Tom Delay’s third career as a dancer was short-lived. After a career in pest control, he turned to politics. After 2 years as Republican House Majority Leader, “the Hammer” decided to try a foray into something a little more glitzy.
Decked out in a red outfit with a prominent Republican elephant on his back, he strutted his stuff, showing that conservative politics and the arts do mix. He wanted to show that he is more than just a stuffed suit by being a contestant on Dancing With the Stars. I think he surprised everyone with his moves. He’s actually very light on his feet, even in his high heels.
DeLay said that while it may have surprised many that he was a contestant, it wouldn’t have surprised the people who knew him well. “They know that I like to have fun. I like to push the envelope.”
DeLay was partnered with two-time Dancing with the Stars professional champ Cheryl Burke, who apparently had to Google him to find out who he was.
Comedian Jimmy Kimmel asked her if their pairing was a result of her being “punished by the producers.”
“Tom’s a great guy and I learned a lot from him. We had a lot of fun together,” she said.
Tom got along famously with everyone, despite their differences.
“The thing that surprised me the most were the people on the show … I didn’t know what to expect coming to this show and Los Angeles and being amongst the more creative people. I found that even as liberal as some are, they were very open and very warm. The professional dancers were just amazing. The kind of people they are, their work ethic, how smart they are, how talented they are — I was blown away. I made some very good friends,” DeLay said.
While not the most polished dancer, Tom held his own. It was fun and impressive just to see him in this context. At one point, DeLay admits he panicked when he almost dropped Cheryl – but it was either grab onto her or let her fall “on her rear end.” They say recovery is the most important aspect of talent.
Tom, who had been diagnosed with a pre-stress fracture in his right foot, decided to ignore doctor’s advice not to perform.
“What’s a little pain when we can party?”
He eventually was forced to withdraw due to stress fractures on both of his feet.
“Does that embarrass you at all?” asked Jimmy Kimmel.
“Frankly, a little bit,” answered DeLay. “A boy from Texas breaking his feet dancing?”
DeLay reportedly asked Kimmel, “can you could shake your booty like I can?”
“I want to dance no matter what,” the 62-year-old former House Republican Whip said Monday, but he reconsidered on Tuesday.
His partner, Cheryl said, “I told him over a million times not to dance. I told him you’ve already gone out there and shocked America, showed them what you can do already. But he’s a stubborn man, and he’s very determined!” she added.
A polarizing figure, some just can’t separate politics from entertainment. His elimination sparked some venom from the Left on the Huffington Post’s site. His opponents were celebrating his injuries.
c.2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Like a Virgin
Here’s one to be filed under the “absurd,” except for it’s frighteningly real. There is now a “solution” for Muslim women that are raped (losing their virginity before their wedding night) and can face death because of it.
For Americans, in our more modern, not to mention, sexually-charged society, this will be hard to fathom. In Egypt, and many Muslim countries, women are expected to stay pure for their wedding night…under threat of death. In fact they are still required to show their blood-stained sheet as proof of their purity.
While Egypt tends to be a little more liberal (though still a constitutional theocracy), a 2005 UN report estimated that 52 out of a total 819 murders in the country in 1995 were, so called, “honour killings.”
These folks take keeping the marriage bed pure to the extreme. While there are many good reasons to stay pure, theirs are for the express purposes of control, which is not love. The fact that this is a huge double standard is notwithstanding. (Men don’t have to do any such thing). But this isn’t even an accurate portrayal of virginity.
Well you don’t even have to be a particularly randy female to have a problem with this. Women have been forced to turn to surgery to repair damage, in many cases, caused by rapes. The surgical procedure is called hymenorraphy. A doctor will recreate the hymen by piecing together its remnants. It can also include inserting a gelatin capsule filled with a blood-like substance that will burst during intercourse, simulating bleeding. If there is not enough hymen left, or if the woman was born without one, part of the vaginal wall is used to recreate this thin tissue.
The operation, which is considered relatively simple and performed on an outpatient basis in western countries, is illegal in Muslim countries. The surgeries tend to be “back alley” procedures in terms of cleanliness and credentials. Though pricey at 1000 Egyptian pounds, the cost of not having it is often far worse.
But finally, now there is an alternative. Muslim women everywhere are breathing a collective sigh of relief. The Chinese company, Gigimo, (a company known for their sex toys.), has invented an artificial virginity hymen kit. For much less money and trouble, the device leaks out a red substance when inserted and broken. So on your wedding night, your husband will think you are a virgin still.
Conservative Egyptian lawmakers, with laws on many female bodies, have banned the product, calling it a “mark of shame.”
Now, I’m the farthest thing from a feminist, but I have a huge problem with the incredible double standard this presents. I’m surprised that more women, and especially the feminists haven’t spoken out about this. I find it so sad to see women abused and reduced to objects. The fact that they don’t know any other way, because, “that’s the way it is” just makes it even worse.
Sheik Sayed Askar, a member of the conservative Muslim Brotherhood political party, said: “This product encourages illicit sexual relations. Islamic culture forbids these relations except within the confines of marriage.”
[Somehow I get the impression that it is more permissible if you happen to be a male.]
Abdel Moati Bayoumi, a prominent Islamic scholar, agrees. He said: “I think this should absolutely not be allowed to be exported because it brings more harm than benefits. Whoever (imports it) should be punished.”
But I ask you, which is more shameful: making a mistake, or the negligent punishment of the mistake. Declaring only one of the two parties involved as guilty, and deserving of death.
Support for the product, includes, Marwa Rakha, an Egyptian blogger and activist for women’s rights, said “the Artificial Virginity Hymen ‘sticks it in the face of every male hypocrite’ in an Arab culture that condemns women’s sexuality but turns a blind eye to male promiscuity.”
I think that about sums it up. Maybe it’s not so absurd after all.
c.2009
For Americans, in our more modern, not to mention, sexually-charged society, this will be hard to fathom. In Egypt, and many Muslim countries, women are expected to stay pure for their wedding night…under threat of death. In fact they are still required to show their blood-stained sheet as proof of their purity.
While Egypt tends to be a little more liberal (though still a constitutional theocracy), a 2005 UN report estimated that 52 out of a total 819 murders in the country in 1995 were, so called, “honour killings.”
These folks take keeping the marriage bed pure to the extreme. While there are many good reasons to stay pure, theirs are for the express purposes of control, which is not love. The fact that this is a huge double standard is notwithstanding. (Men don’t have to do any such thing). But this isn’t even an accurate portrayal of virginity.
Well you don’t even have to be a particularly randy female to have a problem with this. Women have been forced to turn to surgery to repair damage, in many cases, caused by rapes. The surgical procedure is called hymenorraphy. A doctor will recreate the hymen by piecing together its remnants. It can also include inserting a gelatin capsule filled with a blood-like substance that will burst during intercourse, simulating bleeding. If there is not enough hymen left, or if the woman was born without one, part of the vaginal wall is used to recreate this thin tissue.
The operation, which is considered relatively simple and performed on an outpatient basis in western countries, is illegal in Muslim countries. The surgeries tend to be “back alley” procedures in terms of cleanliness and credentials. Though pricey at 1000 Egyptian pounds, the cost of not having it is often far worse.
But finally, now there is an alternative. Muslim women everywhere are breathing a collective sigh of relief. The Chinese company, Gigimo, (a company known for their sex toys.), has invented an artificial virginity hymen kit. For much less money and trouble, the device leaks out a red substance when inserted and broken. So on your wedding night, your husband will think you are a virgin still.
Conservative Egyptian lawmakers, with laws on many female bodies, have banned the product, calling it a “mark of shame.”
Now, I’m the farthest thing from a feminist, but I have a huge problem with the incredible double standard this presents. I’m surprised that more women, and especially the feminists haven’t spoken out about this. I find it so sad to see women abused and reduced to objects. The fact that they don’t know any other way, because, “that’s the way it is” just makes it even worse.
Sheik Sayed Askar, a member of the conservative Muslim Brotherhood political party, said: “This product encourages illicit sexual relations. Islamic culture forbids these relations except within the confines of marriage.”
[Somehow I get the impression that it is more permissible if you happen to be a male.]
Abdel Moati Bayoumi, a prominent Islamic scholar, agrees. He said: “I think this should absolutely not be allowed to be exported because it brings more harm than benefits. Whoever (imports it) should be punished.”
But I ask you, which is more shameful: making a mistake, or the negligent punishment of the mistake. Declaring only one of the two parties involved as guilty, and deserving of death.
Support for the product, includes, Marwa Rakha, an Egyptian blogger and activist for women’s rights, said “the Artificial Virginity Hymen ‘sticks it in the face of every male hypocrite’ in an Arab culture that condemns women’s sexuality but turns a blind eye to male promiscuity.”
I think that about sums it up. Maybe it’s not so absurd after all.
c.2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The Girl With Kaleidoscope Eyes
Lucy in the Sky with diamonds has died from an infection stemming from her bout with Lupus.
Lucy began her legacy, unwittingly, when John Lennon’s son, Julian brought home a painting he had done in school in 1966. “That’s Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” he told his dad. The rest is history.
She only recently admitted to being the inspiration for the legendary song, telling BBC radio,
“When I told a couple of friends that Lucy in the sky with diamonds was about me, they said, ‘No, it can’t be, it’s to do with LSD.’ I was too embarrassed to tell them that I didn’t know what LSD was.”
“I remember Julian and I both doing pictures on a double-sided easel, throwing paint at each other, much to the horror of the classroom attendant… Julian had painted a picture and on that particular day his father turned up with the chauffeur to pick him up from school.”
Julian has said, “I don’t know why I called it that or why it stood out from all my other drawings, but I obviously had an affection for Lucy at that age.
“I used to show dad everything I’d built or painted at school, and this one sparked off the idea for a song about Lucy in the sky with diamonds.”
She and Julian had lost touch, as most elementary school friends do, but upon hearing of her illness, Julian was quick to respond. He sent her flowers with a personally written card. He later learned that she enjoyed gardening. So he sent her gift vouchers for a garden centre.
“I wasn’t sure at first how to approach her. I wanted at least to get a note to her,” Julian Lennon told The Associated Press. “Then I heard she had a great love of gardening, and I thought I’d help with something she’s passionate about, and I love gardening too. I wanted to do something to put a smile on her face.”
Vodden developed an infection while on vacation with her husband of eight years. She was rushed to a hospital in King’s Lynn, Norfolk where she died on September 22, 2009, with her husband, father, sister and brother at her bedside. She was 46, Julian Lennon and his mother, Cynthia, released a statement saying they were “shocked and saddened” by Vodden’s death.
She was in such pain when she was sick, that she found it difficult to go out. Though one time when she did, she heard her song playing in a shop.
“That made me giggle,” she said.
The St Thomas Lupus Trust campaign director Angie Davidson paid tribute to Vodden.
“Everyone at the Louise Coote Lupus Unit was dreadfully shocked by the death of Lucy,” Davidson said. “She was a great supporter of ours and a real fighter. It’s so sad that she has finally lost the battle she fought so bravely for so long.”
c.2009
Lucy began her legacy, unwittingly, when John Lennon’s son, Julian brought home a painting he had done in school in 1966. “That’s Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” he told his dad. The rest is history.
She only recently admitted to being the inspiration for the legendary song, telling BBC radio,
“When I told a couple of friends that Lucy in the sky with diamonds was about me, they said, ‘No, it can’t be, it’s to do with LSD.’ I was too embarrassed to tell them that I didn’t know what LSD was.”
“I remember Julian and I both doing pictures on a double-sided easel, throwing paint at each other, much to the horror of the classroom attendant… Julian had painted a picture and on that particular day his father turned up with the chauffeur to pick him up from school.”
Julian has said, “I don’t know why I called it that or why it stood out from all my other drawings, but I obviously had an affection for Lucy at that age.
“I used to show dad everything I’d built or painted at school, and this one sparked off the idea for a song about Lucy in the sky with diamonds.”
She and Julian had lost touch, as most elementary school friends do, but upon hearing of her illness, Julian was quick to respond. He sent her flowers with a personally written card. He later learned that she enjoyed gardening. So he sent her gift vouchers for a garden centre.
“I wasn’t sure at first how to approach her. I wanted at least to get a note to her,” Julian Lennon told The Associated Press. “Then I heard she had a great love of gardening, and I thought I’d help with something she’s passionate about, and I love gardening too. I wanted to do something to put a smile on her face.”
Vodden developed an infection while on vacation with her husband of eight years. She was rushed to a hospital in King’s Lynn, Norfolk where she died on September 22, 2009, with her husband, father, sister and brother at her bedside. She was 46, Julian Lennon and his mother, Cynthia, released a statement saying they were “shocked and saddened” by Vodden’s death.
She was in such pain when she was sick, that she found it difficult to go out. Though one time when she did, she heard her song playing in a shop.
“That made me giggle,” she said.
The St Thomas Lupus Trust campaign director Angie Davidson paid tribute to Vodden.
“Everyone at the Louise Coote Lupus Unit was dreadfully shocked by the death of Lucy,” Davidson said. “She was a great supporter of ours and a real fighter. It’s so sad that she has finally lost the battle she fought so bravely for so long.”
c.2009
Singing Obama's Praises
Students in a New Jersey elementary school celebrated this year’ Black History month in an unprecedented way. Elvira James’ second grade class had the internet and news stations abuzz with their rendition of a praise chorus to the great Obama.
A YouTube video was released showing students of the B. Bernice Young Elementary School in Burlington, New Jersey singing and cheering, in essence, hymns of praise to our president to the tune of church choruses. Even going as far as referring to him as the Alpha and Omega, which is one of the names of Christ.
Another is reminiscent of the familiar Sunday School tune “Jesus Loves the Little Children.”
“Red and yellow, black or white/All are equal in his sight. Barack Hussein Obama”
And the other to the tune of The Battle Hymn of the Republic.
Hello, Mr. President we honor you today!
For all your great accomplishments, we all doth say “hooray!”
Hooray, Mr. President! You’re number one!
The first black American to lead this great nation!
Hooray, Mr. President we honor your great plans
To make this country’s economy number one again!
Is it just me, or is this really weird? I mean no other presidents had songs written about them, even the well-liked ones. I have said before, sort of half-joking, that his supporters have projected a God complex on him, I guess this just shows the frightening reality of that impression.
It gets even worse. The children go on to sing, “He said we must be clear today/Equal work means equal pay.”
I don’t remember such indoctrination going on in my elementary school when Reagan was president, much less even knowing what saving the economy even meant at that age.
You can imagine the response from the parents, well, the Conservative ones anyway. “I’m stunned — I can’t believe it’s our school,” said Jim Pronchik, who told FOXNews.com his 8-year-old son Jimmy was one of the 18 students in the video. “We don’t want to praise this guy like he’s a god or an idol or a king or anything like that. That’s the wrong message to be sending.”
Now there are people like my dear liberal-ish boyfriend who say what’s the big deal? So they sang a little song about him?
The big deal is that these children are being fed propaganda before they have the means to filter through it. This is the reason that people were so against Obama speaking to the kids in the first place. That was the trick of many dictators. Indoctrinate your followers while they are young.
Robert Bowen, father of two children at Bernice Young Elementary said,
“I felt this was reminiscent of 1930’s Germany, and the indoctrination of children to worship their leader.”
Glenn Beck says in his column that this is a lot like the way North Korean children are taught to sing the praises of their “Dear Leader.” Any child who refuses to join in is punished. It is not that bad now, the kids are just frowned upon by teachers and classmates. He says that they are called into the principal’s office to say why it is that they aren’t singing. After which, it is “explained” to them why they should. This is just a hop, skip and a jump towards dictatorship. He also compares the similarities between the steps that Obama is taking to the baby steps Hitler took towards dictatorship.
I don’t want to be an alarmist, or a conspiracy theorist. I really do think this says more about Obama’s followers than it does about him. It just shows how loony they are, and how they blindly follow him. How they want so much to believe in him. That is what is so scary about it.
c. 2009
A YouTube video was released showing students of the B. Bernice Young Elementary School in Burlington, New Jersey singing and cheering, in essence, hymns of praise to our president to the tune of church choruses. Even going as far as referring to him as the Alpha and Omega, which is one of the names of Christ.
Another is reminiscent of the familiar Sunday School tune “Jesus Loves the Little Children.”
“Red and yellow, black or white/All are equal in his sight. Barack Hussein Obama”
And the other to the tune of The Battle Hymn of the Republic.
Hello, Mr. President we honor you today!
For all your great accomplishments, we all doth say “hooray!”
Hooray, Mr. President! You’re number one!
The first black American to lead this great nation!
Hooray, Mr. President we honor your great plans
To make this country’s economy number one again!
Is it just me, or is this really weird? I mean no other presidents had songs written about them, even the well-liked ones. I have said before, sort of half-joking, that his supporters have projected a God complex on him, I guess this just shows the frightening reality of that impression.
It gets even worse. The children go on to sing, “He said we must be clear today/Equal work means equal pay.”
I don’t remember such indoctrination going on in my elementary school when Reagan was president, much less even knowing what saving the economy even meant at that age.
You can imagine the response from the parents, well, the Conservative ones anyway. “I’m stunned — I can’t believe it’s our school,” said Jim Pronchik, who told FOXNews.com his 8-year-old son Jimmy was one of the 18 students in the video. “We don’t want to praise this guy like he’s a god or an idol or a king or anything like that. That’s the wrong message to be sending.”
Now there are people like my dear liberal-ish boyfriend who say what’s the big deal? So they sang a little song about him?
The big deal is that these children are being fed propaganda before they have the means to filter through it. This is the reason that people were so against Obama speaking to the kids in the first place. That was the trick of many dictators. Indoctrinate your followers while they are young.
Robert Bowen, father of two children at Bernice Young Elementary said,
“I felt this was reminiscent of 1930’s Germany, and the indoctrination of children to worship their leader.”
Glenn Beck says in his column that this is a lot like the way North Korean children are taught to sing the praises of their “Dear Leader.” Any child who refuses to join in is punished. It is not that bad now, the kids are just frowned upon by teachers and classmates. He says that they are called into the principal’s office to say why it is that they aren’t singing. After which, it is “explained” to them why they should. This is just a hop, skip and a jump towards dictatorship. He also compares the similarities between the steps that Obama is taking to the baby steps Hitler took towards dictatorship.
I don’t want to be an alarmist, or a conspiracy theorist. I really do think this says more about Obama’s followers than it does about him. It just shows how loony they are, and how they blindly follow him. How they want so much to believe in him. That is what is so scary about it.
c. 2009
Joe Perry is a Selfish Bastard
According to an AP story, Aerosmith rocker, Joe Perry is pissed off at Steven Tyler for sidelining their tour.
Tyler, 61, is normally quite agile despite his age. Though he apparently fell backwards off the stage onto a couple of fans on Wednesday night during the band’s show in Rapid City, South Dakota. Apparently the sound system malfunctioned during Love in an Elevator performance, and Tyler was amusing the crowd with his dancing when the fall happened.
“He does a lot of dancing on the stage and he does a lot of stuff with his mic stand. He put his stand down and twirled around and stepped backwards off the stage,” said Mike Sanborn, spokesman for the Buffalo Chip Campground, which hosted the outdoor concert.
He was airlifted to the hospital, but was said to be in good spirits, even with a broken left shoulder 20 stitches in his head. He was joking around with the doctors. He was ordered by doctors to take some time off to recover.
After the incident, Perry Tweeted to ticket holders, “Sincere apologies out 2 all Aero Fans regarding the canceled shows. It really bums me out too- you have no idea. Pray 4 Stevens speedy return,”
However, Perry responded to the media a little more candidly, “I was pretty (upset), because right before that, he had pulled a muscle in his leg. And we had to take two weeks off and we missed probably seven dates.”
I’m not sure why Steve Perry is so upset. He has been busy promoting his upcoming , album, “Have Guitar, Will Travel.”
It would seem that he would show a little more concern for his injured co-worker. I can understand being frustrated that the tour is cancelled, but why do you have to being an ass about the whole thing? It’s not like Tyler asked for the injury. I would hope that if Perry were to get injured, Tyler wouldn’t respond in like manner.
It would also not seem uncommon for health issues to be interfering with Aerosmith’s plans. They are in their 60s, after all.
“All I know is he’s got to get his act together. I mean, he and I haven’t written a song together alone in the same room in over ten years, so there’s been some changes in paradigm of what Aerosmith is,” he said.
Perry said that he hasn’t spoken to Tyler recently.
c. 2009
Tyler, 61, is normally quite agile despite his age. Though he apparently fell backwards off the stage onto a couple of fans on Wednesday night during the band’s show in Rapid City, South Dakota. Apparently the sound system malfunctioned during Love in an Elevator performance, and Tyler was amusing the crowd with his dancing when the fall happened.
“He does a lot of dancing on the stage and he does a lot of stuff with his mic stand. He put his stand down and twirled around and stepped backwards off the stage,” said Mike Sanborn, spokesman for the Buffalo Chip Campground, which hosted the outdoor concert.
He was airlifted to the hospital, but was said to be in good spirits, even with a broken left shoulder 20 stitches in his head. He was joking around with the doctors. He was ordered by doctors to take some time off to recover.
After the incident, Perry Tweeted to ticket holders, “Sincere apologies out 2 all Aero Fans regarding the canceled shows. It really bums me out too- you have no idea. Pray 4 Stevens speedy return,”
However, Perry responded to the media a little more candidly, “I was pretty (upset), because right before that, he had pulled a muscle in his leg. And we had to take two weeks off and we missed probably seven dates.”
I’m not sure why Steve Perry is so upset. He has been busy promoting his upcoming , album, “Have Guitar, Will Travel.”
It would seem that he would show a little more concern for his injured co-worker. I can understand being frustrated that the tour is cancelled, but why do you have to being an ass about the whole thing? It’s not like Tyler asked for the injury. I would hope that if Perry were to get injured, Tyler wouldn’t respond in like manner.
It would also not seem uncommon for health issues to be interfering with Aerosmith’s plans. They are in their 60s, after all.
“All I know is he’s got to get his act together. I mean, he and I haven’t written a song together alone in the same room in over ten years, so there’s been some changes in paradigm of what Aerosmith is,” he said.
Perry said that he hasn’t spoken to Tyler recently.
c. 2009
Eddie Izzard Runs Around Britain
Transvestite stand-up comic, Eddie Izzard, 47 ran 1,100 miles around Britain. This is an especially unlikely challenge for someone who has never run more than 5 miles. It is, as you can imagine, quite the feather in his cap. He had been entertaining the thought for 10 years
It was a charity run for Sport Relief, a fundraising organization that raises and donates money to impoverished people in the UK and abroad. “I wanted to try to run around the whole of the UK. London to Cardiff to Belfast to Edinburgh and back to London, running through as many parts of the UK that lie in between our 4 capitals,” he said, of his “Eddie Iz Running challenge.” He carried flags and ice cream through the capitals. Wales, Scotland, England, and Northern Ireland. The ice cream truck followed him along, giving free ice creams, in hopes for donations.
He Twittered and blogged throughout the whole adventure to keep the public informed and supportive.
Izzard admitted his charity run from London to Cardiff, Belfast and Edinburgh, in aid of Sports Relief, had become “science fiction” and he was beyond exhaustion. Asked about preparation, Izzard said: “Well, I was told I was supposed to do five months of training, but I don’t like training so I did five weeks of training.”
After the run, by he announced the possibility of running for parliament in either Westminster or Brussels, because he liked to make long announcements.
When asked why he had decided to take on the Eddie Iz Running adventure, Izzard, said, “I think running is very primal. We used to hunt in this way.”
All kidding aside, his reasons for running are purely noble, which he did share on his blog,
The thinking behind his mission was;
WE ARE DIFFERENT
WE ARE THE SAME
WE ARE UNITED KINGDOM
WE ARE AFRICA
WE ARE HUMANITY
The 47-year-old finished his 1,100 mile (1,770 kilometer) odyssey across Britain, telling journalists: “I feel dead.” He is determined not to give up on the running and would like to do at least a couple of long runs every week.
Izzard, sustained a few minor injuries, including one to his hamstring during training, as well as shin problems. When asked how he managed to keep going, with the strenuous schedule of thirty-one miles for 6 days a week, he said that it was all about mind over matter. He compared it to the Second World War, where people had to do extraordinary things. He said, “If you imagine that you are going to do something that is rather extreme you just go ahead and do it.”
c. 2009
It was a charity run for Sport Relief, a fundraising organization that raises and donates money to impoverished people in the UK and abroad. “I wanted to try to run around the whole of the UK. London to Cardiff to Belfast to Edinburgh and back to London, running through as many parts of the UK that lie in between our 4 capitals,” he said, of his “Eddie Iz Running challenge.” He carried flags and ice cream through the capitals. Wales, Scotland, England, and Northern Ireland. The ice cream truck followed him along, giving free ice creams, in hopes for donations.
He Twittered and blogged throughout the whole adventure to keep the public informed and supportive.
Izzard admitted his charity run from London to Cardiff, Belfast and Edinburgh, in aid of Sports Relief, had become “science fiction” and he was beyond exhaustion. Asked about preparation, Izzard said: “Well, I was told I was supposed to do five months of training, but I don’t like training so I did five weeks of training.”
After the run, by he announced the possibility of running for parliament in either Westminster or Brussels, because he liked to make long announcements.
When asked why he had decided to take on the Eddie Iz Running adventure, Izzard, said, “I think running is very primal. We used to hunt in this way.”
All kidding aside, his reasons for running are purely noble, which he did share on his blog,
The thinking behind his mission was;
WE ARE DIFFERENT
WE ARE THE SAME
WE ARE UNITED KINGDOM
WE ARE AFRICA
WE ARE HUMANITY
The 47-year-old finished his 1,100 mile (1,770 kilometer) odyssey across Britain, telling journalists: “I feel dead.” He is determined not to give up on the running and would like to do at least a couple of long runs every week.
Izzard, sustained a few minor injuries, including one to his hamstring during training, as well as shin problems. When asked how he managed to keep going, with the strenuous schedule of thirty-one miles for 6 days a week, he said that it was all about mind over matter. He compared it to the Second World War, where people had to do extraordinary things. He said, “If you imagine that you are going to do something that is rather extreme you just go ahead and do it.”
c. 2009
All Oprah, All the Time
Imagine, if you will, a world without the Oprah show. The all-pervasive Oprah brand has been with us since 1986. But her contract ends in 2011. Now who will greet us when when we get home from work or school, Steve Wilkos?
Lord help us.
I was in the 6th grade when The Oprah Winfrey show made its debut. Little did I know what an enterprise it would become. Talk shows of that sort were just starting. What started as a sprinkling of followers in the 80s led to a huge BOOM in the 1990s, all following Oprah’s model. Even with the so-called “competition,” she was able to rise above.
Oprah is more than just a talk show; it’s an entity. She is responsible not only for her success, but the successes of many others, be it philanthropy, branding, even a passing comment. A mere mention from Oprah is worth more than gold.
So what is a world without Oprah like? Will she fade away into a new world of inactivity? Will her entrepreneurial spirit retire as well? Not quite.
One blogger says, that Oprah might want to consider replacing Joe Biden in the 2012 re-election, claiming that the 2011 date for her retirement is no coincidence.
According to the Tribune, Winfrey has been back and forth on the possibility of ending her world famous show for a while. Now with her Oprah Winfrey Network vision, the possibility seems more likely.
After all, why should she be satisfied with only ONE show when she can have an ENTIRE CHANNEL? The most powerful woman in the world is taking on a new cable channel, the Oprah Winfrey Network, with Discovery Communications. The company’s CEO said in a conference call Friday that Winfrey will not renew her syndicated talk show contract when it expires in September 2011.
“The expectation is that after that, her show will go off of ABC in syndication and she will come to OWN,” Discovery CEO David Zaslav said, according to the Chicago Tribune. “We’re talking now about what the presence will be and what kind of programming she would be involved in directly. But this is her Chapter 2, and building the OWN brand online and on-air is . . . a core mission for her.”
“This network isn’t just about me,” Oprah says. “It’s using the voice and the brand and the vision, but it really is about creating possibilities for any number of people … to extend the vision….”
Liberty Media’s Discovery Communications paid Ms. Winfrey $420 million to take control of Discovery Health Channel which will become OWN. OWN would be a 50-50 venture between Winfrey’s Harpo Productions and Discovery Communications.
This is a huge win for Discovery, and since the Oprah brand has few losses, score one for her as well.
“This is an evolution of what I’ve been able to do every day. I will now have the opportunity to do that 24 hours a day on a platform that goes on forever.” She says.
Lord help us.
I was in the 6th grade when The Oprah Winfrey show made its debut. Little did I know what an enterprise it would become. Talk shows of that sort were just starting. What started as a sprinkling of followers in the 80s led to a huge BOOM in the 1990s, all following Oprah’s model. Even with the so-called “competition,” she was able to rise above.
Oprah is more than just a talk show; it’s an entity. She is responsible not only for her success, but the successes of many others, be it philanthropy, branding, even a passing comment. A mere mention from Oprah is worth more than gold.
So what is a world without Oprah like? Will she fade away into a new world of inactivity? Will her entrepreneurial spirit retire as well? Not quite.
One blogger says, that Oprah might want to consider replacing Joe Biden in the 2012 re-election, claiming that the 2011 date for her retirement is no coincidence.
According to the Tribune, Winfrey has been back and forth on the possibility of ending her world famous show for a while. Now with her Oprah Winfrey Network vision, the possibility seems more likely.
After all, why should she be satisfied with only ONE show when she can have an ENTIRE CHANNEL? The most powerful woman in the world is taking on a new cable channel, the Oprah Winfrey Network, with Discovery Communications. The company’s CEO said in a conference call Friday that Winfrey will not renew her syndicated talk show contract when it expires in September 2011.
“The expectation is that after that, her show will go off of ABC in syndication and she will come to OWN,” Discovery CEO David Zaslav said, according to the Chicago Tribune. “We’re talking now about what the presence will be and what kind of programming she would be involved in directly. But this is her Chapter 2, and building the OWN brand online and on-air is . . . a core mission for her.”
“This network isn’t just about me,” Oprah says. “It’s using the voice and the brand and the vision, but it really is about creating possibilities for any number of people … to extend the vision….”
Liberty Media’s Discovery Communications paid Ms. Winfrey $420 million to take control of Discovery Health Channel which will become OWN. OWN would be a 50-50 venture between Winfrey’s Harpo Productions and Discovery Communications.
This is a huge win for Discovery, and since the Oprah brand has few losses, score one for her as well.
“This is an evolution of what I’ve been able to do every day. I will now have the opportunity to do that 24 hours a day on a platform that goes on forever.” She says.
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