Anime - Big Business for Dallas, Texas

Dallas - They come dressed in detailed and elaborate costumes. It may not be for everyone, but fans of Japanese animation have turned this import into a billion-dollar industry in the United States. "We are the single biggest piece of weekend business in Dallas, " says A-Kon Chairman Mary Davis.

Davis says the popularity of anime is growing. "It started as subculture, and over the years, it has become part of mainstream pop culture."

Anime comes in all forms. The characters are complex and the stories, like soap operas, can run for years. Like comic books, anime in print is called "manga." Loyal fans have their favorites, and the spend their money buying up everything from figurines to DVD's.

"A lot of these people can be doctors, lawyers and your kid's teacher," says Eric Bond, an anime fan who came dressed as his favorite character from "Avatar, the Last Air Bender."

That wide appeal has sparked a boom in the number of anime conventions around the world. "A-Kon is a chance to let freak hang out for a weekend with people who think that's normal," says Bond.

Copyright © 2009, KDAF-TV

Ashanti - The Wiz - Home Preview (A Week Before Practice)

Ashanti, joined by Thomas Kail and Alex Lacamoire, gave a special behind-the-scenes, sneak peek performance this morning, Tuesday May 19th, for the media and BWW TV was there! Check out the full performance below!



What do you think? Did she do it just justice?

Lebron or Bryant: Who Is Better? (Let's Get Serious Here)

All season long, discussions have been brought up about whether Lebron James or Kobe Bryant is the better player.

To know the true answer, you have to dig deep into the actual question.

So who do you choose?

LeBron James, the most dominate player in the NBA, or Kobe Bryant, the most clutch player in the NBA?

The answer for me is real simple.

To be the best, you have to beat the best.

Since LJ was not able to even advance to the NBA Finals to actually play the best, well, that just lessens his overall value.

Since Bryant has now made appearances in the NBA Finals for the last two seasons in a row, well, that just gives him a few bonus points.

One's true potential is shown during the playoffs, so let's take a look at both players overall postseason averages.

LeBron James: 41.4 MPG, 35.3 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 7.3 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 51.0 percent FG, 33.3 percent 3P, and 74.9 percent FT.

Kobe Bryant: 40.1 MPG, 29.6 PPG, 5.3 RGP, 4.9 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 46.6 percent FG, 34.6 percent 3P, and 89.5 percent FT.

Free Throws

Both superstars obviously posted serious averages throughout the playoffs, but one thing that most people do not take a look at is free-throw percentage.

If you want to be the best player in the NBA, you have to shoot a great free-throw percentage, end of story.

During the Magic-Cavaliers series, James was virtually unstoppable. He excelled in every category, except in nailing his free throws. James proved that he was nothing more than a mediocre free-throw shooter from the charity stripe, shooting just 77.7 percent from the line (missing up to six free throws during one game).

Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant shot an incredible 93.1 percent from the free-throw line during the Nugget-Lakers series (missing a total of five free throws).

Producing in the big game

Game Six of the Cavaliers-Magic series was a do-or-die situation for LeBron James and the Cavs. After averaging over 40 points per game in the series, James was relied heavily upon to produce at a high level.

To be the best, you have to come up huge during the big games that really count. In this situation, James ended the game with the least amount of points that he has dropped all series long, just 25 points on 8-of-20 shooting from the field and 7-of-11 from the charity stripe.

In Game Six for the Nuggets-Lakers series, Kobe Bryant was relied upon to produce and ultimately end the series once and for all.

Since Bryant is obviously on a higher level than James, he did what he was expected to do, dropping 35 points on one of his best shooting nights in the series (12-of-20), with 10 assists, six rebounds, two three-pointers, and going a perfect 9-of-9 from the line.

Superstar condition

Now this last reason might be a bit controversial, but I am going to go ahead and plead my case anyway.

LJ and KB are clearly in phenomenal basketball condition. But if you want to win an NBA Finals and be the best, you have to be in immortal basketball condition.

What I mean by that is you have to be in such a ridiculous state of fitness, that even if you played every minute of every game throughout the postseason, you could still produce effectively.

Transformers 2 Sequel Clip

Previewing the match-up in the NBA finals

The Lakers and Magic clash on the court for the NBA's ultimate prize

Nick Mordowanec

One team is back only a year after playing (and losing) in the NBA finals. Another team has not been there since it was led by another dominant big man in Shaq O’Neal.

Despite many “experts” picturing a Kobe-LeBron match-up taking center stage on the 2009 finals, it’s The Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic who will square off this year. Apparently, Dwight Howard and company had other plans.

After ousting the defending champion Boston Celtics in the Conference Semifinals, the Magic derailed LeBron’s quest to return to the finals.
Now, another out-of-this-stratosphere superstar who many consider to be better than LeBron James, is knocking at the door of an NBA title.

That man is none other than Kobe Bryant.

While LeBron may be the most freakish of players in the league, he sometimes lacks that killer instinct to put a game in his hands and achieve victory.

Kobe, on the other hand, finishes better than any player in the game. And he is on a mission … a mission to lead a team to a championship season without Shaq O’Neal being his sidekick.

Many have questioned Kobe’s ability to win without Shaq, but he almost delivered last season, and now has a chance to bring his goal to fruition.

However, victory will not be easy.

Along with Howard, the Magic boast size and depth which can match the Lakers’ personnel. Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis are tall players who can drive the lane, dribble and shoot the three-ball.

Rafer Alston has developed into a large threat at the point guard position since filling in for the injured Jameer Nelson, and Mickael Pietrus has become both a defensive stalwart and a reliable scorer since coming off the bench.

But on the other hand, the Lakers are no slouches themselves. Lamar Odom is as good as any power forward in the game when he plays at his full potential, playing an inside-outside game and grabbing rebounds.

Pau Gasol is similar to Odom in not always playing at his best, but he has good post moves and great hands down low. Derek Fischer has been in this situation before, winning titles with the team in the early parts of this decade. Bench players like Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton and Shannon Brown are big pieces in Phil Jackson’s game plan.

The Lakers have more depth all around, but along with that they have experience. They were they last year. Kobe has been there four times alone. They understand the mistakes made in playing the Celtics last season and will correct them.

The Magic, meanwhile, are new dogs at this pony show. The players on their roster have no idea what to expect. Will they be frightened at first? Will they be tentative? Will they still drain all those three-pointers?

It is the team who has been there before versus the team who has no clue what to expect.

Our Take

While the Magic knocked out both the Celtics and the Cavaliers out of the playoffs, the Lakers are a whole different monster. When every player on L.A.’s roster contributes, they are arguably the most difficult team to beat. They also have that Kobe character.

This should be a high-scoring series, considering the players on each roster. And although the Magic have Superman inside and a strong outside game, doubting Kobe at this point in the season just too difficult to do.

As previously stated, he is on a mission to solidify his stature as the best player in the league. If he wins the championship, nobody can dispute such a statement.

Source: http://www.collegenews.com/index.php?/article/previewing_the_match_up_in_the_nba_finals_361844636363/

Susan Boyle: Popular Because She's Ugly?

Anybody who is anybody has heard about Susan Boyle. It's just the way it is whether you're just two seconds old or 102 years old. It wasn't your choice---and definitely wasn't my choice---and why?

Last week I decided to finally see what is the big deal with this ugly hag that Simon Cowell calls his next project---and what a project she is. I still remember vividly the videos I watched especially her audition for his show. What a spectacle! Her range was like any other opera singer (wide and strong) and she was ugly like any other opera singer that people know about (tell me if I'm wrong... I've just never seen a nice looking opera singer), but the only extraordinary thing about her was that she was not a joke that the producers schemed and she actually came on the show as if she was truly going to win.

The crowd stood in amazement. However, it wasn't her vocals that caught everyone's attention, but this ugly cave woman looking lady stood on stage sounding like an angel... an angel that got annoying very easily. Everyone expected something like a hoarse scream of death similar to Danny Gokey's infamous "high note/scream" come forth from the woman's ugly throat. From that very moment, she became famous not for her angelic vocals... just... just for an ugly face.

Now, this is no bash to the cave woman because I highly respect her as a vocalist. Her tone can be a model like Tyra Banks... but her face could have a show like Howard Stern.

Well, now, think about it! Why was it such a big deal that Simon Cowell wanted to sign her? Well, it could've been her lack of emotion in her voice when she sings but I highly doubt it. All people talked about was this woman looked as if she were thrown out a trash can and put onto a stage... why would he waste money on her?!

So I've come to this conclusion: Susan Boyle will have a very short and unhappy career, and she is only famous because she is ugly.

American Idol: Kris Allen Takes The Title

When I first started watching this season of American Idol, I only watched it because of the last season with the great singers such as David Archuleta, D. Cook, and the ever-beautiful Syesha Mercado.

Who could forget their voices? How they easily went from one note to another without even trying? Probably everyone but their fans... but something about this season had changed. It was as if the original idea from the seasons before was gone, and maybe that was a good thing.

Many other years of the show, all the judges looked for was the next big singer and not so much the next really big star, the "idol." This season was more so about that than anything... and for once, the winner and runner-up may actually be true stars. Most of the people of the season will be actually.

However, this brings me to the subject of my title. Kris Allen Takes The Title! The funny thing about it is that no one would've guessed this small-town guy from Arkansas would have taken the title especially with the fact that he didn't get much camera-time, and Simon Cowell detested him.

Simon never said it, but his actions and his words of discouragement were evidence of this. When I first saw the dude, I was mad he made it and Jamal didn't. -_- RIP the career of Jamal. I laugh at my inability to make a good joke. However, that very first performance of "Man in the Mirror," I knew this kid (funny I call him kid although happens to be much older than me) had what it took to be a star!

It wasn't his stellar vocals nor his incredible instrumental skills because truthfully, every other American Idol had those skills... and that did not make them stars...

It was everything about him. The fact that the moment he stepped onto the stage and everyone who watched him felt like they knew him all their life or maybe they knew a kid next door just like him. You knew girls would love him because of the wolfish-ness to his image.

Then when the Top whatever show came on, I said that the final two would probably be Adam-Kris, Adam-Allison... The judges loved the idea of Adam/Gokey competition... but personally, I never believed in Danny; he was just too over-the-top-I'm-not-boring-because-I-try-too-hard-to-be-boring. Yeah I know I'm gonna get a lot of people going crazy about my Danny comment but it's true. The man was more annoying than he was likable, mostly because Jamal should've been there instead of that boy. RIP the short-lived career of Jamal who lives in a small apartment. RIP the short career of the R&B songstress Ashanti Douglas who has been kicked off the already sucking--The Inc aka Murder Inc; nobody even knows they changed their name.

When the finale came, I was okay that either one would win although I would be so much more happier though if Kris Allen would win.

The boy takes the title.

He deserved it. Really, he did. Being the black horse and having many disadvantages under his belt, he outshined through it all, surprising us all with hits like "Aint No Sunshine," "Heartless," and his MoTown song. Changing up the melodies to fit his style and vocalizations, Kris Allen made an impression on me, and although many say it was an upset, I say the ending was pleasing.

For the next season:

Ashanti should try out for American Idol and start over on gaining fans. lol. Get a record label and I'll smile and laugh at the beautiful woman.