dont be a turtle in a box - get some update !!

About: Basketball Wives (UNCENSORED* "Basketball Wives" Star Evelyn Lozada CAUGHT Sending Naked)

2011-05-30T20:54:00.000-07:00

Cast

An early promo shot for Season 2. Clockwise from top: Juli Richmond, Tami Roman, Shaunie O'Neal, Jennifer Williams, Royce Reed, Suzie Ketcham, Kim Russell and Evelyn Lozada. Richmond and Russell were later dropped from top billing.

Shaunie O’Neal (née Va'Shaundya Nelson) acts as executive producer of the series and is the ex-wife of NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal. Shaunie and Shaquille were married in 2002. Shaquille filed for divorce in 2009 but the couple worked out their struggles, but a year later in 2010 Shaunie filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences. She is a philanthropist, a mother of five, and a rising entrepreneur.

Royce Reed was born and raised in Orlando, Florida. She graduated from Florida A&M University with a degree in Theater Education and Humanities. She is a former gymnast, competitive cheerleader, and dancer for the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat professional basketball teams. She is also the former girlfriend of NBA center Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic. She and Howard have one son, Braylon, born November 18, 2007. Royce recently started her own urban burlesque dance company, Fantashique, which travels around Florida.

Evelyn Lozada is of Puerto Rican ancestry and grew up in Bronx, New York. She is the ex-fiancee of basketball star Antoine Walker. She co-owns an upscale shoe boutique in Coral Gables, Florida called Dulce. In 2011 she became engaged to football star Chad Ochocinco.

Jennifer Williams (née Jennifer Lauren Guyton) grew up in South Orange, New Jersey and is the ex-wife of former NBA small forward Eric Williams. Jennifer and Eric met in 2000 and married in the summer of 2007 in the Bahamas. Jennifer graduated cum laude from the University of Maryland with a bachelor's degree in political science, and is principal shareholder in a women's only fitness studio called Flirty Girl Fitness. She also supports several charities and founded Project Save the World, a non-profit organization based in Chicago, Illinois.

Suzie Ketcham is the ex- girlfriend of NBA player Michael Olowokandi. in Season 2, she was exiled from the group after several altercations with fellow cast member Evelyn Lozoda. After many allegations of her not returning it was confirmed by VH1 that Ketcham will return for the third season of Basketball Wives.

Tami Roman (Season 2–present) Born in Mount Vernon, New York, Tami is a model and actress. In 1988, she placed 1st runner up in the Ms. Black California Pageant. Tami is a former cast member from the hit MTV reality series Real World: Los Angeles and is the ex-wife of Kenny Anderson. Kenny and Tami divorced in 2001 and have two daughters, Lyric Chanel and Kenni Lauren (also known as Jazz).

Meeka Claxton (Season 3-present) Is a Queens, New York native and the newest wife on Season 3 of the Basketball Wives" Meeka is the wife of former NBA player Speedy Claxton. The Claxtons share two young daughters together, Aniya Claxton and London Claxton. Mrs. Claxton is the founder and owner of Allure Realty group. She graduated from Hofstra University in 2001.

Former Cast

Gloria Govan (Season 1,-recurring Season 2) is the youngest member of the cast. Originally from Oakland, California Gloria is currently engaged to NBA guard/forward Matt Barnes. Gloria met Matt when she was twelve years old. After several years apart, the two reconnected while Matt was playing in Oakland. The two have twin sons, Isaiah and Carter. Gloria is of mixed African-American, Hawaiian, and Mexican ancestry. Gloria bitterly feuds with most of the other cast members (most notably Shaunie). While she was a part of the regular cast in Season 1, Gloria was only featured in a few episodes during Season 2 and did not receive top billing.

Kim Russell and Juli Richmond(Season 2), wives of retired NBAers Bryon Russell and Mitch Richmond, respectively, were also cast for Season 2; however, their appearances were mostly insignificant and they did not receive top billing. They are primarily friends of Shaunie.

Supporting Cast

Eric Williams is a retired NBA player who has been married to Jennifer for three years. Their marriage has been tumultuous at best from the start, amid allegations of infidelity on both sides.

Ashley Walker is the girlfriend of basketball player Rafer Alston and a friend of Royce and Suzie's. Jen dislikes her out of loyalty to her friend, Rafer's former fiancee.

*UNCENSORED* "Basketball Wives" Star Evelyn Lozada CAUGHT Sending Naked Flix !

[taken from wikipedia]

Related Search about Basketball Wives from the Internet:

'Basketball Wives' premiere: More fights, more drama, more fun

Examiner.com

- 54 minutes ago

"Basketball Wives" has officially returned for its third season, firmly entrenching itself as television's most guilty pleasure. But then again, is it really a guilty pleasure if we unashamedly love this weekly trainwreck? A wreck that features verbal ...

Basketball Wives, Urban Meyer, Avril Lavigne and More Swagger News

Bleacher Report

- 10 hours ago

With Jim Tressel's sudden resignation from Ohio State, the list of potential coaching candidates in the rumor mill is certain to be swirling feverishly. There have already been some indications that Urban Meyer will attempt to be coaxed out of ...

Evelyn Lozada: Why Is Basketball Wives Star on Show with Football Boyfriend?

Bleacher Report

- May 30, 2011

Season three of the hit show Basketball Wives is slated to kick-off Monday night and one of it's stars really doesn't fit the title anymore. Evelyn Lozada was originally on the show because she was the ex-wife of former Boston Celtics star Antonie ...

'Basketball Wife' Shaunie O'Neal Hopes to Score with New Fashion Venture

BusinessNewsDaily

- May 27, 2011

O'Neal is the executive producer and star of VH1's reality show “Basketball Wives," which starts its third season on Monday. She is also the ex-wife of NBA All-Star Shaquille O'Neal. Now, however, she's embracing her new role, that of fashion ...

ML (Mau Lagi) Video Trailer - Uncencored Version

2008-05-23T00:11:00.001-07:00

Protests by Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) leader Amidhan said in Jakarta on 13th May that “ML” should be banned from cinema screens, because it had pornographic overtones and was insulting to women. The MUI had already sent its request to the Department of Culture and the Lembaga Sensor Film (LSF). Taken from here

GENRE	: Drama Komedi
PEMAIN	: Ratu Felisha, Nadia Ernesta, Hardi Fadhillah, VJ Marissa, Olga Syaputra, Ferry Irawan, Gusti Randa, Five V
SUTRADARA	: Thomas Nawilis
PENULIS NASKAH	: Awi Suryadi
PRODUSER	: Shankar RS. B.Sc
RUMAH PRODUKSI	: Indika Entertaintment
DURASI	: 90 Menit
KLASIFIKASI PENONTON	: 13 Tahun Keatas (13+) ( must be 18 ++ I think)
TANGGAL RILIS	: ???

Erathquake in China Kill almost 8.500 People

2008-05-12T12:38:00.000-07:00

A massive 7.9-magnitude earthquake killed more than 8,500 people in China and left hundreds trapped under rubble, state run media report. About 900 students are reported buried under a collapsed school. China's Seismological Bureau said the quake affected more than half the country's provinces and municipalities.
More stories from CNN.com

Benazir Bhutto Killed in Attack

2007-12-27T07:41:00.000-08:00

Oh my God terrorist going crazy, they killed Pakistani Opposition Benazir Bhutto.

quoted from CNN.com

"Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated Thursday outside a large gathering of her supporters where a suicide bomber also killed at least 14, doctors and a spokesman for her party said.

While Bhutto appeared to have died from bullet wounds, it was not immediately clear if she was shot or if her wounds were caused by bomb shrapnel.

President Pervez Musharraf held an emergency meeting in the hours after the death, according to state media."

View Video by CNN.com

Tatu - Maxim Russia Photoshot - Pregnant Sexy

2007-12-26T06:53:00.000-08:00

Yulia Volkova, 22, of singing duo T.A.T.U. (All The Things She Said, They're Not Gonna Get Us), shows off her almost-6-months pregnant belly while performing on-stage recently with Lena Katina and their band. The baby is due in in December and will join big sister Viktoria, 2 1/2, from Yulia's prior relationship.

About Opie and Anthony

2007-12-12T03:09:00.000-08:00

Opie and Anthony often comment on American sociopolitical and popular culture. Their "cringe" style of entertainment has earned them the sobriquet "shock jocks". Hughes, Cumia and Norton broadcast for approximately five hours per day. Generally speaking, Opie sets the daily flow of the show and introduces topics, while Cumia and Norton provide color commentary. The show has few limits, and covers a wide array of topics interactively, with a great deal of time devoted to callers, and sound bites sent in from listeners. With their reemergence on terrestrial radio, however, the trio have been more conscientious about what might be censored. This has led to the "dump report", an XM segment in which the specific content of censored bits is lamented. Some of the more hardcore O&A fans, nicknamed "Pests", have been known to go to extreme grassroots efforts to promote the show.

Friends and regular guests on the show include Adam Ferrara, Louis C.K., Bill Burr, Patrice O'Neal, Brian Regan, Robert Kelly, Bob Saget and Rich Vos, all of whom have substituted for Norton when he has left New York to pursue his stand-up comedy and acting. Frequent guests include Colin Quinn, Stephen Lynch, Joe Rogan and Jay Mohr. Host Anthony Cumia does impressions of various personalities such as Charlton Heston, Don West, Sylvester Stallone, Fred Flintstone, Bill Cosby, Ben Stein, Richard Nixon, Sam Kinison, Popeye, Andrew Dice Clay, Tom Brokaw, Ronald Reagan, Mike Tyson, Tony Danza, Christopher Reeve, Robert Reed, Regis Philbin, Vince Mcmahon, Neil Diamond, Don Imus, The Greaseman and Howard Stern. O&A's style and jokes typically target males in the 18-49 demographic.

The song played at the beginning of both the FM and XM show is Rage Against the Machine's song "Street Fighting Man", a cover of the Rolling Stones's song of the same name.

Film references

O&A's show features many inside jokes that a new listener may not immediately understand. ^[32] There are many references to films^[33], The Shining being one of the most prominent. Other referenced films include The Silence of the Lambs, Pulp Fiction, The Accused,Predator, Boogie Nights, American Psycho, Blazing Saddles, Apocalypse Now, Bad Lieutenant, Ed Wood, Jaws, Platoon, A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket, Death Wish, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Schindler's List, Caddyshack, The Godfather, Mondo Topless, and anything starring Robert De Niro (most notably The King of Comedy).

from wikipedia

About Shrek the Third (2007)

2007-12-10T01:52:00.000-08:00

Shrek the Third is the third film in the series, following Shrek and Shrek 2. It was produced by Jeffrey Katzenberg for DreamWorks Animation, and is distributed by Paramount Pictures, and was released in U.S. theaters on May 18, 2007 (June 8 in Mexico, June 22 in Spain, June 15 in Brazil, June 13 in France and June 29 in the UK and Ireland).
It was produced with the working title of Shrek 3. Like the first two Shrek films, the movie is significantly based on fairy tale (specifically Grimm's Fairy Tales) themes. The film is rated PG by the MPAA for some crude humor, suggestive content, and swashbuckling action.
King Harold has fallen deathly ill and his ogre son-in-law Shrek and daughter Fiona are next in line to be king and queen. Shrek declines, insisting that an ogre as king is a bad idea and that there has to be someone else for the job. With his final few breaths, the king tells Shrek that there is one other heir who can become the new King of Far Far Away: his nephew, Arthur. Shrek sets out to find this new king, along with Donkey and Puss in Boots. As they're sailing off, Fiona runs to the dock and announces to Shrek that she's pregnant. Shocked, Shrek begins to have nightmares about his future children on the journey to Worcestershire Academy, where they eventually discover that "Artie," who is an academy student, is a loser picked on by the other students - even the nerds. Artie is initially thrilled to be the new king, and excited to be on his way to the throne, until Donkey and Puss inadvertently scare him by talking about things like plague and famine. Panicked, Artie tries to take control of the ship and ends up crashing it on an island where they meet Artie's retired wizard teacher, Merlin.
Meanwhile, Prince Charming has gone to the Poison Apple Bar, where he encounters a slew of fairy tale villains including Captain Hook, the Wicked Queen, a Cyclops, Rumpelstiltskin, Mabel the Ugly Stepsister, the Headless Horseman, Stromboli the Puppet Master, and an assortment of black knights, dwarves, trees, and witches. Although they initially despise Charming, he persuades them to join him in a fight for their "happily ever after". The villains feel their side of the story has never been told and now is the time to do it. Prince Charming and the other villains invade the kingdom and pillage for a time before attacking the castle, disrupting Fiona's baby shower. They capture all of Shrek's fairy tale friends (Gingerbread Man, Pinocchio, The Big Bad Wolf, The Three Blind Mice and The Three Little Pigs), Dragon, and Donkey and Dragon's children. Fiona and Queen Lilian try to escape through an underground passage, along with Doris the Ugly Stepsister, Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel; the ladies are captured, however, when Rapunzel betrays them and leads them into a trap. They learn that she is in love with Charming, who plans to make her his queen once he claims the throne.
Captain Hook and some of his pirates track Shrek and company to Merlin's island, where they attempt to capture Shrek and kill the others. Shrek and Artie tag-team them effectively, however, and send the villains running, but not before Hook mentions "King Charming" and the takeover of Far Far Away. Concerned for his wife and their child, Shrek urges Artie to return to the safety of Worcestershire; Artie, however, has other ideas. He cons Merlin into coming out of retirement long enough to use his magic and send them all back to Far Far Away; the spell works, but accidentally causes Puss and Donkey to switch bodies. They find that Charming is bent on revenge against Shrek for 'stealing' his "happily ever after," and plans to kill Shrek in a play later that night. Charming's men arrive shortly, but another clever ruse by Artie tricks the knights into not taking them into custody. Instead, they break into the castle, where play rehearsal and set design are in full swing. In Charming's dressing room, Shrek menaces the would-be king, but Charming is able to summon his men, who burst in and take the four captive.
In an effort to save Artie, Shrek tells Charming that Artie was just a patsy to take his place as King of Far Far Away. Charming believes Shrek and decides not to kill the boy. Artie, who had just been growing to trust Shrek, is crushed by this and runs away. Donkey and Puss are thrown into the tower with Fiona and the other ladies, where Fiona is growing frustrated with the other princesses and their lack of initiative. Queen Lilian grows fed up when Snow White calls her an old lady, and successfully smashes the stone wall of the prison. While the women launch a rescue mission for Shrek, who is being held captive elsewhere, Donkey and Puss work to free Gingy, Pinocchio, the wolf and pigs, Dragon, and Donkey's babies. As they prepare to enter the castle and join the ladies, they encounter Artie, and Puss and Donkey explain to him that Shrek lied so Charming wouldn't kill him. Artie seems hesitant to believe them.
As the kingdom watches, Charming stages a theatrical performance in which he heroically rides to the rescue of Rapunzel in her (fake) tower and sings, somewhat badly. To Charming's profound annoyance, the chained Shrek wins the audience's support by ridiculing his singing and acting. Just as Charming is about to kill Shrek, Fiona and her friends, along with Puss, Donkey and the Fairy Tale characters, leap onto the stage to confront the villains. It goes awry, however, as the villains largely outnumber the heroes and take them prisoner again. In the nick of time, Artie arrives and convinces the villains to stop and turn over a new leaf, proving himself to possess effective leadership skills. The villains drop their weapons and release their captives. Charming, furious at having been thwarted by this boy, lunges for him with his sword. Shrek blocks the blow and appears to take it in his own chest, leading Charming to exult; the attack missed, however, and the sword is lodged harmlessly under Shrek's arm. Shrek informs Charming that he needs to keep looking for his own happily ever after, "because I'm not giving up mine." Dragon slyly knocks over Rapunzel's tower, which traps Charming as it lands on him, and the crowd cheers. Charming's crown is sent rolling across the stage by the impact and is caught by Artie. Shrek tells him that the throne is his if he wants it, but it is his decision to make. Artie lifts the crown toward the audience, who cheer him loudly, then sets it on his own head. While the kingdom celebrates their new monarch, Merlin appears and restores Puss and Donkey to their proper bodies, though their tails remain switched.
As Far Far Away is left in the capable hands of young King Arthur, Shrek retires with Fiona to their swamp. The end shows that Fiona has given birth to triplets, two boys and a girl; Queen Lilian is visiting with them, or else has left Far Far Away to live with them. Their home is overflowing with good-natured chaos, thanks in part to visits from Puss, Donkey, and the Dronkeys, and Shrek and Fiona are exceedingly happy in their new roles as parents.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in BALI - INDONESIA

2007-12-06T07:38:00.000-08:00

The Conference, hosted by the Government of Indonesia, is taking place at the Bali International Convention Centre and brings together representatives of over 180 countries together with observers from intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, and the media. The two week period includes the sessions of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, its subsidiary bodies as well as the Meeting of the Parties of the Kyoto Protocol. A ministerial segment in the second week will conclude the Conference.

What is needed is a breakthrough in the form of a roadmap for a future international agreement on enhanced global action to fight climate change in the period after 2012, the year the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol expires. The main goal of the Bali Conference is threefold: to launch negotiations on a climate change deal for the post-2012 period, to set the agenda for these negotiations and to reach agreement on when these negotiations will have to be concluded.

As the first meetings of the contact groups got under way today, UNFCCC Executive Secretary, Yvo de Boer, spoke of “a good mood in the air “ and said the meetings were “going well.”

The work of the special group on the future, which began yesterday and continued today, is generating “a huge amount of interest, ” he said. Brazil (on behalf of the G77), China, the United States, Japan and the European Union have all come forward with suggestions on what the Bali roadmap should look like and what needs to be included in a long-term climate change policy. He described the fact that many countries have come prepared with their own proposals on how the process should move forward as “encouraging.”

On the recurring subject of emissions targets, Mr. de Boer emphasized that “what is clear to everyone is that industrialized countries must continue to take the lead and must reduce their emissions by 25-40% by 2020. That is the agreed range for industrialized countries.”

Read full summary..

About Seung-Hui Cho

2007-12-06T07:32:00.001-08:00

January 18, 1984 – April 16, 2007) was a student at Virginia Tech who committed the mass murder of 32 people^[3] and wounded 25 others^[4] in the shooting rampage known as the Virginia Tech massacre.^[5] Cho committed suicide after law enforcement officers breached the doors of the building where he had killed and wounded his victims.^[6]

Cho was a South Korean national who had permanent resident status in the United States, where he arrived at a young age with his family. He was diagnosed with a severe form of an anxiety disorder known as selective mutism in middle school, as well as depression.That is when he started receiving treatment and he continued receiving therapy and special education support until his junior year of high school. During Cho's last two years at Virginia Tech, several incidences of his aberrant behavior, as well as plays and other writings submitted by him containing references to violence and profanity, caused concerns among teachers and classmates.

In the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings, Timothy Kaine, governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, convened a panel consisting of various officials and experts to investigate and examine the response and handling of issues related to the Virginia Tech shootings. The panel released its final report in August 2007, devoting more than 30 pages to detailing Cho's troubled history. In the report, the panel criticized numerous failures — by school administrators, educators and mental health professionals who came into contact with Cho during his college years and who failed to notice his deteriorating condition and help him. The panel also criticized misinterpretations of privacy laws and gaps in Virginia's mental health system and gun laws. In addition, the panel faulted Virginia Tech administrators in particular for failing to take immediate action after the first shootings.

Review of Cho's medical records

During the investigation, the matter of Cho's court-ordered mental health treatment was also examined to determine its outcome. Virginia investigators learned after a review of Cho's medical records that Cho never complied with the order for the mandated mental health treatment as an outpatient. The investigators also found that neither the court nor New River Valley Community Services Board exercised oversight of Cho's case to determine his compliance with the order for outpatient treatment. In response to questions about Cho's case, New River Valley Community Services Board maintained that its facility was never named in the court order as the provider for Cho's mental health treatment, and its responsibility ended once Cho was discharged from its care after the court order. In addition, Christopher Flynn, director of the Cook Counseling Center at Virginia Tech, mentioned that the court did not notify his office to report that Cho was required to seek outpatient mental health treatment. Flynn added that, "When a court gives a mandatory order that someone get outpatient treatment, that order is to the individual, not an agency ... The one responsible for ensuring that the mentally ill person receives help in these sort of cases ... is the mentally ill person."

As a result, Cho escaped compliance with the court order for mandatory mental health treatment as an outpatient, even though Virginia law required community services boards to "recommend a specific course of treatment and programs" for mental health patients and "monitor the person's compliance." As for the court, Virgina law also mandated that, if a person fails to comply with a court order to seek mental health treatment as an outpatient, that person can be brought back before the court "and if found still in crisis, can be committed to a psychiatric institution for up to 180 days." Cho was never summoned to court to explain why he had not complied with the December 14, 2005 order for mandatory mental health treatment as an outpatient.

The investigation panel had sought Cho's medical records for several weeks, but due to privacy laws, Virginia Tech was prohibited from releasing them without permission from Cho's family, even after Cho's death. The panel had considered using subpoenas to obtain his records. On June 12, 2007, Cho's family released his medical records to the panel, although the panel said that the records were not enough. The panel obtained additional information by court order. Like the Columbine massacres, and Jokela school massacres, the perpetrators of the Virginia Tech masascre, Cho Seung-Hui, was also prescribed an anti-depressant (prozac) prior to his suicidal rampage, a substance suspected by Peter Breggin and David Healy of leading to suicidal behaviors.

About Kim Kardashian

2007-12-06T07:14:00.000-08:00

Kimberly Noel Kardashian (born October 21, 1980 in Los Angeles, California) is the daughter of the late attorney Robert Kardashian and Kris Jenner. Kim Kardashian is best known for her adventurous social life, scandals and her new reality show "Keeping Up With The Kardashians".

Personal life

Kim is of Irish and Armenian descent but was born in Los Angeles, California. She grew up in a rather wealthy household but she was taught the value of hard work and having good work ethic by being "cut off" from her family's money when she turned 18 years old in order for her to become independent. Kim has said "I know people think we drive around in these nice cars and we do whatever we want and our parents will pay our credit cards, but that's not the case. Sure, my parents were generous. I got a nice car at 16, but at 18 I was cut off. I've worked really hard.

Kimberly's father, Robert Kardashian, passed away September 30, 2003 when Kim was 23 years old. Kim's mother Kris Jenner is the ex-wife of Robert Kardashian. They divorced in 1989. Kim has two sisters Kourtney and Khloe and one brother Robert. Since Kris and Bruce's marriage, Kim has three step-brothers: Brody Jenner, Brandon, and Burt Jenner, one step sister Casey Jenner, and two half-sisters Kendall and Kylie. In 2000 Kim married music producer Damon Thomas and in 2004 they divorced. Kardashian is also known for her infamous sex tape scandal with ex-boyfriend R&B singer Ray-J and her spread in Playboy.

Kimberly is often rumored to be dating many male celebrities but denies these rumors and says she is trying to focus on her career.

Kim Kardashian Sex Tape With Ray J Now Online For Download

About Melinda Marie Doolittle

2007-12-06T07:02:00.001-08:00

Melinda Marie Doolittle (born on October 6, 1977) is an American singer who finished as the third place finalist on the sixth season of American Idol. Prior to her appearance on American Idol, Doolittle worked as a professional back-up singer for, among others, Michael McDonald, Kirk Franklin, Aaron Neville, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Alabama, Jonny Lang, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, and Anointed.

Personal Life

Doolittle was born in St. Louis, Missouri to Steve and Marguerite Duke Doolittle although she considers home to be in Brentwood, Tennessee as her Homecoming was held there after she made the Top 3 on American Idol Season 6. She graduated from Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1995. Although she has been singing since the seventh grade, her professional career did not begin until 1999 as a music major from Belmont University. Since college, her vocal instruction has been provided by her coach, Janet Kenyon. Melinda is also good friends with American Idol's Season 5's contestant Mandisa.

American Idol

Audition

Doolittle first auditioned for American Idol in Memphis, Tennessee. She sang the song "For Once in My Life", which was popularized by Stevie Wonder, one of her favorite artists. She went down to Memphis with some friends who were auditioning and decided to audition for fun. She was met with admiration from all three judges in response to her audition. They did express concern, however, about the nerves she had exhibited and told her to believe in herself.

Semi-finals

Doolittle managed to secure herself a spot in the Top 24, who all performed on national television. During her first broadcast performance, Doolittle was highly praised for her rendition of "Sweet Sweet Baby (Since You’ve Been Gone)", by Aretha Franklin. The following week, Doolittle pulled off another winning performance with the song "My Funny Valentine". According to the judges, it was "without question the best vocal of the night.", and it ranked #3 in AOL Top 20 Idol Performances. For her last semifinal performance, Doolittle attempted the song "I'm a Woman", causing Simon Cowell to call her "a little tiger," continuing: "I thought we had a pussycat." On March 8, 2007, Doolittle made it into the show's Top 12.

Finals

Week 1 - March 13, 2007 with special guest Diana Ross, Doolittle performed Diana Ross' song Home. After her performance, she received an enormous standing ovation that lasted for quite some time (around 25 seconds) and left her in tears; when asked by Cowell why she was crying, she replied, "I've never heard anything like that...", referring to the ovation. She was once again praised by the judges and even made Paula Abdul cry over how much emotion she showed. After her performance, Simon Cowell proclaimed her as a "fantastic singer," comparing her to a young Gladys Knight.

Week 2 - March 20, 2007 with special guest Lulu, Doolittle sang "As Long As He Needs Me" by Shirley Bassey for Top 11 "British Invasion" week. Once again, she received praises from all three judges, and Simon referred to her vocals as impeccable. Ashley Ferl, a 13 year old girl who achieved fame notably from crying during Sanjaya's performance, was once again shown shedding tears as Doolittle sang.

Week 3 - March 27, 2007 with special guest Gwen Stefani, Doolittle made a change of pace and sang an up tempo song called "Heaven Knows" by Donna Summer. She received praises again, and Randy complimented her on how she knew how to sing like the character would have in the song. Simon said that once again it was another outstanding vocal.

Week 4 - April 3, 2007, with special guest Tony Bennett, she sang "I Got Rhythm". Doolittle received a standing ovation from the audience and critical acclaim from all three judges. Simon, who is known for being very critical, said they would never be able to criticize her. The next night, Melinda, Lakisha Jones and Jordin Sparks were the top three in collecting votes for their performances.

Week 5 - April 10, 2007, with special guest Jennifer Lopez, Doolittle sang "Sway". Randy thought it was solid, but it wasn't her best. Paula gave her a thumbs up, saying that she was sultry and sexy, a side she had never seen in Doolittle before. She then received her first unsatisfactory review on the show, as Simon said "Well, it had to happen Melinda... I didn't like it." He continued, saying that it was "lazy and wooden." Doolittle responded that she was glad he finally got the chance to say something bad about her performance.

Week 6 - April 17, 2007, with special guest Martina McBride, Doolittle sang "Trouble Is A Woman", an up tempo song. She received a positive response from both the audience and all three judges. Randy thought it was once again another solid performance by "our resident pro." Paula said she just knows how to pick the right songs and perform like "there's no tomorrow," and Simon said that it was a fantastic performance, and that he felt like he had seen a bit of a "Tina Turner" side in her. The only criticism that Simon gave was that she needed to lose the shocked look when she gets compliments, attributed to the fact that she was too modest. The following night, Doolittle displayed just how humble she is. Ryan Seacrest had divided the seven contestants into two groups. One contained Jordin Sparks, Phil Stacey, and Chris Richardson; the other was comprised of Sanjaya Malakar, LaKisha Jones, and Blake Lewis. Doolittle was left alone in the middle of the stage with Seacrest, as he told her she was safe. He proceeded to tell her to go to the group she thought was safe. She shook her head and refused; after persistence from Seacrest, she sat down in the middle of the stage. As a result, she received approval from the audience, judges, Seacrest, as well as her fellow contestants.

Week 7 - April 24, 2007 Doolittle sang "There Will Come A Day" by Faith Hill as part of the "Idol Gives Back" special. She again gave a stunning performance, and left Randy speechless as he said: "I don't even know what to say anymore." Paula said that there was "no one like you, you're just magical." Simon joked and asked her if she would look surprised, since he criticized that she looks shocked too often when she receives compliments. He went on to comment that what he liked about the performance was that it wasn't a copycat, and she made him believe that it was as if she had recorded the song originally, and added that it was a "vocal masterclass."

Week 8 - May 1, 2007 She sang "Have a Nice Day" by Bon Jovi. In her introductory video, she noted that she was very uncomfortable with rock music and wasn't sure what to do. In spite of this, she delivered another solid performance prompting Simon to say that her vocal was in another league from any of the other contestants. Paula added that she was a "rock star," and both Randy and Simon also compared her to a young "Tina Turner."

Week 9 - May 8, 2007 For her first performance, Doolittle sang "Love You Inside Out", where, for the first time since Top 8 Latin week and only the second time on her run on Idol, she was given only mixed reviews. Randy and Paula both thought that it was only alright, while Simon commented that he knew that she always gave incredible performances and that this performance wasn't enough compared to her previous efforts, and referred to it more as a "backup" vocal. For her second performance, Doolittle sang "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?", following which the judges' critiques returned to universal praise. Randy said that he knew she had it, and that she is still a resident pro. Paula said that the vocals were great, but she would like to see something more surprising from Doolittle. Simon commented that he did not understand what Paula meant, and proceeded to say that he thought "the second half of the performance just put her in the semifinals next week."

Week 10 - May 15, 2007. For this week, the contestants had to sing three songs: first, a judge's pick, then, an American Idol producer's pick, and lastly, the contestant's own choice.
- The first was Randy Jackson's choice: "I Believe in You and Me" by Whitney Houston. All the judges were impressed and Randy complimented that he picked something challenging for Doolittle because he wanted to see how she did, and was proud that she nailed it. He also noted that she "blew it out the box." Simon said that "round one" was hers. All three judges also noted that if she could sing Whitney, she could sing anything.
- The second song was the producer's choice: "Nutbush City Limits". Again, the judges were impressed. Randy noted it was another strong performance, Paula called her "fantastic," and Simon noted that he loved "that side of her." This performance was unusual because Doolittle, usually known for her shy, humble personality, was shown grabbing the microphone stand like a rocker and showing a Tina Turner attitude that the judges loved.
- Her final song was her own choice, "I'm a Woman", which she also sang during the Top 16 round. Despite messing up her second line of the lyrics, Doolittle was met with universal praise from all three judges. Simon even felt that if anyone deserved to be in the finale because of delivering week to week, she would be the one.
- When Ryan Seacrest asked all three judges which contestants they would like to see in the final rounds (Top 2) next week, Randy mentioned he would like to see Doolittle as well as Jordin Sparks. Paula declined to answer, and Simon merely stated that he wanted to see "my girl Melinda."
- Doolittle was eliminated on May 16, 2007, after nearly 60 million votes were cast, which surprised many critics and observers, especially Simon Cowell. Simon later noted that he would've happily swapped either finalist, Lewis or Sparks, for Doolittle. He stated that he wanted to see one of them against the "big singer," but later suggested that the reason why Doolittle may have been voted off was because Lewis and Sparks were "much younger," and that younger viewers vote more often than older ones.
On the night of her elimination, Melinda was referred to as one of the greatest singers in the history of the show by the judges as well as Ryan Seacrest.
When former Idol contestants were asked who they thought would win the season on May 10, the vote was almost unanimous: Melinda Doolittle.
Finale Night - Along with the other eliminated nine Idol contestants, Doolittle was invited back to perform for the finale. She had a special performance with Bebe and Cece Winans. She again received a standing ovation from the crowd, as well as all three judges. Notably, Doolittle and seventh place finisher Sanjaya Malakar were the only finalists besides Lewis and Sparks to have featured performances during the telecast.

Post-Idol

Melinda Doolittle will be part of the American Idols Tour 2007, along with fellow contestants who were in the top 10. Some of her performances included "Proud Mary", which she sang as a duet with Sanjaya Malakar (joked by many critics to compare 'the best and the worst' of Season 6), Supremes tribute with Lakisha Jones, and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, which she sang solo. Two days after the American Idol Season Finale, Melinda, along with the other nine top ten contestants, appeared on Larry King Live.

In an exclusive interview with Good Morning America, Simon Cowell stated that the season six title of American Idol should have rightfully gone to Melinda.

Writer Stephen Holden of The New York Times described her as a "phenomenally gifted, stylistically adroit. Gladys Knight-Tina Turner hybrid [who] brings a compelling honesty to every phrase she sings," and predicted a successful post-Idol career for her.

Doolittle has stated that she plans to work on a CD, and that it would be "soul music".

Melinda along with Blake Lewis and Jordin Sparks performed at Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Special where they sang America.

On the 3rd November 2007 Melinda was featured on CNN's Young People Who Rock series . In the interview she refers to her support for the Malaria No More campaign and how donating bed nets can help to eradicate malaria from the African continent. She specifically mentions her support association Melinda's Backups^[13] who have donated bed nets on her behalf at each of the 59 venues of the American Idol tour and who also made a large donation on her birthday.

It has been confirmed that Doolittle will be joining Michael W. Smith on his upcoming Christmas tour.

Once a month Melinda is featured on a web show called "Moments With Melinda" where fans can call and actually talk to her.

Melinda also took part in the book Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul.

Philanthropy

In June 2007, Melinda visited Zambia with Laura Bush and the Malaria No More organization to distribute life-saving bed nets and raise awareness. As part of the trip, she performed with a praise band at the Miracle Life Family Church in Lusaka.

Discography

EPs

Album Cover	Album Information
	Melinda Doolittle - EP Released: June 12, 2007 (U.S) RIAA certification: N/A Peak Chart Position (iTunes Store): 53

About Halo 3 Beta Detailed Reviews

2007-12-06T05:34:00.000-08:00

From a certain point of view, Halo 3 is without a doubt the biggest game of the year. The combination of fan anticipation, marketing, and the skill of Bungie's design combine to create a game that's larger than life; if gaming has a blockbuster franchise to match the movie industry's punch, it's the tale of Master Chief. The importance of the Halo franchise to gaming is a very big issue, though, and one worth it's own article. Having played through the game, there's really only one question I'm here to answer today. Does it meet expectations? In a word: yes. It's not the best game ever made, and it may not even be the best game this year. Will it make the fans happy, and deservedly sell thousands of Xbox 360s? Very much yes. Read on for my impressions of Bungie's years-in-the-making epic, Halo 3.

Title: Halo 3
Developer/Publisher: Bungie / Microsoft Game Studios
System: Xbox 360
Genre: First Person Shooter
Score: 4/5 - This game is above average, and excels in the genre it supports. A classic for the genre and well worth a look for every gamer.

The Tale

I hope you were paying attention at the end of Halo 2, because the folks at Bungie don't waste any time getting new players up to speed. The action picks up right after the Gravemind's infestation of High Charity at the end of the previous game, and the Master Chief's escape from that doomed city in the Prophet of Truth's stolen Forerunner vessel. If that makes no sense to you, I refer you to Wikipedia for a brush-up on Halo's lore. That said, once you're in the thick of things you don't need to know a lot about the past two games to enjoy 3's story. There are a bunch of references back, and continued threads, but really ... it's a first-person shooter. There are aliens on Earth, trying to dig up an alien artifact. You have to stop them. Go to it.

If you are a fan of the previous games, the story of Halo 3 is going to satisfy your need to see things wrapped up. What it's not going to do is surprise you. The plot plays out pretty much the way you'd expect, though the writers do make some very mature choices towards the end of the tale that distinguish it a bit from every other hero's journey. I'm reluctant to say more, as I'm not sure what's common knowledge at this point, but there is one storytelling choice I wanted to point out as being particularly effective. Cortana, Master Chief's AI companion, was left behind with the Flood's master at the end of the previous game. Despite this, she connects regularly with the Chief in a form of psychic connection. This allows a sense of desperation to build throughout the title, and has a satisfying payoff late in the game.

Story is a really important component of the gameplay experience for me. Though I'm no expert, I do actually like the Halo metaplot quite a bit, and I was left well pleased by Bungie's conclusion. Suffice it to say that while you're not going to be blown away by any revelations, there are no cop-outs, no cheap tricks and (best of all) no meaningless cliffhanger endings. Just make sure you watch to the end of the credits.

Beware the Scarabs

In Halo 2 there's a sequence where you attack a building-sized walking tank in the shape of a multi-legged bug, with a giant laser on its front. It's an elaborate experience: rushing alongside it on rooftops, jumping aboard, taking out its crew, and finally destroying its core. It was, for me, one of the highlights of the game. In Halo 3 you take on these tanks at least three times, and at one point you're fighting two at once. That pretty much sums up the experience of gameplay in this title: it's like the other two, only a lot moreso. Everything is bigger, better, and very, very polished.

That polish is something that exists across the title, from moment-to-moment combat through to 'set piece' battles like the Scarab tanks. There are several set pieces like that spread throughout the game, areas that are more than just the movement from point A to point B with enemies in between. None of them are any more particularly challenging than the rest of the game, but provide exclamation points on areas of hard work and forward progress. There are also several vehicle sequences, more (it seemed) that even in Halo 2. Fast action in the Scorpion tank and Warthog return, but there are also sequences designed specifically to show off some of the new vehicles in this title. I felt these were much more seamless experiences than in the last game; jumping in a vehicle seems like the natural thing to do, not a decision forced upon you by game design.

The vehicle sequences - and the whole game, for that matter - would have benefited from some extra time in NPC boot camp. Once again, your AI assistants prove to be poorly equipped at driving, shooting, or doing pretty much anything other than getting in the way. This, frustratingly, is a step up from Halo 2, where they were incapable of driving without continuously flipping your vehicle. The AI is at least smart enough to get from point A to B now, but you're not going to enjoy the journey. The continued incompetence of the AI in moment-to-moment fighting is particularly frustrating because the Elite known as the Arbiter is your constant companion through most of the game. This is a shadow of the co-op play component, a reminder that it's always possible. All the Arbiter was good for in my experience, though, was waving around his energy sword ineffectually. The AI here wasn't as dumb as the grunts in Gears of War (who enjoyed mantling onto the side of cover the enemies were firing at), but they weren't much better.

The enemy AI, at least, isn't entirely ineffective. They seemed particularly adept at using some of the new toys added in since the last game. Brute chieftains regularly came outfitted with the pleasant addition of a ripped-off turret. These mounted weapons, a frequent sight in past titles, can now be removed from their housings and carried around to provide some heavy firepower. A chieftain with one of these in a secured location can mean regular trips through respawning. The ability to dig in and hold a position was greatly enhanced by this game's addition of 'equipment'. The new use for the X button (reloading is now down with the LB and RB bumpers), most equipment allows NPCs and PCs alike to better hold an area. The 'force shield' is shown off in the E3 2006 trailer but deployable cover (a tall shield), a regeneration aura (which keeps your shields charged), and even deployable turrets all allow for positions to be maintained more effectively than in the past. Other equipment is intended to bypass such advantages, like the power-draining opposite of the regenerator, a portable hover-lift device that can allow you a quick hop over enemy fortifications, and a placeable mine great for taking out drawn-in Grunts. I'll admit it: I didn't use the equipment as effectively as I could have, but it was always enjoyable to play against. Particularly the energy shield; Brutes always seemed somehow vaguely surprised when I popped through the translucent wall.

I regularly got unpleasant surprises throughout the game, and I feel like I need to point out a frustration Bungie has managed to preserve intact from Halo 2: checkpoints. Halo 3 features an autosave system that updates your progress every time you complete a specific objective; passing a point on the map, or activating a certain control panel. Most checkpoints, though, are reached by killing enemies, and you very specifically have to kill every enemy in a group. At several points I found myself frustrated by my inability to find hiding bad guys - I'd complete a long stretch of the game and die, only to find myself further back in the game than I had anticipated. On my way back to where I'd died, I would regularly encounter a checkpoint I hadn't used before. These additional checkpoints were there because I'd missed a single hiding Grunt, or one of those stealthy sniper enemies the first time through. It's always frustrating to lose progress, and even more so when you find you lost that progress because you didn't see the point in finding a single cowering trooper.

That frustration with checkpoints, though, is really my only complaint about level design and the actual experience of play. There is a lot less back tracking here than in either of the last two games, and levels themselves feature a great deal of variation. There's a far wider palette used to put together levels, and the greens and brilliant whites used in Halo 3 stand in stark contrast to the greys and browns that have dominated other next-gen shooters. Combat itself is just as much fun as ever, and it's unflinchingly fair. You never feel cheated by gameplay in Halo 3. If you screw up and die, you usually spend the few moments after your death and before you respawn going, "Yeah, fair enough." Pro tip: The loud beeping of your lowered shields should have told you to get behind cover. While everything is polished to a glistening shine, it's great to be able to say they really haven't changed the feel of gameplay that much. Nine million people didn't buy Halo 2 because of a marketing campaign: ultimately they bought it because Bungie puts together one of the best console shooter experiences, hands down.

One Fine Looking Suit of Armor

Halo 3 looks really good, especially in motion. That said, compared with a game like Gears of War or Lair, it doesn't particularly scream 'next-gen'. The water is pretty good, the explosions are works of art, and reflections off of the Chief's visor are satisfyingly accurate ... but for the most part the game looks a lot like Master Chief's previous adventure. That's fine, though, because (unlike in that title) the framerate is pegged at 60fps and never wavers. There was never once a stutter or slowdown, even with dozens of fastmoving objects on screen, swarms of enemies, or a speedy vehicle sequence. I also saw none of the 'texture popping' that I annoyingly associate with last-gen titles. There are also almost no loading times in the game. The only time you'll see a (brief) loading screen is when you start the game or load a new chapter. Otherwise from start to finish your gaming experience is essentially unbroken. Bungie obviously spent time working on the visual elements of the game, but not to the exclusion of equally important components like story and gameplay. The look of the game is conveyed more by the art style used in the varied environments that through sheer power; the graphics here get the job done, and look great doing it.

Firefly Stars and Heavy Guitar Riffs

One game element that needs no qualifiers is the title's sound presentation. Just as in the previous two games, no expense was spared to bring the world to life through sound effects, voice acting, and music. The sound effects are essentially identical to the experience a player may have had in Halo 2, with a few subtle improvements. The voice acting is extremely well done, with the likes of Keith David, Jen Taylor, Steve Downes, and David Scully reprising their roles. Jen Taylor's Cortana has some especially challenging scenes in this game, and I thought she did a great job with them. New (but familiar) voices also add their talents to the cast. Red vs. Blue viewers will recognize the name Burnie Burns, who is one of the voices of the generic soldiery, but fans of Joss Whedon's Firefly will have just as much to enjoy. Alan Tudyk and Adam Baldwin are also soldiers, and Nathan Fillion takes on the role of an NPC sergeant. I noted this during gameplay, actually, as Alan Tudyk's voice is ... distinct.

Martin O'Donnell composed the game's score, reprising his role from the two previous titles. If you've heard the moving music in the E3 2006 trailer you're already well aware of what that implies. Most of his compositions are much more low key, of course, but they nonetheless provide a welcome backdrop for the game's graphics, gameplay and story. The later levels especially benefit from this subtle but important reminder of what's at stake. The music serves as an obvious but not over-the-top pacing element. Ultimately Martin O'Donnell's compositions are the kind of music you'd be more than happy to listen to outside of the game; it's hard to see how you can pay a soundtrack a higher compliment.

Playback and Multiplay

The clearest sign that Halo 3 is a 'next generation' title is its online and playback components. Most startling are the game's video editing and level creation tools. The first time you'll play through the campaign, you'll find that you can relive the whole thing by reviewing the videos stored on your 360's hard drive. There's no need to set a special setting, it just does it automatically. From there, you can enter the recording and rewatch the whole thing, stopping to take screenshots or snip video clips. These clips and pictures are then viewable from your Bungie.net profile, proving your game mastery to awed onlookers. The real awe, for me, was stepping outside of the Chief to fly around the map as action progresses. If you recall a particularly cool moment - a really good grenade stick, for example - you can see what that looked like on the outside ... and take a picture of it. I haven't had much time or inclination to play around with the level creation tool (called the Forge), but it's incredibly robust. Think something along the lines of Gary's Mod for Half-Life 2, and you'll understand the possibilities in Bungie's generous tool offering.

I've talked extensively about the game's campaign mode, but for many gamers online multiplayer is the real reason to buy this game. And understandably so: if you participated in the Halo 3 multiplayer Beta a few months ago you're already well aware of that game element's polish level. The real draw for me, though, is the campaign co-op play. I played entirely through Gears of War three times because the co-op experience was so well done. Here Bungie has provided the opportunity for up to four players to participate in the entire campaign experience. Just as with the 'single player' campaign mode (which is really just co-op with bots), the entire experience will be recorded to your hard drive for later public mockery. Unlike in single-player, by doing a co-op session you and your team-mates participate in what the game's achievements call 'the metagame'. Players are scored on their play throughout the game, and netting a certain total score during a co-op session can earn you some gamerscore points.

As much time as the team has obviously taken on the game itself, it's great to see that they've fleshed out the experience with elements like this. Graphics aside, these playback and co-op components are truly what makes Halo 3 'next generation'.

Consider the Fight Finished

Halo 3, then, is just about everything a player of the previous games in the series could hope for. It looks good, it plays smoothly, and backstory fans are going to finally have some closure. There are obviously flaws, but none are so glaring or frustrating as to be worth more than a passing mention. Even the checkpoint thing, which I'm sure I have run into far more often than the average player, never stopped me from grinning at the chance to melee some more Brutes into submission.

In essence: Bungie has succeeded marvelously at bringing this trilogy to a close. The game's tight story is complete-able in Normal mode in about ten hours, and that feels just about right. At the end of the game you're left wanting more, but not feeling gypped. Folks who have been holding their breath for this since 2004 can relax; the only thing left to do now is play and have a good time. Halo 3 is fun. Any game - regardless of platform, generation, or genre - where you can finish up and immediately want to start playing again ... it's hard to call that anything but a success.

source

About Brett Murray

2007-12-06T05:25:00.000-08:00

Now living and working in Cape Town, South African born artist Brett Murray has exhibited his work extensively in South Africa and abroad. Brett Murray exhibited his first solo show at the Goodman Gallery since 2000, which opened on the 22 April 2006. The exhibition entitled 'Sleep Sleep' is a new series of work; including bronzes, paintings, prints, plastic cut outs and photographs.

Brett Murray is one of the most Dynamic communicators you are ever likely to hear. He brings with him a wealth of experience well beyond his years. Through humour, electric energy, passion and a contagious enthusiasm, Brett shares from the following experiences.

Well known for his extreme trips, taking young people to such places as the Kokoda track in New Guinea and also the rugged wilderness of the Kimberley to help young people realise their hidden potential.

Brett is a highly sought after motivational speaker. His ability to communicate is evident the moment he takes the stage. Brett’s method is clear, enthusiastic, humorous and will touch and inspire all who hear him.

Brett will add incredible value to your event, bringing a rare mix of youthful zeal, passion, electric excitement, humour and a wisdom well beyond his years and an ability to connect with the audience, at any level, be it youth or mature, experienced business owners and corporate figureheads, rarely seen in this day and age.

They don't call Brett Murray the Motivator for nothing........
Have Brett at your next event - he's guaranteed to blow you away!