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5 Easy Ways To Get Your Creative Juices Going

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 20:02:00 +0700

Writing an article doesn’t just mean putting down thoughts into words then typing and writing it. You have to capture the interest of your readers and get them to keep on reading. To send your message across you have to get the attention of the reader and have a firm grasp of their interest and pique their curiosity.

The main ingredient in baking up an article is a large dose of creativity. While creativity may come natural to many people, some just gets into a block or something to that effect that can drive someone crazy. Many writers have literally torn their hair out when they get writers block and just can’t seem to get their creative juices flowing.

Putting words into images in the readers mind is an art. A clear and crisp depiction requires a certain flair that only creativity can provide. Similes and metaphors help a lot, but the way an article gets entwined word for word, sentence by sentence then paragraph by paragraph into a whole article develops the essence of the article.

So just what do you have to do when nothing comes to mind? There is no surefire ways to get the perfect ideas but there are easy ways to get your creative juices flowing. No one can guarantee you of having the perfect mindset but many methods may aid you in achieving that state of mind. Here are five easy ways for that.

1) Keep a diary or a journal with you always. Ideas can be triggered by anything you may hear, see, or smell. Your senses are your radar in finding great ideas. Write all of them into a journal and keep it with you for future reference. You may also write down anything that you have read or heard, someone’s ideas could be used to develop your own ideas and this is not stealing. Remember that ideas and creativity can come from anywhere; it’s the development of the idea that makes it unique.

2) Relax and take time to sort things out. A jumbled mind cannot create any space for new ideas. Everyone must have a clear mind if one wishes to have their creativity in full speed. Get rid of all obstacles that can be a hindrance to your creativity. If you are bothered by something, you cannot force your mind to stay focused.

Try to relax every time that you can and think about your experiences and interactions with others. Your experiences are what shape your mindset and your opinions which could be reflected on your writings. Try to discover yourself, find out what triggers your emotions. Discover what inspires you and what ticks you off. You can use these emotions to help you in expressing yourself and your ideas, with this you can grow creatively.

3) Create a working place that can inspire your creativeness. Your working place can be quite a hindrance if it doesn’t make you feel happy or relaxed. Creativity comes from being in a good state of mind and a messed up workplace that causes distraction won’t be conducive in firing up your creative flow.

Surround your working place with objects that makes you happy and relaxed. You may put up pictures, or scents, objects that inspire, or anything that can get your creativeness cranking. A clean and well organized workplace also rids of distractions and unwanted hindrances. With a good working place, you can work in peace and never notice the time pass by.

4) Set the mood. Setting the mood requires you to just go with the moment or to induce your self to feeling what makes your mind works best. Finding out what makes you tick could help you find ways to get your creative juices flowing. Set the pace and tempo for your mood and everything else will follow.

There are many ways to set the mood. Some writers have been known to use alcohol, a little sip of wine to stir up the imagination. Some would like some mood music while others let the lighting of the environment create the mood.

5) Go on a getaway and just do something unlike crazy. Letting yourself go and have fun produces adrenaline that can make your imagination go wild. Take an adventure or a solemn hike. Whatever it is that is unusual from your daily routine can take the rut out of your schedule. In no time at all, your creativeness will make use of that experience and get your imagination to go on overdrive.

4 Things ALL Articles Must Have - Don't Forget!

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 20:00:00 +0700

The importance of articles in today’s websites and internet based companies are immeasurable. They dictate a lot in the success and the drive of traffic into one’s site. It has become a key element in making a site work and earns a profit. A website operator and owner must have the good sense to include articles in his or her site that will work for them and earn them the many benefits articles can give to their site.

Articles have been known to be the driving force in driving traffic to a website. Articles are a factor in giving site high rankings in search result pages. The higher a site ranks the bigger slice of the traffic flow pie he gets. With a huge number in traffic flow, there are more profits and more potential for other income generating schemes as well.

But, it is not just about stuffing your site with articles; they have certain requirements as well. These requirements must be met to obtain the maximum benefits an article will provide for your site. A well written article will catch the eyes and interest of your customers and keep them coming back for more. They would also be able to recommend your site to others.

Here are some tips to help you and assist you in making your articles. Below you will read about four things all articles must have to make it successful and helpful in making your site a profit earning and traffic overflowing site.

• Keywords and Keyword Phrases.

An article must always be centered on the keywords and keyword phrases. As each website visitor goes to a site, there are those who are just merely browsing but actually looking for a specific something. When this happens, a searcher usually goes to a search engine and types in the keywords they are looking for (e.g. Toyota Camry, Meningitis, Tax Lawyer and Etcetera). It could be anything they want.

The Important thing is that you have an article that has the keywords that are related to your site. For example, if you maintain an auto parts site, you must be able t have articles about cars and their parts. There are many tools in the internet that provides service in helping a webmaster out in determining what keywords and keyword phrases are mostly sought out. You can use this tool to determine what keywords to use and write about.

• Keyword Density

Know that you have your keywords and keyword phrases, you must use them fully. An article must have good keyword density for a search engine to “feel” its presence. Articles should at least have ten to fifteen percent of keyword density in their content for search engines to rank a site high in their search results. Getting a high rank is what articles do best for a site.

Keyword density is the number of times a keyword or keyword phrase is used on an article. The number varies depending on the number of words used in an article. An effective article must have a keyword density that is not too high or too low. With a very high density, the essence of the article is lost and may turn off a reader as well as the search engines. It comes off as overeager. A low number may be ignored by the search engines.

• Good Article Content

Like what is stated above, you cannot just riddle an article with keywords. They must also be regarded as good reading materials. Articles must be able to entertain people as well as provide good information and help for their needs. Articles should be written well with correct spelling and good grammar. If you want people to trust you, make your work good and well thought out.

People respond well to figures, facts and statistics. Try to get great information and as many facts as you can. A good and well written article will boost your reputation as an expert in your chosen field or topic. As more people believe in you. They will be able to trust you and your products.

• Linking Articles

And another important thing to remember. If you are going to submit articles to ezines and/or contribute your articles to newsletters and other sites, DON’T ever forget to include a link to your site. A little resource box with a brief description of your site and you should always be placed right after your articles that you have submitted. If people like your articles, they will most likely click on the link directing them to your site.

3 Things You Must Do Before You Submit To Article Directories

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 19:59:00 +0700

To all writers and non-writers out there, now is the time to start digging up those creative writing skills back.
With modern communication technology comes the popularity of information-based marketing, which is one of the oldest and most effective techniques in getting targeted prospects to sites and converting them into buyers. This is why article writing, submissions and publications are also getting popular.
There are already many tools that people can use to make the process of distributing their articles more easily. Though this is invaluable in getting the contents more exposure, which is only half of the story.
Let us take a look first at the common mistakes that some people make before submitting their contents to article directories:
1. Confusing the reason to promote the articles with the reason to write them.
In article writing, there are three key benefits why you are promoting them; branding, lead generation and promotion, which are all part of your optimization efforts.
But there is only one reason why you write an article, and that is to inform your audience. If the article is not focused on this primary and most important purpose, it will fail to achieve the three promotion benefits because no one will be interested in reading them.
You need to figure out first how to get people to read what is in your article, then make them click on your resource box. You can achieve this by producing better contents.

2. Failing to maximize the promotional opportunities of article marketing.
You may know already that your articles can help you generate additional links back to your site. But do you know that you can get more visitors and better search engine results from that same articles?
Mention keywords at strategic places. Just be sure not to overdo them. Some are even using anchor texts which is also an effective method. But it is important to know that majority of the directories are not able to support this.
Remember that is not only about the links back to your site. Part of doing well in your article marketing is getting picked up by publishers with a large number of audiences and gaining the ability of leveraging other brands because of the quality of your work. Better search engine results also are great benefits.
But these things do not put much money in your pocket. There are other factors that can turn your article marketing efforts into an opportunity that can boost your earnings. Not just increase the number of visitors to your site.
Start out with a plan and see to it that your article will serve the function that you intended it to have.

3. Publishing content that does not help your readers.
Maybe in the process of writing articles, you are thinking that all that is you wanted is links back to your site. And any visitors it can generate are fine.
Guess what? Not all article banks and directories are going to accept your content automatically. Oftentimes, they have some guidelines and specifications on the articles that they are accepting.
You can double the number of sites you can submit to by writing articles that the directories want to share with other people. All it takes is one publisher with a hundred thousand readers to increase your potential audience overnight.
Write the articles that publishers want in their publications if you want your article marketing to work the most effective way for you. This also means you have to obey the standard guidelines, spell checks, researching on a good topic and even hiring a writer to produce a good content on your behalf.
In the end, it is all really a matter of choice on your part. You can start getting a little exposure from increased links back but on a very basic level. Or enjoy massive exposure from a little extra time making quality contents.
It will be your choice. You may not be aware of the fact that an article submitted on directories is not meant to have the same level of exposure as highly-targeted content ones geared on a narrow group of people.
Learn the difference between these two and it will surely help you know what kinds of articles to write and to submit.

3 Things All Affiliate Marketers Need To Survive Online

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 19:57:00 +0700

Every affiliate marketer is always looking for the successful market that gives the biggest paycheck. Sometimes they think it is a magic formula that is readily available for them. Actually, it is more complicated than that. It is just good marketing practices that have been proven over years of hard work and dedication.
There are tactics that have worked before with online marketing and is continuing to work in the online affiliate marketing world of today. With these top three marketing tips, you will be able to able to increase your sales and survive in the affiliate marketing online.

What are these three tactics?

1. Using unique web pages to promote each separate product you are marketing. Do not lump all of it together just to save some money on web hosting. It is best to have a site focusing on each and every product and nothing more.

Always include product reviews on the website so visitors will have an initial understanding on what the product can do to those who buys them. Also include testimonials from users who have already tried the product. Be sure that these customers are more than willing to allow you to use their names and photos on the site of the specific product you are marketing.

You can also write articles highlighting the uses of the product and include them on the website as an additional page. Make the pages attractive compelling and include calls to act on the information. Each headline should attract the readers to try and read more, even contact you. Highlight your special points. This will help your readers to learn what the page is about and will want to find out more.

2. Offer free reports to your readers. If possible position them at the very top side of your page so it they simply cannot be missed. Try to create autoresponder messages that will be mailed to those who input their personal information into your sign up box. According to research, a sale is closed usually on the seventh contact with a prospect.

Only two things can possibly happen with the web page alone: closed sale or the prospect leaving the page and never return again. By placing useful information into their inboxes at certain specified period, you will remind them of the product they thought they want later and will find out that the sale is closed. Be sure that the content is directed toward specific reasons to buy the product. Do not make it sound like a sales pitch.

Focus on important points like how your product can make life and things easier and more enjoyable. Include compelling subject lines in the email. As much as possible, avoid using the word “free” because there are still older spam filters that dumps those kind of contents into the junk before even anyone reading them first. Convince those who signed up for your free reports that they will be missing something big if they do not avail of your products and services.

3. Get the kind of traffic that is targeted to your product. Just think, if the person who visited your website has no interest whatsoever in what you are offering, they will be among those who move on and never come back. Write articles for publication in e-zines and e-reports. This way you can locate publications that is focusing on your target customers and what you have put up might just grab their interest.

Try to write a minimum of 2 articles per week, with at least 300-600 words in length. By continuously writing and maintaining these articles you can generate as many as 100 targeted readers to your site in a day.
Always remember that only 1 out of 100 people are likely to buy your product or get your services. If you can generate as much as 1,000 targeted hits for your website in a day, that means you can made 10 sales based on the average statistic.

The tactics given above does not really sound very difficult to do, if you think about it. It just requires a little time and an action plan on your part.

Try to use these tips for several affiliate marketing programs. You can end maintaining a good source of income and surviving in this business that not all marketers can do.
Besides, think of the huge paychecks you will be receiving…

3 Necessary Tools for the High Rolling Affiliate Marketer

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 19:52:00 +0700

What does it take to become a successful Affiliate Marketer? What are the ingredients of an affiliate marketing success story? Is there a shortcut to Affiliate Marketing glory? All these questions play around in the minds of affiliate marketers who want to make it big in this business.
Although affiliate marketing is touted as one of the easiest and most effective ways to earn money online, it is not as easy as it sounds. The wise affiliate marketer plans every action and executes it the best way he can. He should also maximize the potential to earn by utilizing the right tools necessary for a successful Affiliate Marketing business. We have consulted some of the most successful affiliate marketers in the business and below are the top three necessary tools for a successful affiliate marketing business.

Important Tool #1: Your Own Website

The most important and indispensable tool in Affiliate Marketing is your own website. The first step in any successful affiliate marketing business is building a good, credible and professional looking website. Your website is the jump off point of all your marketing efforts. Thus, you must first build a user-friendly website, which will appeal to your prospects and encourage them to click on the links to the products and service you are promoting and make a purchase. Therefore, you must first concentrate your efforts in building a website that will cater to what your prospects need.

The most important thing you should consider is that almost all web users go online to look for information, not necessarily to go and buy something. Above all else, make your website full of original, relevant and useful content. People will love articles that are appealing and helpful. Keep in mind that, in the internet, content is still king and good quality content will not only build your credibility, it can also help you achieve a higher search engine ranking. By posting relevant and useful articles, you establish yourself as a credible expert in the field, making you a more trustworthy endorser of the product or service you promote. Establishing a good reputation is a good step in building up a loyal consumer base.

Important Tool #2: Incentives

Competition is extremely tight in the internet world. You must always be one-step ahead of your rivals to ensure that you capture a significant share of your target market. Therefore, you must use every possible means to encourage people not only to visit your site but also to click and proceed to the websites of the products and services you are promoting. Building an opt-in email list is one of the best ways to gather prospects. Offer a newsletter or an e-zine. Better yet, offer incentives to your prospects to encourage them to subscribe to your newsletters. You can present free softwares, access to exclusive services and other freebies that will be helpful to your prospects.

Important Tool #3: Link Popularity

The importance of driving highly targeted traffic to your website cannot be emphasized enough. The all-important web traffic is at the top of the list of the most important entities in the internet world. Attracting people to your site should be the first step you should carry out. Do everything to achieve a high search engine ranking. Link Popularity is one of the factors that search engines use to determine search engine rankings. Therefore, to enhance your link popularity, you must launch an aggressive reciprocal link campaign.

One of the best ways to do this – at no cost at all – is by submitting articles, with your website's link at the resource box, to e-zines and free article sites. You will not only gain exposure, you will also have the opportunity to advertise for free, just include a link back to your site. The more sites you submit your articles to, the better your link popularity is. Make your articles original, relevant and useful so that more websites will pick it up and post it.

These are but three of the many tools that an affiliate marketer can use to maximize earning potential. The possibilities are endless and are limited only by your imagination, creativity, resourcefulness and determination. You can always explore other ideas and adapt other strategies, which you think might help you become a high rolling affiliate marketer.

Passover: a Seder invitation to all

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 22:58:00 +0700

Passover is not simply a Jewish holiday; it is an invitation to be free and a method for achieving freedom.
The holiday of Passover takes it’s name, according to the Hebrew Bible, from the ancient Israelites last night in Egypt. On that night, some 3,200 years ago if the story is historically accurate, God “passed over” the houses of those leaving Egypt, sparing them from the last of the ten plagues: the death of the first born Egyptians. The Hebrew name for Passover is Pesach, from the word meaning to pass over.

Passover celebrates more than a one-time liberation though, inviting each succeeding generation to confront the oppression and slavery of it’s own era. Passover celebrates freedom -- past, present and future, both national and personal. And it’s surely not limited to Jews as both the Bible and later rabbinic commentaries portray as much as 20 percent of those participating in the exodus as having been non-Israelites.

According to the Talmud, the foundational text of Rabbinic Judaism, in every generation, every person should see themselves as a slave who is being liberated from Egypt. This seemingly impossible task, the obligation to feel that we are characters from a distant past, is perhaps best understood as being possible when we appreciate that the Hebrew word for Egypt is itself a kind of pun.

In Hebrew, Egypt is called “mitzrayim,” literally a tight spot. Celebrating Passover is about identifying those “tight spots,” the “egypts” in our own lives and in the lives of others, and seeking liberation from them.
The central practice of Passover today is the Seder --the family table centered dinner party featuring story-telling, conversation, eating matzo and drinking wine. While there is a “standard” text, called the haggadah (Hebrew for “the telling”)around which this is all orchestrated, the key to the whole thing is a question-based approach in which anything can be asked and all people are invited to offer their own answers.

Questions and questioning are central features of freedom and each is celebrated at the Seder. Passover reminds us that we are only as free as our minds and spirits are. Physical freedom is a necessary, but insufficient, component in the freedom we all need.

While it often makes for somewhat chaotic evenings, that family and intellectual tumult, so often associated with Jewish culture, is a sacred expression of the freedom which Passover celebrates.

There are physical signs within the tradition as well. Eating matzo at the seder not only reminds us of the food eaten by ancient slaves, but of the path to freedom which we all seek. In fact, the unleavened flatbreads are described by the ancient rabbis of the talmud as bread which provokes questions and invites answers.

The eating of the matzo is paralleled by drinking four cups of wine at the Seder. The four cups are meant to remind us of the four terms which the Bible uses to describe how God liberated the Israelites.

The wine itself is a reminder of the divine-human partnership, the covenant, which is necessary to achieve true liberation. Just as God/nature provides the grapes but require human technology and effort to turn the juice into wine, liberation requires our participation. Liberation, the wine reminds us, doesn’t just happen. Neither we as individuals, nor the world in which we live, will be free until we are part of the process.

Passover invites us to be free -- to free ourselves and our world. It brings together family, friends, and food in the context of lively conversation, inviting us to find the freedom we all seek. May it be so for each of us, whoever we are and wherever we may be.

Source : http://www.washingtonpost.com

Soejima, Tsuchida win Boston wheelchair titles

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 22:56:00 +0700

BOSTON - Masazumi Soejima amd Wakako Tsuchida gave Japan a sweep of the Boston Marathon men’s and women’s wheelchair divisions, boosting a nation recovering from a devastating earthquake and tsunami.

Soejima won Boston for the second time in 1 hour, 18 minutes, 50 seconds, while Tsuchida won easily for the fifth consecutive year with a course record and world best of 1:34.06, breaking the previous mark of 1:34.22 set by Jean Driscoll in 1994.

Soejima, who also won in 2007, was in third place in the final stretch but made a final frantic push to pass Australian Kurt Fearnley and nine-time champion Ernst Van Dyk of South Africa, who both finished in 1:18.51.

Americans Shirley Reilly and Christina Ripp finished second and third.

Photo by Christopher Evans

Masazumi Soejima of Japan crosses the finish line in front of Kurt H. Fearnley of Australia, and American Joseph K. Chirlee to win the men’s wheelchair division of the 2011 Boston Marathon.

Source :http://www.bostonherald.com

Warrior Dash

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 22:52:00 +0700

If you were a part of the Warrior dash on Saturday and Sunday you were most likely covered in mud from head to toe and dripping wet. This race takes place at DFW Adventure Park. Well it really isn’t much of a race, it’s more like a dash. You simply try to walk, climb, crawl or whatever you can do to get across the obstacles.

This course has a dozen or so obstacles that are designed to slow even the faster competitor. This is a great way to relive the fun of childhood mud playing. I suppose you could stop and make mud pies but that wouldn’t be the thing to do if you wanted to win the Warrior Dash. This is no small event either.

The event was expected to draw about 17,000 “warriors” over these two days and that didn’t include the 10,000 spectators. The dash is pretty short and takes about 30-45 minutes for most people. Some people have however made it in 18 minutes. The guys who make it that quick are “freaks” according to the Warrior Dash folks.

Source : http://www.wagerrun.com

A Game of Thrones – Episode 1: “Winter Is Coming” review

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 22:51:00 +0700

There’s such a magic seeing a property jump from page to screen. It’s kind of silly if you really pick it apart – a good story is a good story, regardless of the format it’s told in, and yet we all want the thrill of actually seeing our favorite characters walking, talking, and fighting on a big or small screen.

I feel like I can’t really claim the kind of excitement longtime fans of George RR Martin must have felt as the first episode of “Game of Thrones” unfolded. I still have to finish the series (I just wrapped up “A Clash of Kings” last night), but that didn’t stop me from the thrill of seeing The Wall or the quiet “Winterfell” title card. Winterfell! We’re really here! And for the most part, I’m enchanted with my first visit.

I suppose I should open with a little criticism, and I think it’s one I voiced when I recapped “The Walking Dead” pilot, but it bears repeating. Adaptations are tricky, tricky things, especially if they come with the massive fanbase that something like “Thrones” does. You either have to pander and overexplain for newcomers, or you skip exposition and plunge right in. The perfect balance is, obviously, somewhere inbetween. I’m not sure “Thrones” struck that line. I came in with knowledge, and I was able to take off, follow along, and be overjoyed at the first sight of the direwolves. My mom and sister haven’t read a single page of the books, and immediately complained that it was too convoluted, and moved too fast. They liked it – sort of – but both were on the fence because they couldn’t tell Starks from Lannisters, or bastards from true born sons. I saw this echoed on Twitter and in reviews a little bit, with a lot of “Stick with it! It gets easier!” thrown in so we can get a Season 2….

I do think it moved a little fast – but we are talking about a show that has to cram a thousand pages into ten episodes. (Come on though, HBO – couldn’t you have given us a two hour opener? You already spent the money on the sets!) Considering the bouncing perspective of the books, and the time Martin spends on the smallest of details, it did a pretty admirable job of cramming a lot of exposition into a few moments. Even the lost and unsure should realize Arya is a firecracker, Sansa is a snot, and Jon Snow hasn’t enjoyed a lot of happiness or warmth in his life. I thought they even managed to convey Joffrey’s wretchedness with a handful of frames – and just as I was wondering if it was knowledge in hindsight, my fellow viewers both went “Ugh!” when he came onscreen. I would have liked Arya to actually speak, and the Starks to name their direwolves, but I’m impressed they managed to get Robert’s lost love and Cersei’s accompanying disdain onscreen quickly, efficiently, and with almost as much power as the book. It’s that kind of compression that I’m hoping serves the story well, and gets us from point A to devastating point B…unless they use all the extra time for Tyrion’s sex scenes. (Hey, I love HBO because they allow nudity, but since I didn’t get to see Ned Stark standing naked on the balcony, I will cry foul.)

Like every fan undoubtedly did, I nitpicked – Sansa is too old! Where’s the snow in Winterfell? Daenerys is so…curvy? Why are the Dothraki hanging out near the sea they hate? – but for the most part, it conformed exactly to the way I’d pictured it. The sets, the costumes, the actors, the cinematography are all breathtaking and authentic. (Except, maybe, Sansa’s feast dress. What was that?) The only thing that’s distractingly shoddy is some of the wigwork; but when they’ve constructed Winterfell down to the last bearskin, crypt, and melted candle, I’m not going to complain that Viserys’ hair looked a little stiff and unnatural, particularly not when Harry Lloyd embodied him with all the creepiness of the Targaryens.

But my complaints are minor, and my enthusiasm is great. Instead, I keep thinking how much I loved seeing beyond the Wall, Ned and Robert in the Stark crypts, the wedding of Drogo and Daenerys, Jon finding Ghost, Bran seeing what he shouldn’t…and I can’t wait to visit Westeros next week.

Source : http://www.bscreview.com

Lenny Dykstra arrested, charged with embezzling from his estate

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 12:29:00 +0700

Former Major League Baseball star and self-styled financial guru Lenny Dykstra has been charged with selling pieces of his former life as he struggled to battle numerous creditors in Bankruptcy Court.

Dykstra helped the New York Mets win the 1986 World Series and later became a celebrity stock picker and entrepreneur before his finances dissolved in the summer of 2009. Dykstra was charged with one count of embezzling from a bankruptcy estate, the Justice Department said Friday.

The former Mets and Phillies outfielder had been arrested on separate charges Thursday by the Los Angeles Police Department's commercial crimes division. Dykstra was picked up at a home in Encino at 8 p.m. Thursday on suspicion of buying vehicles through fraudulent means, police said. Dykstra, 48, was being held in lieu of $500,000 bail and could not be reached for comment.

According to federal prosecutors, Dykstra sold sports memorabilia and items from his Ventura County mansion, including a $50,000 sink, that were frozen as part of the bankruptcy case. Typically, a person in bankruptcy can't touch assets that are part of the case so that they are available to repay creditors.

The criminal accusations are just the latest troubles for Dykstra, who was nicknamed "Nails" by baseball fans for his raucous style on the diamond. The Garden Grove native turned to Bankruptcy Court in July 2009 to try to save his lavishly furnished Sherwood Country Club estate, which he bought from hockey legend Wayne Gretzky for $18.5million at the height of the last housing boom.

Despite those efforts and a protracted and ongoing court battle with court officials and numerous creditors, the home was sold last year to the private equity firm Index Investors, one of Dykstra's creditors.

"This is a guy who, like too many professional athletes, feels very entitled," said Randall Lane, who devoted a chapter to his financial dealings with Dykstra in his book about Wall Street excess, "The Zeroes: My Misadventures in the Decade Wall Street Went Insane."

An affidavit filed by FBI Special Agent Ty Thomas lays out how federal investigators allege the baseball legend "sold many items belonging to the bankruptcy estate" and "destroyed and hid other estate items, depriving the estate of a combined $400,000 of assets."

Dykstra allegedly had dozens of items including chandeliers, mirrors, artwork, a stove and a grandfather clock delivered to a consignment store, Uniques, on South Barrington Avenue in West Los Angeles. The owner of the store paid him cash for a U-Haul truckload of goods, according to the agent.

Despite warnings from a bankruptcy trustee's attorney, Dykstra — moments after promising not to remove items from his Camarillo Airport office — shifted numerous valuable pieces into a truck, according to the affidavit. People who received some of the items from Dykstra listed them onCraigslist and EBay.

One seller seeking to promote the sale of a desk from the Sherwood Estates home bragged that he had taken a picture of Dykstra "the day he purchased a lot of his furniture," including a custom-made desk.

According to the affidavit, Dykstra arranged through his employees to spirit away a dazzling array of antiques, big-screen TVs, artwork and collectible books from his residences.

The Gretzky mansion — a complex of more than 10,000 square feet with tennis courts, a pool, a guesthouse and striking views of the Sherwood Country Club — was the most valuable piece of Dykstra's estate and the crown jewel of his post-baseball business empire.

As his baseball career wound down, Dykstra gained success as a businessman first with a luxury carwash in Corona that he dubbed "the Taj Mahal" of carwashes. He expanded the business to other parts of Southern California and in 2007 sold it to investors.

Dykstra also took his head-first style to Wall Street after teaching himself financial analysis and striking up a friendship with CNBC "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer, who hired Dykstra to write a stock-picking column for his influential website, The Street.

With Cramer's seal of approval, Dykstra's prominence soared. He was profiled in a New Yorker article titled "Nails Never Fails: Baseball's most improbable post-career success story," and touted his stock picks on financial news shows.

Cramer declined to comment Friday.

In 2008, Dykstra began publishing the Players Club, a glossy financial advice magazine created for pro athletes and featuring sports luminaries such as Brett Favre and Tiger Woods on its covers. The venture folded as lawsuits from creditors and unpaid business associates began piling up.

Still, like those days on the diamond, Dykstra refused to go down without a fight, challenging his proceedings at nearly every juncture.

Last summer, he briefly moved back into the old Gretzky mansion and reclaimed it as his, throwing a party to celebrate, even though it was under the jurisdiction of Bankruptcy Court.

"Earn your keep," read the emailed party invitations he sent to friends and associates. "You are invited to join Lenny Dykstra and friends as he reclaims the house that Gretzky built!"

Source By Alejandro Lazo and Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times

Nikki Reed Happy Paul McDonald Eliminated From 'American Idol'

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 12:26:00 +0700

Paul McDonald's journey on this season of "American Idol" may have come to an end on Thursday night, April 14, but his girlfriendNikki Reed isn't upset at all about the elimination. In fact, the 26-year-old musician opens up that the "Twilight Saga" actress he is "officially dating" is actually happy about it.

When asked if 22-year-old Nikki is bummed about his exit, Paul told People Magazine, "She is actually pumped." The singer with the megawatt smile continued, "She said, 'Dude, you finally get to do your thing and be yourself and be the artist you are.' She is happy about the whole situation. She has been nothing but cool to me."

Paul and Nikki have been linked romantically earlier this month. Us Weekly reported that after the two met on the red carpet of the "Red Riding Hood" premiere in March, they have kept in touch with each other. Accordingly, they have been going on a series of virtual dates via Skype. Soon after the news came out, a source told E! Online that Nikki calls Paul her "boyfriend".

In a press call after he was eliminated, Paul came forward to confirm their relationship. "Yeah, well me and Nikki Reed are dating," he said. "It's officially true. She's super cool, man, she's super smart, really cool girl. I'm happy about it. We've been hanging out, here and there, you know we're both pretty busy, but it's been fun so far."

As for his exit from the competition, Paul shared with E!, "When I first tried out for this, it was just kind of for fun, and I didn't even expect to get this far in the competition. So when I got here, I kind of listened to some people when I probably should have stuck with my guns."

"I'm actually not very good at singing other people's songs. There's only so much you can do singing other people's songs to get them across. I wish I had done more obscure artists, more of the vibe of music I was into. I didn't feel comfortable a whole lot of the time up there because it felt like it wasn't me all the time but it was an amazing learning experience doing all this TV."

On his plan after "Idol", he told People mag, "I have this other side that I didn't even start to show." He added, "I play keys. It's hard to do in a minute and a half of a cover song so I'm looking forward to doing my own thing and getting creative again." He also said that he wants "to release a solo album" with Stefano Langone, James Durbin and Jacob Lusk "play on the record".
Source : http://www.aceshowbiz.com

Hustler Casino launches free online gaming site after FBI Internet poker crackdown

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 12:24:00 +0700

The empty space left behind by the FBI’s crackdown on three major online poker sites is already being filled –- by Hustler.

Hustler Casino launched its own online gaming site on the same day federal authorities indicted and began to shut down prominent poker hubs Absolute Poker, PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker.

“It’s just one of those phenomenal coincidences that happen very rarely in a marketer’s career where something so monumental occurs in the online gaming community as what happened today,” said Al Underwood, marketing director for Hustler Casino in Gardena. “It opens up a space for us, and people who enjoy this online activity at least have a place to go that is familiar, legal and safe.”

The difference, according to owner Flynt Management Group, is that Hustler Casino’s site is free to use and doesn’t require players to stake and win real money. Instead, games are based around a point system that goes toward eventual prizes.

The site, according to the company, has been in development for months.

The focus is on no-limit Texas Hold ‘Em. “Thousands upon thousands” of people could end up visiting, Underwood said.

Source : http://latimesblogs.latimes.com

Friday Night Lights

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 12:22:00 +0700

Virginia Tech's second public scrimmage of the spring showcased Logan Thomas' potential, David Wilson's improvements, and a defense that is looking better and better with each practice.

So far during spring, Logan Thomas has impressed coaches and onlookers during practices, but was merely average in the first scrimmage. Tonight's exhibition served as a stepping stone for him. Despite a few passes dropped, including one by newly converted tight end Chris Drager, Logan looked much more comfortable behind center. Danny Coale was Thomas' favorite target. Thomas and Coale connected on multiple 30+ yard passes, including two touchdowns. Thomas also showed some potential game-breaking speed getting loose for several scampers as well as two Tyrod-esque sideline throws to Coale and Jarret Boykin. Both the first and second team offenses struggled in the final two minutes of the half. They were each given multiple attempts at running a two minute drill but did not gain much yardage. Logan finished the night 9-16 for 214 yards and two touchdown passes. Coale finished with 7 catches for a solid 158 yards.

While Logan looked in command for most of the scrimmage, backup Ju-Ju Clayton did not. Ju-Ju struggled with a lot of throws. He threw two INT's including one for a defensive touchdown. Mark Leal, who has appeared to take over as the third quarterback, actually had a better performance than Ju-Ju. Leal scrambled on a few nice plays and hooked up with D.J Coles and Marcus Davis on several nice throws including a 70 yard TD pass in which Davis showed great ability to gain yards after the catch breaking free from several defenders as he went down the field. Davis continued what has been an extremely strong spring for him. He looks like one of our best options at wide receiver this year with Dyrell Roberts still sitting out with an injury. His final stat-line was 5 catches for 107 yards and that one touchdown. DJ Coles may be starting to live up to his potential--he finished with 6 catches for 80 yards.

David Wilson made the most of his last spring football scrimmage for the year. Wilson came out of the gate strong. He had a blistering 22 yard run around the right edge on the opening play, and did not stop after that. His speed looked incomparable to anyone else, and it appears that his strength has improved as he knocked around several defenders on different runs. If Wilson plays anything like he did tonight throughout the season, he will live up to Ryan Williams' expectations of breaking several VT records.

Josh Oglesby continued taking reps as the second running back but still struggled a bit. He never managed to get more than 4-6 yards a carry and got stopped in the backfield multiple times due to inability to hit holes. James Hopper also got quite a few reps tonight, but struggled tremendously. The transition from rover is going to take some time.

The offensive line had a pretty solid performance from the first and second team. They had multiple hiccups throughout the night letting the defense squeak through, but overall the line looks experienced and ready. David Wang went out during the scrimmage with an injury but it did not appear serious.

The defensive side of the ball looked extremely impressive for the most part. Antone Exum had multiple hard hits on receivers including one on Jarret Boykin that got the entire sideline standing up. The secondary struggled a few times against the deep ball but a lot of the damage by the offense was done on the second team defense. Jayron Hosley sat out tonight with some sort of injury. While James Gayle has been a highlight for the defense this entire spring, J.R. Collins looked just as impressive tonight with multiple sacks and several pressures on all three quarterbacks.

The battle at the Whip LB spot looks like it has come down to Alonzo Tweedy and Jeron Gouveia-Winslow. Despite GW's supposedly solid week of practice, Tweedy got a lot of reps tonight and for the most part showed tremendous speed and a great knack for knowing for where the ball was at all times. Both Dominique Patterson and Nick Dew also got reps but neither got quite the work the others got. Dew went out with an injury midway through the scrimmage.

Overall, the first unit defense looked good and especially during the final two minutes. Neither offense could move the ball on them and as previously mentioned, the pressure on the quarterback was consistently there throughout the entire night.

The kicking battle seems to have settled down a bit as Cody Journell appears to have taken the job. He hit 5/6 field goals tonight and the other kickers only got one or two attempts. Despite missing a 45 yard field goal, Journell was impressive. The wind was pretty strong tonight in Lane. Beamer also threw in a small surprise on the field goal block team as he put Marcus Davis on the interior in an attempt to use his athleticism to block kicks. He jumped over the offensive line several times and came close to blocking the kicks.

The punters were as bad as the kickers were good. They all struggled kicking and botched several kicks onto either sideline. The protection was there but the execution in the kick was extremely poor.

Overall, the Hokies had a solid night on the field, and I would certainly say it was the best overall performance so far. Fans were energetic and excited as we left the stadium and everyone seems to be looking forward to the Maroon and White Game next Saturday.

Source : http://www.thekeyplay.com

MLB family honors Jackie Robinson

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 12:19:00 +0700

Rangers skipper Ron Washington had his eyes fixated on MLB Network's Jackie Robinson piece while in his office at Yankee Stadium on Friday afternoon. At that point, he saw an old speech by Robinson, who talked about how nice it would be to see an African-American in the coaches' box.

"I yelled, 'Well we in the dugout now!' said Washington, one of two African-American managers -- along with the Reds' Dusty Baker -- and among several black coaches in the game since Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947.

"We've come a long way."

Brasuell on Jackie Robinson Day

00:00:40

MLB Vice President of Community Affairs Tom Brasuell talks about the importance of Jackie Robinson Day

Jackie Robinson Day features panel discussion, Dodger Stadium ceremonies to honor No. 42

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 22:35:00 +0700

The Dodgers have scheduled a series of events Friday to honor the 64th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier.

They’ll start off the day with 10 current and former Dodgers holding a panel discussion on Robinson’s effect on baseball and society at Crenshaw High School. Former Robinson teammate Don Newcombe, now a special advisor to Frank McCourt, will moderate the panel.

Also scheduled to appear at the Crenshaw assembly are Tommy Davis, Maury Wills, Lou Johnson and current Dodgers Matt Kemp, James Loney, Marcus Thames, Tony Gwynn Jr., Xavier Paul, and minor leaguer and Crenshaw alum Trayvon Robinson. It is closed to the public.

The Dodgers have also donated tickets to the entire Crenshaw student body for their game June 13 against the Reds.

"The Dodgers and Jackie Robinson have been a team for so many years and they remain a team today,’’ Newcombe said in a statement. "I look forward to helping the next generation of Americans learn all about who Jackie was and how much he means to so many people.’’

Major League Baseball has dedicated April 15 as Jackie Robinson Day throughout baseball. It has launched a new Robinson website, ww.iam42.com.

All Dodger players and coaches, like all teams in baseball, will wear a patch with Robinson’s No. 42. His number has been retired by baseball.

"Each year, Jackie Robinson Day is an occasion for us to pause and reflect on the game's proudest and most powerful moment,’’ Commissioner Bud Selig in a statement. "Jackie's legacy is as strong and vibrant as ever throughout Major League Baseball. I am proud that the No. 42, which has come to stand for Jackie's courage and grace, will again be worn in honor of our game's greatest pioneer.’’

The Dodgers also plan to honor Robinson before Friday’s game against the Cardinals. The Dodgers Dream Foundation charity offers 42 scholarships and this year’s 42 scholars will join Newcombe on the field in a pregame tribute.

Robinson attended Pasadena’s Muir High School, Pasadena Junior College and UCLA.

Source : http://latimesblogs.latimes.com by Steve Dilbeck

Living Social's site slowed down nationally in rush to $1 D.C. lunch deals

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 22:33:00 +0700

Living Social earlier chose Washington, D.C. as the test arena for its "Instant Deals" service, and today's $1 lunch deal is bringing the site to its knees. The site either loads slowly, or not at all, and nationally, not just for D.C. residents, as well.

Living Social announced the Instant Deals program in early March. Normally, Living Social's daily deals are live for 24 hours, or until it runs out. Instant Deals are live only for a short period of time, say lunchtime.

Users can use the site, but they can also click on Instant Deals in the Living Social mobile app, where they will receive information about Instant Deals within half a mile of their current location, as determined by their smartphone.

Current deals are $1 for $10 at Crepe Amour, $1 for $15 at M Street Bar and Grill, $1 for $20 at Tuscana West. 100 restaurants are reportedly participating in the $1 lunch deal.

Living Social has admitted the issues with its site on its Twitter stream, and has also admitted they are working on it. The site seems to come up occasionally, but then may go down randomly. Additionally, the site Tweeted that confirmations are running about a hour behind, which could cause issues, but customers can use their names to get their deals.Living Social and Groupon are in a fierce fight over the deal-of-the-day market. Earlier, the two dueled over Super Bowl (and pre-Super Bowl) ads, although Groupon's ad fell flat after controversy arose over the "humor" embedded in the ads.

Living Social is based in Washington, D.C., which clearly explains its Instant Deals test market choice. The site has garnered a total of $232 million in funding, with most if it, $175 million, coming from Amazon.com.

At the same time, Groupon earlier turned down an acquisiton offer by Google that was worth billions, although if rumors are correct that Google offer severely undervalued Groupon. Google offered $6 billion for the company, but not only has Groupon recently raised $950 million in Series D funds, it is rumored to be seeking an IPO valuded at as much as $25 billion.

Living Social, meanwhile, recently claimed it is rapidly gaining on Groupon, and that it will surpass Groupon by January 2012.

Source : http://www.examiner.com By Michael Santo

ABC cancels longtime soaps 'All My Children' and 'One Life to Live'

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 15:42:00 +0700

Rebecca Budig (Greenlee) and Vincent Irizarry (David) in a scene that aired the week of May 17, 2010 on ABC Daytime's "All My Children." / ABC/Carol Kaelson

Sit down daytime TV lovers: It’s the end of an era for a couple of your favorite soaps, ABC just announced.

Yes, the Susan Lucci-starring “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” both received cancellation notices today, the alphabet network said.

“We are taking this bold step to expand our business because viewers are looking for different types of programming these days,” Disney ABC/Television Group Daytime President Brian Frons said in a statement.

“They are telling us there is room for informative, authentic and fun shows that are relatable, offer a wide variety of opinions and focus on ‘real life’ takeaways. A perfect example of this is ‘The View,’ and that factored into our decision.”

Actress Susan Lucci poses for a portrait,
Monday, March 28, 2011 in New York. / AP Photo/Jeff Christensen

“All My Children” will close up shop in September and “One Life to Live” will air its final episode in January, ABC said.

What’s slated to replace the two soap operas are “The Chew” and “The Revolution.”

“The Chew” is a food fanatics dream, ABC said.

Hosted by the Food Network's Mario Batali and Michael Symon, Clinton Kelly (“What Not To Wear”), Carla Hall (Bravo’s “Top Chef”) and nutrition expert Daphne Oz, “The Chew” will focus on food from “every angle.” It’s due to premiere in September.

And “The Revolution,” which will feature “American Idol” alum Kimberley Locke and celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak, will debut in January. It will focus on health and lifestyle transformations.

“All My Children” celebrated its 40th anniversary in January 2010. “One Life to Live” debuted on July 15, 1968. The daytime soaps have each earned more than 40 Daytime Emmy Awards.

Source : http://www.freep.com by BY B.J. HAMMERSTEIN

'Cowboys & Aliens' trailer: Aliens, Olivia Wilde, and Daniel Craig's abs!

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 09:46:00 +0700

Talk about a captive audience. While America squirmed on their sofas waiting to see who would be sent home on American Idol, Universal took the opportunity to unveil their latest trailer for this summer’s Old West popcorn mash-up, Cowboys & Aliens. The two-and-a-half-minute clip kicked off much like the previous trailer for the Daniel Craig/Harrison Ford flick, but ended up showing us more action, more aliens, more Olivia Wilde, and, oh yeah, a heapin’ helpin’ of Daniel Craig’s sweaty, shirtless chest. Yee-haw!

For those not particularly interested in 007′s abs, the highlight of the clip was several abduction scenes, where alien spaceships suck cowboys up into the sky with their tentacles or lassos or whatever. We also get to see one of the alien ships that crash-landed in the desert, a bunch of Michael Bay-like fireball explosions, more insight into what Craig’s futuristic, high-tech bracelet gizmo does, and a grizzled Harrison Ford shouting, “They’ve got my son!”

Check out the clip below:

Source : http://insidemovies.ew.com by Chris Nashawaty

COURTENEY COX PASSES ON DAVID ARQUETTE'S REQUEST FOR SEX AT DISNEY WORLD

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 23:24:00 +0700

Disney World is known as the "Happiest Place On Earth," and David Arquette was hoping to make it even happier.

While on a trip to the Florida theme park with his estranged wife Courteney Cox and their daughter Coco, the Scream 4 actor tried to put the moves on the former Friendsstar.

On the Late Show last night, Cox told David Letterman:

"He did try to hit on me. He hit pretty hard. and I said, 'No more fast pass right now. Not that ride!'"

Hilarious! While on Howard Stern yesterday, Arquette revealed:

"Listen, I tried to f*** her, and she doesn't even want me. [I thought], this is the happiest place on Earth! Let’s make it happier!"

In response, Cox added, "He's somethin' else ... over 100 days sober now. He's doing great."

Find out what Courteney thinks of David's candid conversations with Howard Stern about their sex life ... after the jump.

In response to David's sex talk on Howard Stern, Courteney says:

"We got separated and David wanted to just go out and tell the truth. He was doing a lot of drinking and stuff. He shared a lot!"

We're glad David is now on the right track!

Source : http://x17online.com

Padma Lakshmi: ‘I Go Up One to Two Dress Sizes During Top Chef’

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 23:18:00 +0700

TV’s hottest foodie Padma Lakshmi knows how to have her cake and eat it too. As host and judge of Bravo’s Emmy-winning series Top Chef, the former model doesn’t hold back when it comes to enjoying a good meal and even admits to going up “one to two dress sizes” every season.

The 40-year-old, who just wrapped the latest season ofTop Chef, talked to Parade.com about juggling her busy career, while focusing on her most important role as mom to one-year-old daughter Krishna.

How does she stay in shape while filming Top Chef?
”It’s not easy, and the short answer is that I don’t stay in shape during the season. I go up one to two dress sizes. What you don’t see on camera is that I do have a rack full of clothes that range in sizes, and as I gain weight, I just wear bigger clothes.

“I’ve been a model for 15 years, and I’ve been on Top Chef for eight seasons, and before that I had other cooking shows, so I’ve learned a thing or two about how to camouflage certain areas and how to draw the eye to a preferable area of the body. I have really hard-working people behind-the-scenes who shop for me and help me do that.”

Padma Lakshmi: Eat Great to Look Great

As soon as the season wraps, Padma hits the gym.
“After the shows finish, I go back to my workout routine. It was hard to lose the baby weight, it was hard to do that while eating for a living and filming the show. I just do a little bit every day. You don’t need expensive classes and all kinds of weird equipment if you really want to be in shape. There are great ways to do it that are very economical, it just takes a time commitment, even if it means waking up a half hour a day before the rest of the household gets up because that’s the only time you have, or planning your workouts when the kids are at school or taking a nap. It requires a lot of creativity and commitment and consistent discipline.”

How she balances motherhood with her busy career.
“It’s hard. It’s a balancing act and every day is different and you just have to know what your priorities are and that the little one comes first. I’m very lucky that my network is very, very supportive of my family and the fact that I have a child who is young. We have a nursery on set and it’s right next door to my dressing room and we just work around it. I’m not unlike any mother. I don’t have all the answers, and I just try my best.”

Photos: Hardest-Working Celebrity Moms

Like mother, like daughter.
“I totally have a foodie on my hands. She doesn’t like leftovers and she eats homemade food. She’s never had store-bought baby food. Right now she’s on a Tuscan kale kick!”

Why the most recent season of Top Chef All-Stars was so successful.
“I think we had an emotional resonance to all these chefs because we had already seen them on another season, so we were already rooting for them or they were already our villain. Right away you’ve got your loyalties. It is a lot like watching sports, anything can happen. These people are tired, they’re sleep-deprived, and they’re emotional. It’s like a big roller coaster ride.”

She never plays favorites.
“I’m so trained to just look at the food. When we’re giving negative criticism, it’s always about the work, not the person. It’s really about what they did on that day and anyone could have a bad day. As long as it’s constructive criticism, it works. If you really love your job and you’re passionate about it, whether it’s cooking or being a schoolteacher or a florist, you want that feedback so you can improve your craft and that’s really what the show is about. It’s about the art and passion of food.”

Good news for chip lovers: Padma has teamed up with snack giant Frito-Lay to celebrate the launch of Frito-Lay Made With All Natural Ingredients products.
“What I know about Frito-Lay is that it’s a snack company that makes packaged foods like chips, and I was like ‘How the heck are they going to do that?’ Plus, I love these snacky foods. I actually grew up with Lay’s BBQ potato chips and SunChips, so at first I was very skeptical, but also worried that my BBQ chips were not going to be as yummy!

“I talked to the chef who is the head of their flavor kitchen and asked him if it was going to taste the way it should and he explained it to me that they approached it the way I would approach it in my kitchen. Basically they start out with a dish like tomato and basil and then they layer it on a chip by applying heat and use it like a seasoning and lo and behold you have garden and vegetable chips! We all eat chips, so it’s nice to know that not all chips are created equal.”

Get the Recipe: Padma's Frozen Fruit Tart

Her guilty food pleasure.
“I’m a big muncher and I like anything salty and crunchy, so I like the original SunChips. I also put the Lay’s BBQ chips inside my sandwiches to add a little crunch. That’s what I used to do in high school.”

Her onscreen relationship with fellow judge Tom Colicchio.
“Tom is my TV husband! We work long hours and we’ve done the show a long time and I have great respect for what he does. I could never dream of owning a chain of restaurants, I wouldn’t even want to. The only way we could do the show for what will now be nine seasons is because we have a good time and we enjoy who we work with — there’s no way you could do this if you didn’t.”

Where she’d like to shoot the next season of Top Chef.
“I’d like to go international, but I travel with a big entourage, so there’ a lot of plane tickets and a lot ofhotel rooms that have to be secured for us to move. It’s like a big circus coming to town.”

Source : http://www.parade.com

'Happy Endings' premiere review: Did it end well for you?

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:34:00 +0700

After seeing a few episodes of the newest pals-hanging-out-comHappy Endings, I have to say it’s… not bad. The premise of Endings is that Alex (24‘s Elisha Cuthbert) left Dave (FastForward‘s Zachary Knighton) at the altar in first of the premiere episodes that aired Wednesday night.

Now their mutual friends — desperate singleton Penny (Saturday Night Live‘s Casey Wilson), married-couple Brad (Damon Wayans, Jr.) and Jane (Scrubs‘ Eliza Coupe), and Max (Adam Pally) — all try to support Alex and Dave with equal affection. The initial concept seems to be that the group would find this awkward, but by the second episode, Alex and Dave are dating other people and the subject barely arises. The punch-lines came fast and furiously (credit directors such as Community‘s Joe and Anthony Russo, and It’s Always Sunny‘s John Fortenberry for the pace), and traded heavily on shorthand references: Dave isn’t just dating a lot, for example, he’s “dating John-Mayer-a-lot.” They spend a lot of time drinking and not just talking about sex. (See Cougar Town for the new model in alcohol-fueled crudity that somehow manages to come off merely tipsy-naughty.)

As a sitcom blueprint, Friends has proven highly influential. Since its success from 1994 to 2004, it replaced the workplace-comedy as the format that made large, younger audiences feel welcome. The Buddies-Hanging-Out genre — the pal-com? — can range from the delightfully gross (It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia) to the frightfully forgettable (anyone remember Fox’s 2006 Happy Hour, canceled after four episodes?). Current examples of the pal-com include the deadly Traffic Light; NBC’s most underrated (and alas, I presume, now-canceled) sitcom, Perfect Couples, and the aforementioned Cougar Town, the one to beat for all up-and-comers.

Endings tries too hard to push catchphrases into pop culture. A guy is “stuck in chicksand”; Jane prides herself on being a charmer with adults: “I’m parent heroin”; Penny works her highest compliment — “a-MAH-zing!” — until the strain shows.

Still, there was a zany energy to the premiere (and the second, better episode) that I found kind of ingratiating. And the show is trying to do something a little bit different in the way it presents Max as a gay man who’s so over being sitcom-exaggerated, reality-TV-style, gay.

Or maybe you found the show grating? Did you buy Elisha Cuthbert as a comedy lead? Let me know, below.

Source : http://watching-tv.ew.com by Ken Tucker

Sacramento waves farewell to Kings

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:33:00 +0700

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – They came teary-eyed and frustrated, carrying signs that showed the depth of their passion. “God Save The Kings” and “You Gotta Believe” were among the countless displays of faithSacramento Kings fans brought to the former Arco Arena Wednesday night. So was another simple placard: “If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em … In L.A.”

Such was the irony on an evening that, at times, had the atmosphere of both a farewell party and a revival, depending on one’s optimism. The Kings played their final game of the season and maybe of an era, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers 116-108 in what quite possibly was the end of the NBA franchise’s stay here. The Maloof family, owners of the Kings, will begin presenting their case to relocate the franchise to Anaheim, Calif., at the NBA’s board of governors meeting Thursday in New York. A majority vote is needed to grant the move.

Kobe Bryant's 3-pointer with 4.8 seconds left sent the Lakers and Kings into overtime.
(Getty Images)

The NBA was kind enough to schedule the Kings’ most hated rival as their final date.Kobe Bryant (notes), Phil Jackson and the rest of the Lakers have memorably haunted the Kings throughout the years, never more so than in 2002 when L.A. beat them in a thrilling and controversial Western Conference finals series that spawned almost a decade’s worth of contempt and conspiracy theories about the league’s officiating. Bryant couldn’t even let the Sacramento faithful enjoy this one last night: After allowing the Kings to rally from 20 points down in the fourth quarter, Bryant broke their hearts with a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of regulation to send the game into overtime. The Kings never recovered and lost.

“I told Phil it was only fitting that it ended this way,” Bryant said. “It just didn’t seem like a blowout victory here was going to happen just because of all the history that we have. It winded up being history revisited, I guess.”

About a quarter of the sold-out crowd of 17,841 stayed at Power Balance Pavilions for about an hour after the final buzzer to voice their displeasure over the Kings’ possible – and say goodbye. There were tears, hugs, chants of “SAC-RA-MENTO” and “Here We Stay!” Seven Kings players and coach Paul Westphal shook hands with the fans and addressed the adoring crowd.

While there were the normal fan scuffles that come whenever the Kings play the Lakers, nothing of note seemed to happen in the stands after the game. Even so, the Lakers didn’t walk across the court to the team bus as they usually do, instead taking a back way.

When Lakers assistant Frank Hamblen tried to head toward the court after the game, Jackson stopped him. “We’re not recommending people go out that way, Frank,” Jackson said. “You know this arena.”

Arco was long one of the NBA’s most difficult places to play because of the frenzied atmosphere created by the Kings’ loyal fans. So it was not surprising to see so many stay for so long after the game as part of a sit-in organized by a local radio host.

“They’ve been great fans,” Kings guard Tyreke Evans (notes) said. “If we’re here or not here, I will always remember this city. I love the Sacramento Kings and I hope we stay.”

Absent from their usual midcourt seats were owners Joe and Gavin Maloof. The Maloofs were already in New York by the time the Kings’ season finale tipped off. The two haven’t been to a Kings home game since Feb. 28.

Anaheim mayor Tom Tait will join the Maloofs in New York to help convince NBA owners his Southern California city is an appropriate home for the franchise. The Anaheim City Council voted unanimously March 29 to issue up to $75 million in bonds for improvements at Honda Center to help induce the Kings to move. Already, the Honda Center has 17,608 seats and 84 suites, more than 50 suites beyond the Kings’ current 23-year-old facility. Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson admitted the Maloofs are in a difficult position trying to run the Kings in an aging venue.

“It’s an uphill battle,” said Johnson, who also will speak at the board of governors meeting. “But I’ve been in many games where you’ve been down in the fourth quarter, the final two minutes, and find a way to pull it out. This is something that is not new to me. I’m accustomed to it.

“I think it’s probably more probable than not that they go to Anaheim.”

While the Maloofs are known to have financial issues, league sources said they turned down overtures from potential ownership groups in Seattle and San Jose to buy the team. The Maloofs haven’t told even high-ranking employees much about the possible move in recent weeks. Moreover, several basketball-level employees said they have no clue if they will be invited to Orange County if the franchise moves.

“Everyone here is in the dark,” a high-ranking Kings employee said.

Many Kings fans stayed long after the team's loss to the Lakers to show their support – and protest the franchise's possible move to Anaheim, Calif.
(Getty Images)

Johnson watched the early part of the Lakers game before departing to the Bay Area for a flight to New York. He is scheduled to make his pro-Sacramento case at the NBA meeting Thursday afternoon. The former NBA point guard will cite Sacramento’s proven fan support in a top-20 market and believes he can demonstrate a better way to produce corporate sponsorship. A concrete plan to build a new arena in Sacramento has yet to materialize, though one source close to the situation said city officials have considered the idea of renovating the Power Balance Pavilion or building a new arena next to it instead of building a venue downtown.

“We are not trying to block anything,” Johnson said. “We know the Maloofs have to make a business decision. I have said all along that I respect that. It’s their prerogative. They should have the right to go out there to do that. We have to go out there and present a counterproposal of why it makes good business sense for the NBA and Maloofs to stay here in Sacramento.”

Said the Lakers’ Jackson: “When you got the mayor going to the board of governors to address them about the situation, it’s pretty dire. It looks very ominous to me.”

While the odds are against Sacramento keeping the Kings, the Maloofs won’t have an easy time moving the franchise. SI.com has reported the Lakers have signed a 25-year television deal potentially worth $5 billion with Time Warner starting in 2012. The Lakers will lose 10 percent of the deal’s value if the Kings move from Sacramento to Anaheim, ESPN Los Angeles has reported. And the Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers aren’t the only teams expected to protest the Kings’ move. The Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets also could vote against an Anaheim move because it could set a precedent to allow other teams to relocate to their own lucrative markets, sources said.

The Kings also will likely have to pay a hefty relocation fee to the NBA, Lakers and Clippers. The former Seattle SuperSonics had to pay $30 million to the NBA and a $45 million settlement to the city of Seattle to move to Oklahoma City in 2008. A bill also was introduced in the California State Senate this week that would require the Maloofs to repay a $77 million loan to the city of Sacramento before moving the team.

“It’s so fluid that I don’t think anyone can tell you what the likelihood is,” said one member of a committee to keep the Kings in Sacramento. “One minute it’s falling apart. The next minute it’s sold itself. They’re focused and they’re committed mentally to go there. If it does end up happening, it’s because the league doesn’t want to be in Sacramento.”

The Kings came to Sacramento from Kansas City in 1985 after losing at home in their final game to the Lakers nearly 26 years to the day. While there were a lot of lean years, the Kings made the playoffs 10 times, including a string of appearances from 1999-2006 when the team had Chris Webber and Vlade Divac playing in front of their boisterous, cowbell-clanging fans. The Kings, whose roster is now stacked with young players, haven’t made the playoffs since 2006. They finished this season with a 24-58 record.

Now, Sacramento fans are hoping for another chance to keep cheering the only major professional team they’ve known.

“We’d much prefer for the Kings and Maloofs to be here in Sacramento,” Johnson said.

Source : By Marc J. Spears, Yahoo! Sports

What is bipolar II?

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:26:00 +0700

Catherine Zeta Jones has disclosed that she is receiving treatment for bipolar II disorder.

Catherine Zeta Jones has revealed that she sought treatment for manic depression

Mental health professionals have identified four main subtypes of bipolar disorder that together are referred to as bipolar spectrum disorders: bipolar I, bipolar II, bipolar not otherwise specified, and cyclothymia.

Although symptoms vary significantly from person to person factors that differentiate the types of bipolar include the duration and intensity of the mood swings.

Depression is the primary characteristic of bipolar II. While those with bipolar II do have "up" periods, these episodes are less marked. Instead of full-blown mania, people with bipolar II experience hypomania, a milder form of mania. Studies show that women are slightly more likely to have bipolar II.

Though a person with bipolar II may deny that anything is wrong, loved ones will probably notice that he or she seems agitated, is flying off the handle more often, or seems unusually upbeat.

Bipolar II is sometimes mistaken for depression because the hypomanic periods are harder to detect. Over time, without treatment, hypomania -- the "up" period -- can progress into mania or turn into a depressed state.

Source : http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Zeta-Jones seeks treatment for bipolar disorder

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:23:00 +0700

FILE - In this Jan. 16, 2011 file photo,
actress Catherine Zeta-Jones arrives
at the Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif.
(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, file) (Chris Pizzello)

(AP) LOS ANGELES (AP) — Catherine Zeta-Jones is heading back to work this week after seeking inpatient treatment for bipolar disorder.

A spokeswoman for Zeta-Jones says that "after dealing with the stress of the past year," the 41-year-old actress "made the decision to check into a mental health facility for a brief stay to treat her bipolar II disorder."

Publicist CeCe Yorke says Zeta-Jones is "feeling great and looking forward to starting work this week on her two upcoming films."

Zeta-Jones is married to Michael Douglas, who battled throat cancer last year and declared in January that he is cancer free after undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. The couple has a 10-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter.

Bipolar II disorder is characterized by mood swings and depressive episodes and is commonly treated with medication and psychotherapy.

Source : http://www.cbsnews.com

How can you protect your thyroid from radiation?

noreply@blogger.com (Shifty Jeans) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 03:37:00 +0700

How can you protect your thyroid from radiation?

Thyroid is one of the largest and is the most important endocrine gland in the human body. This butterfly shaped gland is located in the neck, below the thyroid cartilage, at the same level as cricoids cartilage.

The thyroid gland produces the thyroid hormone, which is carried to almost every tissue of the body by the blood. It primarily determines how fast the body uses energy and also makes proteins. In addition, it also plays an important role in the sensitiveness of the complex human body to other hormones and also helps keeping the body warm. The regular functioning of thyroid requires iodine and this iodine is usually absorbed by the thyroid gland from the bloodstream. A common phenomenon during nuclear accidents is the release of radioactive iodine. The human body and in particular the thyroid gland due to its iodine absorbing nature starts to absorb this radioactive iodine from the atmosphere which can be a huge cause for concern. The absorption of this radioactive iodine is dangerous as it can lead to the development of thyroid cancer over a period of time. The effect is more predominant in young people including infants and those below the age of 40 as they are at maximum risk of developing thyroid cancer due to exposure to radioactive iodine.
Things you can do to protect your thyroid from radiation

Potassium Iodide:

Potassium Iodide is similar to the regular iodized table salt. It basically floods the thyroid with iodine thereby preventing the thyroid from absorbing radioactive iodine. When taken at the appropriate time, it can also prevent absorption of radioactive iodine from additional food sources such as milk, air, food and water.

Potassium Iodide is a non prescription drug, which can be easily purchased over the counter as well as over the internet. It has a shelf life of at least 5 years and can be effective even up to 11 years is packed properly. However if an “expired” pill is consumed, though it may not reduce the impact of radioactive iodine, it may not be harmful.

Medical Drugs:

Alternate forms of Potassium Iodide available in the form of medical drugs also help protect your thyroid from radiation. However care should be taken that these medicines have been approved by the appropriate drug regulating agency. In the United Students, FDA approved drugs are available both in the form of tablets and solution. 130 mg tablets of Iosat and 65 mg tablets of ThyroSafe are recommended by the Food and Drug Administration to help protect the thyroid from radiation. A 65 mg/ml solution of ThyroShield is also approved but it should be noted that these drugs should not be taken in arbitrary doses and it is necessary to consult an experienced medical practitioner before consumption. These drugs when taken in excesses or in overdoses can lead to severe side effects. As the nuclear accidents are not common place occurrence, not every medical practitioner would have proficiency about these drugs and it is necessary to consult doctors who have been working in the field of radiation.

Precautions:

Potassium Iodide has been found to be safe by millions of people. However, there have also been cases wherein the patient has developed serious side-effects. People who have been allergic to potassium iodide should not take potassium iodide and look for some other alternative options.

Distribution:

In case of scarcity of potassium iodide, children and babies are to be first given potassium iodide as they have been observed to be most susceptible to the radioactive iodine. People above the age of 40 do not absorb the radioactive iodine easily and can delay their consumption of potassium iodide.

Doses:

The FDA has recommended a dosage of 15 mg for children between 0-1 months and a dosage of 30-35 mg for children between 1 month and 3 years. For 3-12 years, the dosage has to be 65 mg whereas the dosage for older people has to be greater than 130 mg. A 130 mg pill can be dissolved in 8 oz of clear liquid and 1 oz of this mixture can be fed to 0-1 months kid to constitute a 15 mg dose.

Stockpiling:

Nuclear plants are widespread throughout the world and people living near these plants very often should take adequate safety precautions. One of the common safety precautions that inhabitants near nuclear plants take is stockpiling Potassium Iodide tablets. In the unfortunate event of nuclear accidents, the effect of radioactive iodine can be minimized by immediately taking the specified doses of iodine. It is a good idea to stockpile these tablets because it has been seen in the past that the prices of these tablets often skyrockets in the case of a nuclear accident.

Evacuation:

Potassium Iodide should be considered as an adjunct to evacuation and not a total solution to exposure to radiation. Contaminated substances including milk, water and other food items should be totally avoided. However, potassium iodide must be compulsorily administered to all citizens before any evacuation is scheduled.

Potassium iodide tablets are effective in preventing the thyroid gland from absorbing iodine for about 24 hours. A single dose per day is highly advised until the risk no longer exists. It should be noted that not all radioactive releases lead to the absorption of radioactive iodine by the thyroid. Usually, local authorities inform the people in the surrounding areas on the need to take potassium iodide.

Source : http://www.healthpm.com

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What is bipolar II?

Catherine Zeta Jones has disclosed that she is receiving treatment for bipolar II disorder.

Zeta-Jones seeks treatment for bipolar disorder

How can you protect your thyroid from radiation?

How can you protect your thyroid from radiation?

Potassium Iodide:

Medical Drugs:

Precautions:

Distribution:

Doses:

Stockpiling:

Evacuation: