Buzz Tag: January 2009

Deepika Padukone beats ‘sexiest’ Katrina in popularity rating

Posted by Sinlung

Katrina Kaif was declared internet’s most searched name with the highest probability of being a desktop wallpaper. That was a Google survey. Yahoo has come up with another declaring that Deepika has outrun Kats now.

Despita churning out a flop out of her martial-arts-flair in the flop ‘Chandni Chowk To China’, Deepika has managed to get the attention that is the stepping stone to success in the glamour world. Having won the most searched name in the ‘people’ category of Yahoo! India, the popularity crown of 2009 has already been taken by her.

Following Deepika, were Shilpa Shetty and Aishwarya Rai. Bipasha Basu and Kareena Kapoor also featured in the list.

Though 2008 was Katrina’s year, the new beginning shows the changing trend.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to try her politically-correct self in politics!

Posted by Sinlung

Mumbai, Jan 31: Samajwadi party is contemplating offering a ticket to the politically-correct, picture-perfect Indian woman, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Having proved her mettle in Bollywood she has proved her social sophistication with an unblemished career and her wise move to marry the youngest Bachchan. she has impressed one and all with her beauty, which appears not to be just skin-deep.

With Sanjay Dutt having dived into Indian politics with much glamour and promises, she can be the next candidate contesting the Lok Saabha elections from Madhepura seat. Tulsi Singh, a senior party leader and chairman of the party’s state parliamentary board, said that a large number of party workers and people had requested him to convince Mulayam Singh to give the party ticket to Aishwarya from Madhepura. The name cropped up in view of an overwhelming favour the green-eyed beauty enloys among party workers.

If the offer is accepted, Ash would be contesting the election against Janata Dal-United (JD-U) National President Sharad Yadav.

Celeb portrait sparks bidding frenzy

Posted by Sinlung

London, Jan 31: A self-portrait of popular boy band New Kids On The Block has sparked a bidding frenzy at a charity auction.

The caricature of the pop group at their recent O2 Arena concert in London was drawn by singer Donnie Wahlberg, who had managed to get the band to pen their signatures on it.

Wahlberg had apparently donated the A3-sized picture to the No Surrender Charitable Trust, which supports young adult cancer patients, along with the marker pen that was used to create the drawing, reports a news daily.

While the bidding for the portrait recently reached 1,060 pounds, the black pen, which "has been kissed and rubbed all over the body of Donny Wallberg", too has invited offers up to 255 pounds.

Successful bidders would also receive a video blog of Wahlberg at work on CD to prove its legitimacy as the auction comes to an end on February 4.

Gaultier’s 51-Year-Old Runway Star: Inès de la Fressange

Posted by Sinlung

Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week

Getty Images

French model Ines de la Fressange presents a creation by Jean Paul Gaultier for his Spring/Summer 2009 haute couture collection.

As always, this week’s Paris couture shows have been the stomping ground for stick-thin models with high cheek bones and clenched jaws.

But Jean-Paul Gaultier is not one to abide by rules. Despite the presence of singers Kanye West and Kylie Minogue, it was the former French supermodel Inès de la Fressange who stole the show.

As the voluptuous 51-year-old strutted down the runway, the crowd cheered this one-time French queen of the catwalk.

Clearly moved, she turned to wave at old friends and slipped off a cream jacket in front of the cameras.

Mr. Gaultier, also caught up in the moment, chased the former supermodel down the runway and practically wrestled her to the ground during the final moments of the show catching her just before she fell.

Fashion models “are not just 14-year-olds,” Mr. Gaultier said later. “There are no [age] barriers to beauty.” The French designer explained that the curvy Ms. de la Fressange embodied the sexuality demanded his raunchy Spanish themed show, which also featured high-waisted pinstripe pants for women, suspenders and elbow-length gloves.

Ms. de la Fressange in the 1980s was the first model to sign an exclusive modeling contract with a haute couture fashion house — Chanel — and then went on to represent France’s symbol of femininity, Marianne. She described how she felt nervous backstage with the other models, “surrounded by all those sexy little things.”

Despite the warm reception from the crowd, she said her return to the catwalk was a one-off. “For me it was like a Sunday,” she said batting her eyelids. “This is not my job anymore.” –Max Colchester

Bernie Madoff bodyguard to quit

Posted by Sinlung

The former NYPD detective who has been Bernie Madoff’s bodyguard since the accused Ponzi schemer has been out on bail is quitting.

Nicholas Casale said someone else will have to watch over Madoff in his East Side apartment because his company is not equipped to track down the disgraced money manager’s assets across the globe.

That duty was recently dumped on Casale when it was made a condition of Madoff’s bail.

“The added requirement of providing worldwide inventorying of your client’s possessions is something we are not structured to fulfill,” Casale wrote in a letter sent to Madoff attorneys on Monday and filed in Manhattan Federal Court Thursday.

Casale will be replaced by Stroz Friedberg Investigations on Feb. 1, whose tab will be picked up by Madoff’s wife. Read the rest of this entry »

Teenager poses as police officer, goes on patrol in squad car in Chicago

Posted by Sinlung

Chief Wiggum moment ... Chicago police said the teenager was motived by the desire to be a cop rather than "ill intent".

A TEENAGE boy dressed as a police officer went on patrol in a squad car with a qualified cop for five hours before he was busted.

The 14-year-old walked into a Chicago police station and managed to secure an assignment. He did not have a gun, issue any tickets or drive the patrol car, Associated Press reported.

Assistant Superintendent James Jackson said the boy's deception was only discovered after the patrol ended.
Officers noticed his uniform didn't have an official star.

Police said they were investigating how the "serious security breach" went undetected for so long.

Deputy Superintendent Daniel Dugan said the boy looked older than 14, and was motivated by a desire to be an officer rather than malice or "ill intent", Associated Press reported.

He also took part in a program for youth interested in policing, and would have been familiar with some procedures, police said.

The teenager has been charged with impersonating an officer. He will be tried as a juvenile.

Japan group launches 'toilet poems' to save paper

Posted by Sinlung

TOKYO (Reuters) - Poetry in the loo can cut down on paper use too, says a Japanese group campaigning to save toilet paper as part of the country's battle against global warming.

Simply pasting a "toilet poem" at the eye level of a person seated in the cubicle can help cut toilet paper use by up to 20 percent, a study by the research centre Japan Toilet Labo showed.

"That paper will meet you only for a moment," reads one poem. "Fold the paper over and over and over again," says another. Or just: "Love the toilet."

Now the group is looking to have its posters displayed in 1,000 public toilets.

"We asked ourselves what we could do for the environment in the toilet?" said Ryusuke Nagahara of the Japan Toilet Labo. "The answer is to save toilet paper and save water."

Toilet paper use in Japan has been increasing in recent years, according to an industry body, possibly because of a rise in the number of public toilets, where people tend to use more paper.
"It's because it's free," said an official at the Kikaisuki Washi Rengokai. "At home, people are more inclined to scrimp."

Britain cracks down on neglectful parents

Posted by Sinlung

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Parents in Britain who refuse to pay child maintenance could have their passports and driving licences confiscated without a court order under tough new laws aimed at cleaning up the welfare system.
The Welfare Reform bill, which will be debated by lawmakers on Tuesday, also seeks to nudge single parents and people with health problems into employment and to make the long-term unemployed work for their state benefits.
"For those who choose not to support their own kids, we will not stand by and do nothing. If a parent refuses to pay up then we will stop them travelling abroad or even using their car," said work and pensions minister James Purnell.
The government has dubbed the changes the biggest shake-up of the welfare system for 60 years but it has also come under criticism for tabling the reforms at a time of soaring unemployment and slumping economic activity.

Red makes men more amorous

Posted by Sinlung

Washington, Jan 26: The colour red makes men feel more amorous towards women, and the males are unaware of the role the shade plays in their attraction, according to two psychologists.

The study by University of Rochester psychologists published in Oct. by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology adds color—literally and figuratively—to the age-old question of what attracts men to women.

Through five psychological experiments, Andrew Elliot, professor of psychology, and Daniela Niesta, post-doctoral researcher, demonstrate the affair of colour red with enduring love.

“It’s only recently that psychologists and researchers in other disciplines have been looking closely and systematically at the relationship between color and behavior. Much is known about color physics and color physiology, but very little about color psychology,” said Elliot.

“It’s fascinating to find that something as ubiquitous as color can be having an effect on our behavior without our awareness,” the expert said.

Although this aphrodisiacal effect of red may be a product of societal conditioning alone, the authors argue that men’s response to red more likely stems from deeper biological roots.

Research has shown that nonhuman male primates are particularly attracted to females displaying red. Female baboons and chimpanzees, for example, redden conspicuously when nearing ovulation, sending a clear sexual signal designed to attract males.

To quantify the red effect, the study looked at men’s responses to photographs of women under a variety of color presentations. In one experiment, test subjects looked at a woman’s photo framed by a border of either red or white and answered a series of questions, such as: “How pretty do you think this person is?” Other experiments contrasted red with gray, green, or blue.

When using chromatic colors like green and blue, the colors were precisely equated in saturation and brightness levels, explained Niesta. “That way the test results could not be attributed to differences other than hue.”

In the final study, the shirt of the woman in the photograph, instead of the background, was digitally colored red or blue. In this experiment, men were queried not only about their attraction to the woman, but their intentions regarding dating. One question asked: “Imagine that you are going on a date with this person and have 100 dollars in your wallet. How much money would you be willing to spend on your date?”

Under all of the conditions, the women shown framed by or wearing red were rated significantly more attractive and sexually desirable by men than the exact same women shown with other colors.

Men twice alcoholic than woman

Posted by Sinlung

Washington, Jan 26: American researchers from the University of California, San Diego, have suggested that men are twice as likely as women to become alcoholics.

Alcoholism refers to circumstances under which an individual becomes addicted to alcoholic drinks in spite of its harmful effects. Alcoholism is a disease either inherited or developed from genetic, psychological or social factors.

According to the study, published in the Lancet medical journal, men have a 20 percent risk developing a drink problem in their lifetimes, and 10 percent chance of becoming hooked.

However the lifetime risk for women abusing alcohol was only between 8 and 10 percent, according to the study, reported today in the Daily Telegraph of Britain.

In most countries around the world, alcoholism is a growing cause for concern. Alcoholism has a higher prevalence among men, though in recent decades, the number of female alcoholics has increased. Biologically, women have symptom profiles from their alcohol use that differ in important ways from men.

Equal dosages of alcohol consumed by men and women generally result in women having higher blood alcohol concentrations (BACs). It is attributed to many reasons, including that women have less body water than men.

A given amount of alcohol, therefore becomes more highly concentrated in a woman's body. Besides this fact, women also become more intoxicated, which is due to different hormone release.

Heres how you can feel and look like a star

Posted by Sinlung

If you ever wondered what kept Beyonce Knowles, Heidi Klum and Cameron Diaz away from piling those pounds, then look
no further for here are few tips to help you attain that star bod.
People magazine has compiled tips for those wanting to look like their favourite celebrity.

1. Get the ””power””
Beyonce”’’s secret behind her toned body? Trainer Marco Borges”’’s “power moves,” a routine which gives several muscle groups a simultaneous workout.
Borges said: “You could perform three different exercises using machines but not have the benefits of one compound move, like a reverse lunge shoulder
press. It works all the same muscles and the core.
2. Go to your Core
Hollywood A-listers including Heidi Klum and Cameron Diaz treat themselves to mind-body spa Exhale in New York and L.A. for its Core Fusion classes, a
blend of Pilates, yoga and core conditioning.
3. Practice fasting
Cadillac Records actress Gabrielle Union fasts from time to time to “start fresh”.
She said: “It”’’s certainly not for weight loss,” says Union. “For me, it”’’s a spiritual thing. It”’’s getting my brain and my spirit together.”

Penelope Cruz wants to win Oscar for her Spanish fans

Posted by Sinlung

London, Jan 26 (ANI): Penelope Cruz, who has been nominated for Oscar this year, is keen to get the award for her Spanish fans.
The actress is nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category for her part in Woody Allen’’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

She’’s up against Doubt stars Viola Davis and Amy Adams, Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’’s Taraji P. Henson.
And the actress hopes she walks away with the revered prize as a homage to her homeland.
“I am eternally indebted to the Academy (and) to Woody Allen who gave me this opportunity. I am very happy to see all the affection and congratulations I have received, especially those from Spain, the Daily Express quoted her, as saying.
“Let’’s hope I can bring it home, she added.
The actress has one previous Oscar nomination under her belt for 2006′’s Volver.

Moobs vie with boob jobs in British surgery spurt

Posted by Sinlung

Cosmetic surgeries are on the up in Britain despite the economic downturn, with the number of men desiring a flatter chest rising faster than those of women who want bigger breasts, according to figures released Monday.The recession-busting trend is being attributed to men becoming more conscious of their looks.
A total of 34,187 procedures were carried out last year - up five percent from 2007, according to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS).
Although women continued to account for the vast majority of cosmetic surgeries, operations to flatten ‘man-breasts’ were among the fastest rising.
Operations to increase the size of women’s breasts went up by 30 percent, but there was a 44 percent rise in the number of men who went under the knife to reduce ‘man breasts’, or moobs.
Eyelid surgeries were down 10 percent, face and neck lifts were up 1.7 percent, and tummy tucks were up 30 percent, BAAPS said.
Surprisingly, while many other parts of the economy are shrinking, the overall number of people undergoing cosmetic surgery has kept increasing since 2003.
Men appear to be one of the drivers of this growth, with big jumps in men having ear correction, eyelid surgery and brow lifts, said BAAPS Secretary Rajiv Grover.
Describing the rise in breast reductions and brow lifts as “dramatic”, Grover said: “This may be due to heightened media attention, which has allowed men to realise the positive outcomes that can be achieved”.
Bryan Mayou, another London cosmetic surgeon, said the increase in moob jobs shows “men are addressing the problem rather than living with it and the low self-confidence it can bring.”

Makeover shows make women more conscious about their bodies

Posted by Sinlung

Women who watch makeover shows are more mindful about their bodies, according to a new study.
The University of Southern California professor Julie Albright believes these shows are driving women to go under the knife to conform to a heightened definition of beauty, one that is increasingly difficult to attain.
The practice now has incredible visibility, which has led to incredible acceptance, which has led to incredible pressure for women to improve their appearance, said Albright.
The researchers surveyed 662 college students in Los Angeles and Buffalo about their viewing habits and body image.
The findings revealed that women watch these shows more than men and the more they watch the more they are likely to feel anxiety about their bodies.
Albright said that women in the study equated beauty to wealth and an affluent lifestyle.
Women are being taught to access power and status through their looks, she said.
Before women might buy a Louis Vuitton purse to show off their status. Now they might buy new breasts as a sign of their success, she added.
The study suggested that women felt a surgically enhanced body was more attractive to men, though men in the study disagreed.
Albright said that these shows impose unrealistic beauty standards that make people question their own bodies while giving them an instruction manual on how to change their appearance.
The study Impossible Bodies is published in Configurations Journal from Johns Hopkins University Press.

Michael Kors to open flagship store in London

Posted by Sinlung

London, Jan 24 (IANS) American luxury sportswear brand Michael Kors is all set to hit THIS city with its flagship store this April.The new store on London’s New Bond Street will offer a full range of women’s ready-to-wear, handbags, shoes and eyewear, as well as fragrances, reports telegraph.co.uk.
”When I began to dream about opening stores, there were a few key cities where I always wanted to have my stores like New York, LA, Milan and London. Now, with London, that dream too has come true,” said Kors.
Kors is a favourite among many Hollywood celebrities Jennifer Lopez, Charlize Theron, Gwyneth Paltrow, Liv Tyler and many more.
The London store will be the first in a chain of 25 stores in Europe.

Musicians from all faiths unite for peace

Posted by Sinlung

In the backdrop of the Mumbai carnage and the Gaza offensive, Hindu, Jew, Muslim and Christian artists from all parts of the world have struck a chord of peace by performing alongside each other here.

In a series of concerts at the ongoing Jaipur Literature festival, the artists put together by the London-based Coexist Foundation, came together in their bid to shun stereotypes and present a lesson to those who believe that faith cannot act as a cohesive force.

The artists have been assembled together in the backdrop of the violence in Mumbai and Gaza which had a direct impact on inter-faith relations, Simon Cohen, spokesperson of
the Coexist Foundation.

The originator of the idea, noted author and director of the Jaipur Literature festival, William Dalrymple, said it is a pro-active way of putting up against divisive forces.

“In the wake of the India-Pakistan tensions following the Mumbai attacks there was also a clamour to bar Pakistani artists. What we desire to say is that if you put the plug on Pakistani artists, the fanatics will actually win,” Dalrymple said.

“What the artists are doing here is to present an alternative vision, which is a pro-active and vocal one, because staying quiet does not help,” he added.

Among the star performers at the five-day concert series are Pakistani rocker Salman Ahmad from the music group Junoon, described by Q magazine as ‘one of the biggest bands in the world.’

Salman will share the stage with Indian tabla master Samir Chatterjee at the festival, which will also see Muslim musicians from the Barmer desert play alongside the Jewish Berber-Algerian DJ Cheb I Sabbah, even as Israeli singer Shye Ben-Tzur fuses Rajasthani rhythms and western sounds with Hindu and Muslim musicians.

Besides these, Indian director Muzaffar Ali, artists Kudsi Erguner and Coleman Barkes will celebrate the tolerant pluralistic Sufism of Rumi.

“The best way to live in the current world is to follow the paths of our Prophets and sufi saints,” said Muzaffar Ali.

“People from all around the world, from all religions have risen above the stereotypes because of their passion for music. It is a lesson for those who say faith cannot promote co-existence. This is also a positive paradigm of the power of faith and music,” Cohen said.

The Co-exist foundation, which was founded in 2006, works through research, education and funding towards promoting inter-faith relations between Christians, Muslims and Jews around the world.

“The aim is to promote an understanding between the Abrahamic faiths and also with the secular people,” Cohen said.

“This is a powerful symbol of how faith and music can be used as instruments of peace between Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Christians”.

The foundation, which provides logistic and financial support to experts researching in the field has a partnership with the Tony Blair faith foundation, Cambridge inter-faith programme and also with the Theythrop college of theology in London.

Besides, the Gallop organisation which is undertaking a research in the Muslim world and the west to perceive how the two worlds perceive each other, is also supported by the foundation in its 10-year long initiative, Cohen said.

“The research, which is trying to ascertain what the two sides actually feel about each other, has in some places revealed that it is policy not theology that drives anti-west feelings in the Muslim world, particularly with what the western nations have done in Iraq and Afghanistan,” he added.

India Ready To Engage With Obama

Posted by Sinlung

American president of the United States, Barack Obama, is being widely hailed as a harbinger of change and, perhaps, not without reason.
Even before he was sworn in as the 44th US president around 11.30am (local time) on Tuesday, Obama had come to signify hope and change for the better for millions cutting across country, race and religious divides.
India is no exception as Obama’s elevation to power has been largely met with optimism. The only sore note, if one can call it that, has been the new president’s inclination to draw a link between the situation on Pak-Afghan border and the J&K dispute between India and Pakistan which many in the West believe can lead to a flare-up on Pakistan’s eastern border.
However, the good news for India is that Obama has already declared that the war on terror during his regime is going to focus on Afghanistan-Pakistan and not Iraq. This clearly authenticates India’s stand that it is important to sort out these two countries to root out terrorism.
Obama’s predecessor had been pilloried for the US follies in launching an all out war on Iraq and Obama’s decision to withdraw troops from that country has been greeted well by the world community. In that sense, Obama has already started to make a difference.
India, of course, would want to ward off any attempt by the Obama administration to force a resolution of the J&K dispute on the pretext of ensuring more cooperation from Pakistan in the war against terror. However, Obama clearly understands that India looks upon J&K as a bilateral dispute, with the world community having little or no role in it, and is unlikely to disturb the balance.
Another likely bone of contention between India and the US could be the Democrats’ insistence on India signing the CTBT and NPT. However, India’s stand on both the issues is so clearly spelled out that any attempt to force India could lead to an ugly situation which Washington may want to avoid.
One of the first major challenges to confront Obama would be the tottering US economy and he has already outlined it as his main priority area. Any move to inject fresh life into the economy can only be good news not just for India but also the entire world as no other country has a more profound influence on the world economy.
More than 90% of India’s $50 billion IT exports goes to the US and a thriving US economy is almost imperative for India. As for his remarks on outsourcing in the past, that he wants to save American jobs, Indians are hopeful that as in the past it would not translate into any action that would impede US-India business relations.
China’s relations with the US are also likely to have a bearing on India-US strategic ties as manifested in last year’s nuclear deal between the two countries. It was fairly obvious during the last phase of Bush’s tenure that Washington was following a policy of containment vis-a-vis China even though Bush himself maintained that relations between the two countries strengthened in the past few years. So far, Obama has kept his cards close to his chest as far as China is concerned.
Secretary of state-designate Hillary Clinton, of course, has said that Washington wants positive and cooperative relationship with China. She, however, has also warned that relations would not be “one-way effort” and that “much of what we will do depends on the choices China makes about its future at home and abroad”.
Obama is also likely to deviate from his predecessor’s stand by trying to engage Iran. However, any major change in US policy, especially if Iran continues with its plan to enrich uranium, is not on the cards. He has also not ruled out military options against Iran which might bring him into a conflict with Europe.
Obama has already announced that he would have Guantanamo Bay shut down as a priority. However, it remains to be seen how the decision is implemented because the authorities have not yet figured out what to do with the inmates. For example, the 15 Uighur separatists lodged in the prison have nowhere to go because most countries have refused to take them.
Obama is also likely to emerge as the new world leader as far as climate change is concerned. He has already announced his intention to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 80% and an investment of $150 billion in new energy-saving techniques. However, his real test will come in December in Copenhagen when talks are held on replacement for Kyoto protocol.

Here is the Complete List of 2009 Oscar Nominees

Posted by Sinlung

Did your favourite get nominated?

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis and Oscar winner Forest Whitaker announced the nominees for the 2009 Oscars.
Best motion picture of the year
* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* Frost/Nixon
* Milk
* The Reader
* Slumdog Millionaire
Performance by an actor in a leading role
* Richard Jenkins (The Visitor)
* Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon)
* Sean Penn (Milk)
* Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
* Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
* Josh Brolin (Milk)
* Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder)
* Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt)
* Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
* Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road)
Performance by an actress in a leading role
* Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married)
* Angelina Jolie (Changeling)
* Melissa Leo (Frozen River)
* Meryl Streep (Doubt)
* Kate Winslet (The Reader)
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
* Amy Adams (Doubt)
* Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
* Viola Davis (Doubt)
* Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
* Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler)
Best animated feature film of the year
* Bolt
* Kung Fu Panda
* WALL•E
Achievement in art direction
* Changeling
* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* The Dark Knight
* The Duchess
* Revolutionary Road
Achievement in cinematography
* Changeling, Tom Stern
* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Claudio Miranda
* The Dark Knight, Wally Pfister
* The Reader, Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
* Slumdog Millionaire, Anthony Dod Mantle
Achievement in costume design
* Australia, Catherine Martin
* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Jacqueline West
* The Duchess, Michael O’Connor
* Milk, Danny Glicker
* Revolutionary Road, Albert Wolsky
Achievement in directing
* David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
* Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon)
* Gus Van Sant (Milk)
* Stephen Daldry (The Reader)
* Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Best documentary feature
* The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
* Encounters at the End of the World
* The Garden
* Man on Wire
* Trouble the Water
Achievement in makeup
* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Greg Cannom
* The Dark Knight, John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O’Sullivan
* Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz
Achievement in film editing
* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
* The Dark Knight, Lee Smith
* Frost/Nixon, Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
* Milk, Elliot Graham
* Slumdog Millionaire, Chris Dickens
Best foreign language film of the year
* The Baader Meinhof Complex
* The Class
* Departures
* Revanche
* Waltz With Bashir
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Alexandre Desplat
* Defiance, James Newton Howard
* Milk, Danny Elfman
* Slumdog Millionaire, A.R. Rahman
* WALL•E, Thomas Newman
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
* “Down to Earth” from WALL-E (Walt Disney), Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, Lyric by Peter Gabriel
* “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight), Music by A.R. Rahman, Lyric by Gulzar
* “O Saya” from Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight), Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman andMaya Arulpragasam
Achievement in sound editing
* The Dark Knight, Richard King
* Iron Man, Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes
* Slumdog Millionaire, Tom Sayers
* WALL•E, Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood
* Wanted, Wylie Stateman
Achievement in sound mixing
* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten
* The Dark Knight, Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick
* Slumdog Millionaire, Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
* WALL•E,Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt
* Wanted, Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt
Achievement in visual effects
* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
* The Dark Knight, Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
* Iron Man, John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan
Adapted screenplay
* Eric Roth & Robin Swicord (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
* John Patrick Shanley (Doubt)
* Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon)
* David Hare (The Reader)
* Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire)
Original screenplay
* Courtney Hunt (Frozen River)
* Mike Leigh (Happy-Go-Lucky)
* Martin McDonagh (In Bruges)
* Dustin Lance Black (Milk)
* Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon (WALL•E)

The Ultimate Green Tech: Anti-cancer plants

Posted by Sinlung

http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2009/...

Scientists have created a plant that naturally produces anti-cancer chemicals, and I have to ask: if they have any wishes left in the magic lamp that made this dream possible I'd like a warp drive or some kind of robot Angelina Jolie cheerleader. Seriously, this idea is the greenest technology since Captain Planets recycling bin.

Why do popular songs trigger specific memories?

Posted by Sinlung

Washington, Jan 22 (IANS) Just thinking about a particular song can evoke vivid memories of the past or special events in your life.”We thought that actually hearing the song would bring back the most vivid memories,” said Richard Harris, professor of psychology at Kansas State University (KSU) and co-author of the study.

“But in our study there wasn’t a lot of difference in memory between those who heard the song and those who didn’t. What we determined was happening is that you already know the song and you’re hearing it in your mind.”
The study was co-authored by Harris and Elizabeth Cady, a 2006 KSU doctoral graduate in psychology. J. Bret Knappenberger, a 2004 K-State bachelor’s graduate in psychology, also was co-author.
Harris said the study fit his other research on the intersection of media and memory. In another project, Harris explored why people like to quote movies. He said the project with Cady was one of the first times his research delved into the medium of music.
“Most people have this idea that music can be a powerful memory cue,” Harris said. “You hear a song on the radio and it brings up memories of senior prom or graduation. That’s why oldies stations are so popular — not because the music is good but because it reminds us of specific times in our lives,” he said.
The researchers wanted to understand whether memories were cued by actually hearing the song or by thinking about it in other ways.
They tested 124 subjects between the ages of 18-20 in spring 2003. A pilot study had the subjects list songs from five stages of life: early childhood, grade school, middle school, high school and college.
In the second part of the study, the subjects were given a short list of the songs that were chosen with the most frequency in the pilot study. The subjects were asked to pick one song from each category that had a strong memory attached to it, write about the memory and rate how vivid it was.
Harris said that he and Cady were surprised at how many participants reported strong memories associated with the same song.
For the grade-school era, 26 percent of participants had strong memories associated with Vanilla Ice’s song “Ice Ice Baby.” For middle school, 36 percent reported strong memories associated with Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise.”
A control group was given only the names of the songs, while test groups either heard short clips of the songs, read the lyrics or saw art from the album or a photo of the artist, said a KSU release.
Harris said the vividness of memories didn’t vary much from one group to another, leading the researchers to determine that the subjects were “hearing” the song by being reminded of it in one way or another.
The study was recently published in the journal of Psychology of Music.

House of Lords is ethnically more diverse than Commons

Posted by Sinlung

London, The House of Lords is ethnically more diverse than the House of Commons with more Asians and Afro-Caribbeans, according to the head of Britain's equality commission.

Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said that the House of Commons was dominated by white men and was unrepresentative of the country.

" Parliament may be the pumping heart of our democracy, but its lifeblood is white, straight and male. That has to change,"he said. The House of Commons has a record 15 ethnic minority MPs, including Virendra Sharma and Keith Vaz of the Labour party.

Craziest Shoes

Posted by Sinlung

You might discover something you like… that is, if you enjoy nails, breaking your feet in half, wearing a bishop’s hat on your ankle, looking like a cartoon, playing with dogs, getting sweaty, being chained up, or having bird of paradise shins. There.

I look in the mirror...and know I could die

Posted by Sinlung

BRAVE cancer victim Jade Goody yesterday told of her heartache over losing her hair.

The 27-year-old Big Brother star — undergoing intensive chemotherapy treatment — has been left frightened and emotional after being told she has a 40 per cent chance of survival.

Jade, mum to Bobby Jack, five, and four-year-old Freddy, said: “There’s never a minute of any hour of any day that I’m not thinking about this cancer.

Happier times ... Jade with lover Jack Tweed

“There’s not a second when I forget it’s there. How can I? I just have to look in the mirror to remind me.”

Jade, who has cervical cancer, also described the devastating effect her baldness has had on her self-esteem.

She said: “It’s bad enough this disease can kill you, but it eats away at your confidence, your looks and your sexuality as well. I’m fighting for my femininity here.

“I don’t want to sound trivial but I’m just 27 years old and even though I’ve got a disease that could kill me I still want to look pretty.

“I still need to feel like a woman. Is that so wrong?

Reunion

“And I don’t want my kids to be embarrassed by my baldness. I don’t want them to think that if you’re bald you have to hide away.”

Speaking about her chances of survival, Jade went on: “I have to be realistic. I have to accept that I might not make it. In my head I keep telling myself that I will make it, that I must. But in my heart... I just dunno.”

Jade also told how she is planning a romantic reunion with lover Jack Tweed after he is released from prison this week.

Jade said she begged Jack — jailed for 18 months for assaulting a teenager — to “walk away” after being told how serious her condition is.

But Jack, 21, left Jade in tears of joy when he vowed to stand by her no matter what. Jade heaped praise on Jack for his commitment... and says she even hopes that they will marry.

In an interview with The Sun’s sister paper the News of the World, Jade added: “I love him and there’s no doubt in my mind he loves me. I need him now more than ever.”

Terrorism at 24 frames per second

Posted by Sinlung

The filmmaker is essentially a storyteller. Over the years, the stories told on film have worn down deep tire tracks as they've gone in their different directions. We call these tracks genres. Think of the path a romance movie takes: lovers meet, suffer a series of missed connections, and then finally come together in a well earned kiss. Or a sports story: a team of individuals struggle against each other's egos, learn to work together, and win as one. War stories feature heroes and villains locked in deadly conflict, trying to find justification for the mutual brutality, and the identity of the victor depends on what the camera focuses on.

But what about a terrorism story? A recent rash of European films take on terrorism in their home countries and around the world, and have received a volitile mix of praise and condemnation from critics.

From the article: "The wave of terror films comes as a new generation of European filmmakers looks to make political sense of the past -- and be provocative at a time when the issue of terrorism is so relevant.

"In the case of most of these films there has been about a generation of distance from the events depicted," says Professor Elizabeth Ezra, an expert in European cinema at Scotland's University of Stirling. "The events depicted are moments of trauma, and trauma by its very nature is characterized by a delayed reaction."

(Spanish director Jamie) Rosales says... "Classic Hollywood-style cinema is very easy and very comforting...When you see my film it is not a pleasant experience. Even when I saw it I thought this is hard and the ideas are complicated. But I wanted to propose something very different to what we've already seen in cinemas.""

So, do filmmakers need to change their cinematic language to make us hear them, or do we have to learn to speak theirs?

War on Drugs: The Price Tag

Posted by Sinlung

With our economy going to pot, President-elect Obama has promised a “top-to-bottom audit to eliminate spending for programs that don’t work.” So, here’s a sane, simple proposal to save the country billions of dollars a year: end the war on marijuana users.

Obama reaches out to Muslims

Posted by Sinlung

BARACK OBAMA is planning to reach out to the Islamic world, seeking a rapprochement with Muslim opinion alienated by the Bush administration.

He believes a personal initiative will dramatise his wish to reassure Muslims, and intends to give a speech in an Islamic capital during his first 100 days in office as a sign of his engagement.

He has not said where. Egypt and Pakistan are obvious possibilities, but there has been speculation that he could choose Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, where he spent part of his childhood.

Obama will be sworn in as president with his full Muslim-sounding name of Barack Hussein Obama, in keeping with White House tradition.

His inauguration presents a “unique opportunity to reboot America’s image in the world and also in the Muslim world in particular”, he said in an interview.

Obama intends to prohibit the use of harsh interrogation techniques, including waterboarding, by the CIA, and to shut the secret “black site” prisons where terrorist suspects have been questioned. In future, interrogations will follow the rules set out in the US army field manual, which conform to the Geneva conventions. However, he is considering retaining a secret loophole, which would allow the CIA to use some methods outside the army rulebook.

One move that has been ruled out is the immediate closure of the Guantanamo detention centre for terrorist suspects, the focus of much Muslim anger.

Although Obama is committed to closing it - and the process has begun - he has hinted it could take as long as four years.

He said in a recent interview that he would consider it a failure if he had not closed the prison by the end of his first term in 2012. There had been speculation it could take a year because of problems in resettling potentially dangerous detainees, but not four years.

The Getty needs your help!

Posted by Sinlung

Digital photography is replacing traditional photography. And it's happening so fast that traditional photography, and the knowledge about how to create it, is in danger of disappearing altogether.

Scientists at the Getty Conservation Institute want your old photographic papers, film, negatives, and prints to build an archive of knowledge and materials from the era of classical photography. This archive will become a reference collection for future generations of photo conservators and scholars, and will allow them to research and authenticate the treasures of the classical photography era.

Surprisingly, the large photography companies—Kodak, Ilford, Fuji, Polaroid, and Agfa—did not save samples of the hundreds of different films and papers they developed over the last century.

They're hoping that you did.

Below are some examples of materials to send.

• Photographs—don't send your family treasures; send the extra copies and rejects.
• Please only send photographs that have a date and/or manufacturer's name or logo printed on them.
• Instant photographs from Polaroid, Kodak, or other manufacturers.
• Unexposed film in the original canisters—black-and-white, color, and Polaroid. If you have the original packaging, send that too!
• Unexposed photographic papers—ideally in the original box. If you have an unopened box you can part with, this is especially helpful.
• Exposed photographic papers, including prints, contact sheets, and contact prints if they include a date and manufacturer's name or logo.
• Film, sheet, or glass-plate negatives, and transparencies.

Prescription drug overdoses epidemic in West VA

Posted by Sinlung

By Amelia A. Pridemore
Register-Herald Reporter

West Virginia tops the nation in per capita prescription drug overdoses, and police believe even more people will become addicted — and die — if the problem does not stop.

“We have to do this in education and in the home, from the pulpit and to the street,” said Ron Booker, coordinator of the TRIDENT drug task force that operates in Raleigh and Fayette counties. “It’s an epidemic, and it’s the worst in West Virginia. It’s going to take our communities to stop it.”

According to 2007 congressional testimony from Leonard J. Paulozzi, a medical epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, West Virginia had the highest fatal and unintentional drug overdose rate in the nation — 16.7 per 100,000 population — during 2004.

The state medical examiner’s office reported 2,758 overdose deaths between 2001 and 2007, according to statistics provided by Booker. Suicides were excluded in those numbers. The vast majority of people who died used a combination of different drugs.

More than 600 died in 2007 alone, Booker noted.

“If more than 600 people died from murders, I’m sure every household would be discussing prevention,” he said. “People would be talking about environments, how not to be shot and prevention measures. Law enforcement would increase their activities.

“People are selling more prescription drugs than illegal drugs like cocaine and marijuana. The demand is now astronomical.”

Girls Photos, Hot Sexy Photos, Ladies Photos, Female Photos, Pics, Pix,

Posted by Sinlung

Photos of The Hottest Females celebrities, Hollywood Actresses, Super models, Swimsuit Pictures, bikini models, celebs, candid photos, Import Models. Search for the hottest babe images online.