Saturday, November 20, 2010

Who is David Seth Kotkin?

Who is David Seth Kotkin? The entertainment world know him as Illusionist David Copperfield is a world-famous American illusionist, described by Forbes in 2006 as the most commercially successful magician in history. Best known for his combination of storytelling and illusion, Copperfield has so far sold 40 million tickets and grossed over $1 billion.


 Early years

Copperfield was born  September 16, 1956 in Metuchen, New Jersey, the son of Jewish parents, Rebecca, an insurance adjuster, and Hyman Kotkin, who owned and operated a men's haberdashery in Metuchen called Korby's. Copperfield's mother was born in Jerusalem, Palestine, formally known today as Israel, while his paternal grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Russia
(present-day Ukraine).
When Copperfield was 10, he began practicing magic as "Davino the Boy Magician" in his neighborhood,and at the age of 14, became the youngest person ever admitted to the Society of American Magicians.Shy and a loner, the young Copperfield saw magic as a way of fitting in and, later, as a way to get girls. As a teenager, Copperfield became fascinated with Broadway and frequently sneaked into shows, especially musicals featuring Stephen Sondheim or Bob Fosse. By age 16, he was teaching a course in magic at New York University.

Career and business interests


David Copperfield signing his program after a performance.
At age 18, he enrolled at Fordham University, and was cast in the lead role of the Chicago-based musical The Magic Man (written by Barbara D'Amato and directed by Holland, MI's John Tammi) three weeks into his freshman year, adopting his new stage name "David Copperfield" from the Charles Dickens book of the same name. At age 19, he was headlining at the Pagoda Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Copperfield's career in television began in earnest when he was discovered by Joseph Cates, a producer of Broadway shows and television specials. Cates produced a magic special in 1977 on ABC called "The Magic of ABC" hosted by Copperfield, as well as several of the "The Magic of David Copperfield" specials on CBS between 1978 and 1998. There have been 20 Copperfield TV specialsbetween 1977 and 2001.
Copperfield played the character of "Ken the Magician" in the 1980 horror film Terror Train. He also made an uncredited appearance in the 1994 film Prêt-à-Porter. Most of his media appearances have been through television specials and guest spots on television programs. His illusions have included making the Statue of Liberty disappear, flying, levitating over the Grand Canyon, and walking through the Great Wall of China.


In 1996, Copperfield joined forces with Dean Koontz, Joyce Carol Oates, Ray Bradbury and others for David Copperfield’s Tales of the Impossible,c  an anthology of original fiction set in the world of magic and illusion. A second volume was later published in 1997, called David Copperfield's Beyond Imagination. In addition to the 2 books, David also wrote an essay as part of the "This I Believe" series from NPR and the This I Believe, Inc. Also during 1996, in collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola, David Ives, and Eiko Ishioka,Copperfield's Broadway show "Dreams & Nightmares" broke box office records.
Copperfield notes that his role models were not magicians and that "My idols were Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire and Orson Welles and Walt Disney ... they took their individual art forms and they moved people with them ... I wanted to do the same thing with magic. I wanted to take magic and make it romantic and make it sexy and make it funny and make it goofy ... all the different things that a songwriter gets to express or a filmmaker gets to express ...."
On 7 May 2009, Copperfield was dropped by Michael Jackson from Jackson's residency at the O2 Arena after an alleged row over money. Copperfield wanted $1 million (£666,000) per show. Copperfield denied the reports of a row, saying "don't believe everything you read. News of Copperfield's collaboration with Jackson first surfaced on April 1, 2009, and has since been reported by several websites as a possible April Fool's prank.
In August 2009, Copperfield brought his show to Australia.

    International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts

Copperfield owns the International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts, which houses the world's largest collection of historically significant magic memorabilia, books and artifacts. Begun in 1991 when Copperfield purchased the Mullholland Library of Conjuring and the Allied Arts, which contained the world's largest collection of Houdini memorabilia, the museum comprises 5,000 cubic feet and approximately 80,000 items of magic memorabilia, including Houdini's Water Torture Cabinet and his Metamorphosis Trunk, Orson Welles' Buzz Saw Illusion and automata created by Robert-Houdin.
The museum is not open to the public; tours are reserved for "colleagues, fellow magicians, and serious collectors". Located in a warehouse at Copperfield's headquarters in Las Vegas, the museum is entered via a secret door in what was described by actor Hugh Jackman as a "sex shop" and by Forbes as a "mail-order lingerie warehouse". "'It doesn't need to be secret, it needs to be respected,' he said. 'If a scholar or journalist needs a piece of magic history, it's there.'"

    Musha Cay and the Islands of Copperfield Bay

In 2006 Copperfield bought eleven Bahamian islands called Musha Cay. Rechristened "The Islands of Copperfield Bay," the islands are a private resort. Guests have reportedly included Oprah Winfrey and John Travolta, and Google co-founder Sergey Brin was married there.

    "Magic Underground" restaurant

David Copperfield's Magic Underground was planned to be a restaurant based on Copperfield's magic.There was a sign on Hollywood Boulevard during the late 90s indicating the restaurant was coming soon. Signs were also located around Pleasure Island and signs outside Disney-MGM Studios. A Magic Underground restaurant was also going to open in New York's Times Square. Plans also included eventual expansion into Disneyland in Anaheim, California, as well as Paris and Tokyo. The restaurants were to have magic props and other items on the walls of the restaurants while magicians would go around to tables doing sleight of hand tricks. There was also to be a larger stage for larger stunts. The restaurant in Times Square was 85 percent completed, but, amid disputes between the creative team and the financial team, and enormous cost overruns, finances dried up from the investors, so the project was cancelled, and Disney cancelled the lease. Copperfield was not an investor in the project; the investors reportedly lost $34 million on the project, and subcontractors placed $15 million in liens.

 Accidents and injuries

On March 11, 1984, while rehearsing an illusion called "Escape from Death" where he was shackled and handcuffed in a tank of water, Copperfield became tangled in the chains and started taking in water and banging into the sides of the tank. He was pulled from the water after 1 minute 20 seconds, hyperventilating and in shock, and taken to a Burbank hospital, and found to have pulled tendons in arms and legs. He was in a wheelchair for a week and used a cane for a period thereafter.
Doing a rope trick, Copperfield accidentally cut off the tip of his finger with sharp scissors. He was rushed to hospital and the fingertip was re-attached.
On December 17, 2008, during a live performance in Las Vegas, one of Copperfield's assistants was sucked into the spinning blades of a 12 feet (3.7 m) high industrial fan that Copperfield walks through. The assistant sustained multiple fractures to his arm, lacerations that required stitching, and severe bleeding. Copperfield canceled the rest of the performance and offered the audience members refunds.

 Litigation

On July 11, 1994, Copperfield sued magician and author Herbert L. Becker in order to prevent publication of Becker's book which reveals how magicians perform their illusions. Becker won the law suit. However, the book was published without exposing any of Copperfield's secrets. Because of a secrecy agreement Becker had signed with Copperfield, and an independent finding that Becker's description of Copperfield's methods was inaccurate, the publisher removed the section on Copperfield from the book before publication. In 1997, Becker sued Copperfield and Lifetime Books for US$50 million for causing breach of contract between himself and Lifetime Books, the publisher of his book All the Secrets of Magic Revealed.
In 1997, Copperfield and Claudia Schiffer sued Paris Match for US$30 million after the magazine claimed their relationship was a stunt, that Schiffer was paid for pretending to be Copperfield's fiancée and that she didn't even like him. In 1999, they won an undisclosed sum and a retraction from Paris Match. Copperfield's publicist confirmed that while Schiffer had a contract to appear in the audience at Copperfield's show in Berlin where they met, she was not under contract to be his "consort".
On August 25, 2000 Copperfield unsuccessfully sued Fireman's Fund Insurance Company for reimbursement of a $506,343 ransom paid to individuals in Russia who had commandeered the entertainer's equipment there, in 2004, John Melk, co-founder of Blockbuster Inc., and previous owner of Musha Cay, sued Copperfield for fraud after Copperfield's purchase of the island chain, alleging that Copperfield had deliberately obscured his identity during the purchase and that he would not have sold the island to Copperfield. Copperfield claimed that Melk had agreed to sell the property to Copperfield's Imagine Nation Company, and that Copperfield negotiated the deal through a third party because he feared Melk was "seeking to exploit" Copperfield's celebrity status by demanding an unrealistic price. The case was settled in 2006. The terms of the settlement are undisclosed.
On November 6, 2007, Viva Art International Ltd and Maz Concerts Inc. sued Copperfield for nearly $2.2 million for breach of contract and the Indonesian promoter of David Copperfield's canceled shows in Jakarta held on to $550,000 worth of Copperfield's equipment in lieu of money paid to Copperfield that had not been returned. Copperfield countersued. The dispute was resolved in July 2009.
Copperfield was accused of sexual assault in 2007 by Lacey L. Carroll. A federal grand jury in Seattle closed the investigation in January 2010 without bringing charges against Copperfield. In January 2010 the Bellevue City Prosecutor's Office brought misdemeanor charges against Carroll for prostitution and allegedly making a false accusation of rape in another case. Carroll filed a civil lawsuit against Copperfield, which was dropped in April 2010.

Personal life

Copperfield was engaged to supermodel Claudia Schiffer for six years, but the couple separated in 1999 citing work schedules.
In April 2006, Copperfield and two female assistants were robbed at gunpoint after a performance in West Palm Beach, Florida. His assistants gave the robbers their money, passports and a cell phone. According to his police statement, Copperfield did not hand over anything, claiming that he used sleight of hand to hide his possessions. One of Copperfield's assistants wrote down most of the license plate number, and the suspects were later arrested, tried and sentenced.

 Earnings

David Copperfield on the Forbes Celebrity 100 List 
Year (June-June) Pay (USD, millions) Power Rank Pay Rank
1999–2000 not on list
2001 60 23 5
2002 not on list
2003 55 43 10
2004 57 35 10
2005 57 41 10
2006–2008 not on list
2009 30 80 50
Forbes magazine reported that Copperfield earned USD55 million in 2003, making him the tenth highest paid celebrity in the world (earnings figures are pre-tax and before deductions for agents' and attorneys' fees, etc). He earned $57 million in 2004 and 2005, and $30 million in 2009 in entertainment earnings, according to Forbes. Copperfield performs over 500 shows per year throughout the world.

 Charitable activities

 Project Magic

In 1982, Copperfield founded Project Magic a rehabilitation program to help disabled patients regain lost or damaged dexterity skills by using sleight-of-hand magic as a method of physical therapy. The program has been accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association, and is in use in over 1100 hospitals throughout 30 countries worldwide. Copperfield made an appearance on Oprah Radio in April 2008 to talk with Oprah Radio host Dr. Mehmet Oz about how the use of magic can help disabled people.

Achievements and awards


The hand prints of David Copperfield in front of The Great Movie Ride at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park.
  • Nominated 38 times for Emmy Awards and has won 21 times.
  • Forbes's "The Celebrity 100" for 2009 ranks Copperfield as the 80th most powerful celebrity, with earnings of $30 million.

Guinness World Records

Copperfield holds 11 Guinness World Records. They include:                
1. Largest private collection of magic artifacts
2. Most tickets sold worldwide by a solo entertainer
3. Highest career earnings as a magician
4. Highest Broadway gross in a week
5. Largest Broadway attendance in a week
6. Largest international television audience for a magician
7. Most magic shows performed in a year
8. Most valuable magic poster
9. Largest work archive for a magician
10. Highest annual earnings for a magician
11. Largest illusion ever staged

Television specials

  1. The Magic of ABC Starring David Copperfield (1977) (With special guests Donny Osmond and Marie Osmond)
  2. The Magic of David Copperfield (1978) (With special guests Orson Welles and Bernadette Peters)
    • 1 Emmy Nomination: Outstanding Achievement in Technical Direction and Electronic Camerawork
  3. The Magic of David Copperfield II (1979) (With special guest Bill Bixby)
    • 1 Emmy Nomination: Outstanding Achievement in Technical Direction and Electronic Camerawork
  4. The Magic of David Copperfield III: Levitating Ferrari (1980) (With special guest Jack Klugman)
    • 2 Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction; Outstanding Achievement in Technical Direction and Electronic Camerawork
  5. The Magic of David Copperfield IV: The Vanishing Airplane (1981) (With special guest Jason Robards)
    • 1 Emmy Win: Outstanding Technical Direction and Electronic Camerawork
  6. The Magic of David Copperfield V: Vanishing the Statue of Liberty (1983) (With special guests Morgan Fairchild and Eugene Levy)
  7. The Magic of David Copperfield VI: Floating Over the Grand Canyon (1984) (With special guest Bonnie Tyler theme Holding Out For A Hero)
    • 1 Emmy Win: Outstanding Technical Direction/Camerawork/Video for a Limited Series or a Special
    • 2 Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction; Outstanding Live and Tape Sound Mixing and Sound Effects for a Limited Series or a Special
  8. The Magic of David Copperfield VII: Familiares (1985) (With special guest Angie Dickinson)
    • 1 Emmy Win: Outstanding Technical Direction/Electronic Camera/Video Control for a Limited Series or a Special
  9. The Magic of David Copperfield VIII: Walking Through the Great Wall of China (1986) (With special guest Ben Vereen)
    • 2 Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program; Outstanding Technical Direction/Electronic Camera/Video Control for a Miniseries or a Special
  10. The Magic of David Copperfield IX: Escape From Alcatraz (1987) (With special guest Ann Jillian)
    • 2 Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program; Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Miniseries or a Special
  11. The Magic of David Copperfield X: The Bermuda Triangle (1988) (With special guest Lisa Hartman)
    • 2 Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program; Outstanding Technical Direction/Electronic Camera/Video Control for a Miniseries or a Special
  12. The Magic of David Copperfield XI: Explosive Encounter (1989) (With special guest Emma Samms) Filmed at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Orange County, California
    • 2 Emmy Wins: Outstanding Costume Design for a Variety or Music Program; Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Drama Series, Variety Series, Miniseries or a Special
    • 2 Emmy Nomination: Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program; Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety or Music Series or a Special
  13. The Magic of David Copperfield XII: The Niagara Falls Challenge (1990) (With special guest Kim Alexis) Filmed at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Orange County, California
    • 1 Emmy Win: Outstanding Technical Direction/Camera/Video for a Miniseries or a Special
  14. The Magic of David Copperfield XIII: Mystery On The Orient Express (1991) (With special guest Jane Seymour) Filmed at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in Tampa Bay, Florida
    • 4 Emmy Wins: Outstanding Achievement in Special Visual Effects; Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program; Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Drama Series, Variety Series, Miniseries or a Special; Outstanding Technical Direction/Camera/Video for a Miniseries or a Special
    • 1 Emmy Nomination: Outstanding Editing for a Miniseries or a Special - Multi-Camera Production
  15. The Magic of David Copperfield XIV: Flying - Live The Dream (1992) (With special guest James Earl Jones) Filmed at the Broward Center for Performing Arts in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
    • 3 Emmy Win: Outstanding Individual Achievement in Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program; Outstanding Individual Achievement in Editing for a Miniseries or a Special - Multi-Camera Production; Outstanding Individual Achievement in Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Drama Series, Variety Series, Miniseries or a Special
  16. The Magic of David Copperfield XV: Fires Of Passion (1993) (With special guest Wayne Gretzky) Filmed in part at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in Tampa Bay, Florida
    • 3 Emmy Win: Outstanding Individual Achievement in Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program; Outstanding Individual Achievement in Editing for a Miniseries or a Special - Multi-Camera Production; Outstanding Individual Achievement in Technical Direction/Camera/Video for a Miniseries or a Special
  17. David Copperfield: 15 Years of Magic (1994) (With special guest Claudia Schiffer)
    • 1 Emmy Win: Outstanding Individual Achievement in Editing for a Miniseries or a Special - Multi-Camera Production
  18. The Magic of David Copperfield XVI: Unexplained Forces (1995) - Filmed at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in Tampa Bay, Florida
    • 3 Emmy Wins: Outstanding Individual Achievement in Editing for a Miniseries or a Special - Multi-Camera Production; Outstanding Individual Achievement in Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Drama Series, Variety Program, Miniseries or a Special; Outstanding Technical Direction/Camera/Video for a Miniseries or a Special
    • 2 Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Individual Achievement in Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program; Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Variety or Music Series or a Special
  19. David Copperfield: The Great Escapes
  20. The Magic of David Copperfield XVII: Tornado of Fire (2001) (With special guest Carson Daly) - Filmed in at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee and live tornado stunt performed at Pier 94 in New York City, NY
    • 1 Emmy Nomination: Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program

To see more of Who Is click here

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Who is Miranda May Kerr?

Who is Miranda May Kerr? The entertainment and  modeling world knows her as Miranda Kerr. Kerr is an Australian model best known as one of the Victoria's Secret Angels since mid-2007. She is the first Australian to participate in the Victoria's Secret campaign, and also represents Australian fashion chains Portmans and David Jones Limited. Kerr began modeling in the fashion industry when she was 13, starting at Chaay's Modelling Agency, and soon after winning a 1997 Australian nationwide model search hosted by Dolly magazine and Impulse fragrances. She is married to actor Orlando Bloom.


 

Early life and family

Kerr was born 20 April 1983 in Sydney, but raised in the small town of Gunnedah, New South Wales. Her parents are Therese and John Kerr, and she has a younger brother named Matthew. In an interview, Kerr stated she is of English, French and Scottish descent.

Dolly magazine

At age 13, Kerr entered and won the 1997 annual Dolly Magazine/Impulse Model Competition. She was flown to Sydney a week before her 14th birthday to shoot for the magazine. The controversy raised concerns about the glorification of young girls within the fashion, beauty, and entertainment industries. Some conservative media outlets claimed her Dolly shoot (including images of a 14-year-old Kerr in bathing suits) constituted a form of child pornography. Of the press, Kerr said: "In the media at the time they were trying to cling on to anything remotely to do with paedophilia. Dolly is a magazine for teenage girls, not for old men. And I was fully clothed! Doing a winter shoot! They just made something out of nothing."
Kerr signed to Chic Management's Sydney division. She received considerable commercial exposure after a series of beachwear ads predominantly for Australian surf chain Billabong, in which Kerr modeled surf brands Tigerlily, Roxy, Billabong Girls, and One Teaspoon. This increased her profile in the Australian and Asian markets, after which Kerr relocated to New York.

 Career


Once in Paris, in 2003, Kerr signed with the Madison Agency. She did an advertising campaign for Ober Jeans with photographer Erick Seban-Meyer.
Once in New York, Kerr had a multitude of runway appearances and then signed with Next model agency in early 2004. From there, she was booked for runway and print campaigns for major labels, including Alex Perry, Ayyıldız, Baby Phat, Lisa Ho, Voodoo Dolls, Levi's, Bettina Liano, Nicola Finetti, L.A.M.B., Heatherette, Betsey Johnson, Trelise Cooper, Jets, John Richmond, Blumarine Swimwear, Neiman Marcus, Seafolly Swimwear, Anna Molinari, Rock and Republic, and Roberto Cavalli. She was also booked for print in magazines such as Elle, Australian Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, and was featured in television advertisements for brands like Portmans, Bonds, and Veet.
In early 2006, Kerr appeared in the finale episode of the TV show Project Runway, modeling clothes for contestant Daniel Vosovic's final collection. She was the first woman to walk down the catwalk.
In 2006, Kerr broke into the United States market when she signed a lucrative cosmetics contract with Maybelline New York. The campaign ran in a series of internationally sold women's beauty magazines, including Cosmopolitan, CLEO, and Elle, and was eventually featured in Victoria's Secret catalogues.
Following her success with Maybelline, Kerr became the first Australian model to be offered a contract with Victoria's Secret in 2007, replacing Gisele Bündchen. Upon her acceptance, the first ever Australian Victoria's Secret Angel, joining the stable of models already signed to the lingerie giant, including Alessandra Ambrosio, Karolína Kurková, Adriana Lima, Selita Ebanks, Izabel Goulart, and Heidi Klum. Before becoming an Angel in 2007, Kerr was already picked to become the successor of Alessandra Ambrosio as the face of PINK in 2006. Kerr's popularity continued to increase as one of the globally recognized Angels when she appeared in the Victoria's Secret 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 televised runway shows, which aired on four continents. From this success, Kerr has been featured in V Magazine, FHM, Dolly Magazine, Harper's Bazaar Australia and Madison Magazine.
By 2007, Kerr had signed on as the face of Californian fashion retailer Arden B. After debuting in their Spring and Summer ad campaigns, Kerr returned for their Fall 2007 campaign, shot by fashion photographer Diego Uchitel. She has also become the new face of Clinique Happy and signed a lucrative six-figure deal to be the new face of Australian department store David Jones, replacing model Megan Gale. In 2008, having earned an estimated $3.5 million in the past 12 months, Forbes placed Kerr tenth in the list of the world's top-earning models.
Kerr (along with several other Victoria's Secret and Next agency models) was featured in a music video for the American hip-hop single Number One by artists Kanye West and Pharrell.

Following her modeling success with Victoria's Secret, Kerr made a small guest appearance in the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother alongside fellow Angels: Adriana Lima, Marisa Miller, Alessandra Ambrosio, Heidi Klum, and Selita Ebanks.
Since 2009, Kerr has been featured on the cover of Rolling Stone Australia magazine, Harper Bazaar Australia, CS magazine, Sunday Magazine, Tempo magazine Turkey, Cosmopolitan magazine Spain and GQ Germany magazine. Kerr has also been featured in the Pirelli Calendar 2010 and editorials for XOXO Spring/Summer 2009 collection, V Magazine, Vogue Japan, Russian Vogue, Glamour magazine Germany and Harper's Bazaar Australia.
In October 2009, Kerr launched an organic skincare line, Kora, in Australia with co-founder George Moskos.
Kerr also made an appearance in the spring/summer runway show for Balenciaga, her first designer fashion show, aside from Victoria's Secret, since 2007.
She is currently signed with IMG Models,Next Model Management Paris, Traffic Models and Chic Management
In early February 2010, Kerr inadvertently became the subject of headlines when David Kiely, a Sydney-based banker, was caught viewing "racy" photos of the model on his computer while in the background of a colleague's live television interview. Within days, a clip of the interview uploaded onto YouTube received over 1.3 million hits.  When Kiely was suspended and an internet campaign launched on his behalf, Kerr herself gave him her backing: "I am told there is a petition to save his job, and of course I would sign it." The episode prompted a 100% increase in the number of Google searches for Kerr's name. A few days after the incident, it was announced that Kiely would be able to keep his job at Macquarie.
In 2010, Kerr walked for design company Prada for their Fall 2010 collection in Milan Fashion Week alongside fellow Angels Doutzen Kroes and Alessandra Ambrosio and subsequently got booked for the Prada Fall/Winter-campaign alongside Angela Lindvall.
In May 2010, Kerr was listed number 9 on the Forbes Top 10 Earning Models.
Kerr is pursuing an acting career.

Public image

Kerr has been called "the next MacPherson". Kerr's model trademark are her dimples. Celebrity photographer Russell James said of Kerr, "The US has fallen in love with her. We love her because she has the most incredible girl-next-door look and she's also insanely beautiful. It means women are not intimidated by her looks and guys think they might be able to talk to her. It's a fantastic combination ... people want to be around her; she's fun on a shoot … and she's not stupid, which can be a very annoying trait among some models." Model agent Ursula Hufnagl described Kerr as "the perfect endorsement", citing her ability to "truly sell a product."
Kerr's charitable work includes Wildlife Warriors Worldwide and Children International. In June 2009, Kerr posed naked, chained to a tree, for the Australian issue of Rolling Stone magazine, in order to attract public attention for the koala.

 Personal life

Kerr practices Nichiren Buddhism and believes "we have a responsibility to bring peace and harmony to our lives and the world." As part of her Nichiren beliefs, Kerr reportedly chants every morning and night for 20 minutes, practices yoga, meditates, and reads widely on spirituality.
According to a Victoria's Secret profile on Kerr, posted on the CBS YouTube page, Kerr described her take on life as "enjoying wherever it is [I am] and trying to be in the moment as much as possible". As reported in 2007, Kerr was writing an inspirational self-esteem self-help book called Treasure Yourself aimed at the female teenage demographic. Kerr says, "Basically, it's a whole lot of information that I've found, that has helped me. If I can help one girl by doing this then I've completed my purpose."In 2003, Kerr began dating finance broker Adrian Camilleri. Following an Australian Securities and Investments Commission investigation, Camilleri was found guilty on five counts of fraudulent behaviour from February 2003 to February 2004. Kerr subsequently ended the relationship. A 2007 newspaper report claims that Kerr suffered financially "after taking her boyfriend's financial advice" but chose not to take legal action.
She was formerly in a long-term relationship with Jay Lyon (formerly known as Brent Tuhtan), the lead singer of the band Tamarama, who has made appearances on season one of the MTV series The City. Kerr was featured in Tamarama's video clip for "Everything To Me". The two dated for approximately four years but ended on mutual terms in mid-2007.
In late 2007, Kerr began dating actor Orlando Bloom. Orlando Bloom is also an SGI member. The couple's engagement was announced on June 21, 2010. Kerr released a statement on July 22, 2010, announcing that she and Bloom had married in "an intimate ceremony."
Kerr maintains her physique through daily yoga, light jogging, and a diet of steamed vegetables, fresh fruit, and fish.





To see more of Who Is click here

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Who is Terrence Bernard Cody, Jr?.



Who is Terrence Bernard Cody, Jr? The NFL football world knows him as an American football nose tackle for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was selected by the Ravens in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft out of the University of Alabama, where he was given the nickname "Mount Cody" for his gargantuan, 360-pound frame.

Originally from Fort Myers, Florida, Cody spent two seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, where he helped the Bulldogs to an unbeaten season in 2007. Surprisingly nimble even at a peak weight of more than 400 pounds (180 kg), Cody drew the attention of major Division I programs. He finished his collegiate career at Alabama, where he earned consensus All-American honors consecutive times while anchoring one of college football's best defenses during the 2008 and 2009 seasons.


High school career

Cody was born June 28, 1988, he is a  native of Fort Myers, Florida, Cody attended Riverdale High School. As a child, he wore size-10 shoes by the age of eight and was never eligible for the Pop Warner youth leagues because he was always over the weight limit. Already 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) and 275 lb (125 kg) as a ninth-grader, Cody began playing high school football and displayed extraordinary athleticism, causing his high school coach, Scott Jones, to predict "he could be making $2 million playing in the NFL" at some point. He played only two years of varsity football: as a freshman and then as a senior. He struggled academically, had to help take care of his seven younger siblings, and ended up “running with the wrong crowd”.

After sitting out his sophomore and junior seasons, Cody dominated as a senior. In a game against North Fort Myers, he had a memorable collision with star running back Noel Devine. “Terrence hit and spun Noel Devine so hard that [Devine] was on the sideline puking,” coach Jones said.
Cody was not ranked among the nation's elite football prospects in 2006 by any recruiting service. Nonetheless he was offered athletic scholarships by the University of Miami and the University of South Florida, but could not qualify academically. Cody eventually signed with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.

 College career

I haven't seen anybody who's a match for this guy one-on-one. Nobody playing on Saturdays, or Sundays probably.

Mississippi Gulf Coast



Cody played two seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston, Mississippi as a nose tackle. As a freshman he recorded 48 tackles with 2.5 sacks and an interception. In his sophomore year, he added 31 tackles and 3.5 sacks while anchoring a Bulldog defense that ranked number one in the state in rushing defense and total defense. Mississippi Gulf Coast finished the season with an 12–0 season record and a NJCAA Co-National Championship. Cody was named to the NJCAA All-American first team. He also earned a three-star rating by Rivals.com and was listed as the 47th-best junior college player in the country.

Despite his dominance, he had trouble drawing scholarship offers, as his weight of 410 pounds (190 kg) scared off many teams. “A lot of people are just wary of guys that big,” Mississippi Gulf Coast coach Steve Campbell said. “You know when people say that if things seem too good to be true that they usually are. A big guy like that who's that athletic, you just don't believe what you're seeing.”


However, after Cody had his weight down to 385 lb (175 kg), a number of schools offered him scholarships, including Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Florida State. He was heavily recruited particularly by Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban, who was in need of a true nose tackle for his 3–4 defense. Cody recalls Saban telling him, "We need a body like yours in the middle, to stop the run, to change the rhythm of the game."Cody committed to the Crimson Tide on November 29, 2007.

 Alabama

2008 season

Offenses have to assign two blockers to [Cody] and he routinely clogs up the middle anyway. He forces running backs into other tacklers’ arms and opens up rushing lanes for teammates."
Cody made an immediate impact for the Crimson Tide defensive line, recording four tackles—one for loss—in a 34–10 rout of the Clemson Tigers. He and the rest of the defense also held the Tigers, which included stud running backs James Davis and C. J. Spiller, to zero net rushing yards. With his presence in the middle of the Crimson Tide defensive line, Cody earned himself the nickname of “Mount Cody.” By mid-season he was already considered the No. 1 nose tackle prospect for the 2009 NFL Draft by league scouts.

Against Arkansas, Cody dominated Razorbacks center Jonathan Luigs—the 2007 Rimington Trophy winner—and helped the Crimson Tide to a 49–14 win. In a memorable play on a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line late in the first half, Cody blasted past Luigs and left guard Wade Grayson to grab running back Michael Smith before he could reach the end zone. In Alabama's rout over Georgia at Sanford Stadium, Cody was instrumental in holding Doak Walker award candidate Knowshon Moreno to just 34 yards rushing. In the seventh game of the season against Ole Miss, he received a knee injury during the third quarter which sidelined him for two weeks.
In the annual Iron Bowl versus rival Auburn, Cody and teammate Bobby Greenwood sacked quarterback Kodi Burns, giving Cody his first half-sack of the season.

He also recovered a fumble, which set up an Alabama touchdown. In the 2008 SEC Championship Game versus Florida, Cody recorded three tackles in a 31–20 loss. In the loss, the Crimson Tide allowed 142 yards rushing—the second most in the 2008 season. In the season finale, he recorded one assisted tackle, while holding the Utah Utes to 13 yards rushing. However, Alabama went on to lose the game 31–17, finishing the season 12–2.
"Cody's statistics may not blow you away; [...b]ut he still can be the most dominant player on the field because of the double- and triple-teams opposing teams give him."
Alabama′s rush defense considerably improved in 2008. After giving up 128.4 rushing yards a game in 2007, the Crimson Tide only allowed 78.8 yards per game in 2008. “As far as one guy who has changed our team more than any, you’d have to go with Terrence,” offensive lineman Mike Johnson said. Cody was subsequently given the team’s Defensive Achievement Award for a newcomer who has played a critical role in the effectiveness of his unit.
Despite being commonly regarded as a top prospect, Cody decided to skip the 2009 NFL Draft. On Christmas Day 2008 an "announcement" on hisFacebook page said that he was leaving early, but turned out to be a joke by his girlfriend.

2009 season

Prior to the 2009 season Cody dropped about 10 pounds and worked on his conditioning, hoping to keep himself in the game on third-down passing situations. He was often replaced by Josh Chapman on passing downs in 2008. Nick Saban stated Cody needed to reduce his weight to 340 pounds (150 kg) in order to become an every-down player and pass-rusher; he reported for fall practice at 354 pounds (161 kg), set a goal to reach 345 pounds (156 kg) by the season opener, and eventually dropped his weight to 349 pounds (158 kg). Only a couple of days before the first game, Cody and a few of his teammates were sidelined with flu-like symptoms. Cody returned after a three-day absence.

Cody was named to the 2009 Lombardi Award, Lott Trophy, and Outland Trophy pre-season watch lists. Rivals.com ranked him as the No. 1 defensive tackle in college football in 2009. On October 14, 2009, Cody and fellow teammate Rolando McClain were announced as two of the twelve finalists for the 2009 Lombardi Award. Cody was also named to The Sporting News and CBS Sports midseason college football All-American teams.

In a game against Tennessee on October 24, Cody blocked his first two field goals of his career, including a 44-yard attempt in the game's final seconds, to secure Alabama's 12–10 win. According to Yahoo! Sports' national columnist Dan Wetzel, Cody earned himself Heisman Trophy consideration with his performance against the Volunteers. A couple of weeks later, Mike Hiserman of the Los Angeles Times also called for Heisman consideration for Cody, describing him as "the best player on what might be college football's top defense."

"Other than [Ndamukong] Suh, there might not be another player in college football who disrupts a game plan the way Cody does. [... He] is a wall-to-wall space occupier. It takes two, sometimes three, offensive linemen to keep him from pushing the pile into the backfield."
On November 10, Cody was named one of four finalists for the Lombardi Award, alongside Jerry Hughes, Gerald McCoy and Ndamukong Suh. He was the seventh Crimson Tide player to be named a finalist and the second in a row, joining offensive tackle Andre Smith, who was a finalist for the award in 2008. Former All-American linebacker Cornelius Bennett was the only Alabama player to win the Lombardi Award, capturing the honor in 1986. In the end, Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh won the award. On November 19, Cody joined Pat Angerer, Eric Berry, Jerry Hughes and Ndamukong Suh as the five finalists for the 2009 Nagurski Trophy, but was again beat out by Suh for the award. On November 23, Cody, Brandon Spikes and Suh were announced as the three finalists for the 2009 Bednarik Award, which was eventually won by Suh as well.

In his two seasons at Alabama, Cody helped the Crimson Tide to lead the Southeastern Conference in rushing defense, allowing opponents a rushing average of only 78.8 and 78.1 yards per game in 2008 and 2009, respectively. No individual player reached the 100-yard rushing mark against the Crimson Tide in those two seasons; Anthony Dixon of Mississippi State came closest with 81 yards in 2009. Cody's presence improved Alabama's pass rush despite his not being an effective pass rusher himself. Wrote Michael Casagrande: "The power that comes with his size typically forces opposing lines to focus two players on blocking him, thus creating favorable rushing lanes for unblocked linebackers."

Prior to the 2010 BCS National Championship Game, Cody drew awestruck praise from Texas players and coaches. "They call him Mount Cody. Mount Cody is for a reason. He plays like he’s 450 pounds. He can move like he’s Sergio Kindle," said Longhorns guard Charlie Tanner. Alabama's defense held Texas to 81 yards rushing—more than 70 yards below their season average—on 28 attempts, and helped the Crimson Tide to their first national title since 1992.
Along with Crimson Tide teammates Javier Arenas, Mike Johnson, Leigh Tiffin, and Colin Peek, Cody participated in the 2010 Senior Bowl on January 30, 2010. In the Senior Bowl weigh-in at the Mobile Convention Center, Cody tipped the scales at 370 pounds, which hurt his draft status according to NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock.

 College awards and honors

  • 2007 Junior College First Team All-American
  • 2008 AP All-SEC First Team
  • 2008 AP All-American
  • 2008 AFCA All-American
  • 2008 CBS All-American
  • 2008 FWAA All-American
  • 2008 Rivals.com All-American
  • 2008 Sporting News All-American
  • 2008 Sports Illustrated All-American
  • 2008 Walter Camp All-American Second Team
  • 2009 Preseason 1st team All-American
  • 2009 Sporting News Midseason All-American
  • 2009 CBS Sports Midseason All-American
  • 2009 Bednarik Award finalist
  • 2009 Lombardi Award finalist
  • 2009 Nagurski Trophy finalist
  • 2009 AP All-SEC First Team (unanimous selection)
  • 2009 CBS Sports All-American
  • 2009 Walter Camp All-American
  • 2009 FWAA All-American
  • 2009 Scout.com All-American 1st team
  • 2009 AP All-American 1st team

 College career statistics

Year GP–GS Tackles Sacks Pass Defense Fumbles Blocked
Solo Ast Total Loss–Yards No–Yards Int–Yards BU PD QBH Rcv–Yards FF Kick
2008 11–11 7 16 23 4.5–14 0.5–5 0–0 0 0 2 2–0 1 0
2009 14–14 12 16 28 6.0–11 0–0 0–0 1 1 3 0–0 0 2
Total 19 32 51 10.5–25 0.5–5 0–0 1 1 5 2–0 1 2

 Professional career

2010 NFL Draft

"Regardless of questions on weight or build, when you look for that 3–4 centerpiece, a guy who has the physical traits of a block-occupying clogger who will let your linebackers play with freedom, Cody's that type of guy."
Frequently drawing comparisons to Ted Washington and Shaun Rogers, Cody was considered one of the rare two-gap nose tackles that NFL teams covet for their 3–4 defenses. Many NFL experts therefore projected Cody to be selected in the first-round of the 2010 NFL Draft.One of the teams interested in Cody was rumored to be his near-hometown Miami Dolphins, who lost their veteran nose tackle Jason Ferguson to injury during the 2009 season.
Some pro scouts, however, were concerned about Cody's weight and said he needed to reduce it to 340 pounds (150 kg) in order to be an effective NFL player. They questioned whether he had the stamina to be a three-down player, or the quickness to be an effective pass rusher, at his college weight of about 360 pounds (160 kg). ESPN′s K. C. Joyner analyzed Cody's relative playing time in a four-game SEC stretch in October 2009 (at Kentucky, at Mississippi, vs. South Carolina, vs. Tennessee), and found that Cody was in the Alabama defensive lineup on only 122 of 281 plays. Joyner also discovered that during that stretch Cody drew an impressively high amount of double-teams: 63.6 percent, compared to NFL player Albert Haynesworth's 2007 double-team mark of 51.3 percent.
At the 2010 Senior Bowl, Cody disappointed a lot of NFL scouts when he weighed in at 370 pounds (170 kg), 16 pounds (7.3 kg) above his official weight according to the 2009 Alabama media guide. In the game, however, Cody "moved pretty well for a 370-pound behemoth" and used "his hands well to create a little space to get penetration". He finished with 1.5 tackles for loss. At the NFL combine, Cody weighed in at 354 pounds (161 kg) pounds, but according to Mike Mayock he was still not worthy of a first-round pick. Cody worked out at API in Pensacola, Florida, along with Sam Bradford, Jason Worilds, and former Alabama teammates Mike Johnson and Roy Upchurch. He made pre-draft visits to the Baltimore Ravens, the New York Jets, the San Diego Chargers, and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Eventually, Cody was selected in the 2nd round (57th overall) by the Baltimore Ravens. He was the highest picked Alabama Crimson Tide defensive tackle since Cornelius Griffin was drafted 42nd overall by the New York Giants in the 2000 NFL Draft.
Pre-draft measureables
Ht Wt Arm length Hand size 40-yard dash 10-yd split 20-yd split 20-ss 3-cone Vert Broad BP Wonderlic
6′3 58 354 lb 34 14 in. 11 in. 5.62 1.96 3.21 5.03 8.19 22 in. 7′9″ 22 rep
All values from Alabama Pro Day, except for measurables, 20ss and 3-cone, which are from NFL combine[86][87]

 Baltimore Ravens

At Baltimore, Cody is projected to strengthen a Ravens defense that allowed the fewest rushing yards per carry (3.4) of any NFL team in 2009 and had a streak of 39 consecutive games without allowing a 100-yard rusher—broken when Cincinnati's Cedric Benson rushed for 120 yards on October 11, 2009. Regarded by Ravens director of player personnel Eric DeCosta as a first-round prospect "from an ability standpoint," Cody is expected to compete against Kelly Gregg for the starting nose tackle spot in 2010. The combination of Cody and 345-pound Haloti Ngata gives Baltimore the AFC North’s heaviest interior line, reminiscent of Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa on the 2000–2001 Ravens teams.
Cody signed a four-year, $3.385 million maximum value contract with the Ravens on July 26, 2010. In training camp at McDaniel College, Cody—along with veteran cornerback Walt Harris—failed his conditioning test for the Ravens, and was thus placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

Personal

By his own admission, Cody grew up poor. His mother worked two jobs, as a traveling nurse and a bus driver, to care for him and his seven younger siblings. His parents were not married, but his father, a construction worker, was a big part of his life until he died in a car accident when Cody was 11. At the end of his junior year of high school, Cody moved in with the family of a high school teammate, Jason Milliken.
In his two years at Alabama, Cody became the Tide's most popular player because of his outsized personality and body. Says quarterback Greg McElroy: "He's an enjoyable person to have on our team, have in the locker room, and (he) has great charisma. He has fun when he plays the game, and that's a big reason why he's so popular."

To see more of Who Is click here

Who is Luigi "Geno" Auriemma?

W ho is  Luigi   " Geno "   Auriemma? The college basketball world recognizes him as the most successfull division 1  college bas...