Archive for April 12th, 2012
Apr
12
American Idol Recap The Top 7 Perform Songs From The Past 3 Years
After a hit-and-miss foray into the ’80s last week, on April 11 “American Idol” returned to what the contestants do best: contemporary songs that may actually bear some resemblance to the kind of music they’ll (hypothetically) be releasing next year — with a current artist (Akon) serving as a well-qualified mentor. And thankfully, now that DeAndre and Heejun have exited stage right, the real vocalists can finally get down to competing. The narrowing of the talent pool didn’t preclude a couple of sub-par performances, of course, but it’s nice that we’ve finally reached a point where the good generally outweighs the bad on performance night.
Here’s the rundown of the Top 7′s performances, with songs chosen from 2010 through to today.
Skylar Laine: “Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You” by Kellie Pickler
Despite Jimmy Iovine and Akon’s advice, Skylar chose to whip out the guitar for this rendition, clearly eager to show that she can keep up with her more musical cohorts (continue reading…)
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Apr
12
Ann Romney and Working Moms
My Twitter feed was on fire after an appearance last night on CNN’s AC360, where I said that I thought it was wrong for Mitt Romney to be using his wife as his guide to women’s economic struggles when she “had never worked a day in her life.” Oh my, you should read the tweets and the hate mail I got after that. The accusations were flying. I don’t know what it means to be a mom (I have 2 children). I obviously don’t value the work that a mother does and how hard it is (the hardest job I have ever had); and I absolutely hate anyone who doesn’t have the same views as I do (hate is a strong word).
Spare me the faux anger from the right who view the issue of women’s rights and advancement as a way to score political points (continue reading…)
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Apr
12
Ann Romney and Working Moms
My Twitter feed was on fire after an appearance last night on CNN’s AC360, where I said that I thought it was wrong for Mitt Romney to be using his wife as his guide to women’s economic struggles when she “had never worked a day in her life.” Oh my, you should read the tweets and the hate mail I got after that. The accusations were flying. I don’t know what it means to be a mom (I have 2 children). I obviously don’t value the work that a mother does and how hard it is (the hardest job I have ever had); and I absolutely hate anyone who doesn’t have the same views as I do (hate is a strong word).
Spare me the faux anger from the right who view the issue of women’s rights and advancement as a way to score political points (continue reading…)
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Apr
12
Los Angeles Lakers vs San Antonio Spurs Recap April 11 2012 ESPN
Source:Associated Press
__________________________________________________________________________
SAN ANTONIO — Andrew Bynum had 16 points and 30 rebounds, the most in an NBA game this season, and the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t need Kobe Bryant to blow out the San Antonio Spurs 98-84 Wednesday night.
More on the Lakers
For more news, notes and analysis of the Lakers, check out the Land O’ Lakers blog from the Kamenetzky Brothers. Blog
Metta World Peace scored 26 points and the Lakers, playing their third straight game without the injured Bryant, manhandled the Spurs underneath to hand the West’s second-place team one of their most embarrassing losses this season.Bryant is sitting out to heal his sore left shin. There remains no timetable on when the NBA’s leading scorer might return.Bynum’s dominating night surpassed the previous NBA season-high of 25 rebounds, set twice by Orlando’s Dwight Howard and Milwaukee’s Ersan Ilyasova.Danny Green led the Spurs with 22 points.Pau Gasol added 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who are now 2-1 without Bryant. Two nights after barely squeaking past lowly New Orleans, the Lakers played far livelier this time without their superstar.World Peace scored a season-high while shooting 10 of 15 from the field, including 5 of 8 from behind the 3-point arc.Los Angeles has seven games left and are in third place in the West, 4 1/2 games behind the Spurs for second place. San Antonio remained just a game out of first despite the loss since Oklahoma City also lost Wednesday night.After winning 11 in a row, the Spurs have now lost consecutive games for the first time since January. Falling in Utah on Monday night was hardly shocking: Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili didn’t even make the trip that night in coach Gregg Popovich’s pursuit to keep his stars fresh as possible for the playoffs.But the Big Three were back for the Lakers, and few saw this coming — especially with Bryant sidelined in a suit.Parker and Ginobili might as well have taken another night off. Parker scored four on 2 of 12 shooting and Ginobili scored 9. Duncan had 14 points and just two rebounds.So unstoppable was Bynum under the basket that by the end of the third quarter, the 7-footer already had matched Howard and Ilyasova for the season’s single-game mark. Bynum tapped missed shots to himself with ease over the undersized Spurs frontcourt, and nearly single-handedly outrebounded the entire Spurs lineup combined.San Antonio finished with 32 rebounds. It’s the second time the Spurs have been beaten up on the boards: One of Howard’s 25-rebound nights was also against San Antonio.Game notes Spurs G Gary Neal (gastroenteritis) did not play. … Ginobili surpassed 10,000 career points, joining Duncan, Parker, David Robinson and George Gervin as the only other players in Spurs history to reach the milestone.
Copyright by STATS LLC and The
Links:Full news story
Source:espn.go.com
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Apr
12
Words With Friends
Last year we got our motor boating licenses. My husband and I bought an old, much-dented boat for our leisure time. We would learn together how to navigate and dock, which, it turns out, is really important. A true waterman can swing a long boat into a short space without so much as grazing a hanging fender, regardless of the current, the wind, the swells or the spectators who watch from marina restaurants or from other boats (continue reading…)
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Apr
12
After Intense National Discussion a Heartbreaking Tragedy Results in a Prosecution
George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old self-appointed neighborhood watch captain from Sanford, FL has been arrested and charged today with second degree murder in connection with the February 26 shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, an unarmed African American youth returning home from a convenience store. The announcement was made this evening at a Jacksonville press conference by Angela Corey, the special prosecutor assigned by Florida Governor Rick Scott on March 22.
Zimmerman’s new defense attorney, former prosecutor Michael O’Mara has stated that his client will plead not guilty.
The case became the focus of intense national debate and outrage after local authorities did not place Mr. Zimmerman in custody in the immediate aftermath of the killing (continue reading…)
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Apr
12
Lakota Wisdom Why Native American Truths Can Heal the World
The word wisdom is used frequently every day, whether it is spoken and heard or written and read. Yet it is debatable, in my opinion, if most of us know what it is. In most dictionaries it is defined as “the quality or state of being wise, sagacious, discerning and insightful.”
There are wise people in the world from all walks of life, from many nations and cultures. But there is one unalterable reality: No one who is truly wise is young (continue reading…)
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Apr
12
Sales or Marketing
The longer I’m in the business world, the more comical the term sales and marketing seems to me. These two disciplines couldn’t be more different. And since I’ve had to wear both hats as a business owner, what each role demands of me is mind-boggling. When I’m the marketer, I’ve got to get and keep the brand right and blast it as far and wide as possible (continue reading…)
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Apr
12
Your Phone Can Do Your Taxes
If you still haven’t done your taxes — even with the extended April 17 deadline, even though your taxes are pretty simple (no kids, no real estate, no investment income) — it’s time to go mobile.
We tested two new, free tax apps that can help 1040EZ filers put that baby to bed in about 10 minutes. Just grab your W-2 and your phone and read our short guide.
SnapTax by TurboTax will help you “magically” (their word, not ours) file a 1040EZ using a snapshot of your W-2 form and a couple of other forms — 1099-INT (interest income), 1099-G (unemployment income), or 1098-E (student loan interest) (continue reading…)
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Apr
12
Revolutionizing Sustainable Product Design
Traditionally, companies have used the process of environmental life cycle assessment, or LCA, to benchmark their product impacts. But the time for just measuring impacts is over — here’s how leading companies are using LCAs to drive product innovation.
Kraft Foods
Engineers at Kraft Foods wanted to find a more functional packaging solution for their salad dressings — one-gallon jugs made of high density polyethylene (HPDE) that are fairly standard in the food service industry. Their research in commercial food service kitchens showed that operators typically had to go to great lengths to get dressing out, spending time scraping the insides with a spatula and even cutting the tops off the rigid jugs.
After examining several designs, the engineers proposed a new solution: a significantly lighter, flexible, squeezable package made of nylon and polyethylene, branded the YES Pack, which stands for yield, ease and sustainability. The Kraft YES Pack delivers 99 percent yield or up to two extra servings of dressing per case, which reduces product waste.
To assess the design against their sustainability goals, Kraft engineers performed a thorough LCA with the help of consultants at leading LCA firm PE International (continue reading…)
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Apr
12
Nikki Haley A Casualty of the Medias Casual Relationship to Truth
Just last month, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley was considered a top contender for the Republican vice presidential spot. That prospect abruptly faded two weeks ago when an overeager 25-year-old blogger named Logan Smith published an unsubstantiated rumor that Governor Haley was facing indictment on tax fraud charges. Within an hour, the claim — which turns out to be false — was getting traction online with the likes of the Washington Post, USA Today, The Hill and The Daily Beast, and Mitt Romney’s campaign was being asked to comment by ABC News. Mark Twain famously observed that a lie could travel halfway around the world before the truth had a chance to put its boots on (continue reading…)
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Apr
12
What Should I Know if I Want to Quit My Job Leave Everything Behind and Travel for a Year
This question originally appeared on Quora.
By Julia Lam, Traveler and Innovator
I'm currently in the middle of taking 6-12 months off. I left my apartment, consolidated my life, rented a storage locker, and took off.Now for some travel best practices:Have a meaningful goal at each of your destinations. This keeps your trip focused and keeps you engaged (continue reading…)
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Apr
12
Strip Search Nation Including The Authoritarian Catechism
A Supreme Court Decision on April 2 upheld, by a 5-4 vote, the right of prison officials to strip-search anyone entering a prison facility. This drastic reduction of fourth-amendment rights — which protect Americans against unreasonable searches and seizures, and require that arresting officers show probable cause — can now be applied to any citizen brought to prison. A strip search, the Supreme Court has said, is permissible no matter how minor the offense. It is permissible even where the legal punishment for a specified infraction carries no time in prison.
In the case at hand, Florence v (continue reading…)
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Apr
12
Review You Are Not So Smart
David McRaney
Gotham Books, 302 pgs. 2012
Let’s face it: You aren’t that smart.
It’s a bold assertion — maybe even an insult — that isn’t likely to endear you toward reading the rest of this article, or the book of similar name. Yet journalist David McRaney’s You Are Not So Smart, is meant to challenge even the most basic assumptions about our personal beliefs and self-concepts to help shed light on the irrational stories we tell ourselves, our common self-delusions and, most importantly, why we act as if we know better.
The book, based off of a popular blog of the same name, helps orient us towards the blind spots and the hidden assumptions of our day-to-day lives, while using humor to explain our sometimes puzzling behaviors (continue reading…)
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Apr
12
Have We Added Another Lost Generation
“Generation Z” are our kids that have been born since the late 1990′s. This generation has grown up with the World Wide Web and is highly connected because of the Internet. Instant messaging, text messaging, smartphones, tablet computers and social networking are part of their fiber. They have 24 hour access to the Internet with their mobile phones in their pockets (continue reading…)
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Apr
12
How You Can Better Influence People
I’ve always been fascinated by FBI profilers. Those are the folks who get inside the heads of criminals to try to figure out why they do what they do. There is a great deal of power that comes from being able to quickly analyze someone to determine what they are all about — think about how useful this could be for a life coach, therapist, or manager. There are numerous tools and techniques to help you analyze someone (continue reading…)
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Apr
12
Girls Around Me App Is a WakeUp Call
As far as I can tell, the app “Girls Around Me” wasn’t violating any laws. But it was high on the creepy scale when, according to reports, women’s identity, photographs and location were being revealed to strangers, even though the women never opted into the service. Although the developer, Moscow-based I-Free, hardly deserves any awards, the app’s a good wake-up call for people to use the privacy settings of legitimate social networking and location services.
The app mashed together information people posted about themselves publicly on Foursquare and Facebook and created a map showing the location and photographs of nearby women. On its website, the company brags that the app can be used to “Browse photos of lovely local ladies and tap their thumbnail to find out more about them.” It’s offered for those “In the mood for love, or just after a one-night stand.” An image that resembles a radar screen with a silhouette of an apparently naked woman adorns the home page.
Late last month Foursquare cut off access to the app so that it can no longer collect the company’s publicly accessible data (continue reading…)
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Apr
12
What Apps or Technology Products Are Cool Among High School Students Right Now
This question originally appeared on Quora.
By an Anonymous User of Quora
These are my observations of my high school as of this writing. I say this because I think it is worth noting that, amongst the majority of the high school, this list tends to change vastly in a rather short amount of time.Instagram, though, has had a long shelf life at my school and shows no signs of disappearing. This app is simply how my classmates and I take pictures now (continue reading…)
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Apr
12
Robert Neffson The City Reflects Us
Robert Neffson, whose views of New York City, London, Paris, and Venice are on exhibit at Bernarducci Meisel Gallery through April 28, is considered a Photo-Realist. However, that particular stylistic label doesn’t quite describe the full range of his aesthetic ambitions. Neffson’s richly detailed canvasses are meant to go beyond realism and connect each viewer with a range of perceptual and intellectual experiences. He characterizes his work as being “.. (continue reading…)
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Apr
12
TDE World Domination Schoolboy Q AbSoul Got Next
Additional help for this post by Lucas Farrar
The pieces are all in place. A few weeks ago Top Dawg Entertainment, home to bubbling hip-hop heavyweights Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q & Ab-Soul, announced a joint venture with Aftermath/Interscope, the houses Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre built. Major distribution in hand, this revelatory news is the last official co-sign needed (Dre (continue reading…)
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Apr
12
The Mysterious World of Dreams
I am a huge fan of sleep, of the many Huffington Post articles that have been written about it and of the initiatives that Ariana Huffington has been involved in to promote awareness of its importance. While much has been written about the physical benefits of sleep, I wanted to explore here another dimension which, depending on how you view it, is either the icing on the cake, or is the cake itself. I have in mind sleep’s potential spiritual benefits, and, in particular, the mysterious role of dreams.
“Breaking Through” by Hooper Dunbar. Shared with permission of the artist, courtesy of Ethan Cohen Fine Arts, NYC
Dreams have played an important role in almost all spiritual traditions — one thinks of the reverence of the Australian aborigines for the “Dreamtime,” or the central importance of dream interpretations by Joseph in the Bible and the Quran (continue reading…)
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Apr
12
Boehlerts Play Book
Will environmental issues play a role in the 2012 presidential campaign, and if so, how? Keep in mind that in previous White House contests, environmental concerns rarely surfaced in the exchanges between candidates.
Past presidential nominees — regardless of political persuasion — who had any environmental baggage successfully diffused the issue by using common sense as a cover. When pressed, they rhetorically asked: who in their right mind would be against cleaner air, cleaner water, and environmental enhancement in general? The answer invariably eased any concerns among the majority of voters, who turned their attention elsewhere.
But the 2012 campaign could be different. From a tactical standpoint, it would be to President Obama’s advantage to make environmental concerns as persistent focus in his debates with presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney.
Ironically, it is a Republican politician who inadvertently (or maybe not so) has provided an environmental campaign blueprint that would allow Obama to put Romney on the spot. The Republican is Sherwood Boehlert, who hails from upstate New York and is the retired chairman of the House Science Committee.
There is a reason Boehlert’s proposal is more in line with Obama than one would normally expect from a GOP source (continue reading…)
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Apr
12
How to Get Along With a Struggling Comedian
I usually spend a lot of time, when I do write about comedy, complaining or critiquing aspects of the business, whether it is bookers, managers, clubs, or monolithic groups of comedians. But I realized it is not just them making comedy more difficult, it is regular people and everyday individual comedians who make this such an annoying journey at times, even if they don’t intend to. So, inspired by the “Broken Windows” theory of crime prevention, which theorizes that swarming and fixing little problems will lower overall crime, I present the “Broken Compliments and Questions About Comedy” theory on making comedians, who are struggling in the increasingly weakening middle class of comedy, happier day-to-day. Obviously these are my own personal theories, but I doubt I am the only one for whom these will resonate (continue reading…)
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Apr
12
Divorce Cancer Delinked Childs Illness Doesnt Tear Up Marriage
On Monday, the results of a 20-year Danish study of 47,000 couples revealed that parents who have children battling cancer are no more likely to divorce than parents who don’t.
According to Reuters, the study is based on public registry data for the parents of 2,450 children who had been diagnosed with cancer between 1980 and 1997. These children were each matched with about 18 cancer-free kids of the same sex and age to analyze the differences between the two groups’ parents.
The study, one of the largest of its kind, looked at such variables as parents’ employment, parents’ education and even whether the child had died (continue reading…)
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