Jeet Kune Do secrets and methods

Posted in Sports on Jan 18th, 2008 | 0 comments

The Jeet Kune Do Portal at the Martial Arts DatabaseJeet Kune Do (Chinese: 截拳道 Cantonese: Jitkyùndou Pinyin: Jiéquándào, lit. “Way of the Intercepting Fist”), also Jeet Kun Do or JKD, is a martial arts system developed by martial artist and actor Bruce Lee. In 2004, the Bruce Lee Foundation decided to use the name Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do to refer to the martial arts system that Lee founded. “Jun Fan” was Lee’s Chinese given name, so the literal translation is “Bruce Lee’s Way of the Intercepting Fist.”

Bruce Lee said:

“I have not invented a “new style,” composite, modified or otherwise that is set within distinct form as apart from “this” method or “that” method. On the contrary, I hope to free my followers from clinging to styles, patterns, or molds. Remember that Jeet Kune Do is merely a name used, a mirror in which to see “ourselves”. . . Jeet Kune Do is not an organized institution that one can be a member of. Either you understand or you don’t, and that is that. There is no mystery about my style.

My movements are simple, direct and non-classical. The extraordinary part of it lies in its simplicity. Every movement in Jeet Kune-Do is being so of itself. There is nothing artificial about it. I always believe that the easy way is the right way. Jeet Kune-Do is simply the direct expression of one’s feelings with the minimum of movements and energy. The closer to the true way of Kung Fu, the less wastage of expression there is. Finally, a Jeet Kune Do man who says Jeet Kune Do is exclusively Jeet Kune Do is simply not with it.

He is still hung up on his self-closing resistance, in this case anchored down to reactionary pattern, and naturally is still bound by another modified pattern and can move within its limits. He has not digested the simple fact that truth exists outside all molds; pattern and awareness is never exclusive. Again let me remind you Jeet Kune Do is just a name used, a boat to get one across, and once across it is to be discarded and not to be carried on one’s back.”

System: Jeet Kune Do (JKD) is the name Bruce Lee gave to his combat philosophy in 1967. Originally, when Lee first began researching various fighting styles, he gave his martial art his own name of Jun Fan Gung Fu. However not wanting to create another style that would share the limitations that all styles have, he instead gave us the process that created it. JKD as it survives today – if one wants to view it “refined” as a product, not a process – is what was left at the time of Bruce Lee’s death.

It is the result of the life-long martial arts development process Lee went through. Bruce Lee stated that his concept is not an “adding to” of more and more things on top of each other to form a system, but rather, a winnowing out.

The metaphor Lee borrowed from Chan Buddhism was of constantly filling a cup with water, and then emptying it, used for describing Lee’s philosophy of “casting off what is useless”. He also used the sculptor’s mentality of beginning with a lump of clay and hacking away at the “unessentials”; the end result was what he considered to be the bare combat essentials, or JKD.

Bruce Lee, and thus JKD was heavily influenced by European boxing and fencing. Although the backbone concepts (such as centerline, vertical punching, and forward pressure) come from Wing Chun, Lee stopped using the Wing Chun stances in favor of what he considered to be more fluid/flexible fencing and boxing stances. Lee stated that they allowed him to “flow” rather than being stuck in stances.

For instance, instead of using footwork to position the body for maximum fighting position vis-a-vis the opponent, JKD uses flowing “entries” that do not require “bridges” from Wing Chun. Bruce Lee wanted to create a martial art that was unbounded and free. Later during the development of Jeet Kune Do, he would expand that notion and include the art for personal development, not just to become a better fighter.

To illustrate Lee’s views, in a 1971 Black Belt Magazine article, Lee said “Let it beBruce Lee demonstrating a understood once and for all that I have NOT invented a new style, composite or modification. I have in no way set Jeet Kune Do within a distinct form governed by laws that distinguish it from ‘this’ style or ‘that’ method. On the contrary, I hope to free my comrades from bondage to styles, patterns and doctrines.”

While practicing European wrestling, Lee was once pinned by an opponent, who asked what Lee would do if he found himself in the situation in a real fight. Lee replied, “Well, I’d bite you, of course”. One of the theories of JKD is that a fighter should do whatever is necessary to defend himself, regardless of where the techniques used come from. Lee’s goal in Jeet Kune Do was to break down what he claimed were limiting factors in the training of the traditional styles, and seek a fighting thesis which he believed could only be found within the event of a fight. Jeet Kune Do is currently seen as the genesis of the modern state of hybrid martial arts.

Jeet Kune Do not only advocates the combination of aspects of different styles, it also can change many of those aspects that it adopts to suit the abilities of the practitioner. Additionally, JKD advocates that any practitioner be allowed to interpret techniques for themselves, and change them for their own purposes. For example, Lee almost always chose to put his power hand in the “lead,” with his weaker hand back, within this stance he used elements of Boxing, Fencing and Wing Chun. Just like fencing, he labeled this position the “On Guard” position. Lee incorporated this position into his JKD as he felt it provided the best overall mobility.

Lee felt that the dominant or strongest hand should be in the lead because it would perform a greater percentage of the work. Lee minimized the use of other stances except when circumstances warranted such actions. Although the On-Guard position is a good overall stance, it is by no means the only one. Lee acknowledged that there were times when other positions should be utilized.

Lee felt the dynamic property of JKD was what enabled its practitioners to adapt to the constant changes and fluctuations of live combat. Lee believed that these decisions should be done within the context of “real combat” and/or “all out sparring”. He believed that it was only in this environment that a person could actually deem a technique worthy of adoption.

Bruce Lee did not stress the memorization of solo training forms or “Kata”, as most traditional styles do in their beginning-level training. Lee often compared doing forms without an opponent to attempting to learn to swim on dry land. Lee believed that real combat was alive and dynamic. Circumstances in a fight change from millisecond to millisecond, and thus pre-arranged patterns and techniques are not adequate in dealing with such a changing situation. As an anecdote to this thinking, Lee once wrote an epitaph which read: ‘In memory of a once fluid man, crammed and distorted by the classical mess.’ The “classical mess” in this instance was what Lee thought of classical martial arts.

Bruce Lee’s comments and methods were seen as controversial by many in his time, and still are today. Many teachers from traditional schools disagreed with his opinions on these issues.

The notion of cross-training in Jeet Kune Do is similar to the practice of Mixed Martial Bruce Lee and Chuck NorrisArts (MMA) in modern times — Bruce Lee has been considered by UFC president Dana White as the “father of mixed martial arts”. Many consider Jeet Kune Do to be the precursor of MMA because of its synteric nature. This is particularly the case with respect to the JKD “Combat Ranges”. A JKD student is expected to learn various combat systems within each combat range, and thus to be effective in all of them, just as in MMA.

Principles: The following are principles that Lee incorporated into Jeet Kune Do. He felt these were universal combat truths that were self evident and would lead to combat success if followed. The “4 Combat Ranges” in particular are what he felt were instrumental in becoming a “total” martial artist. This is also the principle most related to mixed martial arts.

JKD practitioners also subscribe to the notion that the best defense is a strong offense, hence the principle of “Intercepting”. Lee believed that in order for an opponent to attack someone they had to move towards them.

This provided an opportunity to “intercept” that attack or movement. The principle of interception covers more than just intercepting physical attacks. Lee believed that many non-verbals and telegraphs (subtle movements that an opponent is unaware of) could be perceived or “intercepted” and thus be used to one’s advantage.

The “5 Ways of Attack” are attacking categories that help Jeet Kune Do practitioners organize their fighting repertoire and comprise the offensive portion of JKD. The concepts of Stop hits & stop kicks and simultaneous parrying & punching were borrowed from European Fencing and comprise the defensive portion of JKD. These concepts were modified for unarmed combat and implemented into the JKD framework by Lee. These concepts also complement the other principle of interception.

  • Be like water:Lee believed that martial systems should be as flexible as possible. He often used water as an analogy for describing why flexibility is a desired trait in martial arts. Water is infinitely flexible. It can be seen through, and yet at other times it can obscure things from sight. It can split and go around things, rejoining on the other side, or it can crash through things. It can erode the hardest rocks by gently lapping away at them or it can flow past the tiniest pebble. Lee believed that a martial system should have these attributes. JKD students reject traditional systems of training, fighting styles and the Confucian pedagogy used in traditional kung fu schools because of this lack of flexibility. JKD is claimed to be a dynamic concept that is forever changing, thus being extremely flexible. “Absorb what is useful; Disregard that which is useless” is an often quoted Bruce Lee maxim. JKD students are encouraged to study every form of combat possible. This is believed to expand one’s knowledge of other fighting systems; to both add to one’s arsenal as well as to know how to defend against such tactics.
  • Economy of motion: JKD students are told to waste no time or movement. When it comes to combat JKD practitioners believe the simplest things work best.
  • Stop hits & stop kicks: This means intercepting an opponent’s attack with an attack of your own instead of a simple block. JKD practitioners believe that this is the most difficult defensive skill to develop. This strategy can be a feature of some traditional Chinese martial arts.
  • Simultaneous parrying & punching: When confronting an incoming attack, the attack is parried or deflected and a counter attack is delivered at the same time. Not as advanced as a stop hit but more effective than blocking and counter attacking in sequence. This is also practiced by some Chinese martial arts.
  • No high kicks: JKD practitioners believe they should target their kicks to their opponent’s shins, knees, thighs, and mid section. These targets are the closest to the foot, provide more stability and are more difficult to defend against. However, as with all other JKD principles nothing is “written in stone”. If a target of opportunity presents itself, even a target above the waist, one could take advantage of the situation without feeling hampered by this principle.
  • Learn the 4 ranges of combat: Kicking, Punching, Trapping, Grappling.
    Jeet Kune Do students train in each of these ranges equally. According to Lee, this range of training serves to differentiate JKD from other martial arts. Lee stated that most but not all traditional martial systems specialize in training at one or two ranges. Bruce Lee’s theories have been especially influential and substantiated in the field of Mixed Martial Arts, as the MMA Phases of Combat are essentially the same concept as the JKD combat ranges. As a historical note, the ranges in JKD have evolved over time. Initially the ranges were categorized as short or close, medium, and long range. These terms proved ambiguous and eventually evolved into their more descriptive forms although there may still be others who prefer the three categories.

Five Ways Of Attack:

  • Single Angular Attack (SAA) and its converse Single Direct Attack (SDA).
  • Hand Immobilization Attack (HIA) and its counterpart Foot Immobilization attack, which make use of trapping to limit the opponent’s function with that appendage.
  • Progressive Indirect Attack (PIA). Attacking one part of the opponent’s body followed by attacking another part as a means of creating an opening.
  • Attack By Combinations (ABC). This is using multiple rapid attacks, with volume of attack as a means of overcoming the opponent.
  • Attack By Drawing (ABD). This is creating an opening with positioning as a means of counter attacking.

Three Parts of JKD: JKD practitioners believe that techniques should contain the following properties:

  • Efficiency – An attack that reaches its mark
  • Directness – Doing what comes naturally in a learned way.
  • Simplicity – Thinking in an uncomplicated manner; without ornamentation.

Centerline: The centerline refers to an imaginary line running down the center of one’s body. The theory is to exploit, control and dominate your opponent’s centerline. All attacks, defenses and footwork are designed to preserve your own centerline and open your opponent’s. Lee incorporated this theory into JKD from Wing Chun. This notion is closely related to maintaining control of the center squares in the strategic game chess.

The three guidelines for centerline are:

  • The one who controls the centerline will control the fight.
  • Protect and maintain your own centerline while you control and exploit your opponent’s.
  • Control the centerline by occupying it.

Branches: Although Bruce Lee officially closed his martial arts schools two years before his death, he allowed his curriculum to be taught privately. Since his death, Jeet Kune Do is argued to have split into different groups. Allegedly they are:

  • The Original (or Jun Fan) JKD branch, whose proponents include Taky Kimura, James Lee, Jerry Poteet, and Ted Wong; these groups claim to teach what was believed to be only what was taught by Bruce Lee, and encourage the student to further develop his or her abilities through those teachings. The inherent training princicples of this branch are shaped by the static concept of what was “originally taught”, just as the training systems of “traditional” martial arts have been taught for centuries and become recognizable as “styles”, except it is referred to as a philosophy of “style without style”.
  • The JKD Concepts branch, whose proponents include Dan Inosanto, and Larry Hartsell; these groups strive to continue the philosophy of individual self-expression through re-interpretation of combat systems through the lens of Jeet Kune Do, under the concept that it was never meant to be a static art but rather an ongoing evolution, and have incorporated elements from many other martial arts into the main fold of its teachings (most notably, grappling and Kali / Escrima material) based on the individual’s personal preferences and physical attributes. The entire JKD “system” can be described through a simple diagram, and the concepts can then be applied to a variety of contexts in a “universal” way.

To understand the branches of JKD it is important to understand the difference between the two “types” or viewpoints of Jeet Kune Do:

  • A. JKD framework This type of JKD provides the guiding principles. Bruce Lee experimented with many styles and techniques to reach these conclusions. To Lee these principles were truisms. The JKD framework is not bound or confined by any styles or systems. This type of JKD is a process.
  • B. JKD Personal Systems This type of JKD utilizes the JKD framework along with any techniques from any other style or system to construct a “personal system”. This approach utilizes a “building blocks” manner in which to construct a personalized system that is especially tailored to an individual. Lee believed that only an individual could determine for themselves what the usefulness of any technique should be. This type of JKD is thus a product.

Lee believed that this freedom of adoption was a distinguishing property from traditional martial arts. There are many who confuse the JKD Framework with a JKD Personal System (IE. Bruce Lee’s personal JKD) thinking them to be one and the same. The system that Bruce Lee personally expressed was his own personal JKD; tailored for himself. Before he could do this, however, he needed to first develop the “JKD Framework” process. Many of the systems that Bruce Lee studied were not to develop his “Personal JKD” but rather was used to gather the “principles” for incorporation in the JKD Framework approach. The uniqueness of JKD to Lee is that it was a “process” not a “product” and thus not a “style” but a system, concept, or approach. Traditional martial arts styles are essentially a product that is given to a student with little provision for change. These traditional styles are usually fixed and not tailored for individuals. Bruce Lee claimed there were inherent problems with this approach and established a “Process” based system rather than a fixed style which a student could then utilize to make a “tailored” or “Personal” product of their own.

The two branches of JKD differ in what should be incorporated or offered within the “JKD Framework”. The Original (or Jun Fan) JKD branch believes that the original principles before Bruce Lee died are all that is needed for the construction of personalized systems. The JKD Concepts branch believe that there are further principles that can be added to construct personalized systems. The value of each Branch can be determined by individual practitioners based on whatever merits they deem important.

Bruce Lee: Bruce Lee studied the martial arts style of Wing Chun and was a student of Yip Man in Hong Kong. Later, he learned other arts as well as the sports of western boxing and European fencing. The term Jeet Kune Do occurred in 1968 while Dan Inosanto and Bruce Lee were driving around in his car.

The conversation involved European fencing and Lee commented that; “the most efficient means of countering in fencing was the stop-hit…When the opponent attacks, you intercept his move with a thrust or hit of your own..” Lee then said “We should call our method the ’stop-hitting fist style;, or the ‘intercepting fist style”. Dan Inosanto then said; “What would that be in Chinese?” in which Lee replied “That would be Jeet Kune Do”.

A relevant video source of Bruce Lee discussing his Jeet Kune Do actually appeared in the first episode of the television series Longstreet. The first episode was aptly titled “The Way of the Intercepting Fist”. The episode was written specifically for Lee by his friend and long time supporter Stirling Silliphant.

Bruce Lee Quotes:

  • “ The usefulness of a cup is its emptiness. – Be prepared to accept new knowledge and not be hindered or biased by old knowledge. This quote originates from the Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism.”
  • “ Using no way as way. – Don’t have preconceived notions about anything. This statement is embedded in the Jeet Kune Do logo. It was also used by Bruce Lee often to describe JKD. ”
  • “ Having no limitation as limitation. – Don’t be confined by anything, achieve true freedom. This statement is embedded in the Jeet Kune Do logo. ”
  • “ From form to formless and from finite to infinite. – Don’t be confined by limitations and forms. By not having specific form all forms can be included. ”
  • “ The consciousness of “self” is the greatest hindrance to the proper execution of all physical action. – This is actually a Zen or Chán maxim which means to “be in the moment” and not be distracted by your own thought process. The Zen quote is: “If you seek it, you will not find it”. The “Western” counterpart to this is the term “Being in the Zone”. ”
  • “ If people say Jeet Kune Do is different from “this” or from “that,” then let the name of Jeet Kune Do be wiped out, for that is what it is, just a name. Please don’t fuss over it. – Don’t get hung up on labels and parameters. JKD is alive and therefore always changing; don’t try to box it in. ”
  • “ To reach me, you must move to me. Your attack offers me an opportunity to intercept you. – Lee explaining the principle of interception to Duke Paige from the television show Longstreet.”
  • “ Empty your mind. Be formless shapeless like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put it into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can either flow, or it can crash! Be like water, my friend. – Lee explaining the principle of being like water in a Hong Kong television interview.

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Marcia Cross Photos and Biography

Posted in Celebrities on Jan 18th, 2008 | 0 comments

Marcia Cross PicturesMarcia Anne Cross (born March 25, 1962 in Marlborough, Massachusetts) is an Emmy and Golden Globe Award-nominated American actress, best known for her lead role as Bree Hodge on the hit TV show Desperate Housewives. She graduated from Juilliard and earned a master’s degree in psychology at Antioch University in Los Angeles.

Prior to her role on Desperate Housewives, Cross starred as Dr. Linda Abbott on WB’s critically-acclaimed series, Everwood. She is also well known for her portrayal of the mentally unbalanced Dr. Kimberly Shaw on Melrose Place, whom she played from 1992 to 1997. Kimberly was, and remains, a firm fan favorite – providing many of the show’s most memorable moments, in her plans to kill many of the characters on the show.

One Melrose website’s poll on most popular characters on the show listed Cross’s Kimberly Shaw second only to Heather Locklear’s Amanda Woodward but the series’ producers were curiously slow in promoting Cross to full-fledged cast member status in the opening credits, an honor she did not receive until her fourth season in the role despite having had as much screen time as any series regular.

On stage, Cross performed in La Ronde at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, in Twelfth Night, or What You Will at the Hartford Stage Company, and in The Two Gentlemen of Verona at the Old Globe in San Diego.

Her first television job was on the daytime drama The Edge of Night. Leaving New York to try her luck in Los Angeles, Cross was soon landing roles in television movies such as The Last Days of Frank and Jessie James, co-starring with Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson. Later, in 1986, she went on to portray Kate Sanders on the ABC daytime drama, One Life to Live. She played the role until 1987.

In 1991, Cross guest-starred on the 13th season of Knots Landing as the mysterious wife of Pierce Lawton (Bruce Greenwood). Ironically, she spent most of her screen-time on the show confronting Paige Matheson, played by Desperate Housewives co-star Nicollette Sheridan.

Her most notable soap role on Melrose Place began when she was hired for one episode. The producers were so impressed, they kept asking her back for additional appearances, eventually bringing her character back from the dead to continue on the hit show.

Cross also guest-starred on such series as Seinfeld, where she played Jerry’s dermatologist girlfriend (or as Jerry preferred, “Dr. Sitarides: Pimple Popper M.D.”), and Cheers, where she portrayed Susan Howe, the younger sister to Kirstie Alley’s character, Rebecca Howe.

She has also appeared on the comedies Boy Meets World, Ally McBeal, Spin City, It’s Garry Shandling’s Show and King of Queens. Her dramatic roles include appearances on CSI, Profiler, Everwood and Touched by an Angel. Cross’s film credits include Living in Fear, Always Say Good-bye, Dancing in September, Bad Influence, and Female Perversions in 1996, which featured her only on-screen nude scene.

In November 2005, Cross appeared on the cover of the newly launched Psychologies magazine in the United Kingdom. In the interview she discusses her passion for psychology and therapy. Cross holds a Masters Degree in Psychology from Antioch University.

Cross was the long time companion of Richard Jordan. Jordan died from a brain tumor on 30 August 1993. In early 2005, the Internet and tabloids swirled with rumors that Cross was gay and in a long-term relationship with another woman, and planning to come out of the closet.

Cross actually appeared on the television show The View to deny the reports, but stated that she was very supportive of the gay community.

In August 2005, Cross’s publicist also told the American celebrity newsmagazine Us Weekly that Cross had accepted the proposal of Tom Mahoney (b. 1957), a stock broker whom she had been dating for six months, and that the couple were engaged to be married. The couple got married on June 24, 2006, in front of 200 guests at the Church of Our Savior Episcopal Parish in San Gabriel, California. “It was a beautiful ceremony,” a representative for Cross told People. “They’re very happy.”

On September 6, 2006, she announced that she was pregnant and due in April 2007 and on September 20 she revealed that she was expecting twins. On January 11, 2007, Cross was placed on precautionary bedrest until their delivery, requiring her to suspend her Desperate Housewives acting duties. However, Cross did not want to give up working, even bringing the entire cast and crew to her home to shoot some scenes in her very own bedroom. Cross’s bedroom was painted to look like Bree’s.

On February 20, 2007, Cross gave birth to fraternal twin daughters, Eden and Savannah at a Los Angeles hospital, shortly before Cross’ 45th birthday. In an exclusive People interview, she revealed that she underwent in vitro fertilization soon after her wedding. Both children were baptized at the Trinity Episcopal Church.

Steve Harvey Biography

Posted in Actors, Uncategorized on Jan 18th, 2008 | 0 comments

Broderick Steven “Steve” Harvey (born January 17, 1957 in Welch, West Virginia) is an American comedian, actor, entertainer, and radio personality. He later moved to Cleveland, Ohio and graduated from Glenville High School in 1974.

Harvey began doing stand-up comedy in the mid 1980s, eventually leading to a long stint as host of It’s Showtime at the Apollo, succeeding his colleague Mark Curry in that role. His success as a stand-up comedian led to The WB network giving him his own show, The Steve Harvey Show, which ran from 1996 to 2002. While wildly popular in the African-American community (the show won multiple NAACP Image Awards), the show never achieved critical acclaim outside of the African-American community, a matter about which Harvey has often complained.

In 1997, Harvey continued his work in stand-up comedy, touring as one of the Kings of Comedy, along with Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hughley and Bernie Mac. The comedy act would later be put together into a film by Spike Lee called The Original Kings of Comedy.

Following the end of his runs on Showtime at the Apollo and The Steve Harvey Show, Harvey continued acting in some minor roles, but has become a major figure in many African-American functions and is a staple on BET. In addition, he has released an audio CD of up-and-coming hip hop and R&B artists on a record label he founded, and has authored a book, Steve Harvey’s Big Time.

That title was also used as the name of Harvey’s comedy and variety television show (later renamed Steve Harvey’s Big Time Challenge) which aired on The WB network from 2003 until 2005.

DVD sales of The Original Kings of Comedy and Don’t Trip, He Ain’t Through With Me Yet have increased Steve Harvey’s brand recognition among African Americans. During the past two years, Harvey has launched the popular Steve Harvey clothing line which features the line of dress wear which has made him popular with the 40+ crowd.

On October 7th, 2004 Marshall Mathers, better known as rapper Eminem released the track “Just Lose It”, with some lyrics remarking humorously on Michael Jackson’s career and historically infamous legal troubles. Steve Harvey was quick to respond against these lyrics saying, “Eminem has lost his ghetto pass. We want the pass back.”

Harvey, initially expecting a positive response from this off the cuff remark was quickly criticized by many for his support of the controversial legal stance of the artist Michael Jackson, as well as his remarks about Eminem. “Steve Harvey, who was born in a town in West Virginia of less than 1,500 people is revoking someone’s ghetto pass? Being born black don’t mean you were born in the ghetto.” (DeShaun Dupree Holton, aka rapper Proof from D12)

Harvey was previously married to Mary Shackelford. They divorced after 10 years of marriage in December 2005. The couple have one son together, named Wynton. Harvey also has twin daughters and a son from his first marriage. He remarried for the third time on June 25, 2007 in Maui to Marjorie Bridges, a longtime friend. Harvey is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Harvey is also a Born Again Christian.

Harvey also hosted his own radio morning radio show, The Steve Harvey Morning Show, syndicated under Radio One, Inc. broadcasting company, from September 2000 until May 2005. The Los Angeles-based show, although fairly successful in the L.A. market itself, was not as successful in its national syndication efforts as either Harvey or Radio One had hoped it would be. Ultimately, the show aired only in L.A. on KKBT, and in Dallas on KBFB, with Harvey splitting his time between the Dallas and L.A. studios. As a result, Harvey and Radio One decided to part ways shortly before his contract expired.

In September 2005, Harvey signed a joint syndication deal with Premiere Radio Networks and Inner City Broadcasting Corporation for a new incarnation of “The Steve Harvey Morning Show”; the show is based out of WBLS in New York. Steve is also a strong advocate of the 50 milion pound weight loss with Dr.Ian Smith.

Teri Hatcher Photos and Biography

Posted in Celebrities on Jan 18th, 2008 | 0 comments

Teri Lynn Hatcher (born 8 December 1964, Palo Alto) is an award-winning American actress best known for her roles as Lois Lane in the American television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Susan Mayer in the American television series Desperate Housewives. She is also a “Bond Girl“, having played Paris Carver in Tomorrow Never Dies in 1997.

Hatcher was born in Palo Alto, California, the daughter of Esther (née Beshur), a computer programmer who worked for Lockheed Martin, and Owen W. Hatcher, a nuclear physicist and electrical engineer.

Hatcher’s father was of Welsh and distant Choctaw Native American descent, and her mother had French, German, and Syrian ancestry. Hatcher grew up in Sunnyvale, California. An only child, she attended Mango Junior High (now Sunnyvale Middle School), Fremont High School in Sunnyvale and De Anza College in Cupertino.

In March 2006, Hatcher revealed to Vanity Fair that she was sexually abused from the age of five by Richard Hayes Stone, an uncle by marriage who was later divorced by Hatcher’s aunt. Her parents, she said, were unaware of the abuse at the time.

In 2002, she assisted Santa Clara County prosecutors in indicting Stone for a more recent molestation that led his female victim to commit suicide at the age of fourteen. Stone pleaded guilty to four counts of child molestation and was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

In an interview appearing in Vanity Fair, Hatcher said she told the prosecutors about her own abuse because she was haunted by thoughts of the 14-year-old girl who shot herself, and feared Stone might escape conviction.

Hatcher began her performing career as a young girl taking ballet lessons at the San Juan Girls’ Ballet Studio in downtown Los Altos, California. She later studied acting at the American Conservatory Theater.

One of her early jobs (in 1984) was as a cheerleader with the San Francisco 49ers. During this time, she also appeared as one of the mermaids on the show The Love Boat in its final season.

Hatcher landed a co-starring role in 1993, opposite Dean Cain in Lois and Clark. Her role proved to be the best move to gain the attention of audiences, and the one role she had most fallen in love with. While probably most noted for playing what is widely regarded as the best Lois Lane portrayal to date in the TV series Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-1997), Hatcher has also appeared in such feature films as Spy Kids (2001), the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, Dead in the Water (1991), 2 Days in the Valley (1996), The Cool Surface (1994) and Heaven’s Prisoners (1996).

The last two films featured Hatcher’s only on-screen nude scenes, but neither did well at the box office. ABC had cancelled Lois & Clark in 1997, and Hatcher was very disappointed about the show’s demise. She was also desperate in looking for work. She has made a guest appearance in Star Trek: The Next Generation and had a recurring role on MacGyver as Penny Parker, a naïve, high-strung, young woman who always seemed to get into trouble.

She also had a guest appearance in an episode of Seinfeld, in which her character, Sidra, broke up with Jerry because she found out Jerry was trying to have Elaine surreptitiously determine whether Sidra had breast implants. In one of the more memorable lines in the show, she declared, “Oh, and by the way: they’re real, and they’re spectacular.”

Hatcher has also appeared in a series of popular Radio Shack television commercials alongside NFL Hall of Famer Howie Long. The pair remain close friends, and together have bought farm land on the outside of Los Angeles, with the intent of eventually raising endangered species. Hatcher said her plan to do so came about after reading an article featuring the world’s top 25 endangered species.

She hosted Saturday Night Live in 1996. Hatcher beat out four other actresses for the lead role on ABC’s Desperate Housewives, on which she stars as single mother Susan Mayer, a role for which she won the Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Golden Globe Award in January 2005.

In 2005, Hatcher also won the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) award in the same category. In July 2005, she was nominated for an Emmy Award as Best Actress in a Comedy Series for the same role, along with co-stars Marcia Cross and Felicity Huffman, who won the award.

As of April 2006, Hatcher is one of the highest paid television actresses in the United States. She reportedly earns $285,000 per episode of Desperate Housewives. In May 2006, she released her first book, Burnt Toast: And Other Philosophies of Life. In conjunction with the book, she has also launched a line of apparel and merchandise. Furthermore she is prominently featured in an international campaign for Repeat Cashmere.

Between 1985 and 1988, she had a relationship with her MacGyver costar Richard Dean Anderson. Hatcher married Marcus Leithold on June 4, 1988; they divorced the following year. On May 27, 1994, she married actor Jon Tenney; they had a daughter, Emerson Rose, in November 10, 1997, and divorced in March 2003. It has also been reported that Hatcher had a brief relationship with 7′0″ former NBA player John Salley in 2005.

Hatcher has also been dating Stephen Kay, who played Reginald, the Quartermaines’ butler, on General Hospital.Since then she and Stephen have broken up. In June 2007, Hatcher appeared on the Paul O’Grady show where she revealed that she writes a column in FHM.

Nelly Furtado Wallpapers and Photos

Posted in Singers on Jan 18th, 2008 | 0 comments

Nelly Kim Furtado (born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer, and instrumentalist, who also holds Portuguese citizenship. Furtado came to fame in 2000 with the release of her debut album Whoa, Nelly!, which featured her breakthrough Grammy Award-winning single “I’m like a Bird”. After becoming a mother and releasing the less commercially successful Folklore (2003), she returned to prominence in 2006 with the release of Loose and its hit singles “Promiscuous”, “Maneater”, “Say It Right”, and “All Good Things (Come to an End)”.

Furtado is known for experimenting with different instruments, sounds, genres, languages, and vocal styles. This diversity has been influenced by her wide-ranging musical taste and her interest in different cultures.

Furtado’s third album was released in June 2006. She named it Loose after the spontaneous, creative decisions she made while creating the album.

Some have labeled her a “sellout” for seemingly abandoning her folk and rock roots in favour of hip hop and R&B, while others have criticized her for attempting to “sex up” her music and appearance to sell more records. In this album, primarily produced by Timbaland, Furtado experiments with sounds from R&B, hip hop, and 1980s music.

She categorized the album’s sound as punk-hop, described as “modern, poppy, spooky” and as having “a mysterious, after-midnight vibe… extremely visceral”. She attributed the youthful sound of the album to the presence of her two-year-old daughter.

Four lead singles were released in different regions of the world: the Spanish reggaeton-influenced “No Hay Igual” (featuring Calle 13), the hip-hop “Promiscuous” (featuring Timbaland), for which she won a 2006 Billboard Music Award for Pop Single of the Year, the Latin “Te Busqué” (featuring Juanes), and the dark pop single “Maneater”.

Loose has become the most successful album of Furtado’s career so far. It reached number one in several countries including the United States and Canada, and it included the hit singles “Promiscuous”, “Maneater”, “Say It Right”, and “All Good Things (Come to an End)”. The album received generally positive reviews from critics, with some citing the “revitalising” effect of Timbaland on Furtado’s music, and others calling it “slick, smart and surprising”.

In 2007, Furtado and Justin Timberlake were featured on Timbaland’s single “Give It to Me”, which became her third number-one single in the U.S. and second in the UK.

On February 16, 2007, Furtado embarked on the Get Loose Tour. She returned in March 2007 to her hometown of Victoria to perform a concert at the Save-On Foods Memorial Centre. In honour of her visit, local leaders officially proclaimed March 21, 2007, the first day of spring, as Nelly Furtado Day.

On April 1, 2007, Furtado was a performer at and host of the 2007 Juno Awards in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She won all five awards for which she was nominated, including Album of the Year and Single of the Year. Furtado appeared on stage at the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium in London on July 1, 2007, where she performed “Say It Right”, “Maneater”, and “I’m like a Bird”.

In 2007, Furtado, Timbaland and Justin Timberlake were featured on Lil Wayne’s upcoming album Tha Carter III. Furtado also appeared in the video for Nickelback’s “Rockstar”.

In September, 2007, MTV: Buzzworthy chose Furtado as the Artist of the Week, and gave an exclusive freestyle performance of “Going Away” with the Somalian-Canadian rapper K’naan.

On September 9, 2007, Furtado performed at the MTV Video Music Awards awards with Timbaland and Justin Timberlake, where she sang “Do It” mixed with “The Way I Are”, “LoveStoned” and “Give It to Me”. In October 2007 Furtado was nominated for three MTV Europe Music Awards, and she won the “Album of the Year” award.

After Furtado’s success in her third album, Loose, she released her first live DVD under the name Loose the Concert which included her greatest hits of 2007 and 2006 as a live videos such as “Promiscuous”, “Maneater”, “Say It Right” and “All Good Things (Come to an End)” . Loose has been used to advertise the newly released iPod classic appearing in commercials and even on the box.

Last year, Nelly Furtado leaked plans to Flare magazine regarding a song she was set to duet for Kylie Minogue’s return. However the song was not featured on her album X but Minogue says the aforementioned song “is still outstanding” and has plans to pursue it. She said “I am looking forward to getting in the studio and doing it because I know Nelly and I would have a great time together.”

On September 20, 2003 in Toronto, Furtado gave birth to a daughter, Nevis, whose father is DJ Jasper Gahunia. Furtado and Gahunia, who had been good friends for several years, remained together for four years until their breakup in 2005. Furtado told Blender magazine that they continue to be good friends and jointly share responsibility of raising Nevis.

In June 2006, in an interview with Genre magazine, when asked if she had “ever felt an attraction to women”, Furtado replied “Absolutely. Women are beautiful and sexy.” Some considered this an announcement of bisexuality, but in August 2006, she confirmed that she was “straight, but very open-minded”. In November 2006, Furtado revealed that she once turned down US$500,000 to pose unclothed in Playboy.

In July 2007, it was reported that Furtado is engaged to Cuban sound engineer, Demacio “Demo” Castellon, who worked with her on Loose.

During her teenage years, Furtado embraced many musical genres, listening heavily to mainstream R&B, hip hop, alternative hip hop, drum and bass, trip hop, world music (including Portuguese fado, Brazilian bossa nova, and Indian music), and a variety of others. Her influences have included Jeff Buckley, Janet Jackson, Oasis, Caetano Veloso, Esthero, Amalia Rodrigues, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Cornershop, TLC, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Digable Planets, De La Soul, Radiohead, Madonna, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Verve, U2, Enya, and Beck.

Furtado’s music has also been influenced by her current residence, Toronto, which she calls “the most multicultural city in the entire world” and a place where she “can be any culture”. Regarding Toronto’s cultural diversity, she has said that she did not have to wait for the Internet revolution to learn about world music; she began listening to it at the age of five and continues to discover new genres.

“ I always know there’s a new genre left to discover. For me, it’s like a metaphor for life. I feel like if you can get down with any style of music, you can get down with any style of person. So it’s fun for me—I get to expose my fans to different vibes and they, in turn, open their minds too. I’m always undergoing mind-opening. ”

Furtado began acting in school plays in middle school. She appeared on the episode “Some Buried Bones” of CSI: NY as Ava Brandt, a master-thief and victim of domestic abuse. She also guest starred on an episode of the day time soap opera One Life to Live, on which she performed some of her songs in a local club with Saukrates. Furtado participated in the hit Portuguese soap opera Floribella.

She had stated in an interviews on planete rap, a French radio station, that she has taken up acting classes when she is in Toronto and also had working on a movie which has been prosponed.