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Monday, March 15th, 2010
We have finally made it to March! March is one of my favorite months because March Madness is here. That means that a lot of you will be filling out NCAA tournament brackets with your friend, family, and co-workers.
If you have never filled out a bracket before, or if you haven’t done so well in the past; use the following NCAA tournament tips to improve your score.
Here is some background information on the tournament that you can use to help. There are 64 teams in the tournament. Those teams are then divided into 4 regions ( East, South, Midwest, and West). Then in the regions, the teams are seeded from top to bottom. The #1 seed plays the #16 seed, the #2 plays the #15 seed, and so on. There are then 7 rounds of games to determine the National Champion. This format of 64 teams had been used since 1985.
Now that you have some background information, grab some friends, get comfortable on the couch in your MSU apartment, and fill out your bracket using the following tips:
1. Do not pick a #16 seed to beat a #1 seed. It has not happened in 25 years of competition.
2. Do not pick a #15 seed to beat a #2 seed. It has only happened four times.
3. When looking for an upset in the first round, look at seeds 9-12.
4. With the #8and #9 match-up, the #9 seed wins more times than not.
5. Pick one #12 seed and one #13 seed to win at least one game. #4 and #5 seeds have been upset in most years of the tournament.
6. Keep in mind, that teams lower than a #12 seed rarely pull off more than one upset.
7. Pick 3 of your #1 seeds to make the round of 8.
8. Pick 2 #2 seed to make it to the round of 8.
9. Pick 1 of your #3 seeds to make it to the round of 8.
10. Pick 1 of your #4 or #5 seed to make it to the round of 8.
11. Do not pick a #7 seed to make the Final Four. It has never happened before.
12. Pick at least one #1 seed to make the Final Four. A #1 seed has made it every year except 2006.
13. The sum of the seed of your Final Four picks should not exceed 11.
14. Two number one seeds in the National Championship game rarely happens, but it has happened the last tree out of four years.
I hope this helps, now get ready to watch some great basketball action in the comfort of your East Lansing apartment. Go STATE!!
– Shaun Holness
Tags: Basketball, March Madness, National Championship, NCAA bracket tips, NCAA Brackets
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Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
Word on the street is that Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield as planning to reunite in a clash of the titans. Wouldn’t that be sweet, Tyson is 43 yrs old and Holyfield is 47. Holyfield has been fighting the last few years, however, Tyson hasn’t fought anyone since quitting a fight in 2005. This would clearly be a fight solely based on trying to make some quick money. I’m not going to lie, I’ll probably watch it in my apartment at The Club or at Buffalo Wild Wings. I’m still a huge fan of Holyfield and whenever I hear the name Mike Tyson, I’m always eager to find out what’s going on with him. I don’t think they will have a problem selling the fight, but more so with getting into shape for it. Don King has been refutting the possibility of a Tyson Holyfield rematch, but hasn’t denied getting back with Tyson for a fight this year. If I was a betting man, I’d still bet on Tyson. Who you got?
-Ernest M.
Tags: College Entertainment, Fun
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Monday, March 8th, 2010
Not able to travel this Spring Break? Well don’t fret! There are plenty of things to in your MSU apartment. How about finally getting to some of those much needed apartment chores while your roommates are gone? Spring cleaning is exactly what I’m doing these days. Sitting in my apartment with no classes, no homework, thinking to myself, “This is the perfect time to clean”.
If you are not in the cleaning mood, how about taking a nice jog or working out. I LOVE the fitness center in my apartment complex at The Club at Chandler Crossings. I work out for about an hour, take a nice swim in the indoor pool, then relax in the hot tub. Not too bad for a Monday! (A lot better than getting up early and going to class!) Tuesday’s are the perfect movie day, here in East Lansing. They have $5.00 movies tickets all day at NCG Eastwood Cinemas. I’ll probably go see “Brooklyn’s Finest”. I heard that it was a good movie. It has Ethan Hawke, Richard Gere, Don Cheadle and Wesley Snipes, and those are a few of my favorite actors.
If you are looking to do something on campus, you can visit the Abram’s Planetarium on Michigan State’s campus. Into arts? There is a good art gallery in Lansing’s Old Town District called the Absolute Gallery. So let’s say, you are not into the planetarium and visiting the arts gallery is not what you are interested in. No problem. How about some sports? Aim High Sports Facility is offering a ton of activities to keep you busy. They offer, soccer, hockey, learn-to-skate, flag football, figure skating, public skating among other sports. If you are into sports, then I’m sure you can stay busy there.
MSU students, just because you didn’t get the opportunity to go to some resort for Spring Break, doesn’t mean that you can’t have a good time. Don’t be a couch potato for a week, get up and enjoy life!
-Ernest Madison
Tags: Apartment Tips, clean apartments, Cleaning, College Entertainment, east lansing, East Lansing Events, Fun, Lansing Events, MSU Events
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Friday, February 26th, 2010
Twitter heads beware!!! Ok, I’m addicted to Twitter, so what, so are most of my friends. Everyday I wake in my apartment and reach over, grab my phone, just to tell all of my Twitter friends “Good Morning Tweeps”. I’m on Twitter all day, while working out at Chandler Crossings apartments, watching tv, or just hanging out with my friends. I am constantly updating the wonderful things that I come across throughout my day. I follow all of my buddies, celebrities and people who I do not know who follow me. And, if you can’t tell I love it!
What do you think of Twitter?
If you are a Twitterholic, follow me @erndollarsign
Until next time Tweeps!
Posted by Ernest M
Tags: College Entertainment, East Lansing Twitter, how to, MSU Twitter, Twiiter
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Wednesday, February 24th, 2010
For all of my NBA fans, who sit in their Michigan State University apartments with their friends, eating a Xtra large pizza and debating about who is the best NBA player to grace the hardwood since Micheal Jordan, the heir apparent is here! Kevin Durant has taken the NBA by storm. As a rookie, Kevin Durant averaged 20 points, nearly 3 assists, and about 5 rebounds a game, earning him the 07′-08′ NBA Rookie of The Year award. In each of Kevin Durant’s young NBA career, his points, field goal percentage, rebounds, assists and steals has all increased, making him one of the premier NBA franchise players. In comparison to Michael Jordan’s NBA career, MJ averaged 30 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists a game to Kevin Durant’s 25 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists a game.
In only his 3rd year in the league, barring any major injuries, Durant is on his way to becoming the next Michael Jordan and the first Kevin Durant. The other night, after playing basketball with a few of my friends at our Chandler Crossing apartment, we were sitting in the clubhouse watching SportCenter highlights. Durant had a monster game, scoring about 34 points in a victory. He has scored 25+ points in 29 straight games, no one has done that since Jordan. His ability to score is uncanny, surreal and just scary. Not Kobe nor Lebron has even come close to what Durant is doing.
But those players might have a say before everything is said and done. Kobe Bryant is a stone cold assassin and Lebron Jamesis an all around phenom. Bryant has already lived up to Micheal Jordan’s hype and James seems to be next in line to surpass MJ’s legacy. So I ask all of you NBA junkies, who do you think will be the next G.O.A.T.?
Posted by Ernest M.
Tags: Basketball Scores, College Entertainment, Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan, NBA Finals, NBA players
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Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010
Hello Chandler Crossings! If you are as obsessed with gadgets as I am, you probably paid a little bit of attention to the announcement made by Apple Inc. during the last week of January. At an invitation only event on January 27, Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced Apple’s latest device: the iPad. If you have not seen or heard about it yet, the iPad is a tablet computer that some computer experts have described as a larger version of the Apple iPod Touch.
This media tablet features a 9.7 inch touch screen. It is very light weight and thin, tipping the scales at about 1.5 pounds and it is about an half-inch-thick. Consumers can choose between the 16,32, or 64 gigabyte flash memory storage versions of the iPad. It also comes with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity already built in. It runs many of the same programs as your standard Macbook or laptop does (like Microsoft Word) and also boasts at least 10 hours of battery life (where a full-sized laptop only has three or four hours). The iPad starts $499 for the 16 gigabyte model, but Apple will also sell a 3G version of the tablet for about $130 more. Data plans for those computers will be priced between about $15 to $30 dollars. Expect the iPad to hit stores in March.
Electronic experts around the country have been pointing out the advantages and disadvantages of the device. Other than it’s portability and battery life, Jobs contends that his iPad is superior to netbooks because it has much stronger chips than it’s similarly sized counterparts. The more powerful chips are said to be better for handling video and other processing-intensive tasks. Although the iPad does not come with a physical keyboard, Apple will sell an add-on recharging dock that will double as a keyboard. The device also might take some market share away from e-readers such as the Amazon Kindle or the Barnes and Noble Nook. Consumer’s might be willing to pay more for a device that does more than download digital books.
When it comes to the tablet, critics have pointed several disadvantages. The iPad does not support Flash, so the device can not display many online videos or play online games. Also, the media tablet does not have a USB port which many people find surprising. Therefore, you can not work on your paper from another computer and then use a flash drive to finish it on your iPad. There is also no camera built into the system (like many new laptops have now). It seems that Apple has some work to do on the iPad 2.0!
What do you think of this product? Is this going to be something you are going to buy in March? Or will you wait for the second version, if at all?
-Shaun Holness
Tags: apple ipad, ipad, new ipad, tablet, tablet pc
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Tuesday, January 19th, 2010
There is no denying that MTV’s Jersey Shore is incredibly entertaining but do you feel that it represents you as an adult in your twenties? Does it represent you as an Italian American? Does it represent you as an American in general? This are just a few questions my friends and I pondered one night in our East Lansing Apartment.
My friends and I have discussed the show while watching it in our MSU apartment, and mostly talk about how ridiculous JWOWW, Snookie or the other cast members behave. On one hand MTV is simply capitalizing on people who love attention. On the other hand is the trend of wild, over sexual young adults changing our cultural norms?
What do you think?
Emily Rubin
Tags: College Entertainment, Jersey Shore, Jersey Shore Cast, MTV Jersey Shore, popular TV shows
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Friday, January 8th, 2010
This is my puppy Chandler! He is a boxer/husky mix
As a proud mommy of a 11 month old pup, I know a lot about puppy toys! My little guy, Chandler is a ball of energy and requires a lot of toys and exercise. Living at my Chandler Crossings apartment is really convenient because there are so many parks nearby. I have tried a ton of different toys, and even though they say “indestructible” that isn’t always the case. Before you go out and spend a lot of money on dog toys, you should read reviews because you aren’t likely to get a refund if your little one doesn’t like their new toy.
Here are a few that Chandler loves:
The Kong!- This is a very durable rubber toy that has an opening so you can stuff it full of treats or food. Since you might have to leave them home alone for a while, this is a yummy treat that will keep them occupied for a while. You can even stick it in the freezer to make it like a Popsicle!
A rope- dogs love to tug! It is a natural instinct of theirs and playing tug is good exercise for both of you! Plus, if you search around your MSU student apartment I am sure you can find a rope like object lying around that you can use.
A ball- many dogs love to play fetch and it is a great way for them to use up their energy. I found a really cool ball at the local pet store that is great for fetch, but big enough to play tug with too. It is called the Holee-roller, its made out of durable rubber and it is one of the few toys that has lasted me a while. Check it out here.
-Interactive toys- I found a really cool dog bone that is rubber and has hollow ends where you put in small dog treats or pieces of food. It is a good way to keep them occupied because it is a challenge to get the treats out.
-Bones! Puppies like to chew, and bones are good for their teeth because it keeps them clean. It is better to keep a bone available to your dog so they are less likely to pick up those expensive shoes sitting in your MSU apartment!
Things to avoid:
-Small objects that dogs can easily choke on.
-Toys with stuffing in them, especially if you have a dog that likes to chew- they just won’t last.
-Expensive toys. Trust me, even if it says “indestructible” your dog will find a way to ruin it!
Posted by Katelyn Moore
Tags: dog tips, dog toys, msu pet friendly, pet friendly apartments
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Monday, August 31st, 2009
I am from Buffalo, New York. And like anyone from that city, I am a lifelong Buffalo Bills football fan. It’s something born inside every child from the city. I’ve heard my friends complain about how being a Detroit Lions fan is hard. But believe me…they don’t know pain. Pain is going to a record breaking four straight Super Bowls, and losing each and every one of them. The city would had rather been hit by a truck collectively.
If you follow sports, you’re aware the Bills made a huge off-season move in acquiring wide reciever Terrel Owens. I didn’t think it was possible for a human to go from hating a professional athlete to loving him in the matter of a second, but I was proven wrong as this happend to me. It doesn’t ashame me in the least to announce publicly I have a man crush on T.O.
My favorite thing about T.O. is he has a new show that started this week titled, not shockingly, The T.O. Show on VH1. If you like reality TV, (and can admit you love it to yourself, I wont judge), you’ll love this show. It airs on Mondays at 10:00 PM.
As TO would say, “Get your popcorn ready”. It’s a perfect way to bond with your roommates in your Chandler Crossings Apartment.
- Ryan Shaul
Tags: Buffalo Bills, Football Players on TV, Reality TV, The T.O. Show
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