Tag Archives: country

Kris Allen Plans Haiti Visit For ‘American Idol’ Fundraiser

Last year’s winner will appear on the show next week to share footage of his trip and perform. By Katie Byrne Kris Allen Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Kris Allen will appear on “American Idol” next week to help raise money for Haiti, it was announced Wednesday (February 17). Last year’s “Idol” winner has partnered with the United Nations Foundation to take a trip to the earthquake-ravaged country, and he will share footage from his visit and perform on the February 25 results show. Allen will head to Haiti on February 19 to meet with U.N. staff and Haitian people to find out what the country will need to recover in the coming months. Fox told The Associated Press that viewers will be asked to make donations online or by text-messaging during the “Idol” episode, with the money going to the Idol Gives Back Foundation to help support the U.N. Foundation’s work in Haiti. “I’m looking forward to traveling to Haiti to see the U.N.’s work firsthand,” Allen said in a statement. “The people of Haiti are rebuilding their country, and the U.N. is there to help them every step of the way. I look forward to sharing the images and stories from my trip with ‘Idol’ viewers across the country.” The appearance is part of the show’s “Idol Gives Back” charity effort, with the full “Idol Gives Back” episode airing April 21. The charity show took a break last season due to the pressure of producing that show along with the finale. “Idol” judge Randy Jackson suggested that this year’s “Idol Gives Back” might benefit Haiti, and it looks like that is part of the plan. Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Artists Kris Allen

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Kris Allen Plans Haiti Visit For ‘American Idol’ Fundraiser

Cap and Trade no more? What does it mean that ConocoPhillips, BP and Caterpillar pulled out of lobby group?

Before we explore any deep thoughts about why ConocoPhillips, BP and Caterpillar the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP) (a coalition of environmental organizations and leading corporations pushing for a cap-and-trade bill to curb emissions of carbon dioxide) we might as well drill down to the basics and remind ourselves about what is Cap and Trade. Amy Goodman explains it as the issue that splits the environmental movement in half. While some say it is a way to tax polluters, generate accountability, and raise money for new technologies, other argue that it gives free permits to big polluters, fake offsets and distraction from what’s really required to tackle the climate crisis. If you want Annie Leonard's explainer video on Cap and Trade, look no further. So here is the break down: The Washington Post reports the reason as: The oil giants also want to do more to promote natural gas, which has become more abundant because of recent developments in the exploitation of shale gas and emits half as much greenhouse gas as coal does. The legislation adopted by the House included benefits for coal producers and coal-fired power plants in an effort to secure the votes of key lawmakers. Many natural gas producers think that more should be done for them. In other words, these companies are turning towards an industry that is under regulated and somehow perceived as “natural” or “environmentally friendly”. However, ask the residents who live near this form of mining natural resources about the state of cancer rates, houses blowing up, and lighting their water on fire, and you will be initiated into the world of Fracking. BP's statement alludes to that they are pulling out in part because of their deep care for the well being of their customers: BP spokesman Ronnie Chappell said, “We think the organization has accomplished what it was intended to do. It has established a broad, principle-based framework for climate-change legislation. With the completion of that blueprint, that work was done.” “We don't think legislation pending in the House or Senate conforms with the blueprint,” he added. “A disproportionate share of the cost burden falls on the transportation sector and consumers. As a result, we're going to miss out on the most cost-effective measures, and misallocation of resources could occur.” ConocaPhilips provided the following insight in their press release: “House climate legislation and Senate proposals to date have disadvantaged the transportation sector and its consumers, left domestic refineries unfairly penalized versus international competition, and ignored the critical role that natural gas can play in reducing GHG emissions,” [CEO Jim] Mulva continued. “We believe greater attention and resources need to be dedicated to reversing these missed opportunities, and our actions today are part of that effort. Addressing these issues will save thousands of American jobs, as well as create new ones.” Kate Kenny, a Caterpillar spokeswoman, said the company wants to focus on carbon capture and storage projects, such as FutureGen, an Illinois plant that is partly financed by the federal government. “We have decided to direct our resources toward the commercialization of technologies that will promote and provide sustainable development and reduce carbon emissions,” she said in an e-mail. After reading several articles on BP's website, major news sources, and conservative energy blogs, I've come to the conclusion that if you aren't on the inside track of this issue you are out of luck if you actually want to understand this manuver. So I asked one of my favorite bloggers on energy, David Roberts of Grist, to put this into context and explain what it isn't being said in the press releases.

Dubai ‘hit squad’ used fake Israeli names, EU passports

A few weeks ago we asked if Israel assassinated a senior member of Hamas in Dubai. Authorities in Dubai had blamed the death by electrocution of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a senior military operative of Hamas on assassins who then fled the country. Well this week the plot, it seems, has thickened. Dubai investigators released this video from CCTV cameras they say show the 17 member hit squad. Eleven of the suspects names have been released as well as their passport photos. They were (unsurprisingly) traveling under fake names – the names of Israeli EU passport holders who deny any involvement in the affair. Here are the photos. Israel for its part denies having anything to do with the killing, though no one expects the Mossad to come out and claim responsibility anyway. The best backgrounder on this thus far comes from True/Slant's Neal Ungerleider (love that guy!) who writes: The Israeli intelligence agency certainly has the motives and the means. The modus operandi also fits prior Mossad operations. However, certain facts don’t add up. Mossad agents have had a long presence in the United Arab Emirates, which Israel has long held discrete economic and trade relations with. Presumably, had the Mossad been responsible, agents who had staked out the hotel prior would have been aware of the locations of both public and hidden CCTV cameras. The agents caught on camera, while highly professional, engaged in some odd behavior. The donning of fake beards and glasses in view of security cameras is one. Using the names of Israeli citizens for fake passports is another — what security agency would implicate their own citizens? Additionally, there is always the possibility of a false flag operation — where a foreign intelligence agency killed al-Mabhouh for their own purposes, while making it look like a Mossad killing. But who could possibly want to implicate Israel in an assassination? (I kid.) Who do you think is responsible? Take a wild guess? Sloppy Mossad operatives? False flag flying Iranian Revolutionary Guardsmen? Give us your best Dubai assassination theory in the comments. added by: afitzgerald

Ugandans rally in support of anti-gay legislation

We’re here in Uganda tracking a story for the upcoming season of Vanguard.

Michael Lynche, Didi Benami, More Make ‘American Idol’ Top 24

Katelyn Epperly, Lee Dewyze and others also make the cut. By Larry Carroll and Jim Cantiello Michael Lynche on “American Idol” Tuesday Photo: Fox Another episode has gone past, and the country’s vision of its next “American Idol” is becoming a bit clearer. On tonight’s show, seven contestants officially made the cut into the Top 24, and from talented future superstars to earnest underdogs to overachieving rookies, the eyes of the world are now upon them. Here’s our breakdown of the names announced tonight: Michael Lynche – A big man with a big heart, Michael is a new father with new hopes for superstardom thanks to his “Idol” success. Blessed with great guitar-playing skills to go along with his voice, Michael’s story isn’t without scandal — reports indicate that ,link type=”content” id=”1630479″> his father has spoken with the press , and in doing so committed a major “Idol” no-no. Will it result in his disqualification? Katelyn Epperly – Boasting a beautiful smile and bouncy blond hair, Katelyn has been performing in public since she was knee-high to a grasshopper. The product of a broken home, this Des Moines student brought the house down with Duffy’s “Syrup & Honey” — and is now looking at a future that seems mighty sweet. Didi Benami – Inspired by her deceased friend Rebecca, Didi also plays guitar and is somewhat reminiscent of Season 7 contestant Brooke White in both skill-set and emotional nakedness. If she continues to make the cut, look forward to lots of tears — and perhaps a sponsorship deal with Kleenex. Casey James – The chicks dig him. He’s a bad boy with a murky past — ’nuff said. Aaron Kelly – Our own Jim Cantiello calls him “Countryleta” and, sure enough, this 16-year-old high school student has the potential to be a country version of David Archuleta. The judges love a great story, and it’s hard to beat his: Adopted by his aunt after his parents could no longer care for him, Aaron won the “American Idol Experience” at Disney World and got a boost to the executive-producer round. Sounds like a true Cinderella story, from the very studio that gave us the big-screen tale. Lee Dewyze – Considered a dark horse, the guitar-playing balladeer with the sensitive eyes and poor man’s Mike Nesmith wool cap has solid stage presence and is intent to do “good things” in music. Is he a sleeping giant? We’ll find out soon enough. Todrick Hall – A pal of Fantasia’s, he worked with her on “The Color Purple” and is now turning hundreds of cast-away wannabes the color green — with envy. “I’m a dancer, that’s what I’ve been trained to do,” Hall has explained. “I’ve never had a voice lesson in my entire life, so for me to be competing with these people is just a crazy overwhelming experience.” Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

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Michael Lynche, Didi Benami, More Make ‘American Idol’ Top 24

RuPaul’s Drag Race: Tastes Like Chicken

Child, I don’t even know what to tell you about last night’s episode of the wig-wonkiest show on television. Things happened! Things didn’t happen. A big girl did splits and a Raven turned into a chicken. This week was Country Week. Because why the hell not. Plenty of drag queens are country. I mean, actually, I have no idea if any of them are country or not. But at least one of them has to be, right? There must be some sort of barn-like drag bar somewhere in the sparse hills and plains of America. Some boot-scootin’ bewigged old bitch lip-syncing to Martina McBride or some shit, rumbling home in her old GMC pickup, sitting on her cricket-chirped porch with its buzzing yellow light and drinking a can of MGD. But, you know, fabulously . I can picture it, can you? Well, the episode required that you were able to. Or not. Whatever. This show requires nothing. Literally all you need to bring to this show is a moderately functioning set of eyeballs and ears. And maybe a working voice, so you can whoop-shriek as things get progressively weirder and weirder until you don’t even know why you’re whoop-shrieking, just that you’re whoop-shrieking in the still of the night and there before you is a glowing box full of moving pictures. That’s all you need. That’s all you’ll ever need for this show. The episode began with an eating contest. The dragtestants had to play a game of Chicken, or What?!? in which they put on blindfolds and were told to eat things and then had to identify whether they were Chicken, or What?!?. Get it? Pretty much everything was What?!?!, actually. They ate bull balls and soy faux chicken and frog legs. They all shrieked and spit fried food all over the place. It was really attractive. And yes, everything was fried. Just a bunch of drag queens eating fried nasties on a grainy public access gay game show. If that doesn’t sound like something you’d want to watch, then, well… I don’t know what to tell you. Because that is what this show is about. The two winners were Mystique, because she is a large lady and could put away the food the fastest, and Morgan, because I don’t know why. Just because. As a reward for winning they were sent home on the next plane, far far away from this awful place made team captains for the big challenge. Which was: Make a commercial. Yes, a commercial! Like something they show on TV and is almost like acting, but for failed actors. It was pretty exciting. Until RuPaul showed the girlz what product they’d be shilling. It was something called Disco that looked like Crisco and, yes oh mercy mama of course, was a fake product. Aw nuts. Even worse? The Disco shortening or whatever it was supposed to be was hailed as “extra greasy.” Pandora’s bird-like eyes grew to saucer size. Only no one said “greasy.” They all, even more disgustingly, said “greezy.” Extra greezy. “Girl, I can’t put on my eyeliner, my hands are too greezy.” “Get away from me with that greezy face of yours.” “Honey, that dick is greezy.” It was HORRIBLE. Greezy. Eugh. Low-budget tranny snuff films should not incorporate a fried food ‘n cooking greez subplot, because everyone will turn it off before they get to the big important part: the snuff. You want them to see the snuff, don’t you? Otherwise you’d have snuffed in vain! And no one wants that. Greezy. Hyuuuagh. So, OK. The commercial. The commercial was sort of like a John Waters movie if when Divine died she had died inside John Waters’ head and then started to rot, seeping into his brain. It was, again, about greezy fried food and featured all the gals done up in their country bumpkin best-worst. They tried to do their best at looking their worst, is what I’m saying. They blacked out teeth, but didn’t really do it all the way, so it was like weird teeth bits floating in mottled outerspace. They also put on even sillier makeup than usual, especially that raggedy little bitch Morgan. Whooooooo boy did Morgan put on some makeup! She must have worked on plays in high school or something, because she did this really ridiculous old age makeup that made her look like Gloria Stuart, if Gloria Stuart began using methamphetamine and was then eaten by Divine. It was ridiculous. And vaguely embarrassing. Like when someone takes something too far or too literally. The most elaborate costume at the costume party that nobody else really cared about. That kind of thing. See Morgan was playing Granny in the little commercial. Basically it was a sketch about country people talking about Disco baking grease. One of them was about chicken, the other about fish. (Like really about fish in a gross way, if you get my drift. Greezy.) But both of them featured a chicken. Yes, Raven and Jessica Wild were cast in the role of “Disco Critter,” which was a chicken for some reason. Doesn’t “Disco Critter” sound like… well, basically Animal from The Muppets if Animal was a real person. Or a sort-of real person? Some tuft-haired weirdo who speaks mostly in Jive and basically breathes cocaine and other uppers and does weird dances and sometimes sneaks up on you and says “skeeble dee dop doo woo” in your ear, but not in a funny way, in a menacing way. That sounds like a Disco Critter to me. Not a chicken. But oh well. Chicken it was. Jessica Wild can’t speak English and has a weird voice, so her Disco Chicken was resoundingly terrifying. Squawky like a chicken should be squawky, but in a frightening way. If you were to wake up in the middle of the night and see the manic eyeball glow and squawky smile of the Jessica Wild Chicken staring you in the face, I think you might die from fright right there. Raven on the other hand was just sort of a dul ice princess Disco Chicken. A laconic, quaaludesy Disco Chicken. Just a mean bitch in a chicken outfit. Why someone didn’t nominate Pandora to wear the chicken outfit is beyond me. It is a natural fit , people. Let Pandora be herself and give her the damn chicken costume. It is not that hard. Anyway, they went to film the ad and, because they are already performers of a sort, the girls didn’t do all that bad. Jujubee and Pandora were fairly funny, and even hood-lidded bored teenager Tyra sulking in the corner over there did OK. She was playing a baby, which is fitting, because she is a mean little baby. Morgan terrified as a granny, Raven just spoke in a sad monotone, and then Jessica Wild came out in her chicken suit and ate the world. Oh! Speaking of eating the world, Kathy Najimy was the guest judge and was “directing” the “commercial” and was surprisingly bitchy. I suppose drag queens just give you license to be bitchy or something. It’s sort of just how you talk to them. To policemen you are humble and polite, to waitresses you are breezy and familiar, and to drag queens you just bitchy, lady. You just plain old bitchy. They really don’t seem to mind. SO. After Najimy was done doing her talking, it was time for the girls to get all gussied up in their finest country drag and strut around the runway. Raven looked terrific as always. Tatianna actually is a lady. Sonique continues to be a promising dark horse. Pandora’s costume was deemed “pedestrian” by Santino Rice, which is like… Santino Rice calling your RuPaul’s Drag Race costume “pedestrian” doesn’t really mean anything. That word has no context or foothold in this world. It’s like a ferret presenting you with a math problem. You just sort of stare at it bemusedly, and then wander off. Who else. Oh, yes, Tyra looked good as always and BLERGH ended up winning. So, ego. Morgan looked terrifying as usual. Jujubee typically cleans up nice. And Mystique. Well, Mystique just tucked a Tello’s dress into some pantaloons and walked out there like it was no thang. But it was a thang! It was downright greezy. When questioned about her choices by a perplexed RuPaul, Mystique was all “This is country. This is what the country girls I know wear to the mall.” So that was awfully literal. And silly. I mean… I wholeheartedly believe that the country girls that Mystique knows tuck their Tello’s dresses into their black Contempo Casuals waitress pants before hitting the Dixie Crossings Galleria, but come on lady. You know that’s not what Rupes meant when she told you to get into your country finest. It was bad. Because Raven whiffed it so hard in the commercial shoot, she ended up in the bottom with ol’ Mystique. The two were told to perform a country song about men knock-knocking but not getting in the door or something, so they both spent a lot of time pointing to their boobs during the knock-knock part and their butts during the door part, so yay for that. It was greezy. Just as it went last week, Raven is a fun lip-syncer and her competitor was just flailing around on stage. After a final crotch-slamming split, Mystique went home. Ah well, oh well. What can you do. If you’re anywhere near the Gator Springs Shopping Centre in the next coupla days, shove that Delia’s dress into some Bebe capris and go console Mystique. You’ll feel good about it. OK. I think that’s it. The episode was, in a word, Greezy . So very gree— Oh God. Run. Run!!! It’s coming!!!! The Jessica Wild Chic— CHOMP. SQUAAAWWKKKK.

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RuPaul’s Drag Race: Tastes Like Chicken

NPR: Will legalizing Pot solve California’s budget woes?

Listen to the story at link – 4:14 By at least one estimate, California's largest cash crop is not milk, cheese, or oranges, it's marijuana. Some advocates say legalizing pot — and taxing it — could be a way out of the state's financial woes, and they recently secured enough signatures for a ballot initiative to do just that. But how much revenue a legal pot industry generates would depend on how prices are set. Transcript: Heres NPRs David Kestenbaum with our Planet Money team. DAVID KESTENBAUM: Right now, the price of marijuana varies a lot. The government actually studies these things. Researchers go into holding cells or if people have been arrested and asked questions like what do you pay for marijuana? According to a report published in 2004, pot in some parts of the country can cost two or three times as much as in another. Ms. ROSALIE LICCARDO PACULA (Acting Director, RAND Health; Co-Director, RAND Drug Policy Research Center): If youre close to the Canadian border and can get, you know, Canadian bud thats higher quality than ditch weed from Mexico. KESTENBAUM: Rosalie Liccardo Pacula is co-director of RANDs Drug Policy Research Center. She says some of the differences in price are just differences in quality. Ms. PACULA: Its just like wine. Theres really, really good wine and theres mediocre wine. KESTENBAUM: According to that report, hydroponically grown weed in New York can go for $1,000 an ounce. The marijuana market is a real challenge for economists to understand. Its not a black market anymore, and its not quite an open market either. Ms. PACULA: Yeah, we call it a gray market. (Soundbite of laughter) KESTENBAUM: Over a dozen states now allow marijuana for medical purposes. But federal laws still ban it. And strange things can happen when a commodity crosses that border from illegal to legal. For instance, when states began passing medical marijuana laws, Pacula assumed the price for pot would drop because now if youre growing the stuff, you didnt have to worry so much about being busted, you wouldnt need lawyers, guns, cars with secret compartments for smuggling. But this question has been studied and it looks like the opposite happened. The price of marijuana actually went up. Pacula thinks the big reason is that when pot became legal for medical purposes, more people started using it. Increased demand, more people wanting something, tends to push prices up. Kevin Johnson is the general manager of a medical marijuana dispensary in San Francisco called, Grassroots. The place is decorated like a turn-of-the-century saloon. And it does seem like more people are using marijuana these days to treat all kinds of things like insomnia. Mr. KEVIN JOHNSON (General Manager, Grassroots): Insomnia, I recommend something heavier. Any of the purple varietals tend to work very well for that, something like Purple Urkle or Granddaddy Purple or a Purple Kush. Those tend to be much dopier and sleepier. KESTENBAUM: Now, in a normal economic market, when demand goes up, suppliers -in this case pot growers – would just grow more Purple Kush, and prices would come back down. But Johnson says the marijuana market is still quirky. Before running the marijuana club, he used to run a bar, which he says was completely different. Mr. JOHNSON: When you, you know, make an order for your suppliers, for you booze, you know, its going to be delivered on time and you can get whatever Budweiser or Jameson that you need for that week. Whereas in this industry, youd never know when people are going to harvest, sometimes theyll just disappear. You dont know if they just gave up growing or they went on vacation. KESTENBAUM: If marijuana were completely legal, big corporations might start growing pot super efficiently. And people think the price could come down by at least half. After all, pot is just a plant not that different from growing tomatoes. And price is important because the cheaper pot is, the more people will use it. And whenever you think about more people smoking pot, that could mean more potential revenue from the tax. California has estimated that the tax could bring in $1.4 billion in revenue a year, though some economists think that number is high. A few weeks ago, supporters have legalization and taxation in California turned in enough signatures to put the question on the state ballot in November. http://media.2news.tv/images/0802027_marijuana.jpg added by: samantha420

Drew, Brittany and Baylen Brees appear on ‘Oprah’ (New Orleans Times-Picayune)

‘I feel like the energy of the country was with us,’ he said.

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Drew, Brittany and Baylen Brees appear on ‘Oprah’ (New Orleans Times-Picayune)

Olympics Opening Ceremonies: An Athlete’s Perspective

As the Winter Olympics get under way in Vancouver, softball gold-medalist Jennie Finch looks back at her Beijing days. By Josh Wigler, with reporting by Christina Garibaldi Jennie Finch Photo: MTV News Six years ago, world-renowned softball pitcher Jennie Finch took home the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Though Finch and her team settled for silver in 2008, the Beijing games provided Finch with at least one reward she didn’t earn in Athens: the opportunity to participate in the opening ceremonies. “My first [time at the] Olympics was in Athens, and I wasn’t able to go the opening ceremonies, so when I went to Beijing, I was super excited about it and looking forward to it, because that means you’re at the Olympics,” Finch told MTV News. “Getting ready for it, you had to think about what 90,000 people are going to look and feel like walking out. I can remember the staging process — it was hours and hours of waiting. We finally made it, walking into [Beijing National Stadium], and all of Team USA started chanting, ‘USA!’ That was the moment for me. It was so awesome because it was so much bigger than the city you’re from and the state you represent. You were there with Team USA representing your country as one.” Finch doesn’t plan to attend the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, but the excitement surrounding the games this year reminds her of what it felt like to be heading into the competition. “The atmosphere at the Olympics is intense,” she said. “I can remember being a month out and just the anticipation and the anxiety — you’re trying to make so many hours of each day because you have to do this, you have to do that, you have to prepare, you have to be ready. It’s just this constant build. Then finally being there, it’s like, ‘OK, we’re here. Now it’s time to compete.'” While pre-game jitters come with the territory, Finch’s advice to first-time competitors is to take a deep breath, relax — as much as possible, at least — and revel in the experience. “My advice to first-time Olympians would be to enjoy it,” she said. “Definitely enjoy it. You’re a part of history, and you’re doing something that you’ve worked hard at for so incredibly long, so enjoy it. I think my best advice would be to just play your game. Play your event, whatever it is, rather than thinking about, ‘Here I am, representing my country on the Olympic stage.’ Take it back to when you were young, playing the sport that you loved.” MTV News is on the ground in Vancouver all week, so stay tuned for more coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

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Olympics Opening Ceremonies: An Athlete’s Perspective

U.S. Olympic Team Member Katie Uhlaender Does It All For The Snooki

Meet the skeleton racer who embraces danger, ignores the competition and loves ‘Jersey Shore.’ By James Montgomery Katie Uhlaender Photo: MTV News VANCOUVER — The Olympic sport of skeleton takes its rather ominous name from the stripped-to-the-bone sleds that athletes use to rocket down ice tracks, and not from the fact that you can totally die doing it. But still, when you’re throwing yourself face-first downhill at 90 miles an hour, your chin hovering inches above the ice, with no brakes and no way to steer, well, you tend to think about stuff like death (or at least serious bodily harm) on a fairly regular basis. The key — at least to U.S. Olympic team member Katie Uhlaender — is not just to be OK with that fact, but to revel in it. “You’re going really, really fast. Head first. And, to be honest, that’s what drew me to it,” Uhlaender laughed. “I was 19 and anything that looked scary and challenging, I was like, ‘I wonder if I can take it?’ So I tried it, and eight weeks later, I was National Champion. It just came naturally to me; the relaxed chaos of it. The intensity of going so fast, and inside you’re just really calm and taking it all in.” And that attitude, which extends to her off-the-track life as well (in addition to hurtling down ice at terrifying speeds, Uhlaender spent time working behind the scenes on CBS’ “Survivor,” where she tested immunity challenges to make sure no contestants croaked) has made her great, and a favorite to medal at the Vancouver games. She’s already won two Skeleton World Cup championships and appeared well on her way to a third before a pair of nasty knee injuries — one of which involved a snow mobile — slowed her down. And yes, she’ll show you the scars. “I shattered my kneecap twice. I have a really great scar on my left knee,” she said, lifting up her pant leg. “Please excuse the hair. I have no lover, so, in the winter, excuse the hair. Anyway, it’s getting better now. Driving the sled actually hurts, because we use our knees and our shoulders, so putting pressure on my knee to steer the sled, it’s pretty painful.” Part Pink, part punk, Uhlaender is driven, determined and definitely unafraid to speak her mind. It’s a confidence she’s carrying into Vancouver, which means that her competition has officially been put on notice. You know, if she ever actually noticed them in the first place. “I don’t really care about them, to be honest. That’s how I’ve always rolled in, you know, when I first started this sport, took one run and I was like, ‘I’m going to the Olympics.’ And everyone was like, ‘Who’s this chick?’ ” she smiled. “And I was like, ‘I’m Katie Uhlaender.’ That’s kind of the attitude I’m taking here too. That’s what got me here, so why would I try to focus on someone else? If I’m on my game, eat my ice.” And while that swagger motivates her, she’s also come to these Olympic games for another reason: to represent her country. After all, she’s just another proud patriot, not to mention a pretty huge Snooki fan. “Being here, with this flag on your sleeve, it’s something that gives me a lot of pride,” she said. “There’s no better country in the world than the U.S. of A. I mean, where else can you have ‘Jersey Shore’ on TV?” Which is your favorite Winter Olympics sport? Let us know in the comments below! MTV News is on the ground in Vancouver all week, so stay tuned for more coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

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U.S. Olympic Team Member Katie Uhlaender Does It All For The Snooki