KEISHA tackles...

Women's Professional Football

Your girl, Keisha, has been offered the opportunity to tryout and possibly get on a women’s professional football team. The New York Sharks is the only women’s tackle football team in the area.

Now for those that know me, trying out and making a football team is not a challenge for me (in my prime). The real challenge is trying out and possibly making a football team with less than ZERO days of training and conditioning at the age of 30.

Follow me as I push myself to the limit and test my strength against the Tri-state area’s toughest women.

For those that I wondering about the position that I might play, well, I was thinking that I might fit the role of Quarterback or wide receiver and I definitely want to be on special teams as kickoff return to display my “dipping” skills that I learned from back in the days in the Gesner parking lot.

My tryout will be with the New York Sharks on Saturday, January 23 at 9am in Brooklyn, NY.

--

UPDATE:

I made the team!!!

Help Haiti

• Action Against Hunger, 877-777-1420
• Agape Flights, 941-584-8078
• American Red Cross, 800-733-2767, Text "HAITI" to "90999" to Donate $10 via cellphone
• American Refugee Committee, 800-875-7060
• American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, 212-687-6200
• American Jewish World Service, 212-792-2900
• AmeriCares, 800-486-4357
• Beyond Borders, 866-424-8403
• B'nai B'rith International, 202-857-6600
• CARE, 800-521-2273
• CarmaFoundation
• Catholic Relief Services, 800-736-3467
• Childcare Worldwide, 800-553-2328
• Church World Services, 800-297-1516
• Clinton Foundation, 501-748-0471, Text "HAITI" to 20222 to donate $10 to Haiti relief
• Clinton Bush Haiti Fund
• Concern Worldwide, 212-557-8000
• Convoy of Hope, 417-823-8998
• Cross International, 800-391-8545
• CRUDEM Foundation, 413-642-0450
• CRWRC, 800-55-CRWRC
• Direct Relief International, 805-964-4767
• Doctors Without Borders, 888-392-0392
• Episcopal Relief and Development, 800-334-7626
• Feed My Starving Children, 763-504-2919
• Food for the Poor, 800-427-9104
• Friends of WFP, 866-929-1694
• Friends of the Orphans, 312-386-7499
• Habitat for Humanity, 1-800-422-4828
• Haiti Children, 877-424-8454
• Haiti Foundation Against Poverty
• Haiti Marycare, 203-675-4770
• Haitian Health Foundation, 860-886-4357
• Healing Hands for Haiti, 651-769-5846
• Hope for Haiti, 239-434-7183
• International Child Care, 800-722-4453
• International Medical Corps, 800-481-4462
• International Rescue Committee, 877-733-8433
• International Relief Teams, 619-284-7979
• Islamic Relief USA, 888-479-4968
• Lions Club International Foundation, 630-203-3836
• Lutheran World Relief, 800-597-5972
• Medical Benevolence Foundation, 800-547-7627
• Medical Teams International, 800-959-4325
• Meds and Food for Kids, 314-420-1634
• Mennonite Central Committee, 888-563-4676
• Mercy Corps, 888-256-1900
• Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, 800-306-9950
• New Life for Haiti, 815-436-7633
• Operation Blessing, 800-730-2537
• Operation USA, 800-678-7255
• Oxfam, 800-776-9326
• Partners in Health, 617-432-5298
• RHEMA International, 248-652-9894
• Rural Haiti Project, 347-405-5552
• The Salvation Army, 800-725-2769
• Samaritan's Purse, 828-262-1980
• Save the Children, 800-728-3843
• ShelterBox
• UN Central Emergency Response Fund
• UNICEF, 800-367-5437
• United Methodist Committee on Relief, 800-554-8583
• World Concern, 800-755-5022
• World Hope International, 888-466-4673
• World Relief, 800-535-5433
• World Vision, 888-511-6548
• Yele Haiti, 212-352-0552, Wyclef Jean's grassroots org, Text Yele to 501501 to donate $5 via cellphone

Did You Know?

Denver public schools attempted to honor Martin Luther King Jr. by providing a "Southern Style" lunch menu of fried chicken and collard greens — a meal that some say is an offensive caricature of black culture.

Denver Public Schools apologized for what it called a "well-intentioned but highly insensitive" attempt to honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14176531

I laugh at this because when did fried chicken become a serious way to honor black people and such a person of that stature? Anyway.

Oprah's Golden Ticket Contest

To celebrate the 10th year of circulation for O, The Oprah Magazine, Oprah is giving away ten Golden Tickets of a lifetime, "Live Your Best Life Weekend" from May 7-9.  The prize includes an all-expense paid trip for you and a guest to New York City for an extravaganza to celebrate the magazine's tenth year success, and of Oprah.

In the February issue of "O" the Golden Ticket sweepstakes will be featured  on the cover of the issue, labeled “Enter to win a trip to O’s 10th anniversary bash! Your golden ticket is inside.” The issue will contain envelopes in which  readers will find 10-digit codes to be entered on a section of a Oprah's website (oprah.com/goldenticket) to learn if they have won.

The festivities include seminars with Suze Orman, Nate Berkus, Martha Beck, and an evening with Oprah at Radio City Music Hall.  The positive message of Oprah's magazine is going to flow all weekend.  Pick you your O Magazine today to see if you got the Golden Ticket.

You can also purchase tickets to the "Live Your Best Life Weekend". The tickets go on sale on March 15, so the sweepstakes gives readers of the magazine an early chance to be there. The February issue is on its way to subscribers and is due on newsstands next week.

Simon says... Goodbye to Idol

Simon Cowell, the famed judge of American Idol, announced today that he will leave the show after this season and start a new singing competition show, “The X Factor”, on Fox starting in 2011. Like “Idol,” “The X Factor”, will feature young singers, judges and voting by viewers.

No replacement judge has been talked about as of yet. Which I’m pretty sure they have someone in the wing, since Simon was talking about leaving the show for the past year now.

Just a few nights ago, I was watching TMZ and they asked Randy Jackson (the other judge) what he thought about Simon leaving the show, Randy looked shocked as hell, asked where they heard that and was like don’t believe everything you read.

Well Randy, umm, what should I believe, cause Simon is out! Maybe you guys can still make the show as successful as it has been with Simon. Maybe.

Anyway, Simon is leaving to do the same damn thing. What’s up with England have great shows and the US copying it, then we forgot where the idea came from. Ahh, America.

We’ll see how this year plays out with Simon, Randy, Ellen and the other girl.

Quote of the Week

As a business, we mourn the loss of any member, but the fact remains that our members demand the high standard of beauty be upheld. Letting fatties roam the site is a direct threat to our business model and the very concept for which BeautifulPeople.com was founded.

-Robert Hintze, founder of BeautifulPeople.com

Reported in the  New York Daily News, Elite social networking site BeautifulPeople.com caused a stir this week after its members voted to oust some 5,000 users from its site for becoming less than beautiful.

Did You Know? US vs HIV

There was a ban on HIV infected individuals from entering the US? I don't think I knew that fully. For some reason the US thought that would help. The history of HIV/AIDS in the United States began in about 1969, when HIV likely entered the United States through a single infected immigrant from Haiti (allegedly).

I guess based on the history on how HIV got into the US, the American approach to containment has been to maintain strict entry controls to the country for people with HIV or AIDS. Under legislation enacted by the United States Congress in 1993, patients found importing anti-HIV medication into the country were arrested and placed on flights back to their country of origin.

However, on Monday, the United States lifted the 22-year ban that prevented people with HIV/AIDS from entering the country.

The ban wasn't compatible with U.S. plans to lead the fight against HIV/AIDS, said President Barack Obama, BBC News reported.

A couple of years ago Michelle and I were in Africa and we tried to combat the stigma when we were in Kenya by taking a public HIV/AIDS test.  And I'm proud to announce today we're about to take another step towards ending that stigma.Twenty-two years ago, in a decision rooted in fear rather than fact, the United States instituted a travel ban on entry into the country for people living with HIV/AIDS.  Now, we talk about reducing the stigma of this disease -- yet we've treated a visitor living with it as a threat.  We lead the world when it comes to helping stem the AIDS pandemic -- yet we are one of only a dozen countries that still bar people from HIV from entering our own country.If we want to be the global leader in combating HIV/AIDS, we need to act like it.

-President Barack Obama, On Ending The HIV Ban

Congress and FORMER President Bush began this process last year.

Photo of the Week

Haven't see an image like this for the Jets in a long while...

The New York Jets closed Giants Stadium with a shower of confetti and a 37-0 shutout of the Cincinnati Bengals, earning a playoff berth in the final contest at a 34-year-old building that’s hosted the most National Football League games in history.

So it be written... So it never to be said Again

2010 Banned Words and Phrases

Lake Superior State University released their 35th annual List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness.

Here is the complete 2010 list:

1. Shovel-ready
2. Transparent/Transparency
3. Czar
4. Tweet
5. App
6. Sexting
7. Friend as a verb
8. Teachable Moment
9. In These Economic Times ...
10. Stimulus
11. Toxic Assets
12. Too Big to Fail
13. Bromance
14. Chillaxin'

This list is fine an all for the "general public", but for my environment there are a whole other list of words that needs to be retired immediately.

Year in Review 2009

I'm just gonna go right in (no particular order). There is so much more that happened in 2009, but these are just some from MY PERSPECTIVE....

1. Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44^th and first African American, President of the United States. Pow!
2. Air France Flight 447, en route from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Paris, crashes into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 228 on board. (1)
3. The outbreak of the H1N1 influenza strain, commonly referred to as "swine flu", is deemed a global pandemic.
4. Yemenia Flight 626 crashes off the coast of Moroni, Comoros, killing all but one of the 153 passengers and crew. (2)
5. Sweden assumes the presidency of the European Union. [Had a great time in Stockholm]
6. A public memorial service is held for Michael Jackson. It is regarded as one of the most prominent funerals of all time. [Flashing Lights]
7. Caspian Airlines Flight 7908 crashes near Qazvin, Iran, killing all 168 on board. (3)
8. The International Olympic Committee awards the 2016 Summer Olympics to Rio de Janeiro. [Sorry Chicago]
9. Nobel Peace Prize – Barack Obama – Okay then.
10. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger – ummm, wow
11. David Letterman – never brought his work home
12. Tiger Woods – Pimpin’ ain’t easy
13. Died May 9 – Chuck Daly, basketball coach (born 1930)
14. Died June 25 – Farrah Fawcett (born 1947) - cancer
15. Died June 25 – Michael Jackson (born 1958) - everything
16. Died August 25 – Ted Kennedy (born 1932) - cancer
17. Died September 14 – Patrick Swayze (born 1952) - cancer
18. Died December 20 – Brittany Murphy (born 1977) - deferred
19. Died Natasha Richardson - skiing
20. Died Billy Mays - drugs
21. Died David Carradine – freaky hanging
22. Died Steve McNair - bullet
23. Died boxer Vernon Forrest - bullet
24. Died boxer Arturo Gatti – wife (allegedly)
25. DJ Am – drugs
26. Heath Ledger - drugs
27. Chris Henry - drama
28. John Forte pardoned by Bush - Luckkky
29. Virgin Megastore closes in NYC - eh
30. Spring Valley, NY keeps up the good work on Manhunters - Geez
31. Sony finally gives on the PS3 price
32. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - nuff said
33. Hennessey goes Black - yes
34. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra - sucked, hope they do it over like they did the Hulk
35. Yankees win World Series - someone cares
36. Jay Leno retires - sort of
37. OJ goes to Jail - this guy
38. The Bailout of 2009 - let us fly in our own private jets to Washington to ask for money because we're broke
39. Horse Racing Hijacked by 2 Female Phenoms
40. She turns 30 - Me!

RIP to all the young friends and family in Spring Valley, NY who lost their lives in 2009.

LIBERATE YOUR KICKS

Recycle Your Worn-Out Shoes at Liberty vs. Sparks on July 9

Put your worn-out kicks back on the court during WNBA Green Week! Join the New York Liberty and Nike Reuse-A-Shoe for a special shoe recycling night on July 9, as the Liberty face off against the Sparks right here in New York. Just bring your old athletic shoes to the Mall Entrance of Madison Square Garden through halftime of the game and drop them in the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe bin and we just might have some Nike Grind samples to check out, or even Nike Reuse-A-Shoe giveaways. So if you live in NYC, don't miss out - learn more >>

Nike will recycle your shoes into a raw material called Nike Grind, which is used in new basketball courts and other sports surfaces, like playgrounds, tracks and turf fields — keeping millions of shoes out of the landfill while providing schools, parks and other places with more sustainable surfacing options.

Can't make it to the game? If you're in NYC, you can still bring up to 10 pairs of shoes anytime to:
* Midtown Niketown - 6 East 57th Street
* Soho Nike Store - 21 Mercer Street

Obama’s online gaming ads raise eyebrows

That was likely the scene in one gamer’s living room this week, as he spotted a virtual billboard for the Obama campaign during an online session of the racing game Burnout Paradise on the XBox 360. Read article here.

SWEEPSTAKES | “Become Immortalized in Batman: Arkham Asylum”

Want to be part of the upcoming Batman: Arkham Asylum? Are you going to pre-order the game? You may very well be in luck then. Gamestop, Eidos Interactive and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment have announced a contest for those who pre-order the game with the grand prize of being in the game. The contest ends October 15th. The prizes go as such:

1st Prize: One lucky fan will be immortalized inside Batman: Arkham Asylum

2st Prize: A console of the winner's choice (either Xbox 360 or PLAYSTATION 3) and a copy of Batman: Arkham Asylum on release

3st Prize: A copy of Batman: Arkham Asylum on the platform of winner's choice on release.

To participate… http://www.gamestop.com/gs/sweepstakes/bmaa/default.aspx

GameFly Gives Fans Chance to Appear in Commercial

Hey, videogame super-fans: GameFly wants you! The company is inviting gamers everywhere to dress up as their favorite video game character for a chance to star in an upcoming TV commercial. That's right, here's your opportunity to become a star.

Contestants will compete by submitting a video of them portraying their favorite video game character during one of three live casting call events or online here.

Events will be held at:

· September 9, Los Angeles – Hollywood and Highland Center/12-6 p.m. PST
· September 16, Chicago – ESPN Zone/12-6 p.m. CST
· September 23, New York – Hawaiian Tropic Zone/12-6 p.m. EST

Once the contestant vids are compiled, you'll be able to vote on the winner--October 1 through October 31st!

The Voting Game: Massively Multiplayer

Okay, so last night (March 4) did not decide the democratic presidential candidate.

We know the democratic issues, where they stand, their slogan, and we have their non-stop sound bites.

Let’s come down the ladder of priority and look into a lighter way of choosing our candidate. Obviously McCain, Clinton and Obama are all qualified to lead this country and for those that don’t agree… blame Bush (he has clearly lowered the bar for the next President).

Since all candidates are concerned about the economy as are the voters, let’s talk about the leading industry in salary and employment growth… the 17.9 Billion dollar gorilla, the fastest growing industry--faster than the US economy itself—I’m talking about the PC & Video Game Industry!

So if we were to vote primarily on keeping the economy afloat (passing the ball to the hot hands), we would have to see who is for the Game industry and who is about limiting it’s growth potential.

Here are the 3 candidates left:

Hilary Clinton

1. Proposing legislation that would penalize retailers for failing to enforce the ratings rules of the ESRB (Entertainment Software Ratings Board).
   
2. Formed the Family Entertainment Protection Act (FEPA), a joint effort by senators Clinton, Joe Lieberman (D-CT) and Evan Bayh (D-IN). FEPA would have effectively criminalized the sale of adult-rated games to children and created an independent committee to monitor the ratings themselves, but was ultimately struck down as being unconstitutional for attempting to circumvent the First Amendment by passing off the findings of a private entity (in this case, the ESRB) as federal law.
   
3. Believes there is a link between violent games and violent kids, blames the industry

Barack Obama

1. Came out several times on the side of technological freedom, particularly in the cases of Net Neutrality and changes to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
   
2. Did not accept a $500 donation by former Entertainment Software Association president Doug Lowenstein, although he never cited a specific reason.
   
3. Believes the industry can do a better job policing itself.
   
4. He would call upon the video game industry to give parents better information about programs and video games by improving the voluntary rating system we currently have (ESRB), but if the industry fails to act, then his administration would.
   
5. Less convinced of the causal relationship between violent games and violent behavior and proposes further study

John McCain

1. For years he has been a somewhat polarizing figure in the violent video game debate by routinely criticizing the industry as a whole.
   
2. Affiliated with Joe Lieberman (see Clinton 2)
   
3. Specific plans for the video game industry remain murky