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Lexi Elias

Likes: country music, big breakfast with my family, Kentucky Wildcat basketball, St. Louis Cardinal baseball, Friends (both my own and the TV show), cowboy boots, the city of Chicago, my nephew Eli (aka my little stud), Gerard Butler (I’m sorry, but he’s perfect), anything my Tennessee Grandmother cooks – southern style Dislikes: trying to find an apartment in the city I can afford (shout-out to my new, awesome roomie), cats, horror movies, sweet potatoes (besides sweet potato fries - those are delicious) With my Kentucky and Missouri roots, I am currently growing in the best city in the world – Chicago (aside from the fact that it is home to the Chicago Cubs). I have met my best friends at DePaul University where we spend the majority of our time country music singing at Houndstooth Saloon or at the one and only Wellington’s Tavern. In high school, I was just about the worst writer in the class; which actually wasn’t that bad, because I went to school with a bunch of 36-ACT-scorers (my ACT score, however, was average for my state – and proud of it!). My writing career took off when I discovered that I basically wanted to be Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and The City. So, I found my voice, got down to business, and am on my way to being the next Andie Anderson from How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days.

Vanessa Bryant demands more rings!

Kobe Bryant’s wife is not interested in someone who doesn’t win championships

When most women complain about wanting their man to get them rings, they are talking about those beautiful diamond engagement rings that will symbolize their love and relationship that will last forever. However, when Vanessa Bryant, wife of Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant, asks for “more rings” she is demanding championship rings from her six-foot-six hubby.

According to New York Magazine, Vanessa Bryant stated, “I certainly would not want to be married to somebody that can’t win championships. If you’re sacrificing time away from my family and myself for the benefit of winning championships, then winning a championship should happen every single year.”

I’m sorry to break it to you, Mrs. Bryant, but every other professional basketball player is putting just as much time and effort into winning a championship as Kobe; so, your demands are, well, utterly unrealistic.

Kobe and Vanessa Bryant have been through rough waters for a while now as Vanessa filed for divorce last winter after claiming that the couple’s differences were irreconcilable. However, the Bryant’s clearly were able to settle their differences and stay together. I guess the price Kobe Bryant is going to have to pay to keep Vanessa Bryant happy is to bring her back ring after ring after ring … good luck with that Kobe!

Chad Johnson headbutts wife Evelyn Lozada

The NFL was arrested Saturday

 

NFL player Chad Johnson, also known as Chad “Ochocinco” is violent both on and off the football field. Johnson married Evelyn Lozada last month in front of reality television cameras that captured that couple’s special day. However, after only one month, trouble has struck paradise.

Chad Johnson was arrested this weekend on suspicion of domestic violence. TMZ reported that the six-foot-one wide receiver supposedly head-butted Evelyn Lozada in front of their home.

Evelyn Lozada told police that she confronted Johnson about finding a receipt for condoms in their car. After their argument started getting very heated and took a turn for the worse, Evelyn Lozada ran to a neighbor’s house to call 911. Johnson was arrested after Evelyn Lozada was found with cuts on her forehead.

Chad Johnson stated that he “accidentally” bumped his head with hers. The NFL player was released from a Florida jail Sunday after spending the night there Saturday. Johnson’s football career is now at jeopardy as the Miami Dolphins posted a notification on their website stating, “The Miami Dolphins terminated the contract of WR Chad Johnson, the team announced today.”

Although Johnson has kept a clear record since his NFL career began, he was arrested in college for a domestic dispute. If convicted, Johnson will be faced with a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $1000 fine.

Pop the champaigne bottles: Justin Theroux and Jennifer Aniston are engaged

The happy couple got engaged on the night of Theroux’s birthday

 

Breaking celebrity news! Justin Theroux popped the question, which means Brad and Angelina jokes at Jennifer Aniston’s expense can finally stop!

After seven years after Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston got divorced, the beloved Friends and romantic comedy star is engaged to actor and screenwriter Justin Theroux.

Justin Theroux’s representative told People Magazine that “Justin Theroux had an amazing birthday on Friday, receiving an extraordinary gift when his girlfriend, Jennifer Aniston, accepted his proposal of marriage.”

The couple starred in Wanderlust together, started dating last May and have been captured looking happy and in love throughout the year. At the beginning of their relationship, Aniston had a hard time hiding her emotions during an interview with Good Morning America when she said, ‘Yes, I’m happy. I’m extremely lucky, and I’m extremely happy.”

America already loves, and knows almost everything about Jennifer Aniston; so, should we get to know her future hubby a little more?

Tall, dark and handsome Justin Theroux hit the big screen in Your Highness, Charlie’s Angles: Full Throttle, Miami Vice and Zoolander. He also appeared twice on Sex and the City, where he unfortunately played a character who suffered from premature ejaculation. Justin Theroux comes from a family of writers, where he certainly fits in. Justin Theroux has written scripts for Tropic Thunder, Iron Man 2 and Rock of Ages. A little irony? Justin Theroux and Jennifer Aniston could have started their romance years ago! It turns out that Theroux turned down a screen test for Friends, and stated that he doesn’t really regret it.

Congrats to the happy couple!

Spice Girls light up the Olympic stage

The beloved girl group performed hit songs for worldwide fans

The Spice Girls made every female Olympian’s dream came true last night at the 2012 Olympic closing ceremony. Not only did the athlete just finish competing in the Olympics, making her mark as one of the best athletes in the world, but she also witnessed a live performance by the Spice Girls – something every young girl once dreamed of.

The closing ceremony was an artistic, entertaining celebration full of English pop and rock stars that dazzled the stage. Britain’s closing ceremony consisted of a diverse set of English music festivals and performances that memorized the crowd. Entertainers such as George Michael, The Kaiser Chiefs, Annie Lennox, Eric Idle and many more were featured. However, the beloved Spice Girls were the ones that lit up the stage.

The Spice Girls have gone down in history as the best selling and most successful girl group of all time. Releasing two multi-platinum albums, “Spice” and “Spiceworld,” scoring six consecutive UK #1 hits, coming out with eleven singles and starring in their own motion picture, the Spice Girls have been loved by girls all over the world since they came out in 1994.

300 million people around the world, and 80,000 fans at the Olympic Stadium, watched the closing ceremony and the reunited Spice Girls bring back great memories by performing their hit songs “Wannabe” and “Spice Up Your Life.” Melanie Chisholm (“Sporty Spice”), Emma Bunton (“Baby Spice”), Melanie Brown (“Scary Spice”), Victoria Beckham (“Posh Spice”), and Geri Halliwell (“Ginger Spice”) entered the stage, which was set to resemble the Union Jack, in multicolored taxis.

The Spice Girls stood on their taxis that drove them around the stage, performing their mega hits, and captivating fans who helped make the group one of the most popular worldwide entertainers of the late 1990s.

Eminem thanks fans for helping him be "Not Afraid"

The 39-year-old rapper thanks fans for helping him reach sobriety

 

Rapper Eminem thanked his fans for helping him get through dark times. After battling with an addiction to prescription drugs, Eminem thanked his fans at a concert in New York for helping pull him out of a dark hole.

Eminem told hundreds of his fans Thursday night in New York that he “wouldn’t have gotten out that dark place without ya’ll.” After he thanked his fans, the 39-year-old

rapper performed Grammy-winning song “Not Afraid.” Eminem stated that the “Not Afraid” performance was “dedicated to anybody tonight who’s been through personal struggles.”

The full story of the addition and the battle Eminem went through to eventually reach sobriety is detailed in this year’s best selling album, “Recovery.”

Allyson Felix wins the gold

The American track star takes first place in the 200 meter race

 

After being denied twice from her biggest dream of being the fastest woman in the world, America’s Allyson Felix won the Olympic gold medal for the 200 meter race Wednesday night. Finishing the race in 21.88 seconds, Allyson Felix beat Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce by .21 seconds.

“I think it was all for a reason,” Allyson Felix said. “It kept me motivated and it made this moment very special. It was a big weight being lifted.”

Allyson Felix started a little behind Fraser-Pryce; however, when she hugged the line around the curve, the 5-foot-6, rock solid track star shot ahead of Fraser-Pryce with 40 meters to go.

‘‘We are always aware of what the medal count is,’’ said Jason Richardson, who finished second in the hurdles as part of a seven-medal day at the track for the United States. ‘‘I know track and field can … let the world know the Americans are the best track and field country.”

Although this gold medal is a huge accomplishment for Allyson Felix, she is not new to the business. This gold adds to the collection of medals including two individual silvers and one 4×400 relay gold in the 2008 Olympics.

‘‘Bobby told me just to go out and get it,’’ Felix said. ‘‘I knew if I ran my race, it would come together.’’
Even with her outstanding performance in this year’s Olympics, Allyson Felix is already excited about the 2016 summer Olympics.
 

Never fear, Kinesio tape is here!

The solution to injured athletes

 

All athletes and Olympians fear injuries taking them out of the game they love. However, there is now a solution that many 2012 Olympians have been using: Kinesio tape. You are likely to have seen one of your favorite Olympians with Kinesio tape wrapped around his or her quadriceps, shoulders and abs. Well, this flashy tape is not just a way for athletes to receive attention; Kinesio tape truly helps athletes with their injuries and helps Olympians continue on with their journey to winning a gold medal.

When injured, Kinesio tape, a soft and stretchy cotton tape, supports injured muscles, increases range of motion and decreases muscle pain.

Kinesio tape was designed by Kenzo Kase, a Japanese chiropractor and acupuncturist, who stated that athletes need something with “a texture and elasticity very close to living human tissue.”

After the company donated Kinesio tape to physical therapists to use on athletes in the 2008 Olympics, the online sales of Kinesio tape tripled. Today, not only Olympians, but all athletes ranging from high school athletes to professional athletes swear by Kinesio tape. A 2008 study showed improved range of motion and less pain when Kinesio tape was applied as directed in college-aged patients with rotator cuff tendonitis.

Kinesio tape may not be the solution in the long run, but it is sure a great way for athletes to prolong their athletic career.

Black Keys, Foo Fighters, and Neil Young & Crazy Horse take action against poverty

These headliners are giving tickets to fans who perform charitable acts

 

People all of over the world, of all different careers and social classes, are making strides to helping the fight against poverty. The Black Keys, Foo Fighters, and Neil Young & Crazy Horse will be headlining in one of this year’s best concerts. However, this concert is not your typical concert that entails fans to put a dent in their bank account when buying tickets.

The Black Keys, Foo Fighters, and Neil Young & Crazy Horse are taking action against extreme poverty around the world by having their fans earn an entry to their show Global Festival 2012 on September 29 in New York City’s Central Park by making strides to help the fight against poverty through a website and app designed to get people to take action before the event, rather than after.

“The scale of things that they’re trying do just felt really cool, and we’re trying to get the ball rolling,” said Patrick Carney, The Black Keys’ drummer. “Especially with everything that’s been going on for the last three years, I suppose, after the stock market crashed. There’s attention on the amount of people living below the poverty line and the disparity between the rich and the poor and everything that’s going on now…It just felt like the right time to do something.”

Global Poverty Project organizer, Hugh Evans, calls the Foo Fighter concert a “crescendo” to an anti-poverty act that coincides with the United Nations meeting in New York.

Fans earn their way into the concert, featuring Foo Fighters and Black Keys, with points awarded for charitable acts performed though the Global Citizen website that launched Tuesday. These charitable points can be earned by simple acts such as posting information on social media, donating money to charity, signing a petition, etc. Black Keys, Foo Fighters, and Neil Young & Crazy Horse fans can attend through a lottery of 54,000 tickets.

“I think what’s exciting is all the world leaders are going to be in town that week for the United Nations meeting,” said Evans. “And this concert and the associated campaign will give us the opportunity to ask these world leaders to make practical and tangible monetary commitments to the world’s poor and to the achievement of the UN’s Millenium Development Goals.”

Evans and Global Poverty Project’s goal is to raise $500 million in sensible solutions by leveraging commitments from the world’s leaders while in New York.

 “Dan and I try not to be too political about things,” Carney said. “… This is not a political thing. This is a humanitarian cause.”

Randy Travis has taken a turn for the worse

Christian country music singer was arrested naked and charged with DWI

 

Randy Travis may be a Christian country music singer, but he has certainly gone against his Christian words and taken a wrong turn over the past year. Travis was not only accused of driving while intoxicated Tuesday night, but he also threatened the lives of state troopers after he was found naked and aggressive after he crashed his car.

This incident is not the first time Randy Travis has been arrested involving alcohol this year. In February, the Grammy-winning singer was arrested for public intoxication.

Before Texas troopers found and arrested the Christian country music singer Tuesday night, a North Texas store owner said that Randy Travis walked into his convenience store, naked, trying to buy cigarettes.

At 11:18 p.m. Tuesday night, Grayson country sheriff’s office in Texas received a 911 phone call about a man spotted lying in a road west of Tioga, where Randy Travis lives.

Texas troopers stated that the entertainer had been driven off the road where he continued to strike several barricades in a construction road. At the time, Randy Travis was not wearing any clothes and refused sobriety tests; so, a blood specimen was taken. According to Tom Vinger, Department of Public Safety spokesman, Travis threatened the lives of the Texas troopers.

“Travis had a strong odor of alcoholic beverage on his breath and several signs of intoxication,” a sheriff’s office statement stated. “While Travis was being transported, Travis made threats to shoot and kill the troopers working the case.”

In a mug shot released Wednesday morning by the Grayson Country Sheriff’s Office, Randy Travis appears decrepit looking wearing a T-shirt and a black eye with dried blood on his face. Later on Wednesday, Travis walked out of the county jail, barefoot and in scrubs with a University of Texas hat on.

Randy Travis was charged and released on a $21,500 bond Wednesday morning. Blood tests are still pending, and District Attorney Joe Brown stated that his office will be reviewing the report of the arrest. The felony count holds a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000.

McKayla Maroney shockingly receives the silver medal

The talented gymnast lands in the sitting position in the women’s vault final

 

America’s McKayla Maroney amazed the world with her incredible vault performance during the team finals Thursday night. She is considered the best female gymnast on the vault in the world; however, Sunday was clearly not her best night as an error vanished her chances at the gold. The heartbroken gymnast stood with the silver medal around her neck.

After her two outstanding vault performances, McKayla Maroney delivered a disappointing performance by her extremely high standards. Although McKayla Maroney landed her second vault in a sitting position, the talented gymnast still landed the silver medal for the United States.

“I didn’t deserve to win gold if I landed on my butt,” McKayla Maroney stated. “I’m not disappointed about the silver, I’m disappointed about my performance.”

Sandra Raluca Izbasa of Romania snagged the gold medal in the women’s vault final Sunday night. McKayla Maroney finished with an overall score of 15.083, and Izbasa came out on top with an overall score of 15.191.

“It happens, it’s gymnastics and you can’t be perfect and sometimes things don’t go as you planned,” said McKayla Maroney. “I can’t blame it on anything except I screwed up.”

Although McKayla Maroney is extremely disappointed, her maturity over the entire situation has been extremely applauded. Her fans have made it clear that they realize the talent it must take to have made such a mistake of landing in the sitting position and still receive the silver. The USA is still incredibly proud of you, McKayla Maroney!