Source: http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/9/24/2446359/ufc-135-rashad-evans-jon-jones-vs-rampage-jackson
Saturday, 24 September 2011
'Majors & Minors': Kinder 'Idol' for Tweens?
You have to be 15 to try out for American Idol, and even if you make it, you're competing against contestants who may have a decade or more experience than you. So what's a talented tween to do?
Now, these young aspiring singers have their own forum -- a new reality show, Majors & Minors. The series, which premieres Friday at 8 p.m. ET on The Hub, is a singing competition that brings together several established artists (the "majors") with 12 aspiring singers between the ages of 10 and 16 (the "minors"). Take a look at the preview below!
And no, this isn't a kid version of Idol. That's already been done, when Idol spun off American Juniors in the summer of 2003. That show failed to catch on, and went away after one season.
Majors and Minors is different. Technically, it's a competition, with the winner receiving a recording deal with RCA/Jive Label Group and an opportunity to be featured in a cross-country concert tour. But no one gets voted off. Instead, all 12 competitors will get acquainted with the music business through time spent in state-of-the-art music studios, with those who've already made it -- including Adam Lambert, Avril Lavigne, Brandy, Colbie Caillat, Leona Lewis, Jordin Sparks, Sean Kingston, Will.i.am, and OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder.
"It's not about critiquing, it's about uplifting," Brandy told E! Online. A big fan of the show's kinder, gentler approach, she said, "I think when you're that young, if you were to get voted off, it would mess with you mentally…in some way that's connected to losing. Even though it's not, because so many people have been voted off shows and become huge superstars. Jennifer Hudson, by the way."
Brandy was particularly impressed by 10-year-old Ashley Nicole Greene, who belted out Etta James' "At Last" and made it her own.
"These children are just amazing," said Brandy. "They're very very young, and they know exactly who they are. And that's the scary part, because we're supposed to…give them advice. I really didn't know what to say when I was there. I was trying to find something to say so I could sound cool on camera, but it was mind-blowing how these kids knew exactly who they were."
Source: http://www.ivillage.com/majors-minors-kinder-idol-tweens/1-a-385260
Looking forward to a rare break
In Budapest
There are some questions that you hardly ever hear when working in and around the Formula 1 circus and "are you having a holiday?" is certainly one of them.
Such is the constant nature of a season: the relentless march of race followed by race means the concept of a holiday tends to be alien to all F1 personnel from March to November.
However, that doesn't apply today. As I write this blog, I'm sitting waiting for the plane to fly us home, and the various F1 team members, still wearing their kit, are discussing what they will do to fill the gap between now and the next race, the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa at the end of August.
Well, I have my break already mapped out as I've a very important job to do. My awesome little brother Tom is getting married this month so I have Best Man duties to perform.
It can be so easy to get caught up in the F1 bubble and lose perspective of what is really important in life. Particularly this weekend, when at times it has seemed like the whole world revolves around the BBC and Formula 1.
It was certainly all we talked about among ourselves. Well, now that the race is over I can press the reset button and remind myself that family and occasions like 'Nipper's' wedding is actually the 'real world' and it helps put things into perspective.
Next weekend is the stag do but I can't write anything about it here in case he reads it. I'll need my speech written the weekend after, and then it's a family barbeque seven days after that.
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When I got married, the speech went on for 40 minutes and I'm sure I'll be under strict instructions not to go on too much this time!
I'll also find space for a break, and apart from that it's time to recharge the batteries - and boy do I need it, especially after this weekend.
So, let's talk about the news about the UK TV rights which emerged over the weekend.
Having a broad understanding of television, the state the wider industry is in, and the challenges facing my own employer is essential for me. It helps me do my job better, understand how various decisions are taken, and plan for the future.
Against that backdrop I had a sense that there was a very real threat that F1 was going to be lost from the BBC for good after this year and I knew that various conversations were taking place at a much higher level than I am privy to.
I, like many of you, had seen the headlines over the past month and I suspected that we would get some news sooner rather than later. However, contrary to popular belief I didn't have the inside track on what was happening and on Thursday evening I went for dinner and then bed thinking it was set to be just like any other race weekend.
I then woke up at 7am as my phone was ringing - Ben Gallop the BBC F1 boss had flown to Budapest, was in the lobby of the hotel and had news on the TV deal.
The next few hours went by in something of a haze. There was some understandable sadness and confusion as the news sunk in that things were changing. I think my breakfast consisted of one mouthful of coffee.
I honestly believe there is only one way to do this job and it is to give 100% at all times. Since 2009 we have constantly looked to change, evolve and improve our coverage every week and I'm really proud of the job we've done.
Despite the jet lag, hours spent in airports and cramped journeys across the globe (the flip-side to the 'glamour' of F1!), every member of the production team on camera and behind the scenes feel so blessed and lucky to do this job - and our only aim has been to produce the best output for the audience. That has always been the mantra: keeping you guys and your entertainment at the centre of our decisions.
My highlights so far include: interviewing Max Mosley in 2009 as a breakaway threat loomed, when he ended up calling Flavio Briatore a "loony"; bringing you as close as possible to the sport when we were in the garage as Jenson Button won the world title; and our Bafta-winning show from Abu Dhabi last year, when we saw Sebastian Vettel crowned the youngest ever champion.
I can honestly say I have never worked with a more talented or dedicated team. From free practice early on a Friday to the F1 Forum that often finishes two hours after the race, we try to get you to the heart of the drama.
I love standing next to Eddie Jordan and David Coulthard in the paddock - and thank you for inviting us into your living rooms every weekend. I know how special it is to be in this position, and you have made it such a pleasure with your feedback and loyalty.
Now, please don't take the above as me saying those days are over! It's just inevitable that after the news of the weekend, and the messages of support we've received, I can't help but reflect on what we've done since March 2009 and how we've gone about doing it.
Trust me that we will be working even harder to make the end of this year a resounding success on the BBC and looking to be stronger, better and more professional than ever.
There's no disguising that from next year it will be different. I know it is frustrating for you to not yet know the finer detail - and as soon as we have it worked out, you will be the first to know.
From the presenting team to the races we cover live, to the transmission times of the highlights shows and how we make those a success too. You will again be central to how the BBC make those decisions.
And after 2011 please be assured of this: the BBC will endeavour to make the overall F1 offering as enthralling and compelling as possible. We never take our work for granted and we will be always be driven by that desire to produce the best shows for you, our audience.
I think the drama on the track, coupled with the kind of treatment the media as a whole has given it recently, has taken Formula 1 to new people and new heights. From 2012 onwards it won't be quite the same on the BBC - but the effort and passion invested in covering the sport certainly won't diminish.
I'm proud of what we continue to bring you - this weekend being yet another reminder of what this incredible sport can deliver, and I look forward to sharing more moments like Jenson's win after the summer break.
Have a great summer. I'm off to get working on that speech...
Jake
If you would like to comment on the new UK television rights deal, please go to the BBC's head of F1 Ben Gallop's blog on that subject
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/jakehumphrey/2011/08/looking_forward_to_a_rare_brea.html
Friday, 23 September 2011
'Moneyball' Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know
Brad Pitt baseball movie almost didn't happen.
By Eric Ditzian
Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill in "Moneyball"
Photo: Columbia Pictures
As far as baseball books go, Michael Lewis' "Moneyball" isn't exactly an obvious candidate for Hollywood's adaptation machine. It's filled with geeky tales about the importance of obscure stats like "wins above replacement," the founding of fantasy sports and the evolution of a guy named Bill James from factory worker to baseball deity.
Yet at the center of the story is the quest of Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane to turn his small-market, cash-poor ballclub into a perennial champion. And it's that story that forms the heart of Brad Pitt's "Moneyball," an underdog sports narrative quite at home among its Hollywood antecedents.
It almost didn't happen. But like the 2002 A's, "Moneyball" beat the odds and landed in theaters on Friday (September 23). Here, in cheat-sheet form, is the story of how it all came to pass.
Spring Training
The adaptation came together in late 2008, with Pitt taking on the Beane role, Steve Zaillian ("Schindler's List," "Gangs of New York") signing on to pen the script and "Devil Wears Prada" helmer David Frankel attached to direct. Steven Soderbergh, though, soon stepped into the director's chair (or, at least, he planned to; there'd be more roster shakeups in "Moneyball" land before cameras rolled).
"My clearly stated goal is to set a new standard for realism in that [sports] world," Soderbergh told MTV News in the spring of '09. "I hope it sets a new standard. Hopefully, anybody who makes a sports movie from now on is going to have to grapple with this."
Struggling in the Big Leagues
Production was slated to begin that summer, but Sony, concerned about the commercial viability of Soderbergh's take, called for a directorial pinch hitter only days before the cinematic first pitch was to be thrown. Pitt remained hopeful.
"My gut says yes," Pitt told MTV News in August when asked whether "Moneyball" could see a ninth-inning rally. "[W]e're still trying to re-mount it. I hope we get to do it soon."
It took a while, but Pitt's prediction proved correct. "Capote" director Bennett Miller boarded the project that December, reportedly beating out "(500) Days of Summer" helmer Marc Webb for the gig. Aaron Sorkin rewrote the script and Jonah Hill signed on to play Beane's assistant (a role loosely based on Paul DePodesta, now a player-development exec with the New York Mets). Hill was an unexpected pick for the dramatic role, but the actor laughed with us last year that he wouldn't ruin the film.
"I earned the part," he said. "Every guy who is in their twenties and making movies was after that part, and it was a very tough thing. I'm really proud to have earned it, you know?"
Play Ball
Shooting began in the summer of '10. It'd be a full year before the first trailer for the film hit the Web. Gone was a great deal of the baseball nerdery, as well as Soderbergh's initial plan to present Bill James in the form of an animated narrator. Instead, Miller delivered a straightforward sports movie: Adversity! Triumph against the odds! More adversity!
"These are guys that are working in an unfair game," Pitt explained to us recently. "They are a team with no money trying to fight — it's David vs. Goliath. How are they going to be competitive? How are they going to stand a chance? They can't fight the other guys' fight; they're going to lose every time. These guys had to rethink it and rethink what they were doing."
Check out everything we've got on "Moneyball."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related VideosSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1671241/moneyball-brad-pitt-jonah-hill.jhtml
Travis Browne Thinks Rob Broughton Will Be Tougher Than Stefan Struve
Filed under: UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, News, Videos
DENVER -- MMA Fighting spoke to heavyweight Travis Browne on Thursday about his UFC 135 fight against Rob Broughton, why he thinks Broughton is tougher than his previous opponent, Stefan Struve, his improvements as a fighter, why he switched camps, his place in the heavyweight division and much more.
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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/09/22/travis-browne-thinks-rob-broughton-will-be-tougher-than-stefan-s/
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