Mar 09 2010

2nd Place In American Idol Is Not Too Shabby

Category: Celebrities — Tara Lee @ 11:01 pm

Instant riches and stardom await the winner of talent show American Idol. The recording contract is a prize that makes dreams come true.

While some winners have, quite frankly, disappeared without trace, the likes of Jordin Sparks and Kelly Clarkson have proved they have the talent to stay in the game. They have a lot to thank American Idol for.

The one place in normal competition that nobody wants to end up in is second, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with American Idol. Many of the losers on the night have gone on to have successful careers, often eclipsing the actual winners.

Here are a few names that you will know doubt recognize, even if you can’t remember the ones who actually beat them on American Idol. These guys have great careers thanks to finishing second.

As far back as the second season, runners up made their mark. Clay Aiken shuffled onto stage looking like a rabbit caught in headlamps, he looked so out of place we felt sorry for him. Then he began to sing, and we were absolutely blown away.

It was a major surprise on the night when America voted Ruben Studdard the winner, as Clay had been the clear favorite. Since Idol, however, their fortunes have been reversed. While Studdard achieved moderate success, Clay has gone from strength to strength and is a major star on the radio and on Broadway.

The runner up from season 7 was the incredibly cute David Archuleta. He placed himself firmly in the hearts of the American public and still remains there today. This guy keeps popping up all over the place and has worked hard to carve himself a very successful career.

It always amazes me that the American public votes for one guy, and then makes the other one more successful. This year is a prime example with Adam Lambert enjoying incredible success, while the winner Kris Allen seems to be floundering somewhat.

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Mar 01 2010

Stories Any Fan Ought To Be Aware Of About The NBA This Season

Category: Celebrities — Mario Perry @ 5:05 pm

There have been quite a few ups and downs in the world of basketball this season. This season has been an interesting one with plenty going on in the way of performance and with player news.

In this article, I intend to look at both the good and the bad, the highlights and the low points of the 09 to 10 season.

Two teams seem to have appeared from nowhere and stand out due to the fact that last season they were nobodies but this season they have become very successful and are building themselves a decent reputation with every game they play.

The first of the two teams to mention is the Oklahoma City Thunder. No one imagined that they might become this successful in such a short space of time. The team can thank Kevin Durant for helping them to rise out so quickly from being one of the worst teams to being a successful team this season.

Although people had a slight hunch with the Thunder, when it came to The Memphis Grizzlies, no one had ever thought that they would make it this season or any season for that matter.

Thanks to some great play from Marc Gasol, Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph, and OJ Mayo, this is a team playing some very inspired basketball. They may even make the playoffs.

However, where there is good news there is bad news and looking at the bad end of things, the Gilbert Arenas incident did not bode well for the league at all. Waving a gun at the teammate saw the Washington Guard suspended after pleading guilty.

But on the up side, some up and coming hopefuls have risen up like Tyreke Evans amongst others. Guys like these provide a bit of optimism for the future of basketball, so it can\’t all be bad.

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Feb 26 2010

Mike The Situation Reaches Fame With The Jersey Shore

Category: Celebrities — Steve Sam Jones @ 3:40 pm

Just average people one day and famous the next. This is the affect of televisions new trend. Reality TV has most of us watching daily and nightly as people just like us are forced to live in unusual circumstances or face extreme challenges. Sitcoms and soap operas are slowly being replaced with unscripted dramas in a wide variety. Even after shows have ended, most of these new \’celebrities\’ keep the spotlight on them by appearing at clubs or on talk shows. Mike The Situation has done just that.

At the end of 2009 MTV, a network that is already home to many reality shows, introduced us to a whole new group of would be stars. Taking place in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, the concept was simple. Eight young people, most Italian Americans, would live, work, and party together for the summer.

One member of the cast made a particularly lasting impression of many viewers. The now self proclaimed \’Reality King\’ Mike Sorrentino always thought he would eventually have fame. This hit series may have brought him just that. The oldest cast member of Jersey Shore he is 27, Before his T. V. Debut he made a living as the assistant manager at a fitness center near Staten Island, New York, where he is from.

With a shared belief in a strict G. T. L. Regiment, a routine consisting of nearly daily weight lifting, tanning, and laundry mats, Mike and Pauly D were fast friends. Both coming from Italian American families, these two self professed guidos spent a large portion of most days making sure they looked their best. They even made frequent trips to the barber shop where they and the other guys gossiped about what was going on at the house or the girls they recently met.

Finding girls seemed to be key to the shore experience. Chasing one woman after another led Mike first to quite a collection of phone numbers, and then to a reputation among the ladies. Pauly often served as \’wing man\’ and the pair engaged in a stream of casual relationships. They were not the only two to interested in \’hooking up\’. The whole cast spent many nights dancing and fist pumping at the local clubs.

His constant women chasing did manage to make enemies for Mike. Once house mates Ronnie and Sami decided to pursue a more serious relationship, Mikes seeming obsession over his brief attraction to Sami caused tensions to run high. Vinny vented his frustrations with Mike appointing himself head of the house. After hearing of Vinny\’s complaints Mike decided to get even. Using a mixture made from various foods in the fridge, including pickle juice and cheese, Mike managed to smell up Vinny\’s room for days. Even cast member Jenny had a run in with Mike when he refused to leave the company of a female he just met to escort her to their room. Leaving the club feeling sick from too many drinks Jenny waited for Mike to return. Roommates intervened when she physically attacked him. Despite the drama most cast members seemed to have forgiven and forgotten by the shows last episode.

Even though the season is over, the party may not be. Mike The Situation has made countless appearances on talk shows and in night clubs. His dream of fame is becoming a reality as he, along with the other cast members, has signed on for a second season.

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Feb 26 2010

The Best Celeb Gossip Stories Within The Music Industry

Category: Celebrities — Shawne M. Patrick @ 5:06 am

The music scene in Hollywood is just a breeding ground for the columnist that works writing a celebrity gossip column. There always seems to be some sort of news to tell people about, and the common public likes to hear this story. There are a few things about stars that makes us want to stop and listen.

In the music business, there are tours that music artists often add to their program, which permits room for some kind of mistake or activity that somebody will always learn about. There are a large amount of times when you should not assume the story. These are the three myths that revolve around the music scene that often seems to get gossip columnists in difficulty.

Myth 1: When a singing group or artist is on tour, there is always some type of unseemly activity with groupies.

This is not always true. There are a large amount of bands and artists that you hear in the celebrity gossip reports that have sexual encounters with their fans that follow them around. But for the most part, this is not the music scene. Lots of the artists work night and day to prepare, perform, and recuperate from their tours that they\’re on. Plenty of paparazzi like to write stories and take photos that make you believe there is something going on when, in all actuality, there\’s nothing.

Myth 2: Many musical celebs will stage some type of wrong doing or activity to get more promoting for their music careers.

Everyone knows there\’s customarily one in the bunch that wants to get additional attention, but most celebrity gossip that you hear is simply that, gossip. Almost all of the stars in Hollywood have no plan to get their picture posted all over the gossip columns. They may be having issues in their personal life and with folk consistently trying to find out what they are doing, so they occasionally have no choice but to air their unclean washing.

Myth three: stars have this insatiable wish to be with whomever and then start the breaking up process simply to be with someone else.

Although you frequently read in the celebrity gossip column about which actor is with which pop music star and who went for a divorce along with who is now getting married, there seems to be lots of relations bouncing. However , this is just not the truth .

If you read further into the basic stories that is not intended to be gossip, you will notice that, for the most part, many of these relationships between pop music celebrities do last for a good amount of time. Because of their careers and that pressures that they need to face, it is awfully hard for a relationship or marriage to last.

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Feb 23 2010

Famous Celebrity Relationship Scandals Over The Past Few Years

Category: Celebrities — Shawne M.J. Patrick @ 8:30 pm

Regardless of where you come from or who you are, we all have this interesting curiosity about the lives of stars. Whether they are bringing out new music, starring in a new film, went to jail after a bladdered party, or were caught right in the middle of a sex scandal, we all need to read and find out the celebrity gossip going around in the news. Relationships seem to be the biggest scandals that float around the Hollywood scene. Here are five scandals that kept the public chatting for weeks after they hit the news.

1. The celebrity: Hugh Grant

This celeb was known as a sex symbol to the fans that loved him. But in 1995, while he was dating Elizabeth Hurley, he was caught in his automobile sitting on the nightfall Strip with a prostitute. This sex scandal was a shock to many people because of the good life that he appeared to be living.

2. The celebrity: Barbara Walters

You actually do not see a large amount of celebrity gossip going around about this celeb, but the general public got a shocker when she released her book called\’Auditions\’. This book told all about an affair that she had with Edward Brooke back in the seventies. The shocker was this was US Senator Edward Brooke, and he used to be a married man.

3. The celebrity: Woody Allen

Many of this celeb\’s flicks that he played in, his character always portrayed a crafty C to the girl. But he ended up gaining many of his personality\’s characteristics. In 1997, he married a woman named Soon-Yi Previn. But this was just not any girl. This lady was his ex-lover\’s adopted girl. His ex-lover was Mia Farrow. They married when Woody Allen was 62 and Soon-Yi just turned 27 years old.

4. The celebrity: Lindsay Lohan

This celeb appears to always be in the celebrity gossip column virtually each time you turn around. She not only has gossip that revolves around sex, but there is girl and boy relationships gone bad, cosmetic surgery rumors, goes wrong of her wardrobe that just happen to come off in specific places, and a fraudulent sex tape.

5.The celebrity: David Letterman

This late night talk show host got himself in trouble when anyone on the workers at CBS tried to blackmail him into paying them two million greenbacks, or they were going to expose his extramarital escapades. Instead of paying this money, he opted to confess to having affairs with several of the female interns that worked at CBS.

He later joked about what had occurred. This made good news for celebrity gossip columns.

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Feb 20 2010

One Platform to Rule Them All: A Wishlist for the Ultimate Social Media Portal

Category: Celebrities — Ivan Pena @ 6:22 pm

To create the next-generation social networking platform, software developers can\’t isolate any part of a Web user\’s experience. Ecommerce, charitable donations and real-time interactive and safe communication can\’t be compromised for the sake of ad revenues or simplicity. The platform must empower users to communicate, socialize and transact freely and without fear.

Social Consciousness Despite the effectiveness of existing fundraising efforts, it takes a lot of media coverage for brands to make the most of their relief efforts. Because of this effort, overhead can increase and the net donation amounts decrease. What if you could reduce overhead and provide direct support to the charities in question? What if a celebrity could host a telethon and get instant donations from fans with little to no overhead costs?

By removing barriers, the platform should deliver both the message and the means in one place. This will increase the amount charities actually receive.

eCommerce Have you ever purchased anything directly through a social media site? Probably not. Social media sites have created a chasm between interest and transaction that has not been crossed in one application. By reducing the distance between consumers and purchase, companies stand to generate more sales on an integrated platform. Add a layer of security and bank account information protection to it, and you have an easy-to-use transaction system that makes spending simpler, immediate and safer.

A new platform needs to integrate online commerce with the user-experience so that content creators and retailers can have more direct access to consumers.

Interaction The next-gen platform must put communication tools on the top of the feature set. Communication and interaction are still the most important part of the social media experience. Webcams, live chatting, video mail and media sharing must be simple and without the need to install endless plugins and codecs. An integrated platform where both the physical and virtual worlds intersect and interact must not sacrifice privacy either. Investing in furthering communication tools should be a top development priority.

Communication must be immediate and guarded. The next-generation platform must treat the individual, not the content, as its focus.

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Feb 20 2010

Plastic Surgery: A New Trend For Teens

Category: Celebrities — Yuri Nigata @ 2:38 pm

Teens having plastic surgery have become a common phenomenon lately. No longer is plastic surgery the affair of wealthy older women, it has actually become a dominion for teenagers with wealthy families and adolescent hang-ups.

The growth in the number of teenagers going for plastic surgery has increased. Dr. Darrick Antell, a top New York City plastic surgeon, cautions against calling teen plastic surgery a trend. \”One of the primary causes for the growth is visibility: today\’s teenagers are growing up with parents who have had cosmetic surgery, so they see and discover about it more. The media has also done a good job of making people aware of the processes available. Another reason is acceptability. In a way, plastic surgery has come out of the closet,\” Dr. Antell narrates.

Oftentimes, teenagers who try plastic surgery recognize that this is more than just skin deep. Teenagers desire to change the way they look through plastic surgery to address issues of self-confidence. Plastic surgery doctors are very much aware of the drama affecting the lives of these teenagers and aware that these play an vital part in their choice to go with plastic surgery. Thus, most doctors often evaluate the physical, emotional and psychological maturity of a person before getting through with the plastic surgery procedure.

They also recognize the fact that doing plastic surgery on a person will not secure that it will advance their self esteem. Some doctors have perform plastic surgery on models and actresses who still, were very insecure. Physical change is possible, but it will not guarantee confidence.

So, for teens who like to go through plastic surgery, it is important to ask yourself what is your end game and what is your aim. Plastic surgery is not the supreme answer to make things better.

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Nov 17 2009

Taking an Abundance Course to Increase Your Own Abundance

Category: Celebrities — Ami Livermore @ 4:14 am

No matter who you are, you can manifest abundance in your life. Although this may not mean you’ll attract a lot of money, it could if that’s what you want. Instead, you may decide you want to be abundantly happy, or to have many loving friends and family.

Each of us is different in terms of what we want and need, and the ability to manifest what we want is something we can all learn. An abundance course can show you just how to access your unconscious, in that until now, it has remained dormant.

Can you learn about manifesting abundance? When you’re born, you don’t have the ability to speak. You learn the words and associate them with things so you’re able to communicate. You learned to walk and develop logical thinking centers in your brain.

However, the ability to manifest abundance is something a lot of people haven’t learned when young — and that means that that particular skill is dormant, unused, even though it’s in existence. Experts have said that we only use 10% of our brains’ capacity, so that makes sense.

When you take an abundance course, you learn lessons that can help you access these dormant centers within your mind so that you can develop your full potential. What you need to do is to unlock your neural pathways that never developed when you were little.

You can manifest abundance as an adult, even though it’s much like learning a new language. Although easier to do when you’re young, and although it may seem a little confusing at first, you can learn easily once you grasp the basic concepts and apply some concentration and focus at the same time.

What should a good abundance course include? It should do more than just show you how to get you want or need. It should also show at some length why these things work for you and where abundance actually comes from.

A part of the learning process is developing an understanding in your own mind of why you deserve to manifest abundance. After all, if you have a deep-seated belief that you don’t deserve good things in your life, then manifesting more of the things you want could become very difficult.

We all have the ability to manifest into our lives those things we want most, but so many of us sabotage our own efforts simply because our thought-processes have been trained to believe the opposite.

Have you ever thought to yourself, “I can’t afford that?” when you’ve been looking at something you really wanted? That very thought is what holds you back from manifesting the abundance you need to afford just that.

As Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or not, you’re right.”

Ford himself didn’t need an abundance course to bring into reality anything he wanted for himself. Instead, he understood that he himself had the power and learned how to master acquiring anything he wanted.

There are many benefits to enrolling in an abundance course, but perhaps the biggest advantage you’ll give yourself is the power to manifest into your life anything you desire.

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Nov 17 2009

Pro Basketball Update for November 2009

Category: Celebrities — Andy Rockwell @ 1:31 am

We’ve gone through several games of basketball and I’d like to take a look at some of the predictions people made about NBA teams. I happen to disagree with some of the proclamations that were made, and I’d like to explain why. Let’s determine the best NBA team.

While it’s true that nothing right now is set in stone, I do believe that the early season results have happened for a reason and I think it all comes down to the presence of certain players on these teams.

All due respect to some of the players that I’m about to put down, but I’m simply stating my opinions here. I believe that a player can be great on paper, and possibly a great fit for certain teams, but there are three players who’ve all flocked to elite teams this season, and I believe that none of them are the types of players who win their teams games. In fact, I believe just the opposite.

In Los Angeles, I think the Lakers were better off with Trevor Ariza than they were with Ron Artest. The conventional wisdom would say the Artest is the better player, but I disagree.

He’s gone from team to team in the NBA and never seems to find a home where he’s loved. LA took a chance with him and I’m not sure that I agree with the move.

As far as the Cavs go, Shaq is a different situation than the chemistry issues that Ron Artest may pose. His teammates will most likely love him. As far as the impact he has on the team goes, however, I’m not so sure that it’s a good one. He’s big and slow, and I think he’s mixing things up too much.

Vince Carter hasn’t found his rhythm in Orlando, and I’m not convinced that he ever will. I believe that he’s a ball hog who did more bad for the Nets than good.

The only team that I think got it right with its major acquisition was Boston. Rasheed Wallace plays his heart out, and was a huge contributor to the Pistons. It’s no wonder the Celtics are still undefeated.

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Nov 13 2009

Are Celebrities Lucky?

Category: Celebrities — Carl Keller @ 2:15 pm

Before we tend to begin asking if the celebrities are happy, allow us to 1st notice out what’s happiness? If I feel smart for an hour daily, and horrible for the remainder of the day, am I happy? What if I am happy for eight hours a day and horrible for the rest of the sixteen hours? Am I a happy person? For most of us happiness is a state that’s not permanent. We are not happy throughout the day. A minimum of majority folks are not.

What is happiness? Happiness means that a sense of deep contentment. A cheerful outlook. An angle of positive thoughts. A one that has these qualities is happy during all the times of the day.

How regarding celebrities then? They have name, fame and wealth. They will, not solely purchase whatever they desire, but they’ll conjointly purchase a loved one. They can get anything. Their name is splashed around within the media most of the times. Each news concerning them is awaited by the final population. Celebrities may not have been born with a silver spoon within the mouth, but the present spoon is largely that of gold. Thus they need to be happy!

But sadly, happiness is aloof from most of them. Speaking of contentment, most of them are not only not feeling any contentment, but are frustrated. They are jealous at times. And they need no deep sense of peace in them. Rather their life and minds are filled with turbulence most of the times. They are sometimes so dissatisfied with their own life that they would like to run far from themselves. This they can not do, and thus substances that take them away from their own realities are therefore typically used by them.

Happiness has one thing to try to to with cash, but only to an extent. Happiness has nothing to try and do with fame, if you are not happy with yourself. Whatever the world might say, unless one has shallowness, one will never be happy. All people sail in the identical boat. Most people are living unhappy lives most of the time. Allow us to get happiness that can offer us a happy sense of living. Allow us to attempt for happiness in our own inner world.

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Nov 12 2009

Shoeless Joe Jackson, Hall of Fame Worthy?

Category: Celebrities — Michael Bell @ 9:59 pm

A long standing controversy in major league baseball has been that surrounding Shoeless Joe Jackson and his alleged throwing of the World Series for the Chicago White Sox of’19. Jackson has long been gone from baseball and long deceased, but many have still pushed to carve out his place in Cooperstown. Does he belong?

Jackson had a career that spanned thirteen years, and played with four teams in all. Most notable was his tenure in Chicago, but he also played for the Indians, Athletics, and Naps. His numbers as a professional ballplayer were very impressive.

Some of Jackson’s career numbers include 1,772 hits, 54 home runs, 785 RBI, and a career batting average of .356. Jackson lacked in the power department, but his averages were clearly impressive.

Well maybe not H.O.F. worthy from looking at those right away, but he seemingly hit for average. Now I’ll post his advanced numbers, which are pretty impressive.

9.4 walks percentage, 4.2 strikeout percentage, .423 on base percentage. 517 slugging percentage, and a .940 OPS. These are great numbers and H.O.F. numbers in fact.

Now let’s get into the Black Sox scandal of’19. The White Sox faced the Reds in the World Series. The White Sox lost the series and Joe Jackson, and eight other players were accused of throwing the series. But Shoeless Joe stats show he did not play poorly. Do you think a .375 average and 12 hits (a world series record) is throwing the series? His fielding percentage in the series was 1.000, having made no errors.

Some have pointed out an abnormally high number of triples the Reds hit to left field (where Jackson played), but research shows this to be inaccurate, as the Reds hit no triples to left field that series. Contradicting his numbers is the fact that Jackson did accept a $5,000 check. It would seem that Jackson reluctantly accepted the money with his teammates, but most likely didn’t want to actually throw the series.

This begs the question: does Shoeless Joe belong in the hall?

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Nov 12 2009

The Biggest Athletes of the Past 100 Years

Category: Celebrities — Fred Young @ 1:44 am

We’ll always favor the athletes who have made more recent impacts, as these are the ones who’ve affected our lives. Still, there have been many hugely influential athletes from the past, and I’ve done my best to include them here.

If we weren’t around to see these athletes in action, we’ll never really know just how much they meant to the world at the time. Despite the fact that we’ve heard all of the stories, it simply isn’t the same. Having said that, I’m going to do my best to account for this too.

These are the five most influential athletes in sports history, in my opinion of course. If you have thoughts of your own, by all means share them.

The first person I’ll mention is a baseball player whose impact could never be felt today like it was a century ago. Ty Cobb was one of the most influential baseball players in baseball history, and is largely responsible for the sport’s popularity.

Muhammad Ali. This man brought boxing to its height and electrified a world of fans. He’s still talked about every single day as the best boxer of all-time.

In the soccer world, most will agree that Pele was the best man to ever play the sport. While soccer isn’t as big in the US, this is the world’s biggest sport. Pele could by and large be considered the most influential athlete in the world.

In baseball, no one gets more credit for shaping the sport than Babe Ruth does. He changed the way people watched the sport, and turned it into the biggest thing in the country. He also helped the Yankees to a dynasty that still lives on to this day.

In the basketball world, everyone wants to be like Mike. Many of us were fortunate enough to see him in action, and Jordan was the kind of athlete whose talent is witnessed once in a lifetime.

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Nov 08 2009

Sunglasses at Night and the Paparazzi

Category: Celebrities — James Pynn @ 7:43 am

The habit of wearing sunglasses was something I embraced early on. I was thirteen when I bought my first pair. Now, millions of Americans wear these tinted lenses and look good doing it. I’m not saying I started the trend, mind you. The key, I found, is finding a pair that fits your face. Me, I have a roundish face. This means aviators are not an option, while boring square frames are all that’s left.

I’ve got to come clean — the only reason I can wear sunglasses is the fact I wear disposable contact lenses. I tried prescription sunglasses, but after losing a pair of $300 frames, I decided against opting for a second one. Hello contact lenses — and hello any $5 pair of shades on the Boardwalk.

I groove on Cory Hart and that whole “Sunglasses at Night” thing. Of course, I think his paean to shades was a reaction to the fad that started in the 1980’s. Who can forget Tom Cruise — in any movies in the 1980’s — and Huey Lewis and the News? A decade of Ray Bans (does anyone remember Spuds McKenzie?) has left its mark. Now, you can find a stylish pair at any local corner store.

Being a life-long James Dean fanatic, I’ve always fancied a pair of shades like his. These were not Ray Bans or even Persols. They were dime-store clip-on shades. He’d just slip them over his prescription glasses and be done with it. Of course, Dean was beautiful no matter what he wore. What is hard to stomach is how ridiculous aging boomers look wearing sunglasses. Case in point: Peter Fonda.

Beatty, like all high-profile celebrities, loves to hide behind a pair of $2000 shades. A pair of shades, a funny hat, and turned up collar is all most of them need to attract the paparazzi. Nothing sets off the paparazzi alarms like a pair of shades on the Sunset Strip. Me, I’ll stick to the dime-store shades and wait for the cameras to start clicking.

If you want to sport the coolest shades, I’d recommend you invest in a pair of disposable contact lenses. With these disposables, the world of shades is at your feet.

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Nov 06 2009

Who is the Decade’s Most Important Indie Band

Category: Celebrities — Matthew Busch @ 5:10 am

Looking at the best rock band of the last decade as we near the end is a very difficult task. A lot of it will come down to a matter of personal preferences and musical tastes. After all, we could draw from the pop music charts, or we could go with a band that’s more indie in roots.

I’m going to list a few that I believe to be right at the top of this list, before choosing my ultimate band of the decade. Yours will very likely be different than mine, but that’s what makes music as great as it is.

I can remember the impact that the White Stripes had at the beginning of the decade. Their music sounded much more like Zeppelin than Nirvana, and it was refreshing to hear some new bands with the classic rock influences that I love.

This marked the beginning of a musical era that placed an emphasis on classic rock and the many great bands whose pure rock paved the way. With a handful of releases throughout the decade, the White Stripes definitely make my list.

Another obvious contender is Radiohead. While the band became very popular during the previous decade, they became even more well respected during the past ten years.

This band has stopped at nothing to continue pushing the limits in terms of musical boundaries, and they’re still going strong at the end of the decade.

While the White Stripes and Radiohead have been hugely successful, Wilco has enjoyed its own success on just as large a scale. This band has produced a wealth of great music during the decade, and its story is just as interesting.

Just when Wilco’s record label was ready to give up on the band, Wilco decided to turn on its label and release Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, their 2002 album, independently. Everything is history from there, as some of the decade’s best releases were crafted by Wilco.

It’s really hard to name just one band as the best of the decade, but Wilco gets it in my mind.

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Nov 06 2009

Dallas Routs Hapless Seattle

Category: Celebrities — Ross Everett @ 1:05 am

Quarterback Tony Romo had another solid game, and the Dallas Cowboys made short work of the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon in a 38-17 victory. Romo threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, and receiver Miles Austin caught a touchdown pass for the third straight game. The Cowboys improved to 5-2 with the win, while the Seahawks dropped to 2-5.

The Cowboys also got on the winning side of the NFL pointspread ledger with the win and cover as -10 home favorites. Dallas is now 4-3 against the spread for the season, while Seattle fell to 2-5 versus the number. The 55 combined points scored went OVER the posted total of 46′. Dallas has gone OVER in 5 of 7 games this season and four in a row. Seattle eclipsed the total for only the third time this season.

Romo has made greater patience in the pocket a priority this season, and it’s paying dividends. Sunday’s game was his third straight without an interception and he’s stayed interception free in five games this season-more than he did all of last year. Romo couldn’t resist a joke at his own expense:

“Shock! I’m seeing things. It’s as simple as that. I’m not throwing and hoping.”

Head coach Wade Phillips expressed his pleasure, but didn’t want his team to start believing their own press clippings:

“I feel good about the progress we’ve made, but we’ve still got a ways to go.”

Team owner Jerry Jones was happy with the performance and already looking ahead to next Sunday’s game at Philadelphia:

“I’m just glad to see as many people really do as well and play as well as they did today. Philadelphia is the kind of game that I think we’re ready for. … Plus, I think we all remember so much — I know I do and so many players on this team remember — how we left Philadelphia last year.”

Seattle quarterback Todd Hasselbeck played well, amassing 249 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions but didn’t get much help from a defense that couldn’t put the necessary pressure on Romo. He sounded frustrated in his postgame comments:

“We put two weeks into this game plan. I felt like we were ready. We just didn’t get it done. …. I feel physically drained, emotionally drained. I’m frustrated. We’re all searching for answers.”

The big game for the Cowboys that Jerry Jones alluded to is next Sunday night as they travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles. The Cowboys have been installed as +3 underdogs with the total set at 47′. They’ll head to Green Bay to take on the Packers the following Sunday before returning home to play the hated Washington Redskins. Seattle will host the lowly Detroit Lions next Sunday, with the Seahawks a -10 home favorite and the total set at 43. They’ll hit the road for their next two games, facing the Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and noted authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and betting odds portal sites. He lives in Southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

categories: NFL football,football,sports,gambling,recreation,entertainment

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Nov 05 2009

The Greatest Five Football QBs of the Decade

Category: Celebrities — Ben Gerard @ 6:33 pm

The decade is almost over, and it’s time to reflect on it a bit. Being the big sports fan that I am, not to mention the fact that I’m watching football right now, I thought that it’d be nice to take a look at the top 5 quarterbacks of this past decade.

Keep in mind that this is based on everything they’ve done through the course of the decade, not based on the top 5 guys at the moment. With that in mind, it’s very well possible that some younger QB ends up having a better career (or next decade) than any of the guys on my list.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this, and I’d love to hear any feedback if you happen to disagree with me. Here we go.

Kurt Warner. He started out the decade as one of the best QBs in football, and incredibly he’ll finish it near the top too. He had a lull mid decade, but the Cardinals’ Super Bowl appearance last year definitely earns Warner a spot on the list.

Brett Favre. A better career QB than at least one of the guys (and arguably more) below him here, Favre’s still going strong to close out the decade.

With 5 conference championship appearances on his resume, Donovan McNabb has done his share to earn a spot on this list. The Eagles have been perennially strong during this decade, thanks to a great defense and a top notch quarterback.

Tom Brady has been at the forefront of a Patriots dynasty during this decade, and his team has arguably been the most successful franchise of the last 20 years. His numbers have been exceptional and some more of his best days may still be ahead.

Peyton Manning. It was hard to justify putting Manning above Brady since Brady has more Super Bowls, but I think that Peyton’s been more consistent through the course of his career, albeit marginally. He’s truly one of the best to ever play, and just beats out Brady here.

About the writer: This author also has a blog called is Rocket Spanish a scam that reviews the product.

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Nov 05 2009

The Martial Art of Aikido

Category: Celebrities — Rhys Jones @ 3:57 am

The sphere of Martial Arts is one of the most important contributions of Asia to the world. Who will forget Bruce Lee and the fact that he was first and foremost a martial arts competitor before becoming a movie star? Martial arts pictures are a huge hit with the ever-increasing popularity of Asian cinema like ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ and more recently ‘The House of the Flying Daggers’.

The Chinese are the first nation that come to mind when it you think of such things, but the Japanese are just as sporty with a rich heritage of body contact sports in their past. Modern Japan still gives honor to the martial arts by holding tournaments and promoting their martial arts abroad,

Aikido is one of these. It is interesting to note the fact that the word comes from three Japanese characters from which one derives the meaning of the one word. Ai means ‘joining’, Ki means ’spirit’ and Do means ‘way’. From this we can understand why Aikido lies beyond merely the physical skills of it students, particularly since its first proponent, Ueshiba, focused on the spiritual and philosophical development of his students.

In Aikido, one is not taught aggression instead, one is trained to be in harmony with the adversary so that you are able to defeat him more easily. This might seem strange but it really works. In approaching an opponent, the aim of the Aikido practitioner is to be one with the opponent so as to be able to attack him where he is weakest and in so doing, divert or put him out of action, but never to kill him.

This is where Aikido becomes an art form. Art is something beautiful to look at and something positive and Aikido is all that. At least one of the people involved in the combat is searching for harmony and concord can only be achieved if there is elegance in the actions. The moves may be calculated, but there is an air of elegance in performing these movements. Not a feminine grace, but a grace that emanates peace. The ‘art of peace’ is what they call it in Aikido and it is one of the most affirmative influences of Aikido on its students and to everyone else who chooses to learn about this Japanese martial art.

Some of the techniques in Aikido include the following techniques.

Ikkyo is the first technique. Using this technique, you direct an adversary by using one hand to hold his elbow and one to hold near the wrist. This action is supposed to allow you to pin your opponent down to the ground.

Nikyo, the second technique, is when you perform a wrist lock that enables you to twist the arm of your opponent which will in turn cause nerve pressure.

Sankyo, the third technique, is a technique that creates upward-spiraling tension throughout the arm, elbow and shoulder. There are many other techniques but the first three are enough to give you a basic insight.

When learning Aikido, it is important to keep in mind that, together with building physical strength, you will need to develop your mind to be able to defeat your adversary. Just like in any art form, it takes a great deal of training and discipline to perfect the art of Aikido. The key thing to remember is, that anyone who wants to get into the art, must have the willpower to give honor to the art by performing it in the best way possible.

If you are interested in the Japanese Martial Art of Aikido, please click a link to visit our website at http://aikido.the-real-way.com

categories: aikido,martial arts,taikwando,self defense,extreme sports,sport,hobbies,fitness,recreation,japan,far east,self improvement,celebrities,other

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Nov 03 2009

The Story Of 1977 Triple Crown Winner Seattle Slew

Category: Celebrities — Ross Everett @ 7:48 am

Seattle Slew–the last living Triple Crown winner–died on May 7, 2002 at the age of 28. As one of only 11 Triple Crown winners in history, he is by default one of the greatest horses in the history of thoroughbred racing. Of those 11 legendary animals, Seattle Slew was the only one to complete the Triple Crown with an undefeated record, as well as the only one to have been purchased at a public auction. After retiring in 1978, Slew became one of the most important and successful stud horses in the history of the sport. He sired 1,066 foals including 102 stakes race winners. Among this impressive group of offspring was the 1984 Kentucky Derby winner, Swale. All told, Slew’s offspring have won an amazing $76 million dollars at the race track. Slew’s stud fee of $300,000 made him a very profitable horse even after his racing career was over. Slew wasn’t a particularly attractive horse, but he had the toughness of a championship boxer and the sort of intestinal fortitude and desire that can only be given by The Creator.

The Seattle Slew story started at a public auction in Kentucky–not exactly a venue expected to produce a future champion. Slew, in particular, was an unlikely heir to greatness. He was somewhat clumsy looking due to a front right forefoot splay and had a shuffling gait at trot. Slew wasn’t a beautifully majestic creature like his Triple Crown winning predecessor, Secretariat. In fact, he could have been considered borderline ugly–to the extent that he was nicknamed ‘Baby Huey’ by the Keeneland staff. What wasn’t apparent at the time was Slew’s mixture of championship intangibles–competitive desire, toughness, heart and enthusiasm. His owners had unwittingly stumbled onto an equine Muhammad Ali, and his competitive fire quickly became apparent to his trainers and jockeys. His first race came at Belmont Park in 1976, and he entered–and won–three races as a two year old giving a glimpse as to what like ahead.

As a three year old, he quickly gained notice by winning his three Derby prep races, including the prestigious Wood Memorial. In the Derby, Slew got off to a terrible start as he stumbled from the gate much like War Emblem did in the 2002 Belmont. Unlike 2002’s Triple Crown contender, however, Slew was able to recover from that miscue and basically force his way through a pack of other horses to position himself at the front of the field at the quarter mile pole. He went on to win the Derby by a length and 3 quarters. Another tough victory in the Preakness set up his Triple Crown winning run at the Belmont, which he won by 4 lengths.

Slew ran in a few races as a 4 year old but in the pre-Breeders’ Cup days there wasn’t as many opportunities for an older horse. He retired to stud in 1978. We’ve already discussed his prowess in the breeding shed, siring a number of first rate horses such as the aforementioned Swale, and the 1992 Belmont champ AP Indy. Slew stood at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Kentucky from 1985 until early 2002 when he was moved to Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm in Lexington, KY following a spinal operation.

Slew may not have earned the appreciation he deserved in his prime, coming so closely on the heels of the charismatic 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat–arguably the greatest thoroughbred race horse in history. The jockeys that rode him, however, understood fully what a special animal they were dealing with. Jockey Angel Cordero gave Seattle Slew this lofty praise: “If I had a chance to take any horse in the world, if someone said your life is depending on riding one horse to win, I would take (Slew). I rode 44,000 horses, but he was special, he was different. He was muscled, like a wrestler. He ran different than any other horse. It was like he came from another planet.”

After his death in 2002, Slew was buried at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm in Lexington, Kentucky under a statue in his image.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and betting odds portal sites. He lives in Northern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

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Nov 03 2009

Rivers Shines As Chargers Beat Chiefs

Category: Celebrities — Ross Everett @ 7:48 am

The San Diego Chargers bounced back nicely from their Monday Night Football loss to Denver last week, opening a 20-0 halftime lead before coasting to a 37-7 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Chargers’ quarterback Phillip Rivers passed for 268 yards and three touchdowns in the victory. Running back Ladanian Tomlinson ran for a season high 71 yards.

The Chargers easily covered the NFL pointspread as -6 road favorites. It was only the second pointspread cover of the year for San Diego, who moved their ATS record to 2-4. Kansas City dropped to 2-5 against the spread. The 44 points pushed against the posted total.

After the game, QB Rivers suggested that the loss to Denver was a turning point for his team:

“Last week, we felt like we made progress. We had the attitude we were looking for, focus, but we didn’t win. But we knew we got better.”

Tomlinson broke off one of his most impressive runs of the year on the Chargers first touchdown drive, a 31 yard pickup that he said lifted the team’s spirits and led to the easy victory:

“It kind of got us going. It was something we needed and it was a big play for us. It was a staple of our offense. It’s been around for years, old power. It was perfectly blocked and was just a great job of execution.”

The Chiefs continued to struggle on their home field, which at one point was considered one of the toughest venues in the league for visiting teams. Chiefs’ nose tackle Ron Edwards lamented this home field struggle:

“We want to win for the home fans, for us, for everyone out there watching,” nose tackle Ron Edwards said. “It’s real painful.”

Rivers pointed to the Chiefs’ legacy of home field dominance in celebrating the win:

“Any time you come to Kansas City and win, it’s good. We talked about getting on a roll and you’ve got to win one first before you can. Hopefully, this is something we can build on.”

The Chargers return home to take on their hated rivals, the Oakland Raiders. Next Sunday’s game has San Diego listed as a -16′ home favorite with the total set at 42′. They’ll travel to play the New York Giants the following week before returning home to face the Philadelphia Eagles on November 15. Kansas City will enjoy a bye week before returning to action on November 8 on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority onsports betting. He is also a staff handicapper for Sports-1 Sportsbook and is in charge of setting NFL lines. He has written extensively on sports handicapping theory along with a wide range of other topics including fencing, boxing and falconry.

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Nov 03 2009

Jets Back In Win Column With Win Over Oakland

Category: Celebrities — Ross Everett @ 6:02 am

The New York Jets and rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez found a sure fire cure to their recent struggles-a game against the lowly Oakland Raiders. Sanchez passed for 143 yards and a touchdown, plus added a rushing touchdown as New York thumped Oakland 38-0 in the largest regular season shutout win in franchise history. Oakland quarterback JaMarcus Russell continued to struggle, and he passed for just 61 yards with three interceptions before he was benched in favor of Bruce Gradowski.

NFL football betting enthusiasts who took the Jets as -6 road favorites had smooth sailing throughout the game for an easy pointspread cover. The Jets improved to 4-3 against the spread while the Raiders fell to 3-5 against the number. The 38 points scored went OVER the posted total of 34. Both teams have gone UNDER in four of seven games this season. Oakland failed to score a touchdown for the 15th game in the past four seasons.

It was such an effortless game that the only thing that Sanchez had to apologize for was surreptitiously eating a hot dog near the end of the contest:

“I want to apologize for that. I wasn’t feeling very good and didn’t eat much before the game, so I was feeling a little queasy. Toward the end of the game, I probably should have eaten one of those bars or something, but someone offered a hot dog, so I grabbed it and tried to be discreet about it, but obviously not discreet enough. So I shouldn’t have done that, and it won’t happen again.”

The Jets capitalized on three early Raiders’ turnovers and started two of their first three drives inside the five yardline. Sanchez praised the defense for making his job easy:

“It makes it so easy on the offense when your defense is playing like that. Hats off to them, they had a heck of a game to shut that team out. I don’t care who we’re playing, that’s a big-time accomplishment for our team.”

Jets’ coach Rex Ryan was very pleased with Sanchez’s performance:

“Sanchez was great. He was just smart with the football. I think sometimes he could have put the ball on a receiver, but he was making sure the ball wasn’t intercepted. It was great to see him respond.”

Raiders’ defensive lineman Richard Seymour, who boldly predicted the team would make the playoffs despite their slow start, was singing a different tune after the rout:

“I don’t think we could have beaten an Oakland high school team today.”

Despite Russell’s struggles, Oakland coach Tom Cable remains committed to him as the team’s starter:

“I thought he was really out of sorts early in the game. I just did not feel like at that point he gave us the best chance to have the success we needed to have offensively and made the move. JaMarcus will continue to be our starter. There is no issue there.”

The Raiders will try to bounce back this weekend in a big rivalry game on the road against the San Diego Chargers. They’ll then enjoy a bye week before back to back home games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals. The Jets host Miami this Sunday. They’ll also have a bye week to look forward to before returning to action at home on November 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and noted authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and betting odds portal sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

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