Saturday, March 29, 2014

Demi Lovato;Selena Gomez;Michigan State

Today's videos feature two American women who happen to be close friends.Demi(Demetria) Lovato and Selena Gomez are both 21,and both are of Mexican descent.
Lovato is a native of Albuquerque,New Mexico,while Gomez hails from Grand Prairie,Texas.
The two Christians met as child stars on the "Barney&Friends" TV set,then graduated to the Disney Channel,starring together in the TV movie "Princess Protection Program."Lovato is currently appearing in the fifth season of "Glee,"and Gomez has been doing film work in "Behaving Badly,"scheduled for a September 2014 release.
They have a huge fan base,with many being fans of both artists.Both stars have been in rehab for one reason or another.
Of the two,Lovato is the power singer,said to have a full voice range of three octaves above middle C.It's a talent that commands so much respect,I wanted to share at least two of her videos."Give Your Heart A Break" is a live TV performance from 2012 of Lovato's colossal hit from her third album "Unbroken,"while "Let It Go" is the official single from the Disney blockbuster "Frozen."It was posted to YouTube four months ago and had 112,898,696 views as of Thursday afternoon.
Gomez's "Come&Get It" from her first solo LP "Stars Dance"(2013)is fascinating in that it draws on Indian influences.The video affords a spectacular natural setting for Gomez's sultry hit,which had 225,046,104 views.The album debuted at number one on the Billboard chart.*
In NCAA men's basketball,number one Virginia was sent home by number four Michigan State Firday night at Madison Square Garden.The Spartans slipped by the Cavaliers 61-59,led by Brandon Davison's 24 points.Joe Harris and Malcolm Brogden scored 17 points each for Virginia.The Cavs were slightly less accurate with their free throws.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

GREAT Innovation Awards

GREAT Innovation Awards by UKinUSA
GREAT Innovation Awards, a photo by UKinUSA on Flickr.

Miami,British Embassy photo.

GREAT Innovation Awards

GREAT Innovation Awards by UKinUSA
GREAT Innovation Awards, a photo by UKinUSA on Flickr.

Miami,British Embassy photo.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

The Rolling Stones;Avril Lavigne;Paramore

I was able to present a bonus track again this week.It is Paramore's richly melodic "That's What You Get" from their "Riot" album.Posted in 2010,the video had 50,333,190 views and and 195,780 YouTube likes as of Thursday.*
Avril Lavigne's lullabye "Hush,Hush" is from her latest album "Avril Lavigne"(2013) and the video is new,posted just one month ago.Lavigne lets actors carry the weight in this one,making a few cameo appearances herself.*
The Rolling Stones' "It's Only Rock'n'Roll" is from a gargantuan 2006 concert on Rio's Copacabana Beach.Surely everything came together there,a genuine high point in a legendary career.The video was posted in 2013.
The Stones had to cancel the Australia-New Zealand leg of their 2014 On Fire tour when frontman Mick Jagger's girlfriend,the prominent fashion designer L'Wren Scott,49,committed suicide March 17.Jagger has returned to Los Angeles to be with his son and three daughters.
The seven concerts had instantly sold out.One of the shows,at the Adelaide Oval,was to be particularly notable.The monumental event was to be a curtain-raiser for the revamped Oval,with 60 truckloads of staging and production.
All the concerts will be rescheduled and fans should hold on to those hard to get tickets.The Stones are working with promoters on the new dates,aiming for an October-November time frame,according to Billboard magazine.*
Australian golfer Adam Scott made a splash of his own with his dominant second round 14 under par 68 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando,Florida.The defending Masters champion is seven strokes ahead of two Americans,Chesson Hadley and JB Holmes,and Italian Francesco Molinari.I don't think you can ever have a big enough lead,to be honest,Scott said.

Friday, March 14, 2014

Kesha;Coldplay;Avril Lavigne

In this edition,you get a bonus track-quite a deal.It is Kesha's "TikTok" from her first album "Animal."The song had more than 43 million views as of Friday afternoon,with more than 14 million units sold since its 2010 release.Kesha,born Kesha Rose Sebert,27,has just gotten out of a two-month rehab stint for eating disorders.She is feeling well now and says she has written a ton of new songs.Kesha has also dropped the satirical dollar sign from her first name.Her second album "Warrior" came out in 2012.
To this point,Kesha's had a party girl image.Will that change after her rehab experience?In real life,she has said she is repulsed by the gluttony and excess of a lot of celebrities.*
England's Coldplay has just debuted some new songs,including "Magic," at the SXSW event in Austin,Texas.Their new album "Ghost Stories" is scheduled for release on May 19.The band,led by frontman Chris Martin,formed at University College,London in 1996.They've won five MTV Video Music Awards and seven Grammys over their long career.*
Ontario native Avril Lavigne,29,has sold more than 30 million LPs worldwide.She was born in Belleville,but grew up in the little town of Napanee just up the road.Her second husband,Chad Kroeger of the band Nickelback,is featured in "Let Me Go," which came out in 2013.Lavigne is also known for her Abbey Dawn clothing line and several fragrances.*
In motor racing,qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix is about to get underway at Albert Park in Melbourne.It is the start of the Formula One season,with Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel,the defending World Champion,being joined by a new teammate,Daniel Ricciardo of Perth,Western Australia,following Mark Webber's retirement from F1.Germany's Vettel,26,has four World Championships to his name.Will his complete dominance of last year hold up in 2014?With a number of technical rule changes this year,that is in doubt.
Update:Qualifying results-P1.Lewis Hamilton,GBR;P2.Daniel Ricciardo,AUS;P3.Nico Rosberg,GER
The race will be broadcast on NBCSN at 1:30am Eastern on Sunday.It will be rebroadcast at 6:00am.

Ke$ha - TiK ToK

Avril Lavigne - Let Me Go ft. Chad Kroeger

Coldplay - New Single Magic / LiVE

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Friday, March 7, 2014

The Rolling Stones;Lisa Fischer;Houston Rockets

Tonight's music is all rock'n'roll,with The Rolling Stones' "Stupid Girl" in a slide show format and "Gimme Shelter" in a live promo video featuring Lisa Fischer.They are performing with Lisa at this writing in "On Fire:Rolling Stones Tour."
9 March Macau,China
19 March Perth,Australia
22 March Adelaide,Australia
25 March Sydney,Australia
28 March Melbourne,Australia
30 March Macedon Range,Australia
2 April Brisbane,Australia
5 April Auckland,New Zealand
Lisa Fischer,55,is an African American singer songwriter who has a solo career,but tours and records widely with other top names in the business as well,including Sting,Tina Turner,Beyonce,Alicia Keyes,Chris Biotti and Nine Inch Nails.Known for her accurate pitch,professionalism and graceful onstage presence,she is one of the most in-demand session and backup singers in the world-and that's fine with her.
Fischer won a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Performance for her hit "How Can I Ease the Pain" and is one of the session and backup singers featured in the noted Morgan Neville documentary "Twenty Feet From Stardom."*
The Houston Rockets made a case for their own stardom Friday night as they crushed the Indiana Pacers 112-86 in Houston,led by James Harden with his 28 points,4 rebounda and 4 assists.The Rockets were spot on with 13 threes for their fourth straight win.Dwight Howard signed autographs before the game,then went on to add his 15 points,7 rebounds and 4 assists to the Houston win.

The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter (Live) - OFFICIAL PROMO featuring Lisa Fischer

The Rolling Stones - Stupid Girl Mono recording,slide show

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Skylab, 1973-1979

Skylab, 1973-1979 by NASA on The Commons
Skylab, 1973-1979, a photo by NASA on The Commons on Flickr.

The original NASA space station.

Suns Surpass Pelicans;Knicks Lose Again;McCartney in Moscow

The big scorers were out Friday night in the NBA.For the Golden State Warriors,Stephen Curry posted a huge 52 as they manhandled the New York Knicks 123-103 at Madison Square Garden.The Knicks are now five and a half games out of the final playoff spot.*
It's definitely frustrating,how we're losing the games,Knicks star Carmelo Anthony said.It's time we should have it down pat right now.We should have it.*
Meanwhile,the Phoenix Suns' Goran Dragic scored a career high 40 points in their conquest of the New Orleans Pelicans 116-104 in the Arizona desert city.Anthony Davis scored 32 for the losers.*
Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy was shining in the Honda Classic Friday.The former World Number One was looking like his old self with his second round 11 under par 66 at PGA National in Florida.He had shot a 63 in Thursday's opening round.
Brendon de Jonge of Zimbabwe is in second place at -10.Tiger Woods was thankful just made the cut on the tough course with his even par,but Phil Mickelson goes home for the weekend,missing the cut at 1 over par.*
I found some good music this week in the jazzy "Rio" by Duran Duran,now digitally remastered;and Sir Paul McCartney with his exceptional live performance of "Back In The USSR" in Russia itself,complete with dancing girls.Russia's been making the big news lately with the Sochi Olympics and the situation in Ukraine."Well,the Ukraine girls really knock me out.They leave the West behind.And Moscow girls make me sing and shout.And Georgia's always on my mind."(Lennon-McCartney)