November 26th, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
50 Cent, of his real name Curtis Jackson, is an American rapper born in the Queens of New York, July 6 1978.
The origin of his pseudonym, 50 Cent, comes from a New York gangster. When rapper 50 Cent was 8 years old, his mother dies, his father abandons him and rapper 50 Cent begins to sell cocaine to survive, while rapper 50 Cent was brought up by his grand mother. Despite this difficult childhood, rapper 50 Cent hopes to one day have the money and the glory that he has always dream as a rapper.
After a few forth and back in jail, it is 1996 that rapper 50 Cent meets Jam Master Jay of group Run DMC which label is JMJ Records. But the association with Jam Master Jay didn’t last, what is more rapper 50 Cent agreed with another label Trackmasters, already known in New York as a powerful label and having already worked with artists such as NAS or Jay-Z. Label Trackmasters signs rapper 50 Cent, who prepares his first album Power Of The $, with Columbia Records in 1999.
There are some rapper 50 Cent singles with success such as: « Your Life’s on the Line » and « How to Rob». Because of this last single, rapper 50 Cent was almost dead in front of the house of his grand parents in Mai 2000, people shot at him 9 times, and 3 bullets hit him, one in his hand, one in his back and the last one in his face, without physical damages but would have given rapper 50 Cent his style of voice. rapper 50 Cent still keeps sequels of this attack. However, a number of rappers hardly believe him.
Columbia Records, who was about to release rapper 50 Cent album, gives up. The two following years, rapper 50 Cent sets up his own group G-Unit with Tony Yayo as well as Lloyd Banks, two artists with whom rapper 50 Cent will perform in freestyle and mixtapes and afterwards, when Tony Yayo goes in jail, Young Buck joins the group.
In 2002, rapper 50 Cent meets Eminem, who, after listening to some mixtapes of the artist, immediately signs him at Shady/Aftermath (Label of Eminem and Dr. Dre). His first success is the single “Wanksta” which was on the original soundtrack of film 8 Mile.
In 2003, rapper 50 Cent releases his first LP with label Shady/Aftermath, with songs such as “P.I.M.P”, “In Da Club” or “21 Questions”. The success is instant: 800 000 sales the first week. It is also the biggest success of 2003 with nearly 12 million copies sold. The same year, rapper 50 Cent releases his first LP with his group G-Unit, the album Beg For Mercy. Once again the success is there. In 2005, rapper 50 Cent follows with his second LP with Shady/Aftermath, The Massacre, 1,14 million albums are sold in 4 days. It is the sixth best performance of sales ever. Rapper 50 Cent also establishes another record (like the Beatles) with 4 singles in the top 10 sales. The rapper 50 Cent albums are sold at more than 8 million copies.
Rapper 50 Cent then creates his own clothing line named like his group: G-Unit Clothing, signs contracts with Reebok and other brands and set up his own production label, G-Unit Records. In 2006, is released the film about his own life and of same name as his first album with Shady/Aftermath, “Get Rich Or Die Tryin’”. Despite a certain success with the public, this film has been found several weeks in the top 50 of the worse films noted by site IMDB.
Rapper 50 Cent has had a child before becoming famous between two stays in jail, which gives him the wish to stop dealing cocaine and to invest himself in rap music. Rapper 50 Cent has had a relationship with actress Vivica A. Fox. But she was so jealous of the other girls that were around rapper 50 Cent, especially in his video clips, that she leaves rapper 50 Cent.
Rapper 50 Cent counts today as many fans that as many enemies. Indeed, his rap is the object of numerous critics. The real hip hop fans found rapper 50 Cent too commercial, because most of his sounds are made for the clubs, and his rhymes are more and more easy. What is more, rapper 50 Cent put some rappers back, especially New Yorkers: Jadakiss, Ja Rule, Fat Joe, Nas, Sheek Louch and Styles P. Rapper 50 Cent doesn’t hesitate to provoke and criticize them in his titles such as “Piggy Bank” from album “The Massacre” (2005). His power and his notoriety allowed rapper 50 Cent to compromise the career of rapper Ja Rule, with whom rapper 50 Cent was in serious conflict.
Since a few months, rapper 50 Cent is in conflict with rapper The Game (Los Angeles), protected by Dr. Dre.
The situation is therefore very complicated, it is one of the very few times that two artists from the same labels are in open conflict. The 2 rappers have collaborated together in the past and they have even sold quite a bit of their singles « How We Do » and « Hate It Or Love It ». The Game has denied on the radio that 50 Cent has contributed to the success of its album “The Documentary” (2005) while according to rapper 50 Cent, it is thanks to him that the album did sales.
Despite all these problems, rapper 50 Cent can still count on a good number of producers such as Dr. Dre, Cool & Dre, Scott Storch, Eminem, and Havoc, with whom rapper 50 Cent entertains good relationships. The rapper from the Queens has also many friends in the rap since he kept signing talents like on his label G-Unit records, which has in no time become very big. As a result, rapper 50 Cent has already signed and collaborated with Mobb Deep, M.O.P., Ma$e, Spider Loc, R&B singer Olivia… Finally rapper 50 Cent still entertains good, not to say very good relations with Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo and Young Buck (the 3 initial members of G-Unit), as well as with Jay-Z and Missy Elliott. Rapper 50 Cent belongs to the Crips, a street gang present in Los Angeles, and a little bit everywhere in North America.
If you are a rapper 50 Cent fan and love to listen to rapper 50 Cent, then you can customize your cell phone by downloading rapper 50 Cent ringtones. Ringtone Jam Jam Famous Singers has it all: 50 Cent music, 50 Cent lyrics, 50 Cent pictures, 50 Cent videos, 50 Cent songs, 50 Cent g unit, 50 Cent wallpapers, 50 Cent news, 50 Cent album, 50 Cent biography, , 50 Cent posters, 50 Cent movies and 50 Cent ringtones.
November 19th, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
As an Everton FC fan I sometimes have to balance pride in my club with the realities of a game like soccer, where each week brings different news. Recently we have had plenty to cheer about, but it isn’t always like that. And the mark of a true fan is the willingness to stand up and be counted when things are going badly, as well as the other times. So I was delighted to find a place where I could ‘make my mark’ as a loyal fan.
The site is called EvertonMap. It provides me – and other Blues fans – with a place to show off our loyalty to the world’s greatest team. (Yes, I know I’m going to get lots of negative ratings here from Reds! And I don’t much care!)
The idea is fairly simple. I have a photo and some text up on a map of the UK. Anybody hovering over the map can see my details. I suppose in time, as the map fills up, I will be able to use it as a means of locating friends and neighbours with a similar passion / disability (delete as appropriate).
I normally write about motivation, my work as a confidence coach and the various places where hypnotherapy and coaching have taken me. Today I just wanted to share this lovely little site with any other Evertonians out there. I know how many people read and distribute these articles on EzineArticles.com, and this is – for once – a blatant plug for what I think is a truly useful website. The beauty of the Web is its capacity for bringing people together, enabling communication which virtually destroys geographical barriers.
So – if you are a loyal Evertonian, and you feel the need to stand up and tell people about it, this one’s for you. Or perhaps you will do as I have done, and use it to put up a link to your business. Maybe you run a pub or cafe frequented by the world’s most loyal fans.
For those of you with a love of the Blues, the link is : http://www.evertonmap.com
For those of you who don’t have a clue what I’m talking about, then perhaps this one isn’t for you.
Jim Sullivan is a hypnotherapist and confidence coach who usually writes about more serious topics.
November 15th, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
Disaster results when we see women trying to change a man’s behaviour. According to evolutionary biologist Rosie Mestel, what women perceive as bad male behaviour (lying, cheating, ogling other women) is actually part of a biologically based prime directive to procreate as fast as possible. All the poorconfused thing is doing is behaving “naturally”: trying to solve the age-old problem of passing on his genes before he croaks.
Therefore I ask you women out there –would you put a bird in a stream and expect it to fly? Perhaps that’s why men see so many women as controlling, or even cruel.
The desire for commitment is another bad symptom that defies the laws of nature. According to University of Texas psychologist David Buss, “forever is a long time for a guy.” A woman only produces twelve eggs a year, and each growing baby represents a huge investment of her time and energy. Men on the other hand have buckets and buckets of sperm so it is in their best interests to impregnate as many women as possible to increase their chances of reproducing themselves.
A long time ago, in the caves and jungles, a man would know when a woman was ovulating because she would, like chimpanzees still do, display her swollen red genitals to males. Women, don’t do that any more, unless they’re a lap dancer.”
Apparently men stick around because subconsciously, they are trying to figure out when a woman will ovulate and release her monthly egg. The woman mistakes this hanging around for a desire to “commit” to her. Of course, the only commitment that may result is to an insane asylum. Whether they will admit or not, a male’s primary directive is to impregnate somebody who is female — you and whoever.
People in Paleolithic times didn’t “fall in love.” They were too busy. They fell into tar pits and drowned. By the way, it may also interest realmers to know that when it comes to sex “looks are everything.” That’s why men like to ogle Pamela Lee Anderson . Anderson s a perfect .07, which is the ratio that is arrived at when you divide her waist measurement by her hip measurement.
According to Devendra Singh, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, this particular hip-to-waist ratio is the equation of “lust.” Lust is a healthy state, as opposed to love which is of course a state of mental illness. Women with a waist to hip ratio of 1.0 or over or 0.6 or under are immediately kicked out of the gene pool, as the male’s subconscious “discriminate breeder within” sees those women as either sick, pregnant or too old to bear their progeny. By the way, the doll Barbie, who’s .58 wouldn’t make the grade.
Many of you will protest these findings and insist that you can make up for your lack of physical beauty with personality, charm and talent. Sorry! According to Randy Thornhill of the University of New Mexico, when it comes to procreation, “beauty is everything. ” Both men and women look for symmetry in a partner, as, a long, long time ago, in the jungle, asymmetry led us to believe that our partner was riddled with horrible parasites. Also, men prefer women with little chins because estrogen is involved with jaw development. Evidence of estrogen makes them go “Aha!
Fertility! An excellent place to deposit a seed!” Women especially complain that “he tells me he loves me, but he doesn’t act like it.” According to Buss, over the millenniums men have developed the capacity for deceitful smooth-talking to fool women, who have evolved inbuilt lie-detectors to counteract this problem. The male knows a woman won’t sleep with him if he has intentions to run off afterwards, so he lies to her. That is why women spend so much time engaged in the do-you-think-he-really-loves-me routine with their girlfriends. However, men have evolved to think that they actually believe the lies they’re spouting; he is sincere in the moment, that is — until he gets want he wants.
Even more infuriating, at least to women, is the results of Buss’s studies on post-coital attraction. Apparently, when asked how they felt about a partner after sex, most males said they were “less attracted” while most women said they were “more attracted”. I guess Mom was right about saving it ’til you’re married.
Love is the only disease where people actually seek out punishment. Unfortunately, the only cure for love is loneliness. So if you find yourself all alone this Valentine’s Day, take heart. At least you’re sane.
Samantha Steven’s articles have been published in many high-standing newspapers and she has published several books. If you wish to buy Samantha’s books about metaphysics click here http://www.insomniacpress.com/author.php?id=110 You can meet Samantha Stevens at http://www.psychicrealm.com where she works as a professional psychic. You can also read more of her articles at http://www.newagenotebook.com
November 15th, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
10. Have a ridiculously comfortable desk chair: The nicer your chair is, the longer you can stand to sit in it before your desk without having to get up because you’re antsy. And of course if you’re antsy and walking around the office with a general aimlessness, you’re not working.
9. Make a To-Do List: Lists are great because the simple act of making the list gives you something to do in those moments of lost energy when you don’t actually want to be working. By making a list you’ll find yourself doing something remotely work related, and you may simply motivate yourself by looking at the sheer length of a list of things you have to get accomplished! (The Tasks feature in Microsoft Outlook works great for this.)
8. Be Better Than Someone: You don’t have a lot of control over this, so pick your target wisely. Nothing makes people feel better about themselves than feeling like they’re better than someone else. Choose your target- it could be a parent, sibling, friend, or even a lackluster coworker. The smug sense of satisfaction you get from besting this person will be enough to keep you driven every day to never lose your edge.
7. Set up Google Reader or Technorati: You can tell yourself that you’re just taking time out of your busy day to keep up to date with the latest industry news, but what you’re really doing is reading a few industry blogs intertwined with Popsugar or Best Week Ever. If having your own personal interest blogs mixed in with the industry ones make it easier to remember to read blogs, do it. You may not be enriching your working knowledge as much as you’d like to think, but the industry stuff will stick and you’ll be able to bust out interesting relevant factoids in meetings and the latest celebrity gossip at the water cooler.
6. Piss off your Friends and Family: This is a surefire way to free up your time for more work at the office. If everyone you know outside of work is mad at you, that removes the temptation (or option?) to go out after work for drinks or spend your weekends poolside with the family. Who needs weekends anyway? Just lost opportunities for more work!
5. Supplies: Make sure you have the supplies you need to do your job. If you’re running out of staples, get some. If a certain program would increase your productivity 10%, ask for it and make your case. It’s much easier to do the job when you have everything necessary. Once you get into the niche where there’s not much else for you to ask for you’ll be able to apply all these tools to hone your skills and do a better job. You have to prove to the company that you’re worth investing in.
4. Money: Of course, that’s what we’re all in this game for, right? Get the jobs that get you the khakis that get you the chicks. I believe it’s probably a fact that your work ethic and dedication to the company goes up exponentially as your salary goes up. Don’t be afraid to ask for a raise every year if you’ve seriously been rockin’ at work. Be sure to do something that makes the bigwigs take note and want to give you more money and you’ll find it’s much easier to get out of bed in the morning!
3. Befriend your Coworkers: If you have a vested interest in the people around you, inherently that comes with a vested interest in how work goes for them. A job well done on your friendly coworkers’ part will often help make your job easier, and vice versa. As long as you have a mutual respect for what your coworkers are trying to accomplish and how that fits in with your goal, you will be more willing to go the extra mile on your end. Eventually your coworkers will reciprocate by making something easier for you and it will become a productive cycle.
2. OCD: OCD, or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, really helps in those tedious projects that just need doing. Spend hours late into the night working at something as boring as updating a database for formatting for the simple reason that everything HAS to be right. Not only with this give you a false motivation to get a project done, but your supervisors will gladly take advantage of this affliction of yours and praise the results!
1. Care: It’s as simple, really, as caring about doing a good job. Have some pride in what it is you produce or how it is you help the company overall to succeed. If you genuinely care about doing your job well, that’s really all you’ll need to motivate yourself and have a great work ethic.
Like this article? Read more at http://www.TrishaLyn.com
November 9th, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
One of the most popular young stars in Hollywood today is Miley Cyrus. As most people know she is the star of the wildly popular Disney Channel television series ‘Hannah Montana’, as well as the daughter of country singer and actor Billy Ray Cyrus. She burst on the scene in 2006 and her fame soared like a rocket along with the popularity of her TV show. Though she comes from a showbiz family of sorts, the amount of fame and popularity she has achieved in just her first couple of years in the public eye is astounding.
Her Name
Many people wonder where she got the name Miley from and some are surprised to find out that it wasn’t her birth name. She has legally changed her name to Miley Ray Cyrus now, but she was born Destiny Hope Cyrus. Her parents called her Miley as a nickname because she was such a “smiley” baby.
Her Career
She has stated that she had wished to be an actress from the time she was about nine years old. She got her start in acting when she appeared in her Dad’s television show “Doc”, sometime later she made her film debut in the movie “Big Fish”. She auditioned for the role of Hannah Montana and also the role of her best friend and at first was turned down because she was so young. She eventually won the role with her personality and her stage presence. On the show she also sings many songs, some of which she has written herself. She went on to put out a couple of albums based mainly on her television persona, but has gone on to release material under her own name now. Her initial concert tour and movie made about the concert tour were huge hits as well.
Her Personal Life
She has an incredibly close relationship with her family and for that reason as well as her young age is with them a great deal. She has made many friends with co-stars of her show, stars of other Disney Channel shows, and also people associated with her live performances. Like any young star in Hollywood, she has had to deal with her share of scandals too, but none so bad that they have wrecked her squeaky clean image as Disney’s teen star of the moment.
With her incredible personality and huge popularity, there is nothing that can keep her from achieving all the career accomplishments she wishes for herself. She has shown the talent and drive that is guaranteed to serve her well long after she finishes her run as a teen pop culture icon.
Mark Allen writes about a number of subjects, some of which are even interesting. You can find out interesting stuff that you don’t know about a number of subjects by visiting 7Things! Including 7 things you don’t know about: Miley Cyrus
October 15th, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
Nowadays, you found people wrapped up in their own world, scribbling along with weird grids filled with numbers. You would see some doing it on their office monitors, on the train where commuters blissfully engrossed with devices, on the television where people fighting among themselves on how to solve the puzzle first.
The old adage “if you can’t beat them, join them” makes good sense to you since you picked up your first Sudoku puzzle. You can’t get enough and become one of the millions of individuals that have discovered the joys of Sudoku.
Enterprising businesses realized the lucrative commerce of Sudoku games and you can now enjoy it in various forms because of the mad demand for it. You can have the game handy for every occasion, age and proficiency level.
Board games
Sudoku need not to be an anti-social hobby since you can double, triple and even quadruple the fun through sharing it with family and friends. Gathering with family and friends will never be the same again with the Pressman Toy Sudoku board game. It is different and provides a unique game experience every time.
This board game comes with 100 double-sided game cards for 200 unique games. It comes with a wipe-off game board to play the puzzle on with 5 wipe-off markers and a cloth and also with a time for tick-tocking suspense filled games.
Books
Sudoku for Dummies doesn’t mean you have to be a dummy to enjoy this best-selling book. You won’t be a dummy after going through this book since studies show that playing it is a good mental work out that increases memory, logic and prevents Alzheimer’s. This book will provide countless hours of fun as you lose yourself in the world of this game right at the tip of your pencil if you are a first timer or aim to improve your performance on this mind…CONTINUE
Article taken from CompleteSudokuGuide.useful-tips.com
Written By Jed Baguio
Original Article Location:
Peek Into The Fun World of Sudoku
May 29th, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
Singapore has excellent tennis centres and coaching facilities. Learning tennis in Singapore is easy. I found that tennis lessons or tennis coaching can be arranged from the following entities:
1.Private Tennis Lessons
There are various levels of tennis qualifications offered by the Singapore Tennis Association (STA). Go for someone with at least a Level 1 qualification. Most would charge a basic fee of $50 per hour, excluding court booking fees, if needed. There are group classes as well, usually, not more than 3 persons. Try looking for at least 3 of your fellow friends who wish to learn to play tennis and get an individual tennis coach. It will save you some money while still being properly trained.
2.Group Tennis Lessons
Group tennis classes are found at the various public tennis centres. These classes are for both children and adults. The benefits of such group classes are that they tend to be cheaper. However, the class size tends to be larger and therefore, you may not pick up the skill as fast as you would have wished. It would be better to have a combination of group and private individual lessons. You will get the best of both worlds, playing with others and also being coached more effectively.
3.School Tennis CCA
Tennis is a CCA for some primary and secondary schools. Again, the class size tends to be quite big but it is a good and fun way to learn your tennis amongst your peers. It is also subsidized and is therefore, cheaper. Some schools make CCA compulsory and therefore, if tennis is something you child likes, make tennis his or her CCA then.
4.Tennis Sections and Clubs
Unfortunately, there are not many purely tennis clubs in Singapore. However, there are many country clubs with tennis sections. Tennis sections are a good way to start improving your tennis once you are able to play fairly well. Nothing beats playing more and more against someone of your level or higher.
5.Tennis Academies
Unlike the more established tennis playing nations, we do not really have a successful and quality tennis academy. Tennis is not even featured in the South East Asian games for Singapore. Hence, tennis is not one of those preferred sport which is earmarked for further development unlike its sister sport of table tennis. However, one can always head north to Malaysia or Thailand where they have various tennis camps which cater to all levels of play. It is an intensive and highly effective way of improving your tennis as you do nothing but eat, sleep and breathe tennis for a few days!
As an avid tennis player, I had my fair share of experiences in trying to find out which are the best ways to learn tennis in Singapore. I hope this article will provide some guidance for all would-be tennis players! If you find this article useful and would really wish to learn tennis, please check this out http://www.1sports.asia/
Happy Learning & Playing!
April 29th, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
I’m really pumped now. Thanks to Bobby’s generosity, this extra event, the doubles exhibition, has brought out 2,500 fans to watch some of Aspen’s top men tennis players play doubles against Bobby. When I went into my office at the Club my secretary informed me that we have had hundreds of resident and non-resident membership applications for the Club and that people are swarming through the new condos. There might be a couple of sales already. We’re cooking. The event has really touched the pulse of the town. The atmosphere is just electric. If Sally can string him along to make a match out of it, we’ll get some national press from this. It’s really taken on a life of it’s own, thanks to Bobby! No matter what happens now we will be huge winners!
As Bobby and I walk down to the court I try to tell him how much I appreciate what he has accomplished in a few short days. But he just smiles and says, “Let’s just have fun, OK?” As we walk onto the court the fans all stand and cheer, “Bobby, Bobby, Bobby!” I found myself cheering too.
While I start hitting with our two opponents, both fine club players and much better than I, Bobby works the crowd — walking the entire first row of the length of the stadium, shaking hands and signing autographs. Then he greets our opponents and goes back to the base line and gently hits a few practice groundstrokes. “Hey, I’m ready. Let’s play!”
The play began. Naturally our opponents tried to hit as many balls to me as possible, but if Bobby could reach a ball he would hit some off-speed shot, a junker, to set up a weak return and then he’d put it away. At five games all he stopped the match and asked our opponents, “I know you guys are going to beat us because we are really struggling here. But just to make it interesting Marv and I want to press the bet and make it $500 at corner. How does that sound?”
Without hesitation, they both smiled and agreed. They were clearly out playing me, but I hung in and the points got longer. The more I could stay in the point, the longer it got. The crowd loved it. Point after point I hung in just long enough for Bobby to get his racket on the ball and do something spectacular. My heart was pounding. Then after some wild points, Bobby ends up putting away a high lob and we took the set 8-6. Our opponents were dumbstruck. I was thrilled, even though I had not won a thing.
We sat on the side of the court, our opponents opened their billfolds and peeled off $500 each and handed the money to Bobby. By the look on their faces you knew they felt that this had been money well spent. One of them added his special appreciation, “Thanks, Bobby. Wait till we tell our grandkids!”
The second match was almost the same, except they were even stronger players and quickly had us down 2-5, within one game of losing, again Bobby stopped the match and wanted to press the bet to $500 for each corner. Our opponents smiled and gave a ‘thumbs up’. The crowd went wild. They were in on it. To my amazement Bobby kicked up his efforts a notch. His racket wizardry and court savvy were extraordinary from drop shots to topspin lobs he used it all. We won the match 7-5. All I could think was that Sally was going to have her hands full. There would be no walkover here.
After the match Bobby waved to the crowd. The mayor and his buddies were waiting with a car ready to whisk him away for a round of golf. I just shook my head in disbelief. He had just pocketed $2,000. The losers were happy to have played a tennis legend. He was definitely stronger, maybe too strong.
The town is bustling. Shops are full, restaurants full, bars full, streets crowded, people everywhere. Banners announcing the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ cross the main streets. Posters are in every window. Everybody was looking for Bobby Riggs. I’ve never seen any celebrity buzz quite like this and over one wizened up little, old man.
Sally and I were already in the Terrace Dining Room sitting with Andy. I was having a hard time controlling my enthusiasm. Friends and strangers were stopping by our table to express their pleasure in the happenings and wishing Sally well in her match tomorrow. Bobby was running a little late because of the golf game, but a roar from the crowd let us know he had arrived. He’s laughing, glad-handing everyone as he makes his way through the crowd to our table. I remark to Andy, “I’ll bet he got his money back from the sharks.”
Overhearing my remark, Bobby tells a different tale, “Don’t I wish. Those friends of the mayor’s are not that friendly. I’m into them for $3,000. Can’t wait for tomorrow. I really need the money!”
As sad as he speaks of his money woes, he puts on a different face to the crowd of well-wishers. He is the life of the party. Everyone wants meet him, greet him and to bet him – anything. He bets one man $100 that the next person to walk through the door at the hotel will be a woman. And most certainly it was!
Off to the side Andy lets me know, “We’ve got most of his money covered. Only a thousand dollars left. Sally’s still a sure bet.”
I felt she was too. “I’ll take it. Put me down for the $1,000,” I said. I too was caught up in the moment. A rush of adrenalin had passed through me and I could see the finish line ahead – the Club brimming with new members, condos all sold, everyone in town happy we were there and Sally floating to net shaking Bobby’s weary hand and collecting the prize money. “Well, Andy, call me in the morning after your hit with Bobby. He was playing some crafty tennis today, but then again Sally’s something else!”
The big day has finally arrived. Andy walks into my office sweating profusely and slumps down in a chair. “Marv, we’ve got a problem. Rather Sally’s got a problem.”
“What’s the problem? Is it his elbow? Has he pulled a muscle? What?!” I had to know. Things were going so well. At least so well until I told Sally that I had bet on her. She was a free spirit and had to play freely. She had played for money on the Slims Tour, of course, but now she would be playing to not lose money. Definitely not a gambler. So, I already had a problem. I didn’t need more.
“Well, he’s hitting the ball not only on the lines, but I can’t handle his pace. I can’t stay with him. He’s able to hit every shot in the book — drop shots, topspin lobs right on the baseline, slices that die, loopers that float and junk, all kinds of junk. He’s not the same man. I’m thirty five and he wore me out in just 30 minutes. She’s going to have her hands full today. But the crowd should love it.”
It’s a three-ringed circus-carnival atmosphere and all created by Bobby Riggs. He walks onto the court amid the roar of the fans. It’s more like a rowdy bullfight crowd than a group of sedated tennis fans. “Bobby! Bobby!” they shout. He is decked out in his yellow Sugar Daddy, T-shirt, but now his pot belly is gone. He carries a sack of Sugar Daddy suckers and hands them out to the audience as he walks along the front row of the stands all the way around the court. He even gives one to the chair umpire and one to Sally. They meet at the net to decide by the flip of a coin who will serve first.
Sally looks fit and lovely in a new Michelle Palmer outfit, scarf around her head. But, I can see she’s uneasy and not feeling steady. I hope once they start she will forget everything and play.
The match begins. The first few games are made up of long rallies, back and forth, up and back, nothing dramatic, just solid tennis. The crowd is appreciative and roars with every point Sally wins. She’s a hometown gal now and has been touted as the favorite. She goes ahead 4-2 and looks in command of the match. Some of those who have bet on her yell the loudest. I’m included. As the match goes into the seventh game it is like a horse race when the horses turn for home. I look over to Andy and nod, what do you think? He shrugs, could go either way.
At 4-all Andy frowns. His face says it all. Look out, he’s ratcheting up. Sally’s got her hands full now! Doesn’t look good. Sure enough he pulls ahead and wins the first set 6-4. Now Sally looks over at me as if to say this is the real Bobby Riggs! I give her a warm smile for she and I know this is exactly what I had hoped for — the perfect ‘Grand Opening’ event — one that is going to put the Club on the map of this little town.
The second set starts with Bobby kicking into high gear. There is no question he is an artisan. He wields his racquet like a paintbrush on a grand canvas, mixing shots, pace and angles at will. He smoothly glides and slides around the court, pulling Sally as if on a tether. Then at just the right moment he opts for a soft drop shot. The crowd goes wild. Sally shows a little fatigue and soon it is 5-2 and match point. The crowd is mesmerized. They would like to see a third set, but it is not to be. The absolute last shot of the match finds Bobby at mid-court after a long rally. He winds up as if to hit a wedge shot out of a sand trap. Sending the ball straight up, then arching over the net, landing well in front of Sally and then with such reverse spin returning back over the net to Bobby without her even touching it. It was right out of the Harlem Globetrotters bag of tricks.
There was dead silence. Even Sally couldn’t believe what she had seen. Then the crowd erupted in cheers.
We all knew we had just witnessed one of the world’s greatest tennis players demonstrate, even in his late 50′s and at 8,000 feet why he had won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Probably because he was known first and foremost as a hustler he would never receive the recognition he deserved. But on that day in Aspen the crowd knew, I knew it and Sally knew it.
Bobby made a sweeping gesture to the crowd, ran up to the net, gave Sally a big hug and a kiss, then quick as a wink headed for the mayor’s car in the parking lot. As he passed me he said, “Marv, I really need your help. One last favor, please. Nancy has us all packed, but the mayor’s boys are into me for some serious money and I promised them one more shot before I leave. I have a flight at 5:00 p.m. If you could have the van at the 18th green by 4:30 p.m. with the motor running, I think w can make it. Can you do that for me?”
I just shook my head, unbelievable. “Bobby, whatever you need. I’ll be there for you. You did an extraordinary job for us. Thank you so much.”
Andy grabs Bobby’s arm before he gets in the car and hands him a very fat envelope. They shake hands and Bobby jumps in the car along side the mayor’s cohorts, both eying the envelope.
Nurse Nancy and I drive through the parking lot at Snowmass over to the 18th green, near the clubhouse. I get out and walk to the edge of the green, checking my watch. Sure enough a foursome was just preparing to hit up on the green. Suddenly four balls land in rapid succession, plop, plop, plop, plop. Bobby’s was the closest to the pin, but still some 20 feet away. No one spoke. Nobody was kibitzing. The match was obviously not over. I was wondering what was riding on it. The mayor and his friends putt out. Bobby stands over his 20 footer, then backs off to realign the putt. He stands over the ball again and again he backs off. Finally he stands over it and smoothly strokes the ball, dead center into the cup! Like the last point of the tennis match, you could hear a pin drop.
“Well, guys, like I told you I’ve got a 5:oo o’clock flight to catch. Gotta run.”
One by one, the mayor included, each player steps up and begins peeling off $100 bills into Bobby’s hands. I don’t know how many, but a lot. Then he quicksteps into the van, shouting over his shoulder, “Hey guys, it’s been fun. I hope we can do this again sometime — soon! Thanks again Mr. Mayor.” They wave. We leave.
I don’t know how much he won on the golf course, but now knowing what he was capable of he must have pressed the bet and pressed the bet and pressed the bet. His pockets were stuffed when he left, but we all got our money’s worth in the end.
“Marv, let’s get out of here quick. I’ve got to make that flight!” At the airport the passengers were all on board as I helped carry my guests’ bags to the plane. Bobby was the last to board. He turned as he stepped inside and gave me a wink,
“Marv, I’ve had a wonderful time. Lot’s of fun. I knew it would be. Anytime you want me back, anytime. You just call.”
And he was gone!
Copyright 2008 Marv Huss
Marv Huss graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. Captain Huss served in the USMC as a fighter pilot in the South Pacific. After his military service he rose through the corporate ranks at Hallmark to corporate Director of Advertising, responsible for the Emmy-award-winning “Hallmark Hall of Fame” television series. Retiring from corporate life he helped develop a world-class resort, The Aspen Club in Aspen, Colorado.
In the 90′s, Marv focused his marketing skills on his wife – considered one of the leading artist/writers in the country. Together they have licensed her art on clothing, purses, books and even baby bibs. Their most recent creation, Happy Musings, is a newspaper feature combining her charming art with a whimsical life thought syndicated by King Features. Happy Musings are now available as e-cards at http://www.happymusings.com or through http://www.sallyhuss.com
Marv now lives and writes full-time in his home in La Jolla, California while overseeing his wife’s artistic endeavors.
February 2nd, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
Dating back to the time of the Ancient Greeks musicals started when the Greeks included music and dance in their stage comedies. From the 5th century B.C Musicals have developed into amazing acts and performances not even close to what they were in the past. Some include: Cats, The Phantom of The Opera, Broadway and newer ones like Hairspray and The Producers.
I have not watched very many musicals as they only come out every once in a while but one of the more recent ones is Hairspray. It is about a girl named Tracy Turnbland who manages to show everyone the stupidity in segregation and that ‘coolness’ is on the inside.
Tracy is a severely overweight high school student in Baltimore, Maryland whose favourite TV program is The Corny Collins Show that is broadcasted by Baltimore’s WYZT station every weekday afternoon. The show involves young teens dancing and singing up a storm. The manager of the station, Velma Von Tussle (Michelle Pfeiffer) goes out of her way to ensure her daughter Amber is prominently featured and that the show remains segregated. All of the kids on the show are white. Black kids are only allowed on the show on Negro Day, the last Tuesday of the each month, hosted by local R&B radio DJ Motormouth Maybelle (Queen Latifah).
One day, Corny Collins (James Marsden) announces that one of the dancers is going on a leave of absence and auditions are going to be held for a replacement the following morning – during school hours. Even though their parents are far from supportive, Tracy and her best friend Penny go to audition. Velma turns Tracy away for being overweight and supportive of integration.
Unfortunately for Tracy, she gets caught and sent to detention for skipping school, but lo-and-behold, detention is where all the black kids hang out and dance. Tracy befriends hot detention dancer Seaweed (Elijah Kelley), who as it turns out, is Motormouth Maybelle’s son. Seaweed teaches Tracy some R&B moves that later get her a spot on The Corny Collins Show.
Tracy quickly becomes a big star on the show thanks to her great moves and bubbly personality but Velma does not see it that way. All she sees is how Tracy is a threat to Amber’s position in the “Miss Teenage Hairspray” pageant and Amber’s courtship with Link, the lead performer for The Corny Collins Show.
Out of anger, Velma cancels Negro Day from The Corny Collins Show and the black kids and their leader Maybelle have nowhere to express their talent.
Without giving too much away, Tracy shows everyone the importance of not giving up, of standing up for what you believe in and for the people you are friends with. While racism against blacks and segregation has stopped being the main focus in everyone’s lives, it is still surprisingly popular today among the less accepting of society. This movie shows us that it is important to be proud of who you are and the people you are associated with, whether they are fat, gangly, black or even purple.
Tsoof and Eden love to download full movies from the Internet.
October 12th, 2007 -- Posted in Story |
Isn’t it strange that, with all the talk about Global Warming (GW), we
just had one of the coldest winters we’ve had in a long time? The 2007
Farmers’ Almanac, whose predictions are up to 85% accurate, predicts
frigid temperatures, as much as 20 degrees below seasonal norms (and
nearly 40 degrees colder than last winter), for Montana, the Dakotas and parts of Wyoming. For the Gulf Coast up through New England,
unseasonably cold, or “shivery,” conditions are expected. Snow, and
lots of it, is also forecast for the nation’s midsection, parts of New
England, and the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. “The Great Lakes
and Ohio River Valley may be the only area spared the extreme cold,”
reveals Sandi Duncan, Managing Editor, “but this is not to say this area
won’t be without its cold spells and significant snowfalls.”
Wonder why THAT hasn’t made the news!
We recently ministered to an 11-year old who was literally in tears
with fear over the GW scare they’d been discussing in school. The
child reasoned that, “If the world is ending; why bother with anything
but huddling together with my family?”
Every natural disaster that takes place these days is being blamed on GW.
Many world leaders are accepting GW as Gospel truth. A recent survey
revealed that 33% of Americans see GW as a very real threat to our
existence. TV shows such as Discovery’s “Planet Earth” are showy,
elaborate propaganda pieces for the GW agenda.
A MATTER OF FAITH
A news headline recently read: “Global Warming is not due to human
contribution of Carbon Dioxide.” Dr. Tim Ball is the Chairman of the
Natural Resources Stewardship Project, is a Victoria-based
environmental consultant and former climatology professor at the
University of Winnipeg. In a February 5, 2007 article entitled, “Global
Warming: The Cold, Hard Facts?” Ball writes: “Global Warming, as
we think we know it, doesn’t exist. And I am not the only one trying to
make people open up their eyes and see the truth…few listen, despite
the fact that I was one of the first Canadian Ph.Ds. in Climatology and
I have an extensive background in climatology, especially the
reconstruction of past climates and the impact of climate change on
human history and the human condition. Few listen, even though I have
a Ph.D, (Doctor of Science) from the University of London, England
and was a climatology professor at the University of Winnipeg. For
some reason (actually for many), the World is not listening. Here is
why.
“What would happen if tomorrow we were told that…the Earth is flat?
It would probably be the most important piece of news in the media
and would generate a lot of debate. So why is it that when scientists
who have studied the Global Warming phenomenon for years say that
humans are not the cause nobody listens?
“Believe it or not, Global Warming is not due to human contribution
of Carbon Dioxide (CO2). This, in fact, is the greatest deception in the
history of science. We are wasting time, energy and trillions of dollars
while creating unnecessary fear and consternation over an issue with
no scientific justification. For example, Environment Canada brags
about spending $3.7 billion in the last five years dealing with climate
change almost all on propaganda trying to defend an indefensible
scientific position while at the same time closing weather stations
and failing to meet legislated pollution targets.
“…if we don’t pursue the truth, we are lost as individuals and as a
society… there is no evidence that we are, or could ever cause, global
climate change…So how has the world come to believe that something
is wrong?
“Maybe for the same reason we believed, 30 years ago, that global
cooling was the biggest threat: a matter of faith. “It is a cold fact: the
Global Cooling presents humankind with the most important social,
political, and adaptive challenge we have had to deal with for ten
thousand years. Your stake in the decisions we make concerning it
is of ultimate importance; the survival of ourselves, our children, our
species,” wrote Lowell Ponte in 1976.
“I was as opposed to the threats of impending doom global cooling
engendered as I am to the threats made about Global Warming…I am
not denying the phenomenon has occurred. The world has warmed
since 1680, the nadir of a cool period called the Little Ice Age that
has generally continued to the present. These climate changes are well
within natural variability and explained quite easily by changes in the
sun. But there is nothing unusual going on.”
TRUTH OR…SOMETHING ELSE?
Is GW a fact? Yes, actually. As Dr. Klaus Toepfer, executive director
of the United Nations Environment Programme, remarked, “More and
more, people around the world are aware that there is climate change.
Nobody is questioning that any longer.”
But don’t buy every opinion being pitched by Hollywood “scientists”
like Alec Baldwin, Leonardo, Tom Hanks, Will Farrell and movies like
“The Day After Tomorrow.” They’ve taken the bate being offered by
everybody’s favorite ex-Veep-now-Movie-Maker Al Gore and his
global warming crusade. More on him coming up (you’ve been warned).
Is GW OUR fault? No, it’s not. Though the European Parliament has
called for trade sanctions against the United States unless it agrees to
curb its CO2 emissions, more and more scientists are speaking out
AGAINST those who say mankind is to blame. Climatologist Pat
Michaels of the CATO Institute stated, “Climate changes, yes…but
climate has changed in the past without human beings having anything
to do with it…”
If we were to embrace what environmentalists say, we’d all believe
the polar ice caps are melting and America’s coasts will be submerged
soon. Don’t start building an ark just yet. If we consider that the North
Pole is a giant ice cube floating in the ocean, if that melts at Summer’s
end, that means nothing to sea level. The South Pole, is the largest ice
mass on the planet. Experts say it is gaining ice, not losing it.
The temperature of our planet has been fluctuating, at least, since the
invention of the thermometer. They say it was warmer 1,000 years ago
than it is today, but that it started cooling. Colonial America was gripped
by the last days of The Little Ice Age, with some of the deepest snows
and coldest temperatures in recorded North American history. Remember
Valley Forge? Jefferson wrote about life during the tail end of this climate
change. In his book, “Notes on the State of Virginia”, he wrote, “The snow
used to lie on the ground for months at a time; now it only does so for
weeks or days…”
It lasted into the 1800s. 1816 was known as the “year without summer.”
Today, some climatologists are more worried about another ice age than
global warming. CBN News reports that, ” these experts have been
drowned out by a worldwide movement that has branded global-warming
skeptics as evil, even comparing them to people who deny the existence
of the Holocaust.”
CBN goes on to say, “At least part of the European Left’s hatred of
George Bush is his refusal to sign onto the Kyoto Protocol (KP), an
agreement among industrialized nations to lower their carbon dioxide
emissions as a way to fight against global warming. But it is not all
President Bush’s fault – under President Clinton, the Senate killed the
treaty 95 to nothing. But at the 2005 G-8 summit in Scotland, British
Prime Minister Tony Blair pushed President Bush to finally join the
global warming fight.
Though he symbolically signed it, Bush declared, “America’s
unwillingness to embrace a flawed treaty should not be read by our
friends and allies as any abdication of responsibility. To the contrary,
my administration is committed to a leadership role on the issue of
climate change … Our approach must be consistent with the long-term
goal of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.”
It’s been stated that the reason the U.S. won’t ratify the agreement is that,
unlike Europe, we recognize that the Kyoto Protocol will do nothing
measurable about global warming. In other words, “G. Dubya” hasn’t
fallen for the whole GW-thing. By one estimate, it would make a
difference of only seven one-hundredths of one degree Celsius after
50 years – an amount too small too measure. The European response
seems to be, “At least we’re doing something!”
Yes, they are doing something. From the Bush administration’s
perspective, they’re wasting money that they could use to invest in the
technologies of the future, throwing it at solar energy and windmills. It’s
been pointed out that the biggest supporters of KP in the industrialized
world have the worst economies, most with double-digit unemployment
(the US is at a mere 4.4%, incidentally). Critics of Kyoto say signing on
would take from our gross domestic product billions annually. New
technologies could eventually replace fossil fuels, if these nations don’t
first cripple their own economies with concepts like KP.
CBN reports, “Stephen Milloy, who runs JunkScience.com, says
corporations have been caving in to pressure from environmentalists.
He said, “Global warming pushers are going company by company,
getting corporate management to be supportive of either the KP or other
GW provisions. And eventually, they’re going to develop enough political
support among corporations that corporations will begin forcefully
lobbying for GW restrictions in the U.S.”
AN INCONGRUOUS TRICK
“Scientists have an independent obligation to respect and present the
truth as they see it,” Al Gore insists in his film “An Inconvenient Truth.”
Very true, Al. Let’s ask ‘em: “What do world climate experts actually
think about the science of Al’s movie?”
Professor Bob Carter of the Marine Geophysical Laboratory at James
Cook University, says: “Gore’s circumstantial arguments are so weak
that they are pathetic. It is simply incredible that they, and his film, are
commanding public attention.”
Carter must certainly be part of what Gore sites as a tiny cadre of
“climate change skeptics” who disagree with the “vast majority of
scientists.” Y’think?Actually, according to Tom Harris, Executive
Director of Natural Resources Stewardship Project, Carter is one of
hundreds of highly qualified non-governmental, non-industry, non-lobby
group climate experts who contest the hypothesis that human emissions
of CO2 are causing significant global climate change. According to
Harris, “Climate experts” is the operative term here. Why? “Because
what Gore’s “majority of scientists” think is immaterial when only a
very small fraction of them actually work in the climate field.”
Though many scientists focus their global change studies on everything
from polar bears to poison ivy, they are not all to be considered climate
change experts.
Carter writes, “We should listen most to scientists who use real data to
try to understand what nature is actually telling us about the causes and
extent of global climate change. In this relatively small community,
there is no consensus, despite what Gore and others would suggest.”
He gives a sampling of the side of the GW debate we almost never
hear:
Carleton University paleoclimatologist Professor Tim Patterson – “There
is no meaningful correlation between CO2 levels and Earth’s temperature
over this [geologic] time frame. In fact, when CO2 levels were over ten
times higher than they are now, about 450 million years ago, the planet
was in the depths of the absolute coldest period in the last half billion
years…how could anyone still believe that the recent relatively small
increase in CO2 levels would be the major cause of the past century’s
modest warming?”
“Patterson concluded his testimony by explaining what his research and
“hundreds of other studies” reveal: on all time scales, there is very good
correlation between Earth’s temperature and natural celestial phenomena
such as changes in the brightness of the Sun…Antarctica has survived
warm and cold events over millions of years. A meltdown is simply not
a realistic scenario in the foreseeable future,” said Carter.
Gore tells us in the film, “Starting in 1970, there was a precipitous
drop-off in the amount and extent and thickness of the Arctic ice cap.”
This is misleading, according to Ball: “The survey that Gore cites was
a single transect across one part of the Arctic basin in the month of
October during the 1960s when we were in the middle of the cooling
period. The 1990 runs were done in the warmer month of September,
using a wholly different technology.”
A paper published in 2003 by University of Alaska professor Igor
Polyakov shows that, the region of the Arctic where rising temperature is
supposedly endangering polar bears showed fluctuations since 1940 but
no overall temperature rise.
Dr. Wibjorn Karlen, emeritus professor, Dept. of Physical Geography
and Quaternary Geology, Stockholm University, Sweden – “For several
published records it is a decrease for the last 50 years,”
Carter goes on to say, “Concerning Gore’s beliefs about worldwide
warming…in addition to the cooling in the NW Atlantic, massive areas
of cooling are found in the North and South Pacific Ocean; the whole of
the Amazon Valley; the north coast of South America and the Caribbean;
the eastern Mediterranean, Black Sea, Caucasus and Red Sea; New
Zealand and even the Ganges Valley in India. …”
“Gore’s point that 200 cities and towns in the American West set all time
high temperature records is also misleading,” Carter asserts.
Dr. Roy Spencer, Principal Research Scientist at The University of
Alabama in Huntsville – “It is not unusual for some locations, out of the
thousands of cities and towns in the U.S., to set all-time records,” he
says. “The actual data shows that overall, recent temperatures in the
U.S. were not unusual.”
Carter adds,”The man [Gore] is an embarrassment to US science and its
many fine practitioners, a lot of whom know (but feel unable to state
publicly) that his propaganda crusade is mostly based on junk science.”
How’s that for a critique? Hollywood gave this film an Academy award
for Best Documentary – which speaks volumes to me – and Gore has been
nominated to receive the Nobel Prize in October for his wide-reaching
efforts to draw the world’s attention to the dangers of Global Warming.
Deception is everywhere, all the time.
As others have already stated, just follow the money and those who
worship it to find out what’s really happening here. Whether its Gore’s
‘carbon offset’ concept that would make him the richest man in town
(by the way, he owns a company* you’d buy credits from that would
help us each to reduce our carbon “footprint” – a concept intended to
get us accustomed to paying a usage fee for fossil fuels), or a proposed
CO2 Tax intended to reduce emissions do solve a problem that’s not
even proven to exist, somebody’s cranking up their money machine over
this supposed catastrophe.
*The offset provider invests your money in tree planting projects and
other similar projects that take the place of the environmental impact of
your emissions – car, business, air travel. An offset purchased through a
nonprofit company might help preserve a forest in the Northwest, or it
might help with rainforest restoration in Ecuador. That does NOT mean
there will literally be a tree in the Ecuadorean rainforest with your name
on it. Unfortunately, customers will not get to choose how their donations
are distributed. One possible place where your money may go, for
example, is to project intended to reduce CO2 emissions at truck stops
would allow drivers to plug in their trucks at night rather than leave them
idling.
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD
Environmentalists say we cannot continue to spew CO2 into the air. I agree
that we should be the best stewards of the planet that God has given us.
But I’ve also read that more air pollution is coming from the open cooking
fires of Chinese villages and gas omitted by the world’s farm animals than
by our cars and factories. Not kidding!
The skeptics answer that the world is doomed. Such talk instills fear in
people and fear is faith in the devil. As Christians, our faith is SUPPOSED
to be in God.
Be anxious for NOTHING!
Fear not, the Lord is with you!
The extreme views on both sides of the aisle are all any of us ever hear
about in regard to this issue. It seems to me that there is always something
we can ALL always do better. But I can live the healthiest lifestyle ever
known to man, eating right, exercising, avoiding cigarettes and alcohol, but
I could be run over by a beer truck at any moment. Likewise, we can take
wonderful care of this Earth, but when we’ve had our run, our run is over.
Heaven and Earth will pass away, but God’s Word will never pass away,
Jesus said. Prophecy WILL be fulfilled. Things WILL get worse before they
get better.
In the meanwhile, we, The Church, have a Great Commission with which to
keep ourselves occupied. We won’t change this world by lobbying, debating,
making propaganda films, taking shorter showers or car-pooling. That’s not,
after all, what Jesus directed us to do.
I love this planet. I really do, but let’s make sure to worship the Creator and
NOT merely His creation.
Every blessing…
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Tummillo
A servant of God
http://www.YourTown4Jesus.com
His mission is to bring Discipleship and Encouragement to the Body of Christ. Since ’99, he has broadcast nearly 700 inspirational articles to his online subscribers and a dozen booklets on subjects sure to interest the thinking Christian and accelerate the process of spiritual development.
He is the founder of t.e.a.m. ministries. An Author, Pastoral Counselor and Teacher, his eMail broadcasts, known as “Your Town for Jesus” are read around the globe. Subscribe at team1min@our-town.com
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