Mammoth Blog

Colombian pop singer Juanes [ tickets ] has sparked a controversy in South Florida's Cuban-exile community with plans for a Sept. 20 concert in Cuba at Plaza de la Revolucion in Havana, according to a Miami Herald report.

Critics of the show--which also will feature famed Cuban singer/songwriter Silvio Rodriguez; Cuba's most famous dance band, Los Van Van; Spanish singer Miguel Bose; and Puerto Rican singer Olga Tanon--say the Colombian singer is showing unacceptable support of the Cuba's regime, especially with artists on the bill such as Rodriguez and Los Van Van, both of whom are closely associated with Cuban government.

Earlier this week, Juanes, who lives in Key Biscayne, FL, reported to police that he had been receiving threatening responses to one of his Twitter posts in which he said it was time to start knocking down mental walls in order to put aside ideological differences. One of the threats reportedly appeared to be a death threat. The singer's house also has been swarmed with paparazzi and television crews since word of the Cuba show surfaced earlier this summer.

Last week, members of Vigilia Mambisa, a tiny, right-wing exile group, reportedly smashed and burned Juanes' CDs in the street, which sparked its own controversy as other Cuban opinion-makers criticized the protest for making the exile community look too extreme.

Juanes recently told the Spanish newspaper El Pais that he only wants to bring to Cubans music and a connection to the world outside of the island country. "I'm not interested in the Cuban government," he told El Pais. "I'm interested in the people, in the youth ... [Cuba] is a country of 11 million people who are isolated for political and historical reasons. It can't continue like this."

While some have supported the singer's plans for the second annual "Paz Sin Fronteras (Peace Without Borders)" concert, the criticism continues. Popular exile singer Willy Chirino told the Miami Hearld that he loves the fact that Juanes wants to put on a concert for peace for the Cuban people. "But if he doesn't want any political connotations, why is he inviting Silvio Rodriguez and having [Cuban singer/songwriter] Amaury Perez as an organizer, who are two of the most pro-Revolutionary artists in Cuba?" Chirino asked. "[He should] invite artists who have no political opinions, or invite Cuban artists who don't represent Castro's Cuba."

Despite the controversy, the show is expected to go forward. "Plans for the second 'Paz Sin Fronteras' concert have not changed," a spokesperson for the singer said in a statement. "While Juanes understands that there will always be some distressed efforts for change, he has received overwhelming support from across the Miami Cuban community and continues to feel safe in the city that he has made his home."

Last year's "Paz Sin Fronteras" concert was staged on the Colombian-Venezuelan border. That show reportedly drew 100,000 fans during a time of high tension between the governments of the two South American nations.
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Lethal levels of the anesthetic propofol were found in Michael Jackson's body, and the singer's doctor acknowledged that he

administered the drug on a nightly basis as a treatment for insomnia, according to court records unsealed today in Houston and obtained by the Los Angeles Times.

According to a report on the Times Web site, the search warrant affidavit states that Dr. Conrad Murray told Los Angeles police detectives that he had been giving Jackson 50 milligrams of propofol every night using an intravenous line for about six weeks.

Murray claimed, however, that he feared Jackson was becoming addicted to the medication and was trying to wean him off the drug. He said he lowered the dosage to 25 milligrams and mixed it with two other sedatives -- lorazepam and midazolam, according to the court document.

According to the Times report, Murray told investigators that on the morning of Jackson's death, he tried to induce sleep without using propofol, using a variety of drugs at various times throughout the morning instead. When those medications failed, Jackson repeatedly demanded the propofol, and Murray administered 25 milligrams of the drug, according to the court document.

Murray discovered Jackson not breathing around midday June 25 at his rented Holmby Hills estate. He administered CPR until paramedics arrived and took the singer to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead about two hours later.

Although autopsy results have not been released, the Houston search warrant affidavit notes that coroners found lethal levels of propofol, the Times reported.

In the category of baseball controversies that not only don't die but don't even taper off a little bit, we have now had two decades of the argument regarding Pete Rose.

We have come to the 20th anniversary of Rose accepting a lifetime ban from baseball for gambling on baseball. In every single moment during these 20 years, you could start a heated debate among baseball fans anywhere, by uttering these four simple words: "What about Pete Rose ..."

It is a classic debate. Against Rose is the fact that he violated the game's first commandment: Don't bet on baseball. For Rose is the argument that his stature as a player was such that he must be reinstated and made eligible for the Hall of Fame.

Over the years, Rose's own conduct damaged his cause. For 14 years he denied that he bet on baseball. He then produced an autobiography in which he admitted that he had gambled on baseball and then lied about gambling on baseball. Not only had he bet on baseball, he had bet on Cincinnati Reds games when he was managing that club.

Rose insisted that he had always bet on the Reds to win, but baseball's prohibition on gambling is clear and inclusive. It is posted on the wall of every Major League clubhouse, and in more than one language.

Circumstances did conspire against Rose after he accepted the ban, which followed an exhaustive investigation by John M. Dowd, formerly a prominent Justice Department attorney. In the ban agreement, Rose did not have to admit guilt and could apply for reinstatement after one year. But as part of the agreement, Rose also voluntarily accepted a lifetime ban.

After the agreement, then Commissioner of Baseball A. Bartlett Giamatti stated publicly that he believed Rose had bet on baseball. Of course he believed it; otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to the trouble of banning baseball's all-time leader in hits. Giamatti, a former president of Yale University, was a brilliant man, whose commitment to the game was truly profound, and was expressed in language that was eloquent, at times poetic. Giamatti was appalled that a leading figure in the game could be involved in baseball betting.

Just eight days after the ban, Giamatti died of a massive heart attack. Some of his friends believed that the extreme stress of the Rose investigation and the subsequent banishment was a contributing factor in his death.

The next two Commissioners -- Fay Vincent and Bud Selig -- were very close friends of Giamatti. Had Giamatti lived, he might have reinstated Rose. But the two subsequent Commissioners were not positioned for a lavish show of mercy in this case.

Rose had some momentum behind an application for reinstatement in 2003. However, the furor over his admission of gambling, and the fact that he couldn't produce anything resembling a penitent public face, derailed his chances.

Reinstatement in and of itself is only a portion of the issue with Rose. If he is reinstated, then he would presumably be eligible for election to the Hall of Fame.

On one hand, it is difficult to rationalize the National Baseball Hall of Fame not opening its doors to the all-time hits leader. This is, after all, "Charlie Hustle," the epitome of effort, a gamer for the ages.

On the other hand, there is the seriousness of Rose's offense. You have heard people say, "They let all those steroids guys play; why can't Rose be reinstated?"

These are apples and oranges. The users of performance-enhancing drugs cheated, but they cheated with the intention of gaining a competitive edge. They suffered from an impulse that was simultaneously wrong and human.

There is no "but" with gambling on baseball. It is all wrong. So Rose said he only bet on his team to win? If Rose bet on the Reds four times a week, what did he tell the rest of the gambling community about the other three games?

The fact is that baseball's worst time in history, its least credible moment, its lowest position morally, spiritually, emotionally, came in 1919, when members of the White Sox conspired with gamblers to throw the World Series. For historical purposes, they became the Black Sox.

Much of the history of baseball can be seen as a reaction to that event. Its leadership became centralized. The first Commissioner, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, began his tenure by banning eight White Sox players from the 1919 team for life. There was no appeal from his ruling, even though there was considerable evidence that Buck Weaver was innocent.

But from that time forward, the worst baseball-related sin anybody in the game could commit was gambling on the game. So in the scheme of baseball crimes, what Rose did was first-degree murder. For that, he received what amounted to a life sentence.

Can a two-decade banishment be considered enough of a price to pay? Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, a former teammate of Rose with the Phillies, took this position in a statement quoted by The Associated Press on Saturday, saying, "Twenty years have passed; isn't that enough?"

And Rose is 68 now. Perhaps advancing age will make him a more sympathetic figure.

There is a middle road, a compromise solution available. That would be a limited reinstatement.

For those who demand that Rose must be in the Hall of Fame, make him eligible for election to the Hall. For those who demand that his punishment for betting on baseball must be a lifetime punishment, prohibit Rose from taking any position with any club in organized baseball. In this way, both Rose's greatness and his sins could both be clearly recognized.

In the absence of that sort of compromise, what will happen? Shortly after taking over as Commissioner, Selig said that it was very unlikely that he would reinstate Rose during his tenure. Nobody knew at that time that Selig's tenure would be 19 years, if one assumes that he will retire at the end of his current contract, which runs through 2012.

In recent years, Selig's responses to Rose-related queries have been much more non-committal. His most recent answer to a question about Rose's status was, "It is under review." So there is, once again, renewed speculation about a possible reinstatement.

Even now, 20 years into Rose's forced retirement, the controversy over his status refuses to go quietly away. Such is his stature in the game and in banishment from the game.

He was always notable for the way he played. Eventually, he was even more notable for what he accomplished and the records he set. Now, he is notable by his absence.

The argument about his reinstatement will go on as long as the banishment goes on and Rose is still alive. In fact, if he is not reinstated during his lifetime, the argument will probably take on the quality of something very much like eternal life. source>>>

Michael Vick did not violate the terms of his probation nor the conditions of his NFL reinstatement when he drank an alcoholic beverage on the night after his first practice since being released from prison, an Eagles spokesman said yesterday.

The day after Vick's return to the field, a report in the New York Post described the new Eagles quarterback "sipping on a Grey Goose [vodka] and pineapple juice" at the Riverbend Bar & Grill, a restaurant at the Philadelphia Airport Marriott.

On July 27, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell detailed the conditions of Vick's reinstatement in a letter.

He wrote that the former Atlanta Falcons player, who was incarcerated for 18 months on a dogfighting conviction, was "required to abide by the terms of the supervised release that were imposed on you by the court, which include not committing any further crime, limits on who you may associate with, prohibitions regarding drug and alcohol use, possession of a firearm or other dangerous weapon, and forbidding you to own, possess, or be involved with the sale of any dog."

Eagles spokesman Derek Boyko wrote in an e-mail to The Inquirer that Vick was "not in conflict with terms of his probation or reinstatement with the NFL."

The Eagles did not refute or confirm the New York Post's story.

The reporter, Brian Costello, had no comment when reached yesterday.

Three people who were near Vick at the restaurant bar Aug. 15 said they saw him drink one cocktail. The three asked not to be identified.

After practice, Vick ran past a handful of reporters without answering a question. He has not formally spoken with the media since the Eagles introduced him 10 days ago.

Messages left with Vick's agent, Joel Segal, were not returned.

NFL spokesman Michael Signora said in an e-mail last night that "the reference [about the conditions of Vick's reinstatement] in our press release . . . was to the requirements laid out by the court. Matters under the NFL's policy are confidential."

Vick, meanwhile, continued his indoctrination as an Eagles quarterback yesterday.

He is permitted to play in the final two preseason games, and Goodell will make a decision on a regular-season return no later than Week 6. Coach Andy Reid has not announced if Vick will play Thursday at home in the third preseason game, even though the 29-year-old is eligible to take part in what would be his first game since Dec. 31, 2006.

"He'll announce it on Tuesday," offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said yesterday.

"Michael is a day-to-day deal. . . . I think he was in decent shape coming in, as far as in general. But football shape - moving, cutting, lateral movement, throwing the football, moving while he's throwing the football - I think he's in pretty good shape."

If the Eagles plan to use Vick against the Jacksonville Jaguars, they may have to contend with their quarterback's appearing in bankruptcy court beforehand. According to an ESPN.com report, Vick is scheduled to fly to Newport News, Va., on Wednesday evening for a 9:30 a.m. hearing Thursday that is expected to last until the afternoon.

The team told the Web site that the court date would not affect Vick's "game status."

Since his first practice, Vick has had increasingly more repetitions under center and has looked more confident each day. The Eagles are expected to use Vick in a host of other ways, but he has practiced as a quarterback.

Yesterday, as he has after every practice, Vick stayed and worked on his throws with starter Donovan McNabb and backup Kevin Kolb under the guidance of Mornhinweg.

"How does Michael look in the offense? At quarterback? He looks pretty good," Mornhinweg said. "It was a fairly seamless transition, even though he hadn't played for two years, because of the terminology, it's very similar."

Vick also played in a version of the West Coast offense during his six seasons in Atlanta.

Kolb was back at practice for the second straight day after sitting out for two weeks with a sprained knee ligament. Reid has declared Kolb his No. 2 quarterback even though Vick is in camp.

"The last two games will be important for him," Mornhinweg said.

Said Kolb: "I'm pumped. I feel like I missed out on the last couple of weeks. This is my time. I feel pretty good, up to par, and I'm looking forward to getting as many reps as possible." source>>>

USC, Syracuse Orange -College Football Odds, Predictions and Picks - College Football Betting: Contrary To Public Opinion, USC Is Not Rebuilding. A lot of people hate USC. When you are the best, that's expected. Check out the latest Syracuse Orange Football Odds.

Active ImageThe USC Trojans are expected to have a down year by the accounts of most pundits but if you take a good look at this roster, the Trojans are likely to win the Pac 10 again and are likely to make the Rose Bowl again. Updated USC College Football Odds.

While the Trojans are replacing their starting quarterback and arguably the best linebacking trio in school history, the Trojans still have the best offensive line in the nation and one of the deepest backfields. NFL Football Odds Easy Deposits Live NFL Football Picks Betting NFL Football Promotions

Their defense still looks just as strong as last year's record-setting unit and with the Pac 10 still weak, the Trojans should still dominate. College Football Predictions - This is a team that knows what it takes to win so don't be surprised if they do it again this year. Sign up for Free Sportsbook account- 75% Sign up Bonus on Your Deposit to Get you Started.

Sports Betting Promotions provides live NCAA football odds Free College Football Picks, College Football predictions, College Football scores and much more this NCAA football Odds season. Check out the handicappers at the site for College Football Picks and College Football Predictions. Don't miss this 2009 College Football season and start winning with our handicappers College Football Picks and College Football predictions. Don't forget to join us this fall for top handicappers College Football Picks and College Football predictions. Check the site daily for updated NCAA Football Odds and College Football Betting Odds. USC, Syracuse Orange -College Football Odds, Predictions and Picks. source>>>

Brock Lesnar Will Destroy Shane Carwin in UFC 106 Betting Odds: For those of you who hate Brock Lesnar, for one reason or another, and are waiting for him to surrender his UFC heavyweight title, UFC 106 Betting Odds makers at SportsBook.com have a message for you: don't hold your collective breaths!

That's right, UFC 106 Betting Odds have just been released, and it's predicted that UFC champ Brock Lesnar [-215 ML] Will Destroy Shane Carwin [+175 ML] at UFC 106 Betting Odds. Now, that might look extremely bad for Carwin fans and/or Lesnar haters, but in reality, is it really bad news?

Absolutely not, I say. Why? Simply because, if you believe that Lesnar will lose to Shane Carwin on November 12's main event at UFC 106 in Las Vegas, NV, this is your perfect opportunity for you to cash in on your UFC 106 Betting Odds Prediction. One thing that I can guarantee is that those UFC 106 Betting Odds will move. Now in which direction remains to be seen.

However, if I had to predict the UFC 106 Betting Odds line movements right now, and in whose favor it will shift, I would have to say that Carwin's +175 money line will not be as profitable as we near the UFC 106 fight. So don't wait, because if you believe that Shane Carwin will be the new UFC heavyweight champion, all you have to do is bet $100 on the unbeaten Carwin and he wins, you will end up with $275. It's that easy, try it now, Bet on UFC 106: Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin Betting Odds at SportsBook.com!

Also, if you're a Mixed Martial Arts fan and are going to be enjoying the Florida weather this holiday season, you can't afford not to watch UFC 106 at the only place where UFC fans get together to drink cold ones and catch UFC fights free of charge: Friday's Front Row! Considered Orlando's #1 Sports Bar and is located at 8126 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819. Believe me when I tell you that the staff will treat treat you like family, all while you enjoy the many drink specials, UFC Fight Prediction contests, and so much more! source>>>

Children who are nervous about the new school year can relax by practicing "mindfulness" during anxious moments, researchers say.

Experts at Duke University, in Durham, N.C., recommend mindfulness, which is a technique borrowed from meditation, to help children transition into the new school year and deal with many academic and social pressures.

"Making a transition, whether it's to a new school, a new teacher or a new grade, signals change," said Dr. Michelle Bailey, a pediatrician at Duke Integrative Medicine, in a news release from the university. "When adults are stressed, they often turn to smoking or alcohol or food to pacify emotions. We need to teach kids how to handle stress in a healthy way."

Mindfulness encourages children to live in the moment and not fret as much about future events, Bailey said. In addition, practicing meditative techniques can help children sleep better, reduce anxiety and stay more focused.

The following exercises can help young practitioners achieve a level of mindfulness:

* Mindful breathing: Ask the child to take time in the morning and evening to pay attention to his or her breathing for 20 inhales and exhales. Steady breathing has a calming effect on the body.
* Mindful walking: After dinner, take a walk and pay attention to all the sights, sounds and colors. Encourage the child to use this technique on the playground and at school.
* Mindful listening: At the dinner table, ring a bell or play a note on a musical instrument to capture the family's attention, then give each person a turn to speak about their day while the rest of the family gives their full attention, to encourage active listening.

To get the best results, Bailey suggests that families go to an accredited, mindfulness-based, stress-reduction program offered at many clinics and hospitals.

"Mindfulness helps kids recognize their thoughts, reconnect with their emotions and understand how that impacts their behavior," Bailey said in the news release. "Ultimately, if we can heighten awareness of our thoughts, we can modify our emotions and that changes behavior." source>>>

For kids these days, having "four eyes" means just having more eyes to love.

Glasses aren't the fashion don't for kids they once were, as wearers and manufacturers have realized they can be another accessory used to make a style statement. New frames could go on the back-to-school shopping list right between a backpack and moccasin boots.

"I started doing this long enough ago that the kids who wore glasses were called 'Four Eyes' and were ridiculed," says Jon Gruen, founder of eyewear retailer Optyx by Gruen in New York. "Now we have the opposite: Siblings of glasses wearers want glasses."

In fact, Scott Wynia, general manager at Eyeglass World in Lincoln, says he sees kids getting upset when they discover they don't need glasses.

Today teenagers and even younger children look upon glasses as a fashion accessory, sometimes owning several pair.

Take Wynia's 6-year-old daughter, Bailey. The first-grader has three or four pairs.

"We match them to her outfits," Wynia said.

Bailey's favorite pair are the bright red frames with diamond hearts on the front. Wynia admits being surprised when she picked out that pair. He was practically certain she'd go for one of the hot new "Hannah Montana" frames, which are huge among young girls.

Whereas frames of bright blues, reds, purples and lilac are the rage for girls, boys are selecting metal frames in metallic colors such as gun metal, silver or black. Many boys - and their parents - are going with titanium frames, which are more durable, Wynia said.

Kids, like their parents, are not relying on glasses merely for their utility, but what they say about them.

Parents no longer wear minimal, rimless specs, and neither are the kids, observes Pilar Guzman, editor in chief of Cookie magazine. Adult fashion is focused on horn-rimmed, Wayfarer-style or other vintage-inspired glasses, and she expects younger people to adopt those looks too.

"As always, the kids' trends tend to reflect adult trends," she says.

That said, kids glasses are also being designed specifically for them, said David Kovar, owner of Lincoln's Pearle Vision franchise.

"Some frame companies are designing frames just for kids. They are not just making smaller versions of adult frames," Kovar said.

Which is good, he said, because kids are not only harder on their specs, but their little faces need lighter-weight frames to rest comfortably on little ears and noses.

Most spectacle stores will only fit children's glasses with impact resistant polycarbonate lenses with UV protection, since "80 percent of the damage to our eyes is done before age 18," Wynia said.

Favorite youthful features in the industry now are flex-rubber grips on the back of frames and bright rainbow colors, according to Deb Lochli-McGrath, a New Jersey-based optician and spokeswoman for the Vision Council, an optical trade group.

Branding and licensing has helped broaden the appeal, with companies from toy companies to designer labels recognizing the potential of the children's market.

Susan Mason thought her now 10-year-old daughter Gabby would go straight for "Hannah Montana" or bright purple frames when she started wearing glasses 18 months ago. Mason, of Granger, Ind., was pleasantly surprised when Gabby picked tortoise-shell frames in a preppy style. "The color goes with her hair," she says. "She looks great."

There was a bit of teasing when she first got glasses, but her daughter took it in stride. She was happy to be able to see clearly, Mason recalls.

It did help that three other kids in the class also wore glasses. And Gabby says she thinks the glasses make her look smarter.

A lot of kids looking at her probably think the same thing, says Jeffrey J. Walline, assistant professor at Ohio State University College of Optometry. He has studied both how children with glasses perceive themselves and how peers view them.

Other than intelligence, glasses didn't affect how kids viewed one another in relation to sports skills, socialization, honesty, shyness or attractiveness in his testing, Walline reports. "'Smart kids wear glasses' is the way the media portrays it, and kids pick up on it," he says. "Smarter kids are always wearing glasses in movies, cartoons."

Still, he says, some kids wearing the glasses don't love them. Compared to young contact lens-wearers, those in the hard frames sometimes have lower self-esteem when it comes to appearance and their athletic ability.

If children - and especially young athletes - could think of their glasses as gear instead of "glasses," they'd probably get over any remaining stigma they might feel, suggests Linda Laube, vice president of marketing at Liberty Sport, manufacturer of protective eyewear.

Being able to match your glasses to team colors or brandish a Barbie or Nike logo makes a huge difference, Lochli-McGrath says. "Sure, you might have a child picking a brighter color than maybe mom wants, but it's a good thing. It means they're into it."

And kids can pull off those bright colors and frame embellishments better than most adults, Kovar said.

When it comes to teasing, here's what Kovar tells kids leaving his Pearle Vision stores: "Don't worry about getting teased. You're going to grow up to be the next Internet millionaire, because now you can see well. source>>>

I've had a chance to reflect on the penalties doled out to the University of Memphis basketball program.

A big part of the punishment came over Derrick Rose having someone take the SAT in his place.

I have a big problem with this whole situation.

Here is a simple question: which Division I coach would keep Rose out of the lineup after the NCAA declared him eligible to play? There is an NCAA clearinghouse that determines player eligibility and they told Memphis that Rose could play.

I don't believe there is a coach in America that wouldn't play him after the clearinghouse declared him eligible.

Why shouldn't they play the number one point guard when the governing body, on two occasions, declared him eligible.

The University of Memphis and then-coach John Calipari followed the rules and regulations. Compliance people did the best they could in finding out what the player's status was. The determination was simple: play him.

Then the NCAA found out later that someone else took the test. If that is true, fine, but the penalty in this situation is too harsh. Take away the cash that came from the championship game appearance.

Hitting the school in the wallet is a pretty stiff penalty. Taking away the 38 wins and the banner from that Final Four experience seems too harsh, especially when you consider the NCAA approved this young man's status.

No way they should vacate that banner and the wins.

I have said it once and I will say it again: whenever you are recruiting a kid with an academic risk, a superstar who surrounds himself with an entourage, trouble can follow. I have no trouble recruiting a kid who has some academic issues. If you put him in an environment where he has a better chance to make it, with good tutoring, then he has an opportunity to make it in the classroom.

When that star is surrounded by a cast of characters, then you run into a problem. The coach cannot control all the actions of that athlete, especially when he is receiving bad advice.

One of the biggest problems occuring now in college basketball is easy to figure. These stars are being blown out of proportion when they are in eighth, ninth and 10th grade. They listen to people telling them how good they are, and the egos get wacky, baby!

I understand that AAU competition, traveling all over the country, new sneaker deals, you name it ... they are treated like royalty.

The bottom line is, you have kids who can't handle it. Then there are the leeches that want part of the action.

It has hurt a lot of people along the way.

For the record, many aspects of AAU competition are positive, giving young men a great experience of playing against the creme de la creme to improve their skills. There are a lot of coaches who care about the kids and do the right things.

It is great when you read about athletes who do things the right way. Remember the likes of Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Grant Hill, Danny Manning and Michael Jordan. They all wore the uniform in a classy and proper manner.

They enjoyed their time on college campuses, and the entourages were not there to inflate their egos.

John Calipari is being maligned by people who are against him. They scream that he coached two schools that ended up vacating their Final Four appearances. They say this is a pattern of wrongdoing.

Oh really?

Was it Calipari's fault that Marcus Camby took money from an agent? It has been stated that Calipari was not involved in this Rose issue.

If you are anti-Calipari, you will have your ammunition and you will whack away at him. Whenever you are a high-profile success like Calipari, you are going to take some shots.

When it is all said and done, his days at Kentucky will solve a lot of problems. He will win, win, win in the Bluegrass State.

I recently spoke to Calipari and he is so motivated and fired up to bring success to Lexington. He wants to do it the right way.

Think about this. He has had around 100 players during his days as a Division I head coach. Has any of his players come out and accused him of giving them cash? Have they been given clothes, a car, anything? Has anyone ever said Calipari himself was cheating?

There has never been any complaints in those areas.

You can only do so much as a coach. You try to keep people away from your players. You talk about it, you attempt to monitor it, you preach it. Kids have to make the decisions and some make bad ones.

I say to the NCAA, there is an appeal from the University of Memphis. I say, come on, look in the mirror. The governing body said the young man can play. He played, he performed, they won. It is not fair to take away the 38 wins and that championship game banner. Punish the school by taking back the money. That is the penalty they deserve. source>>>

More and more eBay sellers are learning to turn thrift store finds into cash on eBay. Thrifting is hard work as it involves a lot of looking, sorting, rummaging, and can be time consuming and exhausting. Since 2003, I have sold over 18,000 items on eBay as a one-person opeation, most of the items from thrift stores. I will be the first to tell you that the work is demanding. For those who enjoy the thrill of the hunt, here are a few time-saving tips to help you make the most of a visit to a thrift store.

1) Timing is everything. Thrifting requires energy and concentration. Plan to go when you are at your mental and physical best. Avoid crowds if at all possible. Shop on weekday mornings and avoid weekends when the stores are more crowded.

2) Understand the sales and special discounts. Many thrift stores run a variety of sales using color coded tags, sometimes offering discounts of 50%, 75%, or even more off their regular daily prices. Ask what's on sale when you walk in. Some thrift stores have Senior Citizens days where seniors of a certain age get a special percentage discount. And if you find stores that offer a discount for seniors, see if you can find a neighbor, friend, or relative to go with you to help you get that discount, especially if you plan on buying a lot of merchandise at once.

3) Learn about the thrift store's return policy. All return policies are all different. Write them down, store this information in your cell phone, or commit them to memory. Some will take returns for store credit only, but within a certain time frame, such as 30 days. Some don't take returns at all. Familiarize yourself with the return policy so you will know what your options are if you get home with something and discover it is damaged or you change your mind about selling it.

4) Focus on shopping for your store, not for yourself. This is a warning: don't get carried away. Remember that you are shopping for items to sell for profit. Once I was training a client on thrift store shopping and she spent the whole 3 hours in the store distracted by all the things she wanted to buy for herself. She couldn't separate shopping for her store from shopping for herself. If I need clothes for myself or my kids, I go do my eBay shopping first, pay for those items, and take them out to the car. Then, I go back into the store to shop for myself. Business before pleasure - stay focused on shopping for profit.

5) Plan your route carefully. Thrift stores tend to cluster together in certain areas of town. Plan your day to visit as many shops in the area as you have the time and energy for. Different charities that operate the thrift stores and each tend to appeal to a different kind of donor. Therefore, each store will have different kinds of stock so keep that in mind when you are making your rounds. Some thrift stores concentrate on furniture while others are mostly clothes and toys. Consider what type of products you are seeking and visit the stores that carry the most of your desired product line. Click here for a free list of thrift store items to sell on eBay. source>>>

If you are an eBay buyer as well as a seller, you may notice that sellers set up their categories differently. Here is a strategy that I use to maximize SEO (search engine optimization) and drive more traffic to my eBay listings.

First, set up your store preferences so that the navigation bar showing all of your categories is on every single listing. You can do this by following these steps: Manage my store > Listing frame > Under "Listing Frame Features" click the radio button next to "show my store listing header and left navigation bar in my listings." This will put all of your categories on every listing in your store.

Next, add subcategories to your main categories using brand names of the items in your store. You can still keep your items categorized by size, gender, color, etc. The key is to display on the left hand navigation bar so that the search engines can see them.

Let's look at an example. A seller offers gourmet coffee, coffee cups, and other coffee accessories in her eBay store. This seller can set up her categories as coffee beans, ground coffee, cups and mugs, filters, coffee flavorings, and coffee gift baskets. Then, under coffee beans, the seller lists the brand names such as Green Mountain Coffee, Gevalia Coffee, Starbucks Coffee, Dunkin Donuts Coffee, and so on. She does this in every category and lists out the brand name of all of her items.

Now, instead of having a few pages with each of these key words on them, every single page in the seller's store has all of these key words on them. Our coffee seller has just exponentially increased the number of times a key word is used in her store. This also increases brand recognition in the store, so customers can easily see that she carries Green Mountain Coffee beans if that is what they are seeking.

You want to use your store categories wisely and strategically. eBay allows you to create up to 300 product categories for easy buyer navigation. This type categorization helps buyers find what they are looking for quickly and it also increases the probability that your store will be indexed with major search engines. It may take a while for you to reorganize your categories to make this strategy work for you, but it is worth the time to reorganize.

Have an eBay question? Contact me by accessing my page on All Experts. Be sure to subscribe to The eBay Examiner and have these articles delivered directly to your email inbox. source>>>

The reliably astounding George Strait has done it again. This week his new album, Twang, tops not only Billboard's country chart but also the trade magazine's all-genre Billboard 200 list. Twang sold just over 155,000 copies its first seven days out, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Another prize performer, Taylor Swift, enjoys her second week at No. 1 on Billboard's country song chart via her co-penned "You Belong With Me."

Newcomer Justin Moore scores a very impressive debut with his self-titled CD. It screeches in at No. 3. The week's third and final new album is Willie Nelson's Lost Highway, which bows at No. 29.

There are five first-time songs: Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" (popping in at No. 50), Jamey Johnson's "My Way to You" (No. 56), Big Kenny's "Long After I'm Gone" (No. 57), Steel Magnolia's "Keep On Lovin' You" (No. 58) and Blaine Larsen's "It Did" (No. 59).

Albums returning to the chart are Bill Gaither Presents: Country Bluegrass Homecoming volumes one and two resurfacing at No. 49 and No. 52, respectively, Jimmy Wayne's Do You Believe Me Now (No. 70), Ronnie Milsap's Then Sings My Soul: 24 Favorite Hymns and Gospel Songs (No. 72) and Hank Williams III's Damn Right Rebel Proud (No. 74).

Rounding out this week's Top 5 albums are Swift's Fearless (No. 2), Sugarland's Live on the Inside (No. 4) and the Zac Brown Band's The Foundation (No. 5).

The No. 2 through No. 5 songs, in that order, are Darius Rucker's "Alright," Jason Aldean's "Big Green Tractor," Rascal Flatts' "Summer Nights" and Billy Currington's "People Are Crazy." source>>>

"That was one of my wife's proudest moments, I think," Brad Paisley told reporters Thursday afternoon (Aug. 20). He was referring to his recent White House performance where he dedicated the tender love ballad, "Then," to President Obama and the first lady.

"When she [Kimberly Williams-Paisley] got involved with this redneck hick from Tennessee, I don't think she ever saw herself in the East Room of the White House being serenaded," he said.

Much like his music, Paisley effortlessly transitioned from serious songwriter to funnyman as he answered questions prior to the party at Nashville's ASCAP headquarters to celebrate the No. 1 success of "Then."

"Being able to dedicate that to the first couple -- and being able to rib them a little bit with the joke of Air Force One flying around New York on a romantic night or whatever -- was a lot of fun for me," he chuckled.

"Then," Paisley's fastest-rising single to date, spent three weeks atop Billboard's country chart.

"I really realized how romantic this song is through the eyes of the people that buy the records and come out to the shows," he said. "I say something almost every night at the end of the song ... which is, 'I hope you're in love tonight. And if you're not, I hope you fall in love tonight.'"

Paisley's co-writers, Chris DuBois and Ashley Gorley, were also at the celebration where they were each awarded several plaques commemorating the song's popularity. Just a few months prior, DuBois and Gorley celebrated another No. 1 single, Darius Rucker's "It Won't Be Like This for Long."

DuBois has written more than a half dozen songs with Paisley, including his current single, "Welcome to the Future." Gorley's songwriting credits include Carrie Underwood's "Don't Forget to Remember Me" and Trace Adkins' "You're Gonna Miss This." Both of the songwriters thanked their significant others for the core motivation behind their newest hit, "Then."

"Thanks to our wives for the inspiration for this song" DuBois said.

"This kind of song, we definitely lean on them for making sure it hits them right," added Gorley.

When it was Paisley's turn to speak, he reiterated their thoughts by saying, "Our wives -- you are the reason we wrote this song. [Thanks] for great advice on how to write songs. We couldn't do this without that inspiration."

Sony BMG Nashville chairman Joe Galante and Frank Rogers, Paisley's long-time producer, were also in attendance Thursday. "Then" marks Rogers' 25th No. 1 single, and after much coaxing from Paisley, he took the microphone for a humble, "Thank you."

But it was Paisley who brought the celebration to a close as he spent his time showing appreciation for not only his wife and the co-writers' wives but also music industry executives, his record label and the fans. He also thanked country radio programmers who "have obviously played my records entirely too much."

To document the amount of airplay the single received, Paisley said, "I got a tweet from somebody this week that's like, 'All right, I loved 'Then.' I thought I loved it then. Now I don't love it anymore. I've heard it too much."

Smiling he added, "This is a good problem to have."
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"God is great. Beer is good. And people are crazy," Billy Currington sings every day and night these days, especially after it hit No. 1. But when he sang it on The Late Show With David Letterman, the show's host allowed, "This song will be played on jukeboxes for the next thousand years." He called Billy "my hero" as he slid his arm around his back. "I dearly, dearly love this song," Letterman added. "It's absolutely perfect. ... If I was the people running country music, I'd shut it down now!" Bobby Braddock wrote the song with Troy Jones. I'm proud to say that Bobby Braddock is the best country songwriter alive today. He's been writing hits -- such as "He Stopped Loving Her Today" -- for more than 30 years. source>>>

Nothing gets under my fingernails (and toenails) faster and deeper than somebody who doesn't know country music and doesn't care about the stars but still goes headstrong into flapping computer keys while finding new and different ways to take cheap shots at our music and artists.

For instance, news of Brooks & Dunn's "hanging up of the spurs" broke via Entertainment Tonight even before the duo said a word -- much less made an official announcement. This caused hurt, but ET did not give a flip. Fans and friends of country music have feelings.

And Scott Brown, who writes the "Hit List" column for Entertainment Weekly thought he was being funny, cute and smart when he wrote, "Brooks & Dunn are done. Well, there goes my weekend. I've got about 50 posters to cut in two." That's just a smart aleck putdown. (Yuk, yuk.) Brown knows how to spell Dunn two ways -- as in "done." Big deal.

I sure don't think I'm smart, not even clever. Lord knows, I make mistakes. But I want to make a point here. If somebody needs to say something funny or to simply poke fun over the Brooks & Dunn split, it ought to be someone who has some long-term understanding of country music.

Also in Entertainment Weekly, Whitney Pastorek wrote a review of George Strait's new album, Twang. I have to give her credit because she correctly called the Strait man's voice "hallowed" in her first sentence and even calls him "King George" in the first paragraph. Pastorek is somewhat of a fan or at least did her homework in mentioning some of Strait's career achievements. She did not criticize the album or the contents, although I felt she should have mentioned Dean Dillon's contribution since he's made a real fine living penning hits for George Strait through the years. Other than that, I have no complaints about her review.

However, I do have a question for Pastorek: Why the hell did you give him a "B" grade? "B" is average -- and Twang isn't an average record. He earned an "A." And with 155,000 copies sold the first week, the Strait-man's brand new album zoomed to No. 1 on Billboard's country chart and knocked Michael Jackson's Number Ones from the top of the Billboard 200. That's an "A-plus" achievement for sure. Yeah, big George!

Shania Twain, Paula Abdul and American Idol
Yes, there were times during almost every American Idol show when Paula Abdul seemed loopy. She came to Nashville and appeared on the CMT Music Awards, where she slurred words and seemed to be ... well ... not so quick on her feet and not so quick with her words. But if Ryan Seacrest is worth $10 million annually to host AI, I'd say Paula is well worth more than the $5 million she was reportedly offered to judge the next season.

If Paula was a Hollywood male who had an accomplished career equal to hers, there would be no question about it. The powers that be would have offered her a lot more money. (Of course, if somebody wanted to give me the $2 million she was reportedly making already, I'd gladly accept the offer on hands and knees in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre wearing my birthday suit.) Simon's salary is obscene -- around $30 million a year, according to The New York Times -- but he's worth it. People watch that show to recall his antics the next day around the office coffee urn or water cooler.

It is peculiar, though, that Randy Jackson's salary has not been mentioned anywhere I've seen. It makes me wonder if it's a "pay the female less" issue.

Now, I read where they've approached Shania Twain about filling Paula's seat. If nothing else, Shania is scheduled to be a guest judge during the preliminary auditions in Chicago. Shania would definitely work for the show. She's a beauty. And she won't take any crap from Simon because she's smarter than he is. source>>>