With her stylish outfits, stylish hair and stylish parents, two-year-old Suri Cruise has topped an annual
list of the most influential celebrity children.
Suri, the regularly photographed daughter of actors Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, toppled last year's
winner Shiloh Jolie-Pitt to score top honors in Forbes.com's second annual list of "Hollywood's 10
Hottest Tots."
Shiloh, the two-year-old daughter of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, slipped to second place and was
joined by two others from the Jolie-Pitt household with three-year-old Zahara in third place and
brother Pax, 4, coming in fourth.
To compile the list, Forbes.com ranked 50 celebrity children aged five years and younger by evaluating
the amount of press and online attention they have received in the past year.
The website then recruited polling firm E-Poll Market Research to narrow the list, getting awareness
scores for the children and consumer appeal rankings for their celebrity parents.
Suri received more blog mentions than any other Tinseltown child and was referenced in more than
1,300 news articles, which can help shape public opinion about her parents while also fuelling demand
for what she wears, plays with and eats.
Rounding out the top five was one-year-old Sam Alexis Woods, the daughter of world golfing
champion Tiger Woods and his model wife Elin Nordegren, who is now expecting their second child.
Others children in the top 10 were Cruz Beckham, late Australian actor Heath Ledger's daughter
Matilda Rose, Madonna and Guy Ritchie's adopted three-year-old son David Banda, Britney Spear's son
Sean Preston Federline, and Sam Sheen.
Celebrity media editors said these children, who grace the front of magazines with and without their
famous parents, could be even more in the spotlight next year as people seek uplifting stories amid
the financial crisis.
"It's much more fun to look at cute pictures of Suri than think about how much your 401(k) has
decreased," Dina Sansing, entertainment director for Us Weekly told Forbes.com.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
US Women's Basketball Team Heads to Athens in Ques
American basketball player Dawn Staley and the rest of the United States women's team is looking for
a third Olympic gold medal in as many tries when they take the court in Athens.
Dawn Staley has been playing basketball most of her life, in high school, college, as a professional and
on the U.S. national team. Her playing days on the national team could be coming to an end as the
34-year-old will be making her third and possibly last trip to the Olympic games.
"I am very excited about the games in Athens," she said. "I am truly honored that I'm selected once
again to represent our country, especially with the times. And for me, it's going to be special because
I believe this is going to be my last one."
Dawn Staley started playing basketball with a group of boys in her north Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
neighborhood to stay out of trouble and then played basketball in high school.
She went on to be a three-time collegiate All-American while playing for the University of Virginia.
During her four years there, the 1.68-meter guard helped Virginia to 110 wins against 21 losses and
four collegiate national championship tournament appearances. She was national player of the year in
1991 and 1992 and when she finished her college career, Virginia retired her number 24.
After college, Staley played with a number of professional teams in France, Italy, Brazil and Spain. She
returned to the United States when the American Basketball League formed in 1996 and played for
the two seasons the league existed. When it folded, she joined the rival Women's National Basketball
Association, playing for the Charlotte Sting. She was selected for three WNBA all-star teams.
Throughout her professional career, Staley has also competed on the U.S. national team. She won a
gold medal with team USA at the 1994 Goodwill Games and was also a part of that year's bronze
medal world championship team.
She was on the U.S. team that won 60 straight games in 1995-1996 en route to winning the gold
medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. She and the U.S. women repeated as basketball gold medalists
at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Also in 2000, Staley was hired as head coach for the women's basketball team at Temple University in
Philadelphia.
In her second season there, she guided the school to the Atlantic 10 conference title and its first
national collegiate tournament appearance in 12 years. Staley also led Temple to the national
collegiate tournament this past season and was named conference coach of the year.
Since becoming head coach at Temple, Staley still makes time to play with the national team. She
helped the United States to a nine to nothing record in winning the 2002 world basketball
championship.
Despite her coaching commitments, playing basketball and busy schedule helping others learn the
game, Staley does not mind her lack of social time.
"I like to share my experiences with so many age groups, whether that is little girls, little boys to
adults," she said. "I think I have a gift in that my passion for playing, my passion for people really has
put my social life on the back burner."
The 34-year-old is just as busy off the basketball court. She started the Dawn Staley Foundation in
1996 which sponsors after-school programs, summer leagues and fund-raising activities for inner-city
youths. The foundation also sponsors a three-hour program focusing on academics and athletics. Her
work with this foundation earned Staley the 1999 WNBA Entrepreneurial Spirit Award.
Staley is also working on a book series aimed at 12 to 14-year-old girls about subjects ranging from
challenges faced by that age group with self-esteem to how she got started playing sports.
Looking ahead to Athens, Dawn Staley believes that Australia, Russia and Brazil will be tough
competition in the Olympic tournament.
"I think Australia has probably made the biggest improvement," said Staley. "I think the Sydney games
really helped them out. I think the fact that they do have a women's professional league there as well
as some of their players are internationally known, so that has helped close the gap."
With the possibility of leaving the national team after the Olympics, Staley is looking forward to what
the younger players will do for the United States and believes they will continue to play well on the
international level.
"I truly believe that we have the talent to be very successful in international play from here on out. I
do," she said. "[New team members like] Sue Bird, you got Diana Taurasi, you've got some of the
younger players who now will get an understanding of what it is to be successful."
Before leaving the winning up to the younger players, Dawn Staley hopes to go three-for-three in
Olympic competition and bring home another gold with the U.S. women's basketball team.
I am Parke Brewer, VOA Sports.
a third Olympic gold medal in as many tries when they take the court in Athens.
Dawn Staley has been playing basketball most of her life, in high school, college, as a professional and
on the U.S. national team. Her playing days on the national team could be coming to an end as the
34-year-old will be making her third and possibly last trip to the Olympic games.
"I am very excited about the games in Athens," she said. "I am truly honored that I'm selected once
again to represent our country, especially with the times. And for me, it's going to be special because
I believe this is going to be my last one."
Dawn Staley started playing basketball with a group of boys in her north Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
neighborhood to stay out of trouble and then played basketball in high school.
She went on to be a three-time collegiate All-American while playing for the University of Virginia.
During her four years there, the 1.68-meter guard helped Virginia to 110 wins against 21 losses and
four collegiate national championship tournament appearances. She was national player of the year in
1991 and 1992 and when she finished her college career, Virginia retired her number 24.
After college, Staley played with a number of professional teams in France, Italy, Brazil and Spain. She
returned to the United States when the American Basketball League formed in 1996 and played for
the two seasons the league existed. When it folded, she joined the rival Women's National Basketball
Association, playing for the Charlotte Sting. She was selected for three WNBA all-star teams.
Throughout her professional career, Staley has also competed on the U.S. national team. She won a
gold medal with team USA at the 1994 Goodwill Games and was also a part of that year's bronze
medal world championship team.
She was on the U.S. team that won 60 straight games in 1995-1996 en route to winning the gold
medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. She and the U.S. women repeated as basketball gold medalists
at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Also in 2000, Staley was hired as head coach for the women's basketball team at Temple University in
Philadelphia.
In her second season there, she guided the school to the Atlantic 10 conference title and its first
national collegiate tournament appearance in 12 years. Staley also led Temple to the national
collegiate tournament this past season and was named conference coach of the year.
Since becoming head coach at Temple, Staley still makes time to play with the national team. She
helped the United States to a nine to nothing record in winning the 2002 world basketball
championship.
Despite her coaching commitments, playing basketball and busy schedule helping others learn the
game, Staley does not mind her lack of social time.
"I like to share my experiences with so many age groups, whether that is little girls, little boys to
adults," she said. "I think I have a gift in that my passion for playing, my passion for people really has
put my social life on the back burner."
The 34-year-old is just as busy off the basketball court. She started the Dawn Staley Foundation in
1996 which sponsors after-school programs, summer leagues and fund-raising activities for inner-city
youths. The foundation also sponsors a three-hour program focusing on academics and athletics. Her
work with this foundation earned Staley the 1999 WNBA Entrepreneurial Spirit Award.
Staley is also working on a book series aimed at 12 to 14-year-old girls about subjects ranging from
challenges faced by that age group with self-esteem to how she got started playing sports.
Looking ahead to Athens, Dawn Staley believes that Australia, Russia and Brazil will be tough
competition in the Olympic tournament.
"I think Australia has probably made the biggest improvement," said Staley. "I think the Sydney games
really helped them out. I think the fact that they do have a women's professional league there as well
as some of their players are internationally known, so that has helped close the gap."
With the possibility of leaving the national team after the Olympics, Staley is looking forward to what
the younger players will do for the United States and believes they will continue to play well on the
international level.
"I truly believe that we have the talent to be very successful in international play from here on out. I
do," she said. "[New team members like] Sue Bird, you got Diana Taurasi, you've got some of the
younger players who now will get an understanding of what it is to be successful."
Before leaving the winning up to the younger players, Dawn Staley hopes to go three-for-three in
Olympic competition and bring home another gold with the U.S. women's basketball team.
I am Parke Brewer, VOA Sports.
The miser and his gold
The miser and his gold
Once upon a time there was a miser. He hid his gold under a tree. Every week he used to dig it up.One night a robber stole all the gold. When the miser came again, he found nothing but an empty hole.
He was surprised, and then burst into tears.All the neighbors gathered around him.
He told them how he used to come and visit his gold.
"Did you ever take any of it out?" asked one of them. "No," he said, "I only came to look at it." "Then come again and look at the hole," said the neighbor, "it will be the same as looking at the gold."
Once upon a time there was a miser. He hid his gold under a tree. Every week he used to dig it up.One night a robber stole all the gold. When the miser came again, he found nothing but an empty hole.
He was surprised, and then burst into tears.All the neighbors gathered around him.
He told them how he used to come and visit his gold.
"Did you ever take any of it out?" asked one of them. "No," he said, "I only came to look at it." "Then come again and look at the hole," said the neighbor, "it will be the same as looking at the gold."
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