Community Blog

It’s no question that what happened to high school athlete Rajaan Bennett was a terrible tragedy, and my heart goes out to his family. I’m not the only one sending well wishes to the family however; thousands of people have sent well wishes and done what they could to help the family through their time of need. One person in particular is the Atlanta Hawks forward, Josh Smith.

Josh Smith said he would help the family of slain high school football star Rajaan Bennett with their living expenses for the next six months. He met Bennett for a time last summer, and said that he was “very impressed with him as a person, student and athlete”.

This touched me because it shows that athletes don’t only make headlines when they’re caught up in some sort of scandal, or have broken some kind of law. They do much for the community, and I am glad that Smith is getting recognized for his generosity. I wish that I would hear more about the good that the athletes do, and not what new victim has been taken advantage of.

What do you think about the situation? Do you think that there is not enough information on what athletes are doing to help the community?

In recent years, award shows like the Academy Awards have been kind of droll, and the only entertainment was to see who the Oscar went to in each category. Well, the 2010 Oscars was different, mainly because of the comedy stylings of co-hosts Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin.

These two are funny separately, but together, they’re a hoot! Granted, I was never falling out of my seat, rolling on the floor laughing, but they’re antics brought forth more than a few chuckles. They also had some very memorable lines. Here’s a few:

“She was so pleased to be nominated with him, she sent him a beautiful gift basket with a timer.” – Steve Martin, on Best Director winner Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), who was nominated against her ex-husband, James Cameron (Avatar).

“Now we’d like to introduce two beautiful actresses. Because frankly, we’re sick and tired of bringing out all these ugly actresses.” – Steve Martin, introducing presenters Carey Mulligan and Zoe Saldana.

I personally thought the “Paranormal Activity” spoof halfway through where Steve Martin slapped Alec Baldwin was priceless!

What did you think of the pair as co-hosts of the night? What were your most memorable moments/quotes?

Photo Courtesy of People.com

Amber Chase, I can be honest with you. When I watched the Jetson’s when I was younger, I thought that a lot of the gadgets that they had were extremely cool. Who wouldn’t want an automatic hair styler? Or even moving sidewalks? (that would make a lot of things SO much easier!)

Well one invention of the Jetson’s may be coming to fruition in our very near future: the videophone.

Samsung says it will put the VoIP calling service Skype as an application on its televisions, allowing phone calls to be made on camera right from a couch. Panasonic and LG are putting this on their ‘to-do’ list as well. It’s already on my holiday wish list!

But everything has a price, and this miraculous invention is no different. It’s a little pricey with Panasonic selling theirs at $1,200 to $2,000. Samsung and LG have not yet announced how much they will charge.

This is beyond cool. I can wait until they come out, though I may have to wait until they come down in price. They’re slated to be released late-Spring.

Would you invest in one?

Hey Amber Chase! It’s going to be a B-E-A-Utiful weekend! Not only that, but tomorrow is promising to be just as wonderful and sunshiny as today! And guess what else? No below 30 temperatures! Well, not during the day at least. Isn’t that great! Spring is finally trying to make an appearance! I, personally hope that it sticks around, because all of this winter weather has become highly overrated! Let’s here it for Spring!

I’m a dancer. I have been for most of my life. It is what I love to do. It is who I am. I wouldn’t change that for anything in this world. When I am on the stage, I feel like I’m being transported to a different world, where it’s only me, the stage, the lights, the music, and my rhythm. I never realize that I’m on stage until the music stops and the applause begins. Dancing has brought me from being a shy little girl, to a grown, confidant woman.

 This being said, I’m here to deliver a message. Don’t ever be afraid to go after what you believe in. Don’t let someone discourage you from doing what you believe is right. For example, when I audition, I always hear the same wise words of advice: Because you are here, there are three other dancers that stayed home. They let intimidation cloud their chances of becoming successful. If you don’t go out and put forth a valiant effort into what you want, and if you don’t show that this is really what you want, why should people remember you? Why would they remember that one face in the back of the crowd, when there is someone equally if not better qualified striding to the front row? Though this is a dance example, it can work in any situation.

 Moral of the story: follow your dreams. Go for what you believe in. Don’t let anyone stand in your way, steal your shine, diminish your confidence, or deter you from your actions. If you want it, take it, because no one will do it for you.

 What are you passionate about?

Mark your calendar for March 25th – Jazz night at Amber Chase Club Room! It will be a GREAT opportunity to meet some of your neighbors you haven’t had the pleasure to meet yet!  Stay tuned for more details!

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