performance

17 Stories

Hey, Athletes: Don't Feel Guilty About Sex Before the Game

Italian researchers say sexual activity may even enhance sports performance

(Newser) - It's a line of thought that dates back to ancient Greece and Rome and has been handed down to the athletes of today: For peak performance, abstain from sex before the big event. Or maybe not. Italian researchers have done some digging, and they report in the journal Frontiers ...

Among Elite Athletes, Practice Isn't Everything
Among Elite Athletes,
Practice Isn't Everything
study says

Among Elite Athletes, Practice Isn't Everything

Practice definitely makes us better—but among the elite, not necessarily the 'absolute best'

(Newser) - Ever since Swedish psychologist K. Anders Ericsson published a paper on the impact of 10,000 hours of deliberate practice on a musician's performance in 1993, his findings have become lore—and extended to a range of activities, such as medicine, chess, and sports. But while practice makes us...

How Being a 'Lark' or 'Owl' Affects Performance

Study: Time one wakes, plays has a dramatic impact

(Newser) - If you're an early riser, your peak performance is earlier in the day, typically around lunchtime. If you're a night owl who prefers to sleep in, your prime time is closer to 8pm. One's internal body clock, which influences everything from alertness to risk of heart attack,...

Half-Naked Acrobats Shake Up Staid Vatican

Benedict looks especially uncomfortable

(Newser) - The Vatican's normally a pretty staid place, lined with pure thoughts and celibate clergymen, so more than a few eyebrows raised when four buff guys lined up in front of Pope Benedict himself and ripped their shirts off. The four were actually acrobats, known as the Pilgrim Brothers, who proceeded...

Lambert, GLAAD Cry Bias—About CBS and ABC

Early Show blurs same-sex kiss as singer makes his case

(Newser) - After being booted from a scheduled Good Morning America appearance because of his American Music Awards antics, Adam Lambert was snatched up by CBS’ Early Show, where he contended the controversy was motivated by his sexuality: “If it had been a female pop performer doing the moves that were...

Woodstock Was a 'Nightmare'
 Woodstock Was a 'Nightmare' 
OPINION

Woodstock Was a 'Nightmare'

(Newser) - Mark Hosenball of Newsweek was at Woodstock, and not only did he not have a good time, but he can’t quite figure out how we’ve “transformed a chaotic mudfest into an epic pageant of peace and love.” Hosenball reminisces about the “massive, teeming, squalid mess”...

Site Hopes to Catalog Every Concert, Ever

(Newser) - A website hopes to meet the "tiny challenge" of cataloging every concert ever given, writes MG Siegler on TechCrunch. Songkick, a site developed in 2007 to provide recommendations for live music based on where you live and what you like, also wants to add a mix of social networking...

Cook Emotional On Stage After Brother's Death

(Newser) - American Idol star David Cook choked back tears and left the stage last night in his first performance since his brother's death, People reports. "It's gonna be tough for me," he told the Akron, Ohio crowd. But as audience members passed up cards and flowers for his brother...

Intel Unveils High-Speed Chip

(Newser) - Intel has rolled out a new chip for servers that will more than double the effectiveness of systems but consume no extra power, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Xeon 5500 excels at “virtualization,” allowing multiple operating systems and applications to run on one server—which Intel hopes...

Caffeine: Athletes' Secret Weapon, and Legal, Too

Caffeine can improve sports ability by 5%

(Newser) - If Alex Rodriguez had only known. Caffeine is a performance-enhancer that helps athletes go longer and faster, and isn’t a banned substance. Caffeine works by turning fat into extra fuel, releasing calcium stored in muscles, and numbing the brain’s sense of exhaustion. The triple whammy improves performance by...

Cuomo Wants to Link Wall St. Pay to Performance

'Heads I win, tails I break even' must stop

(Newser) - New York’s attorney general is teaming with Washington lawmakers to develop a plan to link Wall Street pay to long-term company performance, the Wall Street Journal reports. Details are skimpy, but Andrew Cuomo is looking into spreading cash and stock payments over several years so that if firms do...

Can Jackman Save Oscar?



 Can Jackman 
 Save Oscar? 

Can Jackman Save Oscar?

He can sing, he can dance, he can act: will that be enough?

(Newser) - Hugh Jackman has a big weight on his shoulders tonight: carrying an Academy Awards show that cynics are sure is doomed to be ignored by the public and the acting community alike. But producers remain excited that the singing, dancing, not-just-an-action star will lure viewers, and Jackman tells the...

What Baby? Oscar Producers Beg MIA to Perform

Will bring 'large bed' on stage if necessary

(Newser) - The ratings-challenged Academy Award broadcast needs a boost, and producers are desperate for rapper MIA to perform her Oscar-nominated song, even though she just gave birth, MSNBC reports. “We are happy to bring some sort of fabulous bed on stage if that means MIA can be there,” they...

Top 10 Preggo Performances
 Top 10 Preggo Performances 

Top 10 Preggo Performances

Celebs don't let pregnancy keep them out of spotlight

(Newser) - Some women are born to perform, and they’re not gonna let a baby bump get in the way. Time lists the top 10 pregnant performers:
  1. MIA gave an impressive Grammy performance on her due date.
  2. Amy Poehler rapped alongside Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live with a big bulge.
...

Etta James Disses Beyonce, Obama

Singing legend claims pop star stole her song at inauguration

(Newser) - Etta James has a message for “the great Beyoncé”: She’s “gonna get her ass whupped.” The legendary singer was none too pleased that Beyoncé performed her signature tune, “At Last,” at an inaugural ball, the Daily News reports. James—whom Beyoncé portrayed in...

Hudson Scores With Super Bowl Comeback

First performance since her family murders is emotional 'touchdown'

(Newser) - Jennifer Hudson returned to the spotlight yesterday for the first time since her family tragedy, giving an emotional performance of the National Anthem at the Super Bowl, AP reports. When she asked the producer how she did, “I told her ‘Touchdown!’” he said. “She’s...

Electric Motorcycles Closing Gap on Speed

Brit creates all-battery bike for the racetrack

(Newser) - An English entrepreneur is developing an all-electric motorcycle he says can compete on the racetrack, Wired reports. Well, in the near future. His prototype—the bike is expected to be for sale next year and will be legal for street use—can go from 0 to 60 in 3.8...

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