Friday, February 28, 2014
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Mikaela Shiffrin:American Teen is Alpine's New Star
Team USA won its second alpine skiing gold medal Friday as reigning World Champion Mikaela Shiffrin,18,beat two Austrians at their own game,the slalom.Shiffrin overcame a bobble when her left ski left the snow,a mark of a skier's strength and maturity,to win the slalom gold at the youngest age in Olympic history.Austria's Marlies Schild,32,whose 35 World Cup slalom victories are the most in history and is Shiffrin's idol,took the silver,and her compatriot Kathrin Zettel won the bronze,her first ever Olympic medal after years of effort.
The precocious American Shiffrin began competing in Europe at age 16,traveling with her mother.I want to get farther than anyone's ever gotten,Shiffrin said.She's been showing the aptitude and determination to do just that.*
In speedskating,Team USA had been shut out of the medals going into Friday,consternating team members and fans alike.This was remedied in the 5,000 meter short track relay,when Russia,led by anchor Victor Ahn,won the gold and the Americans with their anchor C.R.Celski hung on for silver,as China and the Netherlands fell to the wayside and Kazakhstan lagged behind.China ended up with the bronze.Still,the US won six short track medals at Vancouver 2010 and a total of 18 in Olympic history,so a sense of disappointment in their Sochi performance remains.*
The featured videos this week are both by Madonna:"Live To Tell" and "Like A Virgin."
"Live To Tell" unfolds to a height of drama seldom reached in a music video;while "Like A Virgin" takes us to Venice,a tribute to the Italian American Madonna's European roots.
The precocious American Shiffrin began competing in Europe at age 16,traveling with her mother.I want to get farther than anyone's ever gotten,Shiffrin said.She's been showing the aptitude and determination to do just that.*
In speedskating,Team USA had been shut out of the medals going into Friday,consternating team members and fans alike.This was remedied in the 5,000 meter short track relay,when Russia,led by anchor Victor Ahn,won the gold and the Americans with their anchor C.R.Celski hung on for silver,as China and the Netherlands fell to the wayside and Kazakhstan lagged behind.China ended up with the bronze.Still,the US won six short track medals at Vancouver 2010 and a total of 18 in Olympic history,so a sense of disappointment in their Sochi performance remains.*
The featured videos this week are both by Madonna:"Live To Tell" and "Like A Virgin."
"Live To Tell" unfolds to a height of drama seldom reached in a music video;while "Like A Virgin" takes us to Venice,a tribute to the Italian American Madonna's European roots.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Minnesota National Guard
Army National Guard Staff Sgt Leah Boyd,Minnesota Medical Detachment,maintains a positive attitude during operations in negative degree weather on Camp Riley on 8 January 2014.Staff Sgt Anthony Housey photo.
Virginia National Guard
116th Brigade Special Troops Battalion,116th Brigade Combat Team Soldiers of the Virginia National Guard perform health and welfare checks of abandoned and stranded vehicles on 13 February 2014.Tech Sgt Meghan Skrepenski photo,Virginia Air National Guard Public Affairs.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Tonight's People:Anna Lesko;Noelle Pikus-Pace;Alla Tsuper
The music tonight is by the international pop star Anna Lesko,35,a native of the former Soviet Republic of Moldova who moved to Romania at age 17.Moldova is a small independent country now with just over three million people.It is located between Romania to the west and Ukraine to the east.Lesko is ethnic Ukrainian and sometimes sings in Russian,as well as English,Romanian and Spanish.
A large minority in Lesko's homeland Moldova is ethnic Russian and Ukrainian and speak Russian as their first language.Russian is in fact spoken throughout the country and in daily life,and the Eastern Orthodox faith is predominant.Romanian is also spoken by the majority Bessarabian population.
The video for "Go Crazy" was filmed in Thailand and features Latin rapper Gilberto.In "Get It,"Lesko interestingly makes a soft wolf howl and sings about a pack of wolves.*
At the Sochi Winter Olympics,American mother Noelle Pikus-Pace achieved her longstanding dream of winning an Olympic medal in skeleton,which is a small,thin sled.She won the silver,after 12 years of struggle,behind Great Britain's Lizzy Yarnold,who took GB's second medal of these Games and its first gold.Russia's Yelena Nikitina won the bronze.When she realised she won a medal,Pikus-Pace trembled with joy and scaled a fence to hug her family.It was the biggest display of emotion.
Also with a big smile on her face was Alla Tsuper of Belarus,another former Soviet Republic,who won the gold in the women's freestyle skiing aerials,which involves soaring off a steep slope and executing dangerous maneuvers in the air.At 34,Tsuper was the oldest athlete competing and not favoured for a medal.China's Xe Mengtao took the silver,and Australian mother Lydia Lasila,32,the defending gold medalist,won the bronze.*
American alpine skiers Bode Miller and Ted Ligety were not so happy,as they failed to medal in the men's Super Combined event,which couples a downhill race with a slalom.They will ski again on Sunday in the Super Giant Slalom.
A large minority in Lesko's homeland Moldova is ethnic Russian and Ukrainian and speak Russian as their first language.Russian is in fact spoken throughout the country and in daily life,and the Eastern Orthodox faith is predominant.Romanian is also spoken by the majority Bessarabian population.
The video for "Go Crazy" was filmed in Thailand and features Latin rapper Gilberto.In "Get It,"Lesko interestingly makes a soft wolf howl and sings about a pack of wolves.*
At the Sochi Winter Olympics,American mother Noelle Pikus-Pace achieved her longstanding dream of winning an Olympic medal in skeleton,which is a small,thin sled.She won the silver,after 12 years of struggle,behind Great Britain's Lizzy Yarnold,who took GB's second medal of these Games and its first gold.Russia's Yelena Nikitina won the bronze.When she realised she won a medal,Pikus-Pace trembled with joy and scaled a fence to hug her family.It was the biggest display of emotion.
Also with a big smile on her face was Alla Tsuper of Belarus,another former Soviet Republic,who won the gold in the women's freestyle skiing aerials,which involves soaring off a steep slope and executing dangerous maneuvers in the air.At 34,Tsuper was the oldest athlete competing and not favoured for a medal.China's Xe Mengtao took the silver,and Australian mother Lydia Lasila,32,the defending gold medalist,won the bronze.*
American alpine skiers Bode Miller and Ted Ligety were not so happy,as they failed to medal in the men's Super Combined event,which couples a downhill race with a slalom.They will ski again on Sunday in the Super Giant Slalom.
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Ambassador Westmacott confers title of Honorary CBE upon Duncan Niederauer
Ambassador Westmacott confers title of Honorary CBE upon Duncan Niederauer, a photo by UKinUSA on Flickr.
Duncan Niederauer,left,CEO of NYSE/Euronext,receives the title of Honorary CBE at the British Embassy,Washington on 7 February,2014.
Ambassador Westmacott presents Duncan Niederauer with insignia
Duncan Niederauer,center,CEO of NYSE/Euronext,is invested as an Honorary Commander of the British Empire at the British Embassy,Washington on 7 February,2014.
Tonight's Music:Hayley Williams and Lauryn Vyce;Sochi Winter Olympics
In tonight's music,two songbirds are featured:Hayley Williams of Paramore and Lauryn Vyce(Lauren Vogel).Williams is rapidly gaining in prominence by the day,and Vyce is aspiring.Neither of the ladies was raised in the entertainment capitals of Los Angeles or New York.Williams grew up in Mississippi and Tennessee,and Vyce in St.Louis.*
The Williams offering is "Stay The Night" by Zedd featuring Hayley Williams.The petite redhead really lights it up for Zedd.Her onscreen presence is off the charts.She understands the camera well and has a fine sense of how to use her body,which,as a veteran of several music videos and innumerable concerts,she ought to do.There could be a cinematic career in the making here,should that interest her at some point.
"Stay The Night" had more than 34 million YouTube views as of Friday afternoon.Enough said.*
Vyce is building her career out West in L.A.She is focused on the pop genre and seems to be doing all the right things.No one will be able to say she didn't explore every angle of the industry.The pipes are definitely there.Her biggest exposure so far has been her song "Do It Again" being used in one of the Sandals Resorts "living the dream" TV spots,which is still being aired after an already extensive run on national television.Tonight's "Catch Me" is a well-crafted synth pop track that is easy for radio stations to squeeze in,it is so short.*
At the Sochi Winter Olympics,the opening ceremony went reasonably well.All right,one of the snowflakes didn't turn into an Olympic ring as planned,but it's nothing the media should make a big thing of.The American athletes were pleased with the colourful Russian vision of history and culture.
Russia has sent 232 athletes to the Games-the largest delegation in Olympics history.
The Williams offering is "Stay The Night" by Zedd featuring Hayley Williams.The petite redhead really lights it up for Zedd.Her onscreen presence is off the charts.She understands the camera well and has a fine sense of how to use her body,which,as a veteran of several music videos and innumerable concerts,she ought to do.There could be a cinematic career in the making here,should that interest her at some point.
"Stay The Night" had more than 34 million YouTube views as of Friday afternoon.Enough said.*
Vyce is building her career out West in L.A.She is focused on the pop genre and seems to be doing all the right things.No one will be able to say she didn't explore every angle of the industry.The pipes are definitely there.Her biggest exposure so far has been her song "Do It Again" being used in one of the Sandals Resorts "living the dream" TV spots,which is still being aired after an already extensive run on national television.Tonight's "Catch Me" is a well-crafted synth pop track that is easy for radio stations to squeeze in,it is so short.*
At the Sochi Winter Olympics,the opening ceremony went reasonably well.All right,one of the snowflakes didn't turn into an Olympic ring as planned,but it's nothing the media should make a big thing of.The American athletes were pleased with the colourful Russian vision of history and culture.
Russia has sent 232 athletes to the Games-the largest delegation in Olympics history.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Tonight's Music:Paramore and Ke$ha;Golden State Downs Utah
Two contrasting music videos are offered tonight:Paramore's new release "Ain't It Fun" and Ke$ha's 2012 TV performance of "Blow" on Australia's "Sunrise" morning show.Paramore's fun gimmick for this project involved trying to break the most world records in a music video,which,according to website RecordSetter.com,they indeed achieved,breaking such records as:1.fastest time to smash 30 clocks with guitars;2.longest scream while riding in a convertible;3.fastest time to run backwards holding stuffed animals while blindfolded;4.most vinyl records broken in one minute.It certainly succeeded as a publicity stunt,garnering more than two million views on YouTube.As of time of publication,it had also received 60,917 likes.
The real question in music is,whether this or any track can stand on its own,without a gimmick to promote it.*
In the Ke$ha video,she is seen working hard to present her song live on a confined,hot television set,with a gaggle of fans looking on from behind.This seemed to be successful also-not because of a gimmick,but because of the strong effort she made in a challenging setting,performing without a gaffe.Surprisingly,it had only 21,795 YouTube views and 115 likes.*
An environmental concern is raised by Paramore's smashing of clocks with guitars on what appeared to be a rural bridge.Components of the smashed objects could conceivably fall into a waterway or onto another sensitive area.*
Golden State Warrior fans had no concerns as they watched Stephen Curry score 44 points,including 8 threes,in the Warriors' 95-90 victory over the Utah Jazz Friday night.It was Curry's fifth career 40 point-game and his second of the season.
In other NBA action,the Oklahoma Thunder beat the Brooklyn Nets 120-95,led by Kevin Durant's 29 points.Former President Bill Clinton was on hand.You can't imagine the speed of his release,Mr.Clinton said,and his basketball intelligence keeps showing up.He's a great player.*
Weather for Sunday's Super Bowl shouldn't be a problem at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.At game time it will be 40 degrees F,droppping to 32 during the game.
The real question in music is,whether this or any track can stand on its own,without a gimmick to promote it.*
In the Ke$ha video,she is seen working hard to present her song live on a confined,hot television set,with a gaggle of fans looking on from behind.This seemed to be successful also-not because of a gimmick,but because of the strong effort she made in a challenging setting,performing without a gaffe.Surprisingly,it had only 21,795 YouTube views and 115 likes.*
An environmental concern is raised by Paramore's smashing of clocks with guitars on what appeared to be a rural bridge.Components of the smashed objects could conceivably fall into a waterway or onto another sensitive area.*
Golden State Warrior fans had no concerns as they watched Stephen Curry score 44 points,including 8 threes,in the Warriors' 95-90 victory over the Utah Jazz Friday night.It was Curry's fifth career 40 point-game and his second of the season.
In other NBA action,the Oklahoma Thunder beat the Brooklyn Nets 120-95,led by Kevin Durant's 29 points.Former President Bill Clinton was on hand.You can't imagine the speed of his release,Mr.Clinton said,and his basketball intelligence keeps showing up.He's a great player.*
Weather for Sunday's Super Bowl shouldn't be a problem at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.At game time it will be 40 degrees F,droppping to 32 during the game.
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