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Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Kristen Stewart The Highest Paid Actress



Forbes released its yearly highest paid round-up from May 2011 to May 2012 and unveiled a new name for its highest paid actress list —Kristen Stewart. While she played Bella Swan, Snow White and Marylou, she was raking in $34.5 million, the highest of any other women in Hollywood.
This placed her ahead of Cameron Diaz, who only managed $34 million in the second place spot, right ahead of Sandra Bullock at $29 million, Angelina Jolie in fourth with $20 million and Charlize Theron rounding out the top five with $18 million. Sarah Jessica Parker made an impressive $15 million, which experts say was mostly from ventures outside of movies.
"She is almost earning more from her perfume and endorsement deals right now than from entertainment. That is true of a lot of women," said Dorothy Pomerantz, Forbes Los Angeles bureau chief. "They have these outside deals that are very lucrative. Angelina Jolie earns a lot from residuals, as does Sarah Jessica Parker."
True as that my be for those women, Kristen is still fresh and busy enough that most of her cash was made from actual work done in the past 12 months.

"She (Stewart) is an up-and-coming star," Dorothy said. "She is earning a lot of money from one of the most successful franchises of all time. This is who you would expect to see right now."
On a sad note, it appears leading Hollywood men still out earn the ladies. While the top ten actresses earned an accumulated wealth of about $200 million, the top ten Hollywood men came in somewhere closer to $360 million.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

NBA Finals 2012: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Miami Heat, Game 3 Odds



South Beach is going to party for a couple days before the 2012 NBA Finals resumes on Sunday night inside American Airlines Arena, as the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder are knotted at a game apiece in their best-of-seven series.
The Heat are currently four-point home favorites in the NBA betting odds for Game 3 (provided by SBR Forum), while the total is holding steady at 194.
Miami survived a late run by Oklahoma City in capturing a 100-96 win as 5.5-point road underdogs on Thursday night inside Chesapeake Energy Arena, with LeBron James leading a group of four double-digit scorers with 32 points. He has now scored 30-plus points in five consecutive postseason games, which is a new franchise record.
The Heat have tallied a 7-4 straight-up record when playing on two days rest, but have gone 5-5-1 against the spread in that situation, which includes a 105-94 setback as five-point underdogs in Game 1.
Oklahoma City no longer holds home-court advantage and will now play the next three games in Miami. The Thunder need to get off to a better start in order for that to happen, as they've been outscored by a combined 56-37 margin in the opening quarter in the first two contests.
Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are one of the best bounce-back duos in the league, posting a 38-9 record after an upset loss as a favorite over the last two-plus seasons, while the "under" has gone 12-4 in that situation during the 2011-12 campaign.
I'm anticipating a lower-scoring affair on Sunday, especially considering that the Heat have fallen short of the total in nine of their last 10 home games against an opponent with a winning road record.

Transit of Venus




A transit of Venus occurs when Venus is observed to move across the face of the Sun. The first transit since 1882 occurred on 8 June 2004, the second on 6 June 2012, and was intermittently visible in Sydney from beginning to end, starting at 8.16am (1st contact) and ending at 2.44pm (last contact). The next transit of Venus won’t occur until 2117.

Billboard Music Awards 2012: The Complete Winners List



Adele and LMFAO were the top winners among music's biggest chart-toppers during Sunday's honors on ABC.

Adele was the biggest winner at tonight's Billboard Music Awards, taking home 12 trophies off the strength of her Grammy-winning album 21 and singles such as the chart-topping "Rolling in the Deep." LMFAO were the second top winners, grabbing six honors, with their "Party Rock Anthem" garnering five nods.

Coldplay and Lil Wayne received four awards each, while Casting Crowns, Jason Aldean andLady Gaga each nabbed two awards.
Justin Bieber took home "Top Social Artist" honors, Taylor Swift grabbed "Woman of the Year," and Whitney Houston received the Millenium Award while Stevie Wonder was honored with the Billboard Icon Award.


The complete list of winners for The 2012 Billboard Music Awards are:
ARTIST AWARDS:
Top Artist:
Adele
Top New Artist:
Wiz Khalifa
Top Male Artist:
Lil Wayne
Top Female Artist:
Adele
Top Duo/Group:
LMFAO
Top Billboard 200 Artist:
Adele
Top Hot 100 Artist:
Adele
Top Digital Songs Artist:
Adele
Top Radio Songs Artist:
Adele
Top Touring Artist:
U2
Top Social Artist:
Justin Bieber
Top Streaming Artist:
Rihanna
Top Digital Media Artist:
Adele
Top Pop Artist:
Adele
Top R&B Artist:
Chris Brown
Top Rap Artist:
Lil Wayne
Top Country Artist:
Lady Antebellum
Top Rock Artist:
Coldplay
Top Alternative Artist:
Coldplay
Top Latin Artist:
Shakira
Top Dance Artist:
Lady Gaga
Top Christian Artist:
Casting Crowns

ALBUMS AWARDS:
Top Billboard 200 Album:
Adele "21"
Top Pop Album:
Adele "21"
Top R&B Album:
Beyonce "4"
Top Rap Album:
Lil Wayne "Tha Carter IV"
Top Country Album:
Jason Aldean "My Kinda Party"
Top Rock Album:
Coldplay "Mylo Xyloto"
Top Alternative Album:
Coldplay "Mylo Xyloto"
Top Latin Album:
Romeo Santos "Formula: Vol. 1"
Top Dance Album:
Lady Gaga "Born This Way"
Top Christian Album:
Casting Crowns "Come To The Well"

SONG AWARDS:
Top Hot 100 Song:
LMFAO Feat. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock "Party Rock Anthem"
Top Digital Song :
LMFAO Feat. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock "Party Rock Anthem"
Top Radio Song:
Pitbull Feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer "Give Me Everything"
Top Streaming Song (Audio):
Adele "Rolling in the Deep"
Top Streaming Song (Video):
Nicki Minaj "Super Bass"
Top Pop Song:
LMFAO Feat. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock "Party Rock Anthem"
Top R&B Song:
Kelly Rowland Feat. Lil Wayne "Motivation"
Top Rap Song:
LMFAO Feat. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock "Party Rock Anthem"
Top Country Song:
Jason Aldean "Dirt Road Anthem"
Top Rock Song:
Foster The People "Pumped Up Kicks"
Top Alternative Song:
Adele "Rolling In The Deep"
Top Latin Song:
Don Omar & Lucenzo "Danza Kuduro"
Top Dance Song:
LMFAO Feat. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock "Party Rock Anthem"
Top Christian Song:
Laura Story "Blessings"

Tightrope walker crosses Niagara Falls on 2-inch wire



Nik Wallenda put heavy wind and extreme levels of spray to one side to walk on a tightrope from one side of Niagara Falls to the other.


He is the latest in a long line of members of his family to have completed a heart-stopping manoeuvre high above the ground.
The daredevil started on the US side of the iconic waterfall and made the 1,800 ft trip to Canadian land on a two-inch wire, which was suspended more than 150 ft above the ferocious water.


Thousands of people gathered to watch him become the first person to cross the Falls in this way for more than 100 years.

It is the latest stunt in a catalogue of breathtaking challenges undertaken by the Wallenda family dating back over 200 years. Nik is the seventh generation of the Flying Wallendas.

He is only too aware of the dangers of tightrope walking, having lost two members of the family in previous accidents. He was therefore ordered to use a safety harness by sponsors ABC, who said they would stop broadcasting if he removed it.
His great-grandfather Karl Wallenda is one of those to have died, after a 1978 stunt in Puerto 
Rico went horribly wrong.










Friday, June 15, 2012

Chris Brown - Drake night club brawl over Rihanna



Chris Brown tweeted a picture of his injury after alleged fracas with Drake. Copyright [Twitter/Chris Brown]

Hip-hop rivals Chris Brown and Drake turned a New York City nightclub into a war zone that sent four innocent bystanders to the hospital early Thursday when they started a brutal brawl over the pop music diva Rihanna. 
One of the club-goers caught in the middle was Hollie C, an Australian tourist who was rushed to Bellevue Hospital after she was smashed in the head with a flying bottle during the fight.
A gruesome photo shows a gash in her head and her face covered with blood. She needed 16 stitches to close the wound.
Witnesses say the two recording stars started fighting after Chris Brown sent Drake a bottle of Champagne as a peace offering. Drake reportedly sent the bottle back with a note: 'I'm f****** the love of your life, deal with it.'


Horrific: Hollie C, a 24-year-old Australian tourist, received 16 stitches to close a head wound she received when she was hit with a flying bottle during the fight

As they were squaring off, someone -- police don't know who yet -- threw a bottle.
Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Drake Graham, was not in the group that confronted Chris Brown, NYPD Lt John Grimple told Mail Online.  
Hollie, the injured tourist, told TMZ.com she went to W.i.P. with friends on Wednesday night, unaware they were sitting in between two angry rappers and their entourages.
Suddenly, all hell broke loose.

'Within a few moments of noticing glass being thrown around, I saw a glass bottle headed towards me, consequently hitting me in the head.' she told TMZ.

'I immediately started to bleed and proceeded to fall in and out of consciousness.'


She was one of eight people treated as a result of the fight. Hollie and four others had nothing to do with the bar brawl.
Big Pat, is Chris Brown's bodyguard,. A photo shows him laying in a hospital bed with a bloody, wound on his head. 
Chris Brown was also injured. He posted a picture of a gash on his chin -- apparently sustained from the fight with Drake.
His female companion was hurt, as well.
Brown allegedly flew into a rage after Drake taunted him by returning a bottle of champagne he'd sent over as 'peace offering' with a note reading:  'I'm f****** the love of your life, deal with it'.
Drake's crude response was clearly a reference to Brown's ex-girlfriend Rihanna.
According to website Global Grind, Chris reportedly flew into a rage and confronted Drake. 
Drake allegedly threw a punch but before the singer could retaliate, another man hit Brown in the face with a bottle.
A source told the New York Post: 'They were on opposite sides of the room, Drake went over to the middle of the club to talk to someone, then words were exchanged with Chris and his entourage.
The source said someone from Drake's entourage, possibly the singer himself, threw a bottle.
'Once the bottle was thrown, all hell broke loose and there were more bottles thrown.'



Gruesome: Chris Brown's bodyguard, Big Pat, recovers from a head wound he received during the bar fight.

Chris Brown, 23, dated Rihanna until she dumped him after he savagely beat her on the eve of her performance at the Grammy Awards in 2009. After their breakup, the beauty from Barbados was romantically linked with rapper Drake. 
Reports indicate Rihanna, 24, is in the process of getting back together with Chris Brown. 
The New York Police Department is investigating the fight, which broke out at Club W.i.P in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan. 
A spokesman said investigators believe Chris Brown, his bodyguard and a woman with him were trying to leave the club about 4am when they were confronted by five members of Drake's posse. 



The aftermath: Broken glass can be seen strewn across the bar following the Chris and Drake fight.

The fight allegedly kicked off as the last song was playing, just before 4 a.m. 
Police were already at the scene because it was closing time and that they 'were on it in seconds and began getting everyone out of the club.'
Pictures of the aftermath show the club floor strewn with broken glass.
Brown was pulled out of the situation by his own security and helped out of the club while Drake was pulled to the back of the club, the source said. '[Drake] was one of the last out of W.I.P.'
The New York Police department confirmed to the Global Grind that the two singers' crews got into a fight at Manhattan nightclub - 5 people were injured in the melee including Chris' bodyguard who suffered a serious cut to the head, two other men and two women suffered minor cuts. At least three were hospitalised.
Police were looking at surveillance footage and talking to patrons who witnessed the melee. No arrests have been made and no complaints filed.
Drake has today denied he was involved in 'any kind last night at W.i.P.' His spokeswoman said in a statement: 'He was on his way out of the club when the altercation began.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2159544/Chris-Brown-Drake-nightclub-brawl-Innocent-girl-caught-middle.html#ixzz1xqZ32eu0

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

From boob to bum! Madonna just can't stop flashing the flesh as she exposes her bottom days after nip-slip controversy



Peachy or pathetic? Madonna whipped down her trousers and flashed her bottom in Rome last night a few days after her nipple slip in Turkey.

The veteran pop star took to the stage in Rome last night and instead of flashing her breast, this time she slipped off her trousers and showed off her bum to the audience.
During her song Human Nature, the tune during which she slipped her nipple out in Istanbul, she stripped off her microphone pack and unbuttoned her trousers, turned round, pulled them down and flashed her G-string clad derriere to the audience at the Stadio Olimpico.


Controversy: Madonna flashing her nipple on stage in Istanbul last weekend

However, it was a different story - and a different person - when she was snapped stepping out for lunch in Rome before the gig looking like the 53-year-old mother-of-four she is looking sophisticated in a blue dress and black peep-toe heels.
She was enjoying some down-time in the Italian capital ahead of the latest concert in her MDNA world tour.
She caused a stir in Istanbul when she launched into Human Nature and stripped down a black bra top, before pulling one of the cups down and exposing her breast.


The singer received a backlash from fans and fellow celebrities for the over-exposure with Piers Morgan tweeting:' Most embarrassing, cringe-worthy, desperate moment in the history of music?'
But some fans have been more sympathetic, like Hollywood actress Christina Applegate, who commented: 'Reading twitter this am and there r all these tweets about Madonna and her nipple flash. And we are shocked because...?
'What I'm saying is. Its not like Sarah Palin had a nip slip, its Madonna.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2158493/Madonna-just-stop-flashing-flesh-exposes-days-nip-slip-controversy.html#ixzz1xgOV6kkM
 

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Philippines Celebrates Independence Day




MANILA, Philippines --- On June 12, 1898, General Emilio F. Aguinaldo proclaimed at the balcony of his ancestral home on Calle Real in Kawit, Cavite, the independence of the Republic of the Philippines, and the Philippine flag was hoisted as the national anthem called Marcha Filipina was played in the presence of a huge crowd.
On September 29, 1898, the Malolos Congress formally ratified the Declaration of Independence. Then on August 6, 1898, the Revolutionary Government sent diplomatic notes to foreign nations, requesting then to accord formal recognition to the Philippines as a free and independent nation.
Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States (US) in the 1898 Treaty of Paris. It was until July 4, 1946, after nearly 50 years of American rule, and more than three years of Japanese occupation, that US recognized Philippine independence in the Treaty of Manila.
For a while, July 4 was celebrated as Philippine Independence Day. Then President Diosdado P. Macapagal decided in 1962 to have the Philippines celebrate its Araw ng Kalayaan on June 12, in commemoration of that historic day in 1898 when General Aguinaldo proclaimed Philippine independence. President Ferdinand E. Marcos, who succeeded President Diosdado P. Macapagal, later proclaimed July 4 as Philippine-American Friendship Day.
Before the Philippine Revolution of 1896, there were many uprisings in various parts of the country against Spanish colonial rule. It was the 1896 Revolution that drew the nation together like no other movement before it. Subsequent developments – the Philippine-American War and World War II – may have delayed the actual enjoyment of sovereignty, but it was on June 12, 1898, that Filipinos proclaimed to the world their desire and determination to stand as a free and independent member of the world community of nations.
The Manila Bulletin led by its Chairman Dr. Emilio T. Yap, President and Publisher Atty. Hermogenes P. Pobre, Executive Vice President Dr. Emilio C. Yap III, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Cris J. Icban Jr., and Officers, greet the entire nation on the occasion of our Independence Day today and wish us all the best and success in all our endeavors. MABUHAY ANG PILIPINAS!


INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE
Madison Avenue from 38th Street head South (downtown)

NBA Finals 2012: Miami Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, Game 1 Odds



LeBron James elevated his play to an entirely different level in scoring 30-plus points in three straight games to move past the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference final in seven games. But he will need to dig deep to overcome theOklahoma City Thunder in the 2012 NBA Finals to capture his first-ever championship.
The Miami Heat are currently five-point road underdogs in the NBA betting odds for Game 1 of this best-of-seven series (courtesy of SBR Forum), while the total sits at 195.
James has led the team to a 12-6 record through the first three rounds of the 2012 NBA playoffs, moving past the New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers and Celtics to reach this point. He is averaging a team-high 30.8 points during the postseason.
The Heat have been labeled underdogs by oddsmakers six times during the 2011-12 season, posting  1-5 against the spread (ATS) and straight-up record. One of those setbacks was a 103-87 blowout loss to the Thunder as two-point road underdogs on March 25.
Oklahoma City has put together one of the more impressive runs in recent memory, eliminating three quality teams from the Western Conference, including four consecutive wins over the San Antonio Spurs in the conference finals to advance to this stage in six games. 
NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant averaged 29.7 points during the four-game win streak, as he joins point guard Russell Westbrook to form one of the more formidable duos in the league. He will definitely benefit from receiving a few extra days rest after playing all 48 minutes last Wednesday night.
 The Thunder are 4-0 ATS when playing on three or more days of rest this season, while the "over" is 3-1 in that situation. Miami deserves respect in this spot, covering five of its last six games when playing on two days rest.
I'm going to back the more experienced side in the series opener, as I anticipate the Thunder to start rolling in Game 2 on Thursday night.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Boxing's Integrity Takes Another Black Eye After Incomprehendable Bradley-Pacquiao Split Decision




What’s that line from Forrest Gump?  Stupid is as stupid does?
For a sport that is losing ground to MMA and UFC fighting, the only way to maintain integrity and respectability is to ensure fair play and fair assessment of play.
On Saturday night in Vegas, undefeated Timothy Bradley earned a split decision victory versus the much celebrated Manny Pacquiao.  The fight scoring was 115-113 by all 3 judges, but 2 sided with Mr. Bradley while only one sided with Mr. Pacquiao.
Judging from experts and social media feedback, the official scoring was inconsistent with others’ perspectives:
- Yahoo! Sports scored the fight 117-111 for Pacquiao;
- Tim Dahlberg of the AP scored the fight 117-111 for Pacquiao;
- Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal scored the fight 117-111 for Pacquiao;
- Dan Rafael of ESPN scored the fight 118-110 for Pacquiao;
- HBO’s Harold Lederman scored the fight 119-109 for Pacquiao.
Furthermore, live streaming feeds which I followed on Yahoo Sports and ESPN during and after the fight were overwhelmingly lopsided in favor of Pacquiao.
According to CompuBox, Pacquiao landed 34% of his punches compared to 19% for Bradley.  Furthermore, Pacquiao landed 82 more power shots.
Unfortunately, it’s these sorts of results that make skeptics of us all.  Make us wonder if someone within the sport thought they could drum up greater interest in a Pacquiao-Bradley rematch if Pacquiao lost the first bout.  Seems far-fetched, but in light of the circumstances I wouldn’t blame anyone that draws this conclusion.


At the end of the day, it’s no skin off my nose if boxing doesn’t care enough about its own image to ensure that fair play and fair assessment of that play is of tantamount importance to the credibility and re-branding of the sport.

But from strictly a business perspective, especially with MMA and UFC gaining such strides in popularity, perhaps boxing needs to consider re-evaluating its judging process…be it more judges or some other solution.
Because without a re-assessment of such procedures, I fear that boxing will keep taking uppercuts to perceptions of its integrity…or lack thereof.
Failing to undergo such self-evaluation could cost the sport even more fans long term who may not want to purchase a fight on Pay-Per-View or attend in person if they think the match evaluation process is fundamentally flawed, inconsistent, and unfair.