★ M.A.R.A.★

A foxy reason to watch NBCs acapella competition Sing Off: Nicole Scherzinger

Pussycat Dolls lead singer Nicole Scherzinger is a panel judge on NBC’s acapella competition, Sing Off, along with musician Ben Folds and Boys II Men’s Shawn Stockman.  (Scroll for more pics of Nicole, updates, remaining contestants)



Watching this last night, I looked forward not only to the talent of each acapella group, but also to each “cut to Nicole” scene.  Her features are mesmerizing.

The competition is only 4 nights, so tune in!
NBC, Dec 14-16, Finale on Dec 21, 8-10pm ET.
Info on the 8 contestants here



Other quick show facts:

• No back up instrumentals, just natural voices (including beat boxing-woot!)
• The talent is pretty amazing
• The viewers decide who wins the $100,000 grand prize
• Nick Lachey is hosting

UPDATE (as of December 21, 2009, 7pm)

• Dec 14: Solo and Face
• Dec 15: Noteworthy
• Dec 16: Maxx Factor, SoCals
• Remaining: Beelzebubs, Nota, Voices of Lee

Monday’s Finale: Bobby McFerrin, Natasha Bedingfield and Smokey Robinson will perform. Nicole and Ben will join the contestants for a performance and Shawn will return to the stage with Boys II Men.

Enjoy my fave pics of Nicole below.  What a fox!

She’s part Asian! Check it out

Sources: Wiki, NBC, Zap2It, About.com
Photos: Gold top, Blender, Egyptian ensemble, purple dress, NBC, TVGuide
Other Keywords:  SoCal, Solo, Beelzebubs, Maxx Factor, Voices of Lee, Solo, Noteworthy, NOta, Face, acapella competition, famous asians, famous asian, famous filipinos, famous filipino

Philippines’ Mayon Volcano erupts, thousands evacuated

(Charism Sayat/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)
Lava flowed from the crater of the Mayon volcano in Legazpi, Albay province, southeast of Manila on Tuesday.

From the NYTimes, December 14, 2009, filed 10:22pmET

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Authorities moved thousands of villagers from harm’s way near the Philippines’ most active volcano Tuesday after it oozed lava and shot plumes of ash, and said they probably will spend a bleak Christmas in an evacuation center.

State volcanologists raised the alert level on the cone-shaped, 8,070-foot (2,460-meter) Mayon volcano overnight to two steps below eruption after ash explosions and dark orange lava fragments glowing in the dark trickled down the mountain slope.

Nearly 50,000 people live in a five-mile (eight-kilometer) radius around the mountain, and authorities began moving thousands of them in case it erupts, Albay provincial Gov. Joey Salceda said.

The first of 20 vehicles, including army trucks, were sent to villages to take residents to schools and other temporary housing, provincial emergency management official Jukes Nunez said.

”It’s 10 days before Christmas. Most likely people will be in evacuation centers, and if Mayon’s activity won’t ease down we will not allow them to return to their homes,” Nunez said. ”It’s difficult and sad, especially for children.”

Magma had been rising at the volcano over the past two weeks and began to ooze out of its crater Monday night, but it could get worse in coming days, said Renato Solidum, head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

”Now lava is trickling down, but if the ascent of magma is sustained there will be laval flows,” Solidum told The Associated Press. ”There is also the possibility of an explosion.”

Residents in the central province of Albay are used to moving away from Mayon, which spewed ash last month and prompted the evacuation of some villages.

About 30,000 people were moved when it last erupted in 2006. Typhoon-triggered mudslides near the mountain later that year buried entire villages, killing more than 1,000 people.

Mayon’s most violent eruption, in 1814, killed more than 1,200 people and buried a town in mud. A 1993 eruption killed 79 people.

The Philippines lies along the Pacific ”Ring of Fire,” where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common. About 22 out of 37 volcanos in the archipelago are active.

Keywords: Mayon volcano, Manila Philippines, thousands evacuated

Fast Company Names Pharell Williams in Top 100 Most Creative People In Biz

(#36)
Pharrell Williams’ recent achievement: Limelight, an updated version of Fame that he created with film director McG, was picked up by ABC (loosely based on Williams’ performing-arts experience in high school)

Other Fast Company mag highlights:

• Co-owner of production company, Neptunes (Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Madonna are some clients)
• Fronts the funk-rock band N.E.R.D.
• Produces a Billionaire Boys Club  clothing line
• Sells a line of shoes under the Ice Cream Footwear brand
• Designed sunglasses and jewelry for Louis Vuitton
  
  

[Todd Selby | Corbis Outline]

How is he Asian?

Keywords:  African American, Black, Asian, Asians, Filipino, Famous Filipinos, Music, Hip Hop, Funk, Rock, Producer, Businessman, Rap, NERD, N.E.R.D., Blasians, blasian
Source: Fast Company

Ana “The Hurricane” Julaton makes boxing history with her 2nd World Championship Title!

On Friday, December 4, 2009, Ana “the Hurricane” Julaton won the World Boxing Organization super-bantamweight title with a unanimous decision over Donna Biggers in front of a crowd of 3,943 at the HP Pavilion in Silicon Valley.   Julaton improved to 6-1-1 with the 10-round victory and won her second world title in just eight career bouts.

The Filipina makes boxing History to become the 1st ever WBO 122lbs World Champion. 

See her comments after the fight in the short video clip below (jump to 0:21 to skip the intro)




Other related posts: Other Famous Filipinos, Asians in Sports News, Asians in Sports
Keywords: WBO championship december, female boxers, asian boxers, asian female boxers, asian athletes, filipino athletes, filipino champions, famous asians, famous asian, female athletes, female boxers, asian female athletes, Ana Julaton video, Julaton interview, Julaton post-fight video, filipino female athletes
Sources: 1, 2