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Friday, January 31, 2014
It’s Super Bowl Sunday
If you’re anything like me, by now your head is overflowing with news and analysis on the Super Bowl and you’re just ready for the darn game to happen already. The growing variety of ESPN channels have gone through their yearly broadcasts of “Super Bowl Moments”, on repeat, while Joe Namath has already given his annual address on the state of the NFL. And then you have that growing joke of a press event known as Media Day. The outfits, the questions, seriously are these people for real?
One question directed at butt grabbing Seattle Seahawk Richard Sherman, what would he say to strippers? Seriously? Am I missing the connection this question has to the actual game?
Source: Blogspot.com / Sherman
Another one that I took personal enjoyment in hearing was the Joe Maddenesque question to Seattle Seahawks Pete Carroll, “Is this a must-win game?”
No, it’s not actually. We get to do this all over again on Sunday. Really? As a journalist I’m a bit embarrassed, but let’s be honest, some of these people likely snuck in. Or at least I hope so. Now, every sports analyst and writer out there has appeared to give their respective take on who will be victorious come Sunday, but none have really looked at the other side of the equation.
Who has more to lose?
Source Business Insider
On Sunday, the Denver Broncos will be playing in their seventh Super Bowl in franchise history. And if you ask fans, they’d very much like to forget about those first four Super Bowls, which the Broncos lost by an average of around 28 points. But then you had that glistening knight in shining armor, John Elway who led the team to back-to-back Super Bowl wins in 1998 and 1999. And then there was the dark age so to speak of lackluster performance, but then again another light (insert tasteful religious joke), Tim Tebow.
While short-lived, Tebow reignited the Broncos organization, even if only for a minute. And then you bring in the golden boy of the NFL, Peyton Manning. The man has broken every record possible he could this season. Heck, during the media day he had Richard Sherman (who was on his “I’m sorry tour”) even singing his praises.
So, you have the Broncos organization looking to improve that Super Bowl record and Peyton looking to cap off what seems to be the perfect season with the ultimate prize. And then you have the defensive powerhouse Seattle Seahawks, making their second Super Bowl appearance in the last 10 years. It’s a completely different team this time around, quarterback and coach. When hired, Pete Carrol said what anyone in his position would; I’m going to bring you all multiple Super Bowls.
Well, now’s your chance.
The Seahawks had the top ranking defense in the league and rightfully so. Against formidable opponents, no other team has given up less yardage or fewer points than the Seahawks. And then you have Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. Peyton has been to the Super Bowl three times, this will be Wilson’s first, but don’t for a second think this is an issue. Wilson has proved that while he is younger and less experienced then those quarterbacks he is put up against, he has a focus well beyond his age would suggest. So, Wilson needs to show he can lead his team into glory, the Seahawks defense want to prove they can take down the ultimate offense and Richard Sherman is hoping to give his team something bigger to talk about. A Super Bowl win.
So, again, who has more to lose here?
Come Sunday we’ll see the league’s best offense take on the best defense. The odds in Vegas are heavily in favor of the Broncos, essentially putting the Seahawks in the role of underdog. But in my opinion, this underdog has the best chance out of any previous teams in its position to shock the Broncos and Vegas.
POLL: So now, we ask you the people. Who do you think is winning Super Bowl XLVIII?
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Alex got Café Belga's Bart Vandaele to share his secret Belgian Frites recipe for SuperBowl! Muahahhahahah http://ift.tt/1ieZbf6
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With the news of Rep. Henry Waxman retiring, it has us remembering his Muppet Doppelganger, Rizzo! http://ift.tt/IT24yc
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Wednesday, January 29, 2014
A online petition to deport Justin Bieber breaks 100,000 names. White house says they'll respond. This could get interesting. http://ift.tt/1dSugG8
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The collection of GIFS from last night's State of the Union. http://ift.tt/1a1lggW
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Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Let's take a moment and thank the capitol police who will be on guard tonight in the freezing cold weather!
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There's still time! We're giving away tickets to That Awkward Moment screening tomorrow in Georgetown. Enter today! http://www.clotureclub.com/2014/01/that-awkward-moment-screening/
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Answering Who Are You? Part 2
By Arnie Thomas the Everyday Mentor
Last week we discussed step one for answering the question, “Who are you?” Yet, how and where do we start this vital self-examination? Campbell says, “It is within everybody to recognize values in his life that are not confined to maintenance of the body and economic concerns of the day.” Let’s look at some of my suggestions for answering the question. Remember, these are merely starting points.
1. Begin with meditation. Start with a few minutes a day and work up to more. When you are meditating you are focusing on you and not the thousand distractions that attack each day. Mediation is a learned skill and imperfect practice is totally accepted in the beginning. Enjoy the quiet time to discover you.
2. Go back in your life and take snapshots of moments when you were content. This is different than being highly excited or those life-changing moments. Take these brief snapshots and record them and then look at the commonalities. This is a hint to who you are!
3. We often discover who we are by practicing healthy giving and serving others. Start volunteering and the more you reach outside yourself, the more you will find yourself. When you get lost in the needs of others, you are in a time and space greater than yourself. Your ego could be your worst enemy in this search. The more you serve others the more the ego is lost.
4. Work with a mentor to help you on this quest. Often we need the guidance and the objectivity on a trusted other to get a clearer picture. Since it is difficult to be a prophet in your own land, I do not recommend someone close to you. Seek out a former boss you trust, a coworker you trust, a professional group contact, the Everyday Mentor or reach out to friends for suggestions.
5. Stop numbing yourself to excess. Sometimes we numb ourselves so much that we numb who we are. Pills, alcohol, drugs, always being right, and more are ways to escape from our discomfort and our self-discoveries. The journey to find who we are is not always an easy journey but it is a rewarding one. Be awake to this journey.
I have a client who came to me over a year ago and was unhappy and unsatisfied mentally and emotionally in her job. In the last year, she worked hard to discover who she was and now she is in a different job, happier, and on a journey toward making a difference.
Since you were born perfect as you are to complete your purpose, the real “who you are” is someone very special and has a tremendous force to make a difference. Be curious to who that is and do the vigilant work to fight the machine to uncover your “self.” I said previously that the knock at the door rarely comes. I will rephrase that to say that it may be knocking but only if you know who you are will you ever really hear it.
The post Answering Who Are You? Part 2 appeared first on ClotureClub.com.
It's Caption Tuesday and almost time for the Annual State of the Union Address! I don't suggest you start drinking now, but get ready to drink tonight if Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee hugs President Obama. Check out the other SOTU drinking game rules below! http://ift.tt/1jESIKS
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Monday, January 27, 2014
We giving away 100+ screening tickets to Labor Day Movie and That Awkward Moment this week! Enter for free! http://ift.tt/1f2uFUD
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60% of District residents oppose Mayor Grey's plan for the new D.C. United stadium. What do you think? http://ift.tt/KZqzSb
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Sunday, January 26, 2014
Panorama of the West Lawn of the US Capitol Building. via Architect of the Capitol Source: http://bit.ly/1aYJa7Q
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Someone enjoyed ice skating in front of the Capitol this morning. http://ift.tt/L7HJ0H Reddit user (the5nowman)
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Friday, January 24, 2014
Coming Soon to a Wine Glass Near You
Word of the day: viticulturist. Use it in a sentence: “My viticulturist suggests this wine because of its exceptional grape varietal breeding.” Too pretentious? Don’t be jealous. You can have a viticulturist too! Or, at least chat with one of these grape farmers tomorrow night at Sips.
Sips, Saturday night from 7-10pm at the Newseum, is the kickoff event for the 6th Annual Sips and Suppers weekend, January 25-26. Suppers, on Sunday evening, will take place in over 30 residences and restaurants throughout the district, with celebrity chefs turning personal kitchens into gourmet masterpieces.
The events benefit DC Central Kitchen and Martha’s Table, fighting poverty throughout the city. Both are hosted by renowned celebrity chefs José Andrés, Joan Nathan and Alice Waters.
Credit: sipsandsuppers.org
Foodies, cocktail lovers and self-proclaimed wine connoisseurs, like me, unite! With over 60 chefs, brewers, mixologists, live music and my soon-to-be viticulturist friends serving up drinks and tasty dishes, brave the cold and join us!
More info and tickets can be found here!
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Meet Nigel. Your Friday puppy palate cleanser. You've worked so hard this week. Courtesy of @DohenyGOP
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We're raffling off 50 tickets to the Labor Day Movie screening next Thursday in Georgetown. Free entry! http://ift.tt/1eGHnYT
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Thursday, January 23, 2014
Somebody, anybody, please Photoshop this image into something! #HillaryPlanet
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Our 2014 State of the Union Drinking Game
Next week the President will address Congress in his annual State of the Union. A tradition that dates back to our Founding Fathers. It's only customary that we provide our on enhancement! Here is our 2014 State of the Union Drinking Game! We'll be live tweeting and calling out drinks so make sure you're following us.
Rules: Like any drinking game, 1 drink equates to a gulp. Some events require 2 drinks.
The post Our 2014 State of the Union Drinking Game appeared first on ClotureClub.com.
Next week the President will address Congress in his annual State of the Union. A tradition that dates back to our Founding Fathers. It's only customary that we provide our on enhancement! Here is our 2014 State of the Union Drinking Game! http://ift.tt/1jESIKS
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Our Interview With Vanessa Hudgens About Her New Film “Gimme Shelter”!
Since starring in Disney's High School Musical eight years ago, Vanessa Hudgens has turned her focus to roles any 25-year-old actor would be anxious to undertake. From last year's vastly underrated Spring Breakers, to the upcoming Gimme Shelter, Hudgens is setting herself up to have a long-lasting acting career and not just be a teenage star.
I hate that I even have to mention Hudgens' "transition" from Disney roles to her more recent characters, since it's not that she is making a huge effort to break from the Disney mold. In fact, she has actually been given the opportunity to leverage her early fame to take on the edgy, meatier roles, that would peak the interest of any actor. If I were in her shoes, I would also be looking for roles like this - characters that would help me showcase my talent.
In Hudgens' lastest film, Gimme Shelter (which is based on a true story), she is almost unrecognizable as Apple, a pregnant teenager with a family life so terrible, she inevitably has to live on the streets of New Jersey. When a priest (James Earl Jones) helps Apple find a bed in a shelter catered to other homeless, pregnant women like herself, her life is changed forever. To prepare for the role, Hudgens not only changed her appearance, gaining fifteen pounds and cutting her hair, she also spent several weeks living in the Several Sources Shelter from which the movie was based. After watching the movie, it's easy to see how much this preparation paid off.
Photo Credit: Evenpro.com
I had the opportunity to conduct a roundtable interview with the energetic Vanessa Hudgens, where we talked about her exotically painted fingernails, the insane cold in DC, and, of course, her new role in Gimme Shelter. I enjoyed hearing Hudgens talk about her transformation for this role, her butterfly tattoo, the fact she sent the script to Rosario Dawson (who plays her abusive mother), and the real women behind this true story (who also made cameo appearances in the film). Additionally, I made sure to ask Hudgens about the characteristics and mannerisms she gave to Apple (such as always eating really quickly and her different walk). Were there any others she wanted us to notice? I won't call this Hudgens' breakthrough role, since I think we already saw that in Spring Breakers; however, I will say, based on her bold performance in Gimme Shelter, I am excited to see what she has coming next!
Make sure to check out Gimme Shelter (directed by Ron Krauss) this Friday, January 24 in Washington, DC area theaters!
Vanessa Hudgens Interview
The post Our Interview With Vanessa Hudgens About Her New Film “Gimme Shelter”! appeared first on ClotureClub.com.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
This!... won the internet today: NBA Jam #FLOTUS dot GIF! http://ift.tt/1fVPa8X
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Snowball Fight at Dupont Circle Video
Everyone was anxiously awaiting the final announcement from Washington DC Snowball Fight Association if the Snowball Fight at Dupont Circle was happening or not. If you missed the event last night, here's a video! Did you catch our friend Ben Droz being interviewed?
This film was made by The GW Hatchet is an award winning editorially and financially independent student newspaper serving The George Washington University community
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Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Because you're all wondering, government will be delayed 2 hours tomorrow. No #Snowday :(
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Here's a round up of our favorite photos from today's #SnowDay. http://ift.tt/KBKGGs
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Oh it's on... Snowball Fight at Dupont tonight - 6:30pm. http://ift.tt/1fXlCI4
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We hope you're enjoying your #SnowDay. Jacqueline recently came up with 5 spiked drinks to keep you warm at home. Enjoy! http://ift.tt/18D4fqr
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Let's be honest, this is how we really read today's #SnowDay weather.
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Monday, January 20, 2014
Like your ex, it's about to get frigid! Everybody panic! http://ift.tt/KyDuu2
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Today, America celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday.
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We've been sharing a few Sports memes this morning. This one was our favorite. http://ift.tt/Ky5YUF
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Saturday, January 18, 2014
Smithsonian's Dinosaur hall to close in April. Get off the couch and go visit! http://ift.tt/Kaabyg
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Friday, January 17, 2014
Just a photo of Joe Biden in a Corvette. http://ift.tt/LgCmfg
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*GIVEAWAY*: Don't forget to sign up for our GIMME SHELTER screening raffle by the 3 PM today deadline TODAY! We have 15 pairs of tickets to give away to the screening next Tuesday (January 21) in Georgetown! http://www.clotureclub.com/2014/01/giveaway-15-pairs-tickets-gimme-shelter-starring-vanessa-hudgens/
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‘Jack Ryan’ is an Action Movie with Heart and Brains
“You’re not just an analyst anymore. You’re operational now.” So states Thomas Harper (Kevin Costner), a CIA officer in charge of young recruits in the new action feature Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. Ryan, a patriotic young officer whose view of the 9/11 attacks— while he was studying economics in England— pushed him into serving this country is the recipient of Harper’s remarks. This story focuses on Ryan’s first mission as an operative and it pits him against a monstrous Russian named Viktor Cherevin (Kenneth Branagh).
Photo Credit: Movies.Yahoo.com
Ryan, of course, is the same character depicted in The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger and The Sum of All Fears. Here, we see him as a fresh recruit as he takes a position at an investment firm, not knowing exactly where it will lead. Ryan was chosen to join the agency after he saved two fellow soldiers during war but his economics background surely helps him in his current position.
After finding that some Russian investments are being hidden from his firm, Ryan travels overseas to confront Cherevin, one of the company’s trading partners whose dealings with his company are particularly shady. Unaware that her fiancé is undercover, Ryan’s worried fiance Cathy (played by a well-utilized Keira Knightley) abruptly arrives in Russia, believing that Ryan’s secretive behavior belies the fact that he’s having an affair.
Photo Credit: ContactMusic.com
From its beginning (from the 9/11 attacks to the war zone overseas), Shadow Recruit plays as an origin story so those unfamiliar with the famous Tom Clancy character won’t need to see the previous films to understand this one. Pine plays the character here as a vulnerable analyst who doesn’t realize how intense his position would be. (I thought this was a desk job, he says at one point).
When he’s called upon to kill his first target (a man who fires the first shot), Ryan doesn’t hesitate to defend himself but he’s more hesitant after the battle is won. He’s killed a man and doesn’t know what to do with that fact. Harper reassures him and their conversation about the ordeal stands out in a story that seldom makes light of how a CIA operative’s job can personally affect them.
Photo Credit: TheWrap.com
Throughout the entire proceedings, Ryan is never presented as an action hero— negligent to the violence he sees or unaware of the stakes involved— and he always maintains that naïve attitude about what he’s up against. That real character development, established early on, helps make the action sequences that transpire later that much more powerful. When the flirtatious Cathy is kidnapped by the scenery-chewing Cherevin, Ryan’s worries feel heartfelt and it’s difficult not to see how much he loves her in those anxiety-driven scenes.
Shadow Recruit does face a few serious questions along the way. How did the CIA know that this investment job would lead to this grand villain? Why, in one late scene, is Ryan the only one who seems to be picking up on all of the clues in figuring out the location of a planned terror attack? Why do super-villains have sparse offices with nearly nothing on their desks?
Fortunately, these questions never undercut this story too much and the character development here combined with a terror plot that actually makes sense (and is sadly realistic) help make this the first great action pic of the new year.
My review: B+
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit Trailer
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Thursday, January 16, 2014
Asking Who Are You? Part 1
By Arnie Thomas the Everyday Mentor
Many of my clients have come to me because they are undecided about what life's journey they want to take. Most are afraid they will select the wrong one, so they wait for it to knock at their door. But that knock rarely comes and too many jump on a journey that is not them, which they regret years later. They jump on a journey that isn’t them because they haven’t answered the question made famous to my generation by The Who and to a younger generation by the show CSI: “Who are you?”
The “Who are you?” question is very important for each of us to ask and answer. This week, we will focus on asking this question and next week attempt to answer it. In The Power of Myth Joseph Campbell quotes the Thirteenth Century Ques del Saint Graal “of living the life that is potential in you and was never in anyone else as a possibility.” I interpret it to mean that each of us possess uniqueness and must practice “who we are” to reach our purpose. I recently attended two speeches, one toward the University of Georgia graduates and one to the Running Start fellows, and they both stressed the importance of first questioning who we are because if we do not know who we are, how will we choose the path to fulfillment and happiness?
Often we think we know who we aren't before we know who we are. We know if something doesn't feel right or we are intuitively afraid to do something or we know when we are not going to be successful at something. Be careful here because if you haven't done the real work to discover you, your reality may be false and these negative feelings can be more a part of our machine that we have created as a by-product of incorrect childhood perceptions. Often our machine fights our discovery of who we are.
Also be careful not to define yourself as what you do. You are not a Hill staffer or a lawyer or a lobbyist: you are deeper than that. These titles are merely clothing that you wear to practice and experience who we are. I had a client who thought she was a lawyer and then one day she didn't want to be a lawyer anymore and was totally lost. She confused her label with who she was and couldn't be who she really was as an attorney. Every so often I go through my closet and look at my clothes and wonder how could I have bought a garment that no longer is “me?” The same applies with our professional life. We should periodically go through our closets, both physical and metaphorical, and make sure what we are wearing is still “us.”
Also don't confuse your current brand with who you are. Most personal brands are not created with a great deal of honest thought and are often mislabeled misperceptions of you by others that are sometimes encouraged by your own actions. Peter Arnell in Shift said, “To rebrand yourself, to make a major change in your career or your life, start by distilling who you are down to its essence.” Also don't define yourself by your successes or failures. Successes are temporary and a mistake made into failure is only drama.
Next week, we will talk about some suggestions for starting to figure out who are you? Because, I really wanna know!
The post Asking Who Are You? Part 1 appeared first on ClotureClub.com.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
There are still tickets left! Come join some of Washington's most knowledgeable sources for career advice with experts in the field! http://ift.tt/1lGIwU4
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Tuesday, January 14, 2014
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