needed to have a licence to collect wood and other necessities from the jungle. He grew up to face colonial oppression by learning silat. It … [Read more...] about Remember our warriors

I really pity the people who are still holding their breath and waiting for life to get back to normal: that glorious day when we all triumphantly return to business as usual. I've been struggling for a simple way -- by example or analogy -- to break the ugly news to them that they're dreaming. And to demonstrate that, post-pandemic, for a variety of reasons we'll never again look at our lives, our careers, or the world in the same way. Not that that's exactly a terrible thing; nostalgia and tradition are very often just bad excuses to avoid change. We'll never progress by trying to live our lives looking backward. That's why the car's windshield is so much bigger than the rear-view mirror. So, I've settled on single symbol: the ratchet. Not the "full ratchet," which is a venture capital deal provision that protects early investors from later dilution, and something all founders dread. (And lovingly call rat s--t). I'm referring to a basic mechanical device that allows motion … [Read more...] about 4 Pandemic Changes That Will Change Your Business Forever

- A + A (June 28): Runaway food inflation may be tamed soon — at least temporarily — as farm commodities tumble after a surge that pushed up prices of everything from bread to chicken wings. Four months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine upended trade flows and sent futures soaring, fear of grain shortages is giving way to optimism that key producers will reap harvests large enough to help replenish war-pinched reserves. That’s critical for the wheat needed to feed the world; the corn to nourish hogs, chicken and cattle; and the oilseeds to process food. “Supply may not be as impaired as we think because other areas will compensate for any losses from Ukraine, and it is happening across the board,” said Marc Ostwald, a global strategist at ADM Investor Services in London. Australia, one of the biggest wheat exporters, is forecast to produce another huge crop this year, while Brazil’s biggest-growing area has so much corn it’s piling up outside bins. Nervousness … [Read more...] about Food inflation relief within sight as crops and crude pull back

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The Philadelphia 76ers may be on the verge of answering their biggest offseason question. According to Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer , Harden will likely pick up his $47.4 million player option for the 2022-23 season and sign a short-term extension on top of that. The Sixers' ownership group has reportedly "been resistant to the idea of giving Harden a full four-year maximum contract extension," which could cause him to settle for a new three-year deal instead. Until Aug. 10—the six-month anniversary of the trade that landed him in Philadelphia—Harden can only sign a two-year extension with 5 percent annual raises. After Aug. 10, he's eligible to sign a four-year extension with a 5 percent raise over his 2022-23 salary in the first year and 8 percent annual raises over the remaining seasons. Either way, knowing that Harden plans to pick up his player option for next season should give the Sixers some much-needed … [Read more...] about James Harden Reportedly Plans To Opt In, Sign Short-Term Extension With Sixers