Many of us know the old children’s story “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Dr. Seuss’ classic tale of the mean old green Grinch and his efforts to ruin Christmas for the simple and pure-minded Whos is inspirational to many, both young and old. It helps capture the true meaning of Christmas, coming together in unity and recognizing that the bonds of family and friendship are the most important part of any holiday.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas is currently running on Broadway, amidst many positive and negative reviews. The show is popular during the holiday season especially, with its touching holiday songs and uplifting storyline. It began its Broadway career at Christmastime, 2006, but the story was originally released in the late 1950s. Some of the original songs were included in the Broadway adaptation, as well as the addition of a few new ones.

The 2008 showing of the How the Grinch Stole Christmas is unusually short, with just a few showings in November and December in limited cities. Only Baltimore and Boston will see the wonderful musical at Christmas this year, and the reason for the limited engagement is unknown. New songs have been added as of 2007, however, promising that those fortunate enough to catch the musical this year will be glued  to their seats as usual.

 The 2008 NBA Champion Boston Celtics have returned for a taste of their former glory. They defeated division rivals the Detroit Pistons in a series that was widely believed to have gone a different way. Going into the series, many fans erroneously thought that the Celtics losses to the Atlanta Hawks were indicative of a tiring team, but clearly they had not yet begun to fight.

Created in 1946, the Boston Celtics had dominated the National Basketball Association for decades until a steady decline began in the late 1980s. At this point, they dropped the ball, so to speak, and were but a shadow of their former selves. Fans began to believe that the glory days were over, and that the good ol’ days had passed. Thankfully, they were wrong.

With the addition of a few key players at the onset of the 2008 season, the Boston Celtics began a run in the Atlantic division of the Eastern conference that was unrivaled anywhere. Second place Detroit could not beat Boston most of the season, and the Celtics proved that a combination of talent and determination equals success.

South Pacific is a musical that contains songs done by the famous Rodgers and Hammerstein. The songs and lyrics were considered cutting edge for their time, and the very controversial issues of racism and prejudice in general were included in the storyline of the musical. The stage version is based on two short novels, and began running in 1949. Some of the songs written for South Pacific are famous worldwide, and it is thought of as one of the greatest musicals of all time.

The musical South Pacific has won many awards and had a movie based on it in 1958. South Pacific has been revived on Broadway as of late, and the cast and crew are fervently hoping to do justice to the box office and fan favorite. The award-winning musical is known on Broadway, among Pulitzer prizewinners, in the Tony Award circles, among Emmy nominees, and much more.

Even though South Pacific went through a time where it was not in production, the 2001 revival has sparked a new interest in the storyline and was mentioned in movies and songs throughout the 1958-2001 period that it sat on the shelves somewhat. The 2008 showing is a huge hit so far, with tickets being sold out quickly and critics praising the debut of the new generation of South Pacific actors and actresses.

Madonna is one of the most well-known female singers of all time, whether she is known for her music, acting, or controversial public persona. People easily recognize both her face and her voice, and many have compared her to sensations such as Elvis Presley, and in some parts of the world sales of her albums has eclipsed sales of Presley’s.

Madonna has three children, a biological son and daughter and an adopted son, and is married to husband Guy Ritchie. She is currently living in London with her family, and has largely been concentrating on her spiritual life for the last few years. She is a Kabbalah follower, and makes no secret of the fact that she contributes very large sums of money toward the schooling of Kabbalah children, including a $21 million dollar donation to help build a school.

Although she is often found on the gossip pages of magazines and websites, Madonna has won many awards for her singing and acting talents over the years, and has managed to become one of the most famous female pop artists and icons of all time. Her active role in the bisexual, gay, and straight communities has earned her recognition, and she encourages others to take an active role in sex education.

The Beatles Years

Sir James Paul McCartney is well known and well-loved by fans all over the world. Even though he is now sixty-six years old, he is showing no signs of losing popularity and has already received accolades from everyone, including the Guinness Book of World Records.

Paul McCartney is probably best known for his years as one of the Beatles. Together with artists John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, McCartney helped spark a revolution in music, especially rock and roll, that changed the way music was thought of. While Lennon and Harrison have since passed on, McCartney has kept in contact with drummer Ringo Starr over the years since the breakup of the Beatles, and the two are on friendly terms.

The Wings Era

After the breakup of the Beatles, Paul McCartney joined forces with wife Linda Eastman McCartney and the talented Denny Laine to form a band they called “Wings.” Wings was somewhat successful, and even though the band members changed several times over the years, they enjoyed the notoriety that came with being associated with Paul and Linda McCartney.

The Solo Time

The 1980s saw the launch of Paul McCartney’s impressive solo career. Even without the help of his friends, McCartney proved that he was just as successful on his own as he was with a band. He has, however, reunited with former band mates over the years, and recorded music with George Harrison before his death and Ringo Starr.

The Boston Celtics are once again the reigning champions of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After a 22 year drought, they had an amazing run this season and trounced not only the second best team in the Eastern conference (the Detroit Pistons), but also the best team the Western conference had to offer (the Los Angeles Lakers). They proved that they again have what it takes to be the best.

Head Coach Glenn “Doc” Rivers has trained his boys well. It may have taken them over 20 years to come back to their former glory, but their Championship win may very well mark the beginning of another era of domination similar to the one they enjoyed in the 1960s-80s. They own the record for longest consecutive winning streak (Championship level) at 8 straight titles. In fact, no North American team–in any sport–has duplicated that feat since.

Although many thought the Boston Celtics were goners when they began losing to the underdog Atlanta Hawks. It was believed that the Celtics may have been simply hype to a large extent, and many fans and non-fans alike worried that 2008 would be just another playoff-ending season. However, the players thought differently, and put their heart and soul into the final game with the Hawks, and managed to move on to the much easier Detroit Pistons, who should have been the hard team to beat.

Janet Jackson, youngest sister of pop singer Michael Jackson, has not seen the fame and fortune that her older brother boasts about. She has seen more. Perhaps slightly less fortune, but more fame, to be sure. Aside from the infamous “Super Bowl” incident, she has released more albums than brother Michael, and has not been in court as many times (or had as many plastic surgeries either).  Janet Jackson remains an active and talented performer still performing concerts.

Her many awards include an NAACP Award (and one nomination), four Grammy nominations, six Billboard music awards, three MTV music awards, three Soul Train awards, 12 AMA awards nominations (four wins), a Golden Globe award, an Academy Award nomination, and a score of other awards relating to her music and charitable contributions as a whole. In total, she has won awards and/or nominations for at least fifty different organizations.

Cited among her many influences are her older brothers Jermaine and Michael, Fred Astaire, many R&B/soul divas throughout the decades, Michael Kidd, and her experiences growing up in the Jackson family. She is an actress and dancer as well as a singer/songwriter, and has starred or co-starred in several different television series and Hollywood hits. Her many talents have ensured her stardom for at least another generation to come.

For baseball fans worldwide, Major League Baseball’s All-Star game, normally played in early to mid July, is the epitome of all things baseball. Featuring the talents of the American and National League’s best and brightest, it is a chance for baseball players and coaches to relax and enjoy some old-fashioned ribbing. The best in home run hitting, base running, and pitching are crowned, with each winner having the chance for at least a yearlong reign as “King” of his event.

The 2008 All Star game, scheduled to be played on July 15, 2008, has chosen New York and her Yankees as the home stadium for this year. This will be the 79th time the MLB has taken a mid-season break to crown the newest Home Run Derby winner and All Star game champion. It is rumored that Yankee Stadium was chosen for this year’s All Star game due to the fact that the stadium will be closing soon, and the game’s popular location will no longer be available. In 2009, the Yankees will have a new home.

Fan and player voting for the 2008 roster began at the end of April, and voting will continue until the players for each league are chosen. Former players include Ken Griffey, Jr, Cal Ripken, Jr, Chipper Jones, Greg Maddux, Alex Rodriguez, Nomar Garciaparra, Barry Bonds, Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling, and many others. Many players that played in previous All Star games have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame when the yearly time frame came about.

The New York Giants, a National Football League’s NFC East division member, are the reigning Super Bowl Champions. Their wildly popular and unexpected underdog win over the heavily favored New England Patriots still has ears ringing and fans shocked, much to the chagrin of the Pats. Head Coach Tom Coughlin will be hand-clapped for many years and lauded as one of the Super Bowl’s most infamous coaches for the 17-14 win over the New England Patriots.

Giant Stadium in New York (Meadowlands Sports Complex) is the current home of the New York Giants. Although they are found at about the middle of the pack in the NFL in current wealth and estimated earnings, their often troubled financial past is overshadowed by their current very enviable nearly $900 million dollar price tag. Whether fans are from New York or nearby New Jersey, both states claim the Giants as theirs, evidenced by the fact that over half of the Giants’ season ticket holders come from Jersey, even though the name implies only New York.

Notable players among the New York Giants (yesteryear and now) include Eli Manning, Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer, Jeremy Shockey, Frank Gifford, Fran Tarkenton, Laurence Taylor, and Phil Simms. There are currently six numbers retired by the New York Giants, and their first retired number was the first number retired by any sport in the major leagues.

The National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys are perhaps one of the most famous, and infamous, teams ever. Their history of giving it everything or going nowhere are historical in and of themselves, without the many Super Bowl wins and appearances, the popular faces of past and present Cowboys, and their well-known cheerleading section. They are members of the National Football Conference’s Eastern division, along with their long-time rivals the Washington Redskins and others.

Although the Dallas Cowboys currently make their home in Irving, Texas, they will be moving to a new and improved home in the Arlington, Texas, area sometime in 2009. They are both one of the wealthiest and most popular teams found in the National Football League, and hold a record for the most straight sell-outs (at home and on the road) in a row–160 games.

Popular names listed for the Cowboys past and present include Emmit Smith, Troy Aikman, Deion Sanders, Terrell Owens, Michael Irvin, Tom Landry, and Roger Staubach. Although the Cowboys do not officially retire jersey numbers, any number worn by one of the “Ring of Fame” inductees is unofficially kept inactive. Most numbers are not worn even years after a member is inducted.