2012 Olympics in London

With only one year left to go before the 2012 Olympics in London, the hospitality and leisure industry is gearing up for one of the busiest times in decades. Hotels in London will no doubt be at maximum capacity come the year 2012. It’s not only hotels in London that will benefit financially from this exciting time. Travel sites, as well as, comparative sites will also see a surge of traffic looking for cheap hotels, and cheap flights to London.

Hospitality and leisure plays a huge roll in the tourism sector of London as well as the UK. We can certainly expect to see a multitude of London job vacancies as well. With this said, we are certain many across the UK will reap the rewards because of the Olympics.

Hotels in London number in the thousands, however we can’t forget about the rest of the population in the UK alone. Many from various cities across the UK will be looking for a place to stay as well. Costs will be a major factor in trying to find the perfect deal in order to afford tickets to events. This is where comparative travel websites come into play. There are few comparative sites gearing up on their own to take full advantage of the Olympics.

Websites like http://www.hotelinlondon.ws, are paving the way for fast and effective comparatives on the cheapest hotels, or the best deals to be found across the London. They are spending a great deal of time convincing vacationers, or visitors to book now and get the best deals you can. Not many know that certain partnerships are being formed on comparative sites to give each an edge for competitive reasons. If you like the thousands slated to descend on London, are looking for cheap hotels then getting the research done now is imperative.

With a comparative site like http://www.hotelinlondon.ws, all you do is type in the search the city of your choice and hit enter. The system then compares the cheapest hotels across the UK and London and displays listings. Secure partnerships allow the site to give the best and cheapest choices available first.

Restaurants, cafes and pubs will also benefit from the surge of visitors. It is predicted that London will be home for almost three weeks to an extra 900,000 people! That is a lot of money up for grabs in the tourism industry. The 2012 Olympics in London has too many benefits to write about and very little negatives.

Tourism will be the hottest commodity in London for 2012 and the fierce competition for pricing will begin. This means many need to take steps in order to secure a great place to stay for the duration of the Olympics. Hotels need and want your business, therefore pricing plays a major factor in getting your attention. Take full advantage and enjoy your stay.

Some Say "Act of Valor" May Reveal Too Much to American Enemies

The film "Act of Valor" is tearing it up at the box office, and has gotten quite a bit of attention for combining real-life soldiers with actors to achieve maximum effect. But there are those who feel that the movie gives up a bit too much information to enemies who may be studying American military tactics in an effort to gain an edge. For those who haven’t heard, the movie includes as actors real-life Navy SEALS, an elite group of fighting forces. Notes the film’s co-director Scott Waugh, "Real people blended with actors. It’s created a new experience." He refers to the movie as "the authentic action film."

While some have called the acting a bit off – these are, after all, "real people" – the bigger concern comes from those who fear the movie is a tipping of the hand, if you will. Pentagon officials have actually been receiving calls with some frequency from Congressional staffers who worry that the film includes too much real life.

Noted retired Lieutenant General James Vaught, a former Army Delta Force commander, to the active duty Admiral William H. McRaven, ninth commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command, "Since the time when your wonderful team went and drug bin Laden out and got rid of him – and more recently when you went down and rescued the group in Somalia, or wherever the hell they were – they’ve been splashing all of this all over the media." Vaught’s words came with an additional warning, as he said, "Now I’m going to tell you, one of these days, if you keep publishing how you do this, the other guy’s going to be there ready for you, and you’re going to fly in and he’s goi

Angelina Jolie's Leg Still Talk of Oscars

You know something noteworthy happened when Angelina Jolie's right leg starts its own Twitter account - and promptly attracts 12,000 followers. That's what has happened in the aftermath of Jolie's repeated striking of awkward poses that purposefully revealed her right leg jutting out of the high slit in her gown. After pulling the move on the red carpet, she also assumed the position while presenting the award for Best Adapted Screenplay. The winners of the award included Community actor Jim Rash, who was a co-writer of the winning screenplay.

During the acceptance speech for the award, Rash spontaneously posed in exactly the same way Jolie was standing, much to the delight of the audience. And anyone who's familiar with Rash's Dean Felton character from Community surely found the tongue-in-cheek homage especially hysterical.

Rumors have started to swirl that Jolie didn't find the move humorous, although claims that she was angry or upset have yet to be confirmed. After the ceremony, Rash insisted that he wasn't making a conscious effort to mock Jolie, but that it was just an impulse that came over him to stand like that.

As a veteran comedian, Rash has instincts which basically force him to mock something so ridiculous, especially when on a stage in front of millions of viewers around the world. No self-respecting comedian could have passed on that opportunity. With the Twitter account and increasing news coverage of the pose, the Internet is abuzz with opinions and comments about the whole ordeal. Most commenters seem to be focused on why Jolie would have chosen to pose repeatedly in that way, correctly pointing out how awkward and uncomfortable she appeared to be. For his part, Rash probably upped his stock a bit, on a night when he already brought home an Oscar.

Bowing to Legal Pressure, Madonna Renames Song

Madonna’s new hit single, previously titled "Girls Gone Wild," recently drew a legal challenge from Joe Francis, the man behind the "Girls Gone Wild" empire of videos detailing the Spring Break and other exploits of drunk teenagers. Francis, predictably, was attempting to defend his company’s trademark. In a cease and desist letter, Francis warned Madonna not to perform the song at the halftime show of the Super Bowl, which she complied with. She also released the single with the "s" removed from "Girls," making the new title of the song "Girl Gone Wild."

Francis has told the media that his legal team has specifically worked with Madonna to correct the issues, and that the changing of the name is just the beginning of the process. Noted Francis, "An immediate solution for them to thwart any injunctive relief. Clearly her label was trying to avoid legal action surrounding the song. This is still infringement as far as the law is concerned. We have been in touch with Madonna's representatives in an effort to resolve this issue."

On the other hand, Madonna notes that Francis has got it wrong. Those close to the singer also note that Francis’ claim of any victory in the matter is ridiculous, noting that Madonna never received a cease and desist letter and that changing the name of the song to make "Girl" singular made it more fitting. The same source even laughed at the notion that Francis owns the trademark to "Girls Gone Wild," though a search of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office indicates that Francis does, indeed, appear to own that exact trademark.

Davy Jones of the Monkees Dead at 66

Davy Jones, the diminutive Brit who formed part of the made-for-television rock band the Monkees, died yesterday in Florida at the age of 66. Jones, best known for his role in the band and the eponymous television show in which they starred, was the "cute" one from the band, made to mimic the Beatles at the height of their popularity, and also a singer for the band. Standing at just 5’ 3", Jones was a undersized star, but his band, the first boy band ever, took the world be storm in the 1960s.

Said Peter Tork, also of the band, "This is an enormous event in my world. I have been thinking about his talent and his heart. What is the saddest thing in the world is that not everyone was able to see the range and depth of his heart. He was about as heartfelt a man as anyone I have ever met in my life. In all his glory as a musician and performer, Davy was in the top rank."

Mickey Dolenz, lead singer on most of the Monkees songs, said he was "in a state of shock" and went on to say of Jones, "he was the brother I never had. The memories have and will last a lifetime. Michael Nesmith, rounding out the band, noted, "That David has stepped beyond my view causes me the sadness that it does many of you. I will miss him, but I won't abandon him to mortality." Jones will be remembered for his boyish good looks, his turn as a television and singing star and, of course, for the most popular song he ever performed as lead singer, "Daydream Believer."

TV Review: Parenthood

n 1989, a film titled Parenthood was created. In 2010, the first season of Parenthood, a television show loosely based on the previous film, began on NBC. Since its premier, it has garnered a wide audience and critical acclaim, mostly due to its careful handling of sensitive subjects, many of which almost all families face in everyday life. From autism to college, gifted children to sex, Parenthood has something to say about almost every situation a modern family might face.

The Characters

The cast of Parenthood is star-studded to say the least. Craig T. Nelson of Coach fame plays the family's patriarch, Zeek Braverman. He's married to Camille Braverman, played by Bonnie Bedelia. You might recognize Adam Braverman, the oldest of the Braverman children, from Six Feet Under. His character is married to Kristina (Monica Potter) and father to Haddie (Sarah Ramos), Max (Max Burkholder), and Nora. Max has Asperger's, a form of autism, and much of the show deals with this family's struggles to deal with that. Lauren Graham, formerly from Gilmore Girls, plays Sarah Tracey Braverman, the family's second child. She has two children, Amber Holt (Mae Whitman) and Drew Holt (Miles Heizer). Dax Shepard plays Crosby Braverman, the unmarried son of the family, but he has a son named Jabbar with Jasmine who is played by Joy Bryant. Erika Christensen plays Julia Braverman-Graham. She's married to Joel Graham (Sam Jaeger), who is a stay-at-home dad to Sydney (Savannah Paige Rae) while Julia works full-time as a lawyer.

The Premise

Parenthood follows the aforementioned Braverman family through many different trials and tribulations. We see Zeek and Camille struggle through near financial ruin and infidelity, though they eventually work out their issues and manage to keep their family together. In Adam and Kristina's family, we are able to view their struggles with Max's Asperger's - a situation the show handles incredibly well. Haddie, the couple's older daughter, is a great student and is accepted to her dream school, but after Adam is laid off and has to find a new job, and due to the expenses of Max's specialized education and the unexpected addition of Nora to their family, they're not sure how they will afford to send her. Sarah's character married an unstable musician whom she left to give her children a new life. She moved in with her parents, Zeek and Camille, and we see them struggle through Amber's rejection from college and Drew's first girlfriend. Joel Graham, Julia's husband, has to work through the fact that he is out of work as a contractor due to the economy, and that he's staying home playing "mom" while Julia is at work bringing home the bacon. They also try to have a second child, but cannot, so plan to adopt. We also see Crosby trying to be the best dad he can to Jabbar, who he only finds out about four years after he was born. He intends to marry Jabbar's mother, Jasmine, only to fear settling down and back out. These situations are all similar to what we might see in real life, and therefore, the show is very popular.

The Reviews

Most of the reviews for the show have been positive. Alan Sepinwall wrote in the Newark Star Ledger that, "Parenthood isn't an instant classic, but it's smart and warm and knowing, and it casts its net so wide that at least part of it should connect with you." This is an accurate description of the show itself. The characters will find their way into your heart, and you will probably be able to find yourself in at least a piece of the show.

Olivia Munn, Christina Hendricks Deny Nude Photos After Phones are Hacked

Reps for both Christina Hendricks and Olivia Munn have confirmed that the phones of the actresses had indeed been hacked recently and that photos from the phones were compromised. Both camps, however, have been quick to point out that any nude photos claiming to be of the two stars are definitely fake. While explaining that photos of each actress were indeed on their phones, reps have been adamant that there were no nude photos involved.

Hendricks and Munn are the latest celebrities to fall victim to phone hackers, with recent high profile victims including Mila Kunis, Vanessa Hudgens, Blake Lively and Scarlett Johansson. The perpetrator in those cases was caught and is facing jail terms in excess of one hundred years for his actions. He has already admitted to the crimes, describing his fascination with hacking the phones of celebrities as "addictive" and he eventually became obsessed with peeping into the private worlds of the stars.

With cell phones now ubiquitous and systems becoming easier for hackers to infiltrate, privacy is becoming a growing concern for celebrities and the general public alike. The unfortunate reality is that those with a working knowledge of computer programming and coding have the ability to hack into otherwise "secure" systems if they choose to devote their time and energy to doing so. It's no different than the ability of everyone else to simply peer into the windows of their neighbors' homes. Everyone "can" do that, but people do not because they know it is an invasion of privacy and it is wrong.

If you want to ensure true privacy in your cell phone usage, you must understand that anything that is on your phone can be fairly easily obtained by hackers if they happen to target you. Protecting yourself is as easy as not keeping any sensitive images or data on your cell phone.