Jerry Seinfeld

For Seinfeld fans, it’s hard to go a day without being inspired to quote a line from his television show.

“No soup for you!”

“These pretzels are making me thirsty”

“Yada Yada Yada”

“Not that there's anything wrong with that”

For Seinfeld fans, it’s hard to go a day without being reminded of some event from his television show.

“Festivus.”

The "re-gifter."

“Shrinkage.”

The “sidler."

"Man hands.”

Seinfeld is a huge part of our culture. But before defining life for middle class, white Americans, the show's namesake, Jerry Seinfeld, was selling tickets to his stand-up act.

Seinfeld started his career as a stand-up comedian in 1976 when he tried out for open mic night at Catch A Rising Star in New York City. Soon after, he won an appearance on a Rodney Dangerfield HBO special.

Seinfeld’s big break came in May of 1981 when he appeared on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. His appearance was a success and he soon became a regular on the Tonight Show, as well as Late Night with David Letterman and The Merv Griffin Show.

Comedy Central ranked Seinfeld 12^th on a list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time.

Seinfeld is known as a tireless worker and artist extremely dedicated to his craft. This distinction is strengthened by his post Seinfeld career. Instead of pursuing a film career, like so many other comedians have done, Seinfeld returned to his roots of stand-up comedy.

It is common to find the name of one of television’s all-time biggest stars on the marquee of comedy clubs: Seinfeld at Caroline's on Broadway or Seinfeld at Foxwoods.

In 1998, Seinfeld recorded a comedy special called I'm Telling You for the Last Time. The special was later released as an album (which was later nominated for a Grammy Award).

What’s remarkable about Seinfeld’s stand-up act is how different the experience is from seeing him perform on stage to just hearing him perform on stage.

To see Seinfeld on stage is like watching a master at work. He’s at one with his material, his audience and his medium.

To only hear Seinfeld’s act, you’re immediately skeptical—no one can be that calm, that smooth and that precise. Not a word is wasted. Listening to Seinfeld, you’re constantly wondering if he’s reading from a script and splicing together multiple takes.

So does buying a ticket to see Jerry Seinfeld perform live at Atlantic City mean you’re guaranteed to see a flawed show?

Of course not!

What it means is when you see Seinfeld perform live you won’t be distracted by his perfection because you’ll be too busy laughing.

Britney Spears’ Latest Come Back

Pop music has never been the same since Britney Spears and the debut of her first studio album “…Baby One More Time” in 1999. Not only did the title track of the album chart as number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The album also achieved the number one position on the Billboard 200 albums for that year.

Since then Britney Jean Spears has been seen to experience a meteoric rise in the world of American pop music. She has collaborated with some of the most famous stars from the American music industry including Madonna, Fred Durst, Justin Timberlake. Christina Aguilera and T.I.

A native of Louisiana, Spears first appeared on television as one of the participants in the show Star Search. After that, she starred in The New Mickey Mouse Club for two years until 1994. However, after signing a deal with Jive Records, there was no turning back for this teen star. She released four studio albums between 1999 until 2003:

…Baby One More Time
Oops!… I Did It Again
Britney
In the Zone

In 2004, Britney Spears married back up dancer Kevin Federline after annulling her 55-hour impromptu wedding with her childhood buddy Jason Allan Alexander, at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Vegas. The marriage to Federline lasted for two years after which divorce ensued. Along with the divorce proceedings, Spears landed herself in the middle of a messy public custody battle for her two children (Sean Preston and Jayden James).

Since her marriage to Federalize Spears has been under the media’s attention for all the wrong reasons. First, she was criticized for her impulsive wedding with Jason Alexander. And then her marriage to Federline has been reported on constantly. After it ended in 2004, during the custody battle, Spears was caught behaving very irresponsibly with regard to her children more than once by the paparazzi.

In the meantime, her music career suffered a tumultuous fall from her much-publicized rise to zenith.

Finally, in 2007 Britney came out with her fifth studio album Blackout. The first single “Gimme More” climbed the third position on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Although the album did not break all records like her first one, it did receive above average ratings from all over.

After her marriage was over with Federline, Spears started acting out in public. She began attending parties regularly, giving rise to rumors of her alcohol addiction. She continued to be seen in shabby outfits, giving ample proof of having weight problems. The final straw came when she suddenly walked into a parlor and shaved off her hair on her own. Things seemed to have reached their limits and Spears was admitted into a rehabilitation center.

In 2008, Britney Spears released her sixth studio album titled “Circus”. Its first single “Womanizer” reached its number one position on the Billboard Hot 100; first time since her first single “…Baby One More Time”.

Spears has finally decided to pick up the pieces of her over-publicized star status by working out regularly to get back in shape and also star in quite a few television sitcoms. Included in the latter are How I Met Your Mother and the British talent contest The X Factor. Both shows recorded staggering TRPs during the episodes showcasing Spears.

Although many of her critics had written her off as a hopeless case, Spears has managed to salvage her position and proved them wrong. At the same time, there have been millions of fans all over the world who have supported Britney Spears through her troubled times. When she came back with her later albums in 2007 (Blackout) and 2008 (Circus), they were proven right in their faith in this superstar.

Spears has an elaborate tour scheduled in 2009. It starts of in New Orleans on March 13, 2009. Other locations included in this tour are Boston, Pittsburgh, Miami, Dallas, Los Angeles, Toronto, Mohegan Sun, Vancouver, Montreal, Las Vegas and finally ends in Chicago on April 28, 2009. She also has plans of touring Paris and London later that year in June.

The tour has been named The Circus Starring: Britney Spears. The Pussycat Dolls will be opening the tour with their performance. This tour is Spears’ sixth tour and her first since the incomplete Onyx Hotel Tour in 2004.

Spears has several titles to her name with the Guinness Book of World Records including the most searched individual on the Internet, beating Obama in 2007! She has also opened the MTV Music Awards three times so far.

The Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

The Boston Celtics have started the defense of their championship crown with a 24-2 record. The Celtics are 14-1 at TD Banknorth Garden and impressive 10-1 on the road.

Despite losing super-sub James Posey to the New Orleans Hornets and veteran power forward P.J. Brown to retirement, the Celtics actually have an improved team thanks to point guard Rajon Rondo and center Kendrick Perkins stepping up their games.

Of course the Big Three, Kevin Garnett, Paul Peirce and Ray Allen, have played brilliantly this season, but Rondo is a legitimate all-star candidate and Perkins is having the best year of his career.

Even though the NBA season is a marathon and far from over, the Celtics already have an insurmountable lead in the Atlantic Division. Suffice to say, Boston Celtics can already start selling tickets to the post-season.

Some upcoming games that could be very interesting include Boston taking on the Cleveland Cavilers, Boston matching up against the Detroit Pistons and Boston hosting the Houston Rockets.

The next best team in the Atlantic division is the New Jersey Nets. Currently hovering around .500, the Nets are fueled by superstar-in-waiting Devin Harris. The fifth overall pick from Wisconsin is averaging nearly 24 points a game and six assists.

Meanwhile, former “Vin-sanity” star, veteran Vince Carter, is playing inspire hoops (22 points and five boards a game). Coach Lawrence Frank has lots of young talent on his squad and they should make the playoffs as a seventh or eighth seed.

The Philadelphia 76’ers acquired Elton Brand in the off-season but fired coach Maurice Cheeks just 23 games into the regular season.

Replacement Tony DiLeo has gone on recorded as saying his two main priorities are defense and running the fast break on offense.

While the jury is still out on DiLeo’s philosophy, the early results are promising. In his first game as coach, the Sixers easily defeated the Washington Wizards and Brand scored a season-high 27 points.

However, Brand is the key to Philly’s success. If Dileo can find a way to consistently incorporate Brand into the mix (something Cheeks couldn’t do) the 76’ers will return to the post season.

Of course, integrating Brand will now take even longer since the power forward is out with a dislocated shoulder.

With the amount of attention the New York Knicks have received this season you’d think the Knicks would be challenging the Celtics for the division lead. Actually, the Knicks are well below five hundred.

Head coach Mike D’Antoni has done the impossible: he’s made the Knicks relevant again. Forget the Stephon Marbury drama, the Knicks have some ballers. Al Harrington is a great fit, Chris Duhon is a candidate for Most Improved Player and Nate Robinson is a spark coming off the bench.

Like the 76’ers, the Toronto Raptors also made an early season coaching change. After an 8-9 start, the 2006-07 NBA Coach of Year Sam Mitchell was sacked and Jay Triano was inserted as boss.

Triano has the unenviable task of dealing with Toronto’s lack of athleticism at the wing spots, guards that can’t defend, and the league’s second worst rebounding team.

A squad with Chris Bosh, Jermaine O'Neal, and Jose Calderon should not be this bad. But they are and the playoffs look doubtful.

Central Division

It’s a travesty that one of the biggest stories of the young NBA season is speculation that Lebron James will leave the “Mistake-By-The-Lake” for New York City after becoming a free agent in 2010.

What isn’t a travesty is the Cleveland Cavilers’ season.

One of the main reasons the Cavs are leading the Central Division at 21-4, is the addition of Mo Williams. With Williams, James is finally playing with another offensive threat that opposing teams must guard.

The bad news for the Cavs is they’ve played every bad team the NBA has to offer. Granted, if you can’t beat the bad teams, you probably can’t beat the good teams either.

When the Cavs do finally get tested, look for their Achilles’ heel—their bench—to rear its ugly head.

The Detroit Pistons sent shockwaves through the league when they traded Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets for Allen Iverson. With Iverson and his shot-jacking tendencies, the Pistons have radically altered their offense.

Give this veteran squad sometime to gel and they will be one of the East’s best teams along with the Celtics and the Cavs.

The Chicago Bulls have a shot to grab the East’s last playoff spot, but who really cares. Right now they are just fodder for a Celtic first round sweep.

Why then should you pay attention to the Bulls? The answer is Derrick Rose.

You’ve probably already seen his eye-popping crossover he made on the 76er’s Andre Miller—ESPN practically had the clip on a loop.

Rose, the first overall selection in last year’s draft, has already put together an impressive and lengthy highlight reel.

The de facto Rookie of the Year, plays a team-high 38.7 minutes, is second on his team in scoring (18.2 points) and dishes out 6.3 assists. Amongst rookies, Rose is second to O.J. Mayo in scoring.
Rose also became the first Bulls rookie to score 10 points or more in his first 10 games since Michael Jordan in 1984. Rose is already being mentioned in the same sentence with his “Airness?” Yes, the rookie is that good.

I dare you to name two Milwaukie Bucks players. That’s what I thought you can’t do it. Just for the record, Michael Redd leads the Bucks in scoring with 20 points a game and Andrew Bogut leads the team in rebounding with 10 boards a game.

Richard Jefferson is also on the roster. The former Net is averaging 18.4 points a game and pull down five boards.

Head coach Scott Skiles has the Bucks playing hard, but his team’s inability to finish has them off to an 11-16 start.

Also Milwaukie is in Wisconsin and that’s about all you need to know for NBA’s most forgotten franchise.

The Indiana Pacers’ claim to fame this season is they are one of two teams to have defeated the Boston Celtics. While that was a big win, Pacers have found it difficult to accrue any more.

Of course part of the blame can be placed on their schedule. Of the Pacers' first 24 opponents, only six would not be in the playoffs if the postseason were to start today. By the way, Toronto, Philadelphia and Dallas are included in those six. If that wasn’t enough, the Pacers have already played 14 road games.

You can also blame the Pacers’ defense for their status as Central Division bottom dwellers. On average, Indiana is allowing a whopping 104 points a game.

Southeast Division

The Southeast leading Orlando Magic are more than just a one player team. Granted that one player, the NBA's leader in All-Star voting, Dwight Howard, is wickedly good. The all-pro center is averaging 21 points and 14 boards a game.

Joining him in the starting line-up is Rashard Lewis and his 19 points and six boards a game.

Hedo Turkoglu can play big in big games. Already this season, Turk sank a game winning three pointer to lift the Magic pass the Portland Trailblazers.

Jameer Nelson is shooting over 38% from beyond the arch and Mickael Pietrus, when healthy, is averaging 12.9 points a contest.

What all those numbers mean is all five Magic starters are in double figures. However, the offensive production drops from there as the Magic’s bench is the team’s one big weakness.

As bad as their bench is, the Magic still should be able to hold off the Atlanta Hawks and win the division.

The Hawks maybe the sexiest team in the Eastern Conference. The dirty birds are young, long, and athletic. If that wasn’t enough, they play defense too.

Joe Johnson is the team’s franchise player averaging 23 points a game along with five assists. Mike Bibby provides veteran leadership and facilitates the offensive. Al Horford leads his team in rebounding, pulling down eight boards a night.

While this team may be a year or two away from seriously contending, the Atlanta Hawks, whether they’re playing at Philips Arena or on the road, will be very entertaining.

Atlanta versus the Chicago Bulls should be pure excitement. Another intriguing match-up is the Hawks battling the Detroit Pistons. And look for the scoreboard to start smoking when the Hawks host the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Miami Heat selected Michael Beasley second overall in the 2008 NBA draft. The rookie is the team’s second leading scorer, averaging half as many points as Dwayne Wade. However, the 6’9” forward is pulling down just as many boards as 6’4” guard.

Therein lies the Heat problem, they rely on D-Wade way too much. The gold-medal winning Olympian is averaging 28 points per game, and leads the Heat in assists, steals, and blocks. Wade also leads the team in heart and determination.

D-wade alone is good enough to keep the Heat hovering around .500 and that win-lose record will be good enough to get the Heat into the postseason.

Recently, the lowly Charlotte Bobcats traded Jason Richardson and Jared Dudley to the Phoenix Suns for Boris Diaw, Raja Bell, and Sean Singletary. Diaw played well in his first game as a Bobcat, but Bell, who the Bobcats would love to be their starting two-guard, did not.

Diaw helps the Bobcats down low, and Bell will be consistent (consistently average), but they will do little to lift the Bobcats out of obscurity—the team is already 10 games below .500.

The Bobcat’s brain trust of Larry Brown and Michael Jordan know this and they will try to make more roster moves. Rumors are already swirling that the Cats are looking to trade starting point guard Raymond Felton to the Golden State Warriors for either rookie Anthony Randolph or forward Brandan Wright.

The Cats can make this move thanks to the stellar play of rookie D.J. Augustin, the ninth overall pick of the 2008 NBA draft.

Cats leading scorer Gerald Wallace’s name is also being bandied about in trade rumors.

The Bobcats won’t be competing for anything this season, and with owners as bad as they have, the Cats might not be competitive for a while.

However, seeing the Charlotte Bobcats at the Time Warner Cable Arena will be interesting just for the mere opportunity to see who takes the floor.

Who will play for the Bobcats against the Boston Celtics? Will Augustin start for the Bobcats when the Los Angeles Lakers come to town? Will Wallace still be on the team when the Bobcats host the New York Knicks?

Saving the worst for last, the Washington Wizard are not only the worst team in the Eastern Conference, they are also one of the worst teams in the entire NBA.

They also have the distinction of making an early season trade (Antonio Daniels to New Orleans for Mike James and Javaris Crittenton) and an early season coaching change (fired Eddie Jordan and hired Ed Tapscott).

Trades and coaching changes can’t make up for injuries. Agent zero, Gilbert Arenas is out with a bum knee and center Brendan Haywood has yet to play this season. Haywood is still recovering from surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right wrist.

With "Hibachi" out, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison are the Wizards’ only scorers. Butler is averaging 21.4 points a game and Jamison is averaging 19.9. No other Wizard is scoring in the double-digits.

A date for Arenas’ return is still unknown, but the shooter may be back with the team sometime in January. Meanwhile, Haywood could miss the entire season.

Overview

The east is a three tier conference. The Celtics sit alone on the top tier. The C’s are not only the best team in east they are the best team in the NBA.

In the middle tier sits the Pistons, Cavs and Magic, teams that could, with some luck, threaten the defending champs.

In the bottom tier, is everyone else. In a conference that will probably send a team with a losing record to the playoffs, no club, at least this early, is out of the hunt.

Yet, with the Celtics playing so well, and with so much drive and determination, there may not be a hunt.

Fleetwood Mac is an odd band.

At their zenith, the band was headlined by Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie, but the band’s appellation is taken from the surname of its drummer and founder, Mick Fleetwood, and its bassist, John McVie (who would later marry Christine).

Incidentally, the band was called Fleetwood Mac to entice John McVie’s participation. McVie did eventually join but only after Fleetwood Mac played its first gig.

Fleetwood Mac is one of the quintessential “California rock” bands of the 1970’s, but the group was formed in London in 1967. Most of its core members are British (Buckingham and Nicks are Americans).

Sure to be a hot ticket, Fleetwood Mac will begin a world tour in March of 2009 after more than 40 years as a band. However, most of us only care about a decade’s worth of their existence. A time period stretching from the mid 1970’s to the mid 1980’s.

Fleetwood Mac’s line-up has changed 14 times. However, most of us only care about the lineup comprised of Buckingham, Nicks, Mick Fleetwood and the McVie’s.

Fleetwood Mac has performed countless concerts from the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh to Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul. These shows were used to promote their 17 studio albums. However, the only four Fleetwood Mac albums you really need in your IPod are their self titled released from 1975, Rumors, Tusk and Mirage.

In 1976, just prior to the release of Rumors, the members of Fleetwood Mac were breaking up. They weren’t breaking up the band, they were breaking up their romantic partnerships.

John and Christine McVie divorced, Buckingham and Nicks ended an affair which started before they joined the band and Mick Fleetwood was in the process of divorcing his wife.

Despite the incredibly complicated and complex relationships forged in the wake of their failed romances, the band was able to stay together and write and record one of the best selling albums of all-time, Rumors.

“Don’t Stop,” “You Make Loving Fun,” and “Go Your Own Way,” are just three of the great tracks from aforementioned masterpiece. The 11 pop-rock tunes that comprise Rumors still sound great live and whether you’re at the Garden in Boston or the Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan, the songs still make you want to dance.

Although, in comparison to similar bands from that era (mainly the Eagles), Fleetwood Mac does seem a bit dated. Constantly changing your lineup and 40 years of releasing inconsistent studio albums takes a toll on your legacy.

While the Eagles, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt still possess a bit of relevancy, Fleetwood Mac is just music your parents use to listen to.

That’s because Fleetwood Mac had neither the energy to endure the ravages of time nor the good fortune (and sense) to quit while they were ahead. Instead, the band is stuck in the middle, teetering between being a relic and being a classic.

Despite starting slow and hanging on for too long, Fleetwood Mac has performed a bevy of well-written and catchy tunes. Those classic songs will definitely keep Fleetwood Mac around long enough for their sound to come back into style.

After all, like Fleetwood Mac once sang, you can never break the chain.

What to Expect in the A.L. East in 2009

The American League East is arguably the toughest division in Major League Baseball. Red Sox Nation and the Yankee Empire, alone, are enough to earn that reputation, but now you can add the pennant winning Tampa Bay Rays to the A.L. East’s impressive resume. If you’re still not convinced, after a mid-season managerial change, the Toronto Blue Jays finished 10 games above .500 to become the best 4th place team in the wildcard era. As for the Baltimore Orioles…well, someone had to finish last.

The Tamp Bay Rays are young and inexpensive—they have less than $50 million in 2009 commitments. They also have a farm system overflowing with talented prospects, giving the defending A.L. Champs plenty of options to fix weaknesses.

Their biggest weakness is hitting left-handed pitching (see the World Series). With Rocco Baldelli, Eric Hinske and Cliff Floyd testing the free agency waters, Tampa Bay will try to add a bat that can improve the league’s third-worst OPS against lefties.

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