Most Memorable Albums of 2012…So Far

We’re not even halfway into the year, but there have been some memorable releases that have the possibility of becoming classics. Here are some popular choices:

Jack White – Blunderbuss

This album was released in April from the former White Stripes member and contains 13 tracks. Some critics say it is his most personal album, while others compare it to some of the best that the White Stripes have produced. White has updated his sound without being disloyal to the Stripes.

Leonard Cohen – Old Ideas

The 10 tracks on this album are melancholy, allusive, and thought provoking. Many of them could become classics with universal subjects like broken relationships and death. The 77 year-old rock and roll hall of famer has made only his 12^th album since 1967, but many say it is his best in years.

The 2012 NFL schedule is out and you can start deciding which games to record, or make time to watch them live. Plan your NFL party for the games that will have the most impact. Here is a list of games you should include.

Opening Day

Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants - wingSept 9, 8:30pm EDT

Of course, you have to watch the first game of the season. When it includes two major rivals, it gets even better. The Cowboys and Giants will be exciting to watch, but it is expected that the Super Bowl champs will take this one easily.

Peyton’s Return

Denver Broncos @ Pittsburgh Steelers - Sept 9, 8:20pm EDT

This one is an obvious choice, regardless if you are a Broncos fan or not. No one has seen Manning play in more than a season, and it will be his first game out of his blue and white colors. More than that, fans will be anxious to see how he communicates with his receivers. Since the first game will be against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team that the Broncos knocked out in last year’s playoffs, this will be a chance for revenge.

For movie and TV fans, there’s nothing more exciting than discovering new talent and watching well-deserved success unfold right before your eyes. These young stars are poised to have a breakout year. Here are the actors to watch in 2012.

Mackenzie Foy

This 11-year old star debuted on the silver screen with Breaking Dawn: Part 1, of the Twilight trilogy. Formerly a child model for Guess, Ralph Lauren, and Gap, Foy takes on the challenge of playing Renesmee Cullen, the vampire child who can read thoughts through her touch. While she had a small role in this film, she’ll have a better opportunity to show off her acting chops in Part 2, due in November.

Andrew Garfield

Garfield is recognized by his stellar performance in last year’s The Social Network, but this year he’s taken on the title role for The Amazing Spider-man. The 3-D film will follow Peter Parker’s high school transformation into Spider-man. Garfield knows it will be a challenge to fill the shoes of Tobey Maguire, the previous star of the web-slinging superhero. Garfield, however, wants “to make it authentic. To make the character live and breathe in a new way.” 

Of the four major golf championships each year, the Masters Tournament has the smallest field as it remains an invitation only event. Held every year on the first weekend of April, the Masters is open to golfers who qualify and are invited by the private Augusta National Golf Club. Currently, invitations are being issued to players across the world.

Criteria for Qualifications

Since invitations are based on certain criteria, it’s easy to predict who will be invited to play in this year’s tournament. A few of the criteria are listed below:

-Previous Masters Champions 

-U.S. Open Champions 

-British Open Champions

-PGA Champions

-Winners of the Players Championship

-Current U.S. Amateur Public Links, U.S. Mid-Amateur and U.S. Amateur Champions, and the Amateur Champion runner-up

Spring training is just around the corner, which means anticipation for the 2012 Major League Baseball (MLB) season is at an all-time high. The MLB power rankings are based on the rankings of experts and fans, with experts’ opinions carrying three times more weightage. Moving from the bottom to the top, here are the top ten MLB teams and experts’ expectations going into the 2012 season. 

10. The Boston Red Sox are going to do whatever it takes to stay top contenders. For the first time in years, the new General Manager, Ben Cherington, has shaken up the club’s standard Opening Day roster. Some of the missing persons are Jonathan Papelbon, J.D. Drew, Tim Wakefield, and Jason Varitek. To fill the vacuum left by Papelbon, the club picked up former Oakland A’s closer Andrew Bailey. Despite lineup changes, experts are sure this team will fight for league titles.

9. In 2011 the Arizona Diamondbacks finished first place in the National League (NL) West Division. Even though they had an above average offense, they suffered with a poor batting average, struggling to hit over .250. You’d think that the Diamondbacks would be closer to the top with a winning record of 94-68 and a starting rotation that reached career-best seasons in 2011. However, the question of players’ individual careers prior to 2011 keeps experts doubting the Diamondbacks’ ability to stay at the forefront in 2012. 

In the recent Grammy broadcast, pop star Adele stole the show, winning numerous awards for her album 21. Hers' was an unusually meteoric rise to critical acclaim, but generally the Grammys recognize artists with distinguished careers, who have been accumulating accolades for several years. Here are five stars set to release albums in 2012 that could steal the show in 2013. 

Green Day

It’s been awhile since we’ve heard something new from Green Day, but they have started recording their new album. There isn’t a release date set, but they have plenty of material to choose from. They have played 15 new songs in their recent live shows, so it is anticipated that we may get to see something new before the year is gone.

Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys has been working on her fifth album, which is expected to be completed sometime in the early part of the year. She’s already won a Grammy for her album Songs in A Minor, so it wouldn’t be out of the question for her to take home another one.

The Killers

The Killers exploded onto the scene in 2004 with their first album Hot Fuss, which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Album. It’s been four years since we’ve seen anything new from them, but they have promised a new album by the end of 2012. Maybe they can take home that Grammy with the new album. Their two-year hiatus has made their fans anxious for new music.

Even with the shortened season, fans will still have a chance to enjoy their favorite players in the NBA All-Star game.  It is set for February 26, 2012 in Orlando, Florida at the Amway Center.  The center is the home of the Orlando Magic and this is the second time the city gets to host the All-Star game.  The first was 20 years ago when Magic Johnson came back to play after being diagnosed with AIDS and won the MVP trophy for the game.

This year, starting players were picked by fan votes with them having the choice of two guards, two forwards, and one center.  Reserve players were then picked by head coaches in their own conferences.  However, a coach could not pick his own player.  The reserves have two guards, two forwards, and one center, with two extra players in any positions.

Notable Players of the Eastern Conference

Several names are in the running for the season’s MVP award as expected.  Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard, and LeBron James are three of the top starters for the eastern conference.  They are joined by Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony.  There are 3 first time selections on the reserves.

If you want to know whether you should spend your money on a song, or if you are curious about a new band, or just want to know how cool your playlist is, here are the best websites for music reviews.

Billboard

This site has reviews, but its best feature is the charts that indicate how popular a certain album is. This site is also great for finding news and articles related to the music industry. Use this site if you are looking to find out information on pop, hip hop, rap, or country music.

Alternative Press

Alternative Press (AP, or AltPress, as it is sometimes known) provides reviews on alternative music (and all its subcategories). The reviews are honest, and sometimes brutal. You will find reviews for most of the music in the alternative genre.

Spin

If you want to get the scoop on the newest Indie music that no one has heard about yet, this is the site for you. Spin tends to prefer those bands that are new, up and coming, and that almost no one knows about.

Tensions run high when the stakes are great, but sometimes, they boil over. That’s when fans witness the craziest sports brawls. Here are the top five craziest scuffles of all time.

5. WNBA Fight Between Detroit and Los Angeles

Men aren’t the only ones who can play basketball, and they aren’t the only ones who can fight, either. Getting in the middle of two fighting people almost never ends well, and sure enough, the person who tried to, got hurt. Pearson and Parker got tangled up, but Ford was the one taken away in a wheelchair.

4. Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche 1997 Fight

There are many epic hockey brawls, but this one makes the list since it involved years of frustration being unleashed all at once. The Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings have long been bitter rivals. However, on March 26, 1997, tensions boiled over and the players did what they sometimes do best. Forsberg started the fight, but then other players just jumped in and started fighting. The referees tried to do what they could, but at a certain point the players just flew across the ice at one another. Patrick Roy got into the action and was immediately bloodied by Mike Vernon. 

If you're looking for a good laugh, you don't need to find a comedy club or go to a funny movie. Your computer is full of hilarious content that is available 24/7. Here are five websites that will have you in stitches. 

The Onion

The Onion is a fake news empire. The content found at theonion.com is consistently hilarious and deviously clever. The Onion publishes a newspaper, two television shows, and a plethora of web content including video podcasts. The Onion's scathing satire spans nearly every topic from national politics to local sports. 

Funny or Die

Funnyordie.com is like the YouTube for funny videos. It was started by Will Ferrell's production company in 2007, and has produced some of the funniest viral videos in the last few years. Some of the videos are user-generated, while others are created by the Funny or Die comedy team; often consisting of celebrity guests such as Judd Apatow and James Franco.