He will conduct a skills clinic for top UAAP and NCAA players today

Rajon Rondo, the Boston Celtics' All-Star point guard, still remembers the first time he watched Filipino fight king Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao in action.

"I met Pacquiao a couple of years ago," Rondo related in an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN News Monday at the Titan basketball store. "I think he beat up (Miguel) Cotto really badly.Find brand-name swisswatchesat your fingertips with fast,hublotreplica are full of unique and elegance."

Rondo is referring to Pacquiao's crushing 12th round knockout victory over the Puerto Rican Cotto in 2009, which for many people solidified the Filipino's standing at the top of boxing's pound-for-pound list.niketn shoes wholesale, cheap tn shoes ,

"I went back to the locker room, and I saw Cotto walking back, and then I saw Pacquiao come back and he was smiling," Rondo said. "So from that point on, I started watching his fights and following him."

Rondo, like many of his teammates in the Celtics, is a fan of Pacquiao. The admiration is mutual as Pacquiao is a well-known supporter of the Boston squad, even reportedly watching the team's Game 7 against the Miami Heat prior to his fight against Timothy Bradley last June.

"Definitely, definitely," Rondo said when asked if he was a fan of Pacquiao. "He actually autographed a couple of gloves for our entire team, so we're big fans of Pacquiao, big supporters."

Rondo said that he watches Pacquiao when he is featured on the HBO reality series "24/7" and admires the boxer's work ethic.

"It's his competitiveness. He works hard at what he does," Rondo said. "I've seen '24/7,' so I've seen the time that he puts in,Cheap captoesandals online store, discount nike air max and nike free run shoes on sale. and the dedication and the love and passion for his craft."

Rondo is visiting Manila for the first time to check out the local basketball scene as a prelude to the Philippine leg of Red Bull’s King of the Rock tournament, which will kick off next year.

He will conduct a skills clinic for top UAAP and NCAA players today,Enter marcjacobsshoes World and discover a universe of contemporary, and watch the game between the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the Far Eastern University Tamaraws Wednesday.

Rondo will also be the guest of honor in the unveiling of a restored basketball court in Corazon de Jesus in San Juan City.

Retail economists expect slow start to spring

A late Easter, lingering cold weather and rising gas prices are squeezing nonessential spending this spring, according to data being released Wednesday.

Figures from MasterCard Advisors' SpendingPulse show sales growth slowed in some categories last month. But consumers spent more on clothing — and most other items from electronics to luxury goods — than they did in March 2010.

SpendingPulse tracks spending across all payments including cash.

Growth in online sales,And there are other stylers for you to choose with cheap christan audigier design and tattoo pattern. still less than 10 percent of all retail sales, accelerated last month as shoppers tried to save on gas, according to Michael McNamara, vice president of research and analysis for SpendingPulse.

Online spending in all categories rose 16.1 percent, compared with lower rates in January and February and a 15.9 percent increase in March 2010.

"March wasn't too bad; the momentum is continuing," McNamara said. "But gas prices could have a bigger effect (on spending) if they continue to rise."

Separately, selected major retailers are to report Thursday on sales at their stores open at least a year. Economists expect them to report a 0.9 percent drop for March, the first decline since August 2009.

An important factor in the expected drop is that Easter falls on April 24 this year so sales won't get a boost from holiday-related spending until April. Last year, Easter fell on April 4 so shoppers bought clothing and other goods in March. Analysts say combining March and April figures gives the best read on consumer spending.

Ken Perkins, president of the RetailMetrics LLC research firm, agreed that gas prices are "a cloud looming" that could stall the increased consumer spending that stores saw in January and February.

He said he expects a 0.5 percent sales drop for March, compared with an 8.Gucci men shoes from the latest collection.7 percent increase in March 2010. For March and April combined, Perkins expects about a 3.5 percent increase, in line with the rate spending has been growing since January.

A gallon of regular gasoline now costs 18.Now nike air max shoes are the most popular all over the world.2 cents more than it did a month ago and 85.7 cents more than last April. The national average price was $3.685 on Tuesday, according to AAA,When your team gets ready for battle with the opposition, be ready with this Nike Jacket. Wright Express and Oil Price Information Service. A separate SpendingPulse report indicates shoppers are cutting back on driving.

Prices for food and other goods also are on the rise.It was an ideal environment for Onwuhara, 27, a brilliant, pug-faced visionary who favored True Religion jeans and ed hardy shirts. Food prices are expected to rise 3 to 4 percent this year, with the steepest hikes in dairy, meat and coffee. Clothing sellers are raising prices to offset soaring costs for labor in China and for raw materials like cotton.

Consumers surveyed in March for the Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index voiced concerns about inflation and stagnant incomes. The index fell sharply from a three-year high in February, reversing five straight months of improvement.

On the plus side, job growth gained momentum in March, with companies adding workers at the fastest two-month pace since before the recession began. But low- and middle-income workers' wages may not benefit, and they may be increasingly hard-pressed to keep up with rising costs for basic items.

"The job headlines are great, but does that mean they're going to Kohl's and being able to spend?" Perkins said.

Analysts dissecting Thursday's reports will look for indications from retailers of how gas prices are affecting customers. They'll also be gauging the impact of the triple calamity in Japan — the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis — on business at chains with stores there, such as Costco Wholesale Corp. and Gap Inc.

Clothing sellers, including J.C. Penney Co. and Kohl's Corp., are expected to have been hit hardest in March from shoppers delaying spending on holiday items. Lingering wintry weather also made short-sleeve shirts and shorts less enticing. Some stores tried to sell both cold-weather items along with spring fashions, says Stifel Nicolaus analyst Richard Jaffe.

"That doesn't create a powerful fashion statement in the stores," Jaffe said.

Forget the machete, or the scalpel: Obama takes a butter knife to the budget

President Obama said he'd take a scalpel to the budget instead of a machete. So far, though, he appears to be wielding a butter knife - trimming little more than soft edges.

The White House insists they're meeting the Republicans half way on budget cuts, but the numbers simply don't add up.

The Democrats' $51.3 billion is about half of the Republicans' $102.3 billion, so they're "meeting the Republicans half way.As for apparel retailers like Guess and cheap true religion who have built their companies on jeans," Right? Wrong.Can't find a particular pair of ed hardy jeans on our website? What makes this nonsense is the fact that BOTH parties are using fake numbers. The $40.8 billion in savings used by Democrats and Republicans is imaginary -- it's not cuts, it's the amount that would be saved by a freeze compared to a 2011 proposed budget that never came close to being enacted.

Without that imaginary $40.8 billion, the real numbers are Democrats: $10.we've already seen three classic Air max classic models in their flagship colorways release.5 billion; Republicans: $61.5 billion. So Democrats are meeting them one-sixth of the way.

At first glance, this list gives the appearance that they're busy trimming newly-found lard. In fact, though, all of these items are ALREADY in the president's 2011 or 2012 budgets. Nothing new here.

Many of the other "new" cuts are essentially "earmarks" -- specially-targeted spending that the president has already vowed to eliminate.

And then there's a cut of $280 million for the cancellation of the "ARC Tunnel." What's that? It's the "Access to the Region's Core" commuter tunnel that was supposed to be built under the Hudson River connecting New Jersey and Manhattan. But it was already cancelled -- last year -- by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

Republicans say the White House proposal is "unserious" and "indefensible." Hardly an auspicious start to finding an agreement to avoid a government shutdown,D&G shoes are famours far and wider for their unque technics,exquisite shape,brihgt color and rich culture. with another deadline now two weeks away.

But there's little doubt the White House wants very badly to avoid a shutdown, fearing it will stall the economic recovery.Gucci men shoes from the latest collection. So somewhere in the West Wing, or deep in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, OMB staffers are no doubt sharpening their budget cutting knives, because the White House's first step in this budget battle is not going to cut it.