A feel good movie with Drew Barrymore!  How can you get much better than that.  I have always thought that Drew was so cute.  She just has that look.  The kind of girl that you can believe in.  She is not super sexy but I bet she would be fun to hang out with.  She plays a Greenpeace worker in the film and is instrumental in getting the community and the media interested in helping the whales.  I have not seen this yet… so, if you have please comment and let me know what you thought of the film.  Just don’t spoil it.

I did a quick websearch looking for images of the wonderful Drew Barrymore and found her running on the beach in a bikini.  Check out all of her tattoos!

Notice the laughter.  This is why this girl cracks me up…

Okay, here in the middle of her nice beach vacation some photographer with a 400 zoom lens steps up and snaps multiple pictures.  Most celebrities appear to shy away… But look at this picture.  Classic Drew Barrymore

Honestly, I wasn’t very impressed with this movie.  The trailer looks great.  Funny jokes, wild fights, laughable moments.  Especially when Chris Pine is opening a bottle of wine and a tranq dart hits him in the neck.  That cracks me up still thinking about it.  The problem with the movie is that it is one of those flicks that show you all the funny parts on the trailer.  There was no substance left in my opinion.  If you read the top of the poster above you notice “Spy vs Spy”.  I instantly am thrown back into the 1980s for that great game/cartoon Spy vs Spy.  I love that game.

Now if you’re a Chris Pine fan then I think you will love watching him.  One of my daughters stated that she was freaked out by the “dude with the strange eyes.  Everytime you look at him his eyes were a different color.”

But truthfully, I prefer the co-star Tom Hardy.  He was absolutely incredible in the movie, The  Warrior  I wrote about this movie on a review recently here.  Whatever this dude did to bulk up for the movie was amazing.  Check out the differences in the two pictures:

If you enjoy looking at Reese Witherspoon then you can sit through this movie.  She is looking great!  Such a wonderful, bubbly, actress.  I didn’t mind sitting in the theater for 90 minutes looking at about 80 minutes of Reese.

I was thinking about being a parent to athletes today.  Becca was scheduled to have a soccer game today and as I laid in bed last night I was thinking about how I act during my daughter’s games.  I had just read a great article in Yahoo Sports that talks about interviewing college athletes.  They asked what their opinion of a bad parent/fan and a good parent/fan.  Their responses got me thinking.

They said that, “The ride home from games with my parents”  was their most nervous time.

When asked what they would like their parents to say their overwhelming response: “I love to watch you play.”

We need to remember this.

The article went on to say that the vast majority of dads and moms that make rides home from games miserable for their children do so inadvertently. They aren’t stereotypical horrendous sports parents, the ones who scream at referees, loudly second-guess coaches or berate their children. They are well-intentioned folks who can’t help but initiate conversation about the contest before the sweat has dried on their child’s uniform.

In the moments after a game, win or lose, kids desire distance. They make a rapid transition from athlete back to child. And they’d prefer if parents transitioned from spectator – or in many instances from coach – back to mom and dad. ASAP.

I was so impressed with this article I’ll refer to what it thinks parent’s need to do.

As a sports parent, this is what you don’t want to become. This is what you want to avoid:

• Overemphasizing sports at the expense of sportsmanship: The best athletes keep their emotions in check and perform at an even keel, win or lose. Parents demonstrative in showing displeasure during a contest are sending the wrong message. Encouragement is crucial — especially when things aren’t going well on the field.

• Having different goals than your child: Brown and Miller suggest jotting down a list of what you want for your child during their sport season. Your son or daughter can do the same. Vastly different lists are a red flag. Kids generally want to have fun, enjoy time with their friends, improve their skills and win. Parents who write down “getting a scholarship” or “making the All-Star team” probably need to adjust their goals. “Athletes say their parents believe their role on the team is larger than what the athlete knows it to be,” Miller says.

• Treating your child differently after a loss than a win: Almost all parents love their children the same regardless of the outcome of a game. Yet often their behavior conveys something else. “Many young athletes indicate that conversations with their parents after a game somehow make them feel as if their value as a person was tied to playing time or winning,” Brown says.

• Undermining the coach: Young athletes need a single instructional voice during games. That voice has to be the coach. Kids who listen to their parents yelling instruction from the stands or even glancing at their parents for approval from the field are distracted and can’t perform at a peak level. Second-guessing the coach on the ride home is just as insidious.

• Living your own athletic dream through your child: A sure sign is the parent taking credit when the child has done well. “We worked on that shot for weeks in the driveway,” or “You did it just like I showed you” Another symptom is when the outcome of a game means more to a parent than to the child. If you as a parent are still depressed by a loss when the child is already off playing with friends, remind yourself that it’s not your career and you have zero control over the outcome.

FIVE SIGNS OF AN IDEAL SPORTS PARENT

Let’s hear it for the parents who do it right. In many respects, Brown and Miller say, it’s easier to be an ideal sports parent than a nightmare. “It takes less effort,” Miller says. “Sit back and enjoy.” Here’s what to do:

• Cheer everybody on the team, not just your child: Parents should attend as many games as possible and be supportive, yet allow young athletes to find their own solutions. Don’t feel the need to come to their rescue at every crisis. Continue to make positive comments even when the team is struggling.

• Model appropriate behavior: Contrary to the old saying, children do as you do, not as you say. When a parent projects poise, control and confidence, the young athlete is likely to do the same. And when a parent doesn’t dwell on a tough loss, the young athlete will be enormously appreciative.

• Know what is suitable to discuss with the coach: The mental and physical treatment of your child is absolutely appropriate. So is seeking advice on ways to help your child improve. And if you are concerned about your child’s behavior in the team setting, bring that up with the coach. Taboo topics: Playing time, team strategy, and discussing team members other than your child.

• Know your role: Everyone at a game is either a player, a coach, an official or a spectator. “It’s wise to choose only one of those roles at a time,” Brown says. “Some adults have the false impression that by being in a crowd, they become anonymous. People behaving poorly cannot hide.” Here’s a clue: If your child seems embarrassed by you, clean up your act.

• Be a good listener and a great encourager: When your child is ready to talk about a game or has a question about the sport, be all ears. Then provide answers while being mindful of avoiding becoming a nightmare sports parent. Above all, be positive. Be your child’s biggest fan. “Good athletes learn better when they seek their own answers,” Brown says.

And, of course, don’t be sparing with those magic words: “I love watching you play.”

– Steve Henson is a Senior Editor and Writer at Yahoo! Sports. He has four adult children and has coached and officiated youth sports for

Thanks again to Yahoo! Sports for thoughtful guide to parenting teen-age athletes.

This is another great blogger who has a pretty mug shot of a mother that went crazy at a sporting event.

Another great blog article about similar topic is here.

The entire time you are a young teenager in the sport you love, you dream of making it big.  If your like Allen Iverson, coming from the streets, you think that basketball/football/baseball/etc is the ticket out of that life.  The gang life will leave you alone.  The call of the streets is not as strong as the call to the court/field.

You make it to college on a full-ride.  You are treated like a GOD!  I posted once here about the basketball players that were the stars at University of Arkansas in the late 80s-early 90s.  I wondered what classes they were taking?  I never saw them in class!  But that was just a humorous tale of what we all know to be true.   These athletes are treated better than the average student.

Most talk about how they wanted to get out of the “street life”  so they developed their skills in the sports they love.  Then once they become “successful” as a professional they gravitate back to the street life by bringing along a posse.  If this is the case then why do the stars (when they are at the peak of their game) dress/talk/act like the street?  They have these posses that get them into trouble.  They require money to outfit and keep out of jail.  They convince the star of bogus financial plans and investments.  They take advantage of everything outside of the sport.  It makes no sense to me!  Their Entourage per say.

I can count a handful of stars that have been in the news lately.  Terrel Owens said he was broke.  He claimed that everyone else told him to take care of football and they would take care of everything else.

It is very sad.  Iverson had his bank accounts seized due to the fact he could not pay a bill to a jewelry store.  Check out this other blog about the same sort of post.  It is so sad….

The list of stars goes on and on.  The biggest star to go “down” for his entourage was Michael Vick.  But that would take another blog post with pictures of cute puppies…  I found this picture and great story on this site.

Traditional, a marketing suck, a day created by capitalist greed-mongers?  Who knows… I agree, it can be a day that is ridiculous.  You can buy a dozen roses on any other day for 25 or so bucks.  On Valentine’s day you can get a dozen roses for $49.95 if your lucky.

But try to not send the roses and see what happens.  Your wife/significant other will say its fine but secretly she will be saying in her head, “cheap bastard”  I listened to the folks at work today all talk about their day.  Tell me their opinions about the day and about their lazy husbands plans, etc…  BUT for as many folks that complained I had others that said simply, “Happy Valentine’s Day” to me.

Regardless of your thoughts, it is still a day to care for your loved one.  Make them know that you appreciate them, that you love them and that you are happy they are your “Valentine”.

Coming home today after work was fun to listen and give my daughters a hard time about the people who gave them candy.  My 14-year-old got a cute card from her friend who is NOT her boyfriend!

Enjoy everyone…

My wife sent me a picture of the flowers I sent to her school…

We basically lived and breath soccer.  Its what we spent our free time and money on.  The girls loved it.

Becca split from her select soccer team, Challenge, and decided to focus on other things.  She never had time for what she really truly loved; choir.  We had no idea she could sing.  She certainly didn’t get it from me.  So now, she is in choir (8th grade) and has made Region Choir as a Soprano 2 for both her 7th grade and 8th grade year.

She still plays a little soccer just for fun with the club, Rush.  She is by far dominating and showing off the skill that she developed with the help of the Challenge trainers.  She anticipates playing for Magnolia High School Varsity team next year as a freshman.  We shall see…

I remember actually being a little afraid for the players in the new league.  Rebecca is so physical I didn’t want her to hurt anyone.  First game of the year we faced off against a team out of Klein that is the “rival” to Becca’s new team.  Their star, also coaches daughter, trying to run on the outside around Becca.  Becca hits her full force on a clean tackle knocking this girl off her feet.  Her head hits the ground and she is out the rest of the game.  At least Becca asked if she was okay.

Back to Brooke:

Brooke has a group of friends that are all star athletes and great students.  They all want to play all sports.  This past fall their little team won the volleyball tournament.  This weekend they squared off to play basketball.  Brooke is your prototypical point guard.  Fast, nasty, and relentless on defense.  They played 3 hard games and came away the winner of the league… Brooke has the making of being the starting point guard through jr high and high.  We shall see…

Brooke has usually been the smallest but scrappiest girl on the field of sports (no matter the sport).  She is ALWAYS left to guard the largest and most athletic girl.  So… first game of the tournament this girl is all over Brooke.  Brooke shut her down.. 0 points, 0 assists, multiple turnovers.  Brooke’s team won 28-2.

SI released their first picture:  Thanks to SI for the picture!

Take a look back at the old pictures as well!  Baby Horse ,

Just to remind you of some of the great pictures of Alex Morgan out there I’ll update a few new ones…

Lookout Hollywood – Megan Hilty has made a splash!!  I tuned into last week’s show, Smash so I could see Katherine McPhee.  I loved her in American Idol and was looking forward to seeing and hearing her in a new show.  I think NBC was also banking on it.  Well… It wasn’t Katherine McPhee that my eyes were glued on…  It was Megan Hilty!

Smash is a singing broadway show that pits two beautiful actresses against each other trying to win a role.  Megan Hilty co-stars along with American Idol singer, Katherine McPhee.  Megan plays the part of Ivy Lynn.  She battles McPhee’s character for the famous part of Marilyn Monroe.

Who is this Megan Hilty?  I have never heard of her.  She is a 30 year old broadway singer who is now about to be splattered across every magazine, billboard, search engine, and movie screen. I did a little websearch to find some history thanks to wikipedia:

Megan Hilty is an American stage actress, probably best known for her role as Glinda in the hit musical Wicked.

She has had many guest roles in various shows.  Some of these are worth checking out:

The Suite Life of Zach & Cody

and was the singing voice of Snow White in Shrek the Third.

Megan Hilty has a very large vocal range, and may be considered a whistle register singer, as she hits a high E in No One Mourns the Wicked

Shark

The Closer

Check out this youtube video of her singing Home

Another youtube video of her singing The Dance.

The promo video will have you all in love with Megan Hilty as well:

Of course, hollywood gossip mags asked her a question about/along the lines of, “How do you feel about being cast opposite most skinny females in hollywood?”  Is that an insult or a compliment?  Whatever…. I love curves….

Hollywood is beaming over Megan Hilty.  MTV named her this weeks “Girl Crush”. 

My prediction is that Megan Hilty becomes a MEGA STAR

One of my friends from work likes to send me random pictures.

So I received this picture the other day.  I was sitting on my couch just trying to recover from this cold that I have won and this image appears on my iPhone.

What to make of this?  I decided not to reply.  Just figured it was worth sharing with you… as my buddy shared with me…

It is all about the wannabe gangstas telling the other wannabe gangstas that we control this area of the hood.  You stay to your area.  So… on a dark night when the wannabe gangstas finish off their last whippet (while they dream of Demi Moore) or eat their last paint chip they head over to the other side of the hood and paint “X” over their rival’s name.  Sometimes they may turn the pitchfork upside-down.

A  very sophisticated form of communication.  All of the taxpayers in the area (you and I) just look at it and think its trash.

Well I wonder what Sean Parker, President of Facebook in CA, was thinking when he asked David Choe to paint his offices?  Was Facebook claiming the area from their rival MySpace?  Parker was the guy played by Justin Timberlake

Back to the story…. First published in the New York Times by Nick Bilton…

Last week Evelyn Rusli and I wrote about the people who are set to get rich from Facebook’s coming initial public offering of stock. The most startling was David Choe, a graffiti artist who chose Facebook stock instead of cash when he spray-painted the first Facebook offices in 2005.

Although Mr. Choe declined several requests for an interview while I was reporting the story, he took to the airwaves on Tuesday as a guest on The Howard Stern Show to discuss his windfall. (Warning: the conversation, like Mr. Choe’s paintings, is very sexual descriptive.)

After talking about a number of topics that are not safe for workplace discussion, Mr. Choe and Mr. Stern talked about the money the graffiti artist will make from his Facebook stock.

Mr. Choe said Facebook originally offered him $60,000 to paint murals in the company’s Palo Alto offices in 2005. Today, he said, the stock he took instead could be worth more than $500 million.

Yes, that’s what he says: half a billion dollars to paint the murals.

But it is unclear how much of the original stock Mr. Choe has left. Mr. Choe told Mr. Stern that he did not own all of his original stock and that he had sold some – presumably on the secondary market. He declined to say how much.

Facebook clearly understood the value of Mr. Choe’s murals. When the company outgrew its first offices in Palo Alto and moved to a larger space, the mural-covered concrete walls were removed from the building and placed on display in the new offices.

In his conversation with Mr. Stern, Mr. Choe reiterated his original feelings about Facebook in 2005, saying: “People don’t remember, Facebook was a joke.” But his tune has changed since then. Mr. Choe talked about how much he likes Mark Zuckerberg, the company’s founder. Mr. Choe also said he recently painted the company’s new headquarters free.

When Mr. Stern asked him if he was “half out of his mind to turn down the $60,000 dollars,” Mr. Choe said he “likes to gamble” and noted that he believed in Sean Parker, then Facebook’s president, who had hired Mr. Choe to paint the offices.

As we noted in our original article, the payout to Mr. Choe would provide more money from his paintings than Sotheby’s attracted for its record-breaking $200.7 million auction in 2008 for works by Damien Hirst.

Seriously… This character (if he didn’t unload all his stock) is no a multimillionaire for painting trash!  GOT TO LOVE AMERICA.