Alva Walmart Hosts Winter Blood Drive January 7

Alva Walmart is starting off the new year by saving lives through blood donation with Oklahoma Blood Institute (OBI).
All healthy adults, 16 and older* are encouraged to donate blood 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., Friday, January 7, at 914 E. Oklahoma Boulevard.
Blood donors at the Alva Walmart blood drive will receive a pair of OBI fleece gloves and free health screenings.
“With the start of a new year and unanticipated weather, blood donations typically decline in the winter months,” said John Armitage, Oklahoma Blood Institute president and CEO. “But the need for blood is constant, and patients in our community count on volunteer donors to fulfill that need.”
All OBI donors are also encouraged to download OBI’s free iPhone app. With the GiVE BLOOD app, donors can count down until their next donation, find the nearest OBI blood donation location and make an appointment. All donors who show they have downloaded the GiVE BLOOD app will receive a free iPhone cover.
Read More: Alva Walmart Hosts Winter Blood Drive January 7

Walmart 2011 New Years Day Sales And 2010 Year End Clearance Deals

Walmart 2011 New Years Day Sales: Walmart among many other retailers has lots of clearance items for sale at their website. There are online sales as well as in store sales geared to kickstart New Year’s Day 2011 and for 2010 year ending clearance sales. Sales around this time of year are designed to move out all the old and begin
Walmart 2011 New Years Day Sales And 2010 Year End Clearance Deals 

Jackson Hewitt Tax Service to operate in 10 percent more Walmart stores for 2011 tax season

PARSIPPANY, N.J. (AP) - Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. said Thursday it will operate in more than 2,000 Walmart stores in the U.S. during next year's tax season, an increase of about 10 percent from this year.
In the 2010 tax season, the tax-preparation company offered its services at kiosks in about 1,800 Walmart stores.
Jackson Hewitt shares slipped 4 cents to $2.23 in aftermarket trading following its announcement after sliding a penny to $2.27 during the regular session
Read More: Jackson Hewitt Tax Service to operate in 10 percent more Walmart stores for 2011 tax season

Happy New Year...with Seacrest in NYC! Dazzliing Vegas-style soirees!

Holly Madison & a drinkie-pooh!

While MySpace pal Ryan Seacrest excitedly rehearses for Dick Clark's wildly extravagant annual New Year's bash to unfold tonight (where one million strong are expected to trek into the "Big Apple" in NYC to toast the town) - a host of party-hearty midnight-madness revellers - are pondering where to ring 2011 in (even in the 11th hour).

Without doubt - a posse of 'em will brave the elements as they ceremoniously join in on the much-anticipated fun-filled "count-down" (naked so-to-speak) in the packed mean streets of Manhattan.

Elsewhere - in the desert Oasis - 'neath twinkling stars or stormy romantic backdrop - the madding crowds in Vegas will be toasting each other, kissing the air cheek-to-cheek, and bidding adieu to economic blues just about behind 'em.

Of course, it's a no-brainer in another respect, too.

Thousands of chic gamblers will be elegantly dressed to-the-nines - as they engage in a glorious search for an upbeat indoor soiree - guaranteed to elevate the mood and ring in Lady Luck!

The tony well-heeled elite may be trotting into a couple of the high-profile destinations listed below where charismatic hosts will be presiding over the festive proceedings:

NIGHTCLUBS

*Kim Kardashian
   TAO

*B.o.B. & Bruno Mars
   JET

*Holly Madison
   LAVO

*Rihanna
   PURE

*Diddy
   LAX

*Paul Okenfold
   RAIN

EXCLUSIVE DINING PACKAGES

*Fix
   Bellagio Hotel

*Stack
   Mirage Hotel

*Union
   Aria Hotel

*Yellowtail
   Bellagio

Ryan DJ baby & Clark the chart-tracker !



http://www.thetattler.biz

Coupons for Walmart, and other advice from Coupon Mom

Coupon Mom seems to be the new marketing buzzword and character for 2011, as the last sunset shines its final purple hues on a recession-ridden 2010; coupons for Walmart are one of the hottest items promoted this year, and folks are lining up to get in on last minute after Christmas sales with the retail giant. The “Mom” in question, an economy-fighting spirited activist for “economical shopping”, is herself a mother.

Coupons for Walmart are just one of the various cost-saving methods propounded by Coupon Mom, or Stephanie Nelson to many, and she’s been doing this ever since 2004, when the recession hadn’t even been thought of.
Read More: Coupons for Walmart, and other advice from Coupon Mom

Coupon Clipping Services Go Extreme, Reality TV

TLC’s new special “Extreme Couponing”, has the world abuzz and alert. The show featured four people who demonstrated the ultimate acts of frugality, saving literally hundreds of dollars just by using coupons.
One question most viewers had was “where do they get all those coupons?” During the show, the “Coupon Mom”, Stephanie Nelson, explained several ways to obtain masses coupons for all types of products. Using a coupon clipping service was among her suggestions.
Read More: Coupon Clipping Services Go Extreme, Reality TV

New Years Eve 2011: More New Years Quotes Funny Greetings and Wishes

New Years Eve 2011: More New Years Quotes Funny Greetings and Wishes - For us, the New Year is one of the most celebrated occasion in the whole world. Different festivity, fireworks shows and even street parties happen in every country. Apparently, the start of the New Year 2011countdown has began and the coming year is always full of hope. Everyone believes that anything is possible with the fresh starts.
As expected around the world, people will not miss to send special Inspirational New Year quotes to their families, loved ones and friends during the New Year Eve of 2011. And as part of these tradition that people will exchange New Year Quotes, Wishes and Greetings in cellphones, facebook, friendster and in other social networking sites, it will definitely bring joy and happiness to the person who will receive that New Year Messages or Quotes.
Read More; New Years Eve 2011: More New Years Quotes Funny Greetings and Wishes

Sydney's skyline explodes for New Year

Sydney promised a New Year's Eve party better than any since the 2000 Olympics.
Judging by the crowd's reaction, the city delivered in dazzling fashion.
"Stunning, beautiful," said Cinthya Romo, 32, a Sydney-based interpreter from Chile, as she looked skyward from the Opera House forecourt.
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"Sydney's best show yet," remarked taxi driver George Stamp, who sacrificed a bumper payday to enjoy the show with his children and 1.5 million others.
As the clock ticked midnight the familiar rumble-and-bang of fireworks sounded and streams of incandescent colour shot into the heavens, illuminating the city.
A pulsing X on the Sydney Harbour Bridge reflected the Make Your Mark theme, replaced by a gold hand - the feature of the extravaganza.
Read More: Sydney's skyline explodes for New Year

"This is Christmas?"

That's the title of this interesting post by my son, Phil.

inspirational New Years Quotes: Draw Inspiration From Oprah, Ben Franklin, Others

The start of the new year is always a hopeful time – you feel that anything is possible with this fresh start. Here are some inspirational new years quotes from celebrities both current and ancient to help you begin your new year with your beloved family on a super-positive note, including some wisdom from that master motivator, Oprah Winfrey. Happy new year!
The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul. — G. K. Chesterton
The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul. — G. K. Chesterton
Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. — Benjamin Franklin
Glory to God in highest heaven,//Who unto man His Son hath given;//While angels sing with tender mirth,//A glad new year to all the earth. — Martin Luther
Read More: :nspirational New Years Quotes: Draw Inspiration From Oprah, Ben Franklin, Others

Bill Simmons in OKC: But what does it mean?!

UU.S online news:  So Bill Simmons showed up at the Thunder-Nets game Wednesday in Oklahoma City. For those of us, myself included, who enjoy Simmons’ columns and podcasts but also want him to fully embrace the Thunder, a reaction of maybe 10 percent of the intensity of the Double Rainbow Guy swept over us.
Why was Simmons here? What did his presence mean? Why does it matter to me and people like me that he was at the Thunder game, and what he thinks about the team and city?
Simmons is the most popular sports columnist in the U.S., and by extension the world. (I’d be surprised for various reasons if China and India, the only two countries more populous than the U.S., have sports columnists as widely read as Simmons.) I suspect that it’s not even close. That also makes him the most polarizing, thanks to the combined natures of sportswriting and popularity.
Read More: Bill Simmons in OKC: But what does it mean

Grace AND Truth

Scott Hoezee on Sunday's Old Testament lesson, Jeremiah 31:7-14:

Curiously, in the Revised Common Lectionary this Old Testament passage is paired in the gospels with John 1:10-18, which includes the verse about how when the Word of God was made flesh, he came to this world “full of grace and truth.”  As noted in the set of sermon starters on that passage, we rarely find that tenacious combination of grace AND truth on display in other people (or even in our own selves).   In our “Either/Or” mentality we too often opt to be either gracious (and so we bend or elide the truth) or we tend to be truthful (even if telling the truth or standing up for the truth leads to behavior that is downright ungracious). 

Similarly in Jeremiah 31: we have a hard time believing that the same prophet who had been hammering away in judgment against the people of Judah could also—and pretty much at the same time—point forward hopefully to a day of promised blessings even greater than what the people had known before.  What may be even more striking is the idea that somehow the blessings of all that restoration would emerge from the midst of all the sorrows Jeremiah had been talking about all along.  In fact, this lection stops one verse short of the well-known verse about Rachel weeping at Ramah for her lost children.  Jeremiah does not deny for one moment the presence of weeping and sorrow in this world but somehow knows that if a word of restoration and hope is going to be spoken at all, it needs to be spoken into precisely those contexts of raw and jagged realities.

New Year's Eve disaster - Tornado strikes Arkansas killing three

The small town of Cincinnati, Arkansas was ground zero for a New Year's Eve disaster early this morning when severe weather struck.  At least one tornado moved through the northwest corner of the state killing three people.

The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management reported damage across three counties.  In Madison and Benton county damage to structures was reported and two injuries were sustained.  Highway 16 in Benton County is closed after power lines and trees fell across the roadway.
Cincinnati, in Washington County, saw the worst from the storm.  Three fatalities with extensive damage and power outages were reported.  The town's fire station was heavily damaged and collapsed on top of the fire engines.
Read More: New Year's Eve disaster - Tornado strikes Arkansas killing three

New Years Eve 2011 at Times Square and New Years Eve Celebration Around the Globe

Happy New Year in English, feliz año nuevo in Spanish, heureuse nouvelle année in French and Akemashite omedetōgozaimasu in Japanese. All of us is very excited in this coming new year 2011. I have some information to you, January 1, 2011 is “1-1-11″ Four 1′s. Is it great? On other hand I’m here to bring you some New Years Eve 2011 highlights on Time Square at New York and...
Read More: New Years Eve 2011 at Times Square and New Years Eve Celebration Around the Globe

Activist and artist Robin Rothrock, founder of Shreveport's Hope Clinic, is dead of cancer at age 60

Robin Rothrock's Backroom Gallery, Shreveport
Originally uploaded by trudeau

During her 25 years in Shreveport very few people knew where the late Robin Rothrock lived. Because she was manager of Hope Medical Group for Women, an abortion clinic, she was constantly subject to harassment. Though her nature was to be outgoing and generous, she had to guard her privacy.

Rothrock was a leader in the perennial struggle to keep abortion available in the region. According to a generously honorary article in the Times, her clinic was "at one time was the only abortion provider in a 400-mile area between Dallas and Jackson, Miss."

Opening the clinic in 1980, Rothrock became a steady visitor to Baton Rouge for lobbying. With a background in sociology from her home state of Florida, she was an articulate and passionate voice for women's rights.

Rothrock, a woman quick to smile and one able to spar with geniality, was well-traveled among the leading businessmen, politicians and physicians of Shreveport and the state of Louisiana. She enjoyed debate and challenges and felt that full extensions of women's rights, even in ill-educated Louisiana, was inevitable.

"She has stuck with the effort to provide abortion care through thick and thin: clinic assaults, fire bombs, protesters, and state regulations aimed at reducing access to abortion care," wrote Pearl Serbanic in nominating Rothrock for a Woman's Health Hero award.

In recent years she became a successful artist, displaying and selling visual art at one time from her Backroom Gallery in the Arodasi Center on Market St. Her art was included in shows at Artspace Shreveport and Bistineau Gallery and displayed at Prima Tazza and Bella Fresca.

She founded Highway Grrls Gallery & Studio near her home in Melbourne, Florida.

"Rothrock was president of the League of Women Voters of Louisiana in the 1980s," wrote the Times."She remained politically active despite a four-year battle against breast cancer."


See a descriptive article on Shreveport and Rothrock in Mother Jones magazine.

New Year Quotes 2011, new years wishes greetings

New Year Quotes 2010, new years wishes greetings
Millions of people also around the world are expected to have an exchange message of Happy New Year 2011 quotes, greetings, wishes, saying and funny messages. Start collecting your New Year’s sms messages now and start sending them to your friends and families to greet them in advance or during the countdown celebration in Time Square
New Year's Resolution: To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time." ~James Agate quotes
Read more: New Year Quotes 2011, new years wishes greetings

Juliet Huddy

Juliet Huddy, O’Reilly played a video report of a woman Lindenhurst, Long Island, which is named Mary Groth annually to more than 32,000 lights and ornaments that, according to journalist Andrea day, is used to “raise funds for local charities and bring a little Christmas cheer in Lindenhurst.”
But in what was described as a “holiday crackdown,” Groth received two citations: one is “because the decorations … are the property of the village. The other is for electrical work without a permit.
Read More:: Juliet Huddy

Walmart 2011 New Years Day Sales And 2010 Year End Clearance Deals

Walmart 2011 New Years Day Sales: Walmart among many other retailers has lots of clearance items for sale at their website. There are online sales as well as in store sales geared to kickstart New Year’s Day 2011 and for 2010 year ending clearance sales. Sales around this time of year are designed to move out all the old and begin

Walmart among many other retailers has lots of clearance items for sale at their website. There are online sales as well as in store sales geared to kickstart New Year’s Day 2011 and for 2010 year ending clearance sales. Sales around this time of year are designed to move out all the old and begin the new year off with a lot of new merchandise.
Read more: Walmart 2011 New Years Day Sales And 2010 Year End Clearance Deals

Us Online News: Coupons for Walmart and new years eve 2011 sales

Us Online News: Coupons for Walmart and new years eve 2011 sales

Coupons for Walmart and new years eve 2011 sales

Coupon Mom is the most heard and watched TV icon across the crisis hit American households. People give every eye and ear to Stephanie Nelson’s advices while they watched Oprah Winfrey too lazily. Yes, Coupon Mom is the popular marketing guru of modern recession era. Nelson tout her fellow countrymen how to save dollars even from a Black Friday list of deals.
Nelson, a graduate in finance has already attracted millions of Americans since2004. Her role as a Coupon Mom had helped them to make their shopping economical. Coupon Mom’s advice covered groceries, restaurants, online shopping, gifts, and entertainment.
Read more: Coupons for Walmart and new years eve 2011 sales

Walmart 2011 New Years Eve store hours: What time does Walmart close?

Is Walmart open on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day 2011? Holiday hours vary with some locations closing early, but most stores are open regular hours if you need last minute party supplies. The majority of Walmart stores reopen at 7am on New Year's Day. Walmart's 24 hour Supercenters are open all night long, so you can ring in the new year there if you choose.
view full post: Walmart 2011 New Years Eve store hours: What time does Walmart close?

Outfits Recap

On this last day of the year I wanted to go back in time and recap all my outfit posts since I first started. You have all been incredibly gracefull and your comments about my Sunday Outfits, thank you! I'm not a style maven or an expert but I like to experiment in my way and the documentation of it has been a great exercise for me, thanks for allowing me to play with it.

Let's go then, travel in time.

*****

June

Love love the green Anthro cardigan, I make it go with anything and everything in my wardrobe and has been an absolute saviour, plus this was the first of many jeans+top+cardigan, my staple! The crab dress is a fave of mine but unfortunatelly didn´get to wear it much...

July

Dresses galore, woo hoo, I love this time of the year (even in London!) My absolute crush was the black long dress, that saw me going from morning to evening without a wink.

August

Short month! No outfit post for the 1st couple of weeks, due to the summer holidays breaks. The second post marked the start of my love affair with lace, oh big crush!

September

One of my favorite months, now that I go back in time I realise that I don´t love ALL of my past outfits but what can I say, I do love all of September´s. The long Anthro skirt is fun fun fun but unfortunately difficult to combine, ideas? And the jean shirt and skirt are my TO-GO outfit for all (ok, almost all occasions).

October

an in between month, while I love the denim skirts and the individual tops, I don´t love getting dressed for the rain hence the so so outfits...

November

Some of my faves again (denim skirt, checked shirt, blakc boots, tomatoe top...), and lots of colors especially considering it´s November!

December

Sparkles and lace, and snow! Last bright month of 2010.

that was a lot of Helena for 1 post I think! Thanks lovelies, it has been a great adventure! Have a great one tonight and a fantastic New Year. xoxo

Wal Mart Sales Deal Will Extend Through The New Year

 we’ve got all the brand-name electronics you’re looking for at Walmart.com. Our extensive electronics assortment includes DVD and Blu-ray players, GPS units, LCD HDTVs, netbooks and notebook computers. Plus, you’ll save a bundle with our electronics value bundles — get your choice of camera, iPod or computer bundled with a variety of electronics accessories. Best of all, you can purchase extended service plans — for extra peace of mind. Stock up on your favorite electronics brands, including Acer, Sony, HP and Apple — and save.
Read More: Wal Mart Sales Deal Will Extend Through The New Year

Music Reviews 10: MRAs 2010

This year has been the year of the pop, indeed. The frontwomen of pop music Katy Perry, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Ke$ha have been dominating the charts for the entire year, one after the other. This year saw many British acts enjoying continued success with the likes of The Wanted, The Saturdays, Cheryl Cole, Pixie Lott, Alexandra Burke and Matt Cardle amongst others having a truly great year.

The women of Country music have also put up a big fight, with Taylor Swift breaking more records with third multi-platinum album Speak Now, Carrie Underwood headlining an enormously successful Play On Tour, and Miranda Lambert sweeping up the awards this year.

Then there was the fad that Alicia Keys and Jay-Z started with Empire State of Mind with rappers including pop singers on their tracks, sparking Eminem's smash collaboration with Rihanna Love The Way You Lie, T.I. and Christina Aguilera's Castle Walls and the latest to join the fad, Far East Movement's Rocketeer with Ryan Tedder that's flying up the charts right now.

Glee was bigger than ever this year and truly made a mark on 2010 in music. But 2010 is just getting us prepared for the epicness of 2011, where we'll see the original ladies battle it out in 2011 - Britney Spears, Avril Lavigne, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson etc.

But we shouldn't forget the guys who shook up the industry this year with Bruno Mars leading the way, followed by the likes of Adam Lambert, Kris Allen, Train, Enrique Iglesias etc.

Suffice to say, 2010 was a great year in music and here are the list of winners for the MRAs 2010!

MRAs 2010:
The second annual MRAs saw you guys going on Twitter to spread the word about the MRAs, with Diana Vickers retweeting a tweet about the MRAs and Tamar Kaprelian going on Facebook to tell you guys to support her, and the support that the MRAs have gotten from you guys has been overwhelming.

Up first is Best Newcomer, and running away with a staggering last minute 40.37% of the votes is Lee DeWyze, nabbing the crown away from the previous frontrunner Diana Vickers who comes in second with 7, 745 votes, pushing We Are The Fallen to a respectable third place with 3, 969 votes cast for the rock group. Tamar Kaprelian came close with 1, 184 votes, firmly placing her in fourth while Ke$ha, Jason DeRulo, Emily Osment and Christina Perri finish fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth position respectively.


Winner of Best Newcomer: Lee DeWyze

For the Tour of the Year, Adam Lambert's fans had the Glam Nation Tour always at the front, and though Lambert's walked away with the title, Rihanna's fans have put in a sudden effort to try to push her Last Girl On Earth Tour to a second spot finish, with some 6, 055 votes cast. The original American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson was also on the road this year with the All I Ever Wanted Tour which has managed to grab bronze with 395 votes, pushing Leona Lewis who went on her debut headlining tour The Labyrinth Tour into fourth with the American Idol Season 9 Tour finishing in last.

Winner of Tour of the Year: Adam Lambert - Glam Nation Tour

For the Live Performance of the Year, Allison Iraheta nabs her second MRA with her performance of Don't Waste The Pretty with Orianthi on So You Think You Can Dance finishing in first with a solid 50.42% of the total votes cast. P!nk came close with her headline-grabbing performance at the Grammys with Glitter In The Air running away with 1, 689 votes. Cheryl Cole's stunning performance of Promise This live on The X Factor finishes in third with 398 votes, pushing Christina Aguilera's performance of Not Myself Tonight and Bionic at the MTV Movie Awards this year to fourth with Carrie Underwood at fifth with her performance of Undo It at the American Idol Season 9 Finale. Alexandra Burke follows in at sixth with her performance of Start Without You at A Concert For Heroes.

Winner of Live Performance of the Year: Allison Iraheta - Don't Waste The Pretty ft. Orianthi live at So You Think You Can Dance

As for Comeback Album of the Year, Katharine McPhee has won over our readers with her sophomore album Unbroken, getting 554 votes in total, leaving Christina Aguilera and Bionic to settle for second place. Pop princess Katy Perry falls short of two votes, falling into third place with her sophomore pop album Teenage Dream with 398 votes. Taylor Swift locks on to the fourth spot with Speak Now and 301 votes while Cheryl Cole's Messy Little Raindrops, Sara Bareilles' Kaleidoscope Heart and Fantasia's Back To Me follow in that order with 160, 147, 107 votes respectively.

Winner of Comeback Album of the Year: Katharine McPhee - Unbroken

Song of the Year sees Diana Vickers leading the way for almost the entire month, and is an easy win for The X Factor 2008 finalist, with a staggering 6, 242 votes cast, leaving its closest competitor Katy Perry's California Gurls in the dust with the latter gathering 472 votes. Another pop stomper by Rihanna, the international smash Only Girl (In The World) collects 235 votes, pushing Shakira's Loca into fourth place with 156 votes, trailed behind by Cheryl Cole's Promise This, Pixie Lott's Turn It Up, and last but not least, Aussie pop siren Jessica Mauboy's Get 'Em Girls.

Winner of Song of the Year: Diana Vickers - Once

As for Debut Album of the Year, Charice' self-titled international album wins by a clear mile with a staggering 61, 569 votes, leaving Diana Vickers to settle for second place with Songs From The Tainted Cherrytree with a remarkable 22, 464 votes. We Are The Fallen places in third with Tear The World Down collecting 4, 530 votes, trailed behind by Lee DeWyze with Live It Up which has gathered 3, 441 votes. In fifth, we have Emily Osment's debut album Fight or Flight with 1, 547 votes. Down the list we have Armenian-American singer/songwriter Tamar Kaprelian with Sinner or a Saint with 926 votes; Ke$ha's Animal with 286 votes, and Jason DeRulo's self-titled debut album with 85 votes.

Winner of Debut Album of the Year: Charice - Charice

Bajan pop star Rihanna lands the title of Album of the Year with 749 votes for her fifth studio album Loud while fellow pop megastar Katy Perry gets a silver with Teenage Dream collecting 421 votes. In third place is Taylor Swift with Speak Now gathering 283 votes. Country trio Lady Antebellum come in fourth Need You Now with 248 votes, trailed behind by Fantasia with Back To Me and Jessica Mauboy's Get 'Em Girls with 63 and 38 votes respectively.

Winner of Album of the Year: Rihanna - Loud

Kris Allen and Diana Vickers battle it out for Music Video of the Year with their videos for The Truth and My Wicked Heart respectively, with the former going for the gold with 26, 778, while Vickers loses by about 2, 000 votes with My Wicked Heart's 24, 904 votes. Nevertheless, both Vickers and Allen have got the rest of their competition way far behind, with the closest being Tamar Kaprelian with her video for New Day with 1, 660 votes. In fourth is Lady Gaga's collaboration with Beyonce with Telephone's 825 votes. Katy Perry's video for California Gurls land at the fifth spot with 215 votes, followed by Ke$ha's video for Take It Off, Cheryl Cole's Parachute, Christina Perri's Jar of Hearts and Alexandra Burke's All Night Long with Pitbull, getting 190, 175, 125, and 120 votes respectively.

Winner of Music Video of the Year: Kris Allen - The Truth ft. Pat Monahan

Bajan pop star Rihanna bags her second MRA this year for Artist of the Year, while Christina Aguilera and Katy Perry tie at second with 366 votes. In fourth is Country/Pop princess Taylor Swift with 296 votes, trailed behind by Carrie Underwood and Pixie Lott with 255 votes and 147 votes respectively.

Winner of Artist of the Year: Rihanna

Thank you to everyone who voted!

Google’s New Doodle: MMXI for the New Year

MMXI? What is Google’s Secret code in their new doodle logo? If you have tried to figure out what the mysterious google doodle is with no avail. Here is the answer for you! The image consists of ‘GMMXLE’, a code. But the image is googles way of ushering in the New Year.
Read More: Google’s New Doodle: MMXI for the New Year

Van Exel’s Son Arrested For Murder

Terribly sad news out of Dallas, TX, today. Nickey Van Exel, the son of former Cincinnati Bearcats and NBA player Nick Van Exel, has been arrested for murder.
The younger Van Exel, 20, confessed to killing his neighbor on Saturday and dumping the body less than a mile away in a lake. He is being held on $1 million bond. Van Exel claims he was playing with a shotgun when the weapon went off, he then panicked and moved the body.
Read More: Van Exel’s Son Arrested For Murder

Reading List

I went shopping today after dropping my boyfriend off at the station. He's spending NYE in London while I stay with family in Manchester, so after saying goodbye, I consoled myself with a bit of retail therapy. Urban Outfitters was crazy busy, but I found a quiet spot and had a flick through some of the books, and decided on my style reading list for 2011.

All the images are courtesy of amazon.co.uk where you can buy both of these stylish tomes.

Face Hunter
The Sartorialist

I love nothing more than looking through style and design books on a rainy weekend, so I am really excited to receive these when I return to London in January!

Join SciPort's Dragon Parade in the New Years at Noon celebration, on Fri, Dec 31, 10 am to 2 pm

SciPort's Dragon Parade, New Years at Noon
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Sci-Port: Louisiana’s Science Center, will host the annual New Year’s at Noon celebration on Friday, December 31, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

This year’s celebration highlights traditions from Imlek, which is the Chinese word for New Year and the name of the month-long preparation of the New Year for Indonesians, says Karen Wissing.

Activities will include: making noisemakers, dragon puppets and clock-face painting. The dragon puppets will be used later in the day during the Dragon Parade which will take place inside the Center at 2 p.m. There will be a countdown to “midnight” at Noon followed by a balloon drop off of the Center’s 2nd floor balcony inside, and Sci-Port’s President/CEO Ann Fumarolo will give a New Year salutation. A fireworks presentation in our SWEPCO Demonstration Theater showing the different salts and colors needed to create a firework will also be included.

The program is free with admission to the Center.

From September through February, Sci-Port’s hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday, Noon – 6 p.m.
For information regarding hours, IMAX showings or special programs, call (318) 424-3466, toll free at (877) 724-7678 or visit www.sciport.org.

Big News: What can you expect with HURTS' collaboration with Leona Lewis?

It was previously announced that Leona Lewis had begun work on her third studio album with a planned release in Summer 2011. Then the collaborations started filling in, and we saw Leona Lewis working with the man that has bought the great and the bad to her discography, Ryan Tedder. Nevertheless, another collaboration that surfaced was that Lewis was to work with David Guetta. I'm not too sold on that on as I think David Guetta produces the music to a point where there's barely any soul left in the vocal.

Nevertheless, the very recent collaboration that leaked through was one with British duo Hurts. It's interesting to see how this pans out because this could be groundbreaking.. Or not. Both are fans of each other's and Hurts have recently said they would like to turn Leona into a gothic diva. Hmmmm. Don't mind me asking, but hasn't Leona played the gothic card with her debut headlining The Labyrinth Tour?

But maybe she'll get darker and darker. Let's hope her next album doesn't suffer the same fate as Echo though, that felt way too overproduced that it just left me cold.

Source: HERE

Billboard Update

As expected, Bruno Mars collects his second solo #1 on the Hot 100 with Grenade overtaking Katy Perry's Firework which has slipped to #2 thanks to the Airplay Gainer Title. Meanwhile, Ke$ha rebounds up to #3 with We R Who We R riding out in its ninth week on the chart. Taylor Swift's slips a spot to #27 this week with Back To December. Christina Perri though, is headed in a different direction, moving up to #43 with Jar of Hearts this week. Selena Gomez & The Scene have returned with A Year Without Rain re-enters at #75 while Bruno Mars does the same with Marry You at #86.

Taylor Swift has taken over the Billboard 200 with Speak Now taking over top spot while Susan Boyle's The Gift falls to #2 while Glee's Christmas album reaches a new peak of #3. Katy Perry and Rihanna are staying strong over on the albums chart as well with Loud and Teenage Dream at #10 and #12 respectively. Bruno Mars rockets up to #20 with Doo-wops & Hooligans this week. Lee DeWyze falls to #125 this week with Live It Up. OneRepublic round out the chart with Waking Up re-entering at #200.

Top Shelf

Emily Weis has created a fab beauty blog called Into The Gloss and one of my favorite feautures (and I'm sure yours too) is the Top Shelf where stylish personalities share their beauty must haves and show us their beauty cabinets. Love checking these out and I always discover new to me products. The one I loved most was Jen Brill's, love that she loves Chanel. I think Chanel has the most wonderful packaging! And I love the Diptyque jar recycled, I use mine for my brushes too!

PS: I discovered Into the Gloss some time ago through A Lovely Being, thanks Fallon!

Abbey burns...

...but books and beer are saved. (And I thought Lutherans were the only Christians for whom these would be priority items.)

What I Want: A Wasted Life

This BBC report tells about one-man's fifty-year plus project, undertaken after being expelled from a monastery for contracting tuberculosis.

The story appealed to me in several ways. Justo Gallego, the builder of a church building made of junk, who has no training in art or architecture, wanted to glorify Christ even though he could no longer be a monk.

One can argue whether this not-yet-completed and extravagantly unnecessary structure does glorify Christ. Some might dismiss the whole thing, perhaps rightly, as an eyesore. Or, as a danger to any who walk in it or near it. (There have never been any architectural plans or inspections of any kind.)

But before dismissing Gallego's church structure, consider some of the things this fifty-year effort may tell us about the life of faith and about Christ Himself.

Fifty-plus years ago, massive vaccination against TB had not begun in so-called developed countries, though there were treatment facilities that had some success. My mother, just a few years younger than Gallego, contracted the disease and spent some time at the Franklin County Tuberculosis Sanitorium in Columbus, when she was young.

Maybe the monastery lacked the capacity to care for Gallego as the sanitorium did for my mom. But his dismissal will do as a metaphor for what the institutional church sometimes does with those it doesn't know how to handle.

I myself have often experienced the institutional church as an organization peopled by gatekeepers whose function seems to be to tell people, "No." No, your service is not needed. No, you can't try to get that ministry started. No, you can't ask people for money to build that building.

When I was the pastor of a start-up congregation in the Cincinnati area, at least four times, our fledgling church hit goals for membership, giving, and worship attendance we were told would bring us a loan from our denomination to build our first facility, only to be told, "No" every time. The last time occurred after we'd had a capital campaign that raised precisely what our denominational officials told us we needed to raise. Our building committee, flush with excitement over the successful campaign, was shot down on lift-off by the denominational official with whom we met. "If you think you're going to build a church now," he told us, "you're smoking something funny." He wasn't done. "You're not the first ones to make a mistake like this, folks," he told us. "I make many mistakes," I finally said, "but this was not a mistake. We did exactly what you told us to do and now, you're saying that we can't forge ahead."

That night, we decided to forgo the "No" of the gatekeepers and, with the empowerment of God, erected the church's first building unit...after fourteen years of worshiping in a school gym. We found commercial lenders more excited about what we were doing as a church than our own denominational gatekeepers were.

You can't stop glorifying Christ, the Way, and the Truth, and the Life, the lifeline to God almighty, just because people with institutional power say, "No." Justo Gallego has lived that truth!

And how about the practicality of Gallego's structure? Is it necessary? Certainly, there are other churches in the Madrid suburbs, where he's built this building. And, who's to say that a Mass will ever be said there?

If the building is extravagantly unnecessary, then it is in good company. You see, that's exactly how I think of God's love for the whole human race. Extravagantly unnecessary. Richly superfluous.

Often, when I discuss Genesis 3, which recounts the fall of Adam and Eve into sin, people get (understandably) hung up on questions like: Why did God allow the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or the serpent to be in the garden of Eden in the first place? Where did the serpent come from? Is the serpent the same as the devil?

They're all good questions which we might take up with God some day. But to me, the most baffling question is this: Why didn't God give up the whole idea of creation as a bad project right then and there?

His most beloved creatures--the only ones created in His image--turned on Him and so, consigned the whole creation to centuries of groaning under the weight of their sin.

When I was a kid, playing with clay, and didn't like what had become of my creation, I smashed it and maybe, I'd start over again or, likely as not, put it away and move onto the next thing.

God didn't move onto the next thing! He kept His focus. He keeps it still. For God only knows how many centuries, He has been focused on one thing: Bringing the lost home. Being reconciled to the rebel human race.

God hasn't done this by forcing our return or coercing a forced reconciliation. He's been patient. He let one group of people in on His plan so that they could be a light to the nations until the moment was right.

Then, the one light who is life to all people showed up to live among us. Of course, being human and thick of head and thick of heart, we didn't recognize the Light when we saw Him. God blanketed the human race and the whole universe, in fact, with His extravagant love and all we could think to do was kill it. So we did. On a bad Friday we now recognize as good, we killed the Giver of life.

But God wasn't done loving us yet. Christ, the Light of the world, rose from the dead. His love is available to all who dare to turn from sin and turn to Him in trust. God's extravagantly unnecessary love turns us from God's enemies to God's friends.

A final aspect of Gallego's story that appeals to me is junk: The entire structure is made of leavings, left-overs, junk. In the New Testament, the apostle Paul wrote a couple of letters to a first-century church in Corinth whose members had gotten full of themselves and were starting to do the Adam and Eve thing, rebelling against God's will. Paul said some interesting things to these folks. Among them:

Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

Hey, big britches, Paul was saying, the world considered you junk. God loved you anyway. Died for you. Rose for you. In Christ, God turned what the world calls junk into gold. Don't start acting like junk!

In another place, Paul, then being persecuted for sharing the love of Christ with others, tells the Corinthians about the treasure of God's love they carry in their bodies as baptized, believing Christians and says:

But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. (2 Corinthians 4:7-12)

If you don't understand everything in that passage, don't worry about it now. Take this away from it: God's extravagantly unnecessary love can come to live inside you, no matter how broken or filled with sin you may feel you are...or may actually be.

And here's the thing: God's love is a real extravagance. He's got plenty more where that came from. God's got so much love for us, in fact, that those of us who get it, can give it away and still not lose any of it.

When God's love comes to live in what the world calls "junk," the junk, like Justo Gallego's useless church building, can be a beautiful testimony to the greatness and grace of God. I want my life to be that kind of testimony.

There's a congregation in Denver, whose name I've mentioned before on this blog, a name I absolutely love. It's called The Scum of the Earth Church. It takes its name from more words from Paul's correspondence with the Corinthians, as translated in The New International Version (TNIV) of the Bible. It says:

To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment. (1 Corinthians 4:11-13)

The church web site explains:

WHY SCUM?

It doesn’t sound like a church name … on purpose. We really want to connect with people who have no interest in “church” by society’s definition. There are plenty of churches for “normal people” and we think we have a unique calling to reach out to our otherwise unreached friends. Our name is integral to that process. Whether outcast by society (e.g., punks, skaters, ravers, homeless people…) or by the church itself, many who come can identify with the name “Scum of the Earth” since they have been previously treated as such.

More important to us, however, the name implies that being people of faith does not mean we are better than anyone else. We know many non-Christians who think Christians are out to cast judgment on them. Our name makes it clear that we aren’t about that. We are just aware of our need for God, as Scum of the Earth. Fortunately, God never sees us like that! But the name is humble and we like that.

For all I know, Justo Gallego may be certifiably looney. He may have wasted the past fifty years. And Scum of the Earth Church may be a collection of crazy people.

But I want to waste my life glorifying Christ in whatever ways I can. I want to do it out of gratitude for the God Who "wasted" His extravagantly unnecessary love--His body, His blood, His grace--on me. I want to do it so that, in the end, none of that extravagantly unnecessary love is wasted, but accomplishes all it can do when God spends it on me...and you.