The past week, the first Campus Party was conducted in Quito, Ecuador in the Cemexpo expo center. The event lasted five days starting the 19th of October and lasting until the 23rd, there were more than 2000 people in attendance. Known as the major technology, leisure, and digital culture event of the world, Campus Party has gathered a lot of success and popularity among the people.

In previous years, the event has been carried out in several countries such as: Spain, Mexico, Colombia and Brazil. The origin of this event comes way back in 1997, starting  in Mollina, Malaga.

The main mission and values of the event is to focus on a general and informative character, which reunites diverse platforms and collectives of the informatics world, in order to encourage the exchange of ideas and knowledge. Public and private institutions formed part of the event’s audience.

The areas of focuses are: innovation, creativity, science and digital leisure. Which highlight the main principle that is based on the human factor and says: Internet is not a computer network, Internet is a people network”. Being the first time that the event happened in Quito, it was well received with the participation of two thousand participants.

Conferences, workshops and competitions were carried out. It counted with the presence of International and National experts such as Neil Harbisson, Eduardo Arcos and Andreu Vea. The velocity in which the participants could surf on the internet was something to behold.

Movistar’s representative Dagmar Thiel, explains that among the total 3GB that were available to perform different tasks and exercises only 1.8 GB were utilized, which means that the participants did not encounter any limitations in regards of surfing and sharing contents.

The closure of the event lead to the awards of the contestants who faced several challenges created and planned by different companies. The majority of the challenges focused on awakening the creativity of technology fans, in order to obtain solutions to problems that are being faced daily.

The following are some of the winners of the different contests:

The first Challenge was named 2020 Quito, which consisted in generating a Facebook Page, try to gather as many followers as possible and find answers to the question: How do you project Quito to look within 9 years? The winner, Israel Mena (24) created a Facebook page named “The future Quito”, and within one week he was able to gathered 1300 followers.

Another challenge consisted on finding a way of transmitting values of the city, and how do we want the city to become and look like. Fernando de Sucre won the contest by creating a jingle which emphasized the city’s values, and to do so he used technology to create and mix the different components of the song such as sounds, melody and lyrics.

Juan Regalado, a student of the National Polytechnic School won the Iron Geek Award. It consisted of an application to filter information in social networks. He won a flight to the upcoming Campus Party in Brazil and a three month internship in Movistar.

Many companies sponsored and supported the event such as: Movistar, Quito Metropolitan District, Ecuador’s Central Bank, Microsoft, Raptor, Sharp, Direct TV, Telefónica, and many other.

Besides offering lectures and activities, it is important to note that about 2,000 people were baptized digitally. Therefore, children, parents and students who had never had access to a computer, were trained and approached to the digital world

Video: 

http://blog.campus-party.com.ec/resumen-final-cpquito-2011

Image Courtesy of    http://www.facebook.com/CampusParty

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Facebook has grown impressively over the past year and is said to be worth somewhere near 65 billion U.S. dollars. As the leading social network, Facebook has more than 500 million users worldwide. From January to November of 2010 the Facebook received 8.9 percent of all Web visits in the United States, said the New York Times.

In June, Facebook accounted for nearly one third of all Internet display advertisement impressions in the United States, more than the combined total of Yahoo, Microsoft Corp, Google and AOL Inc., according to a report given by analytics firm comScore. Facebook is now worth more than eBay, Yahoo and Time Warner.

Investors are taking note of Facebook’s financial success and are prepared to put their money into the popular social network site. According to information the New York Times gained through e-mails, Goldman Sachs and a Russian investor recently put about $ 50 billion in Facebook, raising the social network’s worth immensely.

Goldman Sachs and the Russian investor now have an early “claim” on stock in Facebook. And with this large investment, Facebook has more power to recruit top employers and develop new products, according to the New York Times. Additionally, interest in Facebook shown by Goldman Sachs speaks to the might and success of social network site, since Goldman Sachs is considered one of  Wall Street’s “savviest investors.”

Many investors are taking positions for a possible Facebook initial public offering (IPO), after analyzing the viability and recently reports on the company’s profitability.

Reuters said it is expected that Facebook will go public in 2012. Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has often declined to comment on the company’s earnings or future business plans. But it is clear that Facebook is facing increased competition from Google in the social sphere.

The search-giant recently released Google+ which reportedly added more than 10 million members in its first two weeks, becoming the world’s fastest growing social network. According to the New York Times, analysts are now confirming that Facebook’s sales volume is around 2,000 million dollars annually.

The social network has doubled its revenue during the first six months of the 2011, compared with the same period in 2010. In the first half of the year, Facebook earned around 1,600 million dollars, as published by Reuters, according to a source close to the social network.

The social network site is on the rise and the public waits in anticipation to see if Facebook will reach out for stockholders this coming year.

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The astonishing pop star gave an incredible performance last night at the 2011 VMAs.

After finishing the song ‘Love On Top’, The 29 year old singer dropped the microphone intentionally, looked at the audience and began to unbutton her jacket, and rub her belly. Revealing to the world her pregnancy.

The camera spotted Jay-Z and Kanye West in the audience, showing their euphoric reaction.

The couple expects their first child, after being married for three years, back then in 2008 when they exchanged vows, and celebrated with a private party at Jay Z’s apartment in New York.

Beyonce had already said a couple of times that she planned on having a baby by the age of 30. Turning 30’s next month, the star did manage to achieve what she said!

The lovely revelation was kind of expected.  In June, on an interview with Piers Morgan, the star revealed her desired to get pregnant.

“I feel like a woman. I feel like I’m very aware of who I am. I feel great and I feel like 30 is the ideal age [to start a family], because you’re mature enough to know who you are and to have your boundaries and your standards, and not be afraid, too polite — but you’re young enough to be a young woman,” she said. “I’m so looking forward to it.”

Beyonce added, “I always said I’d have a baby at 30. But I also said I’m going to retire at 30. … Only God knows.”

In the interview Beyonce also commented about Jay-Z.

“Jay and I have kind of made a decision that we want to be known for our music and not our relationships or scandals. But he is amazing,” she said. “I definitely had a very natural friendship and connection with him. We’ve been together for a very long time and I’m very happy. Love is the foundation of everything, everything I do. My music is inspired by love — from my family, my husband, my sister.”

The night ended with a fabulous closure with many awards. Lady Gaga provided one of the biggest talking points of the evening, with her performance ‘You And I’. On the other hand, Adele and Katy Perry won four and three Moonmen gongs correspondingly.

Watch Beyonce’s performance and pregnancy revelation!

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U.S. students don’t know their own country’s history.

Based on recent national test scores, results show less than one-fourth of students are “proficient” in American history, CNN reports.

The Nation’s Report Card: U.S. History 2010, test results report by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education showed 20 percent of fourth graders, 17 percent of eighth graders and 12 percent of 12th graders showed “solid academic performance” on the tests.

Exam statics are based on 7,000 fourth graders, 11,000 eighth graders and 12,000 12th graders.
When it comes to testing, it doesn’t seem as though history is the most important subject for students to know anyways. U.S. history is not even tested in the No Child left Behind policy.

Knowing history also can’t help students pass the SAT, because there’s no history section on that test. Most jobs don’t even focus on employees’ abilities to remember what year the civil war started or who the president was during that time period.

Teachers tend to focus on subjects such as English and math, which have more practical and vocational applications for students, beyond standardized testing.

There could be many factors and reasons why students are doing so poorly in U.S. history. Teachers may need to venture into new methods of teaching history to the country’s children.

“All of these students will be voters… and almost 40 percent were already eligible to vote when they took the assessment,” said Diane Ravitch, a New York University research professor of education in a statement released after the results of the study were published. “They will be making decisions in the voting booth that influence our lives.

They should be well informed and capable of weighing the contending claims of candidates, especially when the candidates rest their arguments on historical precedent.”

Knowing history may not help to perform well on the job at McDonalds or Starbucks. But, knowing history helps those who are informed make better decisions in life.

“If you don’t know history, then you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree,” the words of Michael Crichton an American writer.

Jorg Hackemann / Shutterstock.com

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The US government decided that the problem of obesity amongst children in America has gone far enough and will be stepping in to regulate. The government will be limiting what foods can be advertised to children.

Data from the National Health and Examination Survey shows that about one-third of U.S. adults (33.8%) are obese. Approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2—19 years are obese.

According to the New York Times 11 food giants, including McDonald’s, Campbell Soup and PepsiCo, have already agreed to stop advertising products that do not meet nutritional standards to children 12 years old and younger.

“We are hopeful that people will look at this and say that the community has done a substantial, enormous amount of work,” Dan Jaffe, executive vice president of the Association of National Advertisers told the New York Times.

The Council of Better Business Bureaus and its Children’s Advertising Review Unit will be reviewing these companies marketing plans and will report to the public on their findings.

The Times reports, according to industry estimates, advertisers spend almost $900 million annually on television made for children younger than 12.

“This is great public relations for the companies, but it doesn’t go nearly far enough,” said Susan Linn, co-founder of the Boston-based group Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. “It is going to be impossible to monitor if the companies are actually doing what they say.”

Obesity currently results in an estimated 400,000 deaths a year in the United States and costs the national economy almost $122.9 billion yearly.

Obesity and weight gain are caused by consuming more calories than the body needs. It is most commonly cause by having a poor diet, consuming high calories, fatty foods, and living an inactive lifestyle.
Obesity impacts more than people’s lifestyles, it can also lead to lower self-esteem, cause depression and can cause people to be uncomfortable in social situations; Obesity can considerably weaken someone’s quality of life.

The government stepping in plays a role in the fight against childhood obesity. But parents need to do their part as well. To avoid childhood obesity, parents should incorporate healthy diets and exercise into their children’s daily lives.

Both children and parents should participant in activities that involve physical exercise and limit the time watching TV, playing video games or on the computer.

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There are songs that mark our childhood and stick with us in our memories forever. Don’t you think so? Well the Underage Festival is exactly the place to achieve those memories when one is young, a teenager.

The Festival will take place this upcoming Friday, August 5th in Victoria Park, London. It will begin at 11am until 8 pm.
Something really interesting about this festival is that it is exclusive for teenagers. No one without fitting in the range of age from 13 to under 17’s can attend it.

The Underage Festival brings up a great atmosphere hosting 10,000 teenagers all around Victoria Park. A great repertoire of artists, friendly atmosphere and no parents or guardians allowed, makes this a special event.

The main purpose of this festival is to have a great and safe time. Therefore to be able to reach this kind of safeness; the festival works directly with the local Police, and Tower Hamlets. Several departments are involved as well such as the Health & Safety, Child Protection, Environmental Health, Events and Licensing.

There are few days left for the festival to begin, so don’t hesitate and buy your ticket by just £31.50.
There will be seven stages featuring diverse artists.  Below you can grasp a look to some of the bands that will be performing in the corresponding stages:

Underage Festival Stage
•Baio DJ Set (Vampire Weekend), Bombay Bicycle Club, CocknBullKid, Crystal Fighters, Devlin, Fugative, Janelle Monae, Pulled Apart By Horses, Miles Kane

Last.FM Stage
•Ghost Eyes, Labrinth, Loick Essien, Roll Deep, Spark, The Chapman Family, The Midnight Beast, Yasmin

Artrocker & Youth Music Stage
•Dutch Uncles, Encore, Frankie & the Heartstrings, Is Tropical, Rizzle Kicks, Romance, RD, The Knocks, Tribes, Violet

Topman CTLR Stage
•Alex Winston, Viva Brother, Dog Is Dead, Florrie, Giggs, Johnny Flynn, Spring Offensive, Wolf Gang, Yaaks

Roundhouse Rising Stage
•Cynikal, Dave Gamble, DJ Edge, Ghosts You Echo, Hella Better Dancer, Lovelle ,Maverick Sabre, Mz Bratt, O.Children, Out Like a Lion, The Voyeurist, Your Girl Likes Us, Younghearts, Zaidi

Red Bull Bedroom Jam Stage
•Acoda, Autumn In Disguise, Blitz Kids, Floods, Hill Valley High, Make The Relate, My Passion, Page 44, The Hype Theory, The Ocean Between Us

The Music Space Stage
•Andre Spence & Intesi-T, Ben Bezinna, Capitals, Ellie Dibben, Foxx on Fire, Mammoth Sound, Mixed Opinions, Ms Dynamite, The Skellies

Image Courtesy of http://www.underagefestivals.com

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For all the naysayers out there, Derek Jeter still’s got an edge. He’s soooo got an edge. On Saturday (July 9th), Jeter became the first Yankee ever to reach one of baseball’s most extraordinary milestones, surpassing 3,000 hits for his career.  With his 3,003 hits, Jeter joins a remarkably small list of players to accomplish the feat of recording 3,000 hits or more. Only 27 players in baseball’s over one hundred-year existence have ever reached this plateau.

The milestone ranks as Jeter’s greatest personal accomplishment throughout his 15 year playing career.  More importantly, Jeter accomplished the milestone in spectacular fashion as he always does in big moments. Jeter hit a home run for his 3,000th hit that sent Yankees stadium into pandemonium.  This day will surely be remembered as one of the most magnificent days in the allure of Yankees history.

Recently, Jeter has undeservingly been a punching bag for criticism by many people in the media. There is no doubt that Jeter is getting older. However, there should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that the captain will continue producing in big situations like he has been known to due time and time again.

Following his historic performance in which he got 3,000 hits and went a perfect 5-for-5, Jeter said at a press conference, “You’re gonna have good years, you’re gonna have bad years. You’re gonna have good weeks, good games, good months. You’re gonna have bad weeks, bad games, and bad months, but, the approach never changes.”  These words by Jeter are an accurate reflection on game of baseball and should be a telling reason why Jeter might not be as washed up as people seem to believe.

The game of baseball is such a long season. Jeter’s words emphasize the fact that as player you’re going to struggle at times. Jeter’s words also emphasize that these struggles might come in prolonged droughts but it is always possible to bounce back. Jeter’s approach certainly will not falter or change drastically, even when he is criticized for not always performing at a high level.

Jeter’s aura has always been built on his ability to make big play in the most critical and direst situations.  Plays that standout include, the flip (versus the Oakland Athletics during 2001 ALDS), the dive (versus the Red Sox, on July 1, 2004), and a home run off Byung-Hyun Kim (of the Arizona Diamondbacks during the 2001 World Series). The home run off Hyun Kim was a 10th inning walk-off home run in the bottom of the tenth inning.

Critics have said that Jeter is not worth the contract he signed this past off-season. They have also said that Jeter’s skills are pointedly diminishing because of his age, but, if there is any sign that he is still capable of playing at a high level, especially in important situations, Saturday was that sign.

Not only did Jeter record his 3,000th hit, but he also finished the day at a perfect 5-for-5 mark at the plate.  Jeter’s fifth and final hit, which came in the eighth inning, would be the decisive winning hit for a Yankees team that was reeling coming off of four losses in their five previous games.

Jeter admitted after the game, that his first two at bats (in which he reached the 3,000 hit mark) were more stressful than the situation in the eighth inning, when he drove in the winning run. Jeter said that the eighth inning hit was less stressful because he had been in similar situations before. For someone who prides himself on winning, it is consoling to here that Jeter was cool as a cucumber in the eighth inning, when the game mattered the most.

This was Jeter’s day. The Yankees rode Jeter’s back on a day when many other players were not producing. Jeter stepped up to the plate and delivered a Jeter-esque performance, as he usually does in big moments on the Broadway stage that is New York.  He reached the milestone, kept his cool, and produced when it mattered most, during the eighth inning. If there is anyone I want up at the plate in an important situation, its not the Barry Bonds and A-Rods of world, its Derek Jeter.

Mary A Lupo / Shutterstock.com

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The United States Women’s Soccer team defeated France by a score of 3-1 in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup to move on to their first final’s appearance since their dominant 1999 victory.

In incredible fashion, which seems to be the way they like to do it, the Americans snatched the game away from France in the last minutes despite being dominated for much of the match.

The U.S. Had previously lost two consecutive semi-final matches in the World Cup, and weren’t going to go down this time without a serious fight.

On the heels of one of the best matches in World Cup history, the United States was forced to put their celebrations aside and prepare for a tough French team that had been playing well to this point in the tournament.

Though they have usually been a second-half team, the U.S.A. struck early in this one, taking a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute. Heather O’Reilly made a quick move down the sideline past the French defense and launched a low cross to the feet of Lauren Cheyney who was able to make a beautiful touch, redirecting the ball to the far side of the net, just past the French goalkeeper.

Pia Sundhage seemed to have her team much more focused at the start of this match, playing with the same intensity that fans saw in the second half and overtime of the incredible quarter-final game against Brazil. Sometimes teams have a bit of a hangover after a match such as that, especially one which lasts a whopping 123 minutes plus penalty kicks. The U.S. looked like they were as fresh as ever, but the tides would soon turn.

The French saw their first realistic opportunity pass byjust after in the 29^th minute when Louisa Necib, the talented French midfielder, saw Hope Solo charge at her inside the box and deflect the shot out of play.

France was knocking on the door with serious momentum in the 32^nd minute when a short free kick ended up hitting the crossbar behind the American goalie. It seemed as though one goal would not be enough to hold down this inspired French team.

Finally in the 37^th minute the U.S. snatched back some momentum when Christie Rampone made a rare long run down the sideline, crossing a high ball toward Wambach on the far post who just missed, heading her own ball off the crossbar. It was only a matter of time til Wambach would get one on target.

All throughout the first half the French squad dictated the style of play and were able to fire countless shots from range against the United States defense, but the shots would need to come from much closer to get past the remarkable Solo.

It was an incredible half to watch from a fan’s standpoint with tons of shots and offensive opportunities. Though France surely outplayed the United States with regards to time of possession and shots on goal, the U.S. came away with the one goal advantage on the scoreboard, and had many scoring threats of their own in his back-and-forth match. This game was far from over.

The second half began with no immediate substitutions from either side and the incredibly play continued right from the whistle.

France immediately came out firing again, sending numbers at the Americans just about every time they touched the ball, but the American back line continued to be strong in front of their star goalie and seemed to sense that it would be on their shoulders to win this game for the United States.

After all of the legitimate chances France had, the 54^th minute brought about a broken play to finally breach the U.S. defense. France’s star left back Sonia Bompastor attempted to cross a curling ball in front of goal causing Hope Solo to pick up the forward trying to get on the end of the cross. Unfortunately for the Americans, the ball sailed over the hopeful forward and trickled into the net for an equalizing goal. No matter how, the score was now level.

Carli Lloyd was subbed out for the first time in this World Cup in the 64^th minute in favor of Megan Rapinoe with hopes of creating a spark for the U.S. attack in addition to getting some fresh legs into the game.

Rapinoe certainly had a positive impact on the squad forcing many balls into the middle and in the 78^th minute earned the U.S a corner with another one of her quick runs.

Abby Wambach came to the rescue once again for the Americans with her incredible strength and leaping ability. On that corner she was able to strike the ball with great pace into the back of the net. 2-1, advantage America.

Wambach had reportedly been bothered by a nagging right achilles injury causing her to miss some practice time throughout this World Cup tournament. Regardless, when she’s on the field, she will always be a key target on the offensive end with her incredible heading abilities. Coming into the game Wambach needed only one goal to tie the United States World Cup record of twelve held by Michelle Akers and with her second incredibly clutch moment of the tournament she had done so.

The French defense was quickly breaking down and speedy forward Alex Morgan was able to take advantage immediately after the Wambach goal. She was able to lift the ball just over the keeper’s fingertips, floating it into the net and putting the game away for the Americans after being dominated for so much of the match. The U.S. Was surely headed to Frankfurt.

As the final whistle blew jubilation came over the players and fans once again as they now knew they would be onto their third World Cup final.

One of the biggest pre-game stories was how U.S. defender Rachel Buehler, was replaced by Becky Sauerbrunn due to Buehler’s suspension thanks to a red card in the second half against Brazil. Buehler had struggled mightily to this point but coach Pia Sundhage was rolling the dice on Sauerbrunn who had been yet to make any touches in this years World Cup.

Sauerbrunn made her coach look so wise with her decision by playing up to her potential and beyond. The young defender showed that she could be the future replacement for captain Christie Rampone when she decides to retire. The question now will be who to start on the back line for the finals match-up.

Speaking of the captain, not nearly enough credit has been given to Christie Rampone throughout these matches. The 36 year old has played multiple spots on the defensive end for the United States and has been a rock along the back line. At her age she is still just as fast as she ever was, and might be playing the best soccer of anybody in the tournament. She will surely be a key component should the team want to come away from the finals victorious.

Hope Solo, who has recently become one of my more popular players in the world shined again in her 100^th international appearance. Remarkably in those 100 games she has had 55 shutouts with only 6 defeats to her name, proving why she is constantly referred to as the best goalkeeper in the world. This performance surely backed up her reputation, keeping countless French chances out of the net en route to another clutch U.S. Victory.

Fight, heart, determination and character. Not enough adjectives can be given to describe this United States team. It has been a fairy tale run to this point, qualifying last even as number one in the world. Notching incredible late victories in the knockout stages, and moving on to yet another World Cup final.

When you think you have the U.S.A. Down and out, they shine the brightest.

Coach Pia Sundhage was asked what made the difference in the match she replied simply with “a big heart.” They will surely come out with that same heart in the finals looking to win their first World Cup in 12 years.

The final battle for the cup will be played in the beautiful Frankfurt stadium on Sunday, July 17^th.

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What if all the pressure was on? What if everything rested on your shoulders? Would you falter?  What if you were in an epic battle for World supremacy? If your country, your home was counting on you to succeed; could you handle that? All by yourself…or should I say; SOLO?

Sorry to disappoint Star Wars fans, but this isn’t the Solo you were expecting. We’re talking about Hope Solo; the starting goal keeper for the women’s US National team.  In USA’s match against Brazil, Solo made a spectacular penalty kick save to give the United States the edge in their comeback thriller making her an instant American hero. As great as that save was, it was merely an exclamation point on the play Solo has displayed through this World Cup. Her leadership skills and spectacular skill set has made her the undisputed top women’s goalie in the world today; so where has she been our whole lives?

Hope Amelia Solo grew up in Richland, Washington.  She grew up in a rough child hood setting where the game of soccer was her only constant. When she was six years old, her parents divorced and she lived solely with her mother. Her father was a Vietnam veteran who was homeless for most of his life but stayed a major influence in Hopes life until his sudden death in 2007. Hope became a soccer star while she was in high school but oddly enough not as a goalie. Solo was a forward for Richland High School scoring 109 career goals and becoming a two time All-American.  Solo received a full scholarship to University of Washington where they decided her athletic, and quick reaction abilities would make her a stand out keeper. They were right.

Solo became the Huskies all time leader in saves and shutouts and was a four-time All Pac-10 selection and a three-time All American. While in her sophomore year of college, Solo became a full time member of the USA national team. After her college career, and being an alternate for the 2004 Olympic team, Solo was drafted to the former WUSA team, the Philadelphia Charge. Following the Charges fallout from the league, Solo went and played with a few clubs overseas in Germany and Sweden while working her way up the American depth chart.

In 2007, Solo’s career looked to take off as she was named to the women’s World Cup squad. She was named the starter over veteran Brianna Scurry and gave up only two goals in four games while posting two consecutive shut outs leading up to a semi final match against Brazil.  Then US coach, Greg Ryan, made a shocking move and benched Solo for Brianna Scurry. Scurry went on to have a dismal performance and the US lost 4-0 to Brazil.

Solo, clearly outraged, publicly criticized Ryan’s coaching move saying “It was the wrong decision, and I think anybody that knows anything about the game knows that. There’s no doubt in my mind I would have made those saves.” Solo was then dismissed from the team before the third place World Cup game and did not participate in the post World Cup tour.

Hope Solo did not let the 2007 World Cup affect her play and kept training harder than ever. In 2009 Solo joined the Women’s Professional soccer league with St. Louis Athletica and became the WPS goalie of the year. She then went on to play for the Atlanta Beat and currently starts for the Orlando MagicJack and is easily the best keeper in the league. The WPS is where Solo competes and improves her skills, but Solo shines when she steps on the field for the red, white, and blue.

Watching Solo on Sunday vs. Brazil was inspiring to say the least. She is not simply a goalie but she is a leader. She steps out onto the field and commands the respect from the other team, while also imposing fear in their eyes. Solo’s outspoken attitude was seen as arrogance in 2007 and is now seen as, for lack of better terms, “swag” in 2011. Solo has became an American hero, sex symbol, and inspiration after one game and one save vs. Brazil, however Solo has been someone to look up to her whole life.

What if you were in a battle for world supremacy? What if you had your countries fate on your shoulders? Would you falter? Well, we know Solo wouldn’t, and now she looks to continue her fight for World supremacy as she takes on France in the semi final match on Wednesday. I wouldn’t expect her to be benched this time. Good luck Hope; America is behind you.

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It’s a boy for actress Kate Hudson and fiancé Matthew Bellamy! The couple welcomed a healthy baby Saturday night. Although this is Kate’s second son, this is the couple’s first child together. Her son Ryder, 7, was from her previous marriage with ex-husband Chris Robinson.

Kate checked in at Cedars-Sinai hospital Saturday afternoon, where Victoria and David Beckham welcomed a baby girl that same very day. Despite having a cesarean section when giving birth to her first child, Kate gave birth naturally this time around with the baby weighing 7 lbs., 12oz.

The birth was a joyous surprise to friends and family who were unaware of the baby’s sex. Hudson recently held a gender-neutral baby shower last week, welcoming all gifts as well as name suggestions from friends like Nicole Richie, Courtney Cox, and Rachel Zoe.

Kate and Matt are extremely thrilled about this new addition to their family. Sources say both mom and baby are “doing great.” Though the family plans to move and settle in London where Matt will be working on his band’s next album, they will remain in Los Angeles for the time being.

The couple has yet to announce the name of their new baby boy. We can’t help but wonder what the hold up is, but it must be a special and meaningful name that they are deciding on. Congratulations to the happy family!

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Philip Lange / Shutterstock.com

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The Philadelphia Phillies hold the best record in the major leagues, have the best pitching staff in the league, and have a lineup that takes complete advantage of the small walls in Citizens Bank Park. They have proved throughout the last few years that they are the favorites in the National League, and have improved significantly in 2011. The question is, can any other team do anything to stop them from reaching the World Series?

Let’s put this into perspective. Sure, they only have a small lead over the Atlanta Braves, who as of now are looking like a solid choice for the wild-card spot. That being said, the Mets are over ten games back of the Phillies for first, a number that looks too big to catch up from even after only half of the season. That being said, put the Mets in the NL West and they’re in a full-blown pennant race sitting only three games back.

The Phillies are dominating, and leaving everyone else in the dust.

Their starting rotation is clearly the cornerstone of the team. As of now they hold three aces in Halladay, Lee, and Hamels, all of which will be representing Philadelphia in the All-Star game in Arizona. Every one of these guys could challenge the prestigious 20 win mark not only this year, but for many years to come. Throw in a healthy Roy Oswalt and opposing teams in a seven game series might as well just give up now.

That brings us to their injuries. The Phillies have seen Oswalt, Chase Utley and Shane Victorino miss significant time already, and still have dominated. Their entire bullpen has been decimated. Brad Lidge, the assumed closer going into the year, hasn’t even sniffed the field. The next in line, Jose Contreras, has seen two long DL stints in 2011. Let’s try Ryan Madson? Same result.

They’re getting by with Antonio Bastardo closing games. That should say it all.

Oh right, we haven’t even discussed their lineup yet…

With Jimmy Rollins, Placido Polanco and Shane Victorino setting the table, any real combination will work out. No complaints there.

Chase Utley and Ryan Howard have proved year in and year out that they are the bread and butter of this Philadelphia lineup, and refuse to disappoint. Expect monstrous home runs from Howard, and some of the most solid consistent hitting in the game from the veteran second baseman. But it doesn’t end there.

Towards the bottom of the lineup we still see Raul Ibanez, who although is not the slugger he once was, isn’t exactly a number seven hitter than opposing pitchers are delighted to see. Domonic Brown, one of their biggest prospects is finally up and playing full-time. He’s not quite where they want him to be just yet, but the flashes of brilliance have come through and proved that the Phillies are okay in the long-term too.

Even Carlos Ruins and Wilson Valdez are decent at handling at bat in the eight hole.

Philly is incredibly balanced. There really aren’t many holes across their roster. If I had to be picky, and I will, their bullpen is shaky at best. Although for the most part they don’t need it to do much now, the playoffs are a different story. Again, it must be noted that all of their starters routinely throw eight innings a game without breaking a sweat, don’t be surprised if they try to make a move before the deadline to pick up another late-inning arm.

Who can stop them? Atlanta? St. Louis? San Francisco? I’ll save some words and just give an overall no.

Book your October tickets now Philly fans, you’re going back to the big game.

Jerry Zitterman / Shutterstock.com

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The San Fermin Festival is kicking into gear these days in Pamplona, Spain. The running of the bulls began this morning July 7 at precisely 8AM in and the run had duration of exactly 2:37 minutes, where the bulls maintained a stable rhythm and stuck together the majority of the time, leaving no incidents behind.

People dressed in white and red covered the streets of the old town. Some had waken up early to watch the Encierro, but others arrived straight from the night-long party to the streets without a since hour of sleep. Many people where waiting impatiently behind the wooden barriers that are put in place every year by the city council in order to create a path for the bulls to run while keeping the spectators who will be watching protected.

In the meantime, the runners were waiting with anticipation for the gates to open and the race to begin.

The encierro began when a second firework rocket was released into the sky, its explosion notifying the runners that the gate to the bulls had been opened.

The run path has a length of 848,6 meters. Starting from the Santo Domingo Street, following the City Hall Plaza, the Mercaderes Street, then passing the known and dangerous curve of the Estafeta Street, and finally the Plaza.

The firework rockets are the official signaling that announces the location of the bulls. The first one is fired when the clock hits 8AM precisely – the second one when the bulls gate is opened and the third indicates that all the bulls have entered the Plaza. The fourth and last rocket notifies that all of the bulls are inside the corrals of the Plaza.

The first running of the bulls was pretty calm. There were the usual people that slipped and where pushed but there were no major incidents. The six bulls stayed together throughout the path and in the famous curve of the Estafeta Street, where the bulls always crush to the walls because they are not able to turn that quickly – this year, they had no problem thanks to the application of anti-sliding material on the street floor.

Video: San Fermin 2011 First Running of the Bulls

Tomorrow, the second encierro starts at its usual time 8am. I will recommend you to watch it live, and experience all the adrenaline that the encierros always provide.

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Who can forget the goal heard around the world that introduced us to the most famous sports bra ever? Brandi Chastain became an instant celebrity and so did her bra when she ripped off her jersey in dramatic fashion after clinching the World cup title in 1999. Chastain’s stripping goal act did not only win the United States the World Cup, but she brought attention to Women’s sports; an improbable task. 40 million Americans tuned in to watch Chastain and the US girls step into world soccer immortality that day; more viewers than the NBA finals. That was twelve years and three world cups ago. Today, the United States is the world’s number one team and has a good shot at winning this year’s World Cup; who knew?

The sixth ever, Women’s World Cup kicked off last week in Germany on June 26^th. An astronomical 18 million viewers in Germany tuned in to watch their beloved German women take on Canada in the Cups opening game. With all the success in host country Germany; maybe there would be improved interest in the United States right? Wrong. The US viewership of the opening game came in at just under one million viewers; pathetic. Women’s soccer has been unable to catch the eyes of American viewers since 1999. Clearly, we need more sports bra cameos.

Where is the allure of the Women’s World Cup? Where’s the American pride? It doesn’t make sense that that 15^th and average at best, men’s squad receives nationwide support. Yet, the US women, the world’s number one team, are treated as if they’re irrelevant. Something’s not right here.

Maybe it’s the slower speed of play from the Men’s game. Or maybe it’s the myth that women soccer players are less aggressive and intense. Either way, the last two World Cups (2003 and 2007) have been rating nightmares causing ESPN to swallow some pride. In search of a change (miracle), ESPN hired popular former US stars, Brandi Chastain, Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy and Brianna Scurry to commentate the cup. Every cup game will be aired on ESPN and broadcasted live on ESPN3.com. 2011 is supposed to be the year US women’s soccer relives its glory days of 1999; we’ll see about that.

Why you should watch:

• America.
  • It’s a world-wide phenomenon displaying if our country is better than theirs. If you’re a true American you’ll throw on the red, white and blue, eat some wings, and watch some soccer babes win one for the US of A. Go America

• The United States is the world’s number one team.
  • Listen, we actually have a shot at winning this thing. We’re number one because we’re really good and we have come in at least third the last three world cups. We can do this.

• The girls
  • Guys, in what men’s sport can you commentate on who has the nicer butt? Well in the World Cup you can do that in every single game. Did I mention US goalie, Hope Solo, is single?

• Women’s soccer is on the rise
  • This world cup is going to be extremely competitive. Hosting the tournament is reining back to back World Cup champions, Germany. The US is looking promising to win it all, while England has its deepest squad ever. Don’t look past Brazil, who has the world’s best player in Marta.

• What else is on TV?
  • Nothing interest is going on in sports right now besides the World Cup. The NFL and NBA are in a lockout, baseball is in its boring mid-season stage, and tennis, well who really watches tennis?

Cyril Hou / Shutterstock.com

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Summertime is a perfect moment to enjoy the whether and with it, music.

Music festivals are trendy, cool and are an inducement for people to visit a new city and listen to their favorite artists.
So, why don’t we take our baggage and go out this summer to a mediterranean city?

‘From Madrid, to heaven”. That’s a typical spanish saying, And it is quite true, specially for artists and culture.
The spanish capital is know as a hotspot to those who looks forward all kind of arts.

A few days ago, in this beautiful city I live in, we had the pleasure of visiting the “Music Day” (Día de la música), and assist to live show in several stages around the city. It was a thriller experience!

We also had the chance to listen to new artists and see how everybody danced, jumped and enjoyed their music.

The ‘Madrid’s Music day” is a huge music festival organized by Heineken, divided in 3 different days and stages in the city. It took place on June 18th and June 19th in the “Matadero de Madrid” getting several artists together in order to perform to a massive audience.

Vetusta Morla, Lykke Li, The Pains of being, Pure at heart, Glasvefas, Janelle Monaé, Russian Red… this are a little example of some guest of this music festival. It also includes workshops and a film premiere named “Heineken’s music day film”.

Vetusta Morla – Pucho (Singer)

Russian Red – Lourdes Hernández (Singer)

Do you want to hear a pice of it? Join Heneken’s Club at heineken.es/ and download, free of charge, the ‘Heineken’s Music Day disc’.

VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PQJBB1idAg

Image Courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/feiticeira_org/

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The NFL is presently facing one of its worst labor disputes in league history. Countless meetings have been had between the Players Association and the owners in attempts to negotiate the terms of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The new agreement would in effect end the current lockout of the leagues players, a time fans have been dreaming about for over three months now. Though rumor has it that talks are “heating up,” as of late, a term the media has used all too often to describe the tiniest bit of progress, fans must begin to think about what their lives would be like should the NFL have a shortened season, or worse…no season at all.

Option A: The Shane Falco Effect

For those of you who do not understand the reference, immediately stop reading, google Shane Falco, and watch the corresponding movie. Seriously, stop.

Still here? Great.

Roger Goodell has stated that the league has no plans of using replacement players whatsoever as a bridge between the lockout and the supposed regular season. There really is no reason not to believe him, except for the the fact that he has also stated that he fully expects there to be a full NFL season and seems cool as a cucumber in every one of his interviews. Clearly he is hiding something.

A commissioner, with the media the way it is today, could never realistically reveal to the leagues loyal fans that he is contemplating replacing its all-world athletes with some broken down ex-college players who could never quite make it in the league. Granted, for those guys who just missed getting drafted, or wouldn’t be looked at ever again because of some horrific career ending injury, this could be a second chance and a dream come true.

In fact, in 1987 the league used replacements went the players went on strike early in the year. Sure, most stadiums were empty compared to what they normally had been. Fans didn’t know the names and numbers of every player, stat-lovers (the fantasy players of today) were finding day-jobs, and the players barely knew the routes they were running. The funny thing about all of that was, many fans still tuned in.

Eventually the players crossed and all went back to normal, but it was sure an interesting time that taught us something. Some football on Sundays is better than none, and the fans stayed loyal to their teams. Ratings took a hit, but they were still there, and I would have to assume that it would be the same way today. In fact, I’m sure some of these replacements would become internet celebrities after their time in the sun was over. Maybe some of them would even parlay their time into a real contract. Who knows?

If it came down to replacements, at least there would still be something. Besides all the journalists out there would have a field day.

Option B: The UFL

Okay, so most of you don’t know that Andre Dixon (Connecticut) is a running back for the Hartford Colonials in a professional football league, big deal! As we just said, football is football right?

Well, sort of. Realistically if Goodell keeps to his word that replacement players won’t be used, the UFL might be the next best thing. The newly founded league would finally get the break it has been praying for since the beginning.

There are certainly some big names there. Many former prominent NFL players and coaches that have fell off of NFL teams but still wanted to play competitively are currently filling the UFL’s rosters. Who doesn’t want to watch Daunte Culpepper throw the old pigskin around one more time?

At the very least, there surely would be a lot of “I remember that guy” moments to be had.

It might not be quite the talent level that the NFL has, but what is? It’s the same game, it has big venues, and its professional (nothing against college football, but it should be treated as a completely different entity and left out of this discussion altogether).

Surely a big-time television network would snatch up these rights and pray that fans are more desperate for football than we may have thought. Maybe the UFL really is entertaining if we would just give it a try, maybe.

For now their best bet is to send a spy into these NFL player/owner meetings to try to be an instigator. It’s really the only shot they have.

Option C: Watch old game tapes in your basement and cry because this really could have been your teams year.

Sadly, the most realistic of the options. A year without football is like cookie dough ice cream with no chocolate chips: we don’t exactly know why it has to be there, but life would just be too weird without it.

Traditional Sundays would be destroyed. These new days would be full of productivity and/or bad movies on television that we’ve already seen. That’s just not what Sundays were made for.

The bottom line is. A deal absolutely needs to get done, and a shortened season would be better than no season at all. If there is no NFL in 2011 everyone is in trouble, because I don’t know about everybody else, but I left Daunte Culpepper in 2004, right next to my Linkin Park CDs.

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The AFC North division is one of the most competitive and entertaining in the NFL from top to bottom. Every team has a fierce rivalry with each other. Every game is played with 100% intensity and effort, making watching these games an incredible experience for fans. For a while now Baltimore and Pittsburgh have been the clear frontrunners here. That being said, Cincinnati is perennially a tough team to beat, and usually on the verge of the playoffs come the later weeks in the season. Also Cleveland, who had been at the bottom of the barrel for a while now, has injected some new young talent, and is looking to start their turnaround. The 2011 season could see an even more balanced AFC North than fans have seen in years.

Cleveland Browns: The Browns are at a crossroads. They have a quarterback in Colt McCoy who seems as though he’s ready to lead this team. McCoy has shown both the skill and the intangibles to be a very solid quarterback immediately, and maybe more in the future. I remember watching their game against the Jets last season, seeing Colt drive the ball down field with ease using both his arm and his legs to shred one of the better defenses in the NFL. At that moment I knew that this team was on their way up. McCoy isn’t alone either. He has a stud in the backfield in Peyton Hillis who had an absolute breakout season last year. Hillis racked up 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns, not to mention countless highlights of him leaping over one defender and running over the next. With Rob Ryan running the defense, this team is only a few weapons and some experience away from being a serious contender in this division.

Cincinnati Bengals: Inconsistency is the word. From the playoffs in 2009 to a four win season in 2010, there was a serious drop-off in Cincinnati. The Carson Palmer era seems to be over, and the Andy Dalton years are just beginning. Rumor has it that the starting job is already his. That being said, something about this franchise just screams under-performance. Ochocinco apparently wants out and nobody knows if Terrell Owens will be able to come back from off-season surgery and perform at a high level. If Dalton is relying on Jordan Shipley to be his number one target, there will undoubtedly be another rough season. Even off the field this team can’t win. Every time fans turn around their beloved Bengals are back in the news shining a negative light on the franchise for one thing or another. Maybe new leadership under center will turn things around, but it will take some time. Prepare for some rebuilding years Cinci fans.

Baltimore Ravens: Anquan Boldin came on the scene in 2010 and made a serious impact on this offense. Joe Flacco added a serious weapon to his already bolstering arsenal, and immediately showed good chemistry with Boldin, connecting down-field game after game. I’m shocking myself in writing about a Ravens offense first, but it’s catching up to their powerhouse defense that we have known and loved for years. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed might have some mileage on them, but nobody’s worried, they’re still some of the best in the league at their positions. There really aren’t very many weak links in this Raven’s team, they’re ready now. Year after year Flacco gets better, and fans are just waiting for the year where they can overthrow the Steelers. Could 2011 be the year? I’ll leave it at a maybe, but it’s going to take some big game performances to get the deal done. Their time will come as long as they can get it done before they lose their veteran leaders to retirement. Expect to see them back in the playoffs, and from there you never know.

Pittsburgh Steelers: What’s to say here? Sure, they lost in the Super Bowl, but they were beaten by an excellent team that was on an incredible roll. Mike Tomlin has a resume at 39 that most coaches never will have in their entire career. Big Ben is one of the best clutch quarterbacks in the league no matter how ugly his stats or mechanics may be. The defense is back to the days of the “Steel Curtain.” I could probably go through every single player on the defensive side of the ball and rave about them, but I’ll spare readers the extra words and just tell you they’re all really, really good. They’ve got youth, they’ve got offense, defense, special teams, veterans, coaching, experience, rings…they’ve got it all. I refuse to believe I’ve seen the last of Ben Roethlisberger or Troy Polamalu in the Super Bowl. When it’s all said and done, this team might rival some of the great Pittsburgh teams of the past.

The Steelers are going to be tough to overcome for a long time, but getting out of this division might be their hardest task. Fans better believe that they will be given a run for their money as this division begins to balance out. Hard hits and clutch plays are the name of the game in the AFC North. If you haven’t been watching these divisional games in the past few years, start. Great football, great players, great moments. Whoever is able to come out of this division on top will surely be ready for anyone that gets the tough task of meeting them in the postseason. Be ready for some battles.

Ken Durden / Shutterstock.com

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This years NBA Final is giving fans not only incredibly entertaining play on the court, but countless underlying stories that have kept everyone talking, even on the off days.

Everybody knows that superstars run the NBA, and because of that, commissioner David Stern must have had a grin as wide as the Grand Canyon when the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks reached the finals.

I want to start by saying that Dwyane Wade deserves every bit as much recognition as LeBron James for bringing Miami this far. I most definitely do not wish to ignore his accomplishments because he has a solid argument to be just as talented as any other player in the world. The thing about Wade is that he has already been to the promised land. He has hardware on his side, and that can never be taken away from him no matter how many times he may lose from here on in.

Now that I’ve said that, we can move on to who we all know who the big story really revolves around here.

LeBron James has been criticized more than any other player in the league for not having a championship ring on his finger at this point in his career. He has upped his game to the point where he is unquestionably the best player in the NBA, and probably the world. At this point, the only thing he has to worry about, is his legacy moving forward. If LeBron really wants to go down as one of the absolute best, he’s going to need the hardware.

Dirk Nowitzki is at this moment considered by many to be the greatest international player ever to grace the NBA, not to mention the best shooting big man of all time. He has brought a style of play that nobody has ever seen in the history of this game, and as of late has proved to be impossible to guard at virtually any spot on the court. Unfortunately he, like LeBron, is missing the same thing that they have been chasing their entire careers.

These two probably could not be more different people if they tried, aside from the arc of their careers to this point. Although Dirk has been around the block a few more times than LeBron, they find themselves at a similar point in the eyes of the rest of the world. Both men have been to the finals one time, been unimpressive to say the least, and gone home with disappointment rather than future hall of fame votes. This is their second chance.

The term “on fire” does not even begin to describe the way each of them have been playing to this point in the playoffs, not to mention the impressive performances that have kept fans on the edge of their seats thus far in the finals.

Even their stats are similar. To this point Dirk has 28.1 points per game in the playoffs to LeBron’s 25.5 (but when we factor in how much more help LeBron has on the floor, the numbers seem to even themselves out). Rebounds? Dirk has 7.8 per game to LeBron’s 8.8. Even their shooting has been incredible with both men raining down countless outside shots and going on uncanny made free-throw streaks to lead their teams to victory.

This will surely prove to be a battle between these stars, and nothing should be taken away from either of them no matter the outcome of the series. Unfortunately the key word there is should, and the fans, or the media for that matter, doesn’t exactly abide by the same rules of respect that I do.

Nobody knows what will happen in the remaining games in the finals. In 2006 most everybody believed that Dirk and the Mavericks had the series wrapped up halfway through game 3, but some teams lay eggs and we just can’t see it coming. One thing is for absolute certain, the remaining games in the coming days just may decide a lot about how these two players are remembered.

Should Dallas lose, Dirk’s chance at a ring may be gone for good. He will be remembered as a great scorer and shooter who just could never get over the hump. In the spectrum of all-time players, he will be considered really good, but not great, somewhere many players would appreciate being, but somewhere a true champion never wants to end up.

Should Dallas win, in my opinion, Nowitzki will be knocking on the door of the hall of fame. A complete career, an MVP award, a ring, and the honor of being not only the best player ever from Germany, but probably ever as an international player in the NBA. Not matter what would happen after this year, he would go out the way he wanted to.

On the other hand, if the Heat were to lose, the media would have a field day. Worse than the Brett Favre retirement fiasco, worse than Tiger Woods’ scandal, we would hear about LeBron’s uncanny ability to lose the big game for an entire year before the next season started again.

That would make two times that it seemed “King James” would finally reach the promised land and come up short. His career is already complete aside from the championships, and since everybody knows he wants to the the absolute best, the rings are what he needs.

He is still incredibly young and has plenty more time, but this one would have a real toll on him and maybe the rest of his career. He is focused and ready now, and everyone is sensing that this is the time, no more excuses.

If they win, all the talk goes away. He would have it all. The rings, the MVP’s, the scoring titles, everything. He would already be considered one of the greatest, no matter how hated he may be around the country. The only thing left to do would be to build a trophy room and wait for more championships to roll in after having the confidence of the first. Comparisons to the great one’s would be everywhere. His dream would be achieved.

I for one, can not wait to see what happens. These last few games of the season is going to have an incredibly impact on how people view these two outstanding basketball players. Most people don’t realize it quite yet, but LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki really are playing with their legacies on the line.

Domenic Gareri / Shutterstock.com

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