Are you looking for affordable eyeglasses yet high quality and stylish? Worry no more because Zenni Optical has it all. Choose from a variety of high quality complete eyeglass for as low as $8. Zenni Optical offers as low as $8 eyeglasses and these aren’t easily brakable because they ensure their customers the satisfaction and durability of their products. All of Zenni Optical’s order list of eyeglasses includes high quality of lens and flames, anti scratch coating, full UV protection, and much more. What are you waiting for? go and visit Zenni Optical now and have your first eyeglass in no time.
Links:
Incredible Stylish New Frames From Zenni
Zenni Optical was on FOX news!
Zenni Optical $ 8 Rx Eyeglasses
Friday, October 31, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
EZ Unsecured
Are you looking for a small business loan? Are you looking for a company that you can trust? Well, you have found the right place to help you with your financing needs. Nowadays, it is very hard to borrow money from friends or anyone we know because of the situation of economy. At EZUnsecured, they help you succeed in what you want to fulfill. They offer small business loans for businesses at a rate that you surely can afford. In the past years, they have helped clients receive millions in approval.
EZUnsecured is exclusively dedicated to unsecured financing, which leads to higher approval rates and better overall customer satisfaction. So if you are looking for a business loan, try to visit EZUnsecured and see the difference.
Link:
Business Loans
Business Loan
EZUnsecured is exclusively dedicated to unsecured financing, which leads to higher approval rates and better overall customer satisfaction. So if you are looking for a business loan, try to visit EZUnsecured and see the difference.
Link:
Business Loans
Business Loan
Monday, August 25, 2008
Insure Your Car
Your auto insurance is there to protect you against monetary loss if you are in an accident. Your auto insurance is, essentially, a contract between you and your insurance company. You pay a premium, and in return, the insurer agrees to pay for any losses as they are defined in your car insurance policy. In Canada, it is the law to have auto insurance. Your car insurance is valid anywhere in Canada and the United States. It’s a good idea to carry your proof of car insurance with you whenever you drive because you must produce it if a police officer requests. If you are found driving without valid auto insurance, you can have your driver’s licence suspended and your vehicle impounded.
In Canada, each province and territory establishes their own required minimum insurance coverage. However, you often can get options that go beyond the basics. One of the nice things about insurance is that you can modify your policy to ensure that you’ve got the exact protection you require, without paying for extra insurance you may not need.
The law does not require that you purchase car insurance to cover damages to your automobile. If you have a newer automobile, however, you’ll want to protect your investment and consider purchasing Collision and Comprehensive coverage.
Your auto insurance generally provides property, liability and medical coverage:
* Property coverage pays for damage or theft of your car.
* Liability coverage pays for your legal responsibility to others for bodily injury or property damage.
* Medical coverage pays for the cost of treating injuries, rehabilitation and sometimes lost wages and funeral expenses.
Link: car insurance
In Canada, each province and territory establishes their own required minimum insurance coverage. However, you often can get options that go beyond the basics. One of the nice things about insurance is that you can modify your policy to ensure that you’ve got the exact protection you require, without paying for extra insurance you may not need.
The law does not require that you purchase car insurance to cover damages to your automobile. If you have a newer automobile, however, you’ll want to protect your investment and consider purchasing Collision and Comprehensive coverage.
Your auto insurance generally provides property, liability and medical coverage:
* Property coverage pays for damage or theft of your car.
* Liability coverage pays for your legal responsibility to others for bodily injury or property damage.
* Medical coverage pays for the cost of treating injuries, rehabilitation and sometimes lost wages and funeral expenses.
Link: car insurance
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Get the best auto loans
Normally people will apply to auto loan services, because they have no cash to purchase a new or an used car. But not all auto loan services give them what they need quickly, they usually charge you with high interest rates. Especially if you use dealer and financial institution services.
Getthebestautoloan.com will give fast and easy process with lower interest rates than other services. In fact, you will not find convoluted requirements and process if you are purchasing a new car in Getthebestautoloan.com unlike in dealer you will be charged with high interest rates, so it’s better to get your new auto loan online,followin are the reasons as to why you should take auto loan with Getthebestautoloan.com:
*
Lower interest rates compared to most dealerships.
*
Dealerships sometimes add to your interest rate in order to increase their profit.
*
Dealerships might match your interest rate, but add more months to the length of the loan costing you much more.
*
Avoid the “song and dance” from the dealership sales people and manager.
*
Online lenders can approve you almost instantly.
Car dealer generally feel reluctant with people they consider risk, i mean with low credit ratings. If you’re not rejected by them, then you’ll be charged with extremely high interest rates. But not with Getthebestautoloan.com, they will find you the best loan that suit you.
So what are you waiting for? Hurry now… Visit their site.
Link: car loans
Getthebestautoloan.com will give fast and easy process with lower interest rates than other services. In fact, you will not find convoluted requirements and process if you are purchasing a new car in Getthebestautoloan.com unlike in dealer you will be charged with high interest rates, so it’s better to get your new auto loan online,followin are the reasons as to why you should take auto loan with Getthebestautoloan.com:
*
Lower interest rates compared to most dealerships.
*
Dealerships sometimes add to your interest rate in order to increase their profit.
*
Dealerships might match your interest rate, but add more months to the length of the loan costing you much more.
*
Avoid the “song and dance” from the dealership sales people and manager.
*
Online lenders can approve you almost instantly.
Car dealer generally feel reluctant with people they consider risk, i mean with low credit ratings. If you’re not rejected by them, then you’ll be charged with extremely high interest rates. But not with Getthebestautoloan.com, they will find you the best loan that suit you.
So what are you waiting for? Hurry now… Visit their site.
Link: car loans
Cash Advance
Are you looking for an emergency cash right to your checking account safely and securely? Then Payeveryone is the way for you to get your emergency cash, deposited straight into your checking account!
Payeveryone offers several of the better and more economical cash advance marketing sites on the Web. A very easy and fast way to get the payday loans you need.
All the possibilities you need gathered in one place and they do NOT require a credit check.
The beauty of an online lender !
Once you have applied by an online form, in the company of only yourself at home and no need for waiting in line at the store, and if you get approved,
the money will usually be in your hand in matter of hours !
It doesn’t get any easier !!
Payeveryone is a very easy to use site, they make it very easy to find the right payday loan that suits your needs.
The site has a very nice design, looking good and builds trust, which is very important on a site like this.
Good and easy to find information about how things work in case you should have any questions.
Take a look at Payeveryone today to get the help you need, I’m sure you’ll find something that fits your needs.
Link: payday loan online
Payeveryone offers several of the better and more economical cash advance marketing sites on the Web. A very easy and fast way to get the payday loans you need.
All the possibilities you need gathered in one place and they do NOT require a credit check.
The beauty of an online lender !
Once you have applied by an online form, in the company of only yourself at home and no need for waiting in line at the store, and if you get approved,
the money will usually be in your hand in matter of hours !
It doesn’t get any easier !!
Payeveryone is a very easy to use site, they make it very easy to find the right payday loan that suits your needs.
The site has a very nice design, looking good and builds trust, which is very important on a site like this.
Good and easy to find information about how things work in case you should have any questions.
Take a look at Payeveryone today to get the help you need, I’m sure you’ll find something that fits your needs.
Link: payday loan online
Credit Cards
Another very useful site that helps you in searching for your ultimate credit/debit card is YourCreditNetwork. It’ s not only a Credit Cards Offers Site, but is a helpful guide between tons of credit card that you can find (online and not).
The site, with a good graphical design, is principally divided into three section: a credit card research section, a credit card comparison section and an apply section (if you need to buy a credit card immediately). Also a “Credit Blog” is present fulfilled with useful information.
Credit cards are searchable by issuer or category. This second opportunity is the more useful (especially for me) in fact you can choose a credit card by features: example of sections are low interest c.c., bank credit c.c., rewards c.c., cash back c.c. c.c., student, airline credit c.c., prepaid c.c. and so on. You can select the credit card you like and make comparison with others to make your choice…and if you like it, simply click the “apply now” button to buy it! Obviously, for each credit card, a comprehensive description is reported with evidenced all the main features, fees, term and conditions. You can also read a useful site review and some perks written by site owners.
You can also find, on site and for each credit card, a point classification. These points are reviewed by site owners and are very useful for a first selection (1 to 5 points). If you need more information, please refer to their Credit Blog
Link: bad credit cards
The site, with a good graphical design, is principally divided into three section: a credit card research section, a credit card comparison section and an apply section (if you need to buy a credit card immediately). Also a “Credit Blog” is present fulfilled with useful information.
Credit cards are searchable by issuer or category. This second opportunity is the more useful (especially for me) in fact you can choose a credit card by features: example of sections are low interest c.c., bank credit c.c., rewards c.c., cash back c.c. c.c., student, airline credit c.c., prepaid c.c. and so on. You can select the credit card you like and make comparison with others to make your choice…and if you like it, simply click the “apply now” button to buy it! Obviously, for each credit card, a comprehensive description is reported with evidenced all the main features, fees, term and conditions. You can also read a useful site review and some perks written by site owners.
You can also find, on site and for each credit card, a point classification. These points are reviewed by site owners and are very useful for a first selection (1 to 5 points). If you need more information, please refer to their Credit Blog
Link: bad credit cards
Best Mortgages
Is it hard to get mortgage loans ? Is it hard to buy a new house?
Alot of problems will face you when you decide to buy a new house. And the main problem is always the money.
How to get aloan to buy a house? This question i was asked by a friend face this problem and i promised him to find a solution for this problem. I told him just check my blog.
MortgageFindersNetwork.com proviedes many different types of loans. Also there is a spot on the sidebar of the site for fast help.
This spot called (browse our mortgage offers):
Type of Service: Home Purchase | Home Refinance | Equity Line
Type of Property: Single Family | Multi-Family | Condo | Townhome | Mobile Home
Your Credit Rating: Excellent | Good | Fair | Poor.
Also there a page called Mortage Blog. In this page you will findthe official mortages blog. And alot of useful articles before applying your mortgage loan.
The last review in their blog called (What is a Second Mortgage?). I read it and i find alot of importnat info about the second mortgage.
Also i want to tell everyone that MortgageFindersNetwork.com is a trusted network and alot of people dealed with it and no worries.
Link: home loan
Alot of problems will face you when you decide to buy a new house. And the main problem is always the money.
How to get aloan to buy a house? This question i was asked by a friend face this problem and i promised him to find a solution for this problem. I told him just check my blog.
MortgageFindersNetwork.com proviedes many different types of loans. Also there is a spot on the sidebar of the site for fast help.
This spot called (browse our mortgage offers):
Type of Service: Home Purchase | Home Refinance | Equity Line
Type of Property: Single Family | Multi-Family | Condo | Townhome | Mobile Home
Your Credit Rating: Excellent | Good | Fair | Poor.
Also there a page called Mortage Blog. In this page you will findthe official mortages blog. And alot of useful articles before applying your mortgage loan.
The last review in their blog called (What is a Second Mortgage?). I read it and i find alot of importnat info about the second mortgage.
Also i want to tell everyone that MortgageFindersNetwork.com is a trusted network and alot of people dealed with it and no worries.
Link: home loan
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Zenni Optical Products
Are you looking for affordable eyeglasses yet high quality and stylish? Worry no more because Zenni Optical has it all. Choose from a variety of high quality complete eyeglass for as low as $8. Zenni Optical offers as low as $8 eyeglasses and these aren’t easily brakable because they ensure their customers the satisfaction and durability of their products. All of Zenni Optical’s order list of eyeglasses includes high quality of lens and flames, anti scratch coating, full UV protection, and much more. What are you waiting for? go and visit Zenni Optical now and have your first eyeglass in no time.
Links:
Incredible Stylish New Frames From Zenni
Zenni Optical was on FOX news!
Zenni Optical $ 8 Rx Eyeglasses
Links:
Incredible Stylish New Frames From Zenni
Zenni Optical was on FOX news!
Zenni Optical $ 8 Rx Eyeglasses
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Urgent Cash
Are you looking for an emergency cash right to your checking account safely and securely? Then Payeveryone is the way for you to get your emergency cash, deposited straight into your checking account!
Payeveryone offers several of the better and more economical cash advance marketing sites on the Web. A very easy and fast way to get the payday loans you need.
All the possibilities you need gathered in one place and they do NOT require a credit check.
The beauty of an online lender !
Once you have applied by an online form, in the company of only yourself at home and no need for waiting in line at the store, and if you get approved,
the money will usually be in your hand in matter of hours !
It doesn’t get any easier !!
Payeveryone is a very easy to use site, they make it very easy to find the right payday loan that suits your needs.
The site has a very nice design, looking good and builds trust, which is very important on a site like this.
Good and easy to find information about how things work in case you should have any questions.
Take a look at Payeveryone today to get the help you need, I’m sure you’ll find something that fits your needs.
Link: cash loan
Payeveryone offers several of the better and more economical cash advance marketing sites on the Web. A very easy and fast way to get the payday loans you need.
All the possibilities you need gathered in one place and they do NOT require a credit check.
The beauty of an online lender !
Once you have applied by an online form, in the company of only yourself at home and no need for waiting in line at the store, and if you get approved,
the money will usually be in your hand in matter of hours !
It doesn’t get any easier !!
Payeveryone is a very easy to use site, they make it very easy to find the right payday loan that suits your needs.
The site has a very nice design, looking good and builds trust, which is very important on a site like this.
Good and easy to find information about how things work in case you should have any questions.
Take a look at Payeveryone today to get the help you need, I’m sure you’ll find something that fits your needs.
Link: cash loan
Your Credit Network
Another very useful site that helps you in searching for your ultimate credit/debit card is YourCreditNetwork. It’ s not only a Credit Cards Offers Site, but is a helpful guide between tons of credit card that you can find (online and not).
The site, with a good graphical design, is principally divided into three section: a credit card research section, a credit card comparison section and an apply section (if you need to buy a credit card immediately). Also a “Credit Blog” is present fulfilled with useful information.
Credit cards are searchable by issuer or category. This second opportunity is the more useful (especially for me) in fact you can choose a credit card by features: example of sections are low interest c.c., bank credit c.c., rewards c.c., cash back c.c. c.c., student, airline credit c.c., prepaid c.c. and so on. You can select the credit card you like and make comparison with others to make your choice…and if you like it, simply click the “apply now” button to buy it!
Obviously, for each credit card, a comprehensive description is reported with evidenced all the main features, fees, term and conditions. You can also read a useful site review and some perks written by site owners.
You can also find, on site and for each credit card, a point classification. These points are reviewed by site owners and are very useful for a first selection (1 to 5 points).
If you need more information, please refer to their Credit Blog
Link: credit card
The site, with a good graphical design, is principally divided into three section: a credit card research section, a credit card comparison section and an apply section (if you need to buy a credit card immediately). Also a “Credit Blog” is present fulfilled with useful information.
Credit cards are searchable by issuer or category. This second opportunity is the more useful (especially for me) in fact you can choose a credit card by features: example of sections are low interest c.c., bank credit c.c., rewards c.c., cash back c.c. c.c., student, airline credit c.c., prepaid c.c. and so on. You can select the credit card you like and make comparison with others to make your choice…and if you like it, simply click the “apply now” button to buy it!
Obviously, for each credit card, a comprehensive description is reported with evidenced all the main features, fees, term and conditions. You can also read a useful site review and some perks written by site owners.
You can also find, on site and for each credit card, a point classification. These points are reviewed by site owners and are very useful for a first selection (1 to 5 points).
If you need more information, please refer to their Credit Blog
Link: credit card
Mortgages
Is it hard to get mortgage loans ? Is it hard to buy a new house?
Alot of problems will face you when you decide to buy a new house. And the main problem is always the money.
How to get aloan to buy a house? This question i was asked by a friend face this problem and i promised him to find a solution for this problem. I told him just check my blog.
MortgageFindersNetwork.com proviedes many different types of loans. Also there is a spot on the sidebar of the site for fast help.
This spot called (browse our mortgage offers):
Type of Service: Home Purchase | Home Refinance | Equity Line
Type of Property: Single Family | Multi-Family | Condo | Townhome | Mobile Home
Your Credit Rating: Excellent | Good | Fair | Poor.
Also there a page called Mortage Blog. In this page you will findthe official mortages blog. And alot of useful articles before applying your mortgage loan.
The last review in their blog called (What is a Second Mortgage?). I read it and i find alot of importnat info about the second mortgage.
Also i want to tell everyone that MortgageFindersNetwork.com is a trusted network and alot of people dealed with it and no worries.
Link: mortgage
Alot of problems will face you when you decide to buy a new house. And the main problem is always the money.
How to get aloan to buy a house? This question i was asked by a friend face this problem and i promised him to find a solution for this problem. I told him just check my blog.
MortgageFindersNetwork.com proviedes many different types of loans. Also there is a spot on the sidebar of the site for fast help.
This spot called (browse our mortgage offers):
Type of Service: Home Purchase | Home Refinance | Equity Line
Type of Property: Single Family | Multi-Family | Condo | Townhome | Mobile Home
Your Credit Rating: Excellent | Good | Fair | Poor.
Also there a page called Mortage Blog. In this page you will findthe official mortages blog. And alot of useful articles before applying your mortgage loan.
The last review in their blog called (What is a Second Mortgage?). I read it and i find alot of importnat info about the second mortgage.
Also i want to tell everyone that MortgageFindersNetwork.com is a trusted network and alot of people dealed with it and no worries.
Link: mortgage
The best auto loan
Normally people will apply to auto loan services, because they have no cash to purchase a new or an used car. But not all auto loan services give them what they need quickly, they usually charge you with high interest rates. Especially if you use dealer and financial institution services.
Getthebestautoloan.com will give fast and easy process with lower interest rates than other services. In fact, you will not find convoluted requirements and process if you are purchasing a new car in Getthebestautoloan.com unlike in dealer you will be charged with high interest rates, so it’s better to get your new auto loan online,followin are the reasons as to why you should take auto loan with Getthebestautoloan.com:
*
Lower interest rates compared to most dealerships.
*
Dealerships sometimes add to your interest rate in order to increase their profit.
*
Dealerships might match your interest rate, but add more months to the length of the loan costing you much more.
*
Avoid the “song and dance” from the dealership sales people and manager.
*
Online lenders can approve you almost instantly.
Car dealer generally feel reluctant with people they consider risk, i mean with low credit ratings. If you’re not rejected by them, then you’ll be charged with extremely high interest rates. But not with Getthebestautoloan.com, they will find you the best loan that suit you.
So what are you waiting for? Hurry now… Visit their site.
Link: auto loan
Getthebestautoloan.com will give fast and easy process with lower interest rates than other services. In fact, you will not find convoluted requirements and process if you are purchasing a new car in Getthebestautoloan.com unlike in dealer you will be charged with high interest rates, so it’s better to get your new auto loan online,followin are the reasons as to why you should take auto loan with Getthebestautoloan.com:
*
Lower interest rates compared to most dealerships.
*
Dealerships sometimes add to your interest rate in order to increase their profit.
*
Dealerships might match your interest rate, but add more months to the length of the loan costing you much more.
*
Avoid the “song and dance” from the dealership sales people and manager.
*
Online lenders can approve you almost instantly.
Car dealer generally feel reluctant with people they consider risk, i mean with low credit ratings. If you’re not rejected by them, then you’ll be charged with extremely high interest rates. But not with Getthebestautoloan.com, they will find you the best loan that suit you.
So what are you waiting for? Hurry now… Visit their site.
Link: auto loan
No debt today
Do you feel like breaking down? Do you feel that during your idle times, you can’t think of anything else but DEBT! In everyday life,there is always stress and problems arising from mistakes and carelessness but nothing is more severe than getting yourself into debt.I personally know people who gets into debt even though they are quite well to do.This has causes these people lots of sleepless nights and anxiety because of the huge ‘’mountain’’ of papers which consist mainly of debts that they have compiled due to the factors mentioned above.In some cases,it seems almost impossible to get out of unless you have someone as rich as Bill Gates as your close friend who is able to get them out of it.
I believe that you might be encountering some problems with debts too but this is not the end of the world.It seems that this website known as No Debt Today is offering you a comprehensive credit card consolidation guide to get out of debt.
First,you can attain a free debt consultation that focuses on debt consolidation on what is the root of your financial problem and this is planned by financial experts.This is when the financial experts will explain to you what exactly is your problem so as to educate you on the mistakes that you have made in the past. Of course,all these and more will benefit you in the future as well as with the right information,you will never find yourself in debt again.
You can also get a free quote that helps you to consolidate debts of financial problems that started all from these roots that includes credit cards,tax,credit repair and even multi debt.
Start to live out a better life.Get out of debt with No Debt Today.
Link: debt
I believe that you might be encountering some problems with debts too but this is not the end of the world.It seems that this website known as No Debt Today is offering you a comprehensive credit card consolidation guide to get out of debt.
First,you can attain a free debt consultation that focuses on debt consolidation on what is the root of your financial problem and this is planned by financial experts.This is when the financial experts will explain to you what exactly is your problem so as to educate you on the mistakes that you have made in the past. Of course,all these and more will benefit you in the future as well as with the right information,you will never find yourself in debt again.
You can also get a free quote that helps you to consolidate debts of financial problems that started all from these roots that includes credit cards,tax,credit repair and even multi debt.
Start to live out a better life.Get out of debt with No Debt Today.
Link: debt
Perfect Cash Advance
Are you looking for an emergency cash right to your checking account safely and securely? Then Perfect Cash Advance is the way for you to get your emergency cash, deposited straight into your checking account!
Perfect Cash Advance offers several of the better and more economical cash advance marketing sites on the Web. A very easy and fast way to get a payday loan you need.
All the possibilities you need gathered in one place and they do NOT require a credit check.
The beauty of an online lender !
Once you have applied by an online form, in the company of only yourself at home and no need for waiting in line at the store, and if you get approved,
the money will usually be in your hand in matter of hours !
It doesn’t get any easier !!
Perfect Cash Advance is a very easy to use site, they make it very easy to find the right payday loan that suits your needs.
The site has a very nice design, looking good and builds trust, which is very important on a site like this.
Good and easy to find information about how things work in case you should have any questions.
Take a look at Perfect Cash Advance today to get the help you need, I’m sure you’ll find something that fits your needs.
Link:
cash advance
payday loans
Perfect Cash Advance offers several of the better and more economical cash advance marketing sites on the Web. A very easy and fast way to get a payday loan you need.
All the possibilities you need gathered in one place and they do NOT require a credit check.
The beauty of an online lender !
Once you have applied by an online form, in the company of only yourself at home and no need for waiting in line at the store, and if you get approved,
the money will usually be in your hand in matter of hours !
It doesn’t get any easier !!
Perfect Cash Advance is a very easy to use site, they make it very easy to find the right payday loan that suits your needs.
The site has a very nice design, looking good and builds trust, which is very important on a site like this.
Good and easy to find information about how things work in case you should have any questions.
Take a look at Perfect Cash Advance today to get the help you need, I’m sure you’ll find something that fits your needs.
Link:
cash advance
payday loans
Personal Cash Advance
Are you looking for an emergency cash right to your checking account safely and securely? Then Personal Cash Advance is the way for you to get your emergency cash, deposited straight into your checking account!
Personal Cash Advance offers several of the better and more economical cash advance marketing sites on the Web. A very easy and fast way to get the payday loans you need.
All the possibilities you need gathered in one place and they do NOT require a credit check.
The beauty of an online lender !
Once you have applied by an online form, in the company of only yourself at home and no need for waiting in line at the store, and if you get approved,
the money will usually be in your hand in matter of hours !
It doesn’t get any easier !!
Personal Cash Advance is a very easy to use site, they make it very easy to find the right payday advance loan that suits your needs.
The site has a very nice design, looking good and builds trust, which is very important on a site like this.
Good and easy to find information about how things work in case you should have any questions.
Take a look at Personal Cash Advance today to get the help you need, I’m sure you’ll find something that fits your needs.
Link: cash advance loan
Personal Cash Advance offers several of the better and more economical cash advance marketing sites on the Web. A very easy and fast way to get the payday loans you need.
All the possibilities you need gathered in one place and they do NOT require a credit check.
The beauty of an online lender !
Once you have applied by an online form, in the company of only yourself at home and no need for waiting in line at the store, and if you get approved,
the money will usually be in your hand in matter of hours !
It doesn’t get any easier !!
Personal Cash Advance is a very easy to use site, they make it very easy to find the right payday advance loan that suits your needs.
The site has a very nice design, looking good and builds trust, which is very important on a site like this.
Good and easy to find information about how things work in case you should have any questions.
Take a look at Personal Cash Advance today to get the help you need, I’m sure you’ll find something that fits your needs.
Link: cash advance loan
Insurance Portal
Do you own home or simply renting? Have you already homeowner insurance or Are you looking one? Or do you want to switch to another homeowner insurance company?Whether you own your house, or simply renting condos, apartments, etc., as homeowner insurance is mandatory. Why? It is one of the best ways to have protection against disasters that will affect you, your property and your loved ones and your visitors. When you have the best homeowner insurance will certainly have peace of mind you will be secure and confident with whatever things happen May, there will be people who will help to monitor after natural disasters, damage, theft, vandalism etc. So whenever you need to have the best Homeowner insurance, just go with insurancerate.com. How? Simply select the Home Insurance and enter your zip code, and then will order another page form. In there, you can enter data and then you can easily get free Homeowner Insurance quotes. Then you can compare the best homeowner insurance companies, then select Homeowner Insurance that suits your needs and be covered. See how easy it is? And do not worry about the information you have entered for insurancerate.com have secure website.
link: insurance
link: insurance
Easy online payday loan
It was payday time once again yesterday. and i was just wondering why my cash looked like it slipped only through my hands. it’s just a day after payday and cash is almost depleted already. sigh. let’ think about it. i have to pay the dslr from my brother. ok, that’s already a 6-figure thing. tsk tsk. then i have to pay a couple of credit cards too. argh. then i have to pay my son’s part-time yaya and our part-time house helper. i need to pay the our land line phone and cable tv bills too. too many expenses! i’m so bent on borrowing money but if worse comes to worst, i might avail myself payday cash loans like the one being offered by easyonlinepaydayloan.com. the money i’d get there should get me by until the next payday comes. i have a regular and well paying job and an active savings and checking account. i am of legal age too so i don’t think there would be problems if avail of cash loan. i just really hope i won’t resort to this kind of thing. but it’s really good to know that i have a fall back if in case i really need to shout for sos. hehe.
Link: payday loan
Link: payday loan
Friday, July 11, 2008
$ 8 Eyeglasses
Are you looking for affordable eyeglasses yet high quality and stylish? Worry no more because Zenni Optical has it all. Choose from a variety of high quality complete eyeglass for as low as $8. Zenni Optical offers as low as $8 eyeglasses and these aren’t easily brakable because they ensure their customers the satisfaction and durability of their products. All of Zenni Optical’s order list of eyeglasses includes high quality of lens and flames, anti scratch coating, full UV protection, and much more. What are you waiting for? go and visit Zenni Optical now and have your first eyeglass in no time.
Links:
Incredible Stylish New Frames From Zenni
Zenni Optical was on FOX news!
Zenni Optical $ 8 Rx Eyeglasses
Links:
Incredible Stylish New Frames From Zenni
Zenni Optical was on FOX news!
Zenni Optical $ 8 Rx Eyeglasses
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Zenni Optical Glasses
Are you looking for affordable eyeglasses yet high quality and stylish? Worry no more because Zenni Optical has it all. Choose from a variety of high quality complete eyeglass for as low as $8. Zenni Optical offers as low as $8 eyeglasses and these aren’t easily brakable because they ensure their customers the satisfaction and durability of their products. All of Zenni Optical’s order list of eyeglasses includes high quality of lens and flames, anti scratch coating, full UV protection, and much more. What are you waiting for? go and visit Zenni Optical now and have your first eyeglass in no time.
Links:
Incredible Stylish New Frames From Zenni
Zenni Optical was on FOX news!
Zenni Optical $ 8 Rx Eyeglasses
Links:
Incredible Stylish New Frames From Zenni
Zenni Optical was on FOX news!
Zenni Optical $ 8 Rx Eyeglasses
Complete Prescription Glasses
Are you looking for affordable eyeglasses yet high quality and stylish? Worry no more because Zenni Optical has it all. Choose from a variety of high quality complete eyeglass for as low as $8. Zenni Optical offers as low as $8 eyeglasses and these aren’t easily brakable because they ensure their customers the satisfaction and durability of their products. All of Zenni Optical’s order list of eyeglasses includes high quality of lens and flames, anti scratch coating, full UV protection, and much more. What are you waiting for? go and visit Zenni Optical now and have your first eyeglass in no time.
Links:
Incredible Stylish New Frames From Zenni
Zenni Optical was on FOX news!
Zenni Optical $ 8 Rx Eyeglasses
Links:
Incredible Stylish New Frames From Zenni
Zenni Optical was on FOX news!
Zenni Optical $ 8 Rx Eyeglasses
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Can films bring the world together? Pangea Day
You could be part of it.
They want to know your story. Make a film. Get involved.
Register at www.pangeaday.org/
Then upload your film at youtube.com/group/pangeaday
High School Musical : The Ice Tour in Manila
The Walt Disney Company and Feld Entertainment brings another Disney experience to the Philippines through High School Musical: The Ice Tour in Manila.
The ice show will be held at the Araneta Colisuem on selected dates this July. It is inspired by and will feature elements and songs from the popular American Television film “High School Musical” and its sequel “High School Musical 2″.
Ticket Prices: P1,340 (Patron/Lower Box VIP), P1,100 (Patron/Lower Box Regular), P 900 (Upper Box A VIP), P 640 (Upper Box A Regular), P 350 (Upper Box B), and P 150 (Gen. Admission).
High School Musical: The Ice Tour In Manila (July 2008) schedule:
July 11, Friday - 2PM and 6PM
July 12, Saturday - 1PM, 4:30PM and 8pm
July 13, Sunday - 2PM and 6PM
July 15, Tuesday - 6PM
July 16, Wednesday - 6PM
July 17, Thursday - 6PM
July 18, Friday - 2PM and 6PM
July 19, Saturday - 1PM, 4:30PM and 8PM
July 20, Sunday - 1PM, 4:30PM & 8PM
For more details, check out Disney's Site, call TicketNet at 911-5555 or visit Ticketnet.com to have a ticket reserved.
Charice Pemngco in the Oprah Winfrey Show
After a long wait, the episode wherein Charice Pempengco guested in the Oprah Winfrey Show was aired. I wasn't able to watched it on TV. So those who also missed the show here's the full guesting of Charice in the Oprah Winfrey Show.
View Here...
View Here...
Thursday, May 8, 2008
What is emo?
Emo (pronounced /ˈiːmoʊ/) is a style of rock music which describes several independent variations of music with common stylistic roots. As such, use of the term has been the subject of much debate. In the mid-1980s, the term emo described a subgenre of hardcore punk which originated in the Washington, D.C. music scene. In later years, the term emocore, short for "emotional hardcore", was also used to describe the emotional performances of bands in the Washington, D.C. scene and some of the offshoot regional scenes such as Rites of Spring, Embrace, One Last Wish, Beefeater, Gray Matter, Fire Party, and later, Moss Icon. (In more recent years, the term "emotive hardcore" entered the lexicon to describe the period.)
Starting in the mid-1990s, the term emo began to refer to the indie scene that followed the influences of Fugazi, which itself was an offshoot of the first wave of emo. Bands including Sunny Day Real Estate and Texas Is the Reason had a more indie rock style of emo, more melodic and less chaotic. The so-called "indie emo" scene survived until the late 1990s, as many of the bands either disbanded or shifted to mainstream styles. As the remaining indie emo bands entered the mainstream, newer bands began to emulate the mainstream style. As a result, the term "emo" became a vaguely defined identifier rather than a specific genre of music.
Starting in the mid-1990s, the term emo began to refer to the indie scene that followed the influences of Fugazi, which itself was an offshoot of the first wave of emo. Bands including Sunny Day Real Estate and Texas Is the Reason had a more indie rock style of emo, more melodic and less chaotic. The so-called "indie emo" scene survived until the late 1990s, as many of the bands either disbanded or shifted to mainstream styles. As the remaining indie emo bands entered the mainstream, newer bands began to emulate the mainstream style. As a result, the term "emo" became a vaguely defined identifier rather than a specific genre of music.
Grand Theft Auto IV
NEW YORK - "Grand Theft Auto IV" raked in more than $500 million in its first week in stores, selling more than 6 million units worldwide, the video game's publisher said Wednesday.
The highly anticipated title from Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. has received stellar ratings along with criticism for its violent content. The game follows Eastern European immigrant-turned gangster Niko Bellic on crime missions around a fictional Liberty City.
The title sold about 3.6 million units on April 29, its opening day, bringing in roughly $310 million. This is $10 million more than what Microsoft Corp.'s "Halo 3," another blockbuster game, took in during its first week last fall.
New York-based Take-Two is the subject of a $2 billion hostile buyout from larger rival Electronic Arts Inc., which Take-Two has repeatedly rebuffed as too low.
Take-Two's shares were recently trading at $26.39, above EA's tender offer of $25.74 per share, which expires May 16. Unless EA is willing to offer more, it seems "increasingly possible" the acquisition attempt could unravel, Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey said in a note to investors.
Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter disagrees, however, saying the game's sales were well within his expectations.
"I don't think it changes the value of the company," he said. "I think we are going to end up with a Microsoft-Yahoo situation," with Take-Two Chairman Strauss Zelnick believing the company is worth more and EA chief John Riccitiello disagreeing.
Three months after it first made an offer, Microsoft dropped its $47.5 billion bid for Yahoo Inc. over the weekend after the companies couldn't agree on a price.
Pachter said he expects the game to sell 12 million copies by the end of 2008. GTA's previous versions have sold more than 70 million copies worldwide.
Already, the game seems to be living up to its juicy past, which includes controversy over hidden sex scenes, sharp criticism from Hillary Rodham Clinton and a 2006 lawsuit that blames the game for three New Mexico murders committed by a 14-year-old.
For one, Take-Two sued the Chicago Transit Authority on Monday for removing ads for the game because of its "Mature" rating, which means it is not suitable for people under 17. And the game also caught the ire of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which seeks an adults-only rating because it lets players drive after imbibing in virtual liquor.
The highly anticipated title from Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. has received stellar ratings along with criticism for its violent content. The game follows Eastern European immigrant-turned gangster Niko Bellic on crime missions around a fictional Liberty City.
The title sold about 3.6 million units on April 29, its opening day, bringing in roughly $310 million. This is $10 million more than what Microsoft Corp.'s "Halo 3," another blockbuster game, took in during its first week last fall.
New York-based Take-Two is the subject of a $2 billion hostile buyout from larger rival Electronic Arts Inc., which Take-Two has repeatedly rebuffed as too low.
Take-Two's shares were recently trading at $26.39, above EA's tender offer of $25.74 per share, which expires May 16. Unless EA is willing to offer more, it seems "increasingly possible" the acquisition attempt could unravel, Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey said in a note to investors.
Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter disagrees, however, saying the game's sales were well within his expectations.
"I don't think it changes the value of the company," he said. "I think we are going to end up with a Microsoft-Yahoo situation," with Take-Two Chairman Strauss Zelnick believing the company is worth more and EA chief John Riccitiello disagreeing.
Three months after it first made an offer, Microsoft dropped its $47.5 billion bid for Yahoo Inc. over the weekend after the companies couldn't agree on a price.
Pachter said he expects the game to sell 12 million copies by the end of 2008. GTA's previous versions have sold more than 70 million copies worldwide.
Already, the game seems to be living up to its juicy past, which includes controversy over hidden sex scenes, sharp criticism from Hillary Rodham Clinton and a 2006 lawsuit that blames the game for three New Mexico murders committed by a 14-year-old.
For one, Take-Two sued the Chicago Transit Authority on Monday for removing ads for the game because of its "Mature" rating, which means it is not suitable for people under 17. And the game also caught the ire of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which seeks an adults-only rating because it lets players drive after imbibing in virtual liquor.
Week Ending May 4, 2008: Madonna Closes In On Streisand's Record
Madonna lands her seventh #1 album as Hard Candy debuts in the lead position. In the 52 year history of Billboard's weekly album chart, only one female artist-Barbra Streisand--has had more #1 albums. Madonna is also second only to Streisand for the longest span of #1 albums. Streisand's span a little more than 33 years, from People in October 1964 to Higher Ground in November 1997. Madonna's span a little more than 23 years, from Like A Virgin in February 1985 to Hard Candy.
The two women would seem to have little in common. Streisand is renowned as one of the most gifted vocalists of all time. Madonna's innate vocal talents are fairly modest. As she has pointed out, she didn't go into music because she thought she had a spectacular voice but because she had something to say.
The two women were received differently from the outset. Streisand's debut album won a Grammy for Album of the Year. By the time she was 27, Streisand had also won an Emmy and an Oscar, representing a rare degree of affirmation by the show business establishment. Madonna, by contrast, had a hard time at the outset even being taken seriously in the music industry. She didn't win a Grammy until 1992, and then only in a lower-profile video category. She didn't have a really good night at the Grammys until 1999, when she won three awards, including Best Pop Album and Best Dance Recording.
For all their differences, the two women also have a lot in common. A friend summed it up by saying they've both got a lot of gumption (though he didn't use the word "gumption"). In both cases, their cultural significance was apparent early on. Streisand made the cover of TIME in April 1964, two weeks before her 22nd birthday. Madonna was on TIME's cover in May 1985, a few months before she turned 27.
Madonna famously bowed before Streisand when the veteran diva made a surprise cameo appearance in a "Coffee Talk" sketch on Saturday Night Live in February 1992. (You can watch the video at the end of this week's blog.) Less famously, but significantly, when Billboard ran a special issue saluting Streisand in December 1983, Warner Bros. made a point of taking the back-cover ad to promote Madonna. The Madonna ad was headlined "A Star Is Born"--the title of Streisand's 1976 movie musical. That week, Madonna's "Holiday"--her first Hot 100 single--was in its first week in the top 40. For such a newcomer to invite any comparisons to the top female star of a generation took a lot of nerve.
Madonna has not equaled Streisand's success in films, despite a critically-hailed performance in Desperately Seeking Susan and a Golden Globe-winning turn in Evita. Nor has Madonna equaled Streisand's success on Broadway in Funny Girl. They've had about equal success in TV, though comparing Streisand's classy, Emmy-winning specials with Madonna's dozens of trend-setting music videos is a bit like comparing apples and bustiers.
While it may be hard to believe, especially given the erotic photo on the cover of Hard Candy, Madonna will turn 50 on Aug. 16. When Streisand was the same age, she was basking in the success of her lavish, four-disk career retrospective Just For The Record. Since then, Streisand has had two #1 albums, Back To Broadway and Higher Ground, but for the most part, she has seemed content to let her recording career wind down. Having recently signed a major deal with Live Nation, Madonna seems likely to remain active as a recording act.
In addition to being second only to Streisand as the female vocalist with the most #1 albums, Madonna is second only to Mariah Carey for most #1 singles on Billboard's Hot 100. Madonna has had 12, to Carey's 18. So you can make a reasonable argument that Madonna is the top female recording act (albums and singles combined) of the rock era. For a woman who is not a great singer to have achieved such a feat says two things--that Madonna has tremendous will and fortitude and that values in pop have changed. Under the new rules (which Madonna helped to write), vision and image matter more than pure vocal ability.
Hard Candy is Madonna's fourth consecutive studio album to reach #1, the longest such streak of her career. It follows Music, American Life and Confessions On A Dance Floor. At her white-hot heyday in the ‘80s, Madonna reached #1 with three successive studio albums, Like A Virgin, True Blue and Like A Prayer. It's striking that Madonna has had more #1 albums since 2000 than she did in the ‘80s. (And it's curious that she had none at all in the ‘90s.)
Hard Candy is the third consecutive #1 album by a female solo artist, following Leona Lewis' Spirit and Mariah Carey's E=MC2. This is the first time that three female solo artists have made #1 in succession since Monica, Beyonce and Ashanti scored in June and July 2003. This is also the second time in the past three weeks that female solo artists have locked up the top three spots on the pop album chart. (Men, we're getting whooped here.)
Hard Candy opens with sales of 280,000. That's the third highest weekly sales total of 2008, following E=MC2 (463,000) and Jack Johnson's Sleep Through The Static (375,000).
Lewis' "Bleeding Love" holds at #1 on Hot Digital Songs for a fourth week, with 217,000 paid digital downloads. This is the fifth time that the smash has topped 200,000 in weekly sales, which extends the record that Lewis set last week. And this is the seventh week in a row that the #1 title on this chart has topped 200K, which is also a new record. I see growth in this field!
Here's the low-down on this week's top 10 albums.
1. Madonna, Hard Candy, 280,000. Madonna's first-week sales are in between the opening numbers posted by her two most recent studio albums. American Life started with sales of 241,000 in 2003. Confessions On A Dance Floor bowed with sales of 350,000 in 2005. "4 Minutes," her hit collaboration with Justin Timberlake, dips from #2 to #3 on Hot Digital Songs. Two other tracks from the album debut this week. "Give It 2 Me" opens at #21, "Beat Goes On," a collaboration with Kanye West, bows at #101.
2. Mariah Carey, E=MC2, 95,000. Carey slips to #2 after spending two weeks on top. "Touch My Body" slips from #8 to #11 on Hot Digital Songs. "Bye Bye" drops from #22 to #41.
3. Leona Lewis, Spirit, 84,000. Lewis slips to #3 after spending one week at #1 and two weeks at #2. In addition to the chart-topping "Bleeding Love," Lewis has a second entry on Hot Digital Songs. "Better In Time" dips from #80 to #87. Spirit also includes a cover of the classic "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," which has now appeared on three #1 albums--Roberta Flack's First Take, Celine Dion's All The Way...A Decade Of Song and this album.
4. Lyfe Jennings, Lyfe Change, 80,000. This is the R&B star's second straight album to debut in the top five. The Phoenix opened at #2 in August 2006.
5. Def Leppard, Songs From The Sparkle Lounge, 55,000. This is the veteran hard rock band's first studio album to reach the top 10 since the chart-topping Adrenalize in 1992. The band subsequently released four studio albums that stalled in the bottom half of the top 20--Slang, Euphoria, X and Yeah!
6. The Roots, Rising Down, 54,000. This is the veteran hip-hop group's fourth album to debut in the top 10, following Things Fall Apart, which opened at #4 in 1999; The Tipping Point, which opened at #4 in 2004; and Game Theory, which bowed at #9 in 2006.
7. Portishead, Third, 53,000. This is the English duo's third studio album, and its first in nearly 11 years. They could have called it What's The Friggin' Rush?
8. Mudcrutch, Mudcrutch, 38,000. This is the l-o-n-g-awaited debut album by the band that Tom Petty was in before he formed the Heartbreakers in the mid 1970s. This is Petty's 17th studio album, a tally that includes 11 albums by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, three solo releases, two albums by the Traveling Wilburys and this release. Petty & the Heartbreakers first made the top 10 in December 1979 with Damn The Torpedoes.
9. Various Artists, Now 27, 31,000. Sales of the Now series are down, along with most everything else. But the series still sells dependably. This is one of only three albums from last week's top 10 to also appear in this week's top 10.
10. Tim McGraw, Greatest Hits-Limited Edition, 29,000. This two-CD combo pack is available only at Wal-Mart, at a bargain price of $11.88. It combines McGraw's two previously-released greatest hits sets. The first reached #4 in 2000. The second, Vol. 2: Reflected, hit #2 in 2006. (McGraw appears on a second album in this week's top 10. He co-wrote and makes a guest appearance on Def Leppard's "Nine Lives," a track from the #5 album.)
Seven albums fall out of the top 10 this week. Flight Of The Conchords' eponymous full-length debut album drops from #3 to #17, Ashlee Simpson's Bittersweet World drops from #4 to #31, Atmosphere's When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Sh*t Gold falls from #5 to #41, the Juno soundtrack falls from #7 to #13, George Strait's Troubadour drops from #8 to #18, Taylor Swift's eponymous debut album falls from #9 to #11, and Phil Vassar's Prayer Of A Common Man plummets from #10 to #51. Sales of Simpson's album dropped by 64%--the steepest decline of any album in the top 200.
Two other albums debut in the top 15. Steve Winwood's 9 Lives opens at #13. It's his best showing since Roll With It reached #1 in 1988. Carly Simon's This Kind Of Love bows at #15. It's Simon's highest ranking for an album of new material since Boys In The Trees went top 10 in 1978. (An album of standards, Moonlight Serenade, hit #7 in 2005.)
Pocketful of Cash: Natasha Bedingfield's Pocketful Of Sunshine vaults from #97 to #24, with a sales gain of 199%. That's the biggest percentage increase for any non-debuting album. The title track jumps from #11 to #4 on Hot Digital Songs.
Celine Joins Exclusive Club: Celine Dion tops the 50,000,000 mark in album sales during the Nielsen/SoundScan era, just five weeks after Mariah Carey reached that same milestone. (Dion's total jumps to 50,010,000. Carey's jumps to 50,811,000.) These are the only female artists in the 50 million club. They're also the only female artists with five albums each on Nielsen/SoundScan's all-time list of the top 200 albums.
While being the second female artist to cross the 50,000,000 plateau is bound to take some of the luster off the achievement, it really shouldn't. And Dion is ahead of Carey in one key respect. Dion is the only woman with three albums in the top 50 of the Nielsen/SoundScan era (Falling Into You at #10, Let's Talk About Love at #22 and All The Way...A Decade Of Song at #44). Carey has just one in the top 50 (Daydream at #46).
Only two artists in Nielsen/SoundScan history have sold more albums than Carey and Dion-Garth Brooks, whose current total is 67,847,000 and the Beatles (56,247,000). All four of these artists first hit the chart before Nielsen/SoundScan set up shop in May 1991, so these totals don't take into account their entire histories. The Nielsen/SoundScan data doesn't include the first four months of Dion's chart history, the first 11 months of Carey's, the first two years of Brooks' and the first 27 years and four months of the Beatles'--during which time I have it on good authority that the group sold a fair number of records!
That Famous Diner Scene: As of this week, Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" has sold more downloads since it was featured on the series finale of HBO's The Sopranos than it did before that memorable episode. It sold 780,000 before the June 10, 2007 series finale and has sold 787,000 since the episode aired. The best part: Steve Perry now gets to write off his HBO subscription as a business expense. Hey, a man's got to track his songs.
Catalog Report: I Can Only Imagine: Power Anthems Of The Christian Faith returns to #1 on the Catalog Albums chart, with sales of 21,000. It would have ranked #22 if older, catalog albums competed on the main chart.
Heads Up: Toby Keith's double-CD 35 Biggest Hits, Josh Groban's Awake Live and Clay Aiken's On My Way Here are among the albums expected to debut on next week's chart. Keith has had three #1 albums, Groban has had two and Aiken has had one. Neil Diamond, who has, amazingly, never had a #1 album, is also due with Home Before Dark.
Great Minds: Madonna's previous album was titled Confessions On A Dance Floor. In 1997, Michael Jackson released an album of remixes titled Blood On The Dance Floor. (Do you suppose the pop icons compared notes on possible album titles when they went to the Oscars together in 1991?)
The two women would seem to have little in common. Streisand is renowned as one of the most gifted vocalists of all time. Madonna's innate vocal talents are fairly modest. As she has pointed out, she didn't go into music because she thought she had a spectacular voice but because she had something to say.
The two women were received differently from the outset. Streisand's debut album won a Grammy for Album of the Year. By the time she was 27, Streisand had also won an Emmy and an Oscar, representing a rare degree of affirmation by the show business establishment. Madonna, by contrast, had a hard time at the outset even being taken seriously in the music industry. She didn't win a Grammy until 1992, and then only in a lower-profile video category. She didn't have a really good night at the Grammys until 1999, when she won three awards, including Best Pop Album and Best Dance Recording.
For all their differences, the two women also have a lot in common. A friend summed it up by saying they've both got a lot of gumption (though he didn't use the word "gumption"). In both cases, their cultural significance was apparent early on. Streisand made the cover of TIME in April 1964, two weeks before her 22nd birthday. Madonna was on TIME's cover in May 1985, a few months before she turned 27.
Madonna famously bowed before Streisand when the veteran diva made a surprise cameo appearance in a "Coffee Talk" sketch on Saturday Night Live in February 1992. (You can watch the video at the end of this week's blog.) Less famously, but significantly, when Billboard ran a special issue saluting Streisand in December 1983, Warner Bros. made a point of taking the back-cover ad to promote Madonna. The Madonna ad was headlined "A Star Is Born"--the title of Streisand's 1976 movie musical. That week, Madonna's "Holiday"--her first Hot 100 single--was in its first week in the top 40. For such a newcomer to invite any comparisons to the top female star of a generation took a lot of nerve.
Madonna has not equaled Streisand's success in films, despite a critically-hailed performance in Desperately Seeking Susan and a Golden Globe-winning turn in Evita. Nor has Madonna equaled Streisand's success on Broadway in Funny Girl. They've had about equal success in TV, though comparing Streisand's classy, Emmy-winning specials with Madonna's dozens of trend-setting music videos is a bit like comparing apples and bustiers.
While it may be hard to believe, especially given the erotic photo on the cover of Hard Candy, Madonna will turn 50 on Aug. 16. When Streisand was the same age, she was basking in the success of her lavish, four-disk career retrospective Just For The Record. Since then, Streisand has had two #1 albums, Back To Broadway and Higher Ground, but for the most part, she has seemed content to let her recording career wind down. Having recently signed a major deal with Live Nation, Madonna seems likely to remain active as a recording act.
In addition to being second only to Streisand as the female vocalist with the most #1 albums, Madonna is second only to Mariah Carey for most #1 singles on Billboard's Hot 100. Madonna has had 12, to Carey's 18. So you can make a reasonable argument that Madonna is the top female recording act (albums and singles combined) of the rock era. For a woman who is not a great singer to have achieved such a feat says two things--that Madonna has tremendous will and fortitude and that values in pop have changed. Under the new rules (which Madonna helped to write), vision and image matter more than pure vocal ability.
Hard Candy is Madonna's fourth consecutive studio album to reach #1, the longest such streak of her career. It follows Music, American Life and Confessions On A Dance Floor. At her white-hot heyday in the ‘80s, Madonna reached #1 with three successive studio albums, Like A Virgin, True Blue and Like A Prayer. It's striking that Madonna has had more #1 albums since 2000 than she did in the ‘80s. (And it's curious that she had none at all in the ‘90s.)
Hard Candy is the third consecutive #1 album by a female solo artist, following Leona Lewis' Spirit and Mariah Carey's E=MC2. This is the first time that three female solo artists have made #1 in succession since Monica, Beyonce and Ashanti scored in June and July 2003. This is also the second time in the past three weeks that female solo artists have locked up the top three spots on the pop album chart. (Men, we're getting whooped here.)
Hard Candy opens with sales of 280,000. That's the third highest weekly sales total of 2008, following E=MC2 (463,000) and Jack Johnson's Sleep Through The Static (375,000).
Lewis' "Bleeding Love" holds at #1 on Hot Digital Songs for a fourth week, with 217,000 paid digital downloads. This is the fifth time that the smash has topped 200,000 in weekly sales, which extends the record that Lewis set last week. And this is the seventh week in a row that the #1 title on this chart has topped 200K, which is also a new record. I see growth in this field!
Here's the low-down on this week's top 10 albums.
1. Madonna, Hard Candy, 280,000. Madonna's first-week sales are in between the opening numbers posted by her two most recent studio albums. American Life started with sales of 241,000 in 2003. Confessions On A Dance Floor bowed with sales of 350,000 in 2005. "4 Minutes," her hit collaboration with Justin Timberlake, dips from #2 to #3 on Hot Digital Songs. Two other tracks from the album debut this week. "Give It 2 Me" opens at #21, "Beat Goes On," a collaboration with Kanye West, bows at #101.
2. Mariah Carey, E=MC2, 95,000. Carey slips to #2 after spending two weeks on top. "Touch My Body" slips from #8 to #11 on Hot Digital Songs. "Bye Bye" drops from #22 to #41.
3. Leona Lewis, Spirit, 84,000. Lewis slips to #3 after spending one week at #1 and two weeks at #2. In addition to the chart-topping "Bleeding Love," Lewis has a second entry on Hot Digital Songs. "Better In Time" dips from #80 to #87. Spirit also includes a cover of the classic "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," which has now appeared on three #1 albums--Roberta Flack's First Take, Celine Dion's All The Way...A Decade Of Song and this album.
4. Lyfe Jennings, Lyfe Change, 80,000. This is the R&B star's second straight album to debut in the top five. The Phoenix opened at #2 in August 2006.
5. Def Leppard, Songs From The Sparkle Lounge, 55,000. This is the veteran hard rock band's first studio album to reach the top 10 since the chart-topping Adrenalize in 1992. The band subsequently released four studio albums that stalled in the bottom half of the top 20--Slang, Euphoria, X and Yeah!
6. The Roots, Rising Down, 54,000. This is the veteran hip-hop group's fourth album to debut in the top 10, following Things Fall Apart, which opened at #4 in 1999; The Tipping Point, which opened at #4 in 2004; and Game Theory, which bowed at #9 in 2006.
7. Portishead, Third, 53,000. This is the English duo's third studio album, and its first in nearly 11 years. They could have called it What's The Friggin' Rush?
8. Mudcrutch, Mudcrutch, 38,000. This is the l-o-n-g-awaited debut album by the band that Tom Petty was in before he formed the Heartbreakers in the mid 1970s. This is Petty's 17th studio album, a tally that includes 11 albums by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, three solo releases, two albums by the Traveling Wilburys and this release. Petty & the Heartbreakers first made the top 10 in December 1979 with Damn The Torpedoes.
9. Various Artists, Now 27, 31,000. Sales of the Now series are down, along with most everything else. But the series still sells dependably. This is one of only three albums from last week's top 10 to also appear in this week's top 10.
10. Tim McGraw, Greatest Hits-Limited Edition, 29,000. This two-CD combo pack is available only at Wal-Mart, at a bargain price of $11.88. It combines McGraw's two previously-released greatest hits sets. The first reached #4 in 2000. The second, Vol. 2: Reflected, hit #2 in 2006. (McGraw appears on a second album in this week's top 10. He co-wrote and makes a guest appearance on Def Leppard's "Nine Lives," a track from the #5 album.)
Seven albums fall out of the top 10 this week. Flight Of The Conchords' eponymous full-length debut album drops from #3 to #17, Ashlee Simpson's Bittersweet World drops from #4 to #31, Atmosphere's When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Sh*t Gold falls from #5 to #41, the Juno soundtrack falls from #7 to #13, George Strait's Troubadour drops from #8 to #18, Taylor Swift's eponymous debut album falls from #9 to #11, and Phil Vassar's Prayer Of A Common Man plummets from #10 to #51. Sales of Simpson's album dropped by 64%--the steepest decline of any album in the top 200.
Two other albums debut in the top 15. Steve Winwood's 9 Lives opens at #13. It's his best showing since Roll With It reached #1 in 1988. Carly Simon's This Kind Of Love bows at #15. It's Simon's highest ranking for an album of new material since Boys In The Trees went top 10 in 1978. (An album of standards, Moonlight Serenade, hit #7 in 2005.)
Pocketful of Cash: Natasha Bedingfield's Pocketful Of Sunshine vaults from #97 to #24, with a sales gain of 199%. That's the biggest percentage increase for any non-debuting album. The title track jumps from #11 to #4 on Hot Digital Songs.
Celine Joins Exclusive Club: Celine Dion tops the 50,000,000 mark in album sales during the Nielsen/SoundScan era, just five weeks after Mariah Carey reached that same milestone. (Dion's total jumps to 50,010,000. Carey's jumps to 50,811,000.) These are the only female artists in the 50 million club. They're also the only female artists with five albums each on Nielsen/SoundScan's all-time list of the top 200 albums.
While being the second female artist to cross the 50,000,000 plateau is bound to take some of the luster off the achievement, it really shouldn't. And Dion is ahead of Carey in one key respect. Dion is the only woman with three albums in the top 50 of the Nielsen/SoundScan era (Falling Into You at #10, Let's Talk About Love at #22 and All The Way...A Decade Of Song at #44). Carey has just one in the top 50 (Daydream at #46).
Only two artists in Nielsen/SoundScan history have sold more albums than Carey and Dion-Garth Brooks, whose current total is 67,847,000 and the Beatles (56,247,000). All four of these artists first hit the chart before Nielsen/SoundScan set up shop in May 1991, so these totals don't take into account their entire histories. The Nielsen/SoundScan data doesn't include the first four months of Dion's chart history, the first 11 months of Carey's, the first two years of Brooks' and the first 27 years and four months of the Beatles'--during which time I have it on good authority that the group sold a fair number of records!
That Famous Diner Scene: As of this week, Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" has sold more downloads since it was featured on the series finale of HBO's The Sopranos than it did before that memorable episode. It sold 780,000 before the June 10, 2007 series finale and has sold 787,000 since the episode aired. The best part: Steve Perry now gets to write off his HBO subscription as a business expense. Hey, a man's got to track his songs.
Catalog Report: I Can Only Imagine: Power Anthems Of The Christian Faith returns to #1 on the Catalog Albums chart, with sales of 21,000. It would have ranked #22 if older, catalog albums competed on the main chart.
Heads Up: Toby Keith's double-CD 35 Biggest Hits, Josh Groban's Awake Live and Clay Aiken's On My Way Here are among the albums expected to debut on next week's chart. Keith has had three #1 albums, Groban has had two and Aiken has had one. Neil Diamond, who has, amazingly, never had a #1 album, is also due with Home Before Dark.
Great Minds: Madonna's previous album was titled Confessions On A Dance Floor. In 1997, Michael Jackson released an album of remixes titled Blood On The Dance Floor. (Do you suppose the pop icons compared notes on possible album titles when they went to the Oscars together in 1991?)
5 brain-boosting games
According to one group of brain doctors at the University of Michigan, at long last a mental exercise has been discovered that could really make you smarter. Literally, if the research is correct, the more you play and the harder you play it, the smarter you get.
The game is pretty simple in design: Players are presented with a computer screen that shows a pattern of squares. If the pattern matches the same one the player saw two patterns earlier, he pushes a button with one hand. At the same time, he has to listen to letters narrated over a set of headphones. If the letter matches the one said two letters earlier, he pushes a button with his other hand. The better the player does, the longer the interval stretches out: Three patterns and letters earlier, then four, and so on.
In tests, 20 minutes of daily training over a varying period of time led to "significantly" increased IQ vs. a control group, and the longer people played the game, the higher their IQ got. The study is of course contested for a variety of reasons: Primarily, that it was too small to be scientifically rigorous. But if it pans out, this is good news for people who want to improve their intelligence through video games, or at least help stave off the effects of old age with them.
Alas, the U-Mich game just doesn't sound like that much fun. But there are a ton of new games on the market that aim to help you improve logical thinking, reaction time, and coordination. If matching dots on a screen isn't your idea of a good time, check out one of these new titles:
Lumosity (Web)
This browser-based game offers about a dozen mini-games, each designed to help with one area of cognition, including memory, processing speed, attention span, and "cognitive control." Many games are surprisingly similar in design to the one in the Michigan study and some present a real challenge. ($9.95 a month, pictured)
Brain Challenge (Xbox Live Arcade)
Similar to Lumosity, this used to be a cell phone game that was ported to the Xbox. A series of mini-games asks you what comes next in a sequence of graphic designs, count items quickly, do basic math questions, and more. 30 types of rapid-fire games are available, and your progress is tracked by the game over time. (800 points)
Rocky & Bullwinkle (Xbox Live Arcade)
No, I wouldn't have expected a game based on a hapless cartoon duo to be good for the brain, but this set of WarioWare-like micro games are great for those looking to boost reaction time and improve eye-hand coordination. Nothing here is too complex (quick: click the correct button in the next 2 seconds!), but it's all good for working on the "twitch" reflex. (800 points)
Blokus Portable: Steambot Championship (PSP)
This challenging board game comes to the PSP, offering a grid in which you have to place your Tetris-like pieces in such a way that they touch only on their corners. It really works on your pattern recognition skills and gets exceptionally tough when playing with a group of four. ($20)
Wild Earth: African Safari (Wii)
No, it's not a brain game at all, but really little kids won't be able to manage the controls and strategies of most of the above titles. Still they shouldn't be left out of the fun. Wild Earth isn't exactly the most thrilling title on the market, but youngsters will enjoy looking at the animals on this virtual photo hunt while learning the names of all the beasts of the wild. Good for very small minds. ($30)
The game is pretty simple in design: Players are presented with a computer screen that shows a pattern of squares. If the pattern matches the same one the player saw two patterns earlier, he pushes a button with one hand. At the same time, he has to listen to letters narrated over a set of headphones. If the letter matches the one said two letters earlier, he pushes a button with his other hand. The better the player does, the longer the interval stretches out: Three patterns and letters earlier, then four, and so on.
In tests, 20 minutes of daily training over a varying period of time led to "significantly" increased IQ vs. a control group, and the longer people played the game, the higher their IQ got. The study is of course contested for a variety of reasons: Primarily, that it was too small to be scientifically rigorous. But if it pans out, this is good news for people who want to improve their intelligence through video games, or at least help stave off the effects of old age with them.
Alas, the U-Mich game just doesn't sound like that much fun. But there are a ton of new games on the market that aim to help you improve logical thinking, reaction time, and coordination. If matching dots on a screen isn't your idea of a good time, check out one of these new titles:
Lumosity (Web)
This browser-based game offers about a dozen mini-games, each designed to help with one area of cognition, including memory, processing speed, attention span, and "cognitive control." Many games are surprisingly similar in design to the one in the Michigan study and some present a real challenge. ($9.95 a month, pictured)
Brain Challenge (Xbox Live Arcade)
Similar to Lumosity, this used to be a cell phone game that was ported to the Xbox. A series of mini-games asks you what comes next in a sequence of graphic designs, count items quickly, do basic math questions, and more. 30 types of rapid-fire games are available, and your progress is tracked by the game over time. (800 points)
Rocky & Bullwinkle (Xbox Live Arcade)
No, I wouldn't have expected a game based on a hapless cartoon duo to be good for the brain, but this set of WarioWare-like micro games are great for those looking to boost reaction time and improve eye-hand coordination. Nothing here is too complex (quick: click the correct button in the next 2 seconds!), but it's all good for working on the "twitch" reflex. (800 points)
Blokus Portable: Steambot Championship (PSP)
This challenging board game comes to the PSP, offering a grid in which you have to place your Tetris-like pieces in such a way that they touch only on their corners. It really works on your pattern recognition skills and gets exceptionally tough when playing with a group of four. ($20)
Wild Earth: African Safari (Wii)
No, it's not a brain game at all, but really little kids won't be able to manage the controls and strategies of most of the above titles. Still they shouldn't be left out of the fun. Wild Earth isn't exactly the most thrilling title on the market, but youngsters will enjoy looking at the animals on this virtual photo hunt while learning the names of all the beasts of the wild. Good for very small minds. ($30)
Jason Castro is out...
Simon Cowell once told Jason Castro that his face would save him from elimination. Not this time.
The dreadlocked heartthrob was voted off "American Idol" Wednesday as the show narrowed the competition to three finalists: David Cook, David Archuleta and Syesha Mercado.
Castro, 20, from Rockwall, Texas, started off strong in the show's seventh season but lost momentum in recent weeks. He gave weaker performances, and flubbed the lyrics to Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" on Tuesday's performance show.
Cowell predicted Castro's gaffe could spell the end of him. "Jason, I'd pack your suitcase," Cowell told the singer.
Castro took his fate in stride and didn't wipe the ever-present grin off his expansive face after learning the result.
Earlier in Wednesday's show, he told host Ryan Seacrest: "I think it's just getting tough for me. I think my inexperience is coming in."
Castro said this week he tried to pick songs he knew -- "Mr Tambourine Man" and Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff" -- and yet he "screwed it up."
After Castro's cover of "I Shot the Sheriff," a less-than-impressed Cowell said: "I don't know what you're thinking!"
Castro replied: "I'm thinking, Bob Marley!"
Castro had his share of spacey moments while he was in the running, like when a viewer asked Wednesday what the contestants' biggest challenges were in the competition. Castro answered: "Just the brain being dead."
The program also featured performances by Maroon 5 and "Idol" alum Bo Bice.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Gagner de L'argent
What to find out the secrets on how to become rich in just playing casino games online? Well, visit this website www.make-money.fr to read some tips regarding making easy money from playing. On their website you will notice that they have a list of website that offers casino portals. And aside from that they also included software which you can download for you to start playing and earn money. so, if you are interested then visit them now.
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Thursday, April 10, 2008
Online Backgammon
Are you tired of looking for the best online backgammon that will surely satisfy you playing needs. It is the online backgammon by the mistergammon.com which is known as the world’s largest backgammon club that can surely do it for you. Mister Gammon is a Backgammon site offering backgammon players the latest information about backgammon tournaments and events as well as backgammon software for real money or just for fun. The site also gives tips and strategies how to play the game good. Try now and make your day enjoyable and play backgammon online.
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Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Online Billiards
Are you fond of playing online billiard? Well, there is an online pool that offers you the best way of playing billiards online. BilliardMagic.com is a billiard software that can be played by anyone around the world becasue of the multi-lingula feature that they have. Now, you can enjoy a wide range of billiard games anytime and anywhere. BilliardMagic.com includes 8-ball, 9-ball, and snooker where in you can enjoy playing it while meeting lots of people accross the globe. They also have billiard tournaments that can surely test your playing skills. So if you are looking for the best online pool, you better try Billiardmagic.com and see the best.
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Sunday, April 6, 2008
Pharmacy Technician Training
Nowadays, being on the medical field is one of the most practical way to live life. I think it’s one of the most in demand degree of education as of now. Here in our country, Nursing is the most in demand course that almost half of incoming college students took up. So if you are one of them, try to listen to this short notice of mine. There’s this online medical career training that helps you out in your chosen field. They offer online trainings through their online schools which is currently open to some states in the US. They also have featured articles which will be very helpful for you. So if you need some help on this, try to visit their site.
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Yao Ming seeks traditional Chinese cure to heal foot injury, hopes to be ready by Olympics
BEIJING (AP)—Yao Ming will seek traditional Chinese medicine to help heal a stress fracture after opting for surgery last month.
The Houston Rockets center was back in China to consult with traditional medicine practitioners about his NBA season-ending foot injury. Yao said Friday he also plans to see players on the Chinese national team and talk with coach Jonas Kazlauskas about strategy for the Beijing Olympics in August.
He hasn’t decided on a treatment to heal the stress fracture in his left foot, but said he would probably meet with the country’s top traditional doctors early next week. Traditional Chinese medicine can range from acupuncture to herbal teas, and is usually less invasive and slower acting than Western medicine.
“Traditional Chinese medicine has a history of thousands of years in our country, so there must be something to it,” Yao said.
Yao, who arrived in Beijing late Thursday, hobbled into a news conference on crutches, his injured foot sheathed in a protective guard. He said his recovery was going “pretty well,” but he wasn’t likely to be back at his best until late June or early July.
Yao underwent surgery in Houston on March 3. Rockets team doctor Tom Clanton and Dr. Bill McGarvey performed the surgery.
His injury had sparked a near panic in China, where huge hopes are riding on the Olympics. China’s other big man, former Dallas Mavericks center Wang Zhizhi, also recently had knee surgery and Milwaukee Bucks rookie forward Yi Jianlian was scheduled for a scan on his sprained left knee.
Despite the setbacks, Yao warned against counting China out, saying the team would finish 12th in a worst-case scenario, but was poised for a “historic breakthrough.”
“It’s a testimony to how much these games mean to us players that we’re not just saying, ‘I’m injured, that’s it,’ and throwing in the towel,” Yao said. “The games are in our own country and that’s special.
“The Olympics is a big competition with big pressure. If the pressure wasn’t there, you wouldn’t have so many athletes trying to get in.”
Yao heard rumors he would be selected as an Olympic torch bearer—perhaps even carrying it at the opening ceremony—but didn’t know anything for sure.
“Of course it would be a huge honor to carry the torch, but in my present state, in my present condition I can’t even run 200 meters,” Yao said.
Medical Career
Nowadays, being on the medical field is one of the most practical way to live life. I think it’s one of the most in demand degree of education as of now. Here in our country, Nursing is the most in demand course that almost half of incoming college students took up. So if you are one of them, try to listen to this short notice of mine. There’s this online medical career training that helps you out in your chosen field. They offer online trainings through their online schools which is currently open to some states in the US. They also have featured articles which will be very helpful for you. So if you need some help on this, try to visit their site.
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Sunday, March 2, 2008
Patapon
Developed by Sony Computer Entertainment Japan, Patapon is a rhythm-based 2D platform/action game exclusively for the PSP. In the game, players are tasked with leading the colorful Patapons, a brave and noble tribe, through a series of epic battles against opposing armies and gigantic monsters.
In a distinct gameplay twist, action and rhythm are intertwined as players utilize drumbeats to march, attack, and defend, ultimately leading the Patapon tribe to victory. Featuring more than 20 missions in a variety of environments such as swamps, volcanos, gorges and deserts, players will outfit a Patapon army, collect resources, and grow their tribe into a devastating fighting force.
In a distinct gameplay twist, action and rhythm are intertwined as players utilize drumbeats to march, attack, and defend, ultimately leading the Patapon tribe to victory. Featuring more than 20 missions in a variety of environments such as swamps, volcanos, gorges and deserts, players will outfit a Patapon army, collect resources, and grow their tribe into a devastating fighting force.
Go on Girl Lyrics
I can't get it back, but
I don't want it back, I
Realized that,
She don't know how to act
Never been a dumb dude
No I'm not dense
I Just had a slight lack
Of common sense
I was the good guy
She was the bad girl
I'm thinking one girl
She thinking me, earl James and jimmy
Yep she had plenty
But love for me, she didn't have any
I was inviting, her into my heart
But she was out riding in some other man's car
She was my night time, thought I was her star
Guess I was wrong, but see I'm strong
Wont take long for me to move on
[Hook:]
Please don't worry bout me I'm fine
(Please don't worry bout me I'm fine)
Only gonna play the fool one time
(Only gonna play the fool one time)
Trust me when I say
That I'll be OK
Go on girl
(Go on girl)
Go on girl
(Go on girl)
Go on girl
[Go On Girl lyrics on http://www.metrolyrics.com]
[V2:]
I can't get it back, but
I don't want it back, I
Realized that,
She don't know how to act
Tried to settle down and look what I get
Thought it was my time, but I guess not yet
She at the bar getting drinks from many men
I'm in the house, thinking shes with her girlfriends
Trust not knowing, truly not knowing
I look back now like, man, I was open
I was inviting, her into my heart
But she was out riding in some other man's car
She was my night time, thought I was her star
Guess I was wrong, but see I'm strong
Wont take long for me to move on
[Hook]
[Bridge]
The mistake I made is clear
(we never should've been together)
Thats the reason you're not here
(I know that I can do much better)
Not a single salty tear
Not a feeling in my chest
Baby I'm feeling no stress
I'm too fly to be depressed
Go on Girl
Go on Girl
Go on Girl
Go on Girl
I don't want it back, I
Realized that,
She don't know how to act
Never been a dumb dude
No I'm not dense
I Just had a slight lack
Of common sense
I was the good guy
She was the bad girl
I'm thinking one girl
She thinking me, earl James and jimmy
Yep she had plenty
But love for me, she didn't have any
I was inviting, her into my heart
But she was out riding in some other man's car
She was my night time, thought I was her star
Guess I was wrong, but see I'm strong
Wont take long for me to move on
[Hook:]
Please don't worry bout me I'm fine
(Please don't worry bout me I'm fine)
Only gonna play the fool one time
(Only gonna play the fool one time)
Trust me when I say
That I'll be OK
Go on girl
(Go on girl)
Go on girl
(Go on girl)
Go on girl
[Go On Girl lyrics on http://www.metrolyrics.com]
[V2:]
I can't get it back, but
I don't want it back, I
Realized that,
She don't know how to act
Tried to settle down and look what I get
Thought it was my time, but I guess not yet
She at the bar getting drinks from many men
I'm in the house, thinking shes with her girlfriends
Trust not knowing, truly not knowing
I look back now like, man, I was open
I was inviting, her into my heart
But she was out riding in some other man's car
She was my night time, thought I was her star
Guess I was wrong, but see I'm strong
Wont take long for me to move on
[Hook]
[Bridge]
The mistake I made is clear
(we never should've been together)
Thats the reason you're not here
(I know that I can do much better)
Not a single salty tear
Not a feeling in my chest
Baby I'm feeling no stress
I'm too fly to be depressed
Go on Girl
Go on Girl
Go on Girl
Go on Girl
Blu-ray victory likely to boost PS3 sales
Toshiba's official surrender in the high-definition movie format war this week could very well solidify a Sony comeback in the video game console conflict.
Sony's PlayStation 3 has traveled an extremely rocky road from its pre-launch campaign to its initial year in the market. Critics have continually condemned the company's marketing decisions, which include controversial ads (labeled everything from disturbing to racist), misleading product demos, and not reining in the arrogant comments of Sony execs. And that's all before the PS3 even hit the shelves.
Once the console did arrive in November 2006, it was condemned as expensive, lacking compelling software, and hosting a poor online service compared to Microsoft's Xbox 360. Sony has long held a dominant position in the game space (its predecessor PlayStation 2 has sold 120 million units worldwide), but the newest console has lagged in third against its two immediate peers.
But finally, Sony can lay claim to a month with two heavy-hitting positive news items. The first: Data tracking service NPD Group released the retail sales numbers for January, and the PlayStation 3 console outsold the Xbox 360 for the very first time. (Microsoft rebutted that the total revenue for Xbox 360 hardware, software, and accessories combined did exceed both the PS3 and Nintendo Wii.)
And now, with the HD-DVD format raising the white flag, Sony can feel vindicated in its choice to force the cost of Blu-ray onto gaming consumers with the PlayStation 3.
Blu-ray disc sales were undoubtedly boosted when Sony ensured the early adopter gaming audience--a natural crossover for early adopters in home movie viewing--received the "bonus" of a cheap Blu-ray player with its PS3 purchase. Blu-ray outnumbered HD-DVD sales two to one early in the war and various movie studios and rental services gradually dropped their HD-DVD support.
And with Blu-ray the crowned champion, many on-the-fence hi-def consumers will now finally take the plunge -- and inevitably, they will find the PS3 a perfect value option given its comparatively cheap cost as a Blu-ray player with the substantial benefit of its media center and gaming functions.
Microsoft released an official statement Monday that had a slight whiff of defensiveness to it. "We do not believe the recent reports about HD DVD will have any material impact on the Xbox 360 platform or our position in the marketplace," said the statement. "As we've long stated, we believe it is games that sell consoles and Xbox 360 continues to have the largest next-gen games library with the most exclusives and best selling games in the industry."
With these recent developments and very strong PlayStation 3 exclusives looming (Metal Gear Solid 4, Gran Turismo 5, LittleBigPlanet), what would have been said as a joke just a year ago can now be offered with sincerity: Is the PlayStation 3 poised to be the definitive new leader in the next-gen war?
Become A Real Guitar Hero
Addicted to music video games? Maybe it's time to put down the toys and pick up the real thing.
Between Activision's powerhouse Guitar Hero franchise and MTV's upstart Rock Band, millions of couch potatoes have been turned on to the power of rock n' roll gaming. Unfortunately, the button-mashing skills that serve them so well at home don't translate to success with a real instrument at a club.
But as more and more gamers are playing to the beat, the demand for software that will actually teach them how to play for real is on the rise -- literally.
On display in a packed booth at the recent Game Developer's Conference, Guitar Rising takes the basic concept of Guitar Hero -- players strum along to popular songs for points -- and turns it into a legitimate teaching tool by exchanging plastic game peripherals for bona fide wood and steel guitars.
Best of all, there's no need to make room for yet another piece of bulky hardware: Using a small USB converter similar to the kind employed by everyday living room musicians, Guitar Rising can be played with any electric guitar. Simply plug a standard electric guitar cable into one end and plug the USB out into any USB port on your PC to be up and rocking.
Between Activision's powerhouse Guitar Hero franchise and MTV's upstart Rock Band, millions of couch potatoes have been turned on to the power of rock n' roll gaming. Unfortunately, the button-mashing skills that serve them so well at home don't translate to success with a real instrument at a club.
But as more and more gamers are playing to the beat, the demand for software that will actually teach them how to play for real is on the rise -- literally.
On display in a packed booth at the recent Game Developer's Conference, Guitar Rising takes the basic concept of Guitar Hero -- players strum along to popular songs for points -- and turns it into a legitimate teaching tool by exchanging plastic game peripherals for bona fide wood and steel guitars.
Best of all, there's no need to make room for yet another piece of bulky hardware: Using a small USB converter similar to the kind employed by everyday living room musicians, Guitar Rising can be played with any electric guitar. Simply plug a standard electric guitar cable into one end and plug the USB out into any USB port on your PC to be up and rocking.
Paragliding chihuahua survives crash in Australia
SYDNEY (AFP) - A chihuahua that went paragliding in Australia strapped to its owner's chest survived when the pair crashed into a tree shortly after taking off, police said Saturday.
Victoria state police said a 42-year-old man set off early Friday evening for what they described as "a routine flight" with his pet dog.
The man and his intrepid canine got into difficulties and crashed into a tree, where they became entangled 35 metres (115 foot) up.
Police found the pair after the man called them from his mobile phone, and they were safely retrieved from the tree after being stuck up there for almost five hours.
Police said the man received abrasions in the crash. The chihuahua was believed to be unharmed.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Mysteries of Venus Solved
This story was updated at 11:20 a.m. ET.
Venus is made of the same stuff of Earth, but is bone-dry, hot enough to melt lead and has a chokingly thick atmosphere. It even spins backwards.
Astronomers have spent decades trying to explain Venus' mysterious properties. Now one scientist thinks the planet's formation may explain all: Two huge, protoplanetary bodies collided head-on and merged to form our planetary neighbor, but obliterated nearly all water in the process.
"The probability that two protoplanets collided to form Venus is not at all implausible," said John Huw Davies, a geodynamicist at Cardiff University in the U.K. who developed the idea.
A majority of scientists think Earth's moon formed when a protoplanet about the size of Mars smacked into the planet at an angle. Davies thinks Venus was born of a far worse cosmic train wreck.
"What if the moon-Earth collision isn't that big in planetary terms?" Davies told SPACE.com. "A head-on blow between two similarly sized bodies would have been about twice as energetic."
Astronomers have had little time to react to Davies' proposition, which is detailed in recent issue of the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, but already some are wary. Despite the cautionary responses from other scientists, Davies thinks his idea is worth exploring.
Over-baked
Earth harbors an enormous volume of water, even in its searing interior. The life-giving molecule emerges as a vapor with molten lava, carrying with it a radioactive gas known as argon-40. The isotope is generated from radioactive potassium deposits inside of our planet, as well as in Venus.
Davies thinks the relatively low amount of such argon detected in Venus' atmosphere — about 400 times scarcer than on Earth — is a sign that water never really seeped out of the parched, volcano-covered planet.
"The only way water could have out-gassed is very early in Venus' history," Davies said. "The argon-40 gives us a timescale of water leaving the ground because it's produced over time, and only a little of it has been released."
A mega-collision between two bodies of roughly equal size could have provided the energy necessary to rip water, which is made of two hydrogen and one oxygen, into pieces. The hydrogen would escape into space while oxygen would bond with iron and sink to the planet's core.
Although the Earth suffered a catastrophic impact that formed the moon, Davies explained that the process did not dry out the two bodies.
"It wasn't as energetic, limiting the reaction of iron and water," he said.
Diabolical deuterium
Tobias Owens, a planetary scientist at the University of Hawaii, thinks Davies has "swept deuterium under the rug." This form of hydrogen gas, Owens explained, can form high in a planet's atmosphere when ultraviolet sunlight breaks apart a water molecule.
"When a Venus probe sent back readings of deuterium on the planet, everybody was astonished," Owens said of a Russian Venus lander mission. "There was a huge fraction of deuterium 150 times greater than you see on Earth. You have to explain that."
Owens and other scientists argue that at 836 degrees F (447 degrees C), Venus' surface would have instantly baked water into vapor and pushed it into the upper atmosphere, where sunlight is two times more intense than at Earth. Over time, he said, the water would degrade.
Davies, however, said a lack of molecular oxygen — the same type we breathe — produced by the photo-degradation process does not support such an origin of deuterium.
"Venus has virtually no oxygen, whereas Earth's atmosphere is about 20 percent oxygen," Davies said. "If not trapped in the atmosphere, then rocks would have to absorb it." And evidence from Venus, he said, does not suggest that this is the case.
Spin factor
Another clue that Davies said gives his theory legs is the odd rotation of Venus. The planet rotates in a clockwise or retrograde direction, which is the opposite spin of every planet in the solar system. "Another peculiarity is that it has no moon," Davies said. "If the head-on impact I've hypothesized was a little off of the mark, it could explain Venus' retrograde rotation without making a moon."
Alan Boss, a scientist at the Carnegie Institution in Washington, D.C., thinks massive collisions — including head-on mergers — were the norm for terrestrial plants early in their histories and could explain our sinister twin's backwards habits.
"Venus must have suffered a giant impact during its formation, as did all the terrestrial planets. That is how the final phase of terrestrial planet formation occurs," Boss said in an e-mail. "This could have been a head-on impact, which might not have produced a moon, or it could have been an off-center impact, like the impact that led to Earth's moon."
If the latter was the case, then where is Venus' moon? Boss explained that if a Venusian moon formed via a giant impact, its orbit could have decayed and spiraled the body into the planet's surface.
Davies thinks the simpler explanation is his own.
"Of course it is possible, but it is unclear whether it is probable," Davies said. Whatever the case, Davies, Boss and most other scientists think big collision events were common in the solar system's formative years.
New Venusian visitor?
Aside from planning to create a detailed computer model for the hypothesized mega-collision, as has been done for moon formation theory, Davies said another way to test his idea is to send a new spacecraft to Venus.
Russia's space program successfully landed nearly 10 spacecraft on Venus' surface in the 1970s and 1980s. But Davies said none of them scouted for water-containing minerals such as mica — evidence that would challenge his hypothesis.
"They made remote chemical measurements of the surface," Davies said, but none indicated hydrated rocks. "If a new spacecraft finds a lot of hydrated minerals, it would show there is still abundant water on Venus. Then my hypothesis would be out."
Spacecraft that have recently encountered Venus can't detect such minerals from space, he said, because of a layer of reflective hydrogen sulfide in the atmosphere.
"A rover of some sort could scout for such minerals before it fails from the intense heat, or maybe a satellite below the hydrogen sulfide [layer]," he said.
Boss, however, said even detecting such minerals might not rule out a collision.
"Water can always be added as a 'late veneer' by ... icy planetesimals that helped finish building the planet," Boss said, although Davies thinks comets and other such bodies could only deliver a small amount of water to the planet.
Even if hydrated rocks on Venus' surface could rule out a cataclysmic formation, other data could provide better clues to the planet's origins, Francis Nimmo of the University of California Santa Cruz thinks.
"There a lot of things that would be very nice to do on Venus, like put a seismometer on the surface," said Nimmo, a planetary scientist. "The reason we know anything about Earth's interior is from such devices."
Whether or not someone launches a new spacecraft to scout out Venus' surface, and whatever its scientific mission is, Davies said it will have to investigate quickly.
"You have to take all of your measurements before the lander, or whatever it is, quite literally burns up," Davies said. "The longest any spacecraft has lasted is less than two hours."
Venus is made of the same stuff of Earth, but is bone-dry, hot enough to melt lead and has a chokingly thick atmosphere. It even spins backwards.
Astronomers have spent decades trying to explain Venus' mysterious properties. Now one scientist thinks the planet's formation may explain all: Two huge, protoplanetary bodies collided head-on and merged to form our planetary neighbor, but obliterated nearly all water in the process.
"The probability that two protoplanets collided to form Venus is not at all implausible," said John Huw Davies, a geodynamicist at Cardiff University in the U.K. who developed the idea.
A majority of scientists think Earth's moon formed when a protoplanet about the size of Mars smacked into the planet at an angle. Davies thinks Venus was born of a far worse cosmic train wreck.
"What if the moon-Earth collision isn't that big in planetary terms?" Davies told SPACE.com. "A head-on blow between two similarly sized bodies would have been about twice as energetic."
Astronomers have had little time to react to Davies' proposition, which is detailed in recent issue of the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, but already some are wary. Despite the cautionary responses from other scientists, Davies thinks his idea is worth exploring.
Over-baked
Earth harbors an enormous volume of water, even in its searing interior. The life-giving molecule emerges as a vapor with molten lava, carrying with it a radioactive gas known as argon-40. The isotope is generated from radioactive potassium deposits inside of our planet, as well as in Venus.
Davies thinks the relatively low amount of such argon detected in Venus' atmosphere — about 400 times scarcer than on Earth — is a sign that water never really seeped out of the parched, volcano-covered planet.
"The only way water could have out-gassed is very early in Venus' history," Davies said. "The argon-40 gives us a timescale of water leaving the ground because it's produced over time, and only a little of it has been released."
A mega-collision between two bodies of roughly equal size could have provided the energy necessary to rip water, which is made of two hydrogen and one oxygen, into pieces. The hydrogen would escape into space while oxygen would bond with iron and sink to the planet's core.
Although the Earth suffered a catastrophic impact that formed the moon, Davies explained that the process did not dry out the two bodies.
"It wasn't as energetic, limiting the reaction of iron and water," he said.
Diabolical deuterium
Tobias Owens, a planetary scientist at the University of Hawaii, thinks Davies has "swept deuterium under the rug." This form of hydrogen gas, Owens explained, can form high in a planet's atmosphere when ultraviolet sunlight breaks apart a water molecule.
"When a Venus probe sent back readings of deuterium on the planet, everybody was astonished," Owens said of a Russian Venus lander mission. "There was a huge fraction of deuterium 150 times greater than you see on Earth. You have to explain that."
Owens and other scientists argue that at 836 degrees F (447 degrees C), Venus' surface would have instantly baked water into vapor and pushed it into the upper atmosphere, where sunlight is two times more intense than at Earth. Over time, he said, the water would degrade.
Davies, however, said a lack of molecular oxygen — the same type we breathe — produced by the photo-degradation process does not support such an origin of deuterium.
"Venus has virtually no oxygen, whereas Earth's atmosphere is about 20 percent oxygen," Davies said. "If not trapped in the atmosphere, then rocks would have to absorb it." And evidence from Venus, he said, does not suggest that this is the case.
Spin factor
Another clue that Davies said gives his theory legs is the odd rotation of Venus. The planet rotates in a clockwise or retrograde direction, which is the opposite spin of every planet in the solar system. "Another peculiarity is that it has no moon," Davies said. "If the head-on impact I've hypothesized was a little off of the mark, it could explain Venus' retrograde rotation without making a moon."
Alan Boss, a scientist at the Carnegie Institution in Washington, D.C., thinks massive collisions — including head-on mergers — were the norm for terrestrial plants early in their histories and could explain our sinister twin's backwards habits.
"Venus must have suffered a giant impact during its formation, as did all the terrestrial planets. That is how the final phase of terrestrial planet formation occurs," Boss said in an e-mail. "This could have been a head-on impact, which might not have produced a moon, or it could have been an off-center impact, like the impact that led to Earth's moon."
If the latter was the case, then where is Venus' moon? Boss explained that if a Venusian moon formed via a giant impact, its orbit could have decayed and spiraled the body into the planet's surface.
Davies thinks the simpler explanation is his own.
"Of course it is possible, but it is unclear whether it is probable," Davies said. Whatever the case, Davies, Boss and most other scientists think big collision events were common in the solar system's formative years.
New Venusian visitor?
Aside from planning to create a detailed computer model for the hypothesized mega-collision, as has been done for moon formation theory, Davies said another way to test his idea is to send a new spacecraft to Venus.
Russia's space program successfully landed nearly 10 spacecraft on Venus' surface in the 1970s and 1980s. But Davies said none of them scouted for water-containing minerals such as mica — evidence that would challenge his hypothesis.
"They made remote chemical measurements of the surface," Davies said, but none indicated hydrated rocks. "If a new spacecraft finds a lot of hydrated minerals, it would show there is still abundant water on Venus. Then my hypothesis would be out."
Spacecraft that have recently encountered Venus can't detect such minerals from space, he said, because of a layer of reflective hydrogen sulfide in the atmosphere.
"A rover of some sort could scout for such minerals before it fails from the intense heat, or maybe a satellite below the hydrogen sulfide [layer]," he said.
Boss, however, said even detecting such minerals might not rule out a collision.
"Water can always be added as a 'late veneer' by ... icy planetesimals that helped finish building the planet," Boss said, although Davies thinks comets and other such bodies could only deliver a small amount of water to the planet.
Even if hydrated rocks on Venus' surface could rule out a cataclysmic formation, other data could provide better clues to the planet's origins, Francis Nimmo of the University of California Santa Cruz thinks.
"There a lot of things that would be very nice to do on Venus, like put a seismometer on the surface," said Nimmo, a planetary scientist. "The reason we know anything about Earth's interior is from such devices."
Whether or not someone launches a new spacecraft to scout out Venus' surface, and whatever its scientific mission is, Davies said it will have to investigate quickly.
"You have to take all of your measurements before the lander, or whatever it is, quite literally burns up," Davies said. "The longest any spacecraft has lasted is less than two hours."
Monday, February 11, 2008
Stamps to Cost a Penny More
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Mailing a letter will soon cost a penny more.
The cost of a first-class stamp will rise to 42 cents starting May 12, the U.S. Postal Service said Monday.
The price of the Forever stamp will go up at the same time, meaning those stamps can still be purchased for 41 cents but will remain good for first-class postage after the rate increase takes effect.
The post office has sold 5 billion Forever stamps since they were introduced last April and plans to have an additional 5 billion in stock to meet the expected demand before the May price change, the agency said.
The charge for other services, such as advertising mail, periodicals, packages special services will also change. Changes in the price for Priority Mail and Express Mail will be announced later, the agency said.
Postage rates last went up in May, 2007, with a first-class stamp jumping 2 cents to the current 41-cent rate.
In the past raising postage rates was a long, complex process involving hearings before the independent Postal Regulatory Commission, a process that could take nearly a year.
However, under the new law regulating the post office that took effect in late 2006, the agency is allowed to increase rates with 45-days notice as long as changes are within the rate of inflation for the previous 12 months. The Postal Regulatory Commission calculated that rate at 2.9 percent through January, limiting the first-class rate to an increase of just over a penny.
Under the new law, postal prices will be adjusted annually each May, the Postal Service said. Officials said they plan to give 90 days notice of future changes, twice what is required by law.
While the charge for the first ounce of a first-class letter rises to 42 cents, the price of each added ounce will remain 17 cents, so a two-ounce letter will go up a penny to 59 cents.
The cost to mail a post card will also go up a penny, to 27 cents
Other increases set for May 12:
-- Large envelope, 2 ounces, $1, up 3 cents.
-- Money Orders up to $500, $1.05, unchanged.
-- Certified mail, $2.70, up 5 cents.
-- First-class international letter to Canada or Mexico, 72 cents, up 3 cents.
-- First-class international letter to other countries, 94 cents, up 4 cents.
The cost of a first-class stamp will rise to 42 cents starting May 12, the U.S. Postal Service said Monday.
The price of the Forever stamp will go up at the same time, meaning those stamps can still be purchased for 41 cents but will remain good for first-class postage after the rate increase takes effect.
The post office has sold 5 billion Forever stamps since they were introduced last April and plans to have an additional 5 billion in stock to meet the expected demand before the May price change, the agency said.
The charge for other services, such as advertising mail, periodicals, packages special services will also change. Changes in the price for Priority Mail and Express Mail will be announced later, the agency said.
Postage rates last went up in May, 2007, with a first-class stamp jumping 2 cents to the current 41-cent rate.
In the past raising postage rates was a long, complex process involving hearings before the independent Postal Regulatory Commission, a process that could take nearly a year.
However, under the new law regulating the post office that took effect in late 2006, the agency is allowed to increase rates with 45-days notice as long as changes are within the rate of inflation for the previous 12 months. The Postal Regulatory Commission calculated that rate at 2.9 percent through January, limiting the first-class rate to an increase of just over a penny.
Under the new law, postal prices will be adjusted annually each May, the Postal Service said. Officials said they plan to give 90 days notice of future changes, twice what is required by law.
While the charge for the first ounce of a first-class letter rises to 42 cents, the price of each added ounce will remain 17 cents, so a two-ounce letter will go up a penny to 59 cents.
The cost to mail a post card will also go up a penny, to 27 cents
Other increases set for May 12:
-- Large envelope, 2 ounces, $1, up 3 cents.
-- Money Orders up to $500, $1.05, unchanged.
-- Certified mail, $2.70, up 5 cents.
-- First-class international letter to Canada or Mexico, 72 cents, up 3 cents.
-- First-class international letter to other countries, 94 cents, up 4 cents.
What's for dinner this week?
Monday - Mexican Lasagna
Tuesday - Mushroom Fried Rice
Wednesday - Grilled Cheese w/ Spinach & Tomato Sauce
Thursday - Flank Steak Pinwheels
Friday - Tomato, Mozzarella & Basil Pizza
Saturday - Roasted Ratatouille w/ Eggs & Cheese
Sunday - Chili Spaghetti
Know more on yahoo!
America's Most Miserable Cities
Imagine living in a city with the country's highest rate for violent crime and the second-highest unemployment rate. As an added kicker you need more Superfund dollars allocated to your city to clean up contaminated toxic waste sites than just about any other metro.
Unfortunately, this nightmare is a reality for the residents of Detroit. The Motor City grabs the top spot on Forbes' inaugural list of America's Most Miserable Cities.
Misery is defined as a state of great unhappiness and emotional distress. The economic indicator most often used to measure misery is the Misery Index. The index, created by economist Arthur Okun, adds the unemployment rate to the inflation rate. It has been in the narrow 7-to-9 range for most of the past decade, but was over 20 during the late 1970s.
There also exists a Misery Score, which is the sum of corporate, personal, employer and sales taxes in different countries. France took the top spot (or perhaps bottom is more appropriate) with a score of 166.8, thanks to a top rate of 51% on personal incomes and 45% for employer Social Security.
But aren't there other things that cause Americans misery? Of course. So we decided to expand on the Misery Index and the Misery Score to create our very own Forbes Misery Measure. We're sticking with unemployment and personal tax rates, but we are adding four more factors that can make people miserable: commute times, weather, crime and that toxic waste dump in your backyard.
We looked at only the 150 largest metropolitan areas, which meant a minimum population of 371,000. We ranked the cities on the six criteria above and added their ranks together to establish what we call the Misery Measure. The data used in the rankings came from Portland, Ore., researcher Bert Sperling, who last year published the second edition of Cities Ranked & Rated along with Peter Sander. Economic research firm Economy.com, which is owned by Moody's, also supplied some data.
Detroit in the top spot, with its sister city Flint ranked third, is probably not a great shock. "If Detroit were a baseball team, we'd say they are mired in a slump," says Sperling. Both Detroit and Flint have suffered tremendously from the auto industry downturn. Flint's plight was immortalized in the Michael Moore movie Roger & Me, which chronicles Moore's attempts to meet with then General Motors Chief Executive Roger Smith.
Crime and unemployment are closely linked, according to Sperling. Our three most miserable places bear that out (Stockton, Calif., ranks second). All three are among the eight worst cities in terms of both unemployment and violent crime.
The United States' two biggest cities both induce a ton of misery. New York was the fourth most miserable city by our count, while Los Angeles clocked in at sixth. The Big Apple has the longest commute times (36.2 minutes) and the highest tax rates (10.5%) in the country. As the financial capital of the world and home to write-down kings Merrill Lynch and Citigroup , New York appears poised for more misery in 2008.
The people of La-La Land have some of the best weather in the U.S. (it's ranked seventh) but scored poorly when it came to commute times, Superfund sites and taxes. And we did not even factor in air quality, where Los Angeles is the worst in the nation by far, according to Sperling.
The biggest surprise on our list is Charlotte, N.C. , which is ranked ninth. Charlotte has undergone tremendous economic growth the past decade, while the population has soared 32%. But the current picture isn't as bright. Employment growth has not kept up with population growth, meaning unemployment rates are up more than 50% compared with 10 years ago. Charlotte scored in the bottom half of all six categories we examined. It scored the worst on violent crime, ranking 140th.
So take heart, Detroit, you are not alone. After all, misery loves company.
Winehouse dominates Grammys from afar
LOS ANGELES - Trapped half a world away by the place she promised to never "go, go, go," a vibrant, exuberant Amy Winehouse dominated the Grammys on Sunday night, winning five awards and delivering a defiant performance of her autobiographical hit "Rehab" via satellite from London.
Winehouse, nominated for six awards, lost the final prize in a shocker when Herbie Hancock took album of the year for "River: The Joni Letters."
"You know it's been 43 years since the first and only time that a jazz artist got the album of the year award," Hancock said, then proceeded to honor "the giants upon whose shoulders I stand, some of whom like Miles Davis, John Coltrane ... unquestionably deserved the award in the past. But this is a new day, that proves that the impossible can be made possible."
For a while it seemed impossible that Winehouse would perform at all. She recently entered a drug rehabilitation center after months of erratic behavior and canceled performances, not to mention the anthemic "no, no, no" resistance of her hit song.
As the ceremony approached, suspense built over whether her drug troubles would cost her a work visa. When her visa application was rejected Thursday, Grammy producers arranged for her to perform remotely. On Friday, the U.S. government reversed itself and approved the visa, but it was too late for her to make the cross-continental trek.
So she took the stage at almost 4 a.m. London time before a small cabaret audience, wearing a sly smile as she performed a sultry, soulful rendition of the hit that has defined her recent fall from grace. She looked just as coy as she sang the song "You Know I'm No Good" — almost reveling in the irony of her words.
Shortly afterward, Winehouse seemed dumbfounded when she was announced as the record of the year winner. She was immediately enveloped by her band, then her mother and father, who have publicly worried whether the 24-year-old artist would survive her demons.
"I am so proud of this album," Winehouse told The Associated Press in a statement. "I put my heart and soul into it and it's wicked to be recognized in this way. I feel truly honored to be mentioned in the same breath as many of the artists present tonight and to win is even more amazing!"
Her five awards were the most of the night, and included wins for best new artist, song of the year, pop vocal album and female pop vocal performance.
Winehouse's performance was not the only dramatic moment of the night. Kanye West, who had a leading eight nominations and won four trophies, delivered an electric, glow-in-the-dark rendition of "Stronger," then segued into a stirring tribute to his mother, Donda West, who died unexpectedly last year at age 58 after undergoing plastic surgery.
"Last night I saw you in my dreams, and now I can't wait to go to sleep," sang West, dressed in black and with MAMA etched into his haircut, as he launched into "Hey Mama," a celebratory tune from his second album that has now turned into a somber ode.
West won awards for best rap album for "Graduation," best solo performance for "Stronger," best rap song for "Good Life" and best rap performance by a duo or group for his collaboration with Common on "Southside."
While West was accepting the best rap album trophy, the orchestra tried to play him off the stage as he began speaking about his mother.
"It would be in good taste to stop the music," West said — and the music stopped.
"I know you're really proud of me right now and I know you want me to be the No. 1 artist in the world and Mama," West continued, "all I'm going to do is keep making you proud. We run this."
The Grammys, celebrating its 50th year, emphasized its history from the first performance. Alicia Keys, glammed-up with a '50s style, sat at the piano and sang "Learnin' the Blues" along with a black-and-white video performance from the late Frank Sinatra.
"Frank Sinatra looked good for 150, didn't he," Prince joked moments later before introducing Keys as the best female R&B vocal winner for her smash "No One."
Later, the casts from Cirque Du Soleil's "Love" Beatles' show and the Beatles-inspired movie "Across the Universe" paid tribute to the Fab Four as Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and George Harrison's widow Olivia Harrison watched from the audience.
It was a hot-legs competition when Tina Turner teamed up with Beyonce on "Proud Mary." The senior citizen kept up with her younger counterpart, showcasing her famous dance moves while wearing a tight-fitting silver bustier and pantsuit.
Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" earned two Grammys, including for best female country vocal performance. Bruce Springsteen took three awards, including best rock song for "Radio Nowhere." Other winners included the White Stripes, Justin Timberlake and Mary J. Blige with two each, the Foo Fighters and even Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama for best spoken-word album.
The last jazz album to win album of the year (not counting pop-jazz singer Norah Jones' "Come Away With Me") was "Getz/Gilberto," a collaboration between Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto, in 1964.
In any other year, West would have been the main story line thanks to his history of awards-show tirades, his huge album "Graduation" and the shocking death of his mother. But Winehouse's drama upstaged West and everyone else.
Many artists expressed support for her, such as Grammy-winner Chaka Khan, who admitted having her own problems in the spotlight during her long career.
"She's walking her walk. We all have a walk in life, we have hard and difficult times and going through that chaos often leads to clarity," Khan said. "We have to have that room and that space, that privacy time, to be able to walk your walk, make your mistakes and come out of it. It will make you stronger."
'Jaws' Actor Scheider Dies at 75
Roy Scheider, a two-time Oscar nominee best known for his role as a police chief in the blockbuster movie "Jaws," died Sunday. He was 75.
Scheider died at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences hospital in Little Rock, hospital spokesman David Robinson said. The hospital did not release a cause of death.
However, hospital spokeswoman Leslie Taylor said Scheider had been treated for multiple myeloma at the hospital's Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy for the past two years.
He was nominated for a best-supporting actor Oscar in 1971's "The French Connection" in which he played the police partner of Oscar winner Gene Hackman and for best-actor for 1979's "All That Jazz," the autobiographical Bob Fosse film.
However, he was best known for his role in Steven Spielberg's 1975 film, "Jaws," the enduring classic about a killer shark terrorizing beachgoers and well as millions of moviegoers.
Widely hailed as the film that launched the era of the Hollywood blockbuster, it was also the first movie to earn $100 million at the box office. Scheider starred with Richard Dreyfuss, who played an oceanographer.
"He was a wonderful guy. He was what I call 'a knockaround actor,'" Dreyfuss told The Associated Press on Sunday.
"A 'knockaround actor' to me is a compliment that means a professional that lives the life of a professional actor and doesn't' yell and scream at the fates and does his job and does it as well as he can," he said.
In 2005, one of Scheider's most famous lines in the movie "You're gonna need a bigger boat" was voted No. 35 on the American Film Institute's list of best quotes from U.S. movies.
That year, some 30 years after "Jaws" premiered, hundreds of movie buffs flocked to Martha's Vineyard, off the southeastern coast of Massachusetts, to celebrate the great white shark.
The island's JawsFest '05 also brought back some of the cast and crew, including screenwriter Carl Gottlieb and Peter Benchley, who wrote the novel that inspired Spielberg's classic. Spielberg, Scheider and Dreyfuss were absent.
Dreyfuss recalled Sunday a time during the filming of 'Jaws' when Scheider disappeared from the set. As the filming was on hold because of the weather, Scheider "called me up and said, 'You don't know where I am if they call.'
"He'd gone to get a tan. He was really very tan-addicted. That was due to a childhood affliction where he was in bed for a long time. For him being tan was being healthy," Dreyfuss said.
He added that Scheider "was a pretty civilized human being you can't ask for much more than that."
Scheider was also politically active. He participated in rallies protesting U.S. military action in Iraq, including a massive New York demonstration in March 2003 that police said drew 125,000 chanting activists.
Scheider had a home built for him and his family in 1994 in Sagaponack in the Hamptons, where he was active in community issues. The oceanfront house featured five bedrooms, four fireplaces and various decks and porches.
Last summer, Scheider announced that he was selling the home for about $18.75 million to singer-songwriter Billy Joel and was moving to the nearby village of Sag Harbor.
Czech couple tried to dupe Swiss bank with international airline plan
PRAGUE (AFP) - A Czech couple who pretended they wanted to launch an international airline were stopped by the police before convincing a Swiss bank to lend them around 3.5 billion dollars (2.39 billion euros).
Czech police said Thursday in a statement that they had launched criminal proceedings for loan fraud against the 54-year-old husband and his 43-year-old wife.
The attempted fraud, based on false papers from a non-existent US financial institution, was stopped just before the signature of a preliminary agreement with the the "renowned" Swiss bank for the 3.5 billion dollar bank guarantee, police said.
They said they started investigating the case during the first half of 2006 in close cooperation with the US Federal Reserve and US justice department.
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