Dutch Field Hockey Team - The girls on the Dutch Field Hockey Team are working hard to win a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games, but they’ve already achieved an unofficial, but highly coveted, award: the most beautiful team at the Olympics.
Led by the beautiful Sophie Polkamp and Ellen Hoog, the Dutch team wowed field hockey fans yesterday with their orange and white uniforms, their athletic bodies, and yes, their talent. The Dutch team trounced Belgium on Sunday for a 3-0 victory and took one step closer to another gold medal. Kim Lammers added two goals for the Dutch team and Caia Van Maasakker added another.
The Netherlands Olympic team will take on Japan on Tuesday for their second match of the 2012 London Olympics.
The Dutch team may be flattered, but they are hoping to leave London with more than just compliments. The Dutch field hockey team won the gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and are hoping to do the same in London. Prior to their gold medal win in 2008, the Dutch team took silver in 2004, bronze in 2000, 1996, and 1988, and gold again in 1984. Are you watching the field hockey tournament this year? Do you think the Dutch team will defend their gold medal?
Hope Solo Says She Cried Before Game - It’s your standard Hollywood ending: Athlete celebrates her years of struggle, effort and achievement as she cries on the podium with the national anthem swelling in the background and a gold medal hanging from her neck.
But goalkeeper Hope Solo says she cried before Thursday’s match against Japan.
She told “Today” that she sat in the back of the bus with her U.S. teammates and shed tears in “gratitude to have the opportunity to fulfill my dream” and for teammates like Heather Mitts, who played in her last game Thursday.
But Solo says she had no time for crying after the U.S. victory. “Afterward, there were no tears, just pure joy and happiness.”
Solo deflected praise about the saves she made in the game, including one in the 83 minute that sealed the victory. Instead, she marveled at the positioning of her teammates as she watched a replay of the save for the first time.
It’s been an eventful Olympics for Solo, a former University of Washington player. Early on, she took to Twitter to criticize the commentary of Brandi Chastain, a former U.S. player, after she remarked about improvements that were needed in the U.S. defense. That became a Twitter turmoil with huffy sports columnists telling her to shut up. She didn’t step back into that spat on “Today.” She did say she had her opinions. Indeed she does. And she knows that the acclaim she is receiving today can turn to boos at the next bad outing on the pitch. “A goalkeeper’s life is incredibly difficult. You’re either the hero or you’re the goat.”
Paul Ryan Position - A roundup of early reaction to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s choice of Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as his vice presidential running mate: Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who was once considered a leading candidate for the job:
“Mitt Romney has made a great choice in Paul Ryan. He is an accomplished public servant and a leading voice on the most pressing issues facing our country. Paul is one of my best friends in Congress and someone I have worked closely with as a former colleague on the House Ways & Means Committee. “Jane and I wish Paul and Janna and their kids the very best. As the Chairman of the Romney campaign in Ohio, I look forward to working with Paul to ensure that the Romney-Ryan ticket carries Ohio and is victorious in November. Most importantly, as a member of the Senate, I look forward to working closely with a Romney-Ryan Administration to restore fiscal sanity and enact pro-growth policies to create jobs.”
Former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, another of the leading candidates for the post: “Congressman Ryan is a respected leader and a bold thinker regarding the changes needed to restore America. His selection will also help Governor Romney win the key swing state of Wisconsin. I am excited about a Romney-Ryan ticket and look forward to doing all I can to help them win this election.”
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, another vice presidential contender:
“Paul is a good friend and one of the smartest guys I served with in Congress. He has the courage of his convictions, which is what our nation needs.”
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who was also at one point considered a candidate for the job:
“We now officially have a Dream Team of solutions: Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan! Both of these men understand it’s not about complaining and blaming, but producing results for the people of our great country. The race is on: Romney/Ryan vs Obama/Biden.”
Former Florida governor Jeb Bush (R):
“I applaud Mitt Romney’s selection of Paul Ryan as his Vice Presidential running mate. Congressman Ryan’s command of economic policy and the federal budget will prove invaluable as Governor Romney fights to reform government, accelerate job growth and rein in the out-of-control spending that has been a hallmark of President Obama’s years in office. This courageous choice is the type of leadership American voters deserve. And, I believe it will ensure a victory for the Romney-Ryan ticket this November.”
President Obama’s campaign manager, Jim Messina: “In naming Congressman Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney has chosen a leader of the House Republicans who shares his commitment to the flawed theory that new budget-busting tax cuts for the wealthy, while placing greater burdens on the middle class and seniors, will somehow deliver a stronger economy. The architect of the radical Republican House budget, Ryan, like Romney, proposed an additional $250,000 tax cut for millionaires, and deep cuts in education from Head Start to college aid. His plan also would end Medicare as we know it by turning it into a voucher system, shifting thousands of dollars in health care costs to seniors. As a member of Congress, Ryan rubber-stamped the reckless Bush economic policies that exploded our deficit and crashed our economy. Now the Romney-Ryan ticket would take us back by repeating the same, catastrophic mistakes.”
Eminem Fans Help Dark Times - Eminem, who battled an addiction to prescription drugs, thanked his fans at a New York concert for helping him get through dark times. The 39-year-old told hundreds Thursday night that he "wouldn't have gotten out of that dark place without y'all" before he performed the Grammy-winning song "Not Afraid." He said the performance was "dedicated to anybody tonight who's been through personal struggles." Eminem's addiction and climb to sobriety is detailed in his 2010 album "Recovery." It was that year's best-selling album.
At the Hammerstein Ballroom the rapper performed more than a dozen songs at an event for the watch brand G-Shock, including the hits "Lose Yourself," ''Love the Way You Lie" and "The Real Slim Shady." Hip-hop foursome Slaughterhouse opened for the Detroit-born rapper.
Connor Cruise Red Dawn - First look at ‘Red Dawn’ trailer: Connor Cruise steps out, Josh Hutcherson weighs in, If you think Connor Cruise has a conspicuously familiar last name, that is because he does. The 17-year-old adopted son of star exes Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman is stepping out in his first major film role in the remake of '80s teen action film "Red Dawn." In the trailer -- seen here first on Yahoo! Movies -- Connor appears sporadically in the latter half of film preview. At one point he is wielding a gun, positioned in a sniper-style pose. The film is about teens who decide to defend themselves against an enemy force that has parachuted in to occupy their Washington state town. It also stars Chris Hemsworth, Isabel Lucas, and Josh Hutcherson -- who recently spoke to Yahoo! Movies about Connor and the film.
The film is about teens who decide to defend themselves against an enemy force that has parachuted in to occupy their Washington state town. It also stars Chris Hemsworth, Isabel Lucas, and Josh Hutcherson -- who recently spoke to Yahoo! Movies about Connor and the film.
"Connor is a really cool kid," Hutcherson said of his costar -- who plays his best friend in "Red Dawn." "When you look at his upbringing and how it's been different than so many people, he is very well-rounded, grounded, extremely smart, physically -- just great at all sports... You can see where he gets that from his dad," Hutcherson further described.
"Connor, like me, loved the action stuff," Hutcherson said of his on-set experience. "Any time there were explosions or gunfire or whatever, he and I were two of the most excited people on the set. That was pretty cool, to have somebody that shared my enthusiasm for explosions," he added.
While "Red Dawn" marks Connor's first breakout role in which he plays a key character in a film, he did make a short appearance in "Seven Pounds" in 2008, playing a young Will Smith. Smith later noted Connor's professionalism on set and the benefit of his powerhouse Hollywood parents: "He's got a couple good role models in his life, so I think he might be able to put something together."
Hutcherson pointed out that Connor is also a DJ: "He is such an entrepreneur." Indeed, Connor, who goes by the alias DJ C-Squared, recently said in an interview that he tries to DJ everywhere he can, and added, "I would kill to open for [Swedish DJ] Avicii." As for "Red Dawn," the film was made years ago -- even before "Hunger Games." "It's been a long time," Hutcherson said, noting he was 16 or 17 years old when it was shot (Hutcherson is now 19)."I'm super excited about it," he added. Hutcherson already knew one of his "Hunger Games" costars because of his experience shooting "Red Dawn": "That was my first introduction to the Hemsworth family, with Chris. That's actually how I met Liam, and Liam and I became friends before I got cast in 'Hunger Games.'" He later noted eerily thematic ties between the two films: "['Red Dawn'] is sort of similarly themed when I really think about it -- because a group of these young people band together to rise up against this big government that's invading and taking over... That's what 'Hunger Games' is," he pointed out. Poking fun at the similarity, Hutcherson joked, "After these movies [all] come out, I'll really know how to lead the charge -- a rebellion leader." "Red Dawn" parachutes into theaters November 21.
Malcolm X Actor Albert Freeman Jr Dies - Albert Freeman Jr., the veteran actor who played Elijah Muhammad in Spike Lee's epic film, "Malcolm X," has died. He was 78.
Howard University in Washington, D.C., confirmed his death Friday night but details weren't immediately available. Freeman taught acting there for years and served as chairman and artistic director of its theater arts department. "He was a brilliant professor, a renowned actor and a master director who made his mark in the classroom as well as on stage, screen and television. ... He has mentored and taught scores of outstanding actors. He was a resounding voice of Howard and will be missed," university spokeswoman Kerry-Ann Hamilton said in a statement. Freeman earned an NAACP Image Award for playing Malcolm X's mentor in Lee's 1992 biography. He also received an Emmy nomination for his role as Malcolm X in the 1979 miniseries "Roots: The Next Generations." He won a best-actor Daytime Emmy that year for his work as Capt. Ed Hall on the soap opera "One Life to Live."
Higher Mortgage Rates - Freddie Mac reports higher average mortgage rates for the second week in a row, after a long streak of record declines, but Chief Economist Frank Nothaft said they edged up following stronger jobs-market data.
"Fixed mortgage rates inched up again this week following stronger-than-expected employment reports," he said in a statement. "The economy added 163,000 jobs in July, well above the market consensus forecast of 100,000, and the largest increase since February." Layoffs also plunged 45% in July compared with a year ago. Of course, rates could slip again as the wobbly economy struggles to find firm footing. However, fixed-mortgage rates remain near historic lows.
For the week ended Thursday, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.59%, compared with 3.55% the previous week and 4.32% a year earlier. Rates on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 2.84%, versus 2.83% a week earlier and 3.5% a year ago.
Five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages, or ARMs, averaged 2.77%, compared with 2.75% the previous week and the 3.13% rate set a year earlier. One-year Treasury-indexed ARM rates averaged 2.65%, compared with 2.7% the prior week and 2.89% set a year ago. On Tuesday, Freddie Mac reported a net income of $1.2 billion for the past three months, meaning the mortgage giant won’t require any additional federal aid after requesting $19 million in government funding during the first quarter of 2012. Americans currently holding mortgages also fared better in the second quarter, as the number behind on their payments reached its lowest point in three years, according to data analysis published earlier this week by TransUnion. During the second quarter, only 5.49 percent of mortgage holders were behind on their payments by at least two months, down from 5.78 percent during the first quarter of 2012.
Plane Crash In Idaho - Survivor's video shows harrowing Idaho plane crash, The survivors of a plane crash in central Idaho can prove just how close they came to death, with a seven-minute video documenting their harrowing experience, including the bloody aftermath. One passenger, Nathan Williams, told The Associated Press on Thursday that he and his friends are "just four guys who are lucky to be alive." Williams was filming June 30 when the small plane took off from a dirt runway headed toward the mountain resort town of McCall. His video shows the plane flying for several minutes before losing altitude and slamming into the trees below, with the pilot suffering serious injuries. "It wasn't anything we were trying to film," said Williams, 38, of Boise. "It was a beautiful day and we were just really having fun recording what we were doing." Williams suffered a concussion in the plane crash and said the pilot, Les Gropp, 70, had a broken jaw, broken ribs and a fractured cheekbone. The two other passengers, Alec Arhets and Gropp's son, Tol, escaped with cuts and bruises, Williams said. "We all went back to work on Monday," said Williams, a dentist. "Les was really the only one who had some lasting damage, but even he's going to be fine." The Valley County Sheriff's Department said at the time that the crash occurred late in the afternoon in the Bear Valley area and two people were transported to a hospital. As of late Thursday, the video of the plane crash had more than 336,000 views and been played more than 1.2 million times on the website LiveLeak, where it was shared a day ago. The video also spread on YouTube and in one instance, was removed from a user's page because it violated the company's policy "on shocking and disgusting content." The group flew into the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness so they could go hiking, Williams said. After the hike, they were headed to McCall for dinner and while taking off, Williams is shown smiling as he pans his camera to the back of the plane to his fellow passengers. After about 2 minutes and 40 seconds of footage, the video shows the plane start to lower and then crash. The camera is then blocked by the wreckage and shows a mostly black screen as one of the men is heard moaning and another asks: "Everybody OK?" Several minutes later, one of the men is shown retrieving the camera, which films the pilot lying on the ground with his head resting on a log and his face and arm covered in blood. His eye appears blackened and the wreckage of the red plane is in the background. At that point, the group had already attended to Gropp and were waiting for help, said Williams, who is shown leaning down to talk to the pilot. "Where are you hurt?" Williams asks. "The right side of your face? OK." The men suspect the plane had a difficult time gaining altitude because of warming temperatures and that after the Stinson 108-3 took off, it hit an air pocket that made it rapidly loose altitude, pushing it down into the trees. Williams posted the video to show friends and family what happened and he was surprised to see the video elicit so much response. But he also understands why people are intrigued. "You see how fast something happens, something that's life-threatening," he said. "That's kind of people's worst fears and it kind of came true for us, in a way."
romney vice president,Mitt Romney's Insult to Our U.S. OlympiansWhy would Mitt Romney steal the spotlight from our US Olympic athletes during the Olympics?"This was my immediate reaction when I heard that Romney was announcing his choice for Vice President on Saturday morning. I couldn't understand why Mitt could not wait until after the Olympic ended Sunday night to make this announcement? And I can assure you that I would be asking the identical question if a Democratic presidential candidate had done the same thing. Respect for our Olympic athletes should never be a partisan issue. There was no rush for Mitt to make this announcement. He had made his choice of Congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate on August 1. He had waited this long to share it with us, why not wait a few more days so that our Olympians could receive the full media attention they deserve?
If Mitt had simply waited until Monday to make his announcement, it would not have had any negative impact on Romney's campaign. His choice of Ryan would have still clearly dominated the news headlines and been the story of the week.
Romney could have even waited till next weekend to inform us of his VP pick. The Republican National Convention doesn't kick off until August 27 and this announcement in the days before it would have helped build excitement. Indeed, that's what John McCain did by announcing Sarah Palin as his running mate on August 28, 2008, four days before that year's nominating convention.
Instead, Romney chose to reveal his choice for vice president at a press spectacle on a US Navy battleship during a weekend showcasing close to 100 Olympic matches--including diving, cycling, women's volleyball, basketball, and track and field. And these events are almost all finals, which means the award of Olympic medals for the athletes competing.
Our American Olympians have trained and sacrificed for years to make it to this level. This is their chance to proudly represent the United States. It's also their opportunity to receive some well-deserved recognition for their work. For most of these athletes, this will be the pinnacle of their athletic career. There are no million-dollar paydays awaiting the bulk of them. This is their payday. This is their brief, but well-earned, shining moment.
People like Pittsburgh's Jake Herbert who is in his first Olympics ever wrestling at the 84kg level after a stellar college wrestling career. And University of Arizona Junior Brigetta Barrett who will be going for the gold this weekend in the Women's High jump. Or Nick McCrory, a diver who finished two places short of qualifying for the 2008 Olympics, but who continued to persevere and this year achieved his dream of donning the red, white and blue uniform in the Olympics.
And there are also the US Olympic teams competing for gold medals this weekend, such as the women's volleyball team which features athletes like Lindsey Berg, who was a back up player for the past two Olympics but finally in 2012 made it to be a starting player for the US team.
What makes the timing of this announcement even more astounding is that Mitt Romney was the head of the 2002 Olympic games. Consequently, he's fully aware of the daunting challenges these athletes had to overcome to make the US Olympic team. The pressures they are under to perform well while representing our nation. And the recognition they truly deserve for their efforts.
Why did Romney make his announcement now? Possibly because a new poll released earlier this week showed Romney now trailing President Obama by seven points and he felt compelled to so something now? Maybe he was feeling the heat from others in his party to make the announcement as soon as possible? We can't be certain.
But what we do know for sure is that Romney was aware that the Olympics games were taking place and that his announcement would overshadow our Olympic athletes. This selfish decision by Romney tells us possibly more about him as a person than any of his stands on the issues.
obama romney polls, Login with Facebook to see what your friends are readingEnableSocialReadingi Obama Leads Romney By 7 Points As Negative Ads Take TollPresident Barack Obama is leading Mitt Romney by 7 points among registered voters -- 52 percent to 45 percent -- in a just-released CNN/ORC International poll.The margin echoes those of other polls released in recent days, and suggests that the barrage of tough advertisements against the presumptive Republican nominee has taken a toll. As CNN notes: While Romney's favorable rating has remained steady (47% now compared to 48% in July), his unfavorable rating has jumped from 42% last month to 48% now ... Among independents, the poll indicates Romney's image has taken a beating. In May, only 40% of independents had an unfavorable view of Romney. Now, 52% of independents have a negative view of him. These polls are, of course, just snapshots in time. But they underscore the problem that Romney's campaign now has on its hands. His image among the public has been largely defined by his opponent. And while Romney has plenty of cash to run ads of his own, time is running out for him to reverse this trend.
Take, for example, the following findings within the poll:
Sixty-four percent of all Americans, and 68% of independents, think Romney favors the rich over the middle class. And 63% of the public thinks Romney should release more tax returns than he has already made public, a figure which rises to 67% among independents. UPDATE: 6:15 p.m. -- The recent trend of generally good news for the president continued on Thursday afternoon, with the release of a new poll by Fox News that showed Obama besting Romney by a 49 to 40 percent margin among registered voters. His lead has increased since last month's poll, when he enjoyed a 45 to 41 percent margin.
As with the CNN poll, the primary factor appears to be the barrage of negative ads directed Romney's way.
The Obama campaign has spent heavily on advertising attacking Romney’s time at Bain Capital and his tax returns. And it appears to be working. Romney’s favorable rating dropped six percentage points since last month and now sits at 46 percent, down from 52 percent in mid-July. At the same time his unfavorable rating went up five points. Romney’s favorable rating has held steady among his party faithful, but it’s down eight percentage points among independents and seven points among Democrats.
brad pitt angelina jolie wedding, Brangelina is not over yet! Just forget the break up rumors! Actress Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are finally considering the possibility of making it official and tying the knot in a small ceremony for the sake of their six kids (Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne). Angelina Jolie Is Finally Pregnant with Seventh Child According to OK!, the kids understand their parents are not officially husband and wife and have been begging them to marry. “First it was Maddox, who has begged his parents to tie the knot for years,” the insider says. “Lately, Shiloh and Zahara have been chiming in, and Pax thinks it would just be the coolest thing ever to be a ring bearer.”
Aww! Kids are the cutest thing in the world! Brad’s mom, who was rumored to not like her son’s partner, apparently is also very happy and excited about this wedding since she helped the kids convince Brangelina to tie the knot.t looks like an invite to Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt‘s highly anticipated nuptials will be hard to come by — even for the bride’s own family.
“Trust me, there will be no wedding invitation,” Jolie’s cousin, Martin Poucher, told Celebuzz about the impending wedding.
“The family has joked about who will be invited.”
Few details have been released about Pitt and Jolie’s wedding, though it’s been reported the Moneyball star has been meticulously planning their big day, even down to the placements and hymns.
The couple are reportedly set to tie the knot on their sprawling estate Chateau Miraval in France in front of just 20 guests including their six children Maddox, 10, Pax, nine, Zahara, seven, Shiloh, six and four-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.
bill and ted 3 director, 'Bill & Ted 3': Keanu Reeves & Alex Winter Attached To Threequel With Director Dean ParisotKeanu Reeves has kept a low profile over the last few years, but that's about to change. The actor produced the outstanding documentary "Side By Side" (debuting on Aug. 22), which explains via interviews with everyone from James Cameron to Christopher Nolan the pros and cons of both photochemical and digital filmmaking techniques. Reeves is also starring in "47 Ronin," a 3D epic due out in early 2013, and he recently wrapped his own directorial debut, "Man of Tai Chi." Now, Vulture reports that Reeves might follow all that up with another trip to the Circle K. Per the site, "Bill & Ted 3" is moving forward with Reeves and original co-star Alex Winter attached, and Dean Parisot ("Galaxy Quest") aboard to direct.
The rumored sequel has been gestating for quite some time. In 2011, Reeves told MTV there was an outline for the possible third film.
"When we last got together, part of it was that Bill and Ted were supposed to have written the song that saved the world, and it hasn't happened," he said. "So they've now become kind of possessed by trying to do that. Then there's an element of time and they have to go back."
Back in March, Reeves revealed that he had read the script. "Yeah, we have a script," he said to The Independent. "We're trying to put it together. It's a good script too."
Meanwhile, as recently as this week, Reeves said that plans were still slowly progressing for "Bill & Ted 3."
"Yeah, we're trying to get it made," he told Movies.com. "Yeah, we'll see."
All of which is to say: Excellent.
The original "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" came out in 1989 and made a star out of Reeves. Its sequel, "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey," arrived in 1991, but wasn't as strongly received.
For more on "Bill & Ted 3," including why fans of the original should be excited, head over to Vulture.
Dutch Field Hockey Team - The girls on the Dutch Field Hockey Team are working hard to win a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games, but they’ve already achieved an unofficial, but highly coveted, award: the most beautiful team at the Olympics.
