Kenyan marathoner Nicholas Manza Kamakaya

Time is money, and in the case of Kenyan marathoner Nicholas Manza Kamakaya, one second cost him $27,000.

At the Gold Coast Marathon in Queensland, Australia, Kamakaya won his first marathon, finishing in 2:10:01, earning him $10,000. The marathon offered a $27,000 bonus for a time of 2:10 or under, meaning that if Kamakaya had taken just one second less, he would have nearly tripled his payday.

He is capable of running a sub-2:10, as his record is 2:08:49, set at the Beijing Marathon, but he claimed he didn't mind.

"I'm just happy. For me it's so nice [to win]," said Manza. "It's very special for me because it's my first time in Australia and I'm happy because I've run the course record."

Kudos to him for having a good attitude. Considering he took second place at Beijing and Los Angeles, and sixth at Rome, getting his first win must be sweet.

But one second costing him $27,000? Ouch. Here's hoping that with every second that passes by he continues to focus on the 10-grand he did win, and not dwell on the money he lost out on.

It may be a make-or-break week for NFL

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA head DeMaurice Smith will begin four straight days of negotiations Tuesday in Manhattan as the dialogue between the two sides continues. The owners and players will not be involved in person until Thursday; the next two days will be more about trading and fine-tuning proposals with legal teams involved so that when the talks expand later in the week, there's more to talk about — and perhaps even something to agree upon. Goodell and Smith may not be in the room at the same time early on, where it's about the legal language of a new collective bargaining agreement.

Last week saw a major swing in talks, from the near-disaster on Thursday to the more reasonable conclusion on Friday, when everybody seemed to get  back on the same page. According to the NFL Network's Albert Breer, both sides are still very wary of something being shoehorned in at the 11^th hour that isn't equitable — by all accounts, the blowups on Thursday had a lot to do with the players' perception that the owners were trying to re-introduce expense credits off the top of the revenue pie. Mediator Arthur Boylan, who must balance all arguments while keeping a host of judges appraised of the progress, is generally credited as the one person who held things together, keeping the two sides talking until 1 a.m. Friday morning. According to NFL spokesperson Greg Aiello, the two sides kept discussions open to a point through the holiday weekend.
This week is the most important to the process so far; any backslide from here could complicate things into the season and put multiple regular-season games at risk. The moment the owners start losing serious revenue is the moment most of them would be just fine with pulling whatever deal is proposed and heading back to the courts for more leverage if they can get it. The reason is simple — the revenue gained from the 2011 preseason for the owners is estimated to be anywhere from $700,000 to $1 billion.

It's always been a major money-grab for the owners (reduced player costs and comparatively higher revenues), which is why Roger Goodell tends to plug his ears and yell, "LA LA LA I AM NOT LISTENING TO YOU" whenever someone brings up the idea that the NFL should either reduce the cost for preseason tickets or simply cut the preseason in half without adding two regular-season games. The pressure is on both sides to get something on paper and agreed to in the short term so that the league year can start and the process can move forward.

The "drop-dead" date for a new agreement to facilitate a full preseason seems to be July 15, and if things go too far beyond that, there's simply no way to open the league year, get the CBA in effect, have a preseason and free agency in time, and start operations in a cohesive fashion. At that point, deserved or not, the owners will blame the players for revenues lost even more than they already do, and we're basically back to square one. The owners could claim that a deal is now not there to be made, the Eighth Circuit Court would likely renew its involvement (Boylan has been communicating with the court regarding the talks), and things could head down the rabbit hole in a big hurry. The court could deem the lockout illegal and force the owners to open their doors, but both sides have been told that if they leave this in the court's hands, they'll each get a deal they won't like.

That would put us back in this same situation a couple years from now, with a force-fed labor situation running out of gas and a group of owners ready to slam the doors shut. It's worth taking the time to get this CBA right in ways that the two sides didn't in 2006, but it's also very clear that time is running out. For a new deal to happen in time, everybody involved will have to bend, accept that they're not going to get everything they want, and understand that the only way the NFL is going to hit its projected (and enormous) revenue projections over the next decade is to keep the American public from realizing that it can, indeed, get along without the grand old game.

This week is the big push, and that's the one thing all sides have in common.

Pamela Anderson Tattoo

Pamela Anderson rocks a barbed-wire armband tattoo on her left bicep. James doubts that there's much meaning behind Anderson's tat, saying, "The overly trendy, everyone-has-to-have tattoo began its career as the armband, then it moved to the lower back, and now it is working its way back up again." The tattoo artist advises, "Tattoos should be about individuality, not what's hot, because it may not be for long."

Johnny Depp Tattoo

Johnny Depp is another celebrity who's a fanatic lover of tattoos, having numerous tats all over his body. From dedications to his children (Jack and Lily-Rose) and ancestral heritage (Cherokee Indian) to even the ink he had altered (Wino Forever) after he broke up with actress Winona Ryder, Depp's tattoos seem to suit him. "Johnny Depp looks like he earned his tattoos with a mug of wine from some old pirates," James observes. "But somehow he still manages to make them look cool."

Lil Wayne Tatto

How many tattoos does rapper Lil Wayne have? We're betting that Lil Wayne himself isn't able to answer that question. "I seriously doubt Lil Wayne put the thought necessary into any of his tattoos, especially the ones on his face," says James. "He went from very little to being tattooed everywhere in about a year."

Hayden Panettiere Tatto

"Heroes" starlet Hayden Panettiere is often pictured showing off the tattoo she has running down the left side of her back, despite it being misspelled. In full, it reads, "Vivere senza rimipianti," which is meant to be "to live without regrets" in Italian. Unfortunately for the 21-year-old actress, her tattoo reads "rimipianti" instead of "rimpianti," adding an extra "i." "She got the wrong person for the job," James says. "A reputable shop double checks spelling." Although initially horrified about the misspelling, Panettiere says she is proud of her tattoo and wants to "live up to what it means."

Rihanna Tattoo

Songstress Rihanna sports a Pisces symbol tattoo behind her right ear. "A fine line runs between a job stopper and something you can pull off in this location. A lot of clients do not take into consideration when they see a trendy tattoo location and how something of this nature can change your future prospects forever. I obviously do not support tattoo prejudice, but that doesn't mean it does not exist," James explains. "With a tattoo like this, something as simple as pushing your hair behind your ears in an interview may lose you a job to competition. Rihanna pulls it off, but then again, I doubt she will be looking for a job anytime soon either."

Nikki Reed and Paul McDonal Tatto

Newly engaged couple Nikki Reed and Paul McDonald wasted no time getting matching tattoos.

After a two-month-long whirlwind romance, the "Twilight" actress and her "American Idol" alum beau inked each others' first names on their respective right-hand ring fingers. "I think when you have thought and effort, added with good taste, even the most simple tattoo concepts can be turned into something really nice," James says of the duo's expression of love.

Angelina Jolie Tattoo

The tattoos on Angelina Jolie's upper left arm show the map coordinates for the birthplaces of her children. The tats have been inscribed in the same spot where a tribute to the 36-year-old actress's ex-husband Billy Bob Thornton once lay. His name, along with a Chinese dragon, were surgically removed after the pair divorced in 2003. "Tattoos last a lot longer than most romances," James says. "Thank god for laser."

Ami James Tattoo

Renowned tattoo artist Ami James became a household name, thanks to the groundbreaking series "Miami Ink," which debuted in 2005. As the first tattoo artist to gain such celebrity, James gave us an inside look into the tattoo culture on the hot streets of South Beach. After taking the industry by storm in Miami, the sharp-tongued, quick-tempered James brings his talents to the Big Apple this summer with "NY Ink" (Thursdays at 10pm on TLC). Click through this slideshow to see James's take on some of the most talked about celebrity tattoos.

Jennifer Aniston Tattoo

Jennifer Aniston was recently spotted in NYC showing off her very first tattoo: the name "Norman" on the inside of her right foot. The fresh ink is a tribute to the 42-year-old actress's dog Norman, a Welsh corgi-terrier mix that passed away in May at 15 years old. "Memorial tattoos are a serious and often necessary thing, but Jennifer chose one of the worst places of all time to get it," says "NY Ink's " Ami James. "The foot is consistently being exposed to the elements, naturally exfoliating itself and being exposed to constant friction. Even a good tattoo will not withstand that for much time at all," the expert tattoo artist explains. "Jennifer will be lucky if that tattoo looks decent for even a few months."

Beyoncé's on-stage hair nightmare

Beyonce’s “Sweet Dreams” video is viewed by most people as being merely  “sexy” or “fashion” but not many get its occult meaning. Hidden in the symbolism of the video and in the song’s lyrics are references to dark themes: possession and mind control.

If you read my other article on Beyonce called “Beyonce to Sasha Fierce – Occult Symbolic Rebirth“, you’ll already be aware of the dark symbolism surrounding Sasha Fierce. “Sweet Dreams” is a perfect continuation of the dark themes surrounding Beyonce’s alter-ego: dark occultism, mind control, spirit possession, etc. The lyrics of the song and the imagery of the video have a supernatural and ethereal quality, as Beyonce professes her love to someone or something she calls a “sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare”. Here’s the video.