Former #Maxim #HometownHottie named Ms. Michigan

It was a small intimate ceremony, not a grand stage, when the 2015 Ms. Michigan title was officially bestowed upon Lincoln Park resident Rachael Adams.
The Dec. 28 ceremony was held at Cariera's Cucina Italiana, 6565 North Telegraph Rd. in Dearborn Heights, with only family and close friends invited.
SLIDESHOW: Photos from Ms. Michigan crowning ceremony.
She will now go on to compete in the Ms. America contest, representing Michigan. The pageant is open to women 26 years of age and up who are single, divorced or married.
Unlike what would be expected, there was no pageantry, only a speech that lasted about a minute from Adams, before her son and daughter placed the sash and crown on her.
“Most people have a dignitary like the mayor crown them,” Adams said. “I couldn’t think of anything better than having my kids do it.”
The selection process included an application and phone interview since there is no official Ms. Michigan contest.
“Rachael Adams really left a positive impression on our judges and we are thrilled to have her representing Michigan at the 2015 Ms. America Pageant finals this August in Brea, California,” said Susan Jeske, Pageant CEO.

The national pageant will consist of four rounds, Interview, Sportswear, Evening Gown and On-Stage Interview, which will have each contestant scored with an eventual winner being crowned.
“I’m excited to be awarded the title of Ms. Michigan,” Adams said, “not only will I be able to inspire others to join me in creating a difference in our community, but it gives me the opportunity to be a role model for young girls and to promote inner beauty which is what is most important!”
Adams, who grew up in Dearborn Heights, is a University of Michigan-Dearborn graduate and the current ambassador for the Ride for Autism.
In addition to earning her marketing degree from UM-D, she also played on the varsity basketball team and was in the Emerging Leaders Program at the school.
When not volunteering, Adams is a model, actress and entrepreneur, who opened her own commercial painting company upon graduating high school.
She promotes “Creating a Difference” and is involved in many charities.  However, what is most important to Adams, is family.  The mother of four, makes time to be a Cub Scout and Girl Scout leader, a basketball coach and cheerleading coach.
The pageant will award over $40,000 in gifts and prizes during the national finals. The pageant will take place in Aug. at the Curtis Theater in Brea, California.
For further information about the pageant visit the website MsAmericaPageant.com.

Lincoln Park man co-produces Detroit’s NYE Midnight Spectacular, airing on Compuware Building

It was just two years ago when aspiring filmmaker Jake Webb graduated from Lincoln Park High School.

Now, as a professional videographer, he’s working with local celebrities for his biggest role yet: co-producer of “The Midnight Spectacular” for Hard Rock Cafe’s New Year’s Eve Rockin in the D. The video will air on the side of the Compuware Building at the downtown celebration.

“We organized all of the interviews with local celebrities; They are busy people so I’m thankful they gave us their time,” Webb, who works with co-producer Abby Cook, said. “We film it all, get the video and audio, and created a 5-minute video montage of them telling their favorite memories of from 2014.”

Webb and Cook are both graduates from the Spec’s Howard digital media arts program and video production specialists for the Spec’s Howard marketing team.

Aimee Spencer, public relations manager for the event, said The Hard Rock Cafe Detroit hosts the big NYE event each year, but wanted to make this countdown to the new year even more memorable.

“This year they recruited two of Detroit’s most emerging digital artists to create a Midnight Spectacular 3-D animation system,” Spencer said, explaining that the gala guests will see the production unfold on two stories of the Compuware Building facing Woodward Avenue. “How cool is it this that just two years later (Webb) is working with all these high-profile celebrities to create something that will be so impactful on Detroit this New Year’s Eve.”

The list of local celebrities includes Dave Dombrowski, general manager of the Detroit Tigers; Mitch Albom, best-selling author, columnist, radio and television broadcaster; Joique Bell, Detroit Lions star running back; Phredley Brown, music Director and lead guitarist for Bruno Mars and the Hooligans; as well as Les, Seth and Ashley Gold, stars of TruTV’s hit reality show Hard Core Pawn.

Les Gold said his family was honored to be a part of the project with Webb and the rest of the team.

“Our family's story is a Detroit story. Any time that we can share it with others, we're happy to do so,” he said.

Webb said heard stories of special game day victories, Detroit emerging from Bankruptcy, and other defining moments from the past 12 months. He said meeting Bruno Mars’ guitarist and hearing Bell’s story of signing his contract were among his favorite parts of the project.

He hopes for more work like this -- not just for the experience behind the camera, but for the chance to be up-close-and-personal with interesting people.

“Doing projects like this, you learn that these well-known people are just like us,” he said. “Their memories are very relatable and everyone is so down to earth. I hope to keep doing great projects like this and meeting new people.”

Tim Peterson, digital media arts instructor at Spec’s Howard, said Webb has always stood out for his motivation and creativity.

“He’s definitely passionate about what he does,” Peterson said. “But more than that, he’s able to execute his ideas and that sets him apart from his classmates.”

The video montage will begin at 10 p.m. Dec. 31. Tickets for the gala portion of the event (for ages 21 and up) start at $85 and can be found at www.nyerockinthed.com. The Hard Rock Cafe Detroit is located at 45 Monroe St., Detroit.

Republished with permission from Digital First Media.

Avengers NOW relaunches 'Earth's MIghtiest Heroes'

Check out this video released by Marvel this morning to promote the new Avengers and Avengers related books.
 The Avengers are Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, but these Avengers are something new! Witness the Avengers like you’ve never seen them before as the industry’s top creators and brightest rising starts deliver can’t miss new ongoing series like Thor, All-New Captain America, Superior Iron Man and more.

As if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced, Detroit Fanfare is no more

The annual Detroit Fanfare comic convention is no more.
The show which was held in Dearborn for the last several years had been slated to move to Sterling Heights after the Adoba Hotel changed hands earlier this year.
The hotel in Sterling Heights also recently changed hands, causing turmoil for show organizers.
The organizers include Wonderwold Comics co-owner Dennis Barger, local artist Tony Miello and comic creator Gary Reed.
Barger announced the cancellation on his own, and the Fanfare official Facebook page Dec. 26.
"Detroit Fanfare has prided itself on being a convention for artists and fans of comic books over celebrities,” he wrote, “but in evaluating support and attendance, a large convention cannot remain centered on comics as the primary focus.
"Due to the enormous work and costs involved be the principles to put on the convention and the obvious fan preference for the larger, pop culture shows, it was determined that the role of a convention such as Fanfare had a diminished appeal especially in light of all the recent additions to the convention circuit."
Barger and his partners had been planning to bring comic book writing legend Denny O’Neil to the 2015 show as the keynote celebrity. Unfortunately his draw as the top star didn’t seem to be enough to drive ticket sales.
The promoters were unwilling to to move the convention away from the focus on comics.
“We keep prices down, and we focus on comics,” Barger said in Nov. “Even when we’ve brought media guests in, we make sure they are one degree of separation from a comic book.”
It was that mantra that keep the show pure to many fans, but unfortunately stopped others from flocking to the show.
"Although the show had some problems, as they all do, overall the response to Fanfare was extremely positive and I have to say it was probably the most enjoyable show to go to as a creator and/or fan,” Reed wrote in his personal blog.
It was structured primarily around comics and artists as even the celebrities were tied into comics in some way...So, why is it ending? Well, it started off as something that might be able to continue even with lowered expectations but frankly, it just became too much work."

WWE wrestling excursion more fun than expected

I’ve long been a fan of wrestling. No not the type that you see on national, or even international television, but the kind that is real, competitive and not full of writers, actors and scripts.

That won’t ever change, that said though, my step-sister and neighbor are both big fans of the World Wrestling Entertainment, style of wrestling, so when the WWE Monday Night Raw show came to Detroit a few weeks ago, I had to take them.

They both celebrated birthdays within weeks of the show, and the tickets were the right price. Neither of them drive though, and both live in Ohio, so I had to take them. Making the best of it, i got my mother a ticket too, if I had to live through it, so should she.

We had really good seats, row eight, and in an aisle to boot.

Arriving at Joe Louis Arena more than an hour before showtime to avoid the traffic disaster, we went in the back way that is normally reserved for handicapped, VIP’s and other special guests. For us it was the closest door to the lot we parked in, and they didn’t question us coming in there.

While waiting for the elevator, I ran into Wayne County Commission Chairman Gary Woronchak who was there with his family. Since county politics are among my beat at work, I had to take a moment to say hello and chat with him about the show.

Turns out he is a lifelong fan of professional wrestling, and he assured me that I’d leave a fan too. He said the electricity of seeing it live would have anyone enjoying the show.

Skeptically I agreed, and boarded the elevator.

Prior to the show, I observed thousands of fans that apparently didn’t realize the show was make believe. They were rabidly talking and yelling, about their favorite wrestlers.

The show was ok, but a bit hard to follow at times, unlike the few times I’ve skimmed past it at home on TV, there are no announcers for the show live, so things were a bit tough to keep up with.

Overall the show was ok, but you could easily tell it was make believe, in case there were any out there still wondering. Unlike on TV, you can actually see them pull their punches, completely miss hitting each other and the like.

But that’s ok, as long as it’s the type of thing you enjoy. The show was ok, but nothing I’ll rush back out to see anytime soon.

The highlight of the night for me was tweeting about the show, and having one of the WWE “Superstars” retweet and respond back. Sadly when I checked his account, which turned out to be fake, it only had 12 followers.

WWE wrestler, TMNT movie actor, arrested for attacking teen

Aquinas High School graduate, turned World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Kevin Nash, 55, was arrested at his house in Volusia County Florida.
According to police reports acquired by TMZ, Nash was arrested after a bloody altercation with his teenage son.
According to the report, Nash told officers that his son, Tristan, came to the house drunk and belligerent. Tristan Nash allegedly attacked his father and step-mother, at which time Kevin Nash pinned his son to the ground.
During the altercation, Kevin Nash’s face was scratched badly enough to cause blood stains on his face in a mugshot photo.
When officers arrived, Tristan Nash told them that his dad slammed him violently to the ground, causing him to black out. Kevin Nash was then arrested for the assault.
Just a few hours later Tristan Nash was arrested for allegedly attacking his mother in her home in a separate incident.
Both Nash’s were held at the jail overnight Chirstmas Eve with no bond.
Kevin Nash was born in Detroit and graduated from the now-defunct Aquinas High School in Southgate.
After High School, he attended the University of Tennessee to play basketball.
Eventually after a professional basketball career in Europe was cut short by injury, he returned to the Detroit area and worked at Ford Motor Co. before becoming a professional wrestler.
Kevin Nash has also had a mildly successful movie career, with parts in several big-budget films including "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze,” “Magic Mike,” “John Wick,” “The Longest Yard,” “Rock of Ages,” and other smaller film and TV roles.

The continued adventures of the #TravelingTurtle

The third of a four part series in the travels of Donatello.