Derek Boogaard

Derek Boogaard June 23, 1982 – May 13, 2011 was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played for the Minnesota Wild and the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Known primarily as a fighter and enforcer, he was nicknamed the "Boogeyman" and "The Mountie". A 2007 survey of NHL players showed that Boogaard was the second most intimidating player in the NHL, behind the now retired Georges Laraque then of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Role as an enforcer

Boogaard's knockout of fellow enforcer Todd Fedoruk in a fight during a game against the Anaheim Ducks helped spark debate over increasing the punishment for fighting in the NHL. During this fight, Boogaard landed a brutal punch to the cheek sending Fedoruk to the ice. As a result, Fedoruk had to undergo surgery to reconstruct his shattered cheek using titanium plates. Fedoruk and Boogaard would later become teammates in Minnesota during the 2007–08 season. In 2005, Boogaard knocked out Mighty Ducks' enforcer Trevor Gillies with an uppercut to the jaw.

Boogaard was noted for a humorous incident that happened during the Wild's prospects camp prior to the 2001–02 season. When trying to check another player on the ice, Boogaard missed him and crashed into the boards with such force that he went through a pane of glass and over the boards. Boogaard stepped back onto the ice later and a replacement pane was adorned with a drawing of a person; A stick figure with the arms raised giving the impression of being plastered against the glass.

Playing career

Boogaard played Major Junior Hockey in the Western Hockey League (WHL) for the Regina Pats, Prince George Cougars and Medicine Hat Tigers. After recording 9 points and 245 penalty minutes with the Cougars in 2000–01, he was drafted in the 7th round, 202nd overall, by the Minnesota Wild in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

Midway through the 2002–03 season, he turned pro and joined the Louisiana IceGators of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). He then spent two seasons with the Houston Aeros before earning a roster spot with the Wild in 2005–06.

By the end of 2009 Boogaard had played four and a half seasons with the Wild tallying 2 goals (both scored in his first season) and 492 penalty minutes.

On March 7, 2010, Boogaard was suspended for 2 games for a knee on knee hit to Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Jones.

On July 1, 2010, Boogaard signed with the New York Rangers for $6.5 million over four years.

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs

Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM

1999–00 Regina Pats WHL 5 0 0 0 17 — — — — —

1999–00 Prince George Cougars WHL 33 0 0 0 149 — — — — —

2000–01 Prince George Cougars WHL 61 1 8 9 245 6 1 0 1 31

2001–02 Prince George Cougars WHL 2 0 0 0 16 — — — — —

2001–02 Medicine Hat Tigers WHL 46 1 8 9 178 — — — — —

2002–03 Medicine Hat Tigers WHL 27 1 2 3 65 — — — — —

2002–03 Louisiana IceGators ECHL 33 1 2 3 240 2 0 0 0 0

2003–04 Houston Aeros AHL 53 0 4 4 207 2 0 1 1 16

2004–05 Houston Aeros AHL 56 1 4 5 259 5 0 0 0 38

2005–06 Minnesota Wild NHL 65 2 4 6 158 — — — — —

2006–07 Minnesota Wild NHL 48 0 1 1 120 4 0 1 1 20

2007–08 Minnesota Wild NHL 34 0 0 0 74 6 0 0 0 24

2008–09 Minnesota Wild NHL 51 0 3 3 87 — — — — —

2009–10 Minnesota Wild NHL 57 0 4 4 105 — — — — —

2010–11 New York Rangers NHL 22 1 1 2 45 — — — — —

NHL totals 277 3 13 16 589 10 0 1 1 44

Death

On May 13, 2011 Derek Boogaard was found dead in his Minneapolis apartment by family members. He was aged 28 and was a month and ten days short of his 29th birthday.

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Annette Joanne Funicello

Annette Joanne Funicello (born October 22, 1942) is an American singer and actress. She was Walt Disney's most popular cast member of The Mickey Mouse Club, and went on to appear in a series of beach party films.

After the Mickey Mouse Club she remained under contract with Disney for a time, with television roles in Zorro, Elfego Baca and The Horsemasters. For Zorro she played Anita Cabrillo in a three-episode storyline about a teen-aged girl who arrives in Los Angeles to visit a father who does not seem to exist. This role was reportedly a birthday present from Walt Disney, and the first of two different characters played opposite Guy Williams as Zorro. Annette also co-starred in Disney-produced movies such as The Shaggy Dog, Babes in Toyland, The Misadventures of Merlin Jones, and The Monkey's Uncle.

Although uncomfortable being thought of as a singer, Annette had a number of pop record hits in the late 1950s and early 1960s, mostly written by the Sherman Brothers and including: "Tall Paul," "First Name Initial," "O Dio Mio," "Train of Love" (written by Paul Anka) and "Pineapple Princess." They were released by Disney's Buena Vista label. Annette also recorded "It's Really Love" in 1959, a reworking of an earlier Paul Anka song called "Toot Sweet"; Anka reworked the song for a third time in 1962 as "Johnny's Theme" and it opened The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson on television for the next three decades. In an episode of the Disney anthology television series titled "Disneyland After Dark," Annette can be seen singing live at Disneyland. Walt Disney was reportedly a fan of 1950s pop star Teresa Brewer and tried to pattern Annette's singing in the same style. However, Funicello credits "the Annette sound" to her record producer, Tutti Camarata, who worked for Disney in that era. Camarata had her double-track her vocals, matching her first track as closely as possible on the second recording to achieve a fuller sound than her voice would otherwise produce. Early in her career, she appeared on the NBC interview program Here's Hollywood.

Early life and early stardom

Annette Joanne Funicello was born in Utica, New York to Italian-Americans Joseph and Virginia Funicello. Her family moved to Southern California when she was four years old. Funicello took dancing and music lessons as a child to overcome shyness. In 1955, the 12-year-old was discovered by Walt Disney when she performed as the Swan Queen in Swan Lake at a dance recital in Burbank, California. Disney cast her as one of the original "Mouseketeers". She was the last to be selected, and the only one personally picked by Walt Disney himself. She proved to be very popular and by the end of the first season of Mickey Mouse Club, she was receiving 6,000 letters a month, according to her Disney Legends biography.

Personal

Funicello was married to her first husband, Jack Gilardi, from 1965 until 1981. They had three children: Gina (b. 1966), Jack, Jr. (b. 1970) and Jason (b. 1974). In 1986, she married California harness racing horse breeder/trainer Glen Holt. Annette and Glen were frequently seen at Los Alamitos Race Course and at Fairplex in Pomona in the 1980s and 1990s attending harness horse races.

In 1987, Annette reunited with Frankie Avalon for a series of promotional concerts to promote their film Back to the Beach. She began to suffer from dizzy spells, but kept her failing health from her family.

Funicello announced in 1992 that she suffers from multiple sclerosis. She had kept her condition a secret for many years, but felt it necessary to go public to combat rumors that her impaired ability to walk was the result of alcoholism. That same year, she was inducted as a Disney Legend. In 1993, she opened the Annette Funicello Fund for Neurological Disorders at the California Community Foundation.

Funicello's best friend is Shelley Fabares. She and Fabares have been friends since they were young teenagers, and Fabares was a bridesmaid at Funicello's first wedding. She is also very close to fellow Mouseketeers Sharon Baird, Doreen Tracey, and her "Beach" movies co-star, Frankie Avalon.

Her autobiography, published in 1994, is A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes: My Story. The title is taken from a song from the Disney movie Cinderella. A made-for-TV movie based on the book, A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes: The Annette Funicello Story, was made in 1995. In the final scene, the actress portraying Funicello (Eva LaRue), riding in a wheelchair, is turned away from the camera — turning back, it is Funicello herself, who delivers a message to a group of children. During this period she also produced her own line of teddy bears for the Annette Funicello Collectible Bear Company. The last collection in the series was made in 2004. She also has her own fragrance, "Cello by Annette.

Beach icon and spokeswoman

She moved on from Disney to become a teen idol, starring in a series of "Beach Party" movies with Frankie Avalon for American International Pictures. These included Beach Party, Muscle Beach Party, Bikini Beach, Beach Blanket Bingo, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini and Pajama Party.

When she was cast in her first beach movie, Walt Disney requested that she only wear modest bathing suits and keep her navel covered. However, she wore a pink two-piece in Beach Party, a white two-piece fishnet suit in the second film (Muscle Beach Party) and a blue and white bikini in the third (Bikini Beach). All three swimsuits bared her navel, particularly in Bikini Beach, where it is visible extensively during close up shots in a sequence early in the film when she meets Frankie Avalon's "Potato Bug" character outside his tent.

She and Avalon became iconic as "beach picture" stars and were re-united in 1987 for the Paramount film Back to the Beach, parodying their own surf-and-sand films two decades earlier. They toured the country as a singing act.

In 1979, Funicello began starring in a series of television commercials for Skippy peanut butter.

NY Rangers' Boogaard dies at 28

News was first reported by Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune who said that Boogaard was found dead at his apartment in Minneapolis on Friday.

“Derek was an extremely kind and caring individual,” said New York Rangers president and general manager Glen Sather in a statement on the team's website. “He was a very thoughtful person, who will be dearly missed by all those who knew him. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and teammates during this difficult time.

The Star Tribune newspaper in Minneapolis first reported Boogaard was found dead in his home by members of his family. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office in Minnesota confirmed those details and said an autopsy was pending.

"Derek was an extremely kind and caring individual," Rangers president and general manager Glen Sather said. "He was a very thoughtful person, who will be dearly missed by all those who knew him. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and teammates during this difficult time.

Taken 202nd overall in the 2001 entry draft by the Minnesota Wild, Boogaard appeared in 255 career games with the team from 2005-10.

"The Minnesota Wild organization sends our deepest sympathies to the family of Derek Boogaard," team said in a statement. "Derek was a fan favorite during his five seasons with the Wild and will be greatly missed here in Minnesota and throughout the NHL. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Boogaard family during this tragic time of loss.

In 277 games, Boogaard recorded 3 goals. He was a fan-favorite for his fighting, and a clubhouse favorite for his personality.

As autopsy results are pending, one can only hope that the concussion that led to 52 missed games this season was not at the root of Boogaard’s death. Depression is often linked to blows to the head and concussions, particularly in boxers. As a fighter, Boogaard may have experienced some of these symptoms.

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Outlook for China Luxury

China are going up. For some that means a stop at the local fast food restaurant is affordable, for others, it has created a pension for brand names, expensive cars and glitzy jewelry.

McKinsey, a management consultancy, recently reported it expects China will account for 20 percent of the world's luxury goods in just four years. By then, it says, the luxury market could be worth 27 billion dollars.

Rapid increases in wealth, and shifting social mores that sanction the display of that wealth, are driving a growing infatuation for luxury goods among Chinese consumers.”

“Access to an explosion of information on the Internet, an increasing penchant for overseas travel, and first-hand experience purchasing and consuming luxury goods are contributing to a substantial rise in sophistication among luxury consumers in China. Contrary to popular belief, a growing number of Chinese luxury consumers are exhibiting a noticeable trend away from overt displays of wealth, and towards more understated forms of luxury consumption.”

“Rapid urbanization and growing wealth outside of China’s largest cities is driving the emergence of several new geographic markets with sizeable pools of luxury goods consumers. Over the next 5 years, [McKinsey] expects that the number of such cities will double from 30-60.

Ushering into 2011, China, serving as a niche market, is more than just prosperity. It is believed that China’s luxury market has transformed from ‘land-rush’ to ‘ROI focus’. It is urgent for key market players to have in-depth knowledge of ‘China’s rule’. How to cultivate specific brandculture catering to local consumers? How to efficiently build brand image and grant to consumers? What is the ideal retailing solution for variant consumers? How to do ideal CRM in a niche market? It is certain that luxury consumption in China is more than purchasing but purchasing culture, spirit, life sytle of luxury brands.

Core luxury buyers: Affluent households that spend 12 to 20% of their income on luxury goods per year ($22,000 to $66,000).

Luxury role models: Young and fashionable, most are self-employed or corporate executives living in Beijing or Shanghai. They buy to indulge themselves and seek to feel unique rather than show off their wealth.

Fashion fanatics: Middle class, typically in junior to mid-level positions; includes some housewives. They spend a disproportionate amount of income on luxury, and have a stronger “enjoy now” mindset, willing to buy on credit. They also exert a strong influence on other consumers, sharing their purchases and opinions in social circles and online.

Middle-class aspirants: Middle class living in Tier 2/3 cities. They are infrequent buyers of luxury products. Purchasing luxury goods makes them feel successful and fulfills aspirations of belonging in a higher social circle. They are also less knowledgeable about luxury brands and thus are more cautious spenders.

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Corrupt American corporate legislation

Just think about 100 Senators and 435 Representatives total numbers representative are 441 with 5 Delegates and one Resident.

If any corporation invest on 50% members one million dollars per member.The total amount will be 220.5 millions Dollars. After that they can make law as corporation want with 25% support of natural agreed members.Simply "that corporation" will "Get benefits" of just some "Billions" only.

Estimated War-Related Costs, Iraq and Afghanistan

Estimated Costs of war in Afghanistan 2011

119.4 Billions US$

Estimated Costs of war in Iraq 2011

51.1 Billions US$

Currently, the United States consumes 19.6 million barrels per day, of oil, which is more than 25% of the world's total.

If Congressman or Senator talk angrily on Middle east the oil prices will rise again.

If oil prices rise only 1$ per "Barrel" Poor corporations just get 19.6 US$ million per day only##########

Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills. ”

This establishes the method for making Acts of Congress. Accordingly, any bill may originate in either House of Congress, except for a revenue bill, which may originate only in the House of Representatives. In practice, the Senate can simply circumvent this requirement by substituting the text of any bill previously passed by the House with the text of a revenue bill, as was done with H.R. 1424 or the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982. When the Senate sends an appropriation bill to the House, the House may return it to the Senate with a blue slip, thereby settling the question in practice. Either House may amend any bill, including revenue and appropriation bills.

The Origination Clause stems from an English parliamentary requirement that all money bills start from the House of Commons; it was intended to ensure that the "power of the purse" lies with the legislative body closer to the people. The clause was also part of a compromise between small and large states: the latter were unhappy with equal representation in the Senate.

What did you think about US budget 2011?

Where are we (Americans).....................?