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Thanks for checking out my blog! I’ve recently upgraded to a new domain name… my blog can now be found at  http://alanessa.com/.

X-Games! Superpipe Super Stars

Wow! What incredible competition in both the Men’s and Women’s Superpipe Finals!

First, in the Men’s competition, Shaun White remained untouchable even after a horrific blow to his chin attempting a Double McTwist trick during a practice run less than an hour before the competition!

Yikes! You can almost feel the pain!

Some athletes (slated to compete in the upcoming Vancouver Olympics) may have opted out of this X-Games event after a slip up like that, just to play it safe…. There was no such thought process for Shaun White; he was determined to put the uncharacteristic fall behind him and hit the Superpipe competition full force!

He rode… and he dominated!

Can’t wait to see Shaun in Vancouver!

As far as the Women’s Superpipe, it was really a battle between two US boarders, Gretchen Bleiler and Kelly Clark! With Gretchen earning an impressive 96.66 on her second run Kelly came back with a solid third run leaving it in the hands of the judges to determine who would win gold. Aspen native, Gretchen Bleiler took home the gold, beating Kelly’s score by just .06th of a point! Awesome runs by two of our US Olympic boarders! In third place was another US rider, Hannah Teter!

Here’s a look at Gretchen’s winning run!

Can’t wait for the 2010 Winter Olympics! USA is looking strong in the Snowboarding category… Predictions?

The Roxy: Jason Reeves & Joe Brooks

The intimacy of The Roxy Theatre makes it a great venue for live music. Located along the famous Sunset Strip of Hollywood, this theatre boasts an impressive lineup of artistic talent and has been family owned since 1973.

Recently I went to see one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Jason Reeves at The Roxy and ended up discovering another amazing artist, Joe Brooks! What an incredible show full of heart and raw talent… not to mention their incredible guitar-playing.

Jason Reeves, a self-taught guitarist, moved out west to California on a mission to pursue a career as a musician. He’s already made his mark in the industry with his “The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache (And other Fighting Tales)” album. He’s also collaborated with Colbie Caillat whom he wrote and recorded my personal favorite song, “Droplets” with. At The Roxy, Jason focused on performing some of his new songs in addition to some older ones like, “When Life Was Good.”  I was fortunate enough to have the chance to meet Jason after his show at the Hotel Cafe and get an autographed copy of his not-yet-completed, “Patience for the Waiting (Special Edition EP)” cd. Luckily for me, Jason plays a fair amount of shows in the L.A. area so I look forward to having the chance to see him play again.

Following Jason Reeves was a newly signed artist (originally from the UK), Joe Brooks! I was blown away by his talent and stage presence; he really knew exactly how to engage a crowd! Starting his set with his own rendition of the Black-Eyed Peas’ “What a Feeling,” he really captured the audience. My favorite songs from his set were his upcoming single, “Superman” and his other new song, “Feel the Sunshine.” With his charismatic personality and musical talent, he definitely impressed me and I look forward to following his music. Now that he’s an LA resident (Sherman Oaks to be specific) I hope to see a lot more of Joe Brooks and can’t wait for his new album to be released

Definitely check out both of their fan pages on Facebook!

Jason Reeves Fan Page

Joe Brooks Fan Page

No Stoppin’ 20-1 Syracuse!

If I could only use one word to define the 2010 Syracuse men’s basketball team it would be: TEAMWORK. Working their way up the ranks (currently ranked #4 in the nation) this cohesive team could prove to be Jim Boeheim’s golden ticket to another championship!

After demolishing Georgetown 73-56 (after a rocky start) and witnessing Kentucky (the #1 ranked team) lose to un-ranked South Carolina in last night’s upset, it will be interesting to see where Syracuse ends up in the rankings. Syracuse currently boasts a 20-1 record… with their only loss of the season to #17 Pitt.

Last year, Syracuse credited super-star players Johnny Flynn and Eric Devendorf for their success in making it to the Sweet 16 last year. Although it’s hard to ignore the superstar power of Wesley Johnson and Andy Rautins, the Syracuse team as a whole stands out as a cohesive team whose athleticism and impeccable communication skills on the court makes them an unstoppable force. Oh and how could I fail to mention their mastery of Boeheim’s zone defense.

With an amazing starting lineup and a strong bench, this team might be the most well balanced team in the nation. Their on and off court chemistry is undeniable:

Senior guard Andy Rautins: “That takes all five guys being on the same page. It takes chemistry, verbal commitment, talking all the time, making adjustments on the fly, staying active and maintaining your energy.”

Iowa State transfer, Wes Johnson : “We’re all good friends, and we’re all a big strong family. And that carries over to the court.”

(USA Today: No.4 Syracuse rides teamwork, new star on path to 20-1 start)

This team is definitely making this Syracuse Alum proud! Go ‘Cuse! Don’t miss their next game on Saturday against DePaul and make sure to follow @SUOrangeEmpire for all the latest on the team.

Find Out What’s ‘In Store’

So maybe you just moved into a new apartment or simply feel like re-decorating your living space. Forget Ikea. The trick is to find pieces that are truly one-of-a-kind and most importantly, express your own personal style. If  you’re not sure where to begin, then you will really love this Vlog! In Store Designer introduces you to all the great local shops and gives you a crash course on interior design.

Hosted by Eric Meeks, this original content web series brings you inside the showrooms of Los Angeles’ premiere interior design stores. Not only do you get an exclusive glimpse inside these amazing stores, Eric also gets the inside scoop and creative insights from the designers themselves. After watching these different webesodes, you’ll be inspired to find your own unique interior design style.

Some of the local shops that have been featured on In Store Designer so far have included:

Craig Olsen

Vioski

Landon Cole

A + R

Silica Three

Most recently, Eric reveals what’s in store at Rehab Vintage:

Definitely follow the In Store Designer vlog to be in-the-know about all of the hottest interior design shops in L.A. You can become a fan of In Store Designer on Facebook to get all the latest updates and/or you can also subscribe to the In Store Designer channel on YouTube!

#STILLERSTRONG

STILLERSTRONG. The serious side of Ben Stiller? Yes. A charity established to support a serious cause but not without creativity, innovation and of course, humor. On a visit to Haiti last year, Ben witnessed the horrendous hardships and poverty that were prevalent in the region (even before the devestation of the earthquake) and decided to take action to help the children of Haiti by establishing STILLERSTRONG.

To create buzz and excitement for a cause very close to his heart, Ben used a bit of comedic creativity to launch a viral STILLERSTRONG movement. Through his use of social media outlets, Ben is successfully bringing together laughs and charity.

I’ll let Ben explain:

Even before the recent earthquake tragedy, Ben Stiller was serious about working with Save the Children foundation to better the lives of the children in Haiti by helping to bring clean water, food and quality education to the locals.

In light of the recent tragedy, Ben announced that all donations to STILLERSTRONG would be redirected to the emergency relief efforts in Haiti.

I just made my own donation to STILLERSTRONG and think if everyone can give a little, we can really help make a difference! It’s super easy to donate, check it out: Stillerstrong.org. Also, help spread the word about this great cause and show your support by tweeting #STILLERSTRONG.

Grooveshark!

It’s a simple and genius idea, Grooveshark is revolutionizing the music industry by changing how people find and listen to music and how artists monetize it. For years the music industry has been fighting music pirating and struggling to adapt to the undeniable shift to P2P music sharing. Grooveshark has found innovative ways to embrace the online sharing of music for the benefit of both music fans and musicians. Fans can stream full-length versions of their favorite songs on demand while musicians are getting their music heard, interacting and tracking feedback from fans.

Founded by two University of Florida graduates (both musicians), this free online music library gives you access to millions of full-length streaming songs on demand. You can search music, create playlists and even share songs with your friends. Grooveshark not only gives music fans a platform to listen to their music, they also work along with artists and labels to promote artists and increase music downloads by providing quick links to the iTunes store.

Grooveshark combines the search-ability of iTunes with the free live streaming music of online radio stations (like Pandora and Last FM). They even incorporate a Facebook-like social network where you can connect with friends! To top it off, an iPhone app is in the works so you can listen to your playlists on-the-go. Plus you can even create your own Grooveshark widget to add to your blog! (Check it out below)

Anyone else love Grooveshark? Follow me!

I’m With CoCo

I know I’m not the only one outraged by NBC’s pathetic line-up scramble in an effort to boost their sinking ratings. With #TeamConan as a trending topic on Twitter and Facebook groups dedicated to saving Conan’s time slot, maybe the NBC execs will reconsider?

Face it NBC… moving Leno back to 11:35 is not going to magically solve a much larger issue and losing the best asset you have, Conan O’Brien, will prove to be the biggest mistake. This destructive switch-a-roo will cost you those few loyal followers you did have and leave you wishing you had not made such an impulsive and diwn right self destructive decision.

Leno had his run at The Tonight Show and in fact he was set to retire— why does he get all the special treatment? He shouldve never been given the 10pm slot to begin with! Jay Leno is the one who needs to step down.

Although my heart breaks at the thought of Conan leaving The Tonight Show after less than a year…I respect his decision to resign. No one should be pushed around and taken advantage of like this. I hope that NBC pays dearly for the destruction of a great show. Let’s face it, they will not be able to replace Conan O’Brien!

O’Brien released a statement saying,

“So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction.” (Read the full text of the statement, complete with spicy Conan wit, here.)
On the bright side Conan will continue to be successful wherever he decides to take his career and be unconditionally supported by loyal fans. NBC on the other hand is accumulating enemies by the second. Good Luck.

Tweet For Charity (Social Media Pt. 2)

Tweeting for a charity is a becoming a noteworthy trend. It’s a great example of how companies are using social media’s powerful reach for a positive cause. What better way to spread awareness about a cause and help raise money with the simple tweet of a hashtag?

One example is the #BreastCancer hashtag. For each time that #BreastCancer is mentioned in a tweet, 1 cent is donated to cancer research. The beauty of this initiative is that you and I don’t even have to take out our checkbooks to help raise money for this cause. In this case, MillerCoors and ebay/PayPal pick up the donation tab in our name. (http://beatcancereverywhere.com/)

Another example of a charitable tweeting campaign was the #NoKidHungry hashtag initiative where Domino Sugar agreed to donate $1 (up to $5,000) to the Share Our Strength Organization for each mention of the #NoKidHungry hashtag to help fight childhood hunger in the USA!

With the help of influential tweeters (those with large followings) awareness is quickly spread about the causes and funds are raised. Companies who organize and fund these initiatives gain positive PR and more importantly, worthy causes receive the monetary benefit. It’s a win-win situation.

Just one example of how social media’s power can be used in a positive and fun way.

To be continued…

I Ride For Kevin

On December 31, professional snowboarder, Kevin Pearce sustained “severe traumatic brain injury” after catching his toe side edge on the landing of a cab double cork on the half pipe in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Kevin was in Utah practicing for the Olympic qualifier competition that he was set to compete in at Mammoth Mountain this week. With the Vancouver Winter Olympics only a month away, in February, Kevin will have to sit this one out and will be greatly missed by his fans. Yesterday Kevin’s condition was upgraded to “serious” after being in “critical condition” for days following the accident.

Kevin Pearce was born and raised in Vermont where he began boarding at the age of 5. Growing up with snow and mountains as his playground, Kevin quickly honed his skills and gained recognition among the snowboarding elite. He even beat Shaun White is the 2008 Burton European Open with this incredible run–>

With accomplishments like that and sponsorships from Burton Snowboards, Oakley, Volcom and Amp (just to name a few) you know he’s made it in the realm of snowboarding!

My thoughts and prayers go out to Kevin and his family. If you’d like to show your support for Kevin and wish him a speedy recovery, visit I Ride For Kevin.

Stay strong Kevin… see you on the slopes!