Wozniacki's basics

Being as the last tennis major of the year is underway now, and being as I predicted that Caroline Wozniacki would win one this year - which appears quite unlikely - and being as she'll be playing later today after I write this - I felt that now is the time to note that Caroline Wozniacki's appeal is not all about how well she plays tennis.  Now, Maria Sharapova is hot both for her looks and her major-winning, but obviously Anna Kournikova was more noted for appearance than her titles, even though AK was still a darned good player, a fact frequently overlooked when she's appreciated for her appearance.

So, regarding Wozniacki, she's parlayed her looks and sporting success into offering a line of sporty underwear.  And she's showing how the underwear looks by wearing it herself.  This is a good tactic (one that works really well for Bar Refaeli), but I only wonder if other women will wear underwear with Carolina Wozniacki's name on them.  

See what you think.

I didn't realize how good this was

Initially I thought the idea of naming hurricanes after politicians who are global warming deniers was silly, because it won't really happen.   Obviously the National Weather Service and the weather services of other countries (and international bodies) won't do this.  So it took me awhile to watch the video in which this theoretical idea is demonstrated.

It actually works quite well.   Now, there is considerable scientific debate about whether or not climate change will increase or decrease the frequency of tropical storm systems.  And we're currently having a really strange Atlantic year, without a single hurricane thus far.  Still, such things as storm surge and coastal erosion are going to increase due to sea level rise, which is definitely going to continue, dependent on how much (not if) the Greenland ice sheet melts.  

So the idea is endorsable for its humor and political value, even if it won't happen for real.  But it does underscore that these know-nothing, see-nothing, do-nothing politicians should be called to task for their scientific ignorance.

Let's name big storms after politician climate deniers

Pyroclastic flow from Kizimen

Pyroclastic flows, the dreaded "glowing avalanche" unleashed by a certain variety of volcanoes, are one of nature's most terrible and mesmerizing sights.  Can't say that I've been in position to see one in person - doing that requires a good safe vantage point near the type of volcano that does this.   And such volcanoes tend to be unpredictable, occasionally unleashing a bigger pyroclastic flow than expected, which has (and probably will continue to) catch observers that were too close, with unfortunate deadly consequences.

Nonetheless, the pyroclastic flow is a spectacle, and recently Kizimen, a Kamchatkan volcano, let one fly down the slopes when its thick viscous lava spine (this type of volcano frequently features thick viscous domes and spines, and when they collapse, the collapse products can turn into the flow).   So I found this picture of Kizimen's recent production (captured via a Webcam far enough away).

There's a video here (this is where I got the picture from).

I was wrong, Buble-Lopilato's delivery was next

After writing briefly about the birth of Alec Baldwin and Hilaria Baldwin's child, I speculated that the next celeb baby to be born would be Fergie and Josh Duhamel's.    I missed that minor prediction;  the next baby to exit the womb and make their debut is Michael Buble and Luisana Lopilato's, a boy they named Noah.  This is very good news.   One of the reasons that it is very good news is that now we can look forward to Luisana modeling lingerie again - no hurry to lose the baby weight, as long as she gets back in form in time for Christmas 2014.

Michael Buble and Luisana Lopilata have a baby boy

Hey, cover women's soccer, too

Fortunately ESPN actually did cover the semi-finals of the National Women's Soccer League - on the Web, at least.  It wasn't easy to find news about it elsewhere.

Anyway, it should be a good game - the Western New York Flash play shut down defense and let Abby Wambach and Carli Lloyd do their thing, and the Portland Thorns FC have the new scoring darling, Alex Morgan, who has recovered enough from her knee strain to be available to play.  Unfortunately, one of Portland's goal scorers, another young star named Tobin Heath, got hurt near the end of the game.  I don't know how bad.

So, here's ESPN's take:  Western New York Flash to play Portland Thorns FC for title

Baby Baldwin

Apparently a bit overdue, silverback Alec (see here for that commentary) and wife  Hilaria are now finally parents.  Congrats.


Alec Baldwin and wife Hilaria welcome baby daughter Carmen


There are a lot of celeb babies nearing parturition;  I think Fergie must be next to deliver.

Oh Cheryl, what have you DONE?

Cheryl Cole is beautiful, a talented singer and dancer, and phenomenally sexy.  Even though she hasn't broken through in the States, and may never, I enjoy keeping up with her showbiz life, and her personal adventures, in and out of love.   Searching on  "Cheryl Cole" on this site will find many different articles where I've commented on her. 

I haven't said much recently because there hasn't been a lot of Cheryl news in the Daily Mail, where I get most of my Cheryl news.  She's apparently still reasonably happy in her relationship with Tre Holloway (they went to dinner in May). She tweeted congratulations to a Girls Aloud bandmate that's got pregnant, and she appears in a behind-the-scenes video for L'Oreal.

Speaking of behind...

Cheryl apparently likes getting tattoos.  She's already got quite a few. But now apparently she has decorated her entire backside with a colorful tattoo of roses.  We know that because there's a picture of it.  Her derriere still appears marvelous.  But with the tattoo, less so.

I'm sad. I'm a dedicated admirer of excellent female backsides, and to have one that is so fine as Cheryl's -- decorated to the point of hardly being able to recognize it for what it is -- disturbs me.  There has been considerable negative commentary, more to the effect that this might encourage young impressionable women to do similar, but less about my particular grievance...

... which is that her butt might be prettier without the artwork. 

Oh well -- it's her body.  And her butt.  And it's still a very nice butt. 

Here's what it looked like with a lot less decoration (and a bikini bottom):