This will likely be the end of Jacob Tucker's 15 minutes of fame, but what an ending it is.
The unassuming 5-foot-11 guard from tiny Division-III Illinois College, whose journey to Thursday's NCAA slam dunk championship began with a YouTube audition video that became a viral sensation, is officially college basketball's top senior dunker.
He won the competition in Houston by pulling off a series of jaw-dropping throw-downs.
Tucker earned a perfect score of 50 in the first round with a through-the-legs finish off of the bounce. He was the only competitor to notch a 50 in the opening round, and that gave him some leeway on his second attempt.
First, he started in the right corner and ran towards a ball placed on the right block. Tucker executed a cartwheel and grabbed the ball all in one motion, but missed the dunk after springing upwards. With his allotted time running out, he still pulled off something simple, yet solid enough to get him to the semifinals — Your ho-hum 360-degree, two-handed jam.
There, while trailing sophomore Illinois College teammate/dunk assistant Nathan Kohler down the left sideline, he grabbed his partner's toss off of the side of the backboard and executed a smooth 360 spin while finishing with one hand. That easily locked him into the finals.
He went second in the final round, and had to top a 46 posted by UNC-Asheville's John Williams.
That's when it got really interesting, as Tucker first made two attempts at a through-the-legs 360 dunk, but couldn't put it down.
He'd later tell ESPN's Holly Rowe that was his original back-up option, but went for it first since that dunk had never been done in the NCAA competition. Then, he reverted to the first choice, which proved to be the breadwinner.
Kohler stood just off to the right side of the hoop with the ball held over his head. Tucker charged in from the corner, completely cleared Kohler — also listed at 5-11 — grabbed the ball and threw in a two-handed reverse slam. ESPN replays measured his vertical leap on the dunk at a ridiculous 46 inches.
He scored a 49.
"It's unbelievable, just because a lot of these other guys here are D-I players," he said afterwards. "They're used to being on the national stage, and this dunk contest, to their schools, didn't necessarily mean as much. To be able to represent my school on a national stage is a real honor."
You can say that the gimmick of Tucker simply being there helped him win it, but that would be inaccurate. He had to win a Facebook fan vote to get to Houston as the only non-Division-I participant, but convincingly proved himself worthy.
It also didn't hurt that the rest of the competitors left something to be desired when compared to Tucker's well-planned arsenal. Against a somewhat lack of creativity by others in a field that featured no one else shorter than 6-foot-3 and antics such as Cincinnati's Darnell Wilks advertising his Twitter page on a custom-made headband, Tucker was a silent assassin.
Tucker, who averaged 14.8 points and an impressive-given-his-height 7.1 rebounds a game this season for the Blueboys, appeared quiet the entire night while waiting his turns on the sidelines. But he finally cut loose a bit after his title-clinching dunk, when he jokingly executed the Aaron Rodgers championship belt celebration with Memphis' Will Coleman.
Then, fittingly, there was the prize for winning it.
Instead of a bulky trophy that he'd have to awkwardly carry on to a flight back to central Illinois, Tucker was presented with a custom-made, WWE-style belt.
Just awesome. Purely awesome.
Barring Disney getting a hold of the movie rights to this tale — which you can never really count out — this is likely the last you'll hear of Jacob Tucker. But it's hard to think of a more impressive way for him to dip away from the spotlight.
via yahoo.com
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Billionaire Spotlight: Russian billionaire buys $100M Silicon Valley home
The U.S. housing market may be struggling to regain its footing, but the $100 million sale of a single-family home in the heart of Silicon Valley shows that luxury properties are still in demand.
Russian billionaire Yuri Milner, a big investor in Facebook, daily deal website Groupon and "Farmville" game maker Zynga, bought the lavish, 25,500-square-foot mansion in Los Altos Hills, Calif. The sale is believed to be one of the largest in U.S. history for a single-family home.
Donald Trump sold his Palm Beach mansion for $100 million in 2008 to Russian fertilizer billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev. Trump told The Associated Press at the time that it was the largest estate sale ever in the U.S.
Milner, the 49-year-old founder of Internet investment firm Digital Sky Technologies and chairman of Mail.ru Group, has no immediate plans to move into the mansion, spokesman Leonid Solovyev told The AP. Solovyev and another spokesman for the billionaire declined any further comment.
The mansion is a French-style chateau in the Loire style set on 18 acres in hills overlooking San Francisco Bay, the architect, William Hablinski, told The AP. Hablinski said the cost of the project, which took about six years to complete, was not a big concern during the building process. He would not comment on how much the seller, Fred Chan and his wife Annie, paid to build it.
"It did have a budget, it just went far beyond," he said.
The estate has a ballroom, screening room, wine cellar, gym, spa and pools inside and out.
"It has a beautiful rotunda in the entryway, flanked by stairs up both sides," Hablinski said. "And a motor court that ensures security and privacy."
The $100 million price is based on the documented transfer tax of $110,000, which was provided to the AP by the Santa Clara County Assessor's Office.
The Wall Street Journal reported the sale price Thursday. That followed a report on the deal last week in technology blog TechCrunch.
The mansion's price tag dwarfs the $50 million paid for the three-story, 48,000-square-foot Le Belvedere mansion in Bel Air last year, said Betty Graham, president of Coldwell Banker Previews International, which listed that property. Graham said the number of homes that sold for more than $20 million last year in the Los Angeles area tripled from 2009, a sign that the luxury market has been strengthening.
"The smart money is back in real estate," Graham said.
Still, at the highest end of the ultra-high price range, some homes remain unsold going on well more than a year.
At the top of the list is the 56,500-square-foot estate owned by the widow of the late TV producer Aaron Spelling. The French chateau-style mansion set in the exclusive Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles was placed on the market two years ago for a jaw-dropping $150 million. A Beverly Hills, Calif., property known as Fleur de Lys has been on the market more than a year for $125 million.
via AP
Russian billionaire Yuri Milner, a big investor in Facebook, daily deal website Groupon and "Farmville" game maker Zynga, bought the lavish, 25,500-square-foot mansion in Los Altos Hills, Calif. The sale is believed to be one of the largest in U.S. history for a single-family home.
Donald Trump sold his Palm Beach mansion for $100 million in 2008 to Russian fertilizer billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev. Trump told The Associated Press at the time that it was the largest estate sale ever in the U.S.
Milner, the 49-year-old founder of Internet investment firm Digital Sky Technologies and chairman of Mail.ru Group, has no immediate plans to move into the mansion, spokesman Leonid Solovyev told The AP. Solovyev and another spokesman for the billionaire declined any further comment.
The mansion is a French-style chateau in the Loire style set on 18 acres in hills overlooking San Francisco Bay, the architect, William Hablinski, told The AP. Hablinski said the cost of the project, which took about six years to complete, was not a big concern during the building process. He would not comment on how much the seller, Fred Chan and his wife Annie, paid to build it.
"It did have a budget, it just went far beyond," he said.
The estate has a ballroom, screening room, wine cellar, gym, spa and pools inside and out.
"It has a beautiful rotunda in the entryway, flanked by stairs up both sides," Hablinski said. "And a motor court that ensures security and privacy."
The $100 million price is based on the documented transfer tax of $110,000, which was provided to the AP by the Santa Clara County Assessor's Office.
The Wall Street Journal reported the sale price Thursday. That followed a report on the deal last week in technology blog TechCrunch.
The mansion's price tag dwarfs the $50 million paid for the three-story, 48,000-square-foot Le Belvedere mansion in Bel Air last year, said Betty Graham, president of Coldwell Banker Previews International, which listed that property. Graham said the number of homes that sold for more than $20 million last year in the Los Angeles area tripled from 2009, a sign that the luxury market has been strengthening.
"The smart money is back in real estate," Graham said.
Still, at the highest end of the ultra-high price range, some homes remain unsold going on well more than a year.
At the top of the list is the 56,500-square-foot estate owned by the widow of the late TV producer Aaron Spelling. The French chateau-style mansion set in the exclusive Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles was placed on the market two years ago for a jaw-dropping $150 million. A Beverly Hills, Calif., property known as Fleur de Lys has been on the market more than a year for $125 million.
via AP
Scranton woman hides heroin, money & loose change in... herself
After crashing her car Sunday, police said a Scranton woman suspected of burglarizing the Dunmore Inn was found to have a sizeable stash of drugs and money hidden in an unlikely location.
According to a criminal complaint:
Dunmore police Officer Anthony Cali asked Scranton police Officer Nancy Baumann to detain Karin Mackaliunas, 27, 1609 Mulberry St., at the scene of a crash at the North Seventh Avenue off-ramp Sunday evening.
After her car was towed, Ms. Mackaliunas was ready to leave the scene of the crash when Officer Cali contacted Officer Baumann and asked for Ms. Mackaliunas to be detained because she was suspected of stealing items from the inn.
After searching her for weapons, Officer Baumann found three bags of heroin in Ms. Mackaliunas' jacket.
But as the officer drove her to Scranton police headquarters to charge her for drug possession, Officer Baumann noticed Ms. Mackaliunas fidgeting in the backseat of the cruiser.
After a struggle with Officer Baumann during a more thorough search at headquarters, Ms. Mackaliunas asked to speak with Sergeant Michael Mayer and told him she had hidden more heroin in her vagina.
A search of Ms. Mackaliunas by a doctor at Community Medical Center turned up 54 bags of heroin, 31 empty bags used to package heroin, 8.5 prescription pills and $51.22.
Ms. Mackaliunas was charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and two counts of possession of a controlled substance.
via thetimes-tribune
According to a criminal complaint:
Dunmore police Officer Anthony Cali asked Scranton police Officer Nancy Baumann to detain Karin Mackaliunas, 27, 1609 Mulberry St., at the scene of a crash at the North Seventh Avenue off-ramp Sunday evening.
After her car was towed, Ms. Mackaliunas was ready to leave the scene of the crash when Officer Cali contacted Officer Baumann and asked for Ms. Mackaliunas to be detained because she was suspected of stealing items from the inn.
After searching her for weapons, Officer Baumann found three bags of heroin in Ms. Mackaliunas' jacket.
But as the officer drove her to Scranton police headquarters to charge her for drug possession, Officer Baumann noticed Ms. Mackaliunas fidgeting in the backseat of the cruiser.
After a struggle with Officer Baumann during a more thorough search at headquarters, Ms. Mackaliunas asked to speak with Sergeant Michael Mayer and told him she had hidden more heroin in her vagina.
A search of Ms. Mackaliunas by a doctor at Community Medical Center turned up 54 bags of heroin, 31 empty bags used to package heroin, 8.5 prescription pills and $51.22.
Ms. Mackaliunas was charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and two counts of possession of a controlled substance.
via thetimes-tribune
Friday, April 1, 2011
Having a Bachelor Party in Vegas?
Fly around and shoot stuff
Making laser tag an adult game is nearly impossible, unless all the kids are naked! Going adult more tastefully: Air Combat Ace.
Started by retired a Air Force Vet who missed the adrenaline of being shot at, ACA's cobbled together nearly a dozen professional fighter pilots willing to put guests in the cockpit of actual planes outfitted with custom laser targeting systems and lead 'em through evasive combat tactics, which they'll desperately need upon returning home from Vegas to their girlfriends. A limo'll drive you to the facility, where a 50min "fighter pilot" brief on basic maneuvering & equipment fitting's all you'll need before hopping in a carbon-fiber Extra 330LC, capable of traveling over 200mph and equipped with line-of-site transmitters, a gun reticule, and a smoke system that triggers when you're hit, though generally speaking, if your hits have created a smoke system you probably shouldn't be flying a plane, bro. By your side'll be your trusty instructor/ wingman, who'll teach you the art of dogfighting, high-g maneuvering, and low level formations, while also walking you through five plane-to-plane mid-air "engagements", fitting, as proposals generally are better if you aren't flying by the seat of your pants.
Each plane's mounted with four cameras to capture the action, and the day's topped off with a trip back to the Squadron Bar, a restored airplane hangar where the booze and apps'll flow between games of darts and pool, another place those pervy kids should keep their suits on!
via thrillist
Making laser tag an adult game is nearly impossible, unless all the kids are naked! Going adult more tastefully: Air Combat Ace.
Started by retired a Air Force Vet who missed the adrenaline of being shot at, ACA's cobbled together nearly a dozen professional fighter pilots willing to put guests in the cockpit of actual planes outfitted with custom laser targeting systems and lead 'em through evasive combat tactics, which they'll desperately need upon returning home from Vegas to their girlfriends. A limo'll drive you to the facility, where a 50min "fighter pilot" brief on basic maneuvering & equipment fitting's all you'll need before hopping in a carbon-fiber Extra 330LC, capable of traveling over 200mph and equipped with line-of-site transmitters, a gun reticule, and a smoke system that triggers when you're hit, though generally speaking, if your hits have created a smoke system you probably shouldn't be flying a plane, bro. By your side'll be your trusty instructor/ wingman, who'll teach you the art of dogfighting, high-g maneuvering, and low level formations, while also walking you through five plane-to-plane mid-air "engagements", fitting, as proposals generally are better if you aren't flying by the seat of your pants.
Each plane's mounted with four cameras to capture the action, and the day's topped off with a trip back to the Squadron Bar, a restored airplane hangar where the booze and apps'll flow between games of darts and pool, another place those pervy kids should keep their suits on!
via thrillist
Live Fish and Turtles Keyrings Sold in China
Yes, you read that right.
LIVE FISH AND TURTLES SOLD AS KEY CHAIN ACCESSORIES.
Keyring ornaments are perhaps the most useless item you'll ever carry in your pocket or stuff in your purse -- but now, thanks to an increasingly popular item being sold in China, it can easily be the cruelest, too. For the price you might expect to pay for some kitschy trinket, Chinese street vendors are selling live animals, permanently sealed in a small plastic pouch where they can survive for a short while as someone's conversation piece. Apparently, these unimaginably inhumane keyrings are actually quite popular -- and worst of all, it's totally legal.
According to The Global Times, these keyring accessories containing live animals are widely available and sold publicly in subway stations and on sidewalks. Potential buyers (read as animal-abusers) have the choice between a living Brazil turtle or two small kingfish, sealed in an airtight package along with some colored water. One vendor claimed that the trapped creatures "can live for months inside there" because the water contains "nutrients," though veterinarians have already disputed this claim.
"I'll hang it in my office, it looks nice and brings good luck, " said one customer who purchased the turtle.
As the cruel trinkets continue to gain in popularity, thankfully so to have the voices of animal rights supporters in opposition to the inhumane treatment of the animals they contain. "To put a living thing inside a sealed and confined space for profit is immoral and pure animal abuse," Qin Xiaona, director of the NGO Capital Animal Welfare Association, told the Global Times.
Even some right-thinking passersby are trying to do their part in saving the animals' lives where they can. "I bought one to free it. It looks so miserable," said one woman, unnamed by the Times.
Despite the fact that the selling of animals as keyring ornaments is a clear-cut case of animal cruelty, it is actually entirely within the law. Chinese law prohibits the sale of wild animals -- a designation which evidently does not apply to the Brazil turtles and kingfish being sold.
For the time being, in lieu of legislation which may or may not come to pass outlawing the sale of living creatures as objects of amusement, Xiaona suggests people use their better sense to squelch the trade. "If nobody buys it, the market will die," she says.
Sadly, it is likely that so too will the animals which have already been sealed in their colorful, transparent tombs -- gasping for the final breath of air they've been packaged with, as they peer out to a world in which their lives are considered essentially worthless. And in such a dark hour, it's hard not to believe our very humanity awaits a similar fate.
via the global times
LIVE FISH AND TURTLES SOLD AS KEY CHAIN ACCESSORIES.
Keyring ornaments are perhaps the most useless item you'll ever carry in your pocket or stuff in your purse -- but now, thanks to an increasingly popular item being sold in China, it can easily be the cruelest, too. For the price you might expect to pay for some kitschy trinket, Chinese street vendors are selling live animals, permanently sealed in a small plastic pouch where they can survive for a short while as someone's conversation piece. Apparently, these unimaginably inhumane keyrings are actually quite popular -- and worst of all, it's totally legal.
According to The Global Times, these keyring accessories containing live animals are widely available and sold publicly in subway stations and on sidewalks. Potential buyers (read as animal-abusers) have the choice between a living Brazil turtle or two small kingfish, sealed in an airtight package along with some colored water. One vendor claimed that the trapped creatures "can live for months inside there" because the water contains "nutrients," though veterinarians have already disputed this claim.
"I'll hang it in my office, it looks nice and brings good luck, " said one customer who purchased the turtle.
As the cruel trinkets continue to gain in popularity, thankfully so to have the voices of animal rights supporters in opposition to the inhumane treatment of the animals they contain. "To put a living thing inside a sealed and confined space for profit is immoral and pure animal abuse," Qin Xiaona, director of the NGO Capital Animal Welfare Association, told the Global Times.
Even some right-thinking passersby are trying to do their part in saving the animals' lives where they can. "I bought one to free it. It looks so miserable," said one woman, unnamed by the Times.
Despite the fact that the selling of animals as keyring ornaments is a clear-cut case of animal cruelty, it is actually entirely within the law. Chinese law prohibits the sale of wild animals -- a designation which evidently does not apply to the Brazil turtles and kingfish being sold.
For the time being, in lieu of legislation which may or may not come to pass outlawing the sale of living creatures as objects of amusement, Xiaona suggests people use their better sense to squelch the trade. "If nobody buys it, the market will die," she says.
Sadly, it is likely that so too will the animals which have already been sealed in their colorful, transparent tombs -- gasping for the final breath of air they've been packaged with, as they peer out to a world in which their lives are considered essentially worthless. And in such a dark hour, it's hard not to believe our very humanity awaits a similar fate.
via the global times
10 Questions for Wiz Khalifa
The tasty treats may have been the first spotting upon entering The Marcel at Gramercy Hotel in New York City. But it wasn’t mini burgers, jumbo onion rings, mozzarella sticks, or bowls of pink and red Starbursts that drew in the crowd. It was hip-hop phenom Wiz Khalifa, who entered the room wearing a jean jacket, camouflage BBC hoodie, navy Chuck Taylors, and a backwards cap. The “Black and Yellow” rapper wasted no time introducing himself before taking flicks and chatting with well wishers.
Wiz has more than one reason to be flying high. Rolling Papers, his Atlantic Records debut, is in stores now. With production from Stargate and Jim Jonsin, and appearances from Too $hort, Chevy Woods, and Curren$y, the Pittsburgh MC quells his detractors, especially those who say he’s gone pop. “Everything takes time, so with time will come the healing…for those who think that. Everybody else thinks it’s great!” he says with a smile.
Sitting down with Rap-Up.com, Wiz fires off answers to questions including who he’d most like to smoke with, which actor would play him in a biopic, the rapper that left him starstruck, and the craziest rumor he’s heard about himself. He does so carefree because these days, he has two types of paper to roll.
1. How many tattoos do you have, and which is your favorite?
I have too many to count… And this is my favorite [points to wrist]. “Self made.” It describes your boy.
2. If you could smoke with anyone, who would it be?
I would smoke with Charlie Brown, the grown version though, because we’d probably have some fun stuff to talk about.
3. Do you have any nicknames aside from Wiz?
Nope. Just the short version of my real name [Cameron], Cam. That’s it though.
4. Name a song that you wish you had recorded.
[The Notorious B.I.G.'s] “Mo Money Mo Problems” is definitely a song that someone else did that I wish I would have done. That’s a great song.
5. Have you ever been starstruck?
Yeah, I was just starstruck today. I met Cam’ron. That kind of blew me away.
6. If you could cast any actor to play you in a movie, who would it be?
I would get that lil’ homie from “Everybody Hates Chris” [Tyler James Williams]. He would play me.
7. What is the craziest rumor you’ve heard about yourself?
That I was 5’6”. Somebody said they had seen me and I was 5’6”, which is outrageous—I’m taller.
8. Some have criticized Rolling Papers for being too commercial sounding. What do you say to those critics?
Just wait, you know? Everything takes time, so with time will come the healing…for those who think that. Everybody else thinks it’s great!
9. What’s one thing you want to do before you die?
Skydive.
10. Describe your life in three words.
Fu cking awesome!
via rap-up.com
Wiz has more than one reason to be flying high. Rolling Papers, his Atlantic Records debut, is in stores now. With production from Stargate and Jim Jonsin, and appearances from Too $hort, Chevy Woods, and Curren$y, the Pittsburgh MC quells his detractors, especially those who say he’s gone pop. “Everything takes time, so with time will come the healing…for those who think that. Everybody else thinks it’s great!” he says with a smile.
Sitting down with Rap-Up.com, Wiz fires off answers to questions including who he’d most like to smoke with, which actor would play him in a biopic, the rapper that left him starstruck, and the craziest rumor he’s heard about himself. He does so carefree because these days, he has two types of paper to roll.
1. How many tattoos do you have, and which is your favorite?
I have too many to count… And this is my favorite [points to wrist]. “Self made.” It describes your boy.
2. If you could smoke with anyone, who would it be?
I would smoke with Charlie Brown, the grown version though, because we’d probably have some fun stuff to talk about.
3. Do you have any nicknames aside from Wiz?
Nope. Just the short version of my real name [Cameron], Cam. That’s it though.
4. Name a song that you wish you had recorded.
[The Notorious B.I.G.'s] “Mo Money Mo Problems” is definitely a song that someone else did that I wish I would have done. That’s a great song.
5. Have you ever been starstruck?
Yeah, I was just starstruck today. I met Cam’ron. That kind of blew me away.
6. If you could cast any actor to play you in a movie, who would it be?
I would get that lil’ homie from “Everybody Hates Chris” [Tyler James Williams]. He would play me.
7. What is the craziest rumor you’ve heard about yourself?
That I was 5’6”. Somebody said they had seen me and I was 5’6”, which is outrageous—I’m taller.
8. Some have criticized Rolling Papers for being too commercial sounding. What do you say to those critics?
Just wait, you know? Everything takes time, so with time will come the healing…for those who think that. Everybody else thinks it’s great!
9. What’s one thing you want to do before you die?
Skydive.
10. Describe your life in three words.
Fu cking awesome!
via rap-up.com
Film Spotlight: Hobo with a Shotgun
A homeless vigilante blows away crooked cops, pedophile Santas, and other scumbags with his trusty pump-action shotgun.
The new trailer delivers some fantastic one-liners:
"WELCOME TO FUCK TOWN!"
"I'M GONNA SLEEP IN YOUR BLOODY CARCASS'... TONIGHT!"
"Jerk off, you shit licker."
"Put the knife away, kid, or I'll use it to cut welfare checks from your rotting skin"
Genius.
via IGN
"WELCOME TO FUCK TOWN!"
"I'M GONNA SLEEP IN YOUR BLOODY CARCASS'... TONIGHT!"
"Jerk off, you shit licker."
"Put the knife away, kid, or I'll use it to cut welfare checks from your rotting skin"
Genius.
via IGN
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