Hakeem Nicks

 

Hakeem Nicks From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Not to be confused with Akiem Hicks. Hakeem Nicks Nicks at the Giants' Super Bowl XLVI parade in 2012 with Victor Cruz. No. 88     New York Giants Wide Receiver Personal information Date of birth: January 14, 1988 (age 24) Place of birth: Charlotte, North Carolina Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Weight: 208 lb (94 kg) Career information College: North Carolina NFL Draft: 2009 / Round: 1 / Pick: 29 Debuted in 2009 for the New York Giants Career history New York Giants (2009–present) Roster status: Active Career highlights and awards NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month (October 2009) Most career receptions in UNC history (181) Most career TD receptions in UNC history (21) Most single-season TD receptions in UNC history (12) 2007 First-Team All-ACC by Rivals.com 2007 Second-Team All-ACC by The Associated Press 2008 First-Team All-ACC by ACSMA/AP Super Bowl champion (XLVI) NFL Alumni Wide Receiver of the Year (2011) Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2011 Receptions 202 Receiving Yards 3,034 Receiving Average 15.0 Receiving TDs 24 Stats at NFL.com Hakeem Nicks (born January 14, 1988) is an American football wide receiver for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Giants in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at North Carolina. Contents  [hide]  1 Early years 2 College career 2.1 Freshman year 2.2 Sophomore year 2.3 Junior year 2.4 College statistics summary 3 Professional career 3.1 2009 NFL Draft 3.2 New York Giants 3.3 Regular Season Statistics 3.4 Playoff Statistics 4 Personal life 5 References 6 External links [edit]Early years Nicks was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended Independence High School (Charlotte, North Carolina). Playing football there, he was rated as one of the Top 10 Players in North Carolina by SuperPrep and Rivals.com.[1] He was also named the Charlotte Observer Offensive Player of the Year and was also selected to the North Carolina Associated Press All-State team. He never lost a game in high school, and completed his senior year with MVP honors at the 4-AA state championship game. In the game, he posted eight catches for 205 yards and two touchdowns (one for 11 and another for 80 yards). He posted 93 catches for 1,819 yards and 20 touchdowns in his senior year. [edit]College career [edit]Freshman year During his freshman season, Nicks started all 11 games in which he played, missing one game due to an ankle sprain. Nicks led the team and set UNC single-season records for receptions and receiving yards by a freshman. Ranked third in the ACC in receiving yards per game and eighth in receptions per game. [edit]Sophomore year Nicks improved dramatically in his sophomore season, setting a single-season school record with 74 catches for 958 receiving yards along with five touchdowns. His single-season receiving yards were the third most in school history. Nicks finished second in the ACC with 79.8 receiving yards per game and third with 6.17 catches per game. Has made at least one catch in 22 of 23 games played and caught at least two passes in each game his sophomore season. [edit]Junior year Nicks was honored as a First-team All-ACC selection at wide receiver. By the completion of his Junior season, Nicks set 14 school records at UNC, including career receptions (181), career receiving yards (2,580) and career touchdowns (21). During his last season, Nicks tallied 68 catches for school records of 1,222 yards and 12 touchdowns. The 68 receptions tied for third most in a season in school history. Nicks led the ACC and ranked 12th nationally with 94.0 receiving yards per game. Nicks caught at least one pass in 26 straight games and had a catch in 35 of 36 career games. He set the UNC single-season receiving yardage record and became North Carolina's first 1,000-yard receiver. Nicks ended his career at UNC in the 2008 Meineke Car Care Bowl where caught eight passes for a bowl record of 217 yards, with three going for touchdowns of 73, 66 and 25 yards, in a game against West Virginia. One of his other catches in that game was offered a candidate for the "Greatest Catch of the Year." [edit]College statistics summary Rushing Receiving Year G Att Yds TD Long Avg Rec Yds TD Long Avg   2006   11   1 10   0   10   10.0     39 660   4   83   16.9   2007   12   1 -1   0   -1   -1.0     74 958   5   53   12.9   2008   13   5 34   1   12   6.8     68 1222*   12*   74   18.0 TOTAL   36   7 43   1   12   8.6   181* 2,840* 21*   83   15.9 * school record Source: Hakeem Nicks - Career Statistics, North Carolina Tar Heels, 2009 [edit]Professional career [edit]2009 NFL Draft Considered to be one of the top wide receivers available in the 2009 NFL Draft,[2] Nicks drew comparisons to Hines Ward and Anquan Boldin. Butch Davis, Nicks' coach at North Carolina, went even further, comparing him to Hall of Famer Michael Irvin.[3] The New York Giants, in need to replace wide-out Plaxico Burress, selected Nicks in the first round, 29th overall. Pre-draft measureables Ht Wt 40-yd dash 10-yd split 20-yd split 20-ss 3-cone Vert Broad BP Wonderlic 6 ft 0¾ in 212 lb 4.49 s 1.52 s 2.60 s 4.43 s 6.96 s 36 in 11 20-ss and 3-cone from UNC Pro Day, all others from NFL Combine[4] [edit]New York Giants On August 1, 2009, Nicks signed a five-year, $12.54 million contract. The deal includes a $6.5 million signing bonus.[5] During training camp, Nicks tied for a starting position with the Giants other receivers, most notably Domenik Hixon and Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks had the best overall average of all these wide receivers with a 16.0 average.[6] 2009 Nicks made his first career NFL reception on September 13, 2009 against the Washington Redskins on WR screen pass for 11 yards. On October 4, 2009 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Nicks recorded his first touchdown reception on a 54 yard screen pass. For the next four games, Nicks would score a touchdown pass in each, becoming the first Giants rookie to score touchdowns in four consecutive games since Bob Gaiters, who scored in five straight games in 1961.[7] On the strength of that feat, Nicks was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month.[8] Nicks ended the season starting in the #2 wide receiver spot opposite Steve Smith after an injury to Domenik Hixon in week 2 and outperforming Mario Manningham as of week 14. Nicks recorded his first 3-touchdown game against the Carolina Panthers during week 1 of the 2010 NFL season, catching a total of 4 passes for 75 yards in a winning effort. During week five, when New York visited Houston, Nicks exploited the NFL's 29th ranked secondary and more specifically Texans rookie cornerback Kareem Jackson as he reeled in career highs with 12 catches for 130 yards. In addition, Nicks caught two touchdown passes on the day from quarterback Eli Manning.[9] Nicks was inactive for the final game of the season in Washington due to a broken toe in his left foot.[10] ESPN.com analyst K. C. Joyner stated he believes Nicks has the potential to become the NFL's best wide receiver in part because of his superior route-running.[11] In 2011, Nicks had his second straight 1,000 + yard receiving season. He caught 76 passes for 1,192 yards (15.7 yards per catch average) and 7 touchdowns.[citation needed] The Giants moved on to the playoffs in the 2011 season where Hakeem Nicks played an essential role throughout the entire postseason. In the wild card round against the Atlanta Falcons, Nicks recorded 6 receptions for 115 yards and 2 touchdowns. The following week against the top seeded Green Bay Packers, Nicks hauled in 7 catches for 165 yards and 2 touchdowns. In Super Bowl XLVI between the New York Giants and New England Patriots, Nicks was the leading receiver for the game with 10 receptions for 109 yards to help secure a New York Giants victory. [edit]Regular Season Statistics Source:[12] Receiving Rushing Fumbles Year Team G GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Att Yds Avg Lng TD FUM Lost 2009 NYG 14 6 47 790 16.8 68T 6 2 8 4.0 9 0 2 0 2010 NYG 13 12 79 1052 13.3 46T 11 - - - - - 1 0 2011 NYG 15 15 76 1192 15.7 68 7 - - - - - 0 0 Total 42 33 202 3034 15.0 68T 24 2 8 4.0 9 0 3 0 [edit]Playoff Statistics Source:[13] Receiving Rushing Fumbles Year Team G GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Att Yds Avg Lng TD FUM Lost 2011 NYG 4 4 28 444 15.9 72T 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Romney opens new front vs Obama: schools are failing - Yahoo! News

 

WASHINGTON/REDWOOD CITY, California (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney opened a new front on Wednesday in his fight against President Barack Obama, accusing him of presiding over a failing U.S. education system in the grip of union bosses who refuse to accept reforms. In a rare diversion from his campaign focus on the weak economy, Romney laid out an education plan in a speech that represented his most overt appeal to date to Hispanic voters who have largely sided with the Democratic incumbent. Although he trails Obama by a huge margin among Hispanics, Romney's address to a Hispanic business group avoided mentioning a top priority for them: how to overhaul the country's immigration system. Romney said millions of American children are getting a "third-world education" and offered proposals that he said would reward teachers for their results instead of their seniority. And he would give parents greater choice of where to send their children to school and take other steps to reduce the influence of powerful teachers' unions. "I believe the president must be troubled by the lack of progress since he took office. Most likely, he would have liked to do more. But the teachers unions are one of the Democrats' biggest donors - and one of the president's biggest campaign supporters. So, President Obama has been unable to stand up to union bosses - and unwilling to stand up for kids," Romney said. Meanwhile, at a series of fundraisers , Obama kept hitting at his opponent's record as a job-cutting private equity executive - a prime target for his re-election campaign - and touted his own economic plans to "move the country forward." "I think he has learned the wrong lessons," Obama told 550 supporters in a hotel ballroom in Denver, taking aim at what he called Romney's bad ideas for the U.S. economy while anti-Obama protesters outside held signs reading "Out of Hope, Ready for Change" and "Bye Bye on November 6th." "His working assumption is: if CEOs and wealthy investors like him get rich, the rest of us automatically will too," he said, later presenting a similar message to 1,100 supporters in Redwood City, California, near the tech hub Palo Alto. "We believe in the free market, we believe in risk-taking and innovation. This whole area is built on risk-taking and innovation. But we also understand that it doesn't happen in a vacuum," Obama told the event which featured singer Ben Harper. "It happens because of outstanding schools and universities, it happens because of a well-regulated financial market, it happens because we have extraordinary infrastructure. It happens for a whole host of reasons. Governor Romney doesn't seem to understand that." MIDDLE CLASS CONCERNS Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, is neck-and-neck with Obama in polls, a prelude to what could be a close vote for the White House in November. His pivot to education comes during a battle in Washington over student loan programs, with Obama's Democrats pushing for extending low interest rates for federal loans and Republicans calling for careful spending at a time of high deficits. Wednesday's speech also let him challenge a key pillar of the Obama re-election campaign: that the president is more tuned into middle class concerns, like education, than Romney is. Focusing on school quality could also resonate well with Hispanic voters who are expected to be critical in the November election, especially in swing states like New Mexico, Florida, Colorado, Virginia and North Carolina. A Wall Street Journal/NBC/Telemundo poll shows Obama leading Romney with Hispanic voters 61 percent to 27 percent, a possible hangover from the Republican primary battle when Romney and other candidates adopted hard-line immigration positions. Hispanic Republican strategists said Romney was wise to keep his focus on education and the economy on Wednesday, noting that in several polls, Hispanic voters rate those issues well ahead of immigration as the themes they care about most. "Clearly, it appears that Governor Romney has chosen to focus on what the vast majority of U.S. Hispanics and Latinos feel is of highest priority," said Daniel Garza, from The Libre Initiative non-profit group. Standing before a banner that read "A Chance for Every Child," Romney laid out an education plan that relies heavily on bolstering and improving the No Child Left Behind education law engineered by Obama's Republican predecessor, George W. Bush. Romney made more money and more access to charter schools the centerpiece of his platform, but he launched a strong attack on teachers' unions. "The teachers' unions are the clearest example of a group that has lost its way," Romney said. WELCOME BREAK On the first day of his Wednesday-Thursday swing through Colorado, California and Iowa, Obama stressed his efforts to improve education and enhance ties between community colleges and businesses. He told the Denver fundraiser his goal was that "by the end of this decade more of our citizens hold a college degree than any other nation on Earth." At a private home in Atherton, California, where guests paid $35,800 each to dine with Obama in a Hawaiian-themed tent with a clear roof, he said he "could not be prouder" of his administration's education reform record. "A lot of it has to do with making sure that higher education is not a luxury," Obama said. "We need more engineers, we need more scientists, we need more Stanford grads, but we also need folks who are going to community colleges and are able to get the skills and the training that they need in order to compete for jobs in the 21st century." Wednesday's education speech was a welcome break for Romney, who has faced a barrage of accusations from Democrats that he killed blue-collar jobs when he headed Bain Capital, a firm that bought and restructured companies. But Romney says the company more than made up for job losses by helping to establish companies that became big employers, like the office supplies store Staples. He told Time magazine business experience gave him savvy to fix the economy and he welcomed scrutiny of his record. "The fact is that I spent 25 years in the private sector. And that obviously teaches you something that you don't learn if you haven't spent any time in the private sector," he said. While Romney often polls ahead of Obama on the economy, the president's foreign policy credentials weigh in his favor compared to the ex-governor, who has little foreign experience. Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell criticized Romney for taking advice from foreign policy advisers who are "quite far to the right," in a sign of lingering strains from his tenure under President George W. Bush. He also took exception to a recent comment by Romney that Russia is the top U.S. geopolitical threat. "Come on Mitt, think! That isn't the case," Powell said. (Additional reporting by Matt Spetalnick in Washington; Writing by Steve Holland; Editing by Philip Barbara, Xavier Briand, Tim Pearce)

Phillip Phillips crowned 'American Idol's' new champion | Fox News

 

LOS ANGELES –  With a record-breaking 132 million votes cast, former pawn shop worker Phillip Phillips won Season 11 of “American Idol,” beating out home-schooled high school student Jessica Sanchez. As soon as tuxedo-clad host Ryan Seacrest announced the winner, Sanchez smiled graciously and immediately gave Phillips a big hug. The rest of the season’s Top Twelve finalists stormed the stage–led by Phillips’ BFF Heejun Han, who chucked Phillips under his chin and planted a kiss on his cheek. Season 10 winner Scotty McCreery presented Phillips with a microphone-shaped trophy, and handed an acoustic guitar to Seacrest. “Phillip, in this incredible moment, we’re going to give you this to do what you do best and what you’ve done all season, which is impress us on this stage,” said Seacrest, as he passed the guitar to Phillips. “Congratulations. You did it!” Phillips took the guitar and launched into “Home,” the song he chose to perform on Tuesday night as his “potential winning song.” As confetti rained from the ceiling, Phillips choked back tears and was unable to finish the song. Shaking his head in disbelief, he took off his guitar and walked off the stage to join his family in an emotional group hug. Sanchez also had plenty of reason to celebrate. The petite 16-year-old held her own against Tony Award-winner Jennifer Holliday, singing “I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," the song Holliday originated from the Broadway musical “Dreamgirls.” It was easily the highlight of the two-hour finale, with the dueling divas matching each other, note for note. One noted Hollywood producer called the moment “television history,” telling FoxNews.com, “this is exactly what live television should be.” The finale also featured the musical talents of Aerosmith, who performed two songs, including the classic “Walk This Way.” Judge Steven Tyler, who named-checked both judge Jennifer Lopez and Sanchez during his first song, may have accidentally revealed a pair of Spanx under his tight, bulge-conscious pants. Meanwhile, judge Jennifer Lopez showed off her impressive abs and derriere while performing “Going In” and “Follow the Leader” with reggaeton duo Wisin y Yandel. Rihanna looked to be having a grand time performing “Where Have You Been," complete with dozens of dancers and drummers, aerial performers and a laser light show. The Top Twelve–minus Phillips and Sanchez–opened the show, all clad in coordinating white and silver outfits, channeling the “Brady Bunch” during their “Silver Platters” era. Two catsuit-clad performers also took the “American Idol” stage Wednesday night. Season Three winner Fantasia Barrino sported a tight, black sequined number with sheer peek-a-boo cutouts revealing the sides of her thighs to join third runner-up Joshua Ledet to sing Elton John‘s “Take Me To the Pilot.” Chaka Khan, meanwhile entered the “American Idol” stage in a cinnamon-colored sequined getup that left little to the imagination to join the Top Six girls in singing “I’m Every Woman.” For his part, Neil Diamond opted for a far more sedate black crushed velvet evening jacket for his performance of “Sweet Caroline” with the Top Six boys. Phillips performed a duet with John Fogerty, singing “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” and “Bad Moon Rising,” while fourth runner-up Hollie Cavanagh belted out “You’ll Never Walk Alone” with sixth season winner Jordin Sparks and fifth runner-up Skylar Laine performed “Turn on the Radio” with Reba McEntire. One the Top Twelve finalists made a notable change since the last time we saw her. Erika Van Pelt, who was eliminated shortly after “image advisor” Tommy Hilfiger insisted that she ditch her long blonde hair for a jet black pixie cut, is now growing her hair out–and she’s back to blonde. But wait! There’s more. “With the help of David Webb jewelry,” fifth season finalist Ace Young proposed to third season finalist Diana DeGarmo–making them the first couple from “American Idol” to get engaged.

Doubtful social conservatives giving Romney chance

WASHINGTON (AP) — This year, pocketbook issues seem to matter more than pulpit preaching among cultural conservatives and at least some are willing to embrace Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney, who they've long looked at skeptically.
"No one's perfect," says Larry Smith of Newport Beach, Calif., one of thousands of conservatives gathering in Washington this weekend to hear from the slate of GOP candidates at the annual Values Voters Summit. Smith cast the choice before him as a compromise, and says he's leaning toward the former Massachusetts governor. Even though Romney has strayed from conservative orthodoxy on some social issues in the past, he still posts a strong record as a businessman.
"He has the skills to help us on this particular issue, at this particular time," Smith said.
By that, he means the economy, with its stubbornly high 9.1 percent unemployment rate and sluggish growth.
If interviews with conference attendees are any indication, that's what is giving Romney his best shot at winning over some of the social and Christian conservatives who he failed to attract in his first campaign in 2008 and is trying to make inroads with this year.
Romney was to speak to the group Saturday, a day after his chief rival, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, took the stage to strong applause and criticized Romney for his shifting position on abortion, without ever using Romney's name.
"For some candidates, pro-life is an election-year slogan to follow the prevailing political winds," Perry said in a speech that at times felt more sermon than political pleas.
But a pastor who endorsed and later introduced Perry quickly served up a reminder of Romney's membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are commonly called Mormons.
"Rick Perry's a Christian. He's an evangelical Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ," said Robert Jeffress, senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Dallas. "Mitt Romney's a good moral person, but he's not a Christian. Mormonism is not Christianity. It has always been considered a cult by the mainstream of Christianity."
Perry made clear that he disagrees with Jeffress.
Asked by reporters Friday night in Tiffin, Iowa, whether Mormonism is a cult, Perry replied, "No."
The gathering came the same week that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie both announced they would not run for president, leaving donors and grass-roots conservatives up for grabs — and giving Romney an opportunity to try to cast himself as the candidate who can appeal to a broad swath of the GOP.
It's a shift from four years ago, when Romney focused his campaign largely on social issues that would play well with this audience. It didn't work; he couldn't overcome skepticism of his Mormon faith and his record of reversing himself on issues like abortion rights and gay rights. And these voters aren't a natural fit for Romney with others like Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum — who have long championed their causes — in the race.
But many of the roughly two dozen interviewed indicated that because the GOP field lacks a candidate that perfectly fits their wish list, they were willing to consider backing someone who doesn't stack up perfectly but who may have the strongest chance at beating President Barack Obama. Many said Romney may well fit the bill.
"If you go with your gut, that's fine. But I would lean toward the person who is more electable," said Johnny Lee, a 57-year-old federal worker from the Washington area. He is considering backing Romney, as well as Georgia business executive Herman Cain and Santorum. Among Lee's many considerations is who would fare best at the ballot boxes against Obama.
"If you're going with your values and there aren't enough people who share those values, you're not going to win the change in leadership this country needs," Lee said. "And we need a change."
At this venue at least, it seems that activists aren't heeding Bachmann's warnings not to settle for a candidate who isn't rock solid on their issues.
"It's time for the Republican Party to nominate someone who will lead the whole country," said Chris Balkema, a 40-year-old Caterpillar employee from Channahon, Ill. "We don't need to settle. But we need someone will lead the left, right and center of this country, while defending the Constitution."
Balkema said that could be Romney, although he wasn't ruling out others.
Even so, Bachmann — who is a favorite of tea partyers, home schooling parents and grassroots activists — pitched herself as a pure conservative voters need, and urged them not to choose a moderate candidate who might not share their values.
"Conservatives, we can have it all this year because Barack Obama will be a one-term president," she said, bringing the audience to its feel late Friday evening. "Let's finally have one of us in the White House."
She then hinted at Romney's changing shape on abortion rights and gay rights.
"You won't find YouTube clips of me speaking in support of Roe vs. Wade. You won't find me hemming and hawing when it comes to defining marriage as between one man and one woman."
Some agree with her.
"We chose someone last time who was willing to cross the aisle on anything," said Dwayne Owens, a 67-year-old from Southside, Ala., pointing to 2008's unsuccessful presidential nominee Sen. John McCain. "We can't nominate someone whose sole message is compromise. We need someone who is willing to get in a dogfight."

Kim Kardashian

Kimberly "Kim" Kardashian Humphries (née Kimberly Noel Kardashian; October 21, 1980)[1] is an Armenian-American businesswoman, socialite, television personality, model, and actress. She is the daughter of late attorney Robert Kardashian, and is known for a sex tape with her former boyfriend Ray J as well as her E! reality series that she shares with her family, Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Kardashian's prominence has increased as of January 2011 with the premiere of Kourtney and Kim Take New York, the second spin-off of Keeping Up with the Kardashians (the first being Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami), debuting on E!, with the series following Kim and sister Kourtney Kardashian as they leave Los Angeles to open a third D-A-S-H store in New York City.
Kardashian has launched multiple fragrances, guest starred on numerous shows, competed on ABC's Dancing with the Stars, and has had roles in movies such as Disaster Movie and Deep in the Valley. In 2010, Kardashian, along with her sisters Kourtney and Khloé, released an autobiography, Kardashian Konfidential.[2]
Contents  [hide]
1 Early life
2 Career
2.1 2007–present: Reality television
2.2 2007–2010: Modeling and retail
2.3 2010–present
3 Personal life
3.1 Relationships
3.2 Sex tape
4 Activism
5 Controversy
5.1 Cookie Diet lawsuit
6 Filmography
7 References
8 External links
Early life

Kardashian was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of late attorney Robert Kardashian and Kris Jenner (née Houghton). Her father was a third generation Armenian American and her mother is of Dutch and Scottish descent.[3] Her paternal great-grandparents immigrated to Los Angeles from Armenia. Her last name in Armenian (spelled Քարտաշեան in Armenian) means "son of a stonemason." Although only half Armenian, she states that she "was raised with a huge Armenian influence, always hearing stories of Armenia, eating Armenian food and celebrating Armenian holidays".[4]
Kardashian has two sisters, Kourtney and Khloé, and one brother, Robert. She has stepbrothers Burton Jenner, Brandon Jenner, and reality TV star Brody Jenner, step-sister Casey Jenner, and half-sisters Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner.[5]
She attended Marymount High School.[6]
Career

2007–present: Reality television
Kardashian first rose to fame in February 2007 when she starred in a sex tape with R&B singer Ray J. In October 2007 she along with her two sisters, mother, brother, half-sisters, and stepfather starred in the E! television series, Keeping Up with the Kardashians. The series has aired five seasons to date,[when?] with two spin-off series.
Her first acting role was in the television series Beyond the Break. She then starred in the 2008 disaster film spoof Disaster Movie as Lisa. Kardashian appeared in the How I Met Your Mother episode "Benefits". She also appeared on the Season 3 premiere of the series 90210 with her sisters Khloé and Kourtney; they all played themselves.[7] Kardashian was a guest hostess of WrestleMania XXIV and appeared as a guest judge during Cycle 13 of America's Next Top Model.[8] On December 16, 2009, Kardashian made a guest star appearance on CBS's CSI: NY with Vanessa Minnillo.[9]
Kardashian was one of 13 participants on the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars.[10] She was partnered with Mark Ballas and was the third contestant voted off the show on September 30, 2008, finishing in 11th place overall.[11]
2007–2010: Modeling and retail
Kardashian co-owns a clothing boutique called D-A-S-H with her sisters Kourtney and Khloé.[12]


Kardashian in Santa Monica, California on May 13, 2009 at Maxim's 10th Annual Hot 100 Celebration
In December 2007, Kardashian posed nude for Playboy.[13] She has also featured in numerous international editions of FHM, including the cover of the April 2010 Australian edition and the UK March 2011 edition.[14] In February 2008, Bongo Jeans announced that Kardashian would be their face model.[15] She also models for Balenciaga shoes,[citation needed] Carl's Jr. fast food, Sugar Factory lollipops, and various other products.[16][17]
Kardashian released her own fragrance product in 2010.[18]
In March 2009, Kardashian launched an endorsement with ShoeDazzle shopping,[19] of which she is the co-founder and chief fashion stylist..[16] The following month on April 9, 2009, Kardashian released a workout DVD series, Fit In Your Jeans By Friday, with trainers Jennifer Galardi and Patrick Goudeau.[12][20] In September 2009, Fusion Beauty and Seven Bar Foundation launched "Kiss Away Poverty", with Kardashian as the face of the campaign. For every LipFusion lipgloss sold, $1 went to the Foundation to fund women entrepreneurs in the US.[21]
Famous Cupcakes, a Los Angeles bakery, created a vanilla cupcake mix for Kardashian. The cupcake flavor is called Va-Va-Va-Nilla.[16]
Kardashian has also created jewelry along with her sisters, Khloé and Kourtney. They produced a collection for Virgins, Saints, and Angels in 2010.[22]
Again with her sisters, Kardashian has released various clothing lines. One called K-Dash was to be sold on QVC in 2010,[23] and in the same year they produced a range for Bebe.[24][25][26] As of August 2011 they are creating another for Sears, called the Kardashian Kollection.[27]
In addition, Kardashian and her sisters created a sunless tanner called Kardashian Glamour Tan in 2010.[28]
On July 1, 2010, the New York City branch of Madame Tussauds revealed a wax figure of Kardashian.[29]
2010–present
Kardashian is the producer of The Spin Crowd, a reality television show about Command PR, a New York City public relations firm, run by Jonathan Cheban and Simon Huck. The show follows them as they settle into their new offices in Los Angeles. Kardashian is friends with both, specifically Cheban, and frequently appears on her reality shows. She also appeared at the 2010 MTV VMAs on September 12, 2010.[30] She also appeared in and was the subject and judge of a task on the ninth episode of Season 10 of The Apprentice in 2010; the two teams had to create an in-store display for her new perfume line, to be sold at Perfumania.[31][32]
Kim, Kourtney, and Khloé wrote an autobiography entitled Kardashian Konfidential. The book was released in stores on November 23, 2010.[33]
In December 2010, Kardashian filmed a music video for a song titled "Jam (Turn It Up)," the video was directed by Hype Williams; Kanye West makes a cameo in the video.[34] Kardashian premiered the song during a New Year's Eve party at TAO Las Vegas on December 31, 2010.[35] The song was produced by The-Dream and Tricky Stewart. Kardashian said that she was forced into doing the song by friends such as Ciara, Kanye West, and "Turn It Up" producer The-Dream. When asked if an album is in the works, Kardashian replied: "There's no album in the works or anything – just one song we did for Kourtney and Kim Take New York, and a video Hype Williams directed, half of the proceeds we're giving away to a cancer foundation, because The-Dream's and one of my parents passed away from cancer. It's just all having fun – with a good cause".[36] Jim Farber, writing for the Daily News, called the song a "dead-brained piece of generic dance music, without a single distinguishing feature," and suggested that the single made Kardashian the "worst singer in the reality TV universe."[37]
Kardashian's 2010 earnings were the highest among Hollywood-based reality stars, being estimated at $6 million.[38]
Personal life



Kardashian at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival for the premiere of Wonderful World.
Relationships
In 2000, Kardashian married music producer Damon Thomas; their relationship ended in divorce in 2004. Subsequently she dated R&B singer Ray J, NFL star Reggie Bush[39] and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin.[40] She was also seen with model Gabriel Aubry.[41] Kardashian then began dating NBA player Kris Humphries of the New Jersey Nets; they married on August 20, 2011 in Montecito, California.[42] Kardashian and Humphries made $17.9 million on nuptials.[43] Reportedly, the wedding cost 20 million dollars and neither Kardashian or Humphries payed for any of it. Three $20,000 Vera Wang gowns and $400,000 worth of Perrier Jouet Champagne were free, as were invitations from Lehr & Black estimated at $10,000 and $750,000 for catering for the 500 guests at the reception.[44]
Sex tape
In February 2007, a pornographic home video she made with singer Ray J was leaked.[45] Vivid Entertainment bought the rights for $1 million and released the film as Kim Kardashian: Superstar on February 21.[45] Kardashian sued Vivid for ownership of the tape. In late April 2007, Kardashian dropped the suit and settled with Vivid Entertainment for $5 million.[46]
Activism

Kardashian has supported the recognition of the Armenian Genocide on numerous occasions and has encouraged Barack Obama and the United States government to consider its acknowledgement. On April 21, 2011, a few days before the 96th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, she wrote about the issue on her blog in an effort to put it under spotlight and also sent a tweet to her fans urging its recognition.[47]
On April 1, 2010, Kardashian joined Cyndi Lauper in the launch of her Give a Damn campaign to create a wider awareness of discrimination against the LGBT community as part of her True Colors Fund.
Controversy

In May 2009, Kardashian caused controversy over the way she held a cat for a photograph.[48] In 2010, animal rights organization PETA criticized Kardashian for repeatedly wearing fur coats, and named her as one of the five worst people or organizations of 2010 when it came to animal welfare.[49]

A mainstream UK national newspaper, The Guardian, has commented on her ability to attract payments of up to US$10,000 from sponsors for each tweet that she broadcasts, noting that she is "an American reality TV star whose sole talent lies in her large rump".[50]
Cookie Diet lawsuit
Dr. Sanford Siegal, the creator of the Cookie Diet, sued Kardashian, claiming she defamed him on Twitter. According to Siegal, Kardashian tweeted in October that he was "falsely promoting" that she was on the cookie diet. Siegal filed a claim in a Florida state court claiming the statements are false and defamatory. He also alleges that Kardashian was on QuickTrim's payroll when she posted the tweet. Kardashian's tweet appears to stem from an article on CookieDiet.com, that named Kardashian as one of many celebrities who saw positive results on the diet. Kardashian sent a cease-and-desist order to Siegal, demanding the link be removed.[51]

Sucker Punches, Jabs and Bruises: September 2011 Buzz

Cover of George W. Bush
This past month dealt out a handful of smackdown across the board. From weather, the market, and politics to the skies above our heads, there was nowhere to hide.

Round one: Political squabbling

A congress that can barely agree on anything has a hard time getting things done, as demonstrated again this month when it narrowly avoided another shutdown due to infighting over FEMA funding. No wonder its approval rating is at a painful 15%. Ouch!

Progress on the passing of Obama’s jobs bill is also slow -- a tough blow to the hopes of the 9.1% of Americans who are unemployed. President Obama’s approval ratings also took a hit this month, with numbers now lingering in the low 40s, though it is reported that his likability remains slightly higher.

In other political news, the Republican candidates for the 2012 nomination duked it out in four primary debates this month, with newcomer Rick Perry now in the mix. This month’s top Republican searches were for Herman Cain (+321%); Ron Paul (+300%) winning the California straw poll; and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (+5,264%), under rumors that he may join the race.

Round two: The market takes a beating

Market turbulence was in full force in September for our battered and bruised economy, with news of rising unemployment and European austerity. The NYSE invoked its rarely used Rule 48 earlier in the month as a stability measure, and we’ve seen bankruptcy, with Solyndra, as well as worries about the USPS going broke. Many have taken to the streets in protest against Wall Street.

Round three: Mother Nature with a right hook

Hurricane Irene soaked the eastern United States with floodwaters early this month, damaging historical bridges and destroying homes. In the southwest, Texas suffered record-breaking heat this year, as well as drought, and wildfires that have ravaged large areas of the state, leaving hundreds homeless and destroying crops and timber.  Further afield, Mount Etna erupted, earthquakes shook Alaska and the Himalayas, and typhoons blasted Japan, the Philippines, and Southeast Asia.

And, as if Mother Nature’s forces weren’t enough to contend with, we had the additional worries of getting hit on the head by space junk, as NASA’s UARS satellite came hurtling back to Earth. Lucky for us, it ended up landing safely in the middle of the ocean, which was for the best, since you wouldn’t have been able to keep any souvenirs anyway.

Down for the count: Top two punches

September’s sucker punch award belongs to the Mayweather/Ortiz fight (+12,436%), which ended early with a Mayweather victory in the fourth round. The runner-up is the self-inflicted punch thrown on this month’s very popular Roast of Charlie Sheen, when Steve-O made a running jump into Mike Tyson’s fist, leaving him with a broken nose.

Tragedy strikes

Two major air accidents occurred this month. First was the Russian KHL jet crash that killed 43 people, many of whom were professional hockey players, and then the Reno Air Race Crash later in the month, that left nine dead and dozens injured.

We were also reminded of tragedy as people around the world paused to observe the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. President Obama addressed the nation, the names of the victims were read, and former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush spoke at the memorial for the heroes of United Flight 93. "With their brave decision, they launched the first counteroffensive in the war on terror,” said Bush. Clinton and Bush joined forces with Rep. John Boehner to raise $10 million to help pay for the completion of the memorial.

Farewells

We said goodbye this month with the passing of Kara Kennedy (the oldest daughter of Ted Kennedy), Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, Arch West (the inventor of Doritos), actress Frances Bay, Dolores Hope (a singer and the widow of Bob Hope), and singer Vesta Williams.

Saved by the bell: Happy distractions

This month we sought to distract ourselves with the changing of seasons and, as always, the beauty of the entertainment world.

Reality TV grabs our attention like nothing else. This month’s new seasons of America’s Got Talent, X-Factor, and Dancing With the Stars are proof of that, with searches on Chaz Bono “before and after” (+328%) and Nancy Grace’s unfortunate wardrobe malfunction (+off the charts) topping the list.

Last but not least, we are left punch drunk with the cuteness of a few lovable creatures: Frank and Louie, the Janus cat, dazzled us with his two faces; the Bunawan crocodile amazed us with its size; Winter the dolphin impressed us with her prosthetic fin and acting debut; and Willow the cat finally found her way back home.

A Cloaking Device that Really Works -- Underwater

Image via Wikipedia
The last of the "Harry Potter" movies have come and gone. But a search for the "invisibility cloak" lives! Researchers at the University of Dallas announced a ground-breaking cloaking device that can make things disappear -- as long as they are underwater.

According to the press release, this cool experiment "not only takes advantage of one of nature's most bizarre phenomenons, but also boasts unique features; it has an 'on and off' switch and is best used underwater."

The best part: There's a video that shows the disappearing act in action. In the demonstration, an off-camera switch is flicked, and an object in an underwater tank disappears and reappears, as if by magic.

This is done by basically recreating a mirage underwater. And yes, the most common mirage really is imagining you see a pool of water where none exists (think oasis in the desert). Your mind plays a trick when the ground is hotter than the air, causing light rays to bend upward toward your eye, rather than bounce off the surface.

The science behind the magic trick: As announced in the Nanotechnology journal, the design makes use of sheets of carbon nanotubes, which the press release explains, "have the density of air but the strength of steel." By conducting heat and transferring it to surrounding areas, it can mimic a mirage. And Prest-O Change-o, you've got an underwater disappearing act.

An Institute of Physics spokesperson said in a statement, "The array of applications that could arise