The Kim Kardashian Effect

Today’s announcement that Kim Kardashian will adorn the cover of the new beauty book ‘Face to Face’ authored by Scott Barnes, truly caught my attention. How does Ms. Kardashian continue to galvanize the attention of the media (yes, including yours truly) and the public alike?






I’ve decided the answer must be -The Kim Kardashian Effect....

Dash Boutique

ShoeDazzle
















Virgins Saints and Angels Jewelry line

Kim Kardashian Fragrances

…and of course the family reality show(s), are but (yes- pun intended) a few of the many ventures Kim Kardashian is involved with. Speaking of involved, the continual back-story (yes -pun intended again) of whom Ms. Kardashian is romantically linked with, is basically headline news. In other words……

The Kim Kardashian Effect

Has anyone ever monetized their assets (ok- last pun intended) at the level of Ms. Kardashian? Despite the anti-Kardashian sentiment that exists, Ms. Kardashian forges ahead. Do I like all things Kim Kardashian? Not really. In fact the only time I’ve seen a bit of her show is while in the gym. I guess a Kim K fan preceded my arrival. However, I do respect the women’s determination, work ethic, perseverance and seemed business acumen. If the complaint about Ms. Kardashian, is her limited talent, then in my opinion, I’m even more impressed. Beautiful woman in Los Angeles, and for that matter in any large city in the world are plentiful. Those whom label Kim K as a “limited talent” might rethink their position. To maximize limited talent to the degree Ms. Kardashian has, is well, an impressive talent-wouldn’t you agree? As a matter-of-fact, the woman must be extremely talented to have created the Kim K brand and grown it in today’s economy. It must be....

The Kim Kardashian Effect

The more I think about it, the more I take my hat off to Kim Kardashian. Talk about turning lemons into lemonade. Isn’t that the credo of every success, or inspirational story? Let’s just say Kim K’s initial claim to fame, was at minimum, inauspicious. Yes, her relationship antics, etc. are fodder for the tabloids. Yet, Ms. Kardashian has weathered every storm with dogged determination, and with an optimistic outlook, and somehow maintained her vulnerability-admirable. Sure, living one’s personal life in front of cameras isn’t my idea of a cool drink-but (I know I promised-this is positively the last pun intended) it’s not my life. Underneath it all, Kim K seems to be a nice girl that’s figuring life out, doing the best she knows how. She likes nice things, enjoys travel and having fun, and is looking for love. Ummm….pretty much what every single woman wants. The difference, like it or not, is Ms. Kardashian has found a way to do it with panache and in front of the cameras. In other words....

The Kim Kardashian Effect

Duke’s Lindy Duncan Named Golfweek’s Player of The Week

DURHAM, N.C.- The accolades and awards continue to pour in for Duke’s Lindy Duncan. Fresh off her third victory of the year -at the 2012 Bryan National Collegiate-she was named the Golfweek Player of the Week. In addition, Duncan was awarded the Ronald McDonald House Charities Duke Student-Athlete of the Week and the ACC Women’s Golfer of The Month for April.

Duncan is currently the #1 golfer in the nation by the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index. She’s placed in the top 10 in seven out of seven tournaments this year, including four top five finishes. Duncan’s performance led the Duke Women’s Golf Team to a tie for first-place at the Bryan National after three rounds. However, they fell short in a playoff vs. Tennessee for the team title.

Next up for Duncan and the Duke Women’s Golf Team is The ACC Championship to be played April 13-15 in Greensboro at the Sedgefield Country Club.

LeBron-Just Take The Last Shot!

LeBron James reminds me of the Charles Dickens' novel 'A Tale of Two Cities' famous expression, "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."

James is having a season, at least statistically, that clearly has him in the MVP conversation. There's no need to recount how many triple doubles he's had this year, average points scored, the multi-game winning streaks he's ignited for the Heat etc...-The Worldwide Leader In Sports does that on a daily basis. Truly on that basis, "it;s the best of times.." for LeBron James.

"...It's the worst of times " for James when it comes to the fourth- quarter, specifically the last 24 seconds of the fourth-quarter of any NBA game he's playing in. I'n not going to pile on about James' disappearing act in playoff game settings, thereby leading to zero rings. Again, The Worldwide Leader and one of it's pundits nicknamed 'Skip', does that daily. However, i will take notice of recent play by LeBron James. The 2012 NBA All-Star game showcased the best and worst of LeBron James for all to see. Dazzling Dunks, 3-pointers from any spot on the floor, defensive stops, a magnificent All-Star performance, until....

Until the last possession of the game. Kobe Bryant decided to guard James on the last 30 seconds of the game , well we all know what happened... I chalked it up to LeBron being LeBron and after all, Kobe is Kobe. That pass was rescinded after LeBron was LeBron just a few days ago against The Utah Jazz. The Utah Jazz? LeBron once again, was having a marvelous game, the game was winding down, the ball was in his hands and he ....passes to Udonis Haslem, to take the last shot?

What? For those that will defend his good basketball decision, i ask you to take notice of the photo above. The best basketball players on the planet also have one question for LeBron James:

"LeBron-Will You Please Just Take The Last Shot?"

Duke-Carolina Rivalry....As Good As It Gets?

http://voices.yahoo.com/article/9361264/duke-carolina-rivalryas-good-as-gets-10946734.html?cat=14

In my opinion, Duke-Carolina is as good as it gets in terms of sports rivalry. Round I of The Duke-Carolina Basketball Rivalry-2012 edition-was epic. Freshman Austin Rivers NBA 3-pointer, with no time left on the clock, won the game for Duke on Carolina's home court. Unbelievable game. Duke was down by 10 points with just over 2 minutes left to play. The Duke squad would not quit. They ended the game on a 13-2 run, and stunned over 21,000 screaming Carolina fans into silence. One play typifies Duke-Carolina. With just over a minute to play, Duke's Ryan Kelly launched a three-pointer. Carolina's 7-footer Tyler Zeller, while attempting to rebound the errant shot, improbably tipped it in the basket-2 points for Duke. I've never seen such a play in a game, with so much on the line. The assist from Zeller paved the way for Rivers game winning heroics. That's Duke-Carolina basketball. The impossible happening for all to see.

Outside of incredible, exciting games between these schools what makes Duke-Carolina the best rivalry in sports? Why does the rivalry captivate sports fans like no other?

Let's start with location. The truest, fiercest rivalries feature opposing teams located in each others backyard. Duke and Carolina are separated by 8 miles along US Highway 15-501. How many sports rivals coexist that close to each other?

Next is history and relevance. Duke and Carolina first played each other on January 24, 1920. Since then they've met 233 times. Carolina leads the series 131-102, inclusive of the most recent game. The Carolina basketball program has recorded the 3rd most wins in Division I history with Duke's basketball program the 4th most. Carolina has won 5 NCAA Division I Basketball Championships and been to a record eighteen Final Fours. Duke has been to fifteen Final Fours and won 4 NCAA Division I Championships, the most recent in 2010.

The players that have donned the uniforms of Duke and Carolina and what they've accomplished in the sport of basketball are remarkable. Larry Brown, Phil Ford, James Worthy and arguably the greatest basketball player of all time-Michael Jordan-all wore Carolina blue. Who can forget Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley, Grant Hill, J.J. Reddick, Jayson Williams, and last years #1 pick in the NBA draft Kyrie Irving?

Last but not least-the coaches. Dean Smith and Roy Williams for Carolina. Mike Krzyzewski for Duke. Is there a need to say more about any of these legendary coaches?

As I've watched the replay of Round I of the 2012 Duke-Carolina rivalry and Duke's 85-84 win, I was struck by another thought. Carolina and Duke, although close in proximity are about as far apart in ideology as exists.

The University of Carolina at Chapel Hill is the pride of the state university system. Over 29,000 students are enrolled at UNC. The Carolina basketball team has consistently attracted some of the best athletes we've seen in sports. UNC basketball has produced 39 first-round draft picks in the NBA. Duke on the other hand is a private institution. Just under 15,000 students are enrolled at Duke University. Duke has produced 23 first- round picks in the NBA. Carolina teams have often, at least on paper, been more athletic, bigger, stronger, yet Duke somehow, someway wills itself to wins. It sometimes seems that fans watch Duke games to see them lose, get their comeuppance. How dare these prep school students, with their posh lives, even think they can compete with us.

Does the rivalry boil down to the debate of athletic superiority vs. academic superiority? Is how that battle plays out, what drives the intensity of the rivalry for fans? Hmmm…

What we all know now is, the 2012 Duke-Carolina rivalry is alive and well, with Round I going to Duke. March 3rd, the best rivalry in sports continues with Round II in Durham, on Duke's home court in Cameron Indoor Stadium. I'll be watching, how about you?

Duke Defeats Carolina 69-63; Readies For ACC Tourney

(Photo: Gerry Broome/AP)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Duke traveled to Chapel Hill to face Carolina in game two of this years rivalry. Carolina lost the first meeting with Duke, 96-56, in Durham. Duke, on the other hand, won the ACC regular season title and clinched the #1 seed for The ACC Tournament, by virtue of their 74-64 victory over Miami a few days ago. Motivation coupled with playing on their home court, seemed to favor Carolina-at least on paper.

Coach Joanne P. McCallie and her Duke team must not read the papers. Duke led Carolina 44-30 at the end of the first twenty minutes. The Tar Heels regrouped and played a determined 2nd half. Duke withstood a furious rally in the closing minutes of the game, to sweep the season series with The University of North Carolina Tar Heels. North Carolina Head Coach Sylvia Hatchell said it best, “You know, if we had played the first half like we did the second half, we’d be a lot happier right now.”

Tricia Liston (15 points), Elizabeth Williams ((13 points), Chelsea Gray (12 points), and Allison Vernerey (10 points) led Duke in scoring. What’s interesting is, Liston and Verenerey, scored their points off the bench. Duke’s bench became very important in the game when starter Haley Peters was inadvertently elbowed by Carolina’s Chay Shegog, and knocked to the floor. Peters mouth was flowing with blood from the contact. She was led to the locker room where the doctors stitched both the inside and outside of her mouth. Coach McCallie commented on her teams fortitude, “ It was a great basketball game. It was sort of a season in a game, relative to some of the adversity. I didn’t think we could get more adversity, but we did and I think the team handled the game very, very well.” Peters returned to the game in the 2nd half and was a key contributor down the stretch.

Next up for Duke and Carolina is The 2012 ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament starting March 1, in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The schedule is:

Thursday
Game No. 1 - Seed No. 5 North Carolina vs. Seed No. 12 Clemson 11:00 a.m. (RSN)
Game No. 2 - Seed No. 8 Florida State vs. Seed No. 9 N.C. State 3:00 p.m. (RSN)
Game No. 3 - Seed No. 7 Wake Forest vs. Seed No. 10 Virginia Tech 6:00 p.m. (RSN)
Game No. 4 - Seed No. 6 Virginia vs. Seed No. 11 Boston College 8:00 p.m. (RSN)

Friday
Game No. 5 - Seed No. 4 Georgia Tech vs. winner of Game 1 11:00 a.m. (RSN)
Game No. 6 - Seed No. 1 Duke vs. winner of Game 2 3:00 p.m. (RSN)
Game No. 7 - Seed No. 2 Miami vs. winner of Game 3 6:00 p.m. (RSN)
Game No. 8 - Seed No. 3 Maryland vs. winner of Game 4 8:00 p.m. (RSN)

Saturday
Game No. 9 - ACC Semifinal 1 11:00 a.m. (ESPNU)
Game No. 10 - ACC Semifinal 2 1:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

Sunday
Game No. 11 - Championship Game 2:00 p.m. (ESPN2)



Read more: http://technorati.com/sports/article/duke-defeats-carolina-69-63-readies/page-2/#ixzz1niWCUNpa



Read more: http://technorati.com/sports/article/duke-defeats-carolina-69-63-readies/#ixzz1niVzm8KG

Kate Upton-Too "Chubby" For A Supermodel?

http://technorati.com/entertainment/celebrity/article/kate-upton-too-chubby-for-a/

Kate Upton, newly crowned 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Cover Girl has the Supermodel World in uproar. The nineteen- year old, 5ft” 11” inch leggy, buxom model, reportedly wants to revive the Supermodel era. Supermodel ‘experts’ have responded, “Thanks, but no thanks, Ms. Upton. Uhh.. you‘re too, how would we say it, healthy (fashion speak for chubby)." What’s good for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is not good enough for a Runway Fashion Supermodel, or so the 'experts' say.

Supermodel-what a word! The images conjured up by the very mention of the word, are fascinating. Let’s face it, Supermodels are fascinating! Unlike ‘Superman’ these are real women that do wield “superpowers” in the pop culture we live in. Sports Illustrated and Kate Upton have launched the latest round of debate regarding Supermodels impact on what's beautiful and healthy and what's not, for women.

Why do I care? I’ve been, shall we say “aware” of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, about as long as I’ve been “aware” of sports. A Sports Illustrated subscription was given to me as a gift, in my pre-teen years. It truly was a case of, I like to read the articles. One day something different arrived in the mail from Sports Illustrated…the Swimsuit issue. Yes, my enjoyment of reading the articles continued. Christie Brinkley, Paulina Porizkova, Elle MacPherson, Kathy Ireland, Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum, Rebecca Romijn and now Kate Upton, first came into my “awareness”, courtesy of Sports Illustrated. Interesting, never actually reflected on this aspect until just now…the more I read Sports Illustrated, the less ‘yucky’ girls became.

Anyway, back to the issue at hand. This debate over Upton and her desirability,or lack thereof in the Supermodel world, is intriguing. The reason why-"chubbiness"-is incredulous. After revisiting the cover of the 2012 SI Swimsuit cover featuring Upton, my complaint is not her size, but the unimaginative, fashion-less bikini chosen. Oh well…

The ongoing conversation regarding Supermodels, beauty, “chubbiness” and women, polarize our society. Magazine covers displayed at grocery store check-out stands, Barnes and Nobles, online, everywhere... seem to scream out -these women are happy because they're beautiful. Learn how to wear your hair, shoes, makeup, etc. so you too will be beautiful and therefore happy. Articles detailing workout and diet tips fill the pages, supposedly sharing the secrets of beauty, love and happiness. Is the media pressure exerted to be beautiful as defined by pop culture and fashion ‘experts’ so powerful that what is truly healthy is labeled as undesirable? Are the women of the United States and other developed countries truly enthralled by the pursuit of media beauty and the resultant rewards of love and happiness they suggest?


What do i know-i'm just a guy. This thought-provoking paraprosdokian injects a bit of humor into the conversation - Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

Kate Upton and the controversy surrounding her, has been eye-opening for me. Living in Manhattan and now Los Angeles, has provided me with quite an education about size 0 to 4 women. I won’t confess my ignorance about sizes 6, 8 and above, except for the occasional dalliance. Since the Kate Upton furor started, I’ve found myself observing fans at the live sporting events I cover as a member of the media. My observation has yielded this thought-beauty comes in all shapes, sizes and skin tones.

I thank and applaud Sports Illustrated, and for purposes of this writing, the SI Swimsuit Issue. The SI Swimsuit issue personifies beauty in all shapes, sizes and skin tones. Kate Upton as the 2012 cover girl-Awesome Choice! The furor it’s caused is great. Hopefully the great light Sports Illustrated and Kate Upton have cast on what true beauty is and can be, will be a big step in squashing the ignorance regarding beauty and women, staring with my own.

Kate Upton-”Chubby”- LOL. How about Kate Upton, Supermodel of today!

Read more: http://technorati.com/entertainment/celebrity/article/kate-upton-too-chubby-for-a/page-2/#ixzz1n8ZqziZy

Will Carmelo Anthony End 'Linsanity'?

(Photo: Bill Kostroun/AP)

New York Knick fans have been debating what impact the return of Carmelo Anthony would have on the team. A day after the Knicks defeated last years NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks, without ‘Melo’ in the lineup, the Knicks lost to the lowly crosstown rival New Jersey Nets, with ‘Melo’ in the lineup. Surprising? Not really. Team chemistry and flow are hard to develop on the fly. The question I’m pondering is, “Will ‘Melo’ end ‘Linsanity’?

‘Linsanity’ was launched by Jeremy Lin the bench warmer, transforming into Jeremy Lin starting point-guard for the Knicks. With Lin starting the team has won 7 of the 9 games playing winning team basketball, unlike losing basketball, Knick fans are weary of. Carmelo Anthony was traded to New York amid much fanfare last season and along with Amare Stoudemire, guided the Knicks to the playoffs. This season looked to be even more promising with the addition of free-agent Tyson Chandler and the drafting of Iman Shumpert. Promise quickly turned to disappointment.

Injuries, survival instincts, Carmelo Anthony suggestions to Knick head coach Mike D’Antoni, etc. led to Jeremy Lin being given a chance and what is commonly referenced as ‘Linsanity’-winning Knick basketball led by Jeremy Lin was launched. Again i wonder, ‘ Will ‘Melo’ end ‘Linsanity’–the Knicks playing winning basketball?

One night doesn’t a season, make or break. However, in this lock-out shortened campaign, the importance of each NBA game is magnified. New players in new places are having to learn team chemistry without the benefit of the usual practice time, playing more games on consecutive nights. Change is hard. Human nature is to resist change, to go with what one is comfortable with. Carmelo Anthony won a NCAA Championship with Syracuse in his one year of college. Anthony can create his own shot and score with the best in the NBA. Does that lead to championship basketball? How would Kobe Bryant, Shaq , and The G.O.A.T. respond?

Teams win Championships. Teams led by players with amazing talent, players like Carmelo Anthony. Will ‘Melo’ merge his superior talent with the New York Knick team? Is ‘Melo’ capable of bucking human nature and allowing the new starting point-guard, Jeremy Lin to guide the team to it’s full capability? The Knicks on paper, are as deep as any team in the league, certainly the East. This season is up for grabs. The Knicks could compete for a NBA Championship, something New York fans crave. ‘Melo’ holds the key.

Will ‘Melo’ end ‘Linsanity’ and the Knicks winning ways? The Knicks play Miami on Thursday. What a great opportunity for ‘Melo’ to begin to answer the question!

Stay Tuned…..