Saturday, December 25, 2010

Holiday Greetings

To all my readers returning and new.  And may the upcoming year bring you lots of joy. :)

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Zac Hanson and wife welcome baby girl!

Zac Hanson got an early holiday present on Wednesday – and it was exactly what he was hoping for.

The Hanson drummer and his wife Kate welcomed their second child, daughter Junia Rosa Ruth, who arrived at 8 lbs., 7 oz. "We couldn't imagine a better Christmas gift than this sweet little girl," Hanson, 25, tells PEOPLE exclusively.

"In just the short time she's been here, she's enriched our family and our lives beyond measure," he adds. "We're looking forward to celebrating the season with our family and introducing her to everyone."

Baby Junia joins brother Shepherd, 2½, and a half-dozen cousins ranging from age 2 to 8: Zac's brother and bandmate Taylor has four kids while Isaac has two.

"We have no intentions to battle the Osmonds in any way," Zac has joked about his extended family's brood (who have joined the group on tour). "They can have the crown."

Adds Kate of the "super-fertile" Hanson headlines, "Honestly, we're pretty normal. We're three distinct families but people want to group us together!"

But as a band that's been performing together for well over a decade, it's difficult not to: Hanson just finished a sold-out tour to support their fifth studio album Shout It Out, which produced a hit video for the single "Thinking 'Bout Something". 


People

I've been checking their site everyday (for this bit of news), so of course the one day I don't I completely miss it *lol*.

Congrats to Zac and Kate! (I'll refrain from any reproductive jokes this time).

Also, YAY!.  Tay's little girl Penelope will finally have a female cousin to play with.

It's anyone's guess as to how to pronounce the name though.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Rafa and Roger hanging out

Fedal (aka Nadal and Federer) hanging out together ♥♥.


Roger Federer picking up Rafael Nadal in his Mercedes-Benz for their exhibition match in Zurich, Switzerland
Federer on his Facebook, “Just picked up Rafa at the airport. Looking forward to lunch together in town.”

Dear Santa: I want this on my Christmas card this year

Be still my beating heart :).


And if that isn't enough here's a couple of vids (love the car!).





tennis-x.com

Monday, December 20, 2010

Shania Twain engaged!!

Canadian pop-country star Shania Twain is engaged to Swiss business executive Frédéric Thiébaud.
Twain's manager, Jason Owen, confirmed the news on Monday after celebrity magazines such as Us Weekly and People reported Twain's upcoming nuptials.

No other details, such as the date of the wedding, were released.

The singer, who was born in Windsor, Ont., and raised in Timmins in northern Ontario, confirmed in 2009 that she was dating Thiébaud, a Swiss-born executive with Nestlé.

Her 14-year marriage to Robert (Mutt) Lange fell apart in 2008 following allegations the hit music producer was having an affair with Marie-Anne Thiébaud, who had worked for the couple at their Swiss chateau and who was at the time married to Frédéric.

After their respective divorces, Twain, 45, revealed she reached out to Frédéric and the two grew closer.
"Having gone through the suffering of his family splitting apart at the same time and under the same extreme circumstances, he understands me better than anyone," Twain revealed to her fans in an open letter in August 2009.


"We leaned on one another through the ups and downs, taking turns holding each other up. We've become stronger and closer through it all, as have our children, Eja [her son with Lange] and Johanna, Fred's eight-year-old daughter."

Amid her personal problems, Twain drew away from the celebrity spotlight, but has been slowly returning with the occasional public appearance, including serving as a guest judge on American Idol.

Atria Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, announced this fall that the Grammy Award-winning Twain will publish an autobiography in the spring.

She is also set to host Why Not? With Shania Twain, a show about coping with life after divorce, on Oprah Winfrey's new TV network, OWN.


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/12/20/twain-shania-engaged.html#ixzz18hOngUQU

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Roger Federer radio interview in Abu Dhabi

Listen!

Ok, he carries Tweety, and Cookie Monster in his bag as a superstition, could this man be any cuter?!. 

Oh, and nice honorable Martina Hingis mention ( I wouldn't mind seeing them play together again in an exhibition). 

Sometimes I forget that he is actually one year younger then her, you would never know it with his level of maturity.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Martina Hingis post marriage interview

SI: Martina Hingis, when a couple gets married after such a short time, the bride…
 

MH: (Laughs). No, I am not pregnant. When Thibault proposed to me in September, we thought the 10.12.2010 would be a good date. Our marriage is for many people a surprise, but it was pre-planned for a long time.

SI: Weddings of stars and princesses are mostly in white and the bride arrives in a horse-drawn carriage.
 

MH: That we will do later. We plan a big wedding next summer – under the open sky. It should be really romantic.

SI: How romantic was the marriage proposal?
 

MH: On my birthday Thibault gave me a diamond Bulgari ring as a gift. We had a classy dinner in Bruxelles, when he gave me the ring. Whereby he said that this ring shows his love for me. And we both thought that it sounds like a marriage proposal. And so my birthday gift was the engagement ring.

SI: Why is Thibault the man whom you marry?  


MH: Even if we sometimes disagree, and I get annoyed at him – I only have to look him in the eye and I know that I love him. When I have to travel without him, I miss him already in the plane. And: (laughs) I can always wear high heels. Thibault measures 1,92 metres. I feel comfortable with him.
 
SI: Could you describe your husband.


MH: He is very attractive, eloquent, with a zest for life. He has humor and energy. He comes from a good family. He is very charming.

SI: Did you already succumb to his charm during the first meeting?

MH: I realized immediately that he has that certain something. But he is French, I am Swiss – we do not have the same mentality.

SI: And how does that work?

MH: Very well. Our interests and ideas about life are the same. We are playful and stimulate each other. Between us is always a small competition – whether on horseback, in ping-pong or something else.

SI: Who is the better rider?

MH: Thibault began later, but he is stronger.

SI: To compete constantly sounds somehow tiresome.

MH: That is our nature. Thibault encourages me. I am a strong woman and need a strong man who defies me.

SI: Your name will be Hingis even after the marriage and not Hutin – How does a proud Frenchman deal with it?

MH: There is no problem. The French are progressive. I keep my name – it is a brand. But to be called Madame Hutin in the private life, that I like too. 

SI: Do you use nicknames?
 

MH: We seldom use the first names. I call him often „Chéri“. He calls me „mon amour“.  Most of all I like „Ma petite ciel de mer“.

SI: You have sold your house at the lake in Hurden.  You moved into your husband's apartment and learned French.  Are you now a „Parisienne“?
 

MH: No. In January we will intensify the search for a home in Switzerland. When I had to collect the documents for the marriage, Thibault accompanied me to Truebbach – a journey into the past to my roots. I love Switzerland. He knows it. We want to live in Switzerland.

SI: And so he has no troubles?

MH: The Parisians are peculiar. And even if they cannot imagine it - there exists a world outside of Paris.  Thibault wants to get to know something else.  We only have a chance when we are together. Therefore I could also imagine a future in the Romandie [French part of Switzerland].  To compromise belongs to it.

SI: Something new for you

MH: Right. Previously this was not the case. In the tennis world there was no room for compromises.

SI: You still play on the tennis courts – Exhibitions in Europe, Assia and the USA. You still keep trying?

MH: Absolutely. It gives me great fun. I play doubles with Anna Kournikova or mixed with Pat Cash.

SI: Do you play for money or for fun?

MH: The pleasure is great. The money I earn I spend on the horses.

SI: When you led the world tennis rankings, Thibault was eleven years old.  Did he know who you are?

MH: He knew my name.  But for him I am Martina and not Hingis the tennis star.  In Paris there is so much more than tennis.  And at Roland Garros I was not particularly successful.  Thibault is my Paris-win.

SI: You are six years your husband’s senior.  Does the age gap bother you?

MH: Surely I was contemplating. But we were often living on a confined space for a longer time. So I realized that it could work with both of us.

SI: How is your living together?

MH: Very traditional.

SI: But have you ever seen your husband with a vacuum cleaner?
 

MH : (Laughs). The household is my business.  Thibault was spoiled by his mother.  She has a big heart and did everything for him.

SI: So she has done you no favors.

MH: The way he loves and respects his mother, he does it to me too.  Thibault has great respect for his mother. And I really like his mother. I like to spend time with her. She was also there, when I bought my dress for the registry office. It’s nice to have a second family.

SI:When will you raise your own family?

MH: I would like to wait one or two years. Then I must also get pregnant. Now we enjoy the togetherness.

SI: After the wedding is the wedding night
 

MH: This was organized by Thibault's mother!.  She booked the Presidential suite at the the George V as a gift – including four-poster bed and rose petals. That was really great.

by Bettina Portmann and Urs Heller of Schweizer Illustrierte No. 50 of December 13, 2010

Transcribed and translated by hilarius from hingis.org  

Friday, December 17, 2010

Celine Dion shares photo of twins

Celine Dion debuts her baby boys, Nelson and Eddy, on the cover of Hello! Canada this week.

The 42-year-old singing sensation gave birth to the boys in late October and has been adjusting to the new sleeping habits - or lack thereof - of her little ones.

“Every day Rene asks, ‘Did you sleep well?’” Celine said. “I’m like, ‘You must be kidding! There is no sleep!”’

Celine also said that the boys already exhibit different personality traits. “Nelson is Angelil, Eddy is Dion!” she shared.


Read more: http://justjared.buzznet.com/2010/12/08/celine-dion-meet-nelson-and-eddy/#ixzz189wXFhdk

This is actually slightly late since the issue came out Dec. 9th.

But I thought I would post this anyway.  

Judging by the pic just like with Rene-Charles the great hair is hereditary.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Martina Hingis honeymoon details

Currently Martina Hingis and her husband Thibault Hutin are enjoying their honeymoon in the Maldives.  They are enjoying cozy togetherness at The Conrad HotelSI online shows, new pictures of the ceremony.

 Those are gorgeous rings I gotta say


Sun, private beach, the sea - four days after their secret wedding in Paris Martina Hingis, 30, and Thibault Hutin, 24, are enjoying their togethernessAs they revealed to "Schweizer Illustrierte" in an exclusive wedding interview - in the Maldives.  

In the six-star Conrad Hotel a normal room costs about 700 francs per night, a private bungalow with sea view double.  

In addition, the resort offers a world-exclusive: If you eat in the underwater restaurant, you can watch the passing fish. For the newlyweds right before they set out to find a place to stay in Switzerland.


 Looks like the perfect place to spend a honeymoon to me!.  Definitely for the affluent.

In the spring of this year, Thibault met Martina at a competition near Saint-TropezOn her birthday - 30th September - he gave her a diamond Bulgari ring.  

Martina recalls, "He said, this ring should prove his love for me". Both of us were like, it sounds like a marriage proposal".

You can see more pics at schweizer-illustrierte.ch

Translated with Google edited for grammar

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Meeting a Kiwi

Had some interesting visitors knock on my door today. A couple of missionaries from 2 different countries one from U.S. California and one all the way from New Zealand.

You're probably thinking, big whoop what's so exciting about that, right?.  After all I do live in Canada world's #1 multi-cultural country.

Well, strangely enough in all of the 16 years I've been residing here I have never (until today) met a real life Kiwi before.

I've met plenty of American friends (we are neighbours after all), but for some reason I've never met a New Zealander.

Going through Highschool, and College (where I took a Tourism and Travel course I might add) in the world's most multi-cultural country you'd think I would have come across a few people from there.  But not so much.

I have plenty of online friends who hail from New Zealand, but it's one thing to have a long time pen pal of sorts, and yet another to meet one in the flesh.

Being Roman Catholic, I wasn't really interested in their missionary purpose, but I thoroughly enjoyed the conversion about our respective countries. 

Although it was brief it was quite interesting talking about the differences, and similaraties between each country.  She loved the multi-culturalism of Canada.

I loved the landscapes, and the laid back attitude of the people (which the girl herself pointed out).  Not that New Zealand isn't multi-cultural, far from it actually.

But I guess comparatively Canada beats New Zealand overall in that regard (given Canada's larger population it's understandable).

We also briefly touched on the different pricing structure of Internet access over there.  And I was surprised to learn it's actually a lot more expensive.

I've always thought my plan was awful, well compared to New Zealand I'm paying half the price for half as much bandwidth.

And yes unfortunetly just like Canada, New Zealand also has bandwidth restrictions (sometimes it's enough to make me wanna go back and live in Europe where it is unlimited).

When I asked her how she liked it here, she answered that it's very cold but that she loved it.

Given the fact that she was practically gushing as she said it, it was clear she was very sincere.

I had to chuckle at the weather comment though, yep nothing compares to the cold Canadian winters! :D.  And this year hasn't even been that bad (temperature-wise).

Coming from a country like New Zealand where the worst you get in the winter is lots of random rain, this had to be quite a shocker.  Didn't seem to dampen her enthusiasm for the country itself though.

Why the long ramble on New Zealand you ask?.

Well I'm not sure whether I have ever mentioned this in the four years I've been blogging (I might have a few years back not sure) but I have a bit of fascination with it.

It's the one country I would like to live in aside from Canada.

It all started with a little show called Xena: Warrior Princess, which is where I first took notice of it's beauty and appeal in general.

I did a couple of large study projects throughout Highschool and College which intensified my interest.  The more I learned about it, the more I liked it.

Aside from breathtaking landscapes, it also shares one other major thing with Canada, great health care.

Thus endeth my tangent.

More Martina Hingis wedding details

A few more things translated from a previously linked article:

With immediate family by her side Martina Hingis, 30, married her boyfriend Thibault Hutin, 24 on Friday.  

While other media, covered nothing from the big day of the ex-tennis pro SI-entertainment chief Bettina Portmann was up close and shares her impressions exclusively with the SI-online users.


The bride and groom  

 Martina and Thibault were still quite relaxed on Thursday. On Friday, at the registry office, we noticed the two were nervous.  And Martina was visibly moved. The two are really in love!.

The Proposal
 

Thibault proposed on the 30th of September, her birthday.

Guests

 

Martina's mother, Melanie Molitor, along with her partner Mario Widmer.

The ring
 

Martina Hingis's ring was custom made.  After Thibault put the ring on her finger, she said,"I will never take it off!".

The Celebration

Francoise Hutin (Thibault's mother) leased the Presidential Suite at the Four Seasons Hotel (Georges V)  to the newly wed couple for the wedding night.   

After the registry there was a cocktail party with champagne.

schweizer-illustrierte

Translated with Google edited for grammar by me

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Martina Hingis to live in Switzerland with hubby

The "Swiss magazine" spoke with newly wed Martina Hingis exclusively about her love for husband Thibault Hutin - and revealed when the first baby is planned.

Since Friday Martina Hingis, 30, has a wedding ring on her left hand- surprisingly she married her boyfriend    Thibault Hutin, 24 in Paris.  They have been together for 8 months. 

Her husband is attractive, articulate, hungry for life, Hingis said in an interview with the "Schweizer Illustrierte" - "I trust him and will not be without him."  

And Hutin is over the moon with his wife: "With her it's unique in my life." She would be the woman with whom he has children. "A bit of Martina, a bit Thibault - this is a nice mix."

Hingis and Hutin, who call each other "Cheri" or "Mon amour" , are already on their way to the honeymoon.  

In January, the couple will be looking for a house: in Switzerland. For the Paris born Thibault it is not a problem. "Thibault is willing to learn something different," says Martina.  

He was the strong man who needed  a strong woman by his side. And although her husband is six years younger than her, Hingis quickly realized "that it can work with Thibault and me ".  

The two have the same idea of a relationship - and they also agree on family planning: "I would like to wait a year or two," says Ms. Hingis, who has retained her last name after marriage.


schweizer-illustrierte.ch

Translated with Google (once again edited for grammar).

Monday, December 13, 2010

Martina Hingis off on her honeymoon

On Friday, 14.45 o'clock, Martina Hingis (30) married her friend Thibault Hutin who is six years younger .  

And yesterday, Sunday, 12.45 o'clock, they have already checked in at the Paris airport Charles de Gaulle to travel on their honeymoon to the Maldives.  

Martina Hingis is on a love-high! "Yes, I got married. I'm very happy", the former tennis star said to SonntagsBlick.

 Martina checking in at Charles de Gaulle  with new hubby Thibault Hutin

Pics courtesy of hingis.org via blick.ch 

The couple spent their wedding in the presidential suite of the Paris luxury hotel, "George V" - 190 square feet, four-poster bed and gold-plated faucets.   

With a breathtaking view of the Eiffel Tower from the terrace . The ceremony took place in the town house of Neuilly-sur-Seine, the Paris suburb Nobel with close family and friends.

The French show jumper proposed on the 30th of September in Brussels - Martina's 30th birthday he gave her a diamond Bulgari ring.  

The two met just six months earlier at a horse show near Saint-Tropez. Hingis was then still engaged with the Zurich prosecutor Andreas Bieri (39). Wanted to marry him.  

She was with him for a year and a half. In early March, they made their public engagement. "Between Andi and I just fit. We want to get married and be! "She gushed. "In my wedding dress I want to look like Cinderella."

When asked if the engagement had come rather quickly, Hingis said:" there is no guarantee of a lasting relationship. I do not need to be together for five years to be able to know whether I want a future together with him or not. "

But exactly 280 days later, Martina Hingis is now married to another man  her ex-fiance Bieri spoke to VIEW only yesterday: "I have congratulated Martina on the wedding. I hope she is happy. "

Despite the marriage to Thibault Hutin, Hingis will be keeping her last name.


blick.ch 

Translated with Google (edited for grammar)

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Song of the Moment: Amos Lee- Skipping Stone



This song makes me all nostalgic for my favourite E.R. couple  every time I hear it (for those who may not remember it's part of a very romantic scene where Abby asks Luka to ask her to marry him).

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Martina Hingis tied the knot!



After a couple of former fiancés, former No. 1 Martina Hingis finally found her Prince Charming.


According to «Schweizer Illustrierten». (which appears to have had exclusive access), the 30-year-old Swiss married French show jumper Thibault Hutin in Paris Saturday.

Yes, Hingis is old enough to have married a younger man. Time flies.

She met Hutin at a horse show in St. Tropez back in April, so it's a pretty short courtship.

No, we don't know if it's a shotgun wedding. 

But it was a civil ceremony with just family; they're planning a more "romantic" wedding this summer, according to the story.

montrealgazette

I recall saying in a recent post something about not moving too quickly.

Well, as usual Martina does the exact opposite :D.

Seriously though, congrats to the happy couple (let's hope this one lasts).

Looking forward to pics from what I'm assuming will be the Church wedding in the summer.

Wonder if she'll continue to live in Switzerland, or move to Paris as rumored.

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Kim Clijsters & Justine Henin to unite forces for London 2012?

Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin could team up to play women's doubles in the London 2012 Olympics.

The Belgian pair, who have both made successful comebacks to the sport, are fierce rivals but are willing to put aside their differences in an attempt to dethrone defending champions Venus and Serena Williams.

Henin, who has not played since June after injuring her elbow during her defeat to Clijsters at Wimbledon, returned to action in an exhibition match against her compatriot on Thursday. 

She lost to the US Open champion 6-1 3-6 10-5 in a super tiebreak, but the 2004 Olympic gold medallist revealed the pair were both keen to link up. 

"There is a real willingness to be there," Henin said. "We can already think about it. Everything is open to consider this."


Clijsters hinted 2012 would be her last season in the sport and admitted there would be some scheduling issues to overcome.


"2012 is still far away and we have not seen each other since July," Clijsters said. "But we will certainly talk about it. Obviously for the Olympics, it would be beautiful. It would be nice to go out in such a way." 

ESPN UK

Beating Venus and Serena, oh what a match that would be!.  Here's hoping it happens. 

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

Kim Clijsters beats Justine Henin in her return match

At the GDF SUEZ Diamond Games in Antwerp, Kim Clijsters beat Justine Henin after an exciting three sets.



At first the match between Kim and Henin did not promise such a thrilling ending. In the first set Kim outplayed Justine completely. It was Justine's first match after months of recovering from an injury. Kim only needed 25 minutes to get hold of the first set, 6-1.



In the second set as well Kim immediately took a break, but then had to slow things down somewhat. Henin started playing better and rebroke. At 3-4, she broke through Kim's service again: with her world famous backhand she opened the field and then she finished it off with a forehand. After exactly one hour Justine equalled in sets, 1-1. Henin won the second set with 3-6.


The third set was a short but powerful tiebreak set, aiming at ten points won. Kim treated the fans with a 'tweener', but the ball from between her legs was out, only just. Still, the fans didn't have to feel sad, as Kim had four match points at 9-5. And Kim finished it off at the first opportunity: 6-1, 3-6 and 10-5 after 1 hour and 11 minutes.


"Justine is a class act," Kim praised her opponent afterwards. "I enjoy watching her play, but not when she is in front of me," she joked. "This match was very intense", Justine said. "I could feel the adrenaline flow through my entire body. Things did not go as I wanted, but it was a delight to be playing here. An awesome audience!"

http://www.kimclijsters.be/ 

Not bad after 6 months of being away. 
 
Every time they play they seem to bring out the best tennis in each other.

I'm looking forward to more clashes between them next year.

Monday, December 06, 2010

Justine Henin back in action and facing Kim Clijsters again

Justine Henin will make her return from a six-month spell on the sidelines in an exhibition match against her Belgian compatriot Kim Clijsters on Thursday, her coach has revealed. 


The former world number one damaged ligaments in her right elbow at Wimbledon in June but is now "ready to play a tournament", according to her trainer Carlos Rodriguez. 

The match against Clijsters will take place at a gala event in the Belgian city of Anvers.

Henin, currently 12th in the WTA rankings, resumed training at the beginning of October with the aim of being fit for the start of the 2011 season. 

She will begin the 2011 campaign at the Hopman Cup mixed international team tournament in Perth, Australia in January, when she is likely to team up with her countryman Ruben Bemelmans. 

Henin, 28, made her return to competitive tennis last January after 18 months in retirement.

Her 'second career' began well, as she reached the Australian Open final and won tournaments at Stuttgart and Rosmalen, before falling to Clijsters in the last 16 at Wimbledon. 

Interviewed by Belgian daily La Derniere Heure/Les Sports on Wednesday, Rodriguez said that Henin "definitely has three great years at the highest level ahead of her". 


http://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/tennis/article805242.ece/Henin-to-face-Clijsters-in-comeback-match

I have to say I'm really looking forward to her return at the Aussie Open, the women's field really needs more variety.

Sunday, December 05, 2010

Joss Whedon sums up t.v. then vs. now



Oh Joss, just when I thought I couldn't love you anymore ♥ :D.  Thanks for hilariously reminding us all to stop overthinking, and to simply enjoy the ride.

Saturday, December 04, 2010

Martina Hingis dinner in Paris with new boyfriend

Martina Hingis and her new boyfriend Thibault Hutin, 24, attended the first night of the jumping Gucci Masters 2010 in Paris. Hingis will be taking part in the show jumping competition.

(Photos: PacificCoastNews.com)

Martina recently sold her house in Switzerland, and rumor is she might be moving to Paris.

Judging by the pics she looks very happy, so I guess things are going pretty well.

I just hope she doesn't jump into another engagement again.  She seems to have a habit of doing that very quickly.

Thursday, December 02, 2010

Kim Clijsters wins WTA player of the year

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida — Kim Clijsters, whose five titles in 2010 included her second US Open crown in a row, was named the WTA Player of the Year in awards voting announced by the tour on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old Belgian, who also won the award in 2005, won at Brisbane, Miami, Cincinnati and the season-ending WTA Championships in Doha as well as taking her third title at Flushing Meadows.

Just one year after making a comeback following a break to rest injuries and start a family, Clijsters was voted the top honor in a balloting of players as well as the Player Service award for supporting women's tennis off the court.

"It's really nice to win the Player of the Year award just one year after making a comeback," Clijsters said. "While I didn't think it would come so quickly, I am thrilled.

"This year I met a lot of new girls and it was very nice that so many of them had positive reactions to my daughter Jada as well."

Justine Henin, who returned to the WTA last January, was voted WTA Comeback Player of the Year. 

She reached the Brisbane final, losing to compatriot Clijsters in her first tournament back, and was the Australian Open runner-up in her first major after a one-year break.

Henin won titles on Stuttgart clay and on grass at 's-Hertogenbosch.

Russian star Maria Sharapova won Humanitarian of the Year for her work as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador. 

She visited Chernobyl and spent time with children affected by the disaster there.

Argentina's Gisela Dulko and Italy's Flavia Pennetta won doubles team of the year honors. 

The year-end world number one duo captured seven titles, including the WTA Championships, and enjoyed a 17-match win streak during the season.

Czech 20-year-old Petra Kvitova, who reached her first Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon, was named Newcomer of the Year while Russian Elena Dementieva, who retired from the WTA in October, won the tour sportsmanship award.

AFP

Congrats Kim, well deserved!.  Thanks for making the WTA this year a little more exciting.

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Roger Federer Lindt chocolate factory fun

These will no doubt help y'all get into the Christmas spirit.  Enjoy ;).



Don't understand a word they're saying in this vid, but Roger looks wonderfully handsome as always :).

 

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Roger Federer blast from the past Hopman Cup with wife Mirka



Awww, you can already feel the love between those two ♥♥.  Roger was so adorkable in the early days.

Poor Mirka, yep no one could compare to Hingis when it came to doubles (or singles for that matter).

This is actually one of the few times I've heard her speak it's a real rarity since usually most of the talking is done by Roger.

Monday, November 29, 2010

R.I.P Leslie Nielsen

Leslie Nielsen, who dazzled with deadpan in The Naked Gun and Airplane!, passed away on Sunday at a hospital near his home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where he was being treated for pneumonia, according to the New York Times. He was 84.

The master of parody boasted a talent for delivering the most ridiculous lines in the straightest way possible, cloaking outright absurdity in straight-faced obliviousness. 

Ironically enough, the foundation of that earnest gravitas was built early in his career as a dramatic actor: After serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force and studying at New York City’s famed Actors Studio, the Saskatchewan-born Nielsen popped up on early ’50s TV. He received his first big film break playing sturdy Commander J.J. Adams in the 1956 sci-fi flick Forbidden Planet

Over the next few decades, he established himself as a reliable, handsome, rich-voiced character actor who graced myriad TV dramas (Peyton Place, Dr. Kildare) and movies (The Poseidon Adventure).

His career took a comical hard left turn when he was cast as Dr. Rumack in the 1980 big-screen parody film Airplane! (Let us honor his famous line, which stands as one of the best retorts in comedic cinema history: “Surely you can’t be serious!” “I am serious. And don’t call me Shirley.”) Two years later he was tapped by the Airplane! brain trust to play Lt. Frank Drebin in the cop-show spoof sitcom Police Squad! Although the series lasted only six episodes, Nielsen earned an Emmy nomination for his work, and in 1988, re-inhabited the bumbling Drebin again for the big-screen adaptation The Naked Gun. (It may be hard to find more laughs-per-minute in a comedy film than in the film’s baseball-game scene, which culminates with Drebin foiling an assassination attempt on the Queen of England). 

The success of The Naked Gun paved the way for two sequels in 1991 and 1994, and Nielsen continued down the parody path in not-as-memorable films like Spy Hard, Wrongfully Accused, and Dracula: Dead and Loving It. (He did earn notice in Scary Movie 3 and Scary Movie 4.)

Nielsen worked into his 80s, appearing in even more spoof flicks like Superhero Movie and 2009′s Stan Helsing. Surely, we can’t be more serious when we say: Leslie Nielsen, you will be missed.

ew.com

I grew up watching the Naked Gun movies as a child, till this day I have yet to find a comedy that equals the amounts of laughs that one induced.

He was a man with impeccable comedic talent, and he will indeed be sorely missed.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Roger Federer Barclays ATP World Tour Champion!

hingis.org
 
It may have been Rafael Nadal's season, but Roger Federer had the last laugh today with victory over his great rival to win the year-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals for a fifth time.

The 22nd meeting between the pair brought an eighth success for Federer, who came flying out of the traps at London's O2 Arena and then recovered from some sloppy moments in the second set to race through the decider and triumph 6-3 3-6 6-1.

The title, his first since the tournament moved to London after previous victories in Houston and Shanghai, made Federer the joint holder of yet another record as he drew level with Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras.

The Swiss star will also head home more than £1million richer after going through the week undefeated, while 1,500 ranking points are a start in his bid to wrest back the number one spot from Nadal, who won three successive grand slams in 2010 but just failed to pick up the one major title still to elude him.

Federer said: "It's fantastic. I'm really thrilled the way I played all week. 

To win a fifth time is obviously amazing, for the third time in a different place.
 

"I'm just really happy the way I was able to finish the season in style, playing some of my best tennis, really saving the best for last.

"Obviously beating Rafa in the final makes it extra special because of the year he had."
 

Meetings between the two best players of this, or arguably any, era used to be 10 a penny, but today was only their fourth match since the classic Wimbledon final of 2008.

It was even more important then for Federer to come out on top after being well and truly usurped by his great rival as world number one.

Federer seemed to have all the advantages, with the match played on a surface that suits his attacking style and only 24 hours after Nadal's epic semi-final victory over Andy Murray.

The Spaniard's physical qualities are legendary but it quickly became clear he had not recovered fully as he watched Federer winners fly past him.

The 29-year-old had registered 10 winners before Nadal had even managed one, and that finally translated into a meaningful lead in the eighth game when he nonchalantly whipped a backhand winner cross-court to move 5-3 in front.

Four points later Federer had the first set in his pocket, and there seemed to be little way back for Nadal.

 
But Federer often has little lapses these days, and so it proved in the fourth game of the second set as he drilled a forehand wide to hand Nadal a break.

Nadal played the rest of the set intelligently, conserving energy where he could, and levelled the match with just over an hour played.

Nadal seemed to up his intensity at the start of the decider but there was no doubt how badly Federer wanted the victory and, when he piled on the pressure again, Nadal had no answer.

The second seed played a terrific point to break for a 3-1 lead and from there it was straightforward for Federer as he reeled off five games in a row to clinch victory.

Nadal refused to acknowledge the part his physical condition played in the defeat, instead choosing to heap praise on Federer.

"I think it is not the right moment to talk about that," he said. "Everybody saw the match yesterday, so everybody's free to make up their own opinion.

 
"But I'm not going to say I lost the match because I was tired.

 
"What I'm going to say, and what I feel, is I lost the match because I played against a very good Roger Federer on one of his favourite surfaces.

"And when he's playing like this, it is very difficult to stop him.

 
"I had little chances, I was there, but it wasn't enough. He played unbelievable. I think in the beginning he was unplayable.

 
"I just can congratulate him for his victory and another great tournament for him."


sportinglife
 
It may have been a mediocre year by Federer's own standards, but at least it started and ended on a high.  

And hey 66 titles is nothing to cry about either ;).
 

Looking better then ever Federer was on fire beating, Murray, Soderling, Djokovic and of course Nadal on the way to victory.

And the press says this guy has no motivation.

Near retirement my butt!.  As always R. Fed is here to stay.  Now I'm really sorry I didn't watch the whole tournament.

I'll have to go back and find those matches.

If Federer plays like this next year we're gonna be in for a treat.

But for now, Roger is off on a well deserved vacation.  Rest up Roger.  See you in Australia in 2011!.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Mark Wahlberg to play "Uncharted" movie title character?

I've been hearing about the possible movie rumors for this great game for the past few years.  Well, now it looks like it might finally become a reality.


Mark Wahlberg is no stranger to starring in movies based on video games -- he played the title role in the 2008 adaptation of the first-person shooter game "Max Payne." 

And he's also quite comfortable to working with writer-director David O. Russell -- they've collaborated together on "Three Kings," "I Heart Huckabees" and this year's Oscar hopeful "The Fighter," about boxer "Irish" Mickey Ward.

So it makes perfect sense that Wahlberg is now set to tackle the lead role of adventurer Nathan Drake in "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune," the hot-ticket video-game adaptation that Russell is writing and directing. Wahlberg -- who was recently named one of MTV's actors we're most thankful for in 2010 -- confirmed as much when we caught up with him at the junket for "The Fighter."

"David is one of the best writer/directors I've ever worked with," Wahlberg told MTV. "The idea that he has is just insane. So hopefully we'll be making that movie this summer."


And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Walhberg also confirmed rumors that Russell is writing roles for acting heavies (and "Goodfellas" costars) Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. "I'm obviously in whatever David wants to do, but the idea of it is so off the charts: De Niro being my father, Pesci being my uncle. It's not going to be the watered-down version, that's for sure."

While Pesci and De Niro have yet to commit to the film, Wahlberg says that he has talked to Pesci about the role, and that De Niro has also been contacted. 

Sure, Drake's dad and uncle don't appear in the game, but we're betting they'll be there to shed some light on the Drake family's supposed relation to renowned explorer Sir Francis Drake.

For the uninitiated, "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune" charts the globetrotting adventurer's search for the treasure of El Dorado. Sounds like box-office gold.


After finally getting myself a PS3 around this time last year I absolutely fell in love with the Uncharted franchise.  I like it so much that I compare every game I've gotten since then to this game's standards.

So far the only thing that's even come close is Assassin's Creed (could be partly due to the fact that it's voiced by the same actor).

Mark Wahlberg is not who I imagined as the main character, but who knows it just might work, providing the script has the right amount of witty jokes and banter not to mention plenty of action.

The Prince of Persia movie was not too bad (Jake Gyllenhaal wouldn't have been my first choice either but he pulled it off).  Hopefully Mark can do the same.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

DWTS 11: Finals part 2

Hard to believe it's been 10 weeks already, but yes sadly we have reached the end of yet another season of Dancing with the Stars.  And what a season it was!.

The night started off with all of the S11 couples hitting the dance floor at once doing a nicely choreographed number.

The guest singer tonight was Christina Aguilera who I've never really been a fan of but I do like a couple of her songs.

Throughout the show as is tradition we took a look back at all the stars that have been eliminated up to this point, with each of them honoring the viewers with one last favourite dance.

Then it was time for the final 3 to reprise their favourite dances of the season for the final batch of the judges scores.

Kyle & Lacey chose to reprise their Tango.  Which I must say was superb.  Kyle made it look even better then the first time.  He exuded control and confidence (no doubt born of 10 weeks of training).

The audience and judges were left charmed as usual.  With 110 points Kyle really was the last men standing, and fell just short of the trophy in second place. 


Bristol & Mark chose the Rock week Tango which I thought was good, but to be honest I liked the first performance better.  The judges thought so too she came in 3rd in the end with a total of 104.


Derek & Jennifer reprised their very first dance (from week 1) the Viennese Waltz.  Which was just as graceful as the first time she performed it, like Kyle she had a new found confidence that came through.

After hearing she had been in the hospital once more to correct a slipped spinal disk.  My respect jumped up another few notches.

Her ailments are really the only reminders that she is the oldest contest left, because you certainly wouldn't know by looking at her.

Watching her struggle physically and emotionally made the victory even sweeter.

Despite all the fears and rumors with a total of 118 points Jennifer and Derek the highest scoring couple all season were the champions of DWTS :). 

Proving once again that you really can't put Baby in a corner (sorry couldn't resist).  Way to go!.  Patrick would have been proud. 

This makes Derek the only pro to win the competition 3 times!.  Thanks Jen & Derek for making this season worth tuning into.

And thanks to all of you for reading.  I'll be back next year (probably) with a whole new group of stars to praise and criticize.