ohiostatebuckeyess: December 2011

Vanessa Bryant - Kobe Bryant Divorce Announcement

Gold diggers: Like mother, like daughter. That’s what Vanessa Bryant’s former stepfather is saying about the soon-to-be ex-wife of NBA superstar Kobe Bryant. Stephen Laine said in the aftermath of Kobe Bryant’s divorce announcement that Vanessa, his spouse of 10 years, is acting just like her money-grubbing mom.

vanessa bryant

vanessa bryant

Former basketball star Charles Barkley appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" this week and sounded off on a multitude of topics, including Kobe Bryant's pending divorce.

Kobe Bryant did not play in the Los Angeles Lakers' preseason finale against the Clippers on Wednesday night because of a torn ligament in his right wrist, and his status for the season opener on Christmas Day is up in the air.

A MRI revealed the extent of the injury, which occurred early in the in the third quarter of the Lakers' 114-95 loss to the Clippers on Monday night. Bryant was examined by Dr. Steven Shin of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic. Depending on the degree of the tear, he could be sidelined as long as three to four weeks.

"He's day-to-day. As soon as I figure it out, I will let you guys know," said coach Mike Brown, who took over this season after the retirement of Phil Jackson. "The doctor has to clear him. Guys will go through the year and get hurt, obviously. Sometimes they'll get hurt and can't play, sometimes they'll get hurt and still can play. It just depends on the situation. Come Sunday, we'll see how it is. There's a chance, though, that he could play Sunday."

Bryant, who shoots right-handed, was sent crashing to the floor by Clippers center DeAndre Jordan on a blocked layup and came up holding the wrist. He stayed in the game for another 3 minutes, then went to the bench for a good stretch and was allowed to return to the floor during the fourth quarter.

"I knew he landed on his wrist, but I was not aware that he was in significant pain," Brown said. "He did not tell me he was in pain, nor did our trainer (Gary Vitti) tell me he was in pain."

Bryant practiced Tuesday, but did not participate in Wednesday morning's shootaround. He did not talk to the media before the game and camped out in the trainer's room.

After Monday's game, when asked about the wrist, Bryant said it wasn't a problem. Brown's understanding was that his best player did not need surgery. Last season, Bryant played in all 82 games for the fourth time in his career. And with this season reduced to 66 games because of the 149-day lockout, every game without him is a bigger deal. But the NBA's sixth all-time leading scorer continually has demonstrated his ability to play through pain at a high level.

Leno mentioned reports that Vanessa Bryant was tipped off to her husband's alleged dalliances by other basketball wives. He asked Barkley whether there would be trust lost between teammates as a result.

"That’s never good for a team," Barkley said. "You keep your wives and girlfriends away from each other."

PHOTOS: Kobe and Vanessa Bryant through the years

Barkley said Bryant should be prepared for fans shouting their disapproval, but he expects the Laker star to stay focused.

"He's going to have to deal with it, but he's so strong mentally, I think he'll be fine," Barkley said.

Vanessa Bryant filed for divorce in Orange County Superior Court on Friday afternoon, stating her intentions to end her 10-year marriage to the Lakers star. She cited "irreconcilable differences."

In a statement released by their publicist, the couple said a final judgment dissolving the marriage will be filed with the Orange County court in 2012.

"We ask that in the interest of our young children and in light of the upcoming holiday season the public respect our privacy during this most difficult time," they said in the statement. The couple did not have a prenuptial agreement.

President Obama Announces $113 Million In Aid For Horn of Africa

Hailing the holidays as "a season of giving and renewal," and calling the ongoing famine from the drought in the Horn of Africa "heartbreaking," President Obama today announced $113 million in emergency relief aid to provide "urgently needed food, health, shelter, water and assistance needs" to Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. It follows the government's previous expenditure of $870 million for relief purposes.

"The heartbreaking accounts of lives lost and of those struggling to survive remind us of our common humanity and the need to reach out to people in need," President Obama said.

He noted that the famine comes "amid the worst drought the region has seen in 60 years." The latest United Nations data of the impact of the famine show that between 50,000 and 100,000 people may have died across the Horn of Africa since April, with more than half of these children under the age of five.

The US emergency relief funding is in addition to the federal government's work to retool the agriculture economy in the Horn of Africa, through the U.S. Agency for International Development's Feed the Future campaign, the President said.

"Even as we help to meet the emergency needs of the people of this region, we are also investing in their long-term food security," President Obama said.

The President urged Americans to get involved with relief efforts through USAID's social media FWD Campaign.

"To learn more about how you can get involved, please visit http://action.usaid.gov/," he said.

*Photo by Davie Lienemann/White House

Obama Christmas Cards, Sent & Received

President Obama and First Lady Obama sent out White House Christmas cards featuring an image of First Dog Bo in the library, dozing by the fire place. The text on the inside of the card reads “From our family to yours, may your holidays shine with the light of the season.” It includes a gold Presidential seal and signatures.

Today OFA Deputy Campaign Manager Julianna Smoot sent an e-mail to Obama supporters, asking them to sign a Christmas card for the First Family.

The image features the new First Family portrait, taken on Dec. 11.

"I think we should show Barack and Michelle how many people are standing with them," Smoot wrote. "It may feel like a small gesture, but it's one that becomes very large, very quickly, when hundreds of thousands of people add their names. I just know it's going to mean the world to them."

Smoot's e-mail had the subject heading "For the Obamas."

The full text:

XXXX--

I've known the President and the First Lady for a long time.

I've seen them face some big years before. But the year ahead will be the biggest.

And as we head into 2012, I think we should show Barack and Michelle how many folks are standing with them.

A couple of us on the campaign are putting together a card for everyone to sign with our names and notes, wishing the President and the First Lady well for the year ahead. It may feel like a small gesture, but it's one that becomes very large, very quickly, when hundreds of thousands of people add their names. I just know it's going to mean the world to them.

This is Barack Obama's last campaign. Let's show him and Michelle that we'll be behind them every step of the way next year:

http://my.barackobama.com/Wish-Them-Well

Thank you, and best wishes for a happy new year.

-Julianna

Julianna Smoot
Deputy Campaign Manager
Obama for America

A Bone & A Bag Of Treats For Bo: $41

Today's official White House Photo of the Day is an image of President Obama taken on Wednesday afternoon with First Dog Bo, when the duo dropped by a Pet Smart store in Alexandria, VA. The President bought Bo a huge bone, wrapped in a rawhide red ribbon, and a bag of Chew-bacca treats. Total cost: $41 dollars. The President paid with a $50 bill at the register. The White House is currently ru nning a social media campaign, asking Americans what $40 cut from their paychecks means, in an effort to inspire outrage over the US House stonewalling the payroll tax cut.

For the social media campaign, the White House "asked Americans what losing that $40 dollars would mean to them," and claims that "more than 30,000 people across the country submitted responses on WhiteHouse.gov." The campaign is also going on on Twitter, with the hashtag #40Dollars. Here's an infographic the White House created of the responses:

*Photo by Pete Souza/White House

Let's Move!: USDA Launches SuperTracker

Free web tool designed to "help Americans make healthy food and physical activity choices"...
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today unveiled the nutrition SuperTracker, an online tool designed to "complement First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative" and "assist individuals as they make changes in their life to reduce their risk of chronic disease and maintain a healthy weight." It's a continuation of the MyPlate campaign, launched by Mrs. Obama last summer, which encourages citizens to follow the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and make half their plates with half fruit and vegetables at every meal.

The Secretary explains it all in this video:

USDA's wordy press release:

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22, 2011 – Just in time to help Americans keep their New Year's resolutions by making healthy food and physical activity choices, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today released USDA's new nutrition SuperTracker. The SuperTracker is a comprehensive, state-of-the-art resource available at ChooseMyPlate.gov designed to assist individuals as they make changes in their life to reduce their risk of chronic disease and maintain a healthy weight. Release of this new web tool comes as USDA highlights the second in a series of themed consumer messages supporting the MyPlate icon – Enjoy Your Food, But Eat Less – that USDA is promoting the next three months in conjunction with more than 5,000 organizations participating in the MyPlate Nutrition Communicators Network.

"Overcoming the health and nutrition challenges we face as a nation is critical and the SuperTracker provides consumers with an assortment of tools to do just that," said Vilsack. "This easy-to-use website will help Americans at all stages of life improve their overall health and well-being as they input dietary and physical activity choices into the tool. During the holiday season we are surrounded by good food and this is a perfect time to Enjoy Your Food, But Eat Less."

The SuperTracker is a visually appealing, comprehensive, state-of-the-art resource available at ChooseMyPlate.gov. It is designed to assist individuals as they make changes in their life to reduce their risk of chronic disease and maintain a healthy weight. Consumers can access this free, on-line tool at anytime and can choose a variety of features to support nutrition and physical activity goals. SuperTracker offers consumers the ability to:

*Personalize recommendations for what and how much to eat and amount of physical activity.

*Track foods and physical activity from an expanded database of foods and physical activities.

*Customize features such as goal setting, virtual coaching, weight tracking and journaling.

*Measure progress with comprehensive reports ranging from a simple meal summary to in-depth analysis of food groups and nutrient intake over time.

*Operationalize the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines.

*Support family and friends by adding their individual profiles.

The SuperTracker complements First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative and provides practical information to help individuals, health professionals, nutrition educators, and consumers build healthier diets. As Americans are experiencing epidemic rates of overweight and obesity, the online resources and tools available at ChooseMyPlate.gov can empower people to make healthier food and physical activity choices for themselves, their families, and their children.

Additional new consumer messages in the months to come will include Drink Water Instead of Sugary Drinks; Make at Least Half Your Grains Whole Grains; and Avoid Oversized Portions. USDA and its MyPlate Nutrition Communicators Network partners will find innovative ways to deliver the easy-to-adopt how-tos for these messages to empower consumers to make healthier food choices.

Originally identified in the Child Obesity Task Force report which noted that simple, actionable advice for consumers is needed, MyPlate replaced the MyPyramid image as the government's primary food group symbol as an easy-to-understand visual cue to help consumers adopt healthy eating habits consistent with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

ChooseMyPlate.gov provides practical information to individuals, health professionals, nutrition educators, and the food industry to help consumers build healthier diets with resources and tools for dietary assessment, nutrition education, and other user-friendly nutrition information. As Americans are experiencing epidemic rates of overweight and obesity, the online resources and tools can empower people to make healthier food choices for themselves, their families, and their children.

Other Associated Resources: Dietary Guidelines.gov; ChooseMyPlate.gov; LetsMove.gov

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Holidays At The White House, High Speed

The White House has released this new time lapse video of volunteers decorating the White House for this year's "Shine, Give, Share" decor, which honors the military. There's a quick peek inside the pastry kitchen for a look at the massive holiday cookie production operation; between 15-20,000 cookies were baked for the receptions this year. Curiously, there's not a single image of the President and First Lady, nor of First Dog Bo, nor of the 2011 White House Gingerbread House.

President Obama Visits Del Ray Pizzeria, Christmas Shops With First Dog Bo In Tow

Gourmet pizza pies are comfort food after a Christmas gift jaunt...
Awaiting the end to a Congressional standoff on the payroll tax credit, and all alone in Washington thanks to the fact that his wife and daughters are already on vacation in Hawaii, President Obama on Wednesday afternoon left the White House for a Christmas shopping spree at the Potomac Yards shopping mall in Alexandria, Virginia. He was accompanied by First Dog Bo, who was the recipient of a huge red-ribboned dog bone and a bag of Chew-Bacca dog treats, purchased at Pet Smart. After, at about 1:30, the President dropped in to nearby Del Ray Pizzeria where he greeted excited customers after ordering three thin-crust pizza pies to go--two of which were special orders.

The President's visit was "pretty crazy," Maddie Abram, who does double duty as a server and manager, told Obama Foodorama. The pizzeria had just fifteen minutes advance notice that Mr. Obama would be dropping by. Business continued, with other customers--and the staff--thrilled to see the President, she said.

"We were happy that he came into check us out. It was very exciting," Abram said. "We think it will be a good boost for business." The pizzeria was already packed this afternoon with curious customers.

Del Ray is beloved by locals and is frequently on "best of" lists for its gourmet creations, which use "the freshest ingredients." Abrams said the President ordered one large (14") thin crust "Supreme Clientele" pizza, which has red sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, peppers, red onions, olives, and mushrooms, and sells for $19.

The President's two other pizzas were special orders: A 14" thin crust pepperoni and sausage pie, and a 14" thin crust pie with green peppers and red onions. Each was $20. The total bill was more than $60 with tax, and the President paid in cash, Abram said.

Outside the pizzeria, his pie mission accomplished, the President worked the crowds that had gathered at the intersection of East Del Ray and Mount Vernon Avenues, plus a fifth cluster of squealing well-wishers a bit further down Del Ray Avenue, pool reported. (Above: Outside the pizzeria)

$40 bucks...and Christmas shopping
The White House on Tuesday launched a social media campaign, asking citizens what they would use $40 dollars for--the amount each American paycheck will go up if the House doesn't pass the payroll tax credit.

President Obama provided a close answer when he dropped by Pet Smart before his pizza stop, where he bought Bo his bone and a bag of treats, for a total expenditure of $41 dollars. (Above: An employee looks on as the President and Bo check out the bone selection at Pet Smart)

The President also bought gifts for daughters Malia and Sasha at the nearby Best Buy--but those far exceeded the $40 limit.

Clad in shirtsleeves, the President held Bo by his leash as he paid with a $50 bill at the Pet Smart checkout counter.

"Okay, Bo, don't get too personal here," the President admonished the First Dog, who was very interested in a chocolate-colored poodle named "Cinnamon," according to pool. (Above: The President, Bo and Cinnamon at the checkout counter)

After a quick stroll, the President entered Best Buy at 1:10 p.m.

"This (stop) for the girls now," he said as he went in.

After a round of handshaking he headed straight to the Wii section, where he bought a "Just Dance" game for his daughters.

"The girls beat me every time on these dance games," President Obama said. "But you'll never get a picture of me (playing) because I get graded F every time."

He also bought a pair of $50 iTunes gift cards and an unidentified game, for a total tab of $194.48.

"Let's see if my credit card still works," The President said at the checkout counter. It did.

After more grip-and-grins outside, the motorcade left at 1:21 p.m. Nine minutes later, the President arrived via side streets at the intersection of East Del Ray and Mount Vernon, to pick up his three pizza pies at the Del Ray Pizzeria. There was sports banter and more handshaking.

Outside, the President worked the crowds on all four corners of the intersection, plus a fifth cluster of squealing well-wishers a bit further down Del Ray Avenue.

The motorcade was rolling at 1:48, and arrived back at the White House at 2:05 p.m.

"POTUS dutifully ignored all efforts by poolers to engage him on the payroll tax imbroglio," pool reported.

Information: Del Ray Pizzeria is located at 2218 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA. Phone: 703-549-2999.

*Photos by AP/pool

Seating Chart: "Dinner with Barack and Michelle"

Former Social Secretary Julianna Smoot: "my job is done"...
President Obama's second White House Social Secretary, Julianna Smoot, left 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue House in March of this year to become his Deputy Campaign Manager. She sent heady news via e-mail to re-election supporters today, as she unveiled the seating chart, above, for OFA's fundraiser "Dinner with Barack and Michelle."

Three lucky winners and their guests will dine with the President and First Lady Obama at an unspecified date and place, and Smoot dubbed the seating arrangement her easiest assignment ever.

"I've put a lot of dinners together for the President and Mrs. Obama," Smoot wrote. "Sometimes they've been for foreign dignitaries and heads of state. Sometimes they've included governors, artists, and musicians. The seating can get pretty complicated, but I have to say, this one was easy."

"So really, my job's done," she added.

Smoot asks for a minimum $3 donation. Her e-mail followed one earlier in the day from Reggie Love, President Obama's longtime personal aide. Love urged donors to "Get on that here," which translated into English, means make a donation to enter the contest.

"Dinner with Barack and Michelle" is the President's third time raffling himself off as a dinner date. He dined with the four winners of the first dinner contest in October at The Liberty Tavern, but has yet to dine with the four winners of the second contest. OFA this week released a new video of the Eater in Chief talking about the first dinner, which followed five previously released videos. The current contest closes on December 31.

Smoot's subject heading for her e-mail was "Where do you want to sit?"

The text:

XXXX --

I just saw the seating chart for Dinner with Barack and Michelle, and I thought you should see it, too.

The President and First Lady are right here. Where do you want to sit?

Take a look, then donate $3 or whatever you can to be automatically entered for a chance to win.

I've put a lot of dinners together for the President and Mrs. Obama.

Sometimes they've been for foreign dignitaries and heads of state. Sometimes they've included governors, artists, and musicians. The seating can get pretty complicated, but I have to say, this one was easy.

One table, six guests, and the President and First Lady.

So really, my job's done. The only thing that's missing is who the guests will be.

Click here to give $3 or whatever you can and be automatically entered for a chance for you and a guest to have dinner with the President and First Lady:

https://donate.barackobama.com/Barack-and-Michelle

I'd love for you to be there.

Thanks,

Julianna

Julianna Smoot
Deputy Campaign Manager
Obama for America
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