Bedlam on Baltic Avenue

ISML 2012: More seedings, more seedings, more seedings

2012-02-29T20:00:00.002-08:00

ISML 2012: More seedings, more seedings, more seedings

By JR Salazar (Bongaboi)
February 29, 2012

The Seeding Round for the first phase of the 2012 International Saimoe League has concluded, and the presumptive favorites took the top spots.

In Nova Group 0, where the first 12 qualifiers from the Nova classification were placed, Kanade Tachibana finished first with 2763 votes. Ruri Gokou was second with 1725 votes while Homura Akemi was third with 1561 votes.

Yui Hirasawa is possibly a lock to make it to the regular season via Phase II. She recorded 3286 votes to finish first in Stella 1. Nymph was second with 2516 votes and Konjiki no Yami was third with 2324 votes.

The face of Guilty Crown, Inori Yuzuriha, won 3028 votes to finish first in Nova Group 2. Meiko Honma was second with 2314 votes and Madoka Kaname was a close third with 2293 votes.

In Stella Group 3, Last ORder was first with 2972 votes. Nagisa Furukawa was second with 2397 votes. Ui Hirasawa was third with 2304 votes. In Nova Group 4, Erio Touwa was first with 3025 votes. Shouko Kirishima was second with 2353 votes and Kanon Nakagawa was third with 2052 votes.

Illyasviel von Einzbern came out on top in Stella Group 5, recording 3143 votes. Nagi Sanzen'in was second with 2556 votes and Kotomi Ichinose was third with 2166 votes.

Illya's mother, Irisviel von Einzbern, made a family sweep, winning 2589 votes to finish first in Nova Group 6. Mizuki Himeji was second with 2249 votes and Shiori Shiomiya was third with 2184 votes.

Holo was first in Stella Group 7 with 2716 votes. Konata Izumi was second with 2526 votes and Tsumugi Kotobuki was third with 2201 votes. And in Nova Group 8, Subaru Konoe ws on top with 2446 votes. Elucia de Lute IRma was second with 2398 votes and Yuno Gasai was third with 2315 votes.

Phase II of the 2012 International Saimoe League preliminaries is scheduled for Sunday, March 11. Vote for your favorite candidates at InternationalSaimoe.com and join the ongoing debate.

USA 1, Italy 0

2012-02-29T15:48:00.005-08:00

ESPN.com: US Soccer

Wednesday, February 29, 2012U.S. beats Italy for first time

Associated Press
GENOA, Italy -- The United States beat Italy for the first time in 11 games over 78 years, a 1-0 victory in an exhibition Wednesday night on Clint Dempsey's goal in the 55th minute.

Dempsey took a short pass from Jozy Altidore following Michael Bradley's cross and put a right-footed shot from just inside the penalty area just past an outstretched hand of goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. It was his 25th goal in 83 international appearances.

A native of Nacogdoches, Texas, who turns 29 on March 9, Dempsey has had the most accomplished season by a U.S. attacking player in European soccer. He's scored 16 goals this season for Fulham, becoming the American career scoring leader in England's Premier League with 43 goals.

The loss was particularly deflating for Italy, a four-time World Cup champion preparing for the start of the European Championship in June. The Americans, who are getting ready for their opening qualifier for the 2014 World Cup in June, had been 0-7-3 against Italy and had been outscored 32-4.

Italy dominated for stretches but the American defense held and the Azzurri were called for offsides nine times.

With retired baseball star Mike Piazza watching from the stands alongside former U.S. forward Brian McBride, the Americans won their fourth straight match to improve to 5-4-1 under Jurgen Klinsmann, who took over as U.S. coach from Bob Bradley last summer.

It was a measure of personal revenge for Klinsmann, the former German World Cup great. Germany, then coached by Klinsmann, lost to Italy in the 2006 World Cup semifinals and the Azzurri went on to win the title.

U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard had a big kick save in the fifth minute. Italy nearly tied the score in injury time when Riccardo Montolivo's shot went past a post.

Italy lost in Genoa for the first time since 1924. The previous time the Azzurri played at Stadio Luigi Ferraris was a match stopped in the seventh minute by crowd trouble. Italy was awarded a 3-0 win over Serbia in a Euro qualifier.

Klinsmann had most of his regulars back following victories over Venezuela and Panama while playing with a backup squad. He had hoped to be able to pair Dempsey with Landon Donovan for the first time since taking over as coach, but Donovan missed the match because of bronchitis.

Italy had its own personnel problem, especially up front where it was missing injured forwards Giuseppe Rossi and Antonio Cassano. Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli was left off the squad because of his temper and unpredictability.

Notes

Dempsey became just the fourth American to score against Italy, joining Buff Donelli (1934), John Harkes (1992) and Donovan (2009). There was also one own goal in 2006.

Davy Jones meets his locker.

2012-02-29T15:25:00.001-08:00

Davy Jones of Monkees fame dead of heart attack at 66

By MATT SEDENSKY

Last Modified: Feb 29, 2012 04:58PM

Davy Jones, an actor-turned-singer who helped propel the made-for-TV band The Monkees to the top of the ratings and the pop charts and into rock ‘n’ roll history, died Wednesday in Florida.

Jones, lead singer of the 1960s group that was assembled as an American version of The Beatles, died of a massive heart attack in Indiantown, where he lived, his publicist Helen Kensick said.

Jones, 66, had complained he wasn’t feeling well earlier in the morning. Fire-rescue personnel responded, taking him to Martin Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Jones had attended a performance of his wife Jessica Pacheco’s flamenco dance group last week at which he seemed well, according to a friend who said the former pop star was working on a new musical.

Jones was a former jockey and child actor in his native England. He rose to fame in 1965 when he was picked for the rock band The Monkees, which was formed by Hollywood producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider to star in a comedy TV show called “The Monkees” about a band called, naturally, The Monkees. The show would include the band performing a song.

The Monkees quickly stormed radio and TV airwaves with a string of chart-topping songs that went on to sell an estimated 65 million copies worldwide.

Musical ability wasn’t paramount in casting the band and show. While Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork had some musical experience, Micky Dolenz, like Jones, had been a child actor.

The band was meant to evoke The Beatles, already famous for their music and the movies “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Help!” Each role was loosely patterned after one of The Beatles, with Jones as The Monkees’ version of Paul McCartney.

In August 1966, The Beatles, performing in San Francisco, played their last live set for a paying audience. The same month, The Monkees released their first album, introducing the world to the group that would star in the NBC series when it premiered in September 1966.

The show caught on thanks not only to the music but also its fast-paced comedy, inspired as much by the Marx Brothers as The Beatles. As David Bianculli noted in his

Dictionary of Teleliteracy, “The show’s self-contained music videos, clear forerunners of MTV, propelled the group’s first seven singles to enviable positions of the pop charts: three number ones, two number twos, two number threes.”

At 5-feet-3, Jones was, by far, the shortest member of the group — a fact often made light of on the show. But with his youthful good looks and lead vocals on songs including “Daydream Believer,” he was also the group’s heartthrob. And with the pronounced accent that he never lost, Jones was, in some ways, The Monkees’ direct connection to Beatlemania.

But The Monkees came under fire from music critics when it was learned that session musicians — and not the group’s members — played the musical instruments on their early recordings. They were derided as the “Prefab Four,” an insulting comparison to The Beatles’ nickname, the “Fab Four.”

In reality, Jones could play the drums and guitar, and although Dolenz learned to play the drums only after he joined the group, he could also play guitar, as could Nesmith.

Nesmith also wrote several of The Monkees’ songs, as well as songs for others. Tork, who played bass and keyboards on the TV show, developed into a multi-instrumentalist.

The group eventually prevailed over the show’s producers, including music director Don Kirchner, and began to play their own instrumentals.

And they had enviable behind-the-scenes talent to support them, including Carole King and Gerry Goffin, who wrote “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” and Neil Diamond, wo wrote “I’m a Believer.” Musicians who played on their records included Billy Preston, Glen Campbell, Leon Russell, Ry Cooder and Neil Young. Jimi Hendrix famously played with the band on tour.

The group also released the 1968 film “Head,” derided at the time as a psychedelic mishmash notable only for an appearance by Jack Nicholson. It has since come to be considered a cult classic by Monkees fans.

Still, after just two seasons and 58 episodes, the series flared out. It was cancelled in the summer of 1968.

Jones left the band in late 1970, and the band broke up over creative differences in 1971.

That same year, he recorded the solo hit “Rainy Jane” and made a series of appearances on TV shows including “Love, American Style” and “The Brady Bunch.” He played himself in a wildly popular episode of “The Brady Bunch” that aired in late 1971 in which he makes an appearance at Marcia Brady’s school dance after Marcia, as president of her school’s Davy Jones Fan Club, promised her classmates she could get him to show up.

The band reunited from time to time for brief tours, usually without Nesmith, the latest one in 2009.

All four band members came together for a 1996 album, “Justus,” and a subsequent TV movie “Hey, Hey, It’s The Monkees!” that saw them still living in the same house and still traveling in the Monkeemobile — just like old times.

Jones, who is also survived by four daughters from previous marriages, continued to make appearances on TV and stage. But it was the fame of The Monkees that pulled him back to that era time and time again. On his website, he recalled during auditions for the show when all four men finally were put together in a scene.

“That’s it,” he recalled everyone around him saying: “Magic.”

...are?

2012-02-29T15:24:00.003-08:00

Facebook faces nationwide class action tracking cookie lawsuit

By Emil Protalinski | February 29, 2012, 9:40am PST

Summary: Facebook is once again being sued for tracking its users even after they logged out of the service. This new nationwide class action lawsuit alleges the company violated federal wiretap laws.

Facebook users are suing the social networking giant over allegations that itviolates federal wiretap laws. In addition to several lawsuits filed in multiple states, including Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi, the company is now facing a nationwide class action lawsuit. Law firms Murphy PA and Girard Gibbs have made their case in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, accusing Facebook of continuing to ignore concerns over its tracking cookies. They argue the company violates its own privacy policy, which states post-log-out activity is not tracked by the social networking giant.

Facebook has been accused multiple times of using cookies to track users even after they log out of the service. Menlo Park has since twice denied the allegations, and has also twice fixed the issue. Nevertheless, the lawsuits just keep coming.

Like the previous lawsuits, Facebook is once again being accused of violating the Federal Wiretap Act. Additionally, this nationwide class action lawsuit says Facebook violates the California Internet Privacy Requirements Act and the California Unfair Competition Law. It’s worth noting that similar cases against Facebook and others filed under the wiretap law have been thrown out because browser cookies are simply not considered wiretaps and plaintiffs have difficulty proving any harm.

“The days when online service providers can run roughshod over the privacy rights of their customers are over,” William Murphy Jr., founding partner of Murphy PA, said in a statement. “Companies that operate commercial websites, such as Facebook, need to realize the public is increasingly concerned about its privacy rights. Perhaps even more importantly, there is a growing community of security experts and bloggers that is extremely savvy about internet technology and committed to ensuring that people’s privacy rights are respected and protected.”

In September 2011, self-proclaimed hacker Nik Cubrilovic accused Facebook of tracking its users even if they log out of the social network. He explained that even after logging out of the service, whenever he visited a website that had a Facebook plugin, information including his account ID was still being sent to Palo Alto.

The company responded by denying the claims and offering an explanation as to why its cookies behave the way they do. Menlo Park explained that it does not track users across the Web and its cookies are used to personalize content. As for the logged-out cookies, Facebook said they are used for safety and protection.

After a long technical discussion, Cubrilovic confirmed Facebook made changes to the logout process, and that the cookies in question behave as they should. They still exist, but they no longer send back personally-identifiable information after you log out. The company also took the time to explain what each cookie is responsible for.

Later that month, 10 privacy groups and US congressmen sent letters asking the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate Facebook for these and other practices. Note that the FTC settlement from November 2011 was over charges that date back to December 2009, meaning the tracking cookie issue was never discussed.

In October 2011, the issue came back. It was discovered that the datr cookie, which can be used for tracking users, was once again being set on third-party websites with a Facebook social plugin– whether you are logged in or logged out of the service. Facebook confirmed the bug, said only some third-party websites were affected, and fixed it.

Also in September, Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) agreed to conduct a privacy audit of Facebook. Since the social network giant’s international headquarters is in Dublin, the larger majority of the site’s users are affected by any of the DPC’s decisions (see Europe versus Facebook). Thankfully for Facebook, when the DPC completed his three-month privacy audit of Facebook’s activities in December 2011, he said Facebook makes “innovative use of cookies to identify unusual or suspicious activity” on an account.

All that being said, Facebook still needs to worry about this lawsuit and all the previous ones related to cookie tracking. I have contacted Facebook and will update you if I hear back.

Update 10:00 AM PST: “We believe that these cases are without merit and we will fight them vigorously,” a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement.

BoBA 2012 ISML Predictions: Seeding Round, Day 2

2012-02-28T14:34:00.001-08:00

ARENA 01: Akemi Homura Charlotte Dunois Eucliwood Hellscythe Gokō Ruri (Kuroneko) Hasegawa Kobato [Kashiwazaki Sena] Kōsaka Kirino Kuroi Mato Nakamura Yuri [Tachibana Kanade] Victorique de Blois Yui
Over/Under: 17500
Over

ARENA 02: Hanato Kobato [Hirasawa Yui] Kanzaki Kaori Kawashima Ami Kinomoto Sakura [Konjiki no Yami] Kuchiki Rukia Nymph Tsukimiya Ayu
Over/Under: 17500
Over

ARENA 03: Astarotte Ygvar Honma Meiko Horizon Ariadust (P-01s) [Kaname Madoka] Kisaragi Chihaya Minato Tomoka Shinonono Hōki Tsugumi [Yuzuriha Inori]
Over/Under: 17500
Over

ARENA 04: Ayanami Rei Evangeline A.K. McDowell [Furukawa Nagisa] Hirasawa Ui Kuronuma Sawako Last Order Ryūgū Rena [Takamachi Nanoha] Yūki Mikan
Over/Under: 17500
Over

ARENA 05: Ika-Musume [Kirishima Shōko] Morishima Haruka Nakagawa Kanon Nanasaki Ai Oshimizu Nako Reki Shiina Mayuri [Tōwa Erio]
Over/Under: 17500
Over

ARENA 06: Ichinose Kotomi [Illyasviel von Einzbern] Kōzuki Kallen Kushieda Minori Lucy Heartfilia [Sanzen'in Nagi] Shinku Suiseiseki Tainaka Ritsu
Over/Under: 17500
Over

ARENA 07: Amami Haruka Himeji Mizuki [Irisviel von Einzbern] Kasugano Sora Sena Airi Shiomiya Shiori Tsurugi Minko Wendy Marvell [Yamada Aoi]
Over/Under: 17500
Over

ARENA 08: Haibara Ai Hanekawa Tsubasa [Holo] Hyūga Hinata Ibuki Fūko [Izumi Konata] Kotobuki Tsumugi Maria Sōryū Asuka Langley
Over/Under: 17500
Over

ARENA 09: Anjō Naruko Dalian [Elucia de Lute Irma] Gasai Yuno [Konoe Subaru] Shimada Minami Takahara Ayumi Takakura Himari Ueno Kirika

Over/Under: 17500
Over

ISML 2012: Seedings, seedings, seedings

2012-02-28T02:27:00.000-08:00

ISML 2012: Seedings, seedings, seedings

By JR Salazar (Bongaboi)
February 28, 2012

Day 1 of the seeding round in the 2012 International Saimoe League Preliminaries saw the usual facess go out on top, with the lesser-known candidates scraping rhe bottom.

In Stella Group 0, where the Phase I qualifiers were seated, Shana reaffirmed her place as the favorite to win the Tiara by recording 2,019 votes. Defending champion Mikoto Misaka was second with 1,963 votes and Taiga Aisaka was third with 1,810 votes.

In Nova Group 1, Aria Holmes Kanzaki sealed her spot as a favorite to qualify in Phase II with 3,010 votes. Asami Iwasawa was second with 2,434 votes. Kiko Mine was third with 2,024 votes.

In Stella Group 2, Louise Francoise Le Blanc De La Valliere was first with 3,062 votes. Mikuru Asahina was second with 2,532 votes and Kuroko Shirai rounded out the top three with 2,404 votes.

Kurisu Makise was first in Nova Group 3, winning 3,087 votes. Haqua de Lot Herminium was second with 2,494 votes. Ayase Aragaki was third with 2,267 votes. In Stella Group 4, Shinobu Oshino was first with 3,090 votes. Ikaros was second with 2,630 votes and Index L. Prohibotorum was third with 2,244 votes.

Haganai is a series that is all the rage in the ISML circuit, and Yozora Mikazuki is hoping to join in on the party. She won 2,812 votes to take Nova 5. Kanade Suzutsuki was second with 2,178 votes and Haruna was third with 2,099 votes.

Tomoyo Sakagami, as usual, consigned Kyou Fujibayashi to defeat, 2,737-2,557 in Stella Group 6. Mafuyu Shiina was third with 2,129 votes. In Nova Group 7, Kyouko Sakura was first with 2,745 votes. Fear Kubrick was second with 2,600 votes flat and Misaki Ayuzawa was third with 2,275 votes.

And in Stella Group 8, C.C. was on top with 2,675 votes. Kagami Hiiragi was second with 2,555 votes and Hecate was third with 2,040 votes.

Day 2 of the seeding round is on Tuesday, February 28, 2012. Vote for your favorite candidate at InternationalSaimoe.com and join the ongoing debate.

84th Academy Awards Results

2012-02-26T20:48:00.000-08:00

Best Picture	Best Director
The Artist – Thomas Langmann The Descendants – Jim Burke, Jim Taylor, and Alexander Payne Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close – Scott Rudin The Help – Brunson Green, Chris Columbus, and Michael Barnathan Hugo – Graham King and Martin Scorsese Midnight in Paris – Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum Moneyball – Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz, and Brad Pitt The Tree of Life – Dede Gardner, Sarah Green, Grant Hill, andBill Pohlad War Horse – Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy	Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist Woody Allen – Midnight in Paris Terrence Malick – The Tree of Life Alexander Payne – The Descendants Martin Scorsese – Hugo
Best Actor	Best Actress
Jean Dujardin – The Artist as George Valentin Demián Bichir – A Better Life as Carlos Galindo George Clooney – The Descendants as Matt King Gary Oldman – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy as George Smiley Brad Pitt – Moneyball as Billy Beane	*Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady* as Margaret Thatcher** Glenn Close – Albert Nobbs as Albert Nobbs Viola Davis – The Help as Aibileen Clark Rooney Mara – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as Lisbeth Salander Michelle Williams – My Week with Marilyn as Marilyn Monroe
Best Supporting Actor	Best Supporting Actress
Christopher Plummer – Beginners as Hal Fields Kenneth Branagh – My Week with Marilyn as Laurence Olivier Jonah Hill – Moneyball as Peter Brand Nick Nolte – Warrior as Paddy Conlon Max von Sydow – Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close as The Renter	Octavia Spencer – The Help as Minny Jackson Bérénice Bejo – The Artist as Peppy Miller Jessica Chastain – The Help as Celia Foote Melissa McCarthy – Bridesmaids as Megan Price Janet McTeer – Albert Nobbs as Hubert Page
Best Writing – Original Screenplay	Best Writing – Adapted Screenplay
Midnight in Paris – Woody Allen The Artist – Michel Hazanavicius Bridesmaids – Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo Margin Call – J.C. Chandor A Separation – Asghar Farhadi	The Descendants – Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash fromThe Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings Hugo – John Logan from The Invention of Hugo Cabret byBrian Selznick The Ides of March – George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon from Farragut North by Beau Willimon Moneyball – Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin; Story by Stan Chervin from Moneyball by Michael Lewis Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan from Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré
Best Animated Feature	Best Foreign Language Film
Rango – Gore Verbinski A Cat in Paris – Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli Chico and Rita – Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal Kung Fu Panda 2 – Jennifer Yuh Nelson Puss in Boots – Chris Miller	A Separation (Iran) in Persian – Asghar Farhadi Bullhead (Belgium) in Dutch and French – Michaël R. Roskam Footnote (Israel) in Hebrew – Joseph Cedar In Darkness (Poland) in Polish – Agnieszka Holland Monsieur Lazhar (Canada) in French – Philippe Falardeau
Best Documentary – Feature	Best Documentary – Short Subject
Undefeated – TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay, and Richard Middlemas Hell and Back Again – Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front –Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory – Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky Pina – Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel	Saving Face – Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement – Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin God Is the Bigger Elvis – Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson Incident in New Baghdad – James Spione The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom – Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen
Best Live Action Short Film	Best Animated Short Film
The Shore – Terry George and Oorlagh George Pentecost – Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane Raju – Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren Time Freak – Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey Tuba Atlantic – Hallvar Witzø	The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore – William Joyceand Brandon Oldenburg Dimanche – Patrick Doyon La Luna – Enrico Casarosa A Morning Stroll – Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe Wild Life – Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby
Best Original Score	Best Original Song
The Artist – Ludovic Bource The Adventures of Tintin – John Williams Hugo – Howard Shore Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – Alberto Iglesias War Horse – John Williams	"*Man or Muppet" from The Muppets* – Bret McKenzie** "Real in Rio" from Rio – Sérgio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown, andSiedah Garrett
Best Sound Editing	Best Sound Mixing
Hugo – Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty Drive – Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Ren Klyce Transformers: Dark of the Moon – Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl War Horse – Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom	Hugo – Tom Fleischman and John Midgley The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce, and Bo Persson Moneyball – Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, David Giammarco, and Ed Novick Transformers: Dark of the Moon – Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush, and Peter J. Devlin War Horse – Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson, andStuart Wilson
Best Art Direction	Best Cinematography
Hugo – Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo The Artist – Laurence Bennett and Robert Gould Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 – Stuart Craigand Stephanie McMillan Midnight in Paris – Anne Seibel and Hélène Dubreuil War Horse – Rick Carter and Lee Sandales	Hugo – Robert Richardson The Artist – Guillaume Schiffman The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo – Jeff Cronenweth The Tree of Life – Emmanuel Lubezki War Horse – Janusz Kamiński
Best Makeup	Best Costume Design
The Iron Lady – Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland Albert Nobbs – Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnson, and Matthew W. Mungle Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 – Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight, and Lisa Tomblin	The Artist – Mark Bridges Anonymous – Lisy Christl Hugo – Sandy Powell Jane Eyre – Michael O'Connor W.E. – Arianne Phillips
Best Film Editing	Best Visual Effects
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter The Artist – Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius The Descendants – Kevin Tent Hugo – Thelma Schoonmaker Moneyball – Christopher Tellefsen	Hugo – Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossmann, and Alex Henning Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 – Tim Burke,David Vickery, Greg Butler, and John Richardson Real Steel – Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Danny Gordon Taylor, and Swen Gillberg Rise of the Planet of the Apes – Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White, and Daniel Barrett Transformers: Dark of the Moon – Scott Farrar, Scott Benza,Matthew E. Butler, and John Frazier

54th Grammy Awards Winners

2012-02-26T14:30:00.001-08:00

Record of the Year
"Rolling in the Deep" – Adele
Paul Epworth, producer; Tom Elmhirst & Mark Rankin, engineers/mixers

Album of the Year
21 – Adele
Jim Abbiss, Adele Adkins, Paul Epworth, Rick Rubin, Fraser T. Smith, Ryan Tedder & Dan Wilson, producers; Jim Abbiss, Philip Allen, Beatriz Artola, Ian Dowling, Tom Elmhirst, Greg Fidelman, Dan Parry, Steve Price, Mark Rankin, Andrew Scheps, Fraser T. Smith & Ryan Tedder, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne, mastering engineer

Song of the Year
"Rolling in the Deep"
Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth, songwriters (Adele)

Best New Artist
Bon Iver

Best Pop Solo Performance
"Someone Like You" – Adele

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
"Body and Soul" – Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse

Best Pop Instrumental Album
The Road from Memphis – Booker T. Jones

Best Pop Vocal Album
21 – Adele

Best Dance Recording
"Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" – Skrillex
Sonny Moore, producer & mixer

Best Dance/Electronica Album
Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites – Skrillex

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Duets II – Tony Bennett

Best Rock Performance
"Walk" – Foo Fighters

Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance
"White Limo" – Foo Fighters

Best Rock Song
"Walk" – Foo Fighters, songwriters (Foo Fighters)

Best Rock Album
Wasting Light – Foo Fighters

Best Alternative Music Album
Bon Iver, Bon Iver – Bon Iver

Best R&B Performance
"Is This Love" – Corinne Bailey Rae

Best Traditional R&B Performance
"Fool for You" – Cee Lo Green featuring Melanie Fiona

Best R&B Song
"Fool for You"
Cee Lo Green & Jack Splash, songwriters (Cee Lo Green featuring Melanie Fiona)

Best R&B Album
F.A.M.E. – Chris Brown

Best Rap Performance
"Otis" – Jay-Z & Kanye West featuring Otis Redding

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
"All of the Lights" – Kanye West featuring Rihanna, Fergie & Kid Cudi

Best Rap Song
"All of the Lights"
Jeff Bhasker, Fergie, Really Doe, Kanye West & Malik Yusef, songwriters (Kanye West featuring Rihanna, Fergie & Kid Cudi)

Best Rap Album
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West

Best Country Solo Performance
"Mean" – Taylor Swift

Best Country Duo/Group Performance
"Barton Hollow" – The Civil Wars

Best Country Song
"Mean"
Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)

Best Country Album
Own the Night – Lady Antebellum

Best New Age Album
What's It All About – Pat Metheny

Best Improvised Jazz Solo
"500 Miles High" – Chick Corea

Best Jazz Vocal Album
The Mosaic Project – Terri Lyne Carrington & Various Artists

Best Jazz Instrumental Album
Forever – Corea, Clarke & White

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
The Good Feeling – Christian McBride Big Band

Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance
"Jesus" – Le'Andria Johnson

Best Gospel Song
"Hello Fear"
Kirk Franklin, songwriter (Kirk Franklin)

Best Contemporary Christian Music Song
"Blessings"
Laura Story, songwriter (Laura Story)

Best Gospel Album
Hello Fear – Kirk Franklin

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
And If Our God Is for Us... – Chris Tomlin

Best Latin Pop, Rock or Urban Album
Drama y Luz – Maná

Best Regional Mexican or Tejano Album
Bicentenario – Pepe Aguilar

Best Banda or Norteño Album
MTV Unplugged: Los Tigres del Norte and Friends – Los Tigres del Norte

Best Tropical Latin Album
The Last Mambo – Cachao

Best Americana Album
Ramble at the Ryman – Levon Helm

Best Bluegrass Album
Paper Airplane – Alison Krauss & Union Station

Best Blues Album
Revelator – Tedeschi Trucks Band

Best Folk Album
Barton Hollow – The Civil Wars

Best Regional Roots Music Album
Rebirth of New Orleans – Rebirth Brass Band

Best Reggae Album
Revelation Pt 1: The Root of Life – Stephen Marley

Best World Music Album
Tassili – Tinariwen

Best Children's Album
All About Bullies... Big and Small – Various Artists

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Story Telling)
If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't) – Betty White

Best Comedy Album
Hilarious – Louis C.K.

Best Musical Theater Album
The Book of Mormon: Original Broadway Cast Recording
Josh Gad & Andrew Rannells, principal soloists; Anne Garefino, Robert Lopez, Stephen Oremus, Trey Parker, Scott Rudin & Matt Stone, producers; Robert Lopez, Trey Parker & Matt Stone, composers/lyricists

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
Boardwalk Empire Volume 1 – Various Artists

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
The King's Speech
Alexandre Desplat, composer

Best Song Written for Visual Media
"I See the Light" (from Tangled)
Alan Menken & Glenn Slater, songwriters (Mandy Moore & Zachary Levi)

Best Instrumental Composition
"Life in Eleven"
Béla Fleck & Howard Levy, composers (Béla Fleck and the Flecktones)

Best Instrumental Arrangement
"Rhapsody in Blue"
Gordon Goodwin, arranger (Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band)

Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)
"Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)"
Jorge Calandrelli, arranger (Tony Bennett & Queen Latifah)

Best Recording Package
Scenes from The Suburbs
Vincent Morisset, art director (Arcade Fire)

Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package
The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story
Dave Bett & Michelle Holme, art directors (Bruce Springsteen)

Best Album Notes
Hear Me Howling!: Blues, Ballads & Beyond as Recorded by the San Francisco Bay by Chris Strachwitz in the 1960s
Adam Machado, album notes writer (Various Artists)

Best Historical Album
Band on the Run (Paul McCartney Archive Collection – Deluxe Edition)
Paul McCartney, compilation producer; Sam Okell & Steve Rooke, mastering engineers (Paul McCartney & Wings)

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
Paper Airplane
Mike Shipley, engineer; Brad Blackwood, mastering engineer (Alison Krauss & Union Station)

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Paul Epworth
"Call It What You Want" (Foster the People) (T)
"I Would Do Anything for You" (Foster the People) (T)
"I'll Be Waiting" (Adele) (T)
"Life on the Nickel" (Foster the People) (T)
"No One's Gonna Love You" (Cee Lo Green) (S)
"Rolling in the Deep" (Adele) (T)

Best Remixed Recording
"Cinema" (Skrillex Remix)
Skrillex, remixer (Benny Benassi featuring Gary Go)

Best Surround Sound Album
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (Super Deluxe Edition)
Elliot Scheiner, surround mix engineer; Bob Ludwig, surround mastering engineer; Bill Levenson & Elliot Scheiner, surround producers (Derek and the Dominos)

Best Engineered Album, Classical
Aldridge: Elmer Gantry
Byeong-Joon Hwang & John Newton, engineers; Jesse Lewis, mastering engineer (William Boggs, Keith Phares, Patricia Risley, Vale Rideout, Frank Kelley, Heather Buck, Florentine Opera Chorus & Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra)

Producer of the Year, Classical
Judith Sherman
Adams: Son of Chamber Symphony; String Quartet (John Adams, St. Lawrence String Quartet & International Contemporary Ensemble)
Capricho Latino (Rachel Barton Pine)
85th Birthday Celebration (Claude Frank)
Insects & Paper Airplanes – Chamber Music of Lawrence Dillon (Daedalus Quartet & Benjamin Hochman)
Midnight Frolic – The Broadway Theater Music of Louis A. Hirsch (Rick Benjamin & Paragon Ragtime Orchestra)
Notable Women – Trios by Today's Female Composers (Lincoln Trio)
The Soviet Experience, Vol. 1 – String Quartets by Dmitri Shostakovich & His Contemporaries (Pacifica Quartet)
Speak! (Anthony De Mare)
State of the Art – The American Brass Quintet at 50 (The American Brass Quintet)
Steve Reich: WTC 9/11; Mallet Quartet; Dance Patterns (Kronos Quartet, Steve Reich Musicians & So Percussion)
Winging It – Piano Music of John Corigliano (Ursula Oppens)

Best Orchestral Performance
"Brahms: Symphony No. 4"
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)

Best Opera Recording
"Adams: Doctor Atomic"
Alan Gilbert, conductor; Meredith Arwady, Sasha Cooke, Richard Paul Fink, Gerald Finley, Thomas Glenn & Eric Owens; Jay David Saks, producer (Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; Metropolitan Opera Chorus)

Best Choral Performance
"Light & Gold"
Eric Whitacre, conductor (Christopher Glynn & Hila Plitmann; The King's Singers, Laudibus, Pavão Quartet & The Eric Whitacre Singers)

Best Small Ensemble Performance
"Mackey: Lonely Motel – Music from Slide" – Rinde Eckert & Steven Mackey; Eighth Blackbird

Best Classical Instrumental Solo
"Schwantner: Concerto for Percussion & Orchestra"
Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Christopher Lamb (Nashville Symphony)

Best Classical Vocal Solo
"Diva Divo"
Joyce DiDonato (Kazushi Ono; Orchestre De L'Opéra National De Lyon; Choeur De L'Opéra National De Lyon)

Best Contemporary Classical Composition
"Aldridge, Robert: Elmer Gantry" – Robert Aldridge & Herschel Garfein

Best Short Form Music Video
"Rolling in the Deep" – Adele
Sam Brown, video director; Hannah Chandler, video producer

Best Long Form Music Video
Foo Fighters: Back and Forth – Foo Fighters
James Moll, video director; James Moll & Nigel Sinclair, video producers

MusiCares Person of the Year
Paul McCartney

President's Merit Award
Sir Richard Branson

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
Allman Brothers Band
Glen Campbell
Tom Jobim
Roy Haynes
George Jones
The Memphis Horns
Diana Ross
Gil Scott-Heron

Grammy Trustees Award
Dave Bartholomew
Steve Jobs
Rudy Van Gelder

Technical Grammy Award
Roger Nichols
Celemony

BoBA 2012 ISML Predictions: Seeding Round, Day 1

2012-02-26T13:32:00.001-08:00

ARENA 01: Aisaka Taiga Akiyama Mio Katsura Hinagiku [Misaka Mikoto] Nagato Yuki Nakano Azusa Saber Sengoku Nadeko Senjōgahara Hitagi [Shana] Suzumiya Haruhi Tōsaka Rin
Over/Under: 20000
Over

ARENA 02: Hoshii Miki [Inui Sana] Iwasawa Asami [Kanzaki H. Aria] Laura Bodewig Mine Riko Shinomiya Ayase Shinonome Hakase Toshinō Kyōko
Over/Under: 20000
Over

ARENA 03: [Asahina Mikuru] Chrome Dokuro Erza Scarlet Kagura Louise Vallière Sakurano Kurimu [Shirai Kuroko] Suigintō Yin
Over/Under: 20000
Over

ARENA 04: Amaha Miu Aragaki Ayase Hakamada Hinata [Haqua du Lot Herminium] Kaga Rin Kunieda Aoi [Makise Kurisu] Matsumae Ohana Yune
Over/Under: 20000
Over

ARENA 05: Chii [Fate Testarossa] Hinamori Amu Ikaros [Index L. Prohibitorum] Isayama Yomi Lala Satalin Deviluke Oshino Shinobu Ryōgi Shiki
Over/Under: 20000
Over

ARENA 06: Haruna Hotogi Shirayuki Inami Mahiru [Mikazuki Yozora] Oikawa Tsurara Shinonome Nano Shionji Yūko (Alice) [Suzutsuki Kanade] Taneshima Poplar
Over/Under: 20000
Over

ARENA 07: Alice Enma Ai [Fujibayashi Kyō] Hiiragi Tsukasa Kamio Misuzu Saginomiya Isumi [Sakagami Tomoyo] Saten Ruiko Shiina Mafuyu
Over/Under: 20000
Over

ARENA 08: Akaza Akari Ayase Chihaya Ayuzawa Misaki [Fear Kubrick] Miki Sayaka Sakura Kyōko [Tomoe Mami] Uryū Minene Yarizui Sen
Over/Under: 20000
Over

ARENA 09: [C.C.] Furude Rika Hecate [Hiiragi Kagami] Hoshina Utau Kawasumi Mai Kotegawa Yui Okazaki Ushio Uiharu Kazari

Over/Under: 20000
Over

ISML 2012: The Next 12 Preliminary Winners...

2012-02-24T22:01:00.001-08:00

ISML 2012: Preliminaries Phase I Concludes

2012-02-24T20:38:00.003-08:00

ISML 2012: Preliminaries Phase I Concludes

By JR Salazar (Bongaboi)
February 24, 2012

There were no surprises on the final day of the first phase of the 2012 International Saimoe League preliminaries, as all of the favorites punched their respective tickets to the regular season proper.

Mikoto Misaka was expected to fly by everyone in Stella Group 1, and that she did, amassing 4449 votes. Yui Hirasawa was second with 3347 votes and Ikaros was third with 2625 votes. Yuki Nagato, the de facto face of the Haruhi Suzumiya franchise, secured her spot in the ISML with 4546 votes in Stella Group 2. Louise Francoise Le Blanc De La Valliere was second with 3179 votes and Kotomi Ichinose was third with 2341 votes.

Azusa Nakano was expected to clinch Stella Group 3, and she was the one that amassed the most votes of any group winner, winning 4819 votes. Nagi Sanzenin was second with 2724 votes, while Ui Hirasawa recorded 2147 votes to finish third. Shana was expected to torch by her competition in Stella Group 4, and her 4742 votes confirmed the argument. Konota Izumi recorded 2777 votes to finish second, while Mikuru Asahina won 2542 votes to finish third.

Taiga Aisaka was going to to have it easy in Stella Group 5, and as expected, she won the group handily with 4701 votes. Shinobu Oshino was second with 3209 votes, while Index L. Prohibotorum was third with 2148 votes. Hinagiku Katsura, historically, has flown the flag for Hayate the Combat Butler, and she won 4110 votes to seal her place in the regular season. Kagami Hiiragi was second with 2978 votes, Mafuyu Shiina was third with 2534 votes.

The veterans were not restricted to the Stella Division. Due to the rules regarding window of eligibility, veterans designated to the Nova Division also earned their place. Victorique de Blois, the franchise character from GOSICK< won 3592 votes to finish first in Nova Group 7. Shirayuki Hotogi was second with 2564 votes, and Meiko Honma was third witrh 2468 votes.

Kirino Kousaka captured her place in the main draw with 3965 votes to win Nova Group 8. Subaru Konoe was third with 2565 votes, whiile Mizuki Himeji was third with 2381 votes. One of three true newcomers to the tournament is Kobato Hasegawa, Kodaka's sister from Haganai. With her 3814 votes, she won Nova Group 9 and a place in the main draw. Kurisu Makise was second with 3137 votes, while Minami SHimada was third with 2274 votes.

Mato Kuroi, the Black Rock Shooter herself, shot her way to a return to the ISML regular season, winning 3572 votes to win Nova Group 10. Aria Holmes Kanzaki was second with 3035 votes, while Misaki Ayuzawa was third with 2016 votes.

Sena Kashiwazaki is arguably the breadwinner for Haganai, alongside Kobato. She won 3775 votes to seal up Nova Group 11. Inori Yuzuriha was second with 3124 votes. Kanon Nakagawa was third with 2346 votes.

Finally, there will be at least one Puella Magi in the 2012 International Saimoe League. And who better to represent the hopes of the show of 2011 in Japan than Homura Akemi. Nova Group 12 proved to be the most even of contests, but her 3392 votes was enough to secure a spot in the draw. Irisviel von Einzbern was second with 2944 votes, while Shouko Kirishima was third with 2718 votes.

The Seeding Round will take place on February 26 and February 28. Preliminary action resumes on March 11, 2012 with Match Day 7, Day 1 of Phase II. Vote for your favorite candidates at InternationalSaimoe.com and join the ongoing debate.

EARLY BoBA INTERNATIONAL SAIMOE LEAGUE TIARA ODDS
As of February 24, 2012, 8:38 p.m. PT

Shana 1-5
Azusa Nakano 4-5
Mikoto Misaka EVEN
Kanade Tachibana 2-1
Sena Kashiwazaki 5-1
Ruri Gokou 7-1
Hinagiku Katsura 8-1
Yuki Nagato 9-1
Mio Akiyama 10-1
Homura Akemi 11-1
Eucliwood Hellscythe 13-1
Taiga Aisaka 15-1
Yui 18-1
Hitagi Senjougahara 19-1
Charlotte Dunois 20-1
Haruhi Suzumiya 21-1
Kobato Hasegawa 22-1
Kirino Kousaka 23-1
Yuri Nakamura 25-1
Victorique de Blois 30-1
Nadeko Sengoku 35-1
Saber 40-1
Rin Tosaka 45-1
Mato Kuroi 50-1

ISML 2012: The First 12 In...

2012-02-23T19:20:00.001-08:00

BoBA 2012 ISML Predictions: Preliminaries Match Day 6

2012-02-23T11:42:00.001-08:00

ARENA 01: Alice [Hirasawa Yui] Hyūga Hinata Ikaros Kinomoto Sakura Kotegawa Yui [Misaka Mikoto]
Over/Under: 20000
Under

ARENA 02: Furude Rika Haibara Ai Hoshina Utau Ichinose Kotomi Kawashima Ami [Louise Vallière] [Nagato Yuki]

Over/Under: 20000
Under

ARENA 03: Hirasawa Ui Ibuki Fūko Kamio Misuzu Lucy Heartfilia [Nakano Azusa] [Sanzen'in Nagi] Suiseiseki

Over/Under: 20000
Under

ARENA 04: Asahina Mikuru Hinamori Amu [Izumi Konata] Lala Satalin Deviluke Ryūgū Rena [Shana] Takamachi Nanoha

Over/Under: 20000
Under

ARENA 05: [Aisaka Taiga] Hecate [Index L. Prohibitorum] Kuronuma Sawako Oshino Shinobu Uiharu Kazari Yin

Over/Under: 20000
Under

ARENA 06: Chrome Dokuro [Hiiragi Kagami] [Katsura Hinagiku] Kuchiki Rukia Ryōgi Shiki Saginomiya Isumi Shiina Mafuyu

Over/Under: 20000
Under

ARENA 07: [Honma Meiko] Horizon Ariadust (P-01s) Hotogi Shirayuki Kaga Rin Shinonome Hakase Tomoe Mami [Victorique de Blois]

Over/Under: 20000
Under

ARENA 08: Himeji Mizuki Kasugano Sora [Konoe Subaru] [Kōsaka Kirino] Oshimizu Nako Ueno Kirika Uryū Minene

Over/Under: 20000
Under

ARENA 09: Amaha Miu Amami Haruka Gasai Yuno [Hasegawa Kobato] [Makise Kurisu] Shimada Minami Toshinō Kyōko

Over/Under: 20000
Under

ARENA 10: Ayuzawa Misaki Ika-Musume [Kanzaki H. Aria] [Kuroi Mato] Reki Sena Airi Shionji Yūko (Alice)

Over/Under: 20000
Under

ARENA 11: Hoshii Miki [Kashiwazaki Sena] Matsumae Ohana Nakagawa Kanon Nanasaki Ai Tsugumi [Yuzuriha Inori]

Over/Under: 20000
Under

ARENA 12: [Akemi Homura] Inui Sana [Irisviel von Einzbern] Kirishima Shōko Kunieda Aoi Oikawa Tsurara Shinomiya Ayase

Over/Under: 20000
Under

ISML 2012: First 12 qualifiers are in!

2012-02-22T23:42:00.000-08:00

ISML 2012: First 12 qualifiers are in!

By JR Salazar (Bongaboi)
February 22, 2012

The first 12 winners in the 2012 International Saimoe League are officially revealed. And every one of the winners is a veteran

In Nova Group 1, Kanade "Tenshi" Tachibana amassed 5176 votes to return to the ISML. Elucia De Lute Irma is second with 2575 votes and Riko Mine is third with 2328 votes.

Ruri Gokou will also return to the ISML after winning 4666 votes in Nova Group 2. Shiori Shiomiya was second with 2463 votes. Ayase Aragaki was third with 2304 votes.

Another returnee to the show is Eucliwood Hellscythe, who won 3966 votes in Nova Group 3 to finish first. Erio Towa was second with 3105 votes, while Asami Iwasawa was third with 2602 votes.

Yui is also coming back. She won Nova Group 4 with 3993 votes. Yozora Mikazuki was second with 2868 votes and Haqua du Lot Herminium was third with 2503 votes.

Also on the comeback trail is Yuri Nakamura, who recorded 3802 votes to finish first in Nova Group 5. Kyouko Sakura was second with 2631 votes. Madoka Kaname was third with 2271 votes.

Charlotte Dunois will most likely be the only returning face from Infinite Stratos. The face of IS won 3442 to finish first in Nova Group 6. Fear Kubrick was second with 2488 votes and Kanade Suzutsuki was third with 2430 votes.

Mio Akiyama's support has always been consistent in the ISML, and her 4351 votes in Stella Group 7 made the point crystal-clear. Holo was second with 2818 votes and Tsumugi Kotobuki was third with 2399 votes.

Haruhi Suzumiya was a runaway winner in Stella 8 with 4311 votes. Illyasviel von Einzbern was second with 3142 votes. Ushio Okazaki was third with 2289 votes.

Hitagi Senjougahara had a tough test against Tomoyo Sakagami, but prevailed 3540-3032 to win Stella Group 9. Kuroko Shirai was third with 2337 votes.

In Stella Group 10, Nadeko Sengoku completed a Bakemonogatari double with 3490 votes. Kyou Fujibayashi was second with 2590 votes and Nagisa Furukawa was third with 2389 votes.

Saber slashed her way to a ISML regular appearance with 4008 voted to win Stella Group 11. C.C. was second with 2576 votes and Konjiki no Yami was third with 2504 votes.

Finally, in Stella Group 12, Rin Tosaka outlasted Last Order 3280-3047 to clinch her spot in the ISML regular season. Nymph was third with 2576 votes.

The next 12 spots are up for grabs in the 2012 International Saimoe League Preliminaries Phase I. Match Day 6 is scheduled for February 23, 2012. Vote for your favorite candidates at InternationalSaimoe.com and join the ongoing debate.

EARLY BoBA INTERNATIONAL SAIMOE LEAGUE
TIARA ODDS
As of February 22, 2012, 11:42 p.m. PT

Kanade Tachibana 2-1
Ruri Gokou 7-1
Mio Akiyama 10-1
Eucliwood Hellscythe 13-1
Yui 18-1
Hitagi Senjougahara 19-1
Charlotte Dunois 20-1
Haruhi Suzumiya 21-1
Yuri Nakamura 25-1
Nadeko Sengoku 34-1
Saber 37-1
Rin Tosaka 45-1

BoBA 2012 ISML Predictions: Preliminaries Match Day 5

2012-02-21T13:49:00.001-08:00

ARENA 01: Elucia de Lute Irma [Mine Riko] Shinonono Hōki [Tachibana Kanade] Takakura Himari Tsurugi Minko Wendy Marvell
Over/Under: 17600
Over

ARENA 02: [Aragaki Ayase] [Gokō Ruri (Kuroneko)] Inami Mahiru Miki Sayaka Minato Tomoka Shinonome Nano Shiomiya Shiori

Over/Under: 17600
Over

ARENA 03: Ayase Chihaya Dalian [Eucliwood Hellscythe] Iwasawa Asami Morishima Haruka Shiina Mayuri [Tōwa Erio]
Over/Under: 17600
Over

ARENA 04: Akaza Akari Haqua du Lot Herminium Haruna [Mikazuki Yozora] Taneshima Poplar [Yui] Yune
Over/Under: 17600
Over

ARENA 05: Astarotte Ygvar [Kaname Madoka] Laura Bodewig [Nakamura Yuri] Sakura Kyōko Takahara Ayumi Yarizui Sen
Over/Under: 17600
Over

ARENA 06: Anjō Naruko [Charlotte Dunois] Fear Kubrick Hakamada Hinata Kisaragi Chihaya Suzutsuki Kanade [Yamada Aoi]
Over/Under: 17600
Over

ARENA 07: [Akiyama Mio] Chii Erza Scarlet Evangeline A.K. McDowell [Holo] Kotobuki Tsumugi Tsukimiya Ayu
Over/Under: 17600
Over

ARENA 08: Ayanami Rei [Illyasviel von Einzbern] Kōzuki Kallen Okazaki Ushio Shinku [Suzumiya Haruhi] Yūki Mikan
Over/Under: 17600
Over

ARENA 09: Isayama Yomi Kawasumi Mai Kushieda Minori [Sakagami Tomoyo] [Senjōgahara Hitagi] Shirai Kuroko Tainaka Ritsu
Over/Under: 17600
Over

ARENA 10: Fate Testarossa Fujibayashi Kyō [Furukawa Nagisa] Hanato Kobato Saten Ruiko [Sengoku Nadeko] Sōryū Asuka Langley
Over/Under: 17600
Over

ARENA 11: [C.C.] Enma Ai Kagura Konjiki no Yami Maria [Saber] Sakurano Kurimu
Over/Under: 17600
Over

ARENA 12: Hanekawa Tsubasa Hiiragi Tsukasa Kanzaki Kaori [Last Order] Nymph Suigintō [Tōsaka Rin]

Over/Under: 17600
Over

ISML 2012: Preliminaries roll on with expected results all around

2012-02-20T20:26:00.001-08:00

ISML 2012: Preliminaries roll on with expected results all around

By JR Salazar (Bongaboi)
February 20, 2012

The expected of candidates earned the highest tallies in the respective groups on Match Day 4 of the first phase of the 2012 International Saimoe League Preliminaries.

In Stella Group 1, Mikoto Misaka amassed 4557 votes to finish first. Louise Francoise Le Blanc De La Valliere recorded 3036 votes to finish second and Ui Hirasawa was third with 2648 votes.

In Stella Group 2, Yuki Nagato recorded 4488 votes to finish first. Nagi Sanzenin was second with 2639 votes and Mikuru Asahina earned 2574 votes to end up third. Stella Group 3 saw Azusa Nakano run away with this one, earning 4770 votes. Konata Izumi was second with 2704 votes. Index L. Prohibitorum recorded 2471 votes to finish third.

In Stella Group 4, Shana was first with 4586 votes. Shinobu Oshino was second with 3166 votes. Mafuyu Shiina was third with 2069 votes. Stella Group 5 saw Taiga Aisaka earn the most votes of the Stella candidates with 4799 votes. Kagami Hiiragi was second with 2538 votes and Tsumugi Kotobuki was third with 2352 votes.

In Stella Group 6, Hinagiku Katsura was first with 3891 votes. Holo was second with 2860 votes and Ushio Okazaki was third with 2435 votes.

Victorique de Blois was first in Nova Group 7, earning 3649 votes. Subaru Konoe was second with 2665 votes. Yuno Gasai was third with 2542 votes. Kirino Kousaka dominated Nova Group 8 with 3624 votes. Kurisu Makise was second with 3286 votes and Misaki Ayuzawa was third with 2289 votes.

In Nova Group 9, Kobato Hasegawa won 3956 votes to finish first. Aria Holmes Kanzaki was second with 3340 votes and Kanon Nakagawa came in second with 2338 votes. Nova Group 10 was led by Mato Kuroi, who recorded 3751 votes. Inori Yuzuriha was second with 2147 votes and Shouko Kirishima was third with 2587 votes.

Sena Kashiwazaki rolled in Nova Group 11, winning 3542 votes. Irisviel Von Einzbern recorded 2747 votes while Elucia De Lute Irma came in second with 2548 votes. Finally, Homura Akemi was in Nova Group 12, earning 3528 votes. Riko Mine was second with 2879 votes. Ayase Aragaki came in third with 2745 votes.

Match Day 5 of the first phase in the 2012 International Saimoe League Preliminaries is scheduled for February 21, 2012. Vote for your favorite candidates at InternationalSaimoe.com and join the ongoing debate.

BoBA 2012 ISML Predictions: Preliminaries Match Day 4

2012-02-19T15:25:00.000-08:00

ARENA 01: Hirasawa Ui [Louise Vallière] [Misaka Mikoto] Ryōgi Shiki Takamachi Nanoha Tsukimiya Ayu Yin
Over/Under: 17500
Over

ARENA 02: [Asahina Mikuru] Chrome Dokuro Evangeline A.K. McDowell Hecate [Nagato Yuki] Sanzen'in Nagi Shinku
Over/Under: 17500
Over

ARENA 03: Chii Index L. Prohibitorum Isayama Yomi [Izumi Konata] Kōzuki Kallen [Nakano Azusa] Saginomiya Isumi
Over/Under: 17500
Over

ARENA 04: Ayanami Rei Erza Scarlet Hanato Kobato Kawasumi Mai Oshino Shinobu [Shana] [Shiina Mafuyu]
Over/Under: 17500
Over

ARENA 05: [Aisaka Taiga] Enma Ai [Hiiragi Kagami] Kotobuki Tsumugi Kushieda Minori Sōryū Asuka Langley Yūki Mikan
Over/Under: 17500
Over

ARENA 06: [Holo] Kagura [Katsura Hinagiku] Okazaki Ushio Saten Ruiko Shirai Kuroko Suigintō
Over/Under: 17500
Over

ARENA 07: [Gasai Yuno] Konoe Subaru Oikawa Tsurara Shionji Yūko (Alice) Takakura Himari Tsugumi [Victorique de Blois]
Over/Under: 17500
Over

ARENA 08: Ayuzawa Misaki [Kōsaka Kirino] Kunieda Aoi [Makise Kurisu] Matsumae Ohana Shinonome Nano Tsurugi Minko
Over/Under: 17500
Over

ARENA 09: Ayase Chihaya [Hasegawa Kobato] Inami Mahiru [Kanzaki H. Aria] Nakagawa Kanon Shinomiya Ayase Wendy Marvell
Over/Under: 17500
Over

ARENA 10: Kirishima Shōko [Kuroi Mato] Miki Sayaka Morishima Haruka Shinonono Hōki Yune [Yuzuriha Inori]
Over/Under: 17500
Over

ARENA 11: Elucia de Lute Irma Irisviel von Einzbern [Kashiwazaki Sena] Minato Tomoka [Shiina Mayuri] Takahara Ayumi Taneshima Poplar
Over/Under: 17500
Over

ARENA 12: Akaza Akari [Akemi Homura] [Aragaki Ayase] Astarotte Ygvar Dalian Kisaragi Chihaya Mine Riko
Over/Under: 17500
Over

ISML 2012: Angel Beats projected to return this season

2012-02-17T23:09:00.000-08:00

ISML 2012: Angel Beats projected to return this season

By JR Salazar (Bongaboi)
February 17, 2012

Yui, Kanade Tachibana and Yuri Nakamura have one more match to deal with, but it is certain that they will be on their way to the 2012 International Saimoe League regular season.

In Nova 1, Tachibana earned 5464 votes to finish first. Shiori Shiomiya was second with 2254 votes and Asami Iwasawa was third with 2125 votes. In Nova 4, Yui won 4163 votes to end up first. Madoka Kaname may have to wait until Phase II to qualify, coming in second with 2682 votes. Kanade Suzutsuki was third with 2499 votes.

Nakamura finished first in Nova 5 with 3763 votes. Fear Kubrick was second with 2411 votes and Mami Tomoe ended up third with 2408 votes.

other notable faces from last year ran it up in the Nova. Ruri Gokou is on track for a return after amassing 4508 votes. Erio Towa was second with 2981 votes. Haqua du Lot Herminium was third with 2539 votes.

In Nova 3, Eucliwood Hellscythe cruised with 4067 votes to her name. Yozora Mikazuki was second with 2980 votes. Kyouko Sakura was third with 2799 votes.

In Nova 6, the face of Infinite Stratos, Charlotte Dunois, won 3424 votes to finish first. Meiko Honma was second with 2569 votes. Mizuki Himeji was third wit 2183 votes.

In Stella 7, Mio Akiyama moved one step closer to another go at the regular season with 4412 votes. Illyasviel von Einzbern was second with 3011 votes and Ritsu Tainaka was third with 2078 votes.

Haruhi Suzumiya flexed the guns in Stella 8 with 4213 votes. Tomoyo Sakagami was second with 2979 votes. Kyou Fujibayashi was third with 2693 votes. Hitagi Senjougahara was all business in Stella 9, recording 3755 votes. Nagisa Furukawa was second with 2884 votes. Konjiki no Yami was third with 2576 votes.

In Stella 10, Nadeko Sengoku earned 3813 votes to finish first. C.C. was second with 2954 votes and Nymph was third with 2628 votes. Saber outdueled Rin Tosaka in Stella 11 3995-3070, while Ikaros finished a distant third with 2758 votes.

In Stella 12, Last Order recorded 3510 votes to come out on top. Yui Hirasawa recorded 3476 votes, while Kotomi Ichinose came in third with 2362 votes.

Match Day 4 of the 2012 International Saimoe League Preliminaries is scheduled for Sunday, February 19, 2012. Vote for your favorite candidates at InternationalSaimoe.com and join the ongoing debate.

BoBA 2012 ISML Predictions: Preliminaries Match Day 3

2012-02-16T12:57:00.000-08:00

ARENA 01: Anjō Naruko Haruna [Iwasawa Asami] Shinonome Hakase Shiomiya Shiori [Tachibana Kanade] Yarizui Sen
Over/Under: 17000
Over

ARENA 02: [Gokō Ruri (Kuroneko)] Haqua du Lot Herminium Horizon Ariadust (P-01s) Laura Bodewig Oshimizu Nako [Tōwa Erio] Yamada Aoi
Over/Under: 17000
Over

ARENA 03: Amami Haruka [Eucliwood Hellscythe] Hakamada Hinata Kaga Rin [Mikazuki Yozora] Sakura Kyōko Ueno Kirika
Over/Under: 17000
Over

ARENA 04: Amaha Miu Hotogi Shirayuki [Kaname Madoka] Sena Airi Suzutsuki Kanade Uryū Minene [Yui]
Over/Under: 17000
Over

ARENA 05: Fear Kubrick Hoshii Miki Kasugano Sora [Nakamura Yuri] Reki [Tomoe Mami] Toshinō Kyōko
Over/Under: 17000
Over

ARENA 06: [Charlotte Dunois] Himeji Mizuki Honma Meiko [Ika-Musume] Inui Sana Nanasaki Ai Shimada Minami
Over/Under: 17000
Over

ARENA 07: [Akiyama Mio] Fate Testarossa Hanekawa Tsubasa Hyūga Hinata [Illyasviel von Einzbern] Sakurano Kurimu Tainaka Ritsu
Over/Under: 17000
Over

ARENA 08: Alice Fujibayashi Kyō Hoshina Utau Kanzaki Kaori Maria [Sakagami Tomoyo] [Suzumiya Haruhi]
Over/Under: 17000
Over

ARENA 09: [Furukawa Nagisa] Haibara Ai Hiiragi Tsukasa Kamio Misuzu Konjiki no Yami Kotegawa Yui [Senjōgahara Hitagi]
Over/Under: 17000
Over

ARENA 10: [C.C.] Furude Rika Hinamori Amu Kinomoto Sakura Nymph [Sengoku Nadeko] Suiseiseki
Over/Under: 17000
Over

ARENA 11: Ikaros Kawashima Ami Kuronuma Sawako Lucy Heartfilia Ryūgū Rena [Saber] [Tōsaka Rin]
Over/Under: 17000
Over

ARENA 12: [Hirasawa Yui] Ibuki Fūko Ichinose Kotomi Kuchiki Rukia Lala Satalin Deviluke [Last Order] Uiharu Kazari

Over/Under: 17000
Over

ISML 2012: Homura, Mikoto, Yuki, Shana cruise in Prelims

2012-02-15T21:29:00.001-08:00

ISML 2012: Homura, Mikoto, Yuki, Shana cruise in Prelims

By JR Salazar (Bongaboi)
February 15, 2012

The usual suspects in the International Saimoe League have constant voting power that does not waver. An example of this: Match Day 2 of the Preliminaries, with familiar faces winning big.

In Stella 1, Mikoto Misaka was first with 5371 votes. Hecate was second with 2545 votes. Index Librorum Prohibitorum was third with 2542 votes.

Haruhi Suzumiya is not the face of Haruhi Suzumiya. That honor belongs to Yuki Nagato who dominated Stella 2 with 4783 votes. Konata Izumi was second with 2923 votes, while Mafuyu Shiina was third with 2460 votes.

K-ON! is a series whose relevance still rings true, and Azusa Nakano is a testament to that, earning 4974 votes to finish first in Stella 3. Shinobu Oshino was second with 3190 votes, while Tsumugi Kotobuki was third with 2266 votes.

Shana, a favorite by the Bedlam on Baltic Avenue to win the 2012 ISML crown, took the first step by finishing first in Stella 4 wit 5422 votes. Kagami Hiiragi was second with 3127 votes, while Kuroko Shirai was third with 2746 votes.

Taiga Aisaka is another veteran that is well-prepared to face the new faces from the Nova Division. She steamrolled past everyone in Stella 5 with 5360 votes. Holo was second with 2995 votes and Ritsu Tainaka came in third with 2279 votes.

Hinagiku Katsura is, without a doubt, the strongest character from Hayate the Combat Butler and her performance in Stella 6 is an example, winning 4105 votes. Illyasviel von Einzbern was second with 3367 votes and Kyou Fujibayashi was third with 2849 votes.

With battle-tested veterans must come ambitious newcomers with potential. One of those: Victorique de Blois, although she is technically a veteran due to her participation last season. De Blois amassed 3886 votes in Nova 7. In second was Kurisu Makise with 3542 votes. Kanon Nakagawa was third with 2938 votes.

In Nova 8, another young veteran in Kirino Kousaka dominated a Nova group with 4118 votes. Aria Holmes Kanzaki was second with 3752 votes. Shouko Kirishima was third with 2862 votes.

Kobato Hasegawa is a new face that will be set to shine in the ISML. Hasegawa finished first in Nova 9 with 4244 votes. Mato Kuroi was second with 4042 votes, while Elucia de Lute Irma was third with 2913 votes.

The face of the hit show Guilty Crown is Inori Yuzuriha, and she won 3813 votes to finish first in Nova 10. Irisviel von Einzbern was second with 2885 votes, while Ayase Aragaki finished third with 2622 votes.

In Nova 11, Sena Kashiwazaki states her case to challenge the veterans, winning 4113 votes to finish first. Riko Mine was a distant second, securing just 2611 votes, while Haruna was a disappointing third, with only 2560 votes.

Homura Akemi, however, may go down as the biggest threat to come out of the Nova division, and the memory of her first-round defeat in the 2channel Anime Saimoe Tournament has stoked the flames for a shot at revenge. However, the Preliminaries take first priority this early in the Saimoe season, and Akemi won 3723 votes to finish first in Nova 12. Asami Iwasawa was second with 3123 votes. Haqua du Lot Herminium was third with 2983 votes.

Preliminary Period action in the 2012 International Saimoe League rolls on with Match Day 3, scheduled for February 16, 2012. Vote for your favorite candidates at InternationalSaimoe.com and join the ongoing debate.

BoBA 2012 ISML Predictions: Preliminaries Match Day 2

2012-02-14T13:02:00.000-08:00

ARENA 01: Erza Scarlet Hecate Hyūga Hinata [Index L. Prohibitorum] [Misaka Mikoto] Suigintō Yūki Mikan
Over/Under: 18000
Over

ARENA 02: Hanekawa Tsubasa Hoshina Utau Izumi Konata Kushieda Minori [Nagato Yuki] [Saten Ruiko] Shiina Mafuyu

Over/Under: 18000
Over

ARENA 03: Fate Testarossa Kamio Misuzu Kanzaki Kaori [Kotobuki Tsumugi] [Nakano Azusa] Okazaki Ushio Oshino Shinobu

Over/Under: 18000
Over

ARENA 04: Alice Haibara Ai [Hiiragi Kagami] Hinamori Amu Sakurano Kurimu [Shana] Shirai Kuroko

Over/Under: 18000
Over

ARENA 05: [Aisaka Taiga] [Holo] Kotegawa Yui Kuronuma Sawako Maria Suiseiseki Tainaka Ritsu

Over/Under: 18000
Over

ARENA 06: [Fujibayashi Kyō] Hiiragi Tsukasa Illyasviel von Einzbern [Katsura Hinagiku] Kinomoto Sakura Lala Satalin Deviluke Ryūgū Rena
Over/Under: 18000
Over

ARENA 07: Astarotte Ygvar [Makise Kurisu] Miki Sayaka Nakagawa Kanon Shiina Mayuri Shinonome Hakase [Victorique de Blois]
Over/Under: 18000
Over

ARENA 08: Akaza Akari Anjō Naruko [Kanzaki H. Aria] Kirishima Shōko [Kōsaka Kirino] Minato Tomoka Oshimizu Nako
Over/Under: 18000
Over

ARENA 09: Amami Haruka Dalian Elucia de Lute Irma [Hasegawa Kobato] Horizon Ariadust (P-01s) [Kuroi Mato] Yarizui Sen
Over/Under: 18000
Over

ARENA 10: [Aragaki Ayase] Irisviel von Einzbern Shiomiya Shiori Ueno Kirika Uryū Minene Yamada Aoi [Yuzuriha Inori]
Over/Under: 18000
Over

ARENA 11: Amaha Miu Haruna [Hoshii Miki] Kaga Rin [Kashiwazaki Sena] Laura Bodewig Mine Riko
Over/Under: 18000
Over

ARENA 12: [Akemi Homura] Hakamada Hinata [Haqua du Lot Herminium] Iwasawa Asami Nanasaki Ai Sena Airi Toshinō Kyōko

Over/Under: 18000
Over

ISML 2012: Angel Beats back with a bang in Prelims

2012-02-13T20:24:00.001-08:00

ISML 2012: Angel Beats back with a bang in Prelims

By JR Salazar (Bongaboi)
February 13, 2012

The 2012 International Saimoe League Preliminaries began with a bang, and the Angel Beats triumvirate of Yui, Kanade Tachibana and Yuri Nakamura came away big winners.

In Nova group 1, Tachibana racked up 5415 votes to finish first. Erio Towa was second with 2921 votes and Kyouko Sakura was third wit 2679 votes. Yui rolled through Nova group 4 with 4441 votes. Fear Kubrick was second with 2620 votes and Mizuki Himeji was third with 2473 votes. In Nova group 5, Nakamura amassed 3626 votes to finish first. Meiko Honma was second with 2871 votes. Subaru Konoe was third with 2457 votes.

In Nova group 2, Ruri Gokou continued from where she left off, winning 4189 votes. Yozora Mikazuki was second with 2756 votes. Kanade Suzutsuki was third with 2325 votes. In Nova group 3, Eucliwood Hellscythe was on top with 4399 votes. Madoka Kaname was second with 2739 votes. Sora Kasugano was third with 2494 votes.

In Nova group 6, Charlotte Dunois was first with 3655 votes. Yuno Gasai was second with 2742 votes. Ohana Matsumae was third with 2373 votes.

The Stella division features ISML veterans, and the usual suspects were at it again. In Stella 7, Mio Akiyama was dominant, winning 4290 votes. Tomoyo Sakagami was second with 3082 votes. Konjiki no Yami was third with 2436 votes. In Stella 8, Haruhi Suzumiya rolled past everyone, winning 4638 votes. Nagisa Furukawa won 3077 votes to finish second. Rika Furude was third with 1949 votes.

In Stella 9, Hitagi Senjougahara won 3792 votes to finish first. C.C. was second with 3043 votes. Ikaros was third with 3026 votes. In Stella 10, Nadeko Sengoku was on top with 3831 votes. In second was Rin Tosaka with 3442 votes. Kotomi Icinose was third with 2434 votes.

In Stella 11, Saber slashed her was to first place, winning 4064 votes. Last Order was second with 3084 votes. Ui Hirasawa was third with 2528 votes. Yui Hirasawa dominated Stella 12, winning 3821 votes. Louise Francoise Le Blanc De La Valliere won 3492 votes to finish second, while Mikuru Asahina was a distant third, garnering 2814 votes.

Match Day 2 of the 2012 International Saimoe League Preliminaries is scheduled for Tuesday, February 14, 2012. Vote for your favorite candidates at InternationalSaimoe.com and join the ongoing debate.

BoBA 2012 ISML Predictions: Preliminaries, Match Day 1

2012-02-12T11:48:00.001-08:00

ARENA 01: Hotogi Shirayuki Inui Sana Reki [Sakura Kyōko] [Tachibana Kanade] Takakura Himari Tōwa Erio
Over/Under: 10000
Over

ARENA 02: [Gokō Ruri (Kuroneko)] Mikazuki Yozora Shimada Minami Shinonome Nano Suzutsuki Kanade [Tomoe Mami] Tsugumi

Over/Under: 10000
Over

ARENA 03: Ayase Chihaya Eucliwood Hellscythe [Ika-Musume] [Kaname Madoka] Kasugano Sora Kunieda Aoi Oikawa Tsurara

Over/Under: 10000
Over

ARENA 04: [Fear Kubrick] Himeji Mizuki Inami Mahiru Shionji Yūko (Alice) Tsurugi Minko [Yui] Yune

Over/Under: 10000
Over

ARENA 05: Ayuzawa Misaki [Honma Meiko] Konoe Subaru Morishima Haruka [Nakamura Yuri] Shinomiya Ayase Takahara Ayumi

Over/Under: 10000
Over

ARENA 06: Charlotte Dunois [Gasai Yuno] Kisaragi Chihaya [Matsumae Ohana] Shinonono Hōki Taneshima Poplar Wendy Marvell

Over/Under: 10000
Over

ARENA 07: [Akiyama Mio] Kawashima Ami Konjiki no Yami Kuchiki Rukia Nymph [Sakagami Tomoyo] Tsukimiya Ayu

Over/Under: 10000
Over

ARENA 08: Evangeline A.K. McDowell Furude Rika [Furukawa Nagisa] Lucy Heartfilia Ryōgi Shiki [Suzumiya Haruhi] Uiharu Kazari

Over/Under: 10000
Over

ARENA 09: [C.C.] Ibuki Fūko Ikaros Kōzuki Kallen [Senjōgahara Hitagi] Shinku Yin

Over/Under: 10000
Over

ARENA 10: Chrome Dokuro Hanato Kobato Ichinose Kotomi Saginomiya Isumi [Sengoku Nadeko] [Takamachi Nanoha] Tōsaka Rin

Over/Under: 10000
Over

ARENA 11: Chii Enma Ai Hirasawa Ui Kawasumi Mai Last Order [Saber] [Sanzen'in Nagi]

Over/Under: 10000
Over

ARENA 12: Asahina Mikuru Ayanami Rei [Hirasawa Yui] Isayama Yomi Kagura [Louise Vallière] Sōryū Asuka Langley

Over/Under: 10000
Over

Singer Whitney Houston dies at 48

2012-02-11T20:21:00.001-08:00

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Legendary pop singer Whitney Houston was found dead Saturday at a Beverly Hills, California, hotel, officials said. She was 48.

The entertainer, whose incredible talent was discovered at an early age, was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. (6:55 p.m. ET) at the Beverly Hilton hotel despite resuscitation efforts, a police spokesman said.

Beverly Hills Police Lt. Mark Rosen said there were "no obvious signs of criminal intent" and that the cause of her death is being investigated.

Houston's bodyguard found her body, said Courtney Barnes, publicist for hip-hop artist Ray J, who was dating the pop diva.

According to her official website, Houston sold more than 170 million albums, singles and videos. But she also struggled with addiction problems over the years.

Houston, whose hits included "The Greatest Love of All," died on the eve of the 54th annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. She had performed as late as Thursday night at a pre-Grammy event in the area. A pre-Grammy party was scheduled Saturday night at the Beverly Hilton.

Music producer Jimmy Jam, after conversations with those heading up to Sunday's night show, told CNN that he believes the event will change significantly -- including a tribute to the singer.

The entertainer recently returned to a movie set for "Sparkle," a remake of the 1976 hit, which was loosely based on the story of The Supremes. It is scheduled be released nationwide in August, according to Sony Pictures. It was her first movie role since 1996's "The Preacher's Wife."

News of her death elicited a flood of reaction from fans and fellow celebrities alike.

Singer Aretha Franklin said, "I just can't talk about it now. It's so stunning and unbelievable. I couldn't believe what I was reading coming across the TV screen. My heart goes out to Cissy (Houston's mother), her daughter Bobbi Kris, her family and Bobby (Brown)."

Dolly Parton, who wrote "I Will Always Love You," said, "mine is only one of the millions of hearts broken over the death of Whitney Houston. I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on my song and I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, 'Whitney, I will always love you. You will be missed.'"

Another entertainment legend, Quincy Jones, said he was "absolutely heartbroken" by the news. "She was a true original and a talent beyond compare," he said.

Houston's body of work included a string of Billboard No. 1 hits in the 1980s, including "Saving All My Love for You," "How Will I Know," "The Greatest Love of All," "Where Do Broken Hearts Go," and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)."

Billboard put her soundtrack to the 1992 movie "The Bodyguard" as one of the top 10 biggest-selling albums of all time. She also starred in the film with Kevin Costner. The soundtrack included the hit,"I Will Always Love You."

Whitney Houston was born on August 9, 1963, in Newark, New Jersey.

Famed music producer Clive Davis reportedly spotted Houston 20 years later in a New York nightclub, signing her on the spot, according to her website. Davis steered Houston's career for more than 25 years, also serving as a mentor.

Just Thursday, Davis told CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight" that, with Houston, "I saw a depth and a range and soul ... that rarely ranks at the top level. And that's why we've been working together ever since."

The singer's rendition of the national anthem at the 1991 Super Bowl, days into the first Persian Gulf War, earned raves and cemented her place in the American musical landscape.

After "The Bodyguard," Houston went on to appear in several more films in the 1990s, including "Waiting to Exhale."

In 2000, Houston earned her sixth Grammy for best female R&B performance and, a month later, she was named female artist of the decade at the "Soul Train" Music Awards.

Her career stalled, however, in subsequent years as she entered rehab for addiction problems.

Houston took a hiatus for several years before releasing her first album in seven years, "I Look to You," in 2009.

"I just took a break, which sometimes you have to," said Houston. "You have to know when to slow that train down and kind of just sit back and relax for a minute."

In May 2011, Houston got help for her much-publicized struggle with drugs and alcohol, her representative said at the time.

In a 2009 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Houston recalled how her mother arrived one day at her doorstep at her daughter's house with sheriff's officers and a court order in a drug intervention. She talked about doing cocaine and smoking marijuana.

"(My mother) says, 'I have a court (injunction) here,'" Houston said. "Either you do it my way, or we're just not going to do this at all. We are both going to go on TV, and you're going to retire.'"

Houston had a high-profile and tumultuous marriage to Bobby Brown, a former "New Edition" star who has had multiple brushes with the law.

The couple appeared together in the mid-2000s on the reality show "Being Bobby Brown." They had one child together, Bobbi Kristina.

Houston was the cousin of Dionne Warwick, another acclaimed performer.

Singer Lionel Richie told CNN that Houston was one of the best.

"She had that voice that could just turn a story, a melody into magical notes," Richie said.

CNN's Denise Quan and Alan Duke contributed to this report.

Voodoo Economics: A Look at how the LA Galaxy Manage the Salary Cap

2012-02-08T20:14:00.001-08:00

Voodoo Economics: A Look at how the LA Galaxy Manage the Salary Cap

by Abbott Smith on Feb 8, 2012 2:00 PM PST in Sounders: Analysis

Victor Decolongon - Getty ImagesMore photos »

He's back. Juninho returns to the Galaxy. How are they fitting under the cap? (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)

I woke up this morning to Josh Mayers of the Seattle Times reporting that the LA Galaxy had managed to secure Leonardo on a free transfer and they got Juninho back on a free loan. Suffice it to say that my initial response was not fit to print.
The top of the LA Galaxy roster boggles the mind. They have 3 DPs; Landon Donovan, David Beckham and Robbie Keane. Edson Buddle returns to the squad after a year in Europe. Leonardo and Juninho are now both back. They also still have the player they brought in when they thought that Juninho would not return, Marcelo Sarvas.
Which brings us to the issue of the salary cap. How did LA manage to secure this level of talent and stay within the MLS salary cap? The answer is, mostly, Allocation Money.
It's easy to overlook all of the little things that LA has done this off-season that brought in Allocation Money. They earned Allocation Money by advancing to the Group Stage of the 2012 CONCACAF Champions league and the Knock Stage of the 2011 CONCACAF Champions league. (The Sounders also earned the same Allocation Money.) LA earned Allocation Money when they traded Donovan Ricketts to Montreal. Expansion clubs are given large amounts of Allocation Money and I imagine that Montreal dropped a chunk of theirs to obtain the services of a veteran Goal Keeper with Rickett's pedigree. (Editor's note: We've also been informed that every MLS team gets allocation to account for talent dilution whenever a new team joins the league.) The Galaxy also likely earned Allocation Money when they loaned Donovan, Omar Gonzales and Keane to teams in Europe (Editor's Note: It's come to our attention that allocation money from loans is not quite this straight-forward, more later). Yes, the loan of Gonzales came with a high price tag when he was injured, but his loan fee likely still applies.

To protect the interests of the league in the global market place, specific Allocation Money amounts are not disclosed. But we do know a few things. For every transfer or loan fee equaling 1 million dollars or more, a team can apply ~$650K of their share of the fee toward their roster as Allocation Money. In the world of an MLS team, a 1 million dollar transfer fee makes a player a DP. In the world of the English Premiere League, a 1 million dollar loan fee almost equates to petty cash. It doesn't take much of a leap to imagine that LA may be sitting on a couple million in Allocation Money for their 2012 roster. When the salary cap for an MLS team is $2.8 million, adding another $2 million to a team's individual cap through the process of Allocation Money changes the landscape. If these numbers are correct, the Galaxy could have more than $3.8 million that they can distribute among the remaining 15-17 players on their Senior roster where the average MLS team only gets $2.8 million before Allocation Money. This raises their average Senior roster salary to ~$250K per player. Compare this to the average MLS Senior roster salary of $120K and LA's roster begins to make more sense.
(Editor's note: As it turns out, we probably over-estimated the amount of allocation money the Galaxy have. While allocation can be earned from loans, in situation's like Donovan's we overstated it. As it turns out, a MLS team only starts earning allocation on transfers or loans when the amount is above and beyond what that team has already paid the player out of their own pocket. So, in Donovan's case, that would mean the Galaxy would have to be getting millions of dollars in loan fees to start getting allocation. It's unlikely they got much. Still, the overall point stands, even if we may have overstated it a bit.)
But how the Galaxy are affording their roster is only half of the picture. The other half of the picture relates to how the Galaxy manage their team relative to the salary cap rules. Edson Buddle returns to the team because when he went to Europe, he went on a free transfer. LA retained his rights. Juninho and Leonardo return because Sao Paulo doesn't have room on their squad. LA was able to negotiate a free transfer and a free loan helping Sao Paolo address a couple of problems with the Sao Paolo roster. One man's junk is another's treasure. The Galaxy have shrewdly analyzed the MLS role in the global market and leveraged it to find bargain quality. (Seattle can't complain too vehemently. Mauro Rosales was the MLS deal of the year in 2011.)
In the case of the 3 LA DPs, they cashed in on the glamour and allure of living in LA. Beckham could have made more money playing for PSG, but his family loves living in Southern California. Robbie Keane came to LA in no small part because Beckham and his family sold Keane's significant other on living in LA. Donovan wants to live in LA and so he stayed in America rather than jumping to England on a permanent basis. Los Angeles and New York have international cache that no other American city possess. This is not the Galaxy's fault and they would be stupid not to capitalize. Seattle is capitalizing on its own brand of geographic cache. As Mauro Rosales said, "In the Summer, it is Paradise." Michael Gspurning and Adam Johansson raved about the Sounders' facilities, landscape and fans. Christian Sivebaek talked in his recent interview about how much his girlfriend and he love being in America.Yet LA's DP signings also allow The Galaxy to acquire Allocation Money through offseason loans. This is a mechanism that the Sounders have not used and the one example of how an aging Euro-Star looking for a payday can actually make sense in the modern MLS game beyond helping with the gate.
Los Angeles also manages their roster by looking for bargains in their role players. In the recent Re-Entry draft, LA drafted four players, all veterans. These players play for close to the league minimum while providing leadership. This further shifts the structure of the LA payroll. If the average LA Senior player is making $250K, but 4 of them are making $50K, then that's another $800K that can be redistributed. Now 8 non-DP players can be making DP player salaries of $350K. Theoretically the Galaxy could field a Starting 11 where every player makes $350K or more. This is the true definition of how a team can manage its budget within MLS rules and still adhere to the axiom that good players cost more. When the entire starting roster is making more, then the large DP salaries don't have the same negative impact in the locker room that they have in a situation where everyone is only making $120K.
The Galaxy also leverage youth development in their long range roster management. The LA area is a hotbed of youth soccer. This gives LA an advantage in the Home Grown player market. Players like Jose Villareal allow the Galaxy to reload. The team is also shrewd in how it drafts and trades. Kyle Nakazawa was a nice pick up.
The Sounders are positioning themselves as a force in MLS roster management. Ultimately, Seattle is not LA and the Sounders will use the MLS roster rules in different ways. But some of the MLS roster construction advantages only come with time. LA offers a glimpse of how that time compounds interest.

Super Bowl XLVI

2012-02-05T20:30:00.001-08:00

Giants Beat Patriots in Final Rally

By JUDY BATTISTA

INDIANAPOLIS — Four years ago, the Giants were the charming underdogs who took the New England Patriots’ perfect season and turned it into a game of what-if.

This season, however, having survived summer injuries and free-agent defections, a four-game losing streak, calls for the coach’s job and six late-game comebacks, the Giants arrived at their Super Bowl rematch with the Patriots as something that seemed more formidable: a team prepared to face tension and overcome it.

Just as they did four years ago, the Giants prevailed in the final minute against the Patriots, beating New England, 21-17, to give the franchise its fourth Super Bowl championship — one more than the Patriots — and its second in four years over this generation’s greatest coach-quarterback combination, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.

The Giants are the first team to finish the regular season 9-7 and win the Super Bowl. And in Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning, they have a coach-quarterback duo to match with any other in today’s N.F.L.

For the Patriots, who were 13-3 in the regular season, it was another bitter loss, a devastating repeat of the loss that ended their undefeated 2007 season.

The victory came, fittingly for a season with so many strange twists, in the oddest fashion. Trailing by 2 points with 3 minutes 46 seconds remaining, the Giants started the winning drive. Manning — who now has one more championship than his brother Peyton — lofted a perfect pass down the left sideline to Mario Manningham, who kept his feet inbounds by inches with two defenders on his back. The pass went for 38 yards, a pointed answer to the yearlong question of whether Eli was elite.

With a minute remaining, running back Ahmad Bradshaw rushed through a wide-open hole — Belichick said the Patriots allowed him to score — and tried to fall down short of the end zone. That would have kept the Patriots from having substantial time to mount a comeback of their own.

But his momentum carried him into the end zone, the 6-yard touchdown run giving the Giants a 4-point lead with 57 seconds left. The Giants’ sideline did not even celebrate because the players knew that meant: Brady had nearly a minute and one timeout to score a touchdown.

But the Giants’ defense, maligned early in the season, had pulled itself together for critical victories in the final weeks of the regular season against the Jets and Cowboys, then for the playoff run. And starting with 57 seconds remaining, they thwarted Brady one last time, forcing incompletions and sacks and finally an incomplete pass in the end zone as the final second ticked away.

Manning, who completed 30 of 40 passes for 296 yards and a touchdown, was named the game’s most valuable player for the second time.

The Patriots’ offense suffered with the star tight end Rob Gronkowski seemingly at less than full strength after injuring his left ankle in the A.F.C. championship game two weeks ago. Brady was 27 of 41 for 276 yards and 2 touchdowns and an interception. Gronkowski, who had the most productive season by a tight end in N.F.L. history, was held to two catches for 26 yards.

The Giants dominated most of the first two quarters, looking sharper and more focused than the gaffe-laden Patriots. But it was one critical decision — to play prevent defense on the Patriots’ final drive of the half — that cost the Giants a lead they had constructed on the back of those Patriots errors and their own stout defense.

The Giants held a 9-3 lead late in the second quarter, helped by a safety on the Patriots’ first offensive play of the game. Taking over after a Giants punt on their opening series, Brady, under pressure in the end zone by Justin Tuck, threw the ball deep downfield, with no receiver near the ball. He was called for intentional grounding, worth a safety and the game’s first 2 points. It was just the sixth safety in Super Bowl history, but the first mistake in a cascade of New England lapses.

When the Giants got the ball back, the Patriots were penalized for having 12 men on the field, negating a fumble by Giants receiver Victor Cruz. Two plays later, Manning rifled a 2-yard pass to Cruz in the end zone just as Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo hurtled past the play, failing to break it up. That gave the Giants a 9-0 lead that seemed greater than it was.

When the Patriots finally got the ball back — for just their second play, with 3:24 remaining in the first quarter — they drove deep into Giants territory. But Jason Pierre-Paul, the fearsome defensive lineman with a wingspan seemingly as wide as the field, batted down a Brady pass on third-and-4 from the 11, forcing the Patriots to settle for a 29-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski.

But it was a mistake by the Giants that ended another drive. With Manning driving them again with less than five minutes to play in the second quarter, guard Kevin Boothe was called for holding the Patriots’ mammoth defensive tackle, Vince Wilfork, negating a 10-yard gain on third-and-1 and effectively ending the drive.

That put the ball in Brady’s hands with 4:03 left before halftime. The Patriots deferred the opening kickoff the way they usually do because they crave the opportunity to double up an opponent: to score on the final drive of the first half, then again on the first drive of the second.

In this case, the Patriots got a significant assist from the Giants, who decided to play deep, taking away the big play but allowing an accurate Brady to chew up the field. The Patriots’ drive began on the Giants’ 4, and was pushed back another 2 yards on a holding call.

With Brady unleashing quick pass after quick pass to nullify the Giants’ pass rush — the safety was the only significant pressure of the first half — he shredded the defense, completing 10 of 10 attempts for 98 yards. A 4-yard touchdown pass to Danny Woodhead with eight seconds remaining was a gut punch, a reminder that the Patriots are rarely out of a game, no matter how poorly they start, as long as Brady is on the field.

Then, Belichick’s strategy worked perfectly when the Patriots went on a surgical 79-yard touchdown drive to open the second half.

Throughout, the Giants had no pressure on Brady. After Brady completed a 12-yard scoring pass to Aaron Hernandez that put the Patriots ahead, 17-9, he tapped the MHK patch on his jersey and pointed to the heavens, a revealing reminder that Brady and the Patriots were playing the season in memory of Myra Kraft, the wife of the team’s owner, Robert K. Kraft. Myra Kraft died last summer after a long struggle with cancer just as the lockout ended.

The Patriots’ defense was maligned all season, ranking 31st in the league in yards allowed, but it was merely in the middle of the pack in points allowed, the barometer that coaches care most about. When the Giants got the ball again, the Patriots proved why scoring defense is more critical.

The Giants drove down the field, but they could not finish the drive, settling for a 38-yard Lawrence Tynes field goal that barely sneaked inside the left upright.

The Patriots’ lead then was 17-12, but it felt as if the Patriots and Brady had taken over the game. Brady completed 16 passes in a row, a Super Bowl record. And even when the Giants finally put pressure on him again — their first sack of the game came with 5:40 remaining in the third quarter — they could not capitalize.

The Patriots’ defense held again, this time on a Giants drive that started with their best field position, at the New England 48. The Giants managed another field goal, this one from 33 yards, allowing the Patriots to hold on to a 17-15 lead going into the fourth quarter. And just as it was four years ago, the fourth quarter decided the game, and defined the legacies of Tom Coughlin, Eli Manning and the Giants.