Blair Waldorf  has teamed up with the son of Dr. Jason Seaver to bring us a sexy video and a catchy new tune.

Leighton is catching a lot of negative feedback for copping a “cheap and slutty” look in the video but girl looks like she just stepped out of Studio 54 after a night of blowing mountain sized rails and well, I see how the sound of the tune can lend itself to that.

So, although I don’t love it, but I have more love for Blair Waldorf than Dorota so before we all start hating, let’s see what else Leighton will bring.

Nelson Mandela celebrates South Africa’s winning bid to host in 2010

With only 230 days left until the World Cup finals begin in South Africa, the qualification round is coming to a close as the fate of Nations is being determined.

In order to win an invitation to compete in the finals tournament, countries are separated by geographic location to vie in round-robin format to attempt to gain the highest number of points within their set groups.

South Africa, which is the host country for the Cup games, wins an automatic bid.

“Babes of World Cup” Photo Galleries are always popular.

Other Qualifying groups are as follows:

Africa: 53 nations compete to submit 5 teams other than South Africa.
- Ivory Coast
- Ghana
-Qualifying matches still remain, but Cameroon, Tunisia, and Algeria are looking like winners.

Asia: 43 nations compete to submit up to 5 teams. 4 are guaranteed; 1 will face the Oceanic winner for the 5th possible spot
-Australia
-North Korea
-South Korea
-Japan
-Bahrain will face New Zealand for the fifth spot

Europe: 53 Nations compete to submit 13 teams
-Denmark
-Germany
-Netherlands
-Slovakia
-Switzerland
-England
-Spain
-Italy
-Serbia
-The last 4 spots will be determined by playoff matches Ireland V France, Portugal V Bosnia-Herzegovina, Greece-Ukraine, Russia-Slovenia

North America, Central America, and the Caribbean: 35 nations compete to submit up to 4 teams. 3 are guaranteed; 1 will face the South American playoff winner for the 4th possible spot
-United States
-Mexico
-Honduras
-Costa Rica will face Uruguay for the fourth spot

Oceania: 10 nations compete to submit up to 1 team.
-New Zealand will face Bahrain for the spot

South America: 10 nations compete to submit up to 5 teams.  4 are guaranteed; 1 will face the CONCACAF playoffs winner for the 5th possible spot.
-Brazil
-Argentina
-Chile
-Paraguay
-Uruguay will face Costa Rica for the 5th spot.

Play begins June 11th with the Final being held July 11th in Johannesburg.

South Africa has been preparing their grounds for the influx of millions of football fanatics.

Head to FIFA for all the information you need to get hooked in.  All national shirts should go on sale around late April/early May for those who want to wear their support.

If Ireland qualify by defeating France, I’m going to have some decisions to make.  Ireland, England, and the USA…with England standing the best chance.

And to take home the Cup?  I think we’re in for some amazing football and serious competition but Spain are my prediction to steal the cup from defending champions Italy.

Hot slice of man Fabio Cannavaro lifts the cup for Italy in 2006

Who is excited?  Get in the mood by remembering some of these great goals from 2006 with a little help from the Arcade Fire:

Football scarves have been popular among fans of the sport since first appearing in the stadiums of England in the early 1900s.  The trend spread quickly throughout the world and holding scarves up in support of their chosen club is now a tradition with many fans.

The faithful show their pride for the Mighty Glasgow Celtic in Parkhead

Fans of Aussie Rules Football also adopted scarves as part of their standard gear;  and between the impassioned reputations of supporters from both sports, the footie scarf has come to represent a little bit of toughness and attitude.

So Official now offers a non-partisan way to cop the look.  You can capture the aura of the footie scarf without having to worry about unexpectedly getting into it with a fan from an opposing club or having to deal with people like myself who expect you to be a die-hard if you’re wearing a scarf around town.

The scarves retail at $27.50 and come in a variety of colors.

So get a scarf from Official to keep you warm this winter- but maybe think of picking up something representing your country before World Cup next Summer.  The US Men qualified earlier this week.  Sorry, Canadian readers, we won’t be seeing you in South Africa for 2010;  but hey- ice hockey scarves could be the next big thing.

We’re two weeks in to cycle 13 of America’s Next Top Model and after 12 seasons of Amazons, Tyra and the J’s decided their 13th would be all about the petite girls.

From someone who boasts 5′2.5″, much respect.

The models have had 4 photoshoots so far and editorially, the girls who all measure shorter than 5′7″ can easily come across as 5′11″.

Initially I thought whereas print modeling may be an option for the winner, a career in runway would probably never come to fruition; but then I thought about Miss Tyra Banks herself.

When she was starting out, the industry was still skeptical about a black girl selling magazines and garments by strutting down the catwalk.

Who knows?  Maybe we’ll see 5′2″ models stomping with all the ferocity of Miranda Kerr and Gemma Ward in the future.

ANTM airs Wednesdays at 9PM Eastern on the CW.

Here are some shots from the 4th photoshoot:

I noticed a lot of our NSFW material leaves little for the readers who appreciate the mens.  Usually I find a man posing nude more comical than beautiful but there is a collection of photos which I think mixes art and eroticism to create something very interesting: the Annual Dieux du Stade calendar.

“Dieux du Stade” translates to “Gods of the Stadium” and is a mix of nude and semi-nude black-and-white photos of the Stade Français, a Parisian rugby squad.
However, in the past few years, these calendars which see proceeds go to various charities have seen players from a few other rugby clubs featured.

All 2010 work comes from photographer Tony Duran and the cover features Englishman James Haskell. And for US $41, you can pre-order your collection of 47 photos.

As 2010 photos seem to be on lockdown, here are some from previous years which will give you an idea of what will be included.

For those wanting full monty view, google “Sean Lamont Dieux du Stade.” Good Lord.

Two snaps, a twist, and a kiss.  Enjoy.

Good news for those who love the twisted humor of “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia” : The Gang kick off Season 5 Thursday (9/17) on FX at 10 PM.

If you haven’t seen IASIP yet, you should be able to pick up without watching seasons 1-4 without a problem, but I recommend going back and watching them because I think about 90% of the episodes are hilarious.

“The Gang” is a group of 20 somethings, all completely void of any sense of morality, who spend the majority of their time in Paddy’s Pub, a Philadelphia dive owned by Danny DeVito’s character, Frank Reynolds.

There really is no limit of tastelessness included in the show’s script; fans of Arrested Development typically enjoy IASIP as well.

I’ll be watching Thursday night, hoping to see a continuation of “The Nightman Cometh.”

Seriously, watch the show.  It’s awesome.

The Gang hatch another sick and twisted plan.

Meh.

Mediocre at best.  Plus I’m just sick of her.

Madonna’s boyfriend, Jesus Luz makes an appearance as a DJ in the video, while her 12 year old daughter Lourdes features as one of the dancers at the party.

Sorry, not a Madonna fan since the mid 1990s.  I wonder if the director was told to use the same lighting as Pam Anderson’s “Girl on the Loose” series as to not showcase any wrinkles Queen Madge may have.   Maybe it’s me, but this video is a small step up from something Speidi could have masterminded.

I really like some of the Ready-to-Wear designs from the Spring 2009 collection.

8 of the pieces are shown in the video, directed by Matt Jerrett and in collaboration with Bergdorf Goodman.

And although the ad doesn’t showcase the garments themselves and has been criticized for being rather avant garde, I like the ad campaign.  It is a bit confusing after seeing it though to understand why Vicks reportedly needed hours on set of makeup, when she didn’t even show her face.

Fashionistas who have seen sneak peaks of Anna Sheffield’s new jewelry collection for Target on the pages of Elle and Teen Vogue know that we’re about to be treated at fun and funky statement pieces at affordable prices.

NYC based designer Anna Sheffield has been called upon to provide finishing touches for runways shows at Marc Jacobs and Phillip Lim and pieces from her Bing Bang line (sold at Urban Outfitters) have been spotted on the ears of fashion forward celebrities like Michelle Williams and Sofia Coppola.

Sheffield’s designs are a little bit vintage, a little bit girly, and a little bit edgy, and often combine both silver and gold so you’ll always be able to match.  I’ve been contemplating a charm bracelet for a while now- and I like Sheffield’s.

The pieces, which will range from $19.99 to $79.99 will be available at Target locations and online from August 30 to December 30.   Perfect timing for a Charm bracelet for Christmas.

Juan Zapata, Dimitri Max, and Joe Liehr make up DC’s ELM

In 2004, three DC DJs joined forces to create the production crew Everybody Loves Music (ELM).  In the past five years Joe Liehr, Juan Zapata, and Dmitri Max have continuously provided the Nation’s Capital with parties known for a unique vibe reminiscent of the days when the underground dance music scene was all about the people and the community that kept it thriving.

In August of 2008, ELM wanted to bring Doug Smith from 95 North back to his hometown to play for the people who were there when he was starting his career.  But when ELM lost their venue, they were approached by DJ Chris Burns who offered his contacts with a legal warehouse called the Trinidad and Tobago Society.

This affiliation of ELM and Chris Burns became known as Hometown Heroes, a production crew dedicated to shifting focus back to the city’s local DJs and party goers. And after the huge success of their first party, Hometown Heroes has now thrown 12 more monthly events much to the delight of kids in DC who were looking for something new and refreshing.

I recently sat down with Joe Liehr over Thai food and had a little Q&A session:

What is the most difficult part about throwing parties?
Competing with all the other parties being thrown in the city.  We have to stand out and offer something different to give our parties an edge.

And the most rewarding part?
When I look around the room during one of our parties and the floor is packed and people are having fun.

Do you think the concept of “Hometown Heroes” would work in other cities?
DC has a lot of talent but not many DC DJs are on the map.  We’re not like Chicago or Detroit or San Francisco or New York.  So if the concept works here, it could work anywhere.

What is coming up for ELM?
We have a couple possible big headliners but everything needs to be concerned.  We’ve also just brought in techno pioneers Quentin Harris and Ron Trent.  We’ll also be continuing Hometown Heroes.

What works about the venue (Trinidad and Tobago Society) for ELM?
T&T is a very raw venue.  It sort of takes people back to the days of Red and the venue itself allows focus to be on the music and the people because T&T is not concerned with being the hottest new club in town.  The trend in the past 8-10 years in DC has been focused on the club itself, and less on the music.  T&T offers a breath of fresh air.

Why do you think ELM has been successful?
Because we had one vision and we’ve never really strayed too far from it.

How about the DJs you’ve booked?
Absolutely.  They’ve been gracious and appreciative.  Hometown Heroes is a work in progress and although we haven’t been able to book all the DJs from the area who we respect, we hope to continue to tap into all the talent DC has to offer.

Does one particular party stand out to you as a favorite?
Definitely the party with Doug Smith from 95 North.  He has contributed so much to the scene in DC and he hadn’t been back in the area for a while.  It was a great Homecoming and a great way to promote a local hero.

What is the future for ELM?
T&T is under renovation.  There will be a new dance floor, sound equipment, and a new bar.  But T&T will still have that great underground feel.

DC is big enough to afford a good sized underground music scene but small enough where there is a real sense of community even between different genres.  How is ELM a player in that?
We try to showcase talent from all different scenes.  We’ve incorporated house, drum and bass, electro, dubstep, disco, techno, funk, soul, and we’re going to keep branching out.

DC Hometown Heroes: Matt Nordstrom and Dava Nada of Nadastrom

Anyone who has attended an ELM party knows just how much fun it can be.  And ELM has earned the respect of other promotion crews.

Graham Jackson of 88 shared this sentiment about ELM:

The ELM crew is by far my favorite group of promoters to work with in DC. 88 has thrown numerous events with ELM and each and every time we know that we can expect them to act professionally while still making it fun.
Lord knows you don’t throw underground dance parties in DC with the intention of making money.
The crews that last more than 6 months all share one thing in common – they do it for a sincere love of music.
So often the same cycle of artists are brought through DC because promoters know that is a “safe” move. That is the main reason our crew started throwing parties – we were tired of hearing the same stuff over and over – and we definitely see eye to eye with ELM on this.

These guys get off on seeing the people they care about have a good time. The feeling you get when you see a full dancefloor of heads getting down is hard to put into words – but its that feeling that makes all the hard work pay off. Its not the few bucks that you might make if you are lucky, or making sure everyone knows its you behind a party. More often than not, Joe, Juan & Dimitri aren’t on the bill at their parties. This is another factor that shows me they aren’t doing what they do to get attention or further their dj careers – they just want to try and make sure everyone has a good time…. and I love them for what they do.

Good work, ELM.  Looking forward to seeing you on a dance floor soon.

1.  Darren Bent’s Twitter Rage

The Background on this one:  Tottenham striker Darren Bent wanted a transfer to Sunderland.  And just when it looked like things were all set for his move, things came to a halt and in the meantime, bids from other clubs like Hull City started coming in.  Well, D-Bent grew slightly impatient and let off steam through his Twitter account:

“Seriously getting p***** off now,” followed by “Why can’t anything be simple. It’s so frustrating hanging round doing jack s***.”
A few hours later, Bent decided he had more to say.
“Sunderland are not the problem in the slightest.”
“Do I wanna go Hull City NO. Do I wanna go stoke NO do I wanna go sunderland YES so stop f****** around levy.”

His last message was directed at Tottenham Chairman, Daniel Levy.  So basically this would be the equivalent of having a good interview from a new company, but not an offer yet, and in the meantime telling your current boss to stop f****** around.
Benty’s rage cost him £100,000 and his twitter account, which mysteriously went offline after the scandal broke.  But just this morning, Darren’s been seen at Sunderland, proud owner of a brand new red and white shirt so I guess his little strop paid off.

2. Speaking of hot heads, Portsmouth has a few.  Players David Nugent and Marc Wilson apparently got into a huge hotel brawl in Portugal after coming back wasted after a night out on the club scene.

The fist fight escalated when both parties tried to use makeshift weapons fashioned from metal clothes rails Prison yard style.  Their teammates stepped in and broke it up.  Nugent and Wilson were both fined two week’s wages and Nugent was shipped off to play for Stoke City next season so I guess there’s no need now for the two to hug it out.

3. Nereida Gellardo (Cristiano Ronaldo’s ex girlfriend who is a small step away from Mischa Barton level of insanity)

Girlfriend is just having a hard time letting go.  The relationship ended months ago when CR9 broke it off with his love of nine months via text message. Classy.
Things had subsided until this past weekend when C-Ron and Miss N had a run-in at a Spanish nightclub and she officially became “that girl.”  Nereida kept trying to approach Ronaldo, but he decided to ignore her completely until she upped the antics ante to the point that security stepped in and removed her from Ron’s path of vision. Ouch. We’ve all seen this one played out before but usually security isn’t involved.  Anyone who’s ever drunk texted an ex should have at least an ounce of sympathy.

4. Adrian Mutu pulls a Kate Moss

Back in 2004, Mutu (who was playing for Chelsea at the time), decided to go all Tony Montana and dip his nostrils into a mound of fresh cocaine.  I guess Smart Guy forgot footballers are drug tested pretty frequently and his test turned up positive.  Mutu was banned for 7 months and cut from the squad.
Now he’s at Italian Club Fiorentina and as far as we know, has literally kept his nose clean, but the sanctions are still rolling in as the 30 year old striker was ordered to pay up…to the tune of £15 million to his former club, Chelsea. Fair? Sure.  Chelsea had invested in this player and wouldn’t be able to use his services for 7 months.  The cost of replacement wasn’t cheap I’m sure.

5. Peter Ndlovu for pulling a Chris Brown

The more I learn about this guy, the more I think he’s a Maury Povich worthy hot mess.
The former Zimbabwe International has fathered five children with five different women, at least two of which ended up in a court ordered paternity test. But ok, we’ll try not to judge.
His issue this week is that he was arrested after he tried to beat down his current girlfriend, who is also pregnant with his child.
No need for this kind of drama- ever.  Take a cue from Cristiano Ronaldo and if a woman is driving you crazy, just let security handle it while you pretend to not see her.

1. AC Milan’s Rino Gattuso’s World Football Challenge Tour Reign of Terror

Exhibit A: Rino loses his temper in a “friendly” match V Club America

Exhibit B: Rino goes for the jugular in a bizarre tackle against Andriy Shevchenko in the MC Milan V Chelsea match at M&T stadium in Baltimore last Friday.

2. The City of Manchester’s Advertisement Space

Oh clever Manchester City and their Carlos Teves ads taking cheap shots at the Red side of town.

And of course United had their rebuttal.

I’d rather see animosity settled in the Derby and not on a billboard.  My guess: Teves doesn’t amount to much this next season and finds himself back in a hissy over playing time (Adebayor, Santa Cruz, Bellamy, Robinho, and Benjani are also forwards in Sky Blue this year) and Manchester’s basement bargain buy Micheal Owen continues on his scoring rampage.

3. Beck’s new BFF in the England shirt at LA Galaxy.
David Beckham got into it with ANOTHER LA Galaxy Supporter this week and the heated exchange culminated in a man in an England shirt apparently taking a cheap shot at Miss Victoria. The comment hasn’t been repeated but David, defending his wife, told reporters that it was “disgraceful.” What could it have been?

She’s painfully thin?
Her breasts look dodgy?
Her singing voice may not be that of an angel?
She spends a lot of money?
She’s probably not the sharpest knife in the drawer?

Cause really, what else can you say about her?
She doesn’t come off as a bitch, she hasn’t said anything publicly rude or cruel.
She seems like a good mother and loyal to a fault to her husband.
If anyone’s wang had come within 10 feet of Rebecca Loos’ lady bits, my work there would be done.
But she hung on for dear life.

Leave her out of your squabbles with her husband. Totally tacky.

4. Fernando Torres and Andriy Schevchenko’s barnets
Fug and fug.

Sheva is really starting to look like Patrick Swayze in the bit he did as a Chippendales dancer on Saturday night live.

5. The Chinese Footballer who wasn’t about to accept a red card.

As if dude was possessed by the spirit of Eric Cantona, he decided he wasn’t going to take sanctioning sitting down.

1. Wasn’t Alex rumored to be caught blowing rails off a club bouncer’s man bits just a few years ago?
2. Didn’t her husband just get in a fist fight over control on a CD player in a bar?

Yeah Alex, Liverpool is somewhat rough. And you fit right in.

I’m trying to get a few weekly football theme posts written and one that should be relatively easy is Football’s Hot Mess of the Week.
On the pitch, off the pitch, there’s a lot of madness surrounding the sport and every week killahbeez plans on capturing the crazy.
If you’ve got a hot mess story, hit me on my Twitter.

And now your hot messes of the week:

1. Artur Boruc (Goalkeeper for Celtic FC and Poland)

Still, something about him is kind of hot.
And I hate dedicating 30 minutes a day to straightening my hair.

Boruc plays hairdresser to his sister. Kind of weird.

Artur could do that for me while I surf the interwebs or play FIFA 03 becuase I don’t care about graphics. 03 is the last year I was any good at FIFA.

2. The LA Galaxy

So the fan who confronted D-Becks got a lifetime ban from Galaxy matches??
What a bitch move!
Anyone who is that intense about MLS football should be hailed as a star supporter.
LA Galaxy should be thankful that people care so deeply.
I’ll go see DC United if I get a free ticket. I can’t be bothered to take the metro 30 minutes most of the time even though Chris Pontius is a treat.
Oh but I will spend a couple thousand to be in Manchester’s City Centre to be among the masses for the Champions League final.
Spot the difference?
This dude should be given a ton of free Galaxy gear and box seats. He really gives a damn.

3. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool Captain and England midfielder)

Headed to court to face assault charges for attacking a man in a bar fight over…….wait for it….. control of the CD player.
Damn, Stevie. Seriously, what tune was so important that you couldn’t wait a minute? Oh please say it was something hilarious like Pussycat Dolls. I need to know.
Cause unless someone was playing iPod Nazi with 4 straight hours of Fredy Miler than I don’t think I’d get violent.
And even if someone was marathoning Fredy, I’d probably just drink more and more and go ape on the dancefloor.

Perhaps the greatest video of all time

4. Sven Goran Eriksson (former England and Mexico Manager, not regraded as very sharp; Has just signed on as Director of Nottingham County in England’s League 2 Division)

Notts County?
He is either an idiot or a genius.
I’m leaning towards the former.

5. Samir Nasri (Arsenal and France winger)

Adebayor Gone to Eastlands, Nasri with a broken leg before the season even begins…
Van Persie has some work ahead of him.

In 1882, in a cricket match which would change history at the Oval, Australia beat England for the first time on English soil.

The Sporting Times newspaper wrote an obituary satirically stating “English Cricket has died.  The body will be cremated and the Ashes will be taken to Australia.”

England’s next tour to Australia in 1883 continued the joke, with Australian women presenting the English side with a small terracotta urn as England had successfully completed it’s “Quest to regain the Ashes.”

And so the tradition began.  At least every 2 years since 1882, England and Australia have met in a 5 series Test, 2 innings per match, alternating host country.  And every two years people in both England and Australia band and bond together to take in the event.

The tiny terracotta urn, holding the Ashes of English Cricket

I’m a little bit jealous. I’m jealous that one sporting event so ingrained in history and rivalry and National pride that can bring about so much fun for spectators simply doesn’t exist for Americans.

Sure we have wonderful rivalries like the Red Sox and the Yankees, the Cowboys and the Redskins, but on a National level, those events are divisive. The last time I recall what seemed to be all of America gathered around their televisions cheering for a countryman in a sporting tournament was Michael Phelps.  And we, as a nation, certainly had Phelps Phever, and it was fun while it lasted.

But we’ve got nothing dating back to the 19th century.  We’ve got the World Cup, the Olympics, Lance Armstrong crushing the Tour de France for years, but interest is among niche groups.

In the 2002 World Cup, extremely Catholic nations Spain and Ireland clashed on a Sunday.  I remember hearing reports that Archbishops had granted their diocese a little lenience in Sunday Mass obligations.  I thought this was brilliant.  Shops close down, pubs get licenses to stay open all night, even religious leaders let people off the hook all so as a nation, people can collectively show pride and support in ways we simply don’t experience in the US.

Even when the nation has been hypnotized by epic feats like the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” hockey match between the US and Russia, or Phelps’ performance, or the US Women’s 1999 World Cup victory, the ties have been a one-off.  The victories have been sweet, they’ve even been historical, but they’re not part of an ongoing tradition that wins the interest of an entire nation.

Well, we can either challenge Canada to some sort of sporting tournament and start laying the foundation for our own form of the Ashes, or we can live vicariously through our friends across the pond and down under.

Canadian Beez team members and readers, the guantlet has been thrown.

English Victory in 2005 was reason for the entire country to celebrate

The event itself is magnificent, but imagine the victory party afterward.  America could use a little bit of that.  It seems the only time we come together is when crisis like September 11 hits. Sure, our last inauguration was great for many Americans, but to participate as a practicing Republican, one had to be a great losing sport, and simply celebrate Obama’s presidency as a tribute to a historical moment.  Imagine that feeling if shared by everyone, with all the same dramatic flair, recognized heroes, victories, losses, and camaraderie but without the stress and damage of war and politics.

The Ashes: An amazing tradition that would do any nation a world of good.

The third test in the five test series begins July 30 and with 1 draw, 1 England victory, and 3 tests remaining, the urn is still anyone’s.

Andrew Flintoff, Legend. He’s just announced his retirement from test cricket
but managed to take five wickets in the Ashes second test.

David Beckham’s return to Los Angeles from AC Milan hasn’t been one like the hero’s welcome he received when arriving at the Galaxy in 2007.  Fans at the Home Depot Center this week’s Galaxy V. AC Milan expo match turned on the midfielder and held up signs reading “Go Home, Fraud” and “Part time Player” and the jeering culminated with Beckham exciting an enraged fan who tried to jump over the stadium barrier, ending in his arrest. And his own teammate, Landon Donovan, has been very outspoken about Beckham’s lack of club commitment and ridiculous captaincy.

An upset crowd is nothing new to David Beckham.  After taking a cheap shot at an Argentinian defender in the 1998 World Cup, Beckham was sent off the pitch, leaving his country a 10-man side which ultimately lost to the England long-time South American rival.  He returned to his country to find newspapers ripping him to shreds and crowds at pubs around the country burning his likeness in effigy.

But as David Beckham’s crucial goals for England came tumbling in, all was forgotten and by 2002, he had gone from pariah to hero.

No matter which sport they follow, most children learn at  an early age:  Be loyal to your club, not to a player. And for that child who idolizes whichever player whose posters adorn his bedroom walls and whose shirt he wears while dreaming about growing up to become a professional athlete, it’s a heart breaking lesson when his favorite team member ends a contract and leaves the club, often amid a bit of controversy.

My love for Manchester United began in the first play of the 1990 FA Cup Final because I was mesmerized by the efforts of Mark Hughes.  19 years later, I’m still red through and through while Mark Hughes is now managing Manchester City. I still have respect for the man but to have affiliation with City is sacrilege.  Players with unwavering loyalty like Ryan Giggs and Steven Gerrard are few and far between, and only through their demonstrated commitment to their clubs should a supporter allow themselves to grow attached.

Club supporters see themselves as customers and therefore believe they have the right to express displeasure with the club or the country, or the player whose performance is causing a negative impact on that club or country.  To chastise players for mistakes made on the pitch is certainly common.  And to forgive players for game winning performances is certainly common as well.  Arsenal fans booed Emmanuel Eboue last season for perceived poor performance but the noise subsided as Eboue kept his head down and continued with his business of scoring goals.  Garreth Barry had to face the music at Villa Park after he publicly declaring he wanted a transfer to Liverpool.  And Carlos Teves is should probably prepare himself for a verbal slaughtering at the Manchester Derby this season after moving across the city from one enemy camp to another.  It’s all part of the game.

In Beckham’s case the fans are upset because the MLS season began in March.  Beckham, who had been on loan during the off season to play at AC Milan, vocalized his desire to stay on in Italy on a permanent transfer.  AC Milan did not want to pay the Galaxy’s asking price, so a deal was worked which allowed Beckham to stay until mid July when he would return to Los Angeles and finish the 2009 MLS Season.

Alright, fair dues Galaxy fans.  He should certainly be stripped of his captaincy.  He shouldn’t be the recipient of some kind of welcome parade.  But the man has been off at a world class club honing his skills so that he can still compete in the World Cup 2010 with England and he’s brought back a new level of fitness and experience to Los Angeles.  But here he is, in a Galaxy shirt playing AGAINST AC Milan, and setting up both Galaxy goals of the night.

Because, sports fans, even when you think a player is completely loyal, you just never know.  John “Mr Chelsea” Terry is currently involved in a very public courtship by Manchester City.  I don’t believe he’ll end up in a sky blue shirt next season but the fact that Terry hasn’t even addressed his fans to state otherwise shows that almost anyone these days can be bought for a certain price.  For 2 years before he finally shipped off to Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo had been speaking of his dream to play in Spain.  In my opinion as long as he was with United, and he was scoring goals for United, then I didn’t really care what he said in interviews.  And I thank him for his years of service and 80 million quid contribution to Sir Alex’s war chest and say hasta la vista, Twinkle Toes.

Fans should take a good hard look in a hyprocrit’s mirror before talking about fair-weather loyalty. Because I assure you that  in 3 weeks, Beckham will be off the LA Riots Squad hit list and back in everybody’s good graces.  And so it goes….

Somewhere, Eric Cantona just called David Beckham a complete wuss.

The Mighty Boosh Seasons 1-3 DVDs will be available in US format on July 21.  And Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt are set to appear on the Latenight with Jimmy Fallon show on July 22nd.

The Boosh began in 1998, with Fielding and Barratt producing several stage shows introducing the characters Vince Noir and Howard Moon.  In 2001, the Boosh hit the radio waves and in 2004, BBC3 picked up the series.  The show quickly collected a cult following.

The show is classified as “surreal humor.” It’s cleverly written, incorporates pop culture, and relies heavily on the exaggerated characters of Noir and Moon as well as their whimsical band of friends, including a stoner gorilla and shaman, a talking head, the moon, a hitch-hiker, a seaweed covered hermaphrodite….

Episodes contain a musical number, based on popular music styles like hip hop and electro, and often a style of music created by the Boosh called “crimping” which is sort of a tongue-in-cheek a capella style short number.

I can’t really explain the Boosh.  You can’t really classify the Boosh. You just have to watch it for yourself.

The Cartoon Network is currently showing episodes at 1AM on Monday mornings during the Adult Swim show.  Otherwise, the seasons 1-3 DVDs will have to hold fans over until at least 2010.  Barratt and Fielding have been on a hectic schedule and live act tour throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland.  Press statements suggest the boys want some rest in 2009 but will begin filming either a fourth season or a possible Mighty Boosh Film in 2010.

In my opinion, the Boosh is one of the best shows on television in the last decade. I’ll be buying all the DVDs and waiting with bated breath for Season 4.

The Mighty Boosh-Mirrorball Suit clip from “the Priest and the Beast” Episode. Season 2.

Since its inception in 1997, RoboCup has served as an exhibit in advances in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence.

The Search and Rescue program included setting actual fires in designated areas of the RoboCup building in Graz to allow engineers to fully  demonstrate abilities of their creations.

And the Soccer portion of the Symposium is used as a way to add a bit of fun and excitement to humanoid demonstrations

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Maybe RoboCup ranks with a Trekkie convention on the Geek Scale but I’m fascinated.  It looks like a lot of fun.

For More Information, visit the RoboCup Website

The Spring lookbook for Target is promising.

Anna Sui has compiled 19 looks based on the characters of Gossip Girls Blair,  Serena, Little J, and Vanessa.

Target has set September 13 as the first day these pieces will be available.

After viewing the NY Fashion slideshow of Sui’s 19 looks, I’m excited to see the actual pieces once they are in store.

Unfortunately, a lot of Target’s designer capsule lines appear great in advertisements but upon closer look, the garments seem cheaply made.

I was looking forward to Alexander McQueen’s Target collection but I ended up not purchasing anything because to me, the material used to make the clothes seemed cheap and not worth the prices asked.

But Sui’s looks are adorable- I would mix and match characters and take Serena’s leather-looking jacket and pair it with Blair’s ivory lace dress.

My Giggs: I can’t imagine giving her up or sending her to a horrible death.

China is implementing a “one dog per family” law in many provinces, leaving owners devastated and dogs destroyed.
As of July 1st, families in Guangzhou (formerly Canton) with more than one dog would have to make the heart breaking decision of which pet they would keep.

And what happens to all the castaway dogs? Of course, the Chinese government has not vocalized specific plans but in parts of China where the law has already been implemented there are widespread reports of authorities clubbing dogs to death with horrified owners present.

My dog is a member of my family. I cannot imagine the pain that choosing one dog over another, knowing that one was off to meet certain death would cause.
I get a horrible feeling when I think of the day when my dog, Giggs, will succumb to old age or hip dysplasia and I’ll be without her. I cannot imagine losing her to such an inhumane end as death by bludgeoning.

China claims to be combating an overpopulation of stray and often rabid dogs. Surely there must be another answer to the problem.
Perhaps China could levy heavier taxes on families with more than one dog, or strictly enforce that owners are obtaining vaccination.
Perhaps these new laws could be grandfathered in, whereas the law will only be applicable to new owners from the present point in time onward. Families which already include two or more dogs would be allowed to see their dogs live to the end of their natural life.

This is truly sickening to me. I know China has a communist government which does not allow much international interference but where is PeTA? Where is the Humane Society?

Read More Here.

Every few years an event occurs which causes an increase in football chatter in the United States.

And every few years those invested in the American “soccer” community wonder if this event will be the catalyst which will finally push the sport to the forefront of the country’s attention.

In 1993, the MLS was formed, giving the US it’s own “soccer” league.  In 1994, the US hosted the World Cup and coverage of the matches was extensive.  In 2002, the men reached the World Cup Quarter-finals only to be knocked out in a 0-1 loss to Germany.  The women’s team won the 1999 world cup in a dramatic round of penalties against China resulting in Brandi Chastain’s epic shirtless celebration. And in 2007, David Beckham arrived on American soil, causing a media circus.  And for a few months following each feat, America caught soccer fever, leaving many people to believe that “soccer had finally arrived.”

And now the US Men have progressed beyond Italy and Egypt to reach the semi final of the FIFA Confederations Cup in which they defeated Spain in a 2-0 stunning upset this afternoon and again, people are starting to take notice.

My opinion is this: American interest in football will continue to climb, but only at a slow, steady pace.

1. Individual players are getting better.

The pool of raw talent in America has always been vast but experience was lacking.  However, more players are opting to sign for clubs outside the US.  Currently, only 5 American players are employed by clubs in the MLS while all others have gone to play in leagues recognized as being of a higher grade.  Clint Dempsey is playing for Fulham, Tim Howard for Everton, Jonathan Spector for West Ham, Jozy Altidore for Villarreal, Brad Guzan for Aston Villa, and so on.

2. The Melting Pot concept.

Communities of people who have emigrated from countries where football is religion have continued to grow in population and these people are bringing their culture and their love of the beautiful game with them.

3. Access.

Until 1997, when Fox Sports World launched, Americans had very little access to actually watching matches, especially foreign league matches.  Now with Fox Soccer Channel, Gol TV, ESPN 360, and satellite channels from all over the world widely available, spectatorship is fairly convenient.  Just this week ESPN announced its purchase of English Premiership matches previously aired by Setanta, possibly furthering access for American viewers.

4. America has some good looking lads.

Sex sells.  And although David Beckham has undoubtedly displayed footballing ability throughout the course of his career, he would never have reached his current level of popularity without his attractiveness.  Asking two 13 year old girls who Franck Ribery is would most certainly yield a response of confusion; but I’m fairly positive they would be able to pick Golden Balls out of a lineup.  And so it certainly doesn’t hurt to tie the faces of Benny Feilhaber, Carlos Bocanegra, Jonathan Spector, Heath Pearce, Charlie Davies, or Jay DeMerit to the greater sum of the US National team.  In essence, the USA is pretty stacked in the sex appeal department.

5. They come up big.  And everybody loves the Underdog.

A 2-0 win over Spain is incredible.  Only the truly faithful thought this lot would be able to pull anything off against the likes of Xabi Alonso, Fabregas, Xavi, Torres, Villa, Pique, Puyol, Ramos, Casillas…..Spain is a World Class side and defending European Cup champions.  When the rest of the world is expecting a thrashing and the US pulls a shocking upset,  they generate a lot of excitement world wide.

6. Time allows for tradition.

As pockets of Americans really have cultivated the beginnings of football related traditions domestically, these customs will continue to develop over time and football culture in the US will flourish.

Will football ever be a main-stream sport in the US?  I think not for at least the next 30 years.  But perhaps there will be that one event which will actually be that catalyst, that one incredible occurrence which catapults “soccer” to the foreground of American sports.  Perhaps  US men will go far in the World Cup in 2010.  The Confederations Cup is considered a “warm up” to the tournament and the boys have made it all the way to the final.

They will play the winner of tomorrow’s semifinal between South Africa and Brazil for the Confederation Cup Championship on Sunday, June 28th at 2:25 PM Eastern Time.