How can you miss Camillo Villegas?  The 28 year-old Colombian golf legend has been making waves since his 2006 rookie season on the PGA tour with his flashy outfits, ripped physique, and spider-man-esque method of lining up putts.  Just last week, he ran away with another title, and improved his impressive run in 2010 that has him at the top of most major statistical categories on the PGA tour.

Camillo Villegas

It’s hard to say that this is a homecoming from Villegas, but it sort of is in a strange way.  With Miami’s large population of Colombians, especially the high concentration of those that choose to reside in the Doral area, Villegas will certainly be the most popular player at the tournament that starts today at Doral.  The Blue Monster may be missing a certain Tiger this week, but in his place is the PGA tours hottest name in Villegas.

Villegas is representing Colombians in a positive fashion – the calm, cool youngster is always media friendly, and never has any outbursts, ala John Daly.  (I love John Daly, don’t get me wrong – the guy is a legend, his book is great, and I hope he is back competing very soon).  Villegas, along with Nascar driver Juan Pablo Montoya, has Colombians proud of their major presence in the world of sports.

Born in Medellin, Villegas attended the University of Florida, making him a Gator.  While we won’t hold that against him, as Miami Blog has a strong bond with THE U, it’s good to know he has set up in Florida.  He lives in Jupiter between events, and spends a lot of his time practicing in the area.

The strong presence of Colombian supporters will set him apart from all others in the tournament this weekend at Doral.  Without Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson goes in as the Vegas favorite, but the local favorite will be Villegas.

Named in People Magazine’s 2006 issue of Hottest Bachelors, his fancy apparel and physical fitness will make him popular with the local Miami women.  Villegas is by far the best dressed golfer the tour has ever seen, and his flashy belt buckles look like something you would buy down at one of the boutique fashion stores on South Beach.

It should be an exciting 4 days of golf, and if Camillo Villegas is able to win again this week, he may just explode into mainstream sports super-stardom and the golf world may all but forget about Tiger Woods.

While it has been a few days since Rafer Alston was first suspended for now showing up to Saturday’s game versus Atlanta, it’s a mystery to me what in the heck could he be doing?  Alston, the point guard recently acquired from the New Jersey Nets, a popular player known for his boisterous personality and on-court razzle-dazzle display of skills, has not been in contact with the team since Friday, numerous news reports state.  Only a text message sent, prior to him missing Friday’s practice, in fact.  So what the heck is he doing with himself?  Certainly this one time member of the time he was so looking forward to re-unite with isn’t having second thoughts about playing in Miami, is he?

Sure, he was benched against the Lakers.  We all saw that.  But, by leaving the team amidst a playoff race, he has shown Miami that there is either something going on behind the scenes or he was frustrated to the point of walking away from a team that needs him.  Whatever it is, it’s an opening for another player.  While it remains to be seen if the Heat will seek another player to help fill in at point guard, the Heat do have superstar Dwayne Wade, along with Dorrell Wright, Carlos Arroyo, and second year player Mario Chalmers.

In the meantime, we’ll play “Where’s Rafer?” around town and let you know if he surfaces.

One of the hottest rappers in the game right now has listed his South Beach condo for sale.  Rapper Lil Wayne, who has a number of top hits under his belt, including “Mrs. Officer,” the track about romancing a female police officer, has listed his condo at South Beach’s Murano Grande for $2.8 million.  The rapper is about to go to jail for a gun possession charge, and certainly will have no use for the luxury unit in one of South Beach’s top condo buildings.  Miami real estate expert and blogger Kevin Tomlinson called the price “very reasonable” on his South Beach Condo Blog.

Tomlinson also reports that the rapper has a “penchant” for Miami Beach real estate, citing the rapper’s recent rental of a home of 15,000 square feet on the uber-fancy La Gorce Island.  Apparently he also has showed interest in the Apogee building on the very Southern tip of South Beach.

Murano Grande South Beach

For years, the Vitality Institute has been well-known among the Beach’s most discriminating skin care customers.  It is on this location of Alton Road and 8th Street, next to a dry cleaners and a tanning salon, that the famous Dr. A.F. Kalil has been performing nothing short of miracles to patients that are both local and vacationers. In this skin care mecca, the expert performs many types of cosmetic procedures to help people have flawless skin and look younger.

If you haven’t heard about this Institute, and you have any sort of correction you would like to make on your skin, due to damage or other reasons, this is something you should definitely check out.  King and founder of the “VI Peel,” Dr. Kalil is recognized worldwide for his leadership in skin care and anti aging practices.  Clients have included Demi Moore, among others….

In addition to having on site offices in Miami Beach, Beverly Hills, and Dubai, he also makes his own skin care treatments, called ViDerm.  You can buy ViDerm online by visiting his official web store.  There you can find many products for any skin care need you have.  Previously these products were only available in his offices or by a licensed Doctor/Distributor in his network, but now you can order them, no matter where you live in the world, from the comfort of your own Internet connection.

If you follow the below links, you can find Dr. Kalil in the news.

Dr. Kalil in the Media

He has been on Good Morning America, Deco Drive, and many of the local newspapers, (and even Miami Blog) recognize his commitment to skin care is second to none in the area.

More about Dr. Kalil…..

He founded the American Academy of Restorative and Aesthetic Medicine (AARAM), which focuses on teaching other physicians and perfecting the process of “True Repair” to the skin. Dr. Kalil is a proponent of the “Dentalization” of skin care, periodic office visits with simple maintenance between visits.  Basically, he believes that all skin care customers should view their skin like they do their teeth, and continue to have regular check-ups to ensure long-term success.

His internships, residencies and research work was done at Cornell University in New York, Bellevue Hospital in New York, Oxford Eye Unit and Kingston Eye Unit in England, Saginaw General Hospital in Saginaw, Michigan and Mt. Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida. Dr. Kalil was Board Certified in Internal Medicine in 1994; he eventually worked as an emergency room physician for five years in South Florida.In December 2000, Dr. Kalil established the Vitality Institute in South Beach and has passionately devoted himself to Restorative and Aesthetic Medicine and “True Repair” and rejuvenation of the skin. He stays on top of this new field of medicine by continuously developing cutting edge, out-of-the-box techniques and procedures that enhance his patients’ lives and keep them coming back.

With all of the skin care experts in the Miami area, there are a few that lead the way and pave the path for newcomers – Dr. Kalil is certainly one mind that blazes trails for the rest of the skin care industry, and Miami is proud to have him.

So, with the NFL Draft coming up, I’d like to weigh in on my thoughts on what the Miami Dolphins should do with their pick.  Recent drafts have been up-and-down for the Fins, and I think that Miami fans want that instant impact player that will contribute right away.  People seem to have mixed reviews on Pat White, the second rounder from last year, but I think in this league he was a great pick.  Jake Long was obviously a solid pick at #1 a couple years back, and Chad Henne looks to be a great pick with one year under center now.  As for Ted Ginn, well, that was a waste of a pick. I  love the guy’s energy and big play ability, but the drops just kill him.  I like the guy and am rooting for him to mature as a player, but so far, I’m thinking we should have went another route with that pick.  Then again, everyone wanted Brady Quinn, who has flopped so far in Cleveland.

So, as the draft approaches, and the Fins hold the 12th pick, it’s about time I release my thoughts on what exactly they should do with the pick.  We have a quarterback and two running backs that are ample, although Ronnie Brown may be trade bait according to a lot of people in the know.  While I think we’re fine with Ricky Williams, drafting a young runner like C.J. Spiller may be a good call.

Many people are looking at wide receiver and linebacker as well.  While there have been a lot of people stating that Anquan Boldin remains high on the Fins wish list, I just don’t see it happening.  The Cardinals played hardball last year and the result was that Boldin stayed put in Arizona.

That leads me to believe Dez Bryant, the punishing receiver known for his Brandon Marshall-esque size, who can even return kicks (what would Ted Ginn do then?) may be a good choice at number 12 if nobody has scooped him up yet.  I like the fact that he’s BIG, which the Fins need desperately.

I’m not up to speed on the linebacking options in this years draft, so I won’t comment on that in order to not embarass myself.  I do know that Joey Porter is all but gone from Miami, and that people aren’t all that thrilled with Channing Crowder as the elite linebacker on the team.  I have no issue with Crowder, and I’d actually love to see Brandon Spikes, another Florida defender, come to South Florida and join him.  Spikes is downright nasty. He can rush the passer, provide big hits, and even intercept passes, just like he did versus Georgia this year in the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party.

Whatever the Dolphins do, it’s an uphill battle in a strong AFC East.  The Jets showed everyone that Rex Ryan’s team is ready to play, and the New England Patriots are no slouches, to say the least.  Buffalo always puts up a fight, and you can count on them beefing up this off season after changing personnel.

A locally owned company, Green Smoke, makers of Electronic Cigarettes bearing the same name, was recently re-iterated as the top choice among electronic cigarette specialist Andy Gray.  The story is published below.

A respected electronic cigarette review specialist, named Andy Gray, has been voicing his opinion on the electronic cigarette craze for several months now. After reviewing several brands of e-cigs, he still says that Green Smoke is the best on the market.

Online PR News – 26-February-2010 – “It seems each week there is a new electronic cigarette brand making it’s way into the marketplace,” says Andy Gray, an electronic cigarette review expert and constant blogger on the subject of E-Cigarettes. “There seems to be no slow down in the industry even though some companies are having a hard time importing cartridges and getting hassled by the FDA,” Gray continued.

Electronic cigarettes, or ‘e-cigs,’ have been a hot topic lately, ever since one manufacturer won a ruling versus the FDA, who was stopping imported shipments in customs. While specifics about the customs issues are not readily available, the issue is being appealed. The court ruling on the importation of cigarettes of electronic nature will certainly be a landmark for the industry of what some people call ‘e-smoking,’ or ‘vaping.’

Meanwhile, Gray and his trusty review staff continue to be supportive of the electronic cigarette movement. His popular web blog gets “more traffic than I ever thought I’d be able to create,” according to Gray, and each week he continues to tweak it and add his thoughts and analysis as he tries new brands of e-cigarettes.

For his money, Gray has been highly impressed with the Green Smoke Electronic Cigarettes, which he has rated the top choice on his blog, although he suggests that people looking to make the jump to e-cigarettes also can try the Blu Cigs Starter Kit for a much more comfortable price point.

Green Smoke recently informed Gray that amidst all of the issues going on with the importation of e-cigarette components, they have sought out electronic cigarette manufacturing options in the United States. Certainly a well-thought out move by the leading e-cigarette company, Gray adds “The quality of Green Smoke impresses me, but the way they run their organization is even more admirable – they truly are setting themselves apart from the pack by the way they take time to think ahead.”

Gray added that Green Smoke is also customer-service oriented and takes time to educate customers on the idea of electronic cigarettes. “I hope to have more details I can share with the public about the state of Green Smoke, but for now you can refer to my blog and see an in-depth Green Smoke Review to see why most people agree they are the top electronic cigarette on the market today,” concluded Gray.

As people look for long term ways to save money and find a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes, the electronic cigarette market continues to sizzle. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for this truly unique niche.

An article about tanning in Miami and how to protect your skin from sun damage….

Miami and South Florida are no doubt among the most sought after destinations for a spring break, long weekend, or family vacations.  People come from all over the USA and abroad to bask in the hot sun and take in the tropical climate.  While some people have set goals and hours they like to suntan, others just do it to show their friends and family back home that they actually went somewhere worth mentioning.  They feel the color on their faces will make them look healthier when compared to the pale skin of the rest of their acquaintances.  While tanning in general is a likable pastime many people cherish, it also comes with some long-term side effects:  wrinkles and other sun damage that is not correctable.

Facial and skin wrinkles are both influenced heavily by the sun.  The sun is the number one cause of wrinkles.   Prolonged exposure to the sun has been shown to not only create skin wrinkles, but it also makes them deeper and more visible.  The best way to prevent wrinkles is to avoid the sun entirely, but since that is all but impossible for most of us, it is highly suggested that you apply plenty of sunblock.   Of course, re-apply it as often as possible for best results.

Think about what you will look like in 50 years each time you apply a tanning accelerator.  While the “killer tan” will look cool for a day or two if you do it right, your long-term prognosis is simple:  wrinkles, and plenty of them.  Skin wrinkles may be impossible to prevent entirely, but with the right game plan and skin care regimen, they can be kept at bay.  Skin wrinkles can be covered up by cosmetic surgeries and even some of the best anti aging creams out there, but they don’t make them go away. Only you can take steps to prevent wrinkles, and if you keep up to date on the latest advice, you can rest assured you will not experience severe wrinkles.

If you live in Miami or any other area where the sun shines constantly, you probably want to see a dermatologist.  There is a big push for people to see a dermatologist as much as say, a dentist, with the thought being that your skin is something as delicate as your teeth, and it needs to be cared for early and often.  A dermatologist can also help you find the right Spf factor for any sunblock you wish to use.

Just a hop, skip, and jump away is the tropical country of Costa Rica.  A unique paradise without an Army, this country is known for it’s exotic species of insects, animals, and reptiles.  Some of the largest and nastiest crocodiles live in Costa Rica.  Some of the most deadly live under a bridge in Tarcoles, just 15-20 minutes outside of the beach town of Jaco.  This area is a common stop for tourists, who stop to check out the large crocs as they venture to and from the area.

This video is from some creative locals who decide to tease the giant crocodiles by hanging a raw chicken over the bridge on a rope.  After a few attempts at the raw bait, a crocodile waiting patiently finally gets his meal.

For all of you looking for the lovey-dovey spots where you can pay too much money for a bottle of wine and a romantic dinner, you should probably just move on to another website.  I’m talking about a Valentines Day here for people who want to actually have fun and not get banged out by someone they may or may not be with come St. Patties Day.  This is Miami Valentines Day, Terry Bender style.

If you want to celebrate V-Day, my way, just follow me on this epic journey of debauchery.

I am thinking of starting my day off on Ocean Drive.  Probably catch a few mojitos at the Clevelander, and then mosey on over to Wet Willies for some frozen drinks.  I think I’d like to watch the Daytona 500 as well.  What better place to watch it then the Tootsies Cabaret? They have 100’s of plasma televisions in about every angle imaginable, so why not?  Plus, they have great food as well as a wide variety of exotic dancers to pay attention to, if desired.  You like Cubans?  Check.  Colombians?  Check.  Venezuelans?  Check.  White, black, asian, caucasian, indian, well, maybe.  They are all there, Tootsies has a serious lineup of women and an even better lineup of food, drinks, and entertainers.

Tootsies Caberet

After the Daytona 500 wraps, I’ll be hopefully collecting my winnings on a great Kyle Busch win.  Then, it’s anyone’s guess where I will meander off to.

NOTE:  Terry is officially crazy, and we do not endorse his Valentines Day antics.  While we at Miami Blog cannot control him, we only wish everyone had as much fun as him.  Happy Valentines Day from Miami Blog.