Tuesday, May 11, 2010

“NASCAR's Unsung Heroes, Spotter Series: Mike Calinoff, Kenseth's ... - Bleacherreport.com” plus 3 more

“NASCAR's Unsung Heroes, Spotter Series: Mike Calinoff, Kenseth's ... - Bleacherreport.com” plus 3 more

NASCAR's Unsung Heroes, Spotter Series: Mike Calinoff, Kenseth's ... - Bleacherreport.com

Posted: 07 May 2010 12:10 PM PDT

Keeping in the Roush-Fenway camp, this week's article features championship spotter Mike Calinoff. Calinoff spots for 2003 Cup Champion Matt Kenseth.

 

Like fellow Roush spotter Lorin Ranier, Calinoff also works away from the track, doing a different type of job.

 

Calinoff owns Active8, a media relations company that works with drivers to get their name out there, and to promote them to future owners/sponsors.

 

"What we try to do with our clients is try to build them a branding package and a P.R. package to give them something to talk about," Calinoff said during Speed's Sounds of NASCAR Roush Spotters episode.

Instead of simply promoting his clients as just drivers in the series they race in, Calinoff promotes them as general race car drivers.

In between spotting and helping his clients, Calinoff took time to answer some questions.

 

 

Ashley McCubbin: How many years have you been spotting?

 

Mike Calinoff: I have been spotting at a NASCAR level since 1996.

 

AM: What do you think makes a good spotter? Any certain requirements/recommendations?

 

MC: I think the ability to predict certain scenarios is key. A lot has to do with knowing whom you're racing around. Having good eyesight really helps!

 

AM: Best and worst tracks for spotting at?

 

MC: I like just about every track on the circuit, with the exception of Pocono and Phoenix. I don't like tracks that start with "P"... I'm just kidding about that... Both of those tracks have spotters stands that make it difficult to get a full view of the racing.

 

AM: What do you think of the criticisms that spotters get immediately when it comes to incidents?

 

MC: It really depends who's saying it. If it's coming from a driver then I think it's usually valid. If it comes from a crew member who can only see the frontstrech or the media, I give the criticism less value.

 

AM: How do you get along with the other spotters?

 

MC: Really well. We all understand that we're not driving the cars and that makes it a lot easier.

 

AM: What's the hardest part about your job?

 

MC: Well, being away from home is pretty tough—but it's part of it. I guess standing out in the hot sun for 500 miles is what I like least about the job.

 

AM: During the race, in general, what is your job?

 

MC: My job is to give as much information as possible to help the driver make decisions; and, of course, keep him safe.

 

AM: When it comes to pit stops, what does your job entail?

 

MC: Basically I will remind the driver of his pit road speed and let him know when he is ten stalls away from our pit stall.

 

AM: If you have worked with different drivers, what are some certain things that one driver prefers over another?

 

MC: Some drivers like more talk and some like less. That's pretty much it.

 

AM: What do you do if you ever have to go to the bathroom in the middle of a race?

 

MC: Why does everyone always ask that question!? I try not to drink too much during the race. I typically chew a lot of gum.

 

AM: What do you do before the race, food/drink wise, to prepare?

 

MC: I've been on a diet so I have been eating very light!

 

 

 

Next week's article will feature Rocky Ryan, spotter for Richard Childress Racing's Jeff Burton.

 

NASCAR's Unsung Heroes: Spotter Series

Joey Meier, spotter for Brad Keselowski

Brett Griffin, spotter for Elliott Sadler

A View From Talladega

Lorin Ranier, spotter for David Ragan

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Green Celebrity Profile: Hayden Panettiere short celeb ... - Examiner

Posted: 11 May 2010 02:04 AM PDT

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Green Celebrity Profile!

Hayden Panettiere flaunted her new sexy short hairdo at the Earth Day celebration and VIP screening of Avatar at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Thursday (April 22) in Los Angeles.

Just Jared reports, "The 20-year-old actress was accompanied by her boyfriend, Ukaranian boxer Wladimir Klitschko, to the Bing-sponsored event, which benefited the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. The Earth Day event was produced by Words That Shook The World."

Hayden chose to wear designer clothes from Emilio Pucci, but it was her celebrity hairstyle that set all the celeb gossip reporters tongues wagging about her red carpet appearance at the green carpet function.

 

 

GREEN CELEBRITY PROFILE: WHO IS HAYDEN PANETTIERE?

Who is Hayden Panettiere? Only one of the hottest young female celebrities who is out to save the world.

She was born August 21, 1989.

Known best for playing the Cheerleader who has miracle healing powers on the hit television science fiction based series HEROES, she's been very active as a green crusader already since her teenage years as a soap opera celebrity kid.

MTV News writes, "The gorgeous star of "Heroes" has spent the past year working with the Whaleman Foundation to protest the killing of dolphins and whales in Japan and elsewhere, taking part in demonstrations and traveling to Washington D.C. in order to speak out for the preservation of marine life."

Green news excerpts from Wikepedia about Hayden Panettiere as a green celebrity:

  • On October 31, 2007, Panettiere joined with Sea Shepherd to try to disrupt the annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Wakayama, Japan. She was involved in a confrontation between Japanese fishermen and five other surfers from Australia and the United States (including former Home and Away star Isabel Lucas) of the group. The confrontation lasted more than ten minutes before the surfers were forced to return to the beach, after which they left the country. Parts of the confrontation can be seen on the Sundance Film Festival award winning documentary film, The Cove. The fishermen consider the condemnation as an attack on their culture.
  • Panettiere told E! News that an arrest warrant has been issued in Japan for her interference in the dolphin hunt, but her claim was later dismissed by the Japanese Fisheries Agency. In November 2007, she was awarded the "Compassion in Action Award" from the animal rights group PETA for her efforts to stop the dolphin hunt in Japan.
  • She is also a vegetarian.
  • On January 28, 2008, Panettiere handed a letter of protest to the Norwegian ambassador in the United States arguing that Norway should stop its hunt for whales. She also delivered a letter to the Japanese ambassador calling for the end of Japan's hunting of whales. At a 2007 Greenpeace event in Anchorage, Alaska, Panettiere defended aboriginal whaling, saying that there is a difference between commercial whaling and the whaling practiced by aboriginal tribes in the United States.
  • In 2007, Panettiere became an official supporter of Ronald McDonald House Charities and is a member of their celebrity board, called the Friends of RMHC.
  • In May 2008, Panettiere was involved in an eBay auction to benefit SaveTheWhalesAgain.com. The auction included tickets to a fundraising dinner hosted at the Hollywood restaurant Beso, owned by Eva Longoria Parker, and a whale watching tour, with Panettiere, off the coast of Santa Barbara.
  • The same month, during an interview with Teen Vogue, Hayden explained how her fame gives her a platform for her activism: "The show [Heroes] put me in a place to speak for things that I'm passionate about."
  • In October 2008, Panettiere delved into the presidential election, releasing a public service announcement through the website Funny or Die. In this video Panettiere mocked Republican candidate John McCain for his age and temper.
  • She subsequently made clear her intention to vote for Barack Obama, and urged other young people to vote.
  • Panettiere also appeared in a public service announcement with DC Shadow Senator Paul Strauss endorsing voting rights for the District of Columbia.
  • Panettiere is a teen ambassador for the Candie's Foundation, whose mission is to fight teen pregnancy. On May 6, 2009, she participated in a town hall meeting in New York City alongside Bristol Palin on the issue of teen pregnancy.


 

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Charity not deterred by fun day cancellation - Peterborough Evening Telegraph

Posted: 11 May 2010 01:43 AM PDT


Published on Tue May 11 09:58:04 BST 2010

FUNDRAISERS are down but not out, despite wet weather causing the cancellation of their charity event.

The Bridge for Heroes had a whole series of fun family events planned for outside the Plough pub, in Farcet Fen, last Sunday, May 2, but had to scrap it after the rain came.

The charity is looking to raise £400,000 to open up the former Bridge Hotel, in Sutton Bridge, near Spalding, into a holiday centre for injured soldiers, and was hoping for a bumper crowd at the event.

But now the group is quickly re-organising to hold a similar fun day later this month on May 26, this time in Sutton Bridge.

Publicity officer Phillip Potts said: "We'd hoped for a good weekend, but unfortunately the weather was atrocious and we couldn't run the event on health and safety grounds.

"It was a shame because it would have been a fantastic day, as we had about 16 stalls, children's and adult bouncy castles, a surfing machine and inflatable sumo wrestlers.

"But we are going to keep rolling on and hold our next fundraiser at the Recreation Field in Sutton Bridge, so we are hoping people who were disappointed by the cancellation will be able to join us for that."

Last weekend was not a total bust for the Bridge for Heroes however, after a series of local bands played inside the pub on the Saturday to a good crowd.

Support for the charity is growing as well, with the Royal Anglian Regiment agreeing to raise money on its behalf during the year.

The group is the brainchild of former Gulf war veteran Mike Taylor and would provide about 480 servicemen with a free five-day break there every year.

It would create 22 full-time and 49 part-time jobs, with parts of the hotel being turned into a subsidised gym and cinema, as well as providing work attachments for those with disabilities.


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Blinkbox Movie Service Now Available On PS3 Console - Itproportal

Posted: 11 May 2010 02:11 AM PDT

Online movie streaming service Blinkbox will now be available on Sony's PS3 games console.

The new service comes with a catalogue of over 6,000 films and TV programmes available to rent from 99p per movie and 39p per episode, although the cost of buying them will be significantly higher.

Amongst the titles offered are the blockbusters Sherlock Holmes and Avatar as well as TV series Heroes and Gossip Girl.

Blinkbox will also offer a number of free titles, to be paid for by advertisements.

CEO of Blinkbox Michael Cornish said: "We want to enable customers to use our service on their TVs for instant streaming of new blockbuster movies, available on the same day as their release on DVD".

Blinkbox has altered its service for the PS3 to allow better navigation using a joypad.

Unfortunately, the service won't be available for the portable PSP console because it requires consistent high-speed connectivity to work.

Blinkbox will go head to head against Sony's own PSN, which already offers movies for rent or purchase.

Tags: Blinkbox, Movies, Playstation 3 / PS3, Streaming

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