LOS ANGELES (Billboard) – In the same week that Chris Brown went to YouTube to apologize for assaulting former girlfriend Rihanna, a viral videoclip of a wedding party dancing down the aisle to Brown's song "Forever" returned him to the charts.
The uptempo tune sold 50,000 downloads during the week ended July 26, up a hefty 1,721% from the previous week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It thusly re-enters the Hot Digital Songs chart at No. 21, its first time on the list since January. It's also the best sales week for any of Brown's songs since Christmas week of 2008, when "Forever" sold 77,000 downloads.
On July 20, Brown went to his official YouTube channel to issue a video statement about the incident with Rihanna. It has been watched 2.4 million times. Coincidentally, newlyweds Kevin Heinz and Jill Peterson posted the videoclip of their boogying wedding party on YouTube a day earlier. By midday Thursday it was already the site's most-viewed clip of the month, with 12.1 million views.
The happy couple were interviewed July 24 on NBC's "Today" and the wedding party performed its dance routine on the morning show the following day.
Perhaps the beleaguered Brown's return to the charts means that the buying public was able to separate the artist from the art and simply focus on the exuberant tune itself. Or maybe some consumers were simply unaware that Brown was the vocalist or of his recent troubles. Whatever the case, it's safe to say that the dancing wedding party clip has given Brown more positive publicity than anything else since the February altercation -- and it couldn't have been better timed.
Omer Bhatti is Michael Jackson's son, says Joe Jackson in video interview
Michael Jackson's father insisted Thursday night that a Norwegian dancer is in fact the King of Pop's love child."Yes, I knew he had another son. Yes, I did," Joe Jackson said in an interview with NewsOne.com.
The bombshell comes a week after Omer Bhatti, 25, denied widespread reports that he was Michael Jackson's secret son.
"He looks like a Jackson," Joe Jackson, 80, insisted. "He acts like a Jackson, he can dance like a Jackson."
Joe Jackson is separated from his wife, Katherine, and was estranged from his son, Michael, who accused him of being abusive.
He was criticized for plugging his new recording company to reporters in his first statements after his son's death.
Asked whether Bhatti is Jacko's heir apparent, Jacksaon said he didn't know - but seemed interested in finding out.
"I don't know. I can't say that yet. Not until I see it happen," he said.
Bhatti sat with Jackson's grieving family at the star-studded July 7 farewell to the singer in Los Angeles.
He is reported to be the result of a one-night stand Jackson had with Bhatti's mother, Pia Bhatti, in 1984.
Bhatti has been cagey about his relationship to the singer. Previously, he has said he wanted to take a DNA test to determine their connection.
"Michael always used to say I was like a son to him," Bhatti said in an interview last week. "But my true parents are in Norway.
"The reason I was asked to sit with his family at the memorial service is because I was Michael's closest friend - not because I am his son."
Bhatti and his family lived at Jackson's Neverland Ranch in California in the mid-1990s, when his mother was the nanny for the singer's oldest son, Prince Michael, now 12.
The news broke as a deal was inked giving Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine, the right to raise Prince Michael and his siblings, Paris, 11, and Prince Michael II, age 7.
Debbie Rowe, the mother of the two older children, was granted visitation rights despite once famously saying she had "done absolutely nothing to earn" the title of parent.
The bombshell comes a week after Omer Bhatti, 25, denied widespread reports that he was Michael Jackson's secret son.
"He looks like a Jackson," Joe Jackson, 80, insisted. "He acts like a Jackson, he can dance like a Jackson."
Joe Jackson is separated from his wife, Katherine, and was estranged from his son, Michael, who accused him of being abusive.
He was criticized for plugging his new recording company to reporters in his first statements after his son's death.
Asked whether Bhatti is Jacko's heir apparent, Jacksaon said he didn't know - but seemed interested in finding out.
"I don't know. I can't say that yet. Not until I see it happen," he said.
Bhatti sat with Jackson's grieving family at the star-studded July 7 farewell to the singer in Los Angeles.
He is reported to be the result of a one-night stand Jackson had with Bhatti's mother, Pia Bhatti, in 1984.
Bhatti has been cagey about his relationship to the singer. Previously, he has said he wanted to take a DNA test to determine their connection.
"Michael always used to say I was like a son to him," Bhatti said in an interview last week. "But my true parents are in Norway.
"The reason I was asked to sit with his family at the memorial service is because I was Michael's closest friend - not because I am his son."
Bhatti and his family lived at Jackson's Neverland Ranch in California in the mid-1990s, when his mother was the nanny for the singer's oldest son, Prince Michael, now 12.
The news broke as a deal was inked giving Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine, the right to raise Prince Michael and his siblings, Paris, 11, and Prince Michael II, age 7.
Debbie Rowe, the mother of the two older children, was granted visitation rights despite once famously saying she had "done absolutely nothing to earn" the title of parent.
Facebook in hot water over use of married woman to advertise dating site
Facebook, the social networking website, has faced new questions about its privacy policy after an American user discovered a picture of his wife illustrating an advertisement for a "hot singles" dating site.The advertisement was sent to Peter Smith, from Lynchburg, Virginia, while he was browsing Facebook himself.
It read: "Hey Peter. Hot singles are waiting for you!!" alongside a picture of a woman who looked strangely familiar.
A brief investigation established that a Facebook advertiser had lifted the photo of his wife, Cheryl, a 44-year-old business consultant, from her profile on the site without her permission.
"Fortunately he has a sense of humour. Otherwise it could have played out very differently," said Mrs Smith on her blog.
An embarrassed Facebook responded by disabling two advertising networks which it said had violated its terms of service.
The US company was also forced to issue a statement denying that it had changed its privacy policy and distancing itself from the practice of using photos without consent.
The privacy of Facebook users has been a long-running concern as the company attempted to create highly-targeted advertising based on the online habits of members.
In 2007, the site had to abandon its practice of sharing users' purchases with other Facebook members following a protest.
More recently it had to go back on a change to its terms of service after another protest over privacy fears.
In Cheryl Smith's case, she had failed to switch off an obscure setting on her Facebook page that allows the company to use a member's information in adverts sent to his or her friends
It read: "Hey Peter. Hot singles are waiting for you!!" alongside a picture of a woman who looked strangely familiar.
A brief investigation established that a Facebook advertiser had lifted the photo of his wife, Cheryl, a 44-year-old business consultant, from her profile on the site without her permission.
"Fortunately he has a sense of humour. Otherwise it could have played out very differently," said Mrs Smith on her blog.
An embarrassed Facebook responded by disabling two advertising networks which it said had violated its terms of service.
The US company was also forced to issue a statement denying that it had changed its privacy policy and distancing itself from the practice of using photos without consent.
The privacy of Facebook users has been a long-running concern as the company attempted to create highly-targeted advertising based on the online habits of members.
In 2007, the site had to abandon its practice of sharing users' purchases with other Facebook members following a protest.
More recently it had to go back on a change to its terms of service after another protest over privacy fears.
In Cheryl Smith's case, she had failed to switch off an obscure setting on her Facebook page that allows the company to use a member's information in adverts sent to his or her friends
Microsoft and Yahoo! Link-Up Targets Google
Microsoft and Yahoo! have announced a web search deal to rival Google.The agreement ends years of negotiations and gives Microsoft access to the internet's second-largest search engine audience.
It adds a potentially potent weapon to Microsoft's Internet arsenal as the software maker girds for an online assault against Google.
Yahoo is teaming up with Microsoft following years of financial decay.
In the process, Yahoo hopes to recover some of the money that was squandered in 2008 when it turned down a chance to sell the entire company to Microsoft for £29bn.
Microsoft wants to process more search requests because the inquiries have become a critical lever for selling Internet ads.
Microsoft and Yahoo know there's so much more that search could be. This agreement gives us the scale and resources to create the future of search.
Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer
The extended reach will allow Microsoft to introduce its recently upgraded search engine, called Bing, to more people.
The Washington-based software maker believes Bing is just as good, if not better, than Google's search engine.
Taking over the search responsibilities on Yahoo's highly trafficked site gives Microsoft a better chance to convert Web surfers who had been using Google by force of habit.
In return for handing over the keys to its search engine, Yahoo will get to keep 88% of the revenue from all search ad sales on its site for the first five years of the deal.
Yahoo estimated the deal will boost its annual operating profit by £305m.
Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said: "Microsoft and Yahoo know there's so much more that search could be.
"This agreement gives us the scale and resources to create the future of search."
Analysts hailed the deal as big news.
Tim Beyers, Senior Analyst at The Motley Fool, said: "You feel like this is something they had to do. ... I mean, independently, they're bit players. Together, they might offer a combination that might be appealing to an advertiser."
It adds a potentially potent weapon to Microsoft's Internet arsenal as the software maker girds for an online assault against Google.
Yahoo is teaming up with Microsoft following years of financial decay.
In the process, Yahoo hopes to recover some of the money that was squandered in 2008 when it turned down a chance to sell the entire company to Microsoft for £29bn.
Microsoft wants to process more search requests because the inquiries have become a critical lever for selling Internet ads.
Microsoft and Yahoo know there's so much more that search could be. This agreement gives us the scale and resources to create the future of search.
Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer
The extended reach will allow Microsoft to introduce its recently upgraded search engine, called Bing, to more people.
The Washington-based software maker believes Bing is just as good, if not better, than Google's search engine.
Taking over the search responsibilities on Yahoo's highly trafficked site gives Microsoft a better chance to convert Web surfers who had been using Google by force of habit.
In return for handing over the keys to its search engine, Yahoo will get to keep 88% of the revenue from all search ad sales on its site for the first five years of the deal.
Yahoo estimated the deal will boost its annual operating profit by £305m.
Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said: "Microsoft and Yahoo know there's so much more that search could be.
"This agreement gives us the scale and resources to create the future of search."
Analysts hailed the deal as big news.
Tim Beyers, Senior Analyst at The Motley Fool, said: "You feel like this is something they had to do. ... I mean, independently, they're bit players. Together, they might offer a combination that might be appealing to an advertiser."
Toure completes Man City switch
Manchester City have signed central defender Kolo Toure from Arsenal for a reported £16m on a four-year contract.
Toure, who had seven years at Arsenal, passed a medical on Wednesday and is City's sixth signing of the summer.
Boss Mark Hughes said: "It is no secret that we have been looking to strengthen our defence and in Kolo I feel we have recruited a world class player."
Toure told City's website: "I am still at an age, 28, where I feel I am at my peak and will play my best football."
Hughes, who recently failed to lure Chelsea centre-back John Terry to Eastlands, added: "Kolo has been a central figure in a strong Arsenal team for many years, and I have been an admirer of him for a long time.
"He is strong, quick, reads the game well and will be an influential figure in the dressing room."
Toure was linked to City in January and although Arsenal said then he was not for sale, the London club have now decided it is time to let him leave.
"For me it was time to move but only for the right club and I feel that Manchester City is that club," added Toure.
"The ambition here is clear to see and is big. Everyone knows this club is moving and that is really, really important.
606: DEBATE
As an Arsenal fan I am sad to see Toure go. The last player of the invincible era. Now we pass him on you guys, treat him well please
Arshavin FC
"I still want to achieve things and I feel as though I can bring something to City and that is what I will be striving to do. It is not just about quality on the pitch it is about blending as a team and with my experience I think I can help City do just that."
Toure had been with Arsenal since 2002 but failed to hold down a regular starting place last season. He handed in a transfer request in January, which was rejected by the Arsenal board.
The Ivory Coast defender played for Arsenal on Monday night in a pre-season friendly in Hungary and in all he played 326 games for the Gunners, scoring 14 goals, and had two years left on his contract at the Emirates Stadium.
As well as missing out on Terry, Hughes had a £15m bid for Everton defender Joleon Lescott rejected earlier this month.
But the Gunners, who have already sold striker Emmanuel Adebayor to City for £25m this summer, have been more receptive to offers from the oil-rich Eastlands club.
On top of capturing Adebayor, City have already brought in former Manchester United forward Carlos Tevez, midfielder Gareth Barry from Aston Villa and striker Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn for a total of about £55m this summer.
Meanwhile, defender Nedum Onuoha has ended speculation over his future by signing a new five-year contract at Eastlands.
The 22-year-old, who came through City's academy, had been rumoured to be on his way out of the club due to the number of high-profile additions to the squad, but he has pledged to fight for his place in the team.
"Unless you are continuously improving you shouldn't expect to be in the team," said Onuoha. "I want to improve on last season and I am raring to go."
Onuoha broke into City's back four midway through last season and never relinquished his place with a series of composed performances.
Can Certain Foods 'Arouse' Your Brain?
Wendy Wessler, who is divorced and lives on New York's Long Island, lost 150 pounds after gastric bypass surgery, but the weight is creeping back. She says she just can't understand why she can't say no to food.
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The ingredients in some fast food could trick the brain into overeating.
"If I am upset or I am really stressed out, I just think I am going to get home to get a bag of chips," Wessler told "Good Morning America." "I just keep telling myself I should know better. I should be stronger, just as a person [says], 'You are intelligent, you shouldn't be doing this. This is not grown up behavior. This is child behavior."
Contrary to her opinion, Wessler's behavior is fairly common among adults, affecting an estimated 70 million Americans, according to former FDA commissioner Dr. David Kessler. Kessler too has struggled throughout his life with food compulsion.
In Kessler's new book, "The End of Overeating," he describes how the part of the brain the amygdale, which is the area of the brain that controls our desires, can affect overeating.For most of people, when they see a tempting snack like a potato chip, it's the area of the brain will light up with activity and send feelings of anticipation and want. And once they start eating it shuts off. But for an overeater the amygdala remains activated while eating, creating that feeling of want, even after five, 10 or even 50 chips.
"We now know that the brains of millions of Americans are being excessively activated. Not everybody," Kessler said. "Let me give you [some] characteristics. Hard time resisting foods, a lack of feeling full, hard time stopping, a preoccupation, a thinking about foods between meals. And the foods that really arouse our brains are a combination of sugar, fat and salt, in other words, junk food."
Christine Zuccarelli overcame her struggle with food and became a dietitian, but she still feels the intense pull from some of her old favorite snacks.
"I call it food porn, because it excites me," she said. "It's something that gets me outside myself and I want more."
When overeater Mary Crean's favorite guilty pleasure, a Twix bar, is placed near her, she seems to lose concentration on a conversation as her mind floats to the chips.
"It calls to you," she laughed.
Similarly, Wessler said she becomes distracted when potato chips are placed in front of her.
"If there's something there that's edible, I cannot go about my business until I consume it," she said.
Share
The ingredients in some fast food could trick the brain into overeating.
"If I am upset or I am really stressed out, I just think I am going to get home to get a bag of chips," Wessler told "Good Morning America." "I just keep telling myself I should know better. I should be stronger, just as a person [says], 'You are intelligent, you shouldn't be doing this. This is not grown up behavior. This is child behavior."
Contrary to her opinion, Wessler's behavior is fairly common among adults, affecting an estimated 70 million Americans, according to former FDA commissioner Dr. David Kessler. Kessler too has struggled throughout his life with food compulsion.
In Kessler's new book, "The End of Overeating," he describes how the part of the brain the amygdale, which is the area of the brain that controls our desires, can affect overeating.For most of people, when they see a tempting snack like a potato chip, it's the area of the brain will light up with activity and send feelings of anticipation and want. And once they start eating it shuts off. But for an overeater the amygdala remains activated while eating, creating that feeling of want, even after five, 10 or even 50 chips.
"We now know that the brains of millions of Americans are being excessively activated. Not everybody," Kessler said. "Let me give you [some] characteristics. Hard time resisting foods, a lack of feeling full, hard time stopping, a preoccupation, a thinking about foods between meals. And the foods that really arouse our brains are a combination of sugar, fat and salt, in other words, junk food."
Christine Zuccarelli overcame her struggle with food and became a dietitian, but she still feels the intense pull from some of her old favorite snacks.
"I call it food porn, because it excites me," she said. "It's something that gets me outside myself and I want more."
When overeater Mary Crean's favorite guilty pleasure, a Twix bar, is placed near her, she seems to lose concentration on a conversation as her mind floats to the chips.
"It calls to you," she laughed.
Similarly, Wessler said she becomes distracted when potato chips are placed in front of her.
"If there's something there that's edible, I cannot go about my business until I consume it," she said.
Jay-Z Denies Blackballing Chris Brown From BET Awards
Hov also talks about calling Game 'groupie' on Blueprint 3."Tell groupie to get over it." Jay-Z says he didn't dis the Game, but he hasn't exactly been losing sleep over the former G-Unit rapper taking his words in the Blueprint 3 intro as a insult.
"If that's a dis, then wear that," Jay told radio personality Tim Westwood while in Europe promoting the album. "Tell groupie to get over it."
Westwood also asked Jay his thoughts on the videotaped apology Chris Brown released on Monday.
"We're all flawed human beings. All a person can do is apologize," Jay said. "That's it, what can we say? You know everyone should be allowed to make mistakes. It happens." Hov also denied that he had a hand in blackballing Chris Brown from performing at the recent BET Awards during a tribute to Michael Jackson. The big rumor was that Jay told BET that neither he nor Beyoncé would perform at the June award show if Brown was allowed to take the stage. BET and a source close to Brown discounted the rumor to MTV News in the wake of the show.
"That's the silliest rumor I ever heard," Jay told Westwood. "You know me, right? I was sitting back and watching all them suckas [comment]. You don't comment on rumors. I was sitting back watching them. 'Look at them. That's so silly.' First, let me categorically deny that. If I have a problem with Chris Brown, I got a problem with Chris Brown. I don't agree with what he did and that's that."
Hov said for him to impose his will on BET would have been a sucka move and for people to come out and comment on the rumor was also a sucka move.
"This one was funny," he said of the rumor. "I was sitting back like, 'Look at them, they all stupid.' I didn't do it, I wouldn't do it. That's not how I deal with my problems, through using BET or record companies."
It's no secret Jay and Rihanna are close. The singer and Kanye West appear on the next single from The Blueprint 3, "Run This Town."
"We basically run this town," Jay said. "It's myself, Rihanna and Kanye. It's pretty much it."
Brain cells have natural resistance to HIV
Neurons can protect themselves against infection with HIV, new research has demonstrated. They owe their hardiness to a protein called FEZ-1, made uniquely by neurons, and which appears to lock out the virus.
The finding raises the possibility of new treatments to thwart HIV by using gene therapy or drugs to activate production of the same protein in cells other than neurons – especially the white blood cells most vulnerable to infection.
Mojgan Naghavi of University College Dublin, Ireland, along with her colleagues Juliane Haedicke and Craig Brown, established the protective effects of FEZ-1 by blocking production of the protein in human neurons.
When they did this, the neurons became vulnerable to infection. Likewise, they successfully blocked the usual infections in other types of brain cells, such as microglia, by engineering them to manufacture FEZ-1.
Transport blocker?
Next, the researchers hope to see if they can block HIV infection in white blood cells by genetically engineering them to produce FEZ-1. They also hope to find out more about how FEZ-1 blocks HIV.
"We know FEZ-1 blocks infection, but we need to find the basic mechanism," says Naghavi.
Standing for fasciculation and elongation protein zeta-1, FEZ-1 is known to bind to molecular "motors" that help to transport proteins within cells along internal tramlines known as microtubules. Naghavi says it may be that FEZ-1 gets in the way, blocking transport of viral proteins into the nucleus where they would multiply.
Second weapon
The only other established source of natural protection against infection is in people who can't make CCR5, a surface protein that HIV uses to gain entry to cells.
Drugs already exist to block CCR5, and other teams are testing gene therapies to restock patients' blood with cells engineered to not produce CCR5.
Sangamo Biosciences of Richmond, California, began such a trial earlier this year, using a method to disable the CCR5 gene in blood samples before returning them to patients. The company says it is theoretically possible to activate the FEZ-1 gene in cells vulnerable to HIV infection.
The finding raises the possibility of new treatments to thwart HIV by using gene therapy or drugs to activate production of the same protein in cells other than neurons – especially the white blood cells most vulnerable to infection.
Mojgan Naghavi of University College Dublin, Ireland, along with her colleagues Juliane Haedicke and Craig Brown, established the protective effects of FEZ-1 by blocking production of the protein in human neurons.
When they did this, the neurons became vulnerable to infection. Likewise, they successfully blocked the usual infections in other types of brain cells, such as microglia, by engineering them to manufacture FEZ-1.
Transport blocker?
Next, the researchers hope to see if they can block HIV infection in white blood cells by genetically engineering them to produce FEZ-1. They also hope to find out more about how FEZ-1 blocks HIV.
"We know FEZ-1 blocks infection, but we need to find the basic mechanism," says Naghavi.
Standing for fasciculation and elongation protein zeta-1, FEZ-1 is known to bind to molecular "motors" that help to transport proteins within cells along internal tramlines known as microtubules. Naghavi says it may be that FEZ-1 gets in the way, blocking transport of viral proteins into the nucleus where they would multiply.
Second weapon
The only other established source of natural protection against infection is in people who can't make CCR5, a surface protein that HIV uses to gain entry to cells.
Drugs already exist to block CCR5, and other teams are testing gene therapies to restock patients' blood with cells engineered to not produce CCR5.
Sangamo Biosciences of Richmond, California, began such a trial earlier this year, using a method to disable the CCR5 gene in blood samples before returning them to patients. The company says it is theoretically possible to activate the FEZ-1 gene in cells vulnerable to HIV infection.
Kenya: Mau Triggers Simmering Tensions
Nairobi — It looked like a drastic fallout between Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Agriculture minister William Ruto.
But the spat over the Mau Forest issue was just the trigger to bring to the open long-simmering tensions.
Mr Odinga and Mr Ruto, at the head of their Luo and Kalenjin communities, were the key figures in the ODM grouping that threatened to sweep President Kibaki out of office at the last elections.
They were also seen as the most influential figures behind the unrest that eventually forced the formation of the Grand Coalition Government to end the violent reaction to the 2007 election results.
No sooner had the ODM presidential candidate been installed as Prime Minister, however, than fractures in relations started showing.Earlier, it was on the Cabinet and other appointments where Rift Valley MPs claimed they were short-changed.
There was Mr Ruto's loud campaign to get a leg up over Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi in the ODM pecking order, eventually being placated with a post as joint deputy party leader.
The bitter new divisions have just brought things to a head. And, the Mau issue has exploded at a time when there are other tensions between the two men.
Mr Odinga and President Kibaki have been at the forefront for a Local Tribunal for post-election violence suspects. Mr Ruto and Rift Valley MPs, who fear they would be lynched by such a mechanism, were out-rightly opposed.
By a strange confluence of events, a group of Central Kenya politicians led by Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta were also against the Special Local Tribunal.
Some were simply keen to see Rift Valley politicians they held responsible for the terror that befell central Kenya settlers in the province be made to pay.
Others feared that they too might be in the famous Waki envelope of key suspects because of the role they might have played in financing and organising resistance.
Another point of view from central Kenya is it is time to pursue healing and reconciliation in the Rift Valley between the Kikuyu and the Kalenjin, rather than revenge and punishment.
In the past few days as matters over both the Mau and The Hague came to a head, President Kibaki was in Mr Odinga's Luo Nyanza bastion on a tour that is of great political significance.
There were even suggestion that the visit marked the building of a new alliance that would have a bearing on Mr Odinga's quest for the top job in 2012, a job Mr Ruto has indicated he will also aim for.
So has Mr Kenyatta, whose association with Mr Ruto in recent months has sparked off speculation about a political alliance in the making.
As President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga were eating together and putting on a grand public display of mutual affection in the latter's' stronghold; Mr Kenyatta was releasing a statement that supported Mr Ruto and hit out at the Prime Minister on the impasse over compensation for the Mau Forest settlers targeted for eviction.
At the simple, level it might be interpreted that Mr Kenyatta was simply supporting a political ally or courting a constituency he badly needs ahead of 2012, even at the risk of being seen to be indifferent towards destruction of the Mau or alienating his own base.
Big losers
But what really drives him, is a firm conviction that if land issues in the Rift Valley and the resultant bloody conflicts-in which the Kikuyu are invariably the big losers-are to be resolved, then it must be through reconciliation and dialogue.
Relevant Links
* East Africa
* Kenya
* Environment
* Land Issues
* Legal Affairs
* Sustainable Development
This applies whether it is justice for post-election violence or forcible eviction of settlers in the Mau Forest.
The ruckus has put other contenders, especially within PNU, in the shade. Internal Security minister George Saitoti has been Mr Kenyatta's key rival to secure the central Kenya bloc.
Keep distance
Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has assiduously tried to woo central Kenya, sometimes seemingly in alliance with Mr Kenyatta.
All have kept their distance from the ongoing rows, but are been keenly studying the fallout.
Whether it results in a major reshaping of alliances remains to be seen, but one can confidently state that relations between Mr Odinga and Mr Ruto, or between Luo and Kalenjin blocs, may never be the same again.
But the spat over the Mau Forest issue was just the trigger to bring to the open long-simmering tensions.
Mr Odinga and Mr Ruto, at the head of their Luo and Kalenjin communities, were the key figures in the ODM grouping that threatened to sweep President Kibaki out of office at the last elections.
They were also seen as the most influential figures behind the unrest that eventually forced the formation of the Grand Coalition Government to end the violent reaction to the 2007 election results.
No sooner had the ODM presidential candidate been installed as Prime Minister, however, than fractures in relations started showing.Earlier, it was on the Cabinet and other appointments where Rift Valley MPs claimed they were short-changed.
There was Mr Ruto's loud campaign to get a leg up over Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi in the ODM pecking order, eventually being placated with a post as joint deputy party leader.
The bitter new divisions have just brought things to a head. And, the Mau issue has exploded at a time when there are other tensions between the two men.
Mr Odinga and President Kibaki have been at the forefront for a Local Tribunal for post-election violence suspects. Mr Ruto and Rift Valley MPs, who fear they would be lynched by such a mechanism, were out-rightly opposed.
By a strange confluence of events, a group of Central Kenya politicians led by Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta were also against the Special Local Tribunal.
Some were simply keen to see Rift Valley politicians they held responsible for the terror that befell central Kenya settlers in the province be made to pay.
Others feared that they too might be in the famous Waki envelope of key suspects because of the role they might have played in financing and organising resistance.
Another point of view from central Kenya is it is time to pursue healing and reconciliation in the Rift Valley between the Kikuyu and the Kalenjin, rather than revenge and punishment.
In the past few days as matters over both the Mau and The Hague came to a head, President Kibaki was in Mr Odinga's Luo Nyanza bastion on a tour that is of great political significance.
There were even suggestion that the visit marked the building of a new alliance that would have a bearing on Mr Odinga's quest for the top job in 2012, a job Mr Ruto has indicated he will also aim for.
So has Mr Kenyatta, whose association with Mr Ruto in recent months has sparked off speculation about a political alliance in the making.
As President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga were eating together and putting on a grand public display of mutual affection in the latter's' stronghold; Mr Kenyatta was releasing a statement that supported Mr Ruto and hit out at the Prime Minister on the impasse over compensation for the Mau Forest settlers targeted for eviction.
At the simple, level it might be interpreted that Mr Kenyatta was simply supporting a political ally or courting a constituency he badly needs ahead of 2012, even at the risk of being seen to be indifferent towards destruction of the Mau or alienating his own base.
Big losers
But what really drives him, is a firm conviction that if land issues in the Rift Valley and the resultant bloody conflicts-in which the Kikuyu are invariably the big losers-are to be resolved, then it must be through reconciliation and dialogue.
Relevant Links
* East Africa
* Kenya
* Environment
* Land Issues
* Legal Affairs
* Sustainable Development
This applies whether it is justice for post-election violence or forcible eviction of settlers in the Mau Forest.
The ruckus has put other contenders, especially within PNU, in the shade. Internal Security minister George Saitoti has been Mr Kenyatta's key rival to secure the central Kenya bloc.
Keep distance
Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has assiduously tried to woo central Kenya, sometimes seemingly in alliance with Mr Kenyatta.
All have kept their distance from the ongoing rows, but are been keenly studying the fallout.
Whether it results in a major reshaping of alliances remains to be seen, but one can confidently state that relations between Mr Odinga and Mr Ruto, or between Luo and Kalenjin blocs, may never be the same again.
First 3-D Images Inside Human Arteries
The walls that line human coronary arteries have been imaged for the first time in 3-D, a team of researchers says. Such images will allow cardiologists to see inside patients’ arteries more clearly and check for areas of inflammation or plaque deposits that can cause a heart attack.
"This is the first human demonstration of a technique that has the potential to change how cardiologists look at coronary arteries," said researcher Dr. Gary Tearney, associate professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School. "The wealth of information that we can now obtain will undoubtedly improve our ability to understand coronary artery disease and may allow cardiologists to diagnose and treat plaque before it leads to serious problems."
"This is the first human demonstration of a technique that has the potential to change how cardiologists look at coronary arteries," said researcher Dr. Gary Tearney, associate professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School. "The wealth of information that we can now obtain will undoubtedly improve our ability to understand coronary artery disease and may allow cardiologists to diagnose and treat plaque before it leads to serious problems."
Obama's emergency escape plan leaked online
SENSITIVE documents including plans for the emergency evacuation of US President Barack Obama and motorcade routes have been leaked on a file-sharing network, authorities say.
Chairman of the US House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Edolphus Towns said the documents had been discovered with file-sharing program LimeWire.
Other sensitive documents found with the peer-to-peer program included FBI files, medical records and social security numbers.
Mr Town used evidence of the leaks to argue for the regulation of file-sharing programs.
"As far as I am concerned, the days of self-regulation should be over for the file-sharing industry," Mr Towns said.
"In the last administration, the Federal Trade Commission took a see-no-evil, hear-no-evil approach to the file sharing software industry.
"I hope the new administration is revisiting that approach."
Mr Towns, a New York Democrat, said he planned to introduce legislation that would ban unsecure peer-to-peer software from all government and contractor computers and networks.
Related Coverage
* Reader's Comments: Obama's secret escape plan leaked onlineNEWS.com.au,
* Spotlight on illegal downloadsThe Australian, 22 Jun 2009
* $2.4m fine for pirating 24 songsCourier Mail, 19 Jun 2009
* AFP arrests 15 over rape web videoThe Australian, 1 Jun 2009
* Police to control child-sex passportsThe Australian, 27 Apr 2009
Your Say
Good, there should be NO secrets in any Government. We are the people who employ them. They should do as they are told not the other way around.
(Read More)
Paul
add news.com.au to iGoogle
He also planned the request Federal Trade Commission investigate whether inadequate safeguards on file-sharing software like LimeWire constituted an unfair trade practice.
LimeWire founder and chairman Mark Gorton defended his company, saying any inadvertent sharing had been fixed in the newest version of the software and steps had been taken to put the user more in control.
"Are we perfect? No, (but) we have made enormous strides in the last few years," he told the committee.
"In order for a LimeWire user to change their default settings to enable document sharing, they have to click nine times and disregard three warnings."
Evidence of the leaked documents was given to the committee by online security and intelligence company Tiversa.
Tiversa boss Robert Boback criticised LimeWire, saying the program was also used to distribute child pornography as well as sensitive documents.
He said peer-to-peer software had made it dangerously easy for snoopers to unearth extremely private information – easier than rifling through someone's trash.
"Why go dumpster diving?" Mr Boback said.
Peer-to-peer, or P2P, is a type of network in which files are stored on many computers at once rather than one central server. It is used by most current file-sharing programs.
This is not the first time Tiversa has revealed sensitive documents found on file-sharing networks.
Chairman of the US House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Edolphus Towns said the documents had been discovered with file-sharing program LimeWire.
Other sensitive documents found with the peer-to-peer program included FBI files, medical records and social security numbers.
Mr Town used evidence of the leaks to argue for the regulation of file-sharing programs.
"As far as I am concerned, the days of self-regulation should be over for the file-sharing industry," Mr Towns said.
"In the last administration, the Federal Trade Commission took a see-no-evil, hear-no-evil approach to the file sharing software industry.
"I hope the new administration is revisiting that approach."
Mr Towns, a New York Democrat, said he planned to introduce legislation that would ban unsecure peer-to-peer software from all government and contractor computers and networks.
Related Coverage
* Reader's Comments: Obama's secret escape plan leaked onlineNEWS.com.au,
* Spotlight on illegal downloadsThe Australian, 22 Jun 2009
* $2.4m fine for pirating 24 songsCourier Mail, 19 Jun 2009
* AFP arrests 15 over rape web videoThe Australian, 1 Jun 2009
* Police to control child-sex passportsThe Australian, 27 Apr 2009
Your Say
Good, there should be NO secrets in any Government. We are the people who employ them. They should do as they are told not the other way around.
(Read More)
Paul
add news.com.au to iGoogle
He also planned the request Federal Trade Commission investigate whether inadequate safeguards on file-sharing software like LimeWire constituted an unfair trade practice.
LimeWire founder and chairman Mark Gorton defended his company, saying any inadvertent sharing had been fixed in the newest version of the software and steps had been taken to put the user more in control.
"Are we perfect? No, (but) we have made enormous strides in the last few years," he told the committee.
"In order for a LimeWire user to change their default settings to enable document sharing, they have to click nine times and disregard three warnings."
Evidence of the leaked documents was given to the committee by online security and intelligence company Tiversa.
Tiversa boss Robert Boback criticised LimeWire, saying the program was also used to distribute child pornography as well as sensitive documents.
He said peer-to-peer software had made it dangerously easy for snoopers to unearth extremely private information – easier than rifling through someone's trash.
"Why go dumpster diving?" Mr Boback said.
Peer-to-peer, or P2P, is a type of network in which files are stored on many computers at once rather than one central server. It is used by most current file-sharing programs.
This is not the first time Tiversa has revealed sensitive documents found on file-sharing networks.
This Is Only a Test: Rorschach Blots Rocking the Web
Ever take the inkblot test—or at least see one administered on TV (like in any "Law & Order" episode)? If so, then you know that there are no right or wrong answers on a Rorschach test, but responses do provide insight to the test-taker's state of mind.
And yet, a controversy about the posting of 10 Rorschach inkblots on Wikipedia is rocking the scientific community, according to The New York Times. In addition to the blots themselves, the Wikipedia entry also includes the most common interpretations of what these blots look like—the old bison vs. butterfly vs. moth.
Taking the Test
The Rorschach test—a series of ink blots shown to patients, who are then asked to explain what they see—is named after Swiss psychologist Hermann Rorschach. Five of the blots are black-and-white, two are black, white, and red, and the last three are in pretty colors. (Or not pretty, depending on your view.)
The test-taker is evaluated on 100 variables, which will show what he/she truly feels deep inside—not just separating psychotic thinking from "normal" thought. One Rorschach FAQ site describes it as asking "How does someone view and organize the world around them?"
One nonprofit parenting site, SPARC, explains that it's not only what patients say in describing what they see, but also what "hand gestures and body movements" they make. (Interestingly, SPARC precedes its lengthy description of the whole process with a disclaimer, posted "after repeated letters from dozens of outraged psychologists and psychiatrists.")
Illuminating or Cheating?
Is the test's public availability stimulating free debate, or enabling test-takers to "cheat"? Depends on how you look at it:
• From the Wiki view: Supporters say it's informative—and searches on Yahoo! for "rorschach" have popped up 111% in the past week.
• From the psychologists' view: These "cheats" could help test-takers game the system and get in the way of research. And if patients peek at the interpretations beforehand, they may get in the way of their own diagnoses.
• From the test publishers' view: The test's publisher is "assessing legal steps" to have the images removed from Wikipedia, even though those images—created some 90 years ago—are in the public domain. Still, one spokesperson huffed that Wikipedia's position is "unbelievably reckless and even cynical" for recognizing concerned claims and posting the images anyhow.
But Does One See Results?
Despite the outrage over Wikipedia's posting, not all researchers believe in the test's validity. The method was severely criticized in the 1950s and revised in the 1970s. Scientific American revived its 2005 article that called Rorschach's test "frequently ineffective" as a mental health tool.
Ideally, at least two clinicians should be involved in the interpretation of the test's results, but often they may not agree. Even worse, according to the article "What's Wrong With This Picture?", research also "suggests" that the Rorschach can't really gauge violent tendencies, depression, sexual abuse in children, antisocial tendencies, and so on. Since the test is administered to all kinds of people, from convicts seeking parole to parents in custody battles, obviously a lot rides on the interpretation of the results.
By the way, the Wikipedia uproar erupted in June, when an emergency-room doctor added the remaining nine inkblots to the one Wikipedia already had. When The New York Times told the doctor about all the experts' complaints, he replied, "Show me the evidence." Preferably not in the form of an inkblot.
And yet, a controversy about the posting of 10 Rorschach inkblots on Wikipedia is rocking the scientific community, according to The New York Times. In addition to the blots themselves, the Wikipedia entry also includes the most common interpretations of what these blots look like—the old bison vs. butterfly vs. moth.
Taking the Test
The Rorschach test—a series of ink blots shown to patients, who are then asked to explain what they see—is named after Swiss psychologist Hermann Rorschach. Five of the blots are black-and-white, two are black, white, and red, and the last three are in pretty colors. (Or not pretty, depending on your view.)
The test-taker is evaluated on 100 variables, which will show what he/she truly feels deep inside—not just separating psychotic thinking from "normal" thought. One Rorschach FAQ site describes it as asking "How does someone view and organize the world around them?"
One nonprofit parenting site, SPARC, explains that it's not only what patients say in describing what they see, but also what "hand gestures and body movements" they make. (Interestingly, SPARC precedes its lengthy description of the whole process with a disclaimer, posted "after repeated letters from dozens of outraged psychologists and psychiatrists.")
Illuminating or Cheating?
Is the test's public availability stimulating free debate, or enabling test-takers to "cheat"? Depends on how you look at it:
• From the Wiki view: Supporters say it's informative—and searches on Yahoo! for "rorschach" have popped up 111% in the past week.
• From the psychologists' view: These "cheats" could help test-takers game the system and get in the way of research. And if patients peek at the interpretations beforehand, they may get in the way of their own diagnoses.
• From the test publishers' view: The test's publisher is "assessing legal steps" to have the images removed from Wikipedia, even though those images—created some 90 years ago—are in the public domain. Still, one spokesperson huffed that Wikipedia's position is "unbelievably reckless and even cynical" for recognizing concerned claims and posting the images anyhow.
But Does One See Results?
Despite the outrage over Wikipedia's posting, not all researchers believe in the test's validity. The method was severely criticized in the 1950s and revised in the 1970s. Scientific American revived its 2005 article that called Rorschach's test "frequently ineffective" as a mental health tool.
Ideally, at least two clinicians should be involved in the interpretation of the test's results, but often they may not agree. Even worse, according to the article "What's Wrong With This Picture?", research also "suggests" that the Rorschach can't really gauge violent tendencies, depression, sexual abuse in children, antisocial tendencies, and so on. Since the test is administered to all kinds of people, from convicts seeking parole to parents in custody battles, obviously a lot rides on the interpretation of the results.
By the way, the Wikipedia uproar erupted in June, when an emergency-room doctor added the remaining nine inkblots to the one Wikipedia already had. When The New York Times told the doctor about all the experts' complaints, he replied, "Show me the evidence." Preferably not in the form of an inkblot.
Jackson doctor's home, office raided
U.S. authorities searched the Las Vegas home and medical office of Michael Jackson's personal doctor Tuesday, continuing their manslaughter investigation into the pop star's death.
Drug Enforcement Administration agents entered the sprawling home of Dr. Conrad Murray as well as his office, Global Cardiovascular Associates.
Murray began working as Jackson's personal physician in May and was to have continued with the singer during a concert series in London, England. He has said he found Jackson unconscious on June 25 and tried to resuscitate him.
Police have reiterated that the physician is co-operating with the investigation.
Murray is also licensed in California and Texas. DEA agents and police raided Murray's Houston facilities last week after obtaining a search warrant for what court documents described as a manslaughter investigation.
Estate issues in court
Lawyers for Michael Jackson's mother have gone to court to demand more information about the late singer's estate.
Katherine Jackson's legal team asked a judge on Tuesday for authority to subpoena attorney John Branca and former music executive John McClain, who are executors for the estate.
Jackson's mother wants both business and legal information, the claim said.
A Los Angeles judge said he would rule Monday on the issue. On the same day, he will consider whether the administrators will continue in that role and whether an allowance should be granted for Jackson's three children.
Murray "didn't prescribe or administer anything that should have killed Michael Jackson," said his lawyer, Edward Chernoff. "We will not be commenting on rumours, innuendo or unnamed sources."
Still awaiting toxicology results
Toxicology reports are pending, but a law enforcement official revealed to The Associated Press on Monday that investigators have theorized that the 50-year-old entertainer's heart stopped due to the use of the anesthetic propofol, also known under the brand name Diprivan.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said investigators believe Jackson had been using the powerful drug to induce sleep.
Propofol, which was among the drugs police found when they searched the home Jackson had been renting, can depress breathing and lower heart rates and blood pressure. It is typically administered in hospitals by trained professionals.
Evolution producing more 'beautiful' women
MODERN men have got it so good. According to scientific research, women are gradually becoming more attractive in an evolutionary "beauty race".
A study, conducted by the University of Helsinki, claims beautiful women have more children than their plainer counterparts, and a higher proportion of those children are girls.
Scientists say this pattern has led to women becoming more beautiful over the generations.
Examples of beautiful celebrity mothers with equally beautiful daughters who are models include Jerry Hall, and her two daughters Elizabeth and Georgia Jagger, and Yasmin Le Bon and daughter Amber - who has recently modelled swimwear.
Men, however, have not had the same generational improvements.
The study tracked about 2000 American men and women for four decades of their lives.
Their attractiveness was assessed from photographs taken during the study, which also recorded how many children they had.
Related Coverage
It found attractive women had 16 per cent more, and very attractive 6 per cent more children than their less attractive counterparts.
Meanwhile, the least attractive men had 13 per cent fewer children than other men.
The findings build on a previous study which found attractive women were easier to find than handsome men because beautiful parents were more likely to have daughters.
However, psychologists believe women are becoming more attractive because they are making more of an effort with their looks and have more resources to do so.
Evolution expert, Dr Jack da Silva, from the University of Adelaide, said good-looking characteristics - like a symmetrical face - may reflect genetic quality.
"That's why we have evolved to find such features attractive," he said.
"That is, if you reproduce with an attractive partner, your children will inherit your partner's genetic quality . . . which increases your children's chances of survival and reproducing, thus the genes for beauty experience a high probability of being passed on to future generations."
Beckham clashes with another fan
England midfielder David Beckham was involved in another confrontation with a fan during Los Angeles Galaxy's match on Saturday.
Beckham exchanged words with a man in an England shirt during the Galaxy's 1-1 draw with the Kansas City Wizards.
The 34-year-old, who was fined after a clash with a fan last week, claimed the spectator insulted his wife Victoria.
"He shouldn't actually be wearing that shirt because what he was saying about my wife was a disgrace," he said.
The former England captain was fined $1,000 (£600) by Major League Soccer last Friday following a confrontation with fans during a recent friendly against AC Milan.
Beckham, who missed part of the Major League Soccer season earlier this year when he joined the Italian giants on loan, was booed by a section of the home crowd during the game.
At half-time, he approached one group of fans and appeared to challenge them to meet him on the pitch.
Security staff intervened, and police arrested a fan who left the stands.
Beckham joined Milan on loan because he was keen to satisfy England boss Fabio Capello's demand that he play at the highest level to remain in contention for international selection.
He is England's most capped outfield player, with 112 appearances, and is keen to play on until the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.
Obama birth certificate once again declared real
HONOLULU - State officials in Hawaii on Monday said they have once again checked and confirmed that President Barack Obama was born in Hawaii and is a natural-born American citizen, and therefore meets a key constitutional requirement for being president.
Health Director Dr. Chiyome Fukino said she hoped to end lingering rumors about Obama's birthplace.
"I ... have seen the original vital records maintained on file by the Hawaii State Department of Health verifying Barack Hussein Obama was born in Hawaii and is a natural-born American citizen," she said in a brief statement. "I have nothing further to add to this statement or my original statement issued in October 2008 over eight months ago."
So-called "birthers" — who claim Obama is ineligible to be president because, they argue, he was actually born outside the United States — have grown more vocal recently on blogs and television news shows.
Renewed attention
Fukino issued a similar press release Oct. 31, but was prompted to speak out again because of the renewed attention on Obama's beginnings. Hawaii's Health Department has been flooded in recent weeks with questions from individuals and several national TV news networks asking for proof that Obama was indeed born in Hawaii.
"They just keep asking over and over and over again," Health Department spokeswoman Janice Okubo said.
The Constitution states that a person must be a "natural-born citizen" to be eligible for the presidency. Birthers contend that Obama's birth certificate is a fake, and many say he was actually born in Kenya, his father's homeland. They've challenged his citizenship in court.
Hardball
One widely circulated YouTube clip of a town hall meeting showed a Republican congressman getting booed for saying Obama is a citizen. Talk show host Rush Limbaugh and CNN's Lou Dobbs have also raised the issue, and 10 Republican members of Congress co-sponsored a bill that would require future presidential candidates to provide a copy of their original birth certificate.
House resolution
However, it appears Congress has moved on and has accepted Obama's island birthplace. The U.S. House on Monday unanimously approved a resolution recognizing and celebrating the 50th anniversary of Hawaii becoming the 50th state. A clause was included that reads: "Whereas the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961."
State law bars the release of a certified birth certificate to anyone who does not have a tangible interest.
However, Obama's birth certificate along with birth notices from the two Honolulu newspapers were brought forward even before he took office. But that's done nothing to shake the belief by many Obama critics that the president was born abroad.
Health Director Dr. Chiyome Fukino said she hoped to end lingering rumors about Obama's birthplace.
"I ... have seen the original vital records maintained on file by the Hawaii State Department of Health verifying Barack Hussein Obama was born in Hawaii and is a natural-born American citizen," she said in a brief statement. "I have nothing further to add to this statement or my original statement issued in October 2008 over eight months ago."
So-called "birthers" — who claim Obama is ineligible to be president because, they argue, he was actually born outside the United States — have grown more vocal recently on blogs and television news shows.
Renewed attention
Fukino issued a similar press release Oct. 31, but was prompted to speak out again because of the renewed attention on Obama's beginnings. Hawaii's Health Department has been flooded in recent weeks with questions from individuals and several national TV news networks asking for proof that Obama was indeed born in Hawaii.
"They just keep asking over and over and over again," Health Department spokeswoman Janice Okubo said.
The Constitution states that a person must be a "natural-born citizen" to be eligible for the presidency. Birthers contend that Obama's birth certificate is a fake, and many say he was actually born in Kenya, his father's homeland. They've challenged his citizenship in court.
Hardball
One widely circulated YouTube clip of a town hall meeting showed a Republican congressman getting booed for saying Obama is a citizen. Talk show host Rush Limbaugh and CNN's Lou Dobbs have also raised the issue, and 10 Republican members of Congress co-sponsored a bill that would require future presidential candidates to provide a copy of their original birth certificate.
House resolution
However, it appears Congress has moved on and has accepted Obama's island birthplace. The U.S. House on Monday unanimously approved a resolution recognizing and celebrating the 50th anniversary of Hawaii becoming the 50th state. A clause was included that reads: "Whereas the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961."
State law bars the release of a certified birth certificate to anyone who does not have a tangible interest.
However, Obama's birth certificate along with birth notices from the two Honolulu newspapers were brought forward even before he took office. But that's done nothing to shake the belief by many Obama critics that the president was born abroad.
Kenya to build Africa's biggest windfarm
With surging demand for power and blackouts common across the continent, Africa is looking to solar, wind and geothermal technologies to meet its energy needs.One of the hottest places in the world is set to become the site of Africa's most ambitious venture in the battle against global warming.
Some 365 giant wind turbines are to be installed in desert around Lake Turkana in northern Kenya – used as a backdrop for the film The Constant Gardener – creating the biggest windfarm on the continent. When complete in 2012, the £533m project will have a capacity of 300MW, a quarter of Kenya's current installed power and one of the highest proportions of wind energy to be fed in a national grid anywhere in the world.
Until now, only north African countries such as Morocco and Egypt have harnessed wind power for commercial purposes on any real scale on the continent. But projects are now beginning to bloom south of the Sahara as governments realise that harnessing the vast wind potential can efficiently meet a surging demand for electricity and ending blackouts.
Already Ethiopia has commissioned a £190m, 120MW farm in Tigray region, representing 15% of the current electricity capacity, and intends to build several more. Tanzania has announced plans to generate at least 100MW of power from two projects in the central Singida region, more than 10% of the country's current supply. In March, South Africa, whose heavy reliance on coal makes its electricity the second most greenhouse-gas intensive in the world, became the first African country to announce a feed-in tariff for wind power, whereby customers generating electricity receive a cash payment for selling that power to the grid.
Kenya is trying to lead the way. Besides the Turkana project, which is being backed by the African Development Bank, private investors have proposed establishing a second windfarm near Naivasha, the well-known tourist town. And in the Ngong hills near Nairobi, the Maasai herders and elite long-distance athletes used to braving the frigid winds along the escarpment already have towering company: six 50m turbines from the Danish company Vestas that were erected last month and will add 5.1MW to the national grid from August. Another dozen turbines will be added at the site in the next few years.
Christopher Maende, an engineer from the state power company KenGen, which is running the Ngong farm and testing 14 other wind sites across the country, said local residents and herders were initially worried that noise from the turbines would scare the animals.
"Now they are coming to admire the beauty of these machines," he said.
Kenya's electricity is already very green by global standards. Nearly three-quarters of KenGen's installed capacity comes from hydropower, and a further 11% from geothermal plants, which tap into the hot rocks a mile beneath the Rift Valley to release steam to power turbines.
Currently fewer than one-in-five Kenyans has access to electricity but demand is rising quickly, particularly in rural areas and from businesses. At the same time, increasingly erratic rainfall patterns and the destruction of key water catchment areas have affected hydroelectricity output. Low water levels caused the country's largest hydropower dam to be shut down last month.
As a short-term measure KenGen is relying on imported fossil fuels, such as coal and diesel. But within five years the government wants to drastically reduce the reliance on hydro by adding 500MW of geothermal power and 800MW of wind energy to the grid.
Not only are they far greener options than coal or diesel, but the country's favourable geology and meteorology make them cheaper alternatives over time. The possibility of selling carbon credits to companies in the industrialised world is an added financial advantage.
"Kenya's natural fuel should come from the wind, hot underground rock and the sun, whose potential has barely even been considered," said Nick Nuttall, spokesman for the United Nations Environment Programme. "After the initial capital costs this energy is free."
The Dutch consortium behind the Lake Turkana Wind Power (LTWP) project has leased 66,000 hectares of land on the eastern edge of the world's largest permanent desert lake. The volcanic soil is scoured by hot winds that blow consistently year round through the channel between the Kenyan and Ethiopian highlands.
According to LTWP, which has an agreement to sell its electricity to the Kenya Power & Lighting Company, the average wind speed is 11metres per second, akin to "proven reserves" in the oil sector, said Carlo Van Wageningen, chairman of the company.
"We believe that this site is one of the best in the world for wind," he said. If the project succeeds, the company estimates that there is the potential for the farm to generate a further 2,700MW of power, some of which could be exported.
First, however, there are huge logistical obstacles to overcome. The remote site of Loiyangalani is nearly 300 miles north of Nairobi. Transporting the turbines will require several thousand truck journeys, as well as the improvement of bridges and roads along the way. Security is also an issue as the region is known bandit country, and many locals are armed with AK-47 assault rifles.
LTWP also has to construct a 266-mile transmission line and several substations to connect the windfarm to the national grid. It has promised to provide electricity to the closest local towns, currently powered by generators.
The greening of Africa
At the end of 2008, Africa's installed wind power capacity was only 593MW. But that is set to change fast. Egypt has declared plans to have 7,200MW of wind electricity by 2020, meeting 12% of the country's energy needs. Morocco has a 15% target over the same period. South Africa and Kenya have not announced such long-term goals, but with power shortages and wind potential of up to 60,000MW and 30,000MW respectively, local projects are expected to boom. With the carbon credit market proving strong incentives for investment other types of renewable energy are also set to take off. Kenya is planning to quickly expanding its geothermal capacity, and neighbouring Rift Valley countries up to Djibouti are examining their own potential. As technology improves and costs fall, solar will also enter the mix. Germany has already publicised plans to develop a €400bn solar park in the Sahara.
"Ultimately for Africa solar is the answer, although [costs mean] we may still be decades away," said Herman Oelsner, president of the African Wind Energy Association.
Some 365 giant wind turbines are to be installed in desert around Lake Turkana in northern Kenya – used as a backdrop for the film The Constant Gardener – creating the biggest windfarm on the continent. When complete in 2012, the £533m project will have a capacity of 300MW, a quarter of Kenya's current installed power and one of the highest proportions of wind energy to be fed in a national grid anywhere in the world.
Until now, only north African countries such as Morocco and Egypt have harnessed wind power for commercial purposes on any real scale on the continent. But projects are now beginning to bloom south of the Sahara as governments realise that harnessing the vast wind potential can efficiently meet a surging demand for electricity and ending blackouts.
Already Ethiopia has commissioned a £190m, 120MW farm in Tigray region, representing 15% of the current electricity capacity, and intends to build several more. Tanzania has announced plans to generate at least 100MW of power from two projects in the central Singida region, more than 10% of the country's current supply. In March, South Africa, whose heavy reliance on coal makes its electricity the second most greenhouse-gas intensive in the world, became the first African country to announce a feed-in tariff for wind power, whereby customers generating electricity receive a cash payment for selling that power to the grid.
Kenya is trying to lead the way. Besides the Turkana project, which is being backed by the African Development Bank, private investors have proposed establishing a second windfarm near Naivasha, the well-known tourist town. And in the Ngong hills near Nairobi, the Maasai herders and elite long-distance athletes used to braving the frigid winds along the escarpment already have towering company: six 50m turbines from the Danish company Vestas that were erected last month and will add 5.1MW to the national grid from August. Another dozen turbines will be added at the site in the next few years.
Christopher Maende, an engineer from the state power company KenGen, which is running the Ngong farm and testing 14 other wind sites across the country, said local residents and herders were initially worried that noise from the turbines would scare the animals.
"Now they are coming to admire the beauty of these machines," he said.
Kenya's electricity is already very green by global standards. Nearly three-quarters of KenGen's installed capacity comes from hydropower, and a further 11% from geothermal plants, which tap into the hot rocks a mile beneath the Rift Valley to release steam to power turbines.
Currently fewer than one-in-five Kenyans has access to electricity but demand is rising quickly, particularly in rural areas and from businesses. At the same time, increasingly erratic rainfall patterns and the destruction of key water catchment areas have affected hydroelectricity output. Low water levels caused the country's largest hydropower dam to be shut down last month.
As a short-term measure KenGen is relying on imported fossil fuels, such as coal and diesel. But within five years the government wants to drastically reduce the reliance on hydro by adding 500MW of geothermal power and 800MW of wind energy to the grid.
Not only are they far greener options than coal or diesel, but the country's favourable geology and meteorology make them cheaper alternatives over time. The possibility of selling carbon credits to companies in the industrialised world is an added financial advantage.
"Kenya's natural fuel should come from the wind, hot underground rock and the sun, whose potential has barely even been considered," said Nick Nuttall, spokesman for the United Nations Environment Programme. "After the initial capital costs this energy is free."
The Dutch consortium behind the Lake Turkana Wind Power (LTWP) project has leased 66,000 hectares of land on the eastern edge of the world's largest permanent desert lake. The volcanic soil is scoured by hot winds that blow consistently year round through the channel between the Kenyan and Ethiopian highlands.
According to LTWP, which has an agreement to sell its electricity to the Kenya Power & Lighting Company, the average wind speed is 11metres per second, akin to "proven reserves" in the oil sector, said Carlo Van Wageningen, chairman of the company.
"We believe that this site is one of the best in the world for wind," he said. If the project succeeds, the company estimates that there is the potential for the farm to generate a further 2,700MW of power, some of which could be exported.
First, however, there are huge logistical obstacles to overcome. The remote site of Loiyangalani is nearly 300 miles north of Nairobi. Transporting the turbines will require several thousand truck journeys, as well as the improvement of bridges and roads along the way. Security is also an issue as the region is known bandit country, and many locals are armed with AK-47 assault rifles.
LTWP also has to construct a 266-mile transmission line and several substations to connect the windfarm to the national grid. It has promised to provide electricity to the closest local towns, currently powered by generators.
The greening of Africa
At the end of 2008, Africa's installed wind power capacity was only 593MW. But that is set to change fast. Egypt has declared plans to have 7,200MW of wind electricity by 2020, meeting 12% of the country's energy needs. Morocco has a 15% target over the same period. South Africa and Kenya have not announced such long-term goals, but with power shortages and wind potential of up to 60,000MW and 30,000MW respectively, local projects are expected to boom. With the carbon credit market proving strong incentives for investment other types of renewable energy are also set to take off. Kenya is planning to quickly expanding its geothermal capacity, and neighbouring Rift Valley countries up to Djibouti are examining their own potential. As technology improves and costs fall, solar will also enter the mix. Germany has already publicised plans to develop a €400bn solar park in the Sahara.
"Ultimately for Africa solar is the answer, although [costs mean] we may still be decades away," said Herman Oelsner, president of the African Wind Energy Association.
Bid To Give Jackson The Nobel Peace Prize
Michael Jackson fans have launched a campaign calling for the superstar to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.The late star's fans have flocked to sign online petitions supporting the move.
They say he should be honoured for his charity work and "lifelong dedication to the well being of humanity".
So far, more than 2,000 people have added their names to the campaign started by Los Angeles student Anneliese Nichole Brown.
She hopes 100,000 will lend their support for the Thriller singer who died on June 25.
A similar petition has been signed by 10,000 fans.
News of the campaign is spreading virally online on sites such as Twitter.
However, nominations for the peace prize are not made according to public demand.
Members of governments, professors, and former winners of the prize are among those who can suggest names.
The campaign would need to win the support of someone eligible to nominate to get the musician's name in the running.
Submissions start in September and the name is then announced the following October.
If the star did make the shortlist but he did not win, fans would have to wait a long time to find out - as the names of unsuccessful candidates are not revealed for 50 years.
Former winners of the prize include Nelson Mandela, Al Gore and Jimmy Carter.
Comments to the story
*
what the hec is going on , come on he was only a singer and in the end failed with lots of questions not answered . If he gets one then give to every dick n harry
Posted By :Max R Report This
*
People please,
Look up the criterea regarding the awarding of the Nobel peace prize.
It is not even a starter.
Ignorance upon ignorance.
Posted By :David Report This
*
They may as well give it to Osama Bin Ladin if we want to get real stupid.Harry Patch is the man it should be awarded to.People like him although sadly gone now are an insperation to others even though he probably didn't sing much or do the moon walk!!
They say he should be honoured for his charity work and "lifelong dedication to the well being of humanity".
So far, more than 2,000 people have added their names to the campaign started by Los Angeles student Anneliese Nichole Brown.
She hopes 100,000 will lend their support for the Thriller singer who died on June 25.
A similar petition has been signed by 10,000 fans.
News of the campaign is spreading virally online on sites such as Twitter.
However, nominations for the peace prize are not made according to public demand.
Members of governments, professors, and former winners of the prize are among those who can suggest names.
The campaign would need to win the support of someone eligible to nominate to get the musician's name in the running.
Submissions start in September and the name is then announced the following October.
If the star did make the shortlist but he did not win, fans would have to wait a long time to find out - as the names of unsuccessful candidates are not revealed for 50 years.
Former winners of the prize include Nelson Mandela, Al Gore and Jimmy Carter.
Comments to the story
*
what the hec is going on , come on he was only a singer and in the end failed with lots of questions not answered . If he gets one then give to every dick n harry
Posted By :Max R Report This
*
People please,
Look up the criterea regarding the awarding of the Nobel peace prize.
It is not even a starter.
Ignorance upon ignorance.
Posted By :David Report This
*
They may as well give it to Osama Bin Ladin if we want to get real stupid.Harry Patch is the man it should be awarded to.People like him although sadly gone now are an insperation to others even though he probably didn't sing much or do the moon walk!!
Hamilton back on top
Lewis Hamilton was back on top of the podium after claiming his first victory since October's Chinese Grand Prix.
The world champion took the chequered flag in a Hungarian Grand Prix overshadowed by Felipe Massa's accident in qualifying on Saturday that left the Brazilian in hospital with a fractured skull.
The victory was Hamilton's 10th for McLaren from 45 starts, with the 24-year-old finally back in business after a first half of the season to forget.Behind the Briton, Kimi Raikkonen gave Ferrari something to cheer about as he finished second, although he could yet be stripped of that position following a first-corner collision with Sebastian Vettel.
Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber finished third, closing the gap at the top of the championship standings to 18.5 points on Jenson Button who could only manage a season-low seventh in his Brawn GP.
Pole sitter Fernando Rossi saw his race come to a cruel end on lap 13 when, exiting the pit lane, it was abundantly clear the double world champion had an issue with his right front wheel.
Within seconds, and as he slipped backwards through the field, Alonso initially lost the wheel cover but more horrifyingly, and as he continued to tour around the track, the tyre eventually worked its way loose off the rim and bounced across the circuit and into a barrier before coming to rest along the side of the circuit.
As if that was not enough drama, Webber later came within inches of colliding with Raikkonen as he emerged onto the pit lane after they had both stopped for fuel and fresh rubber for the first time.
Facebook's Photo Flap
Facebook has made a small change in its developer API (define) code designed to limit the unwanted spread of personal photos posted by its members. But some developers of popular Facebook applications are voicing their displeasure with the move.
The API change addressed an issue caused by the social networking site's settings, which exposed all of a user's photo albums, even if their profile had been set to limit visibility only to limited groups.
"Because it is not currently possible to reach these photos on the site without a direct link, we changed the behavior of the API to only show links to a user's albums when our Photos application does, which is even more restrictive than the album's privacy setting," Facebook's Matt Trainer said on the site's developer blog.
The news comes as fast-growing Facebook continues to tinker with its privacy policies in the face of criticism. Last week, Canada's privacy commissioner said Facebook wasn't doing enough to protect the privacy of its users.
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"It's clear that privacy issues are top of mind for Facebook, and yet we found serious privacy gaps in the way the site operates," Jennifer Stoddart, the country's privacy commissioner, told Reuters. Facebook has over 200 million users worldwide.
In the photo-sharing case, Facebook's Trainer said the change was made "to ensure that users who have their profiles set to a privacy other than 'everyone' are not surprised by photos being exposed through the API ... we want to make sure the API reflects this site behavior."
Users could avoid exposing photos by manually changing the privacy setting, but once it became apparent photos were being shared without users' consent because the setting wasn't changed, Facebook said it took action.
Angry developers
But a number of angry developers were quick to criticize the move.
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Josh Carcione said he spent his life savings and attracted 90,000 users to his PhotoStalker application that he said had been approved by Facebook's privacy representatives.
"My application is now completely useless," Carcione posted in response to the change. "This is borderline unlawful."
He also pleaded with Facebook to change the API back to its original functionality and set the default albums settings to 'friends only' as a way to "make everyone happy." He also complained that the change was made without any notice.
A Facebook representative told InternetNews.com that the company typically does communicate changes in advance, but in some cases chooses to address an issue directly without advance notice to the community at large.
"We've heard from a small number of developers, who we've been communicating with via the Developer Forum," the Facebook spokesperson said in an e-mail. "For the few developers impacted by this update, we recommend they expand their application experience to focus on general photo and album viewer access."
Another commenter in the devs blog complained Facebook hasn't addressed the issue effectively.
"Ironically, the applications being affected have done far more than Facebook to raise understanding and awareness of photo privacy settings. A vast and ever-increasing number of people use these applications," user Ryapan wrote.
"The change hasn't really solved the underlying issue either. Users with their profile privacy not set to Everyone are no more aware that their photo albums default to Everyone, and can therefore be viewed by anyone with a link to any part of the album (e.g. photo comment or tag by someone with a visible album)."
The API change addressed an issue caused by the social networking site's settings, which exposed all of a user's photo albums, even if their profile had been set to limit visibility only to limited groups.
"Because it is not currently possible to reach these photos on the site without a direct link, we changed the behavior of the API to only show links to a user's albums when our Photos application does, which is even more restrictive than the album's privacy setting," Facebook's Matt Trainer said on the site's developer blog.
The news comes as fast-growing Facebook continues to tinker with its privacy policies in the face of criticism. Last week, Canada's privacy commissioner said Facebook wasn't doing enough to protect the privacy of its users.
RELATED ARTICLES
Canada Blasts Facebook as Lax on Privacy
Social Media Marketing Makes More Money
Erin Andrews Virus Infects Search, Blogs
Facebook Aims to Simplify Privacy Settings
For more stories on this topic:
"It's clear that privacy issues are top of mind for Facebook, and yet we found serious privacy gaps in the way the site operates," Jennifer Stoddart, the country's privacy commissioner, told Reuters. Facebook has over 200 million users worldwide.
In the photo-sharing case, Facebook's Trainer said the change was made "to ensure that users who have their profiles set to a privacy other than 'everyone' are not surprised by photos being exposed through the API ... we want to make sure the API reflects this site behavior."
Users could avoid exposing photos by manually changing the privacy setting, but once it became apparent photos were being shared without users' consent because the setting wasn't changed, Facebook said it took action.
Angry developers
But a number of angry developers were quick to criticize the move.
LATEST NEWS
iPhone Security Worthless, Says Developer
Google Latitude Finds its Way to the iPhone
Are IT Security Journalists... Insecure?
Facebook's Photo Flap
Will Wal-Mart Blur Notebook/Netbook Lines?
Josh Carcione said he spent his life savings and attracted 90,000 users to his PhotoStalker application that he said had been approved by Facebook's privacy representatives.
"My application is now completely useless," Carcione posted in response to the change. "This is borderline unlawful."
He also pleaded with Facebook to change the API back to its original functionality and set the default albums settings to 'friends only' as a way to "make everyone happy." He also complained that the change was made without any notice.
A Facebook representative told InternetNews.com that the company typically does communicate changes in advance, but in some cases chooses to address an issue directly without advance notice to the community at large.
"We've heard from a small number of developers, who we've been communicating with via the Developer Forum," the Facebook spokesperson said in an e-mail. "For the few developers impacted by this update, we recommend they expand their application experience to focus on general photo and album viewer access."
Another commenter in the devs blog complained Facebook hasn't addressed the issue effectively.
"Ironically, the applications being affected have done far more than Facebook to raise understanding and awareness of photo privacy settings. A vast and ever-increasing number of people use these applications," user Ryapan wrote.
"The change hasn't really solved the underlying issue either. Users with their profile privacy not set to Everyone are no more aware that their photo albums default to Everyone, and can therefore be viewed by anyone with a link to any part of the album (e.g. photo comment or tag by someone with a visible album)."
Painful Labor: A Modern Thing
Ask any woman who has given birth and she'll be happy to wax lyrical about the bad fit between the modern human pelvis and a baby's big head.
Ask any anthropologist and he or she will also be happy to explain, in similar gory detail, that painful labor is the product of an evolutionary compromise to accommodate upright walking in a species that also has an oversized brain.
That compromise came, anthropologists used to believe, about 2.4 million years ago when our already bipedal ancestor Homo habilis experienced a huge leap forward in brain size.
But a recent announcement in the journal Science of a 1.2 million-year-old Homo erectus pelvis uncovered by University of Indiana paleoanthropologist Sileshi Semaw in the Afar region of Ethiopia in 2001 suggests that painful labor is a relatively modern affliction.
The birth canal of that female Homo erectus is, in fact, 30 percent larger than that of the typical modern woman. As a result, Homo erectus birth might have been a relative walk in the park (or on the savanna) compared with today. Those ladies might have simply stopped, crouched down, and pushed. They might have screamed, but surely there was no need for Lamaze, or midwives, or Cesarean sections.
The big news, for anthropologists anyway, is that painful labor is much more recent than anyone assumed.
How did the anthropologists get this so wrong? Mostly, it was because they didn’t have much material to go on.
The only full female pelvis around before this one belonged to Lucy, the Australopithecus afarensis dated at 3.2 million years ago. Lucy's pelvis was clearly made for upright walking, with squat splayed-out blades to accommodate muscles for balance, but the pelvic outlet was ovoid, rather than round. More important, Australopithecines hadn’t really experienced massive brain growth and so researchers have speculated that birth wasn't particularly difficult.
But once human brain growth experienced a giant 20 percent leap forward with Homo habilis, ancient human females must have experienced difficult birth because the architecture of the pelvis was surely already constricted like the modern version. It would have had those short blades, a sacrum tipped inward to form a bowl that holds our guts, and the same bony canal that makes birth an obstacle course for babies and a nightmare for mothers.
But the new pelvis puts all those assumptions in doubt. Everything below the neck has probably not been basically the same from Homo habilis onward. Instead, body size and proportions, and the shape of the female pelvis, was significantly different.
If the current shape of the human pelvis is more recent, then something eventually made the human body taller, leaner, and with a more narrow birth canal. And we can only speculate what those selective forces might have been to bring about all that birth pain.
Hopefully, natural selection is now through with this issue. Women have certainly done their bit for making big-brained little humans. If evolution opts for even bigger-brained kids, head growth will have to happen somewhere else than the crowded confines of the womb with its narrow, twisted tunnel that we all had to navigate.
Ask any anthropologist and he or she will also be happy to explain, in similar gory detail, that painful labor is the product of an evolutionary compromise to accommodate upright walking in a species that also has an oversized brain.
That compromise came, anthropologists used to believe, about 2.4 million years ago when our already bipedal ancestor Homo habilis experienced a huge leap forward in brain size.
But a recent announcement in the journal Science of a 1.2 million-year-old Homo erectus pelvis uncovered by University of Indiana paleoanthropologist Sileshi Semaw in the Afar region of Ethiopia in 2001 suggests that painful labor is a relatively modern affliction.
The birth canal of that female Homo erectus is, in fact, 30 percent larger than that of the typical modern woman. As a result, Homo erectus birth might have been a relative walk in the park (or on the savanna) compared with today. Those ladies might have simply stopped, crouched down, and pushed. They might have screamed, but surely there was no need for Lamaze, or midwives, or Cesarean sections.
The big news, for anthropologists anyway, is that painful labor is much more recent than anyone assumed.
How did the anthropologists get this so wrong? Mostly, it was because they didn’t have much material to go on.
The only full female pelvis around before this one belonged to Lucy, the Australopithecus afarensis dated at 3.2 million years ago. Lucy's pelvis was clearly made for upright walking, with squat splayed-out blades to accommodate muscles for balance, but the pelvic outlet was ovoid, rather than round. More important, Australopithecines hadn’t really experienced massive brain growth and so researchers have speculated that birth wasn't particularly difficult.
But once human brain growth experienced a giant 20 percent leap forward with Homo habilis, ancient human females must have experienced difficult birth because the architecture of the pelvis was surely already constricted like the modern version. It would have had those short blades, a sacrum tipped inward to form a bowl that holds our guts, and the same bony canal that makes birth an obstacle course for babies and a nightmare for mothers.
But the new pelvis puts all those assumptions in doubt. Everything below the neck has probably not been basically the same from Homo habilis onward. Instead, body size and proportions, and the shape of the female pelvis, was significantly different.
If the current shape of the human pelvis is more recent, then something eventually made the human body taller, leaner, and with a more narrow birth canal. And we can only speculate what those selective forces might have been to bring about all that birth pain.
Hopefully, natural selection is now through with this issue. Women have certainly done their bit for making big-brained little humans. If evolution opts for even bigger-brained kids, head growth will have to happen somewhere else than the crowded confines of the womb with its narrow, twisted tunnel that we all had to navigate.
Facebook loses sizzle for Martha Stewart
The stars are dancing away from Facebook. And it's a quickstep.
After Bill Gates recently admitted that he had given up on Facebook because he couldn't work out which of his friend requests came from friends and which from very sad people, another of the world's great famous people has declared her Facebook unfriendliness.
Yes, Martha Stewart, perhaps one of the most iconic cooks, has decided that she is firmly in the Twitter camp and that Facebook just has to face her rejection.
"I just love it (Twitter) so much more than Facebook," she told the Daily Beast.
Stewart claims she gets more bang per tweet. But why knock Facebook? It's so homely, so friendly and so very inclusive of every possible political and social view, even frightfully repulsive ones.Stewart explained quite fully: "First of all, you don't have to spend any time on it, and, second of all, you reach a lot more people. And I don't have to 'befriend' and do all that other dippy stuff that they do on Facebook."
The other dippy stuff? Perhaps she means the throwing of sausages at each other or whatever it is Facebook people love to do. Or perhaps what irks her is people posting hundreds of pictures of their friend's wedding in Tennessee. The one where the catering was terrible.
Her words, however, seem to have pained the Facebook fraternity.
The Daily Beast quoted Facebook's communications director, Brandee Barker as hoping that the culinary queen "finds more ways to use Facebook." Suddenly, the Beast's Lloyd Grove had a second phone conversation with Stewart, in which she said:
"I'm not knocking Facebook. We use both Facebook and Twitter [at MSO]. They're very different tools, and I personally don't use Facebook. I prefer Twitter as a means of mass communication--it's the Wal-Mart of the Internet."
The Wal-Mart of the Internet? Is that similar to "the Pulse of the Planet," which is, according to hacked internal documents, one of the possible aims of the Twitter brand?
While Stewart's Twitter page is a sight to behold, I am extremely concerned that she may have happened upon some very inside information when she commented on the future of Facebook and Twitter.
She told the Beast: "They're all going to be owned by the same company eventually."
But which company, Martha? Which company?
After Bill Gates recently admitted that he had given up on Facebook because he couldn't work out which of his friend requests came from friends and which from very sad people, another of the world's great famous people has declared her Facebook unfriendliness.
Yes, Martha Stewart, perhaps one of the most iconic cooks, has decided that she is firmly in the Twitter camp and that Facebook just has to face her rejection.
"I just love it (Twitter) so much more than Facebook," she told the Daily Beast.
Stewart claims she gets more bang per tweet. But why knock Facebook? It's so homely, so friendly and so very inclusive of every possible political and social view, even frightfully repulsive ones.Stewart explained quite fully: "First of all, you don't have to spend any time on it, and, second of all, you reach a lot more people. And I don't have to 'befriend' and do all that other dippy stuff that they do on Facebook."
The other dippy stuff? Perhaps she means the throwing of sausages at each other or whatever it is Facebook people love to do. Or perhaps what irks her is people posting hundreds of pictures of their friend's wedding in Tennessee. The one where the catering was terrible.
Her words, however, seem to have pained the Facebook fraternity.
The Daily Beast quoted Facebook's communications director, Brandee Barker as hoping that the culinary queen "finds more ways to use Facebook." Suddenly, the Beast's Lloyd Grove had a second phone conversation with Stewart, in which she said:
"I'm not knocking Facebook. We use both Facebook and Twitter [at MSO]. They're very different tools, and I personally don't use Facebook. I prefer Twitter as a means of mass communication--it's the Wal-Mart of the Internet."
The Wal-Mart of the Internet? Is that similar to "the Pulse of the Planet," which is, according to hacked internal documents, one of the possible aims of the Twitter brand?
While Stewart's Twitter page is a sight to behold, I am extremely concerned that she may have happened upon some very inside information when she commented on the future of Facebook and Twitter.
She told the Beast: "They're all going to be owned by the same company eventually."
But which company, Martha? Which company?
Ferguson: 'Desperate Adebayor sought United move'
Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed Emmanuel Adebayor tried to drum up interest from Manchester United and Chelsea before completing his £25 million switch to Manchester City.
The Togo star linked up with City on their recent tour to South Africa after becoming the latest big name to join the Eastlands revolution.
However, there was a delay before Adebayor completed his move from Arsenal, and, according to Ferguson, that was to allow the striker time to see if there was an alternative.
"When someone offers you that kind of money, it is a big attraction," Ferguson said.
"At the last minute, from what I can gather, either Emmanuel Adebayor or his agent phoned us after they had agreed a deal with City and then did the same with Chelsea. He was desperate to get to either Chelsea or us."
The United boss is clearly unimpressed by City and their recent spending spree, which included the acquisition of Carlos Tevez.
"They are a small club with a small mentality.
"They think taking Carlos Tevez away from Manchester United is a triumph. It is poor stuff."
City may have irritated Ferguson but he does not see them as a title threat just yet.
The Togo star linked up with City on their recent tour to South Africa after becoming the latest big name to join the Eastlands revolution.
However, there was a delay before Adebayor completed his move from Arsenal, and, according to Ferguson, that was to allow the striker time to see if there was an alternative.
"When someone offers you that kind of money, it is a big attraction," Ferguson said.
"At the last minute, from what I can gather, either Emmanuel Adebayor or his agent phoned us after they had agreed a deal with City and then did the same with Chelsea. He was desperate to get to either Chelsea or us."
The United boss is clearly unimpressed by City and their recent spending spree, which included the acquisition of Carlos Tevez.
"They are a small club with a small mentality.
"They think taking Carlos Tevez away from Manchester United is a triumph. It is poor stuff."
City may have irritated Ferguson but he does not see them as a title threat just yet.
Sarkozy falls ill while jogging
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been taken to hospital after becoming ill while jogging.
Mr Sarkozy's chief of staff said the president was "doing well" and talking normally with medics at the military hospital, AFP news agency reported.
The 54-year-old president is remaining there overnight for what officials said were "routine" tests.
He was flown to the hospital earlier after suffering what was described as a "minor" nerve complaint.
Mr Sarkozy was taken ill while jogging during a humid afternoon at a weekend retreat at the Chateau of Versailles, outside Paris.
The incident occurred after 45 minutes of "intensive physical exercise", his office said in a statement.
The president is going to have to take more care, work a little less hard and eat a little bit more
French parliamentarian Patrick Balkany
It denied earlier statements that he had lost consciousness. Mr Sarkozy lay down and received immediate treatment from a personal doctor.
He was flown to the Val de Grace hospital by helicopter, where he was later joined by his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.
A spokesman said he had also summoned aides to his bedside to keep him up to date with world events.
AFP said Mr Sarkozy had suffered a problem relating to his vagal nerve.
It said a condition known as vasovagal syncope could involve a brief loss of consciousness, and changes in the heart rate or blood pressure, especially if the person is dehydrated.
The vagal nerve is a major nerve that runs from the abdomen to the brain and controls many functions.
Fitness regime
French member of parliament Patrick Balkany, an ally of Mr Sarkozy, said everything was "going well" and blamed the problem on a diet he said the president was following to lose weight.
"He's fine. He's hungry. He's complaining," he told French radio.
"The president is going to have to take more care, work a little less hard and eat a little bit more," he added.
Mr Sarkozy has cancelled an event on Monday but had not as yet changed his schedule for Tuesday.
The president is regularly seen running and is a keen cyclist.
The Elysee Palace said earlier this month that his last medical examination - on 3 July - showed normal results for cardiovascular and blood tests.
Shortly after his election, his first medical bulletin showed him to be in "good" health.
He campaigned for greater transparency of presidential health bulletins during his presidential campaign, yet a brief hospital stay in late 2007 was not revealed until three months after it happened.
Several French presidents have been accused of glossing over health problems, notably the late Francois Mitterrand, who concealed that he was seriously ill with cancer.
Mr Sarkozy's chief of staff said the president was "doing well" and talking normally with medics at the military hospital, AFP news agency reported.
The 54-year-old president is remaining there overnight for what officials said were "routine" tests.
He was flown to the hospital earlier after suffering what was described as a "minor" nerve complaint.
Mr Sarkozy was taken ill while jogging during a humid afternoon at a weekend retreat at the Chateau of Versailles, outside Paris.
The incident occurred after 45 minutes of "intensive physical exercise", his office said in a statement.
The president is going to have to take more care, work a little less hard and eat a little bit more
French parliamentarian Patrick Balkany
It denied earlier statements that he had lost consciousness. Mr Sarkozy lay down and received immediate treatment from a personal doctor.
He was flown to the Val de Grace hospital by helicopter, where he was later joined by his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.
A spokesman said he had also summoned aides to his bedside to keep him up to date with world events.
AFP said Mr Sarkozy had suffered a problem relating to his vagal nerve.
It said a condition known as vasovagal syncope could involve a brief loss of consciousness, and changes in the heart rate or blood pressure, especially if the person is dehydrated.
The vagal nerve is a major nerve that runs from the abdomen to the brain and controls many functions.
Fitness regime
French member of parliament Patrick Balkany, an ally of Mr Sarkozy, said everything was "going well" and blamed the problem on a diet he said the president was following to lose weight.
"He's fine. He's hungry. He's complaining," he told French radio.
"The president is going to have to take more care, work a little less hard and eat a little bit more," he added.
Mr Sarkozy has cancelled an event on Monday but had not as yet changed his schedule for Tuesday.
The president is regularly seen running and is a keen cyclist.
The Elysee Palace said earlier this month that his last medical examination - on 3 July - showed normal results for cardiovascular and blood tests.
Shortly after his election, his first medical bulletin showed him to be in "good" health.
He campaigned for greater transparency of presidential health bulletins during his presidential campaign, yet a brief hospital stay in late 2007 was not revealed until three months after it happened.
Several French presidents have been accused of glossing over health problems, notably the late Francois Mitterrand, who concealed that he was seriously ill with cancer.
Paris Hilton: I'm Not Stupid and I'm Not a Slut
Paris Hilton insists she's not stupid—or slutty—like you may think.
She claims the "Paris Hilton" we all see in front of the cameras is just a character she's invented.
"In a way it's good, but I also don't want people thinking of me as this blond heiress…airhead," she says in Paris, Not France, a new documentary about her life, premiering Tuesday on MTV. "But that is kind of my brand. I make a lot of money by doing that."
But she acknowledges her brand will forever be tarnished by—you guessed it—the infamous sex tape with ex-boyfriend Rick Salomon.
Yes, she goes there in the film…
"I alwys looked up to Princess Diana and all these women, and now I could never be like that," Paris says. "I want to have a family. I want to be normal. I want to be happy."
Instead, she says, she has to worry about people "thinking I'm a slut and thinking I'm something that I'm not."
But it was her mother, Kathy, who was doing the worrying last night—about having to actually watch the documentary. "I didn't know [the sex tape] was going to be in it," she told us before seeing the film at a red carpet screening in L.A. "It's very tough...I can't believe they kept that part in there. I thought they kept that part out. It's going to be very hard for us to watch."
Rihanna Works Some Black Magic
That outfit is FIERCE!Rihanna should be a permanant fixture on every major Hollywood red carpet event. The girl is all about style and edge.
We love everything about this ensemble!
Princess RiRi arrived at the Inglorious Basterds premiere in London on Thursday dressed head-to-toe black, with only the dozens of pearls and dramatic red lips to add some color. And her hair just keeps getting higher and higher!
She is working every inch of this look.
Amazeballs!
THE POWER SHORTAGE OF POSITIVE THINKING
TRY this on for a new self-help mantra: "I'm not good enough, I'm not smart enough, and doggone it, people may not like me all that much."
According to a new study, a little negative thinking may be more helpful for the chronically insecure than purely sunshine-filled affirmations of the kind made famous by now-senator Al Franken's "SNL" character, Stuart Smalley.
Psychology professor Joanne Wood, of the University of Waterloo in Ontario, says her research was inspired by the relentless flow of cheer-up statements found in popular culture. The claim is that thinking happy thoughts actually improves your quality of life.
"They've advocated it for years and years, without any evidence, in magazines, in self-help books and on TV," says Wood.
She's not kidding. The trend that started with a 1952 book called "The Power of Positive Thinking," by Norman Vincent Peale, has spawned a multimillion-dollar industry. Need convincing? Here are a few snippets from the latest crop of buck-up books:
n "Every self-limiting thought that you employ to explain why you're not living life to the absolute fullest -- so you're feeling purposeful, content, and fully alive -- is something you can challenge and reverse." ("Excuses Begone! How To Change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Thinking Habits" by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer)
n "So how do you feel about yourself? Are you your number one fan?" ("What is Your Self-Worth?: A Woman's Guide to Validation" by Cheryl Saban, Ph.D.)
n "All you have to do is choose happiness. Why? Because when you choose happiness you make everything else more possible too." ("Be Happy! Release the Power of Happiness in YOU" by Robert Holden)
Wood and her colleagues were skeptical. "We had a suspicion they might not work for everyone," she says. "So we put that to the test."
They found that repeating the statement "I am a lovable person" made people who started out feeling good about themselves feel better, but that it made the already gloomy people feel worse.
"They repeat those statements, and they start thinking, 'Well, these are all the ways in which I am not a lovable person,' " Wood says. "And I think the other thing that happens is, they believe that this kind of positive statement should work, and they shouldn't have any negative thoughts, and then when they do, they think, 'I'm really failing at this, too.' "
A more successful alternative, she says, was for the depressive types to think about both the ways the statement was true, and the ways that it wasn't.
Ed Yong, author of the science blog Not Exactly Rocket Science, thinks that makes perfect sense: "Positive thinking isn't worthless," he says via e-mail, "but it must be tempered by reality. The study suggests that telling yourself something that's positive, but that falls into the boundaries of what you believe, is a much better approach than outlandishly optimistic statements."
So go ahead: Celebrate your mediocrity, starting today. You deserve it!
According to a new study, a little negative thinking may be more helpful for the chronically insecure than purely sunshine-filled affirmations of the kind made famous by now-senator Al Franken's "SNL" character, Stuart Smalley.
Psychology professor Joanne Wood, of the University of Waterloo in Ontario, says her research was inspired by the relentless flow of cheer-up statements found in popular culture. The claim is that thinking happy thoughts actually improves your quality of life.
"They've advocated it for years and years, without any evidence, in magazines, in self-help books and on TV," says Wood.
She's not kidding. The trend that started with a 1952 book called "The Power of Positive Thinking," by Norman Vincent Peale, has spawned a multimillion-dollar industry. Need convincing? Here are a few snippets from the latest crop of buck-up books:
n "Every self-limiting thought that you employ to explain why you're not living life to the absolute fullest -- so you're feeling purposeful, content, and fully alive -- is something you can challenge and reverse." ("Excuses Begone! How To Change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Thinking Habits" by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer)
n "So how do you feel about yourself? Are you your number one fan?" ("What is Your Self-Worth?: A Woman's Guide to Validation" by Cheryl Saban, Ph.D.)
n "All you have to do is choose happiness. Why? Because when you choose happiness you make everything else more possible too." ("Be Happy! Release the Power of Happiness in YOU" by Robert Holden)
Wood and her colleagues were skeptical. "We had a suspicion they might not work for everyone," she says. "So we put that to the test."
They found that repeating the statement "I am a lovable person" made people who started out feeling good about themselves feel better, but that it made the already gloomy people feel worse.
"They repeat those statements, and they start thinking, 'Well, these are all the ways in which I am not a lovable person,' " Wood says. "And I think the other thing that happens is, they believe that this kind of positive statement should work, and they shouldn't have any negative thoughts, and then when they do, they think, 'I'm really failing at this, too.' "
A more successful alternative, she says, was for the depressive types to think about both the ways the statement was true, and the ways that it wasn't.
Ed Yong, author of the science blog Not Exactly Rocket Science, thinks that makes perfect sense: "Positive thinking isn't worthless," he says via e-mail, "but it must be tempered by reality. The study suggests that telling yourself something that's positive, but that falls into the boundaries of what you believe, is a much better approach than outlandishly optimistic statements."
So go ahead: Celebrate your mediocrity, starting today. You deserve it!
Eto'o 'agrees' Inter Milan switch
Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o's has reached an agreement with Inter Milan to join the Italian champions, according to his agent.
Barca have had an offer of about £38m plus Eto'o, in exchange for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, accepted while Alexander Hleb will also join Inter on loan.
"The deal is sealed, next week he will start working with Inter," said the 28-year-old's agent Josep Maria Mesalles.
"When he signs the contract he will be at (coach) Jose Mourinho's disposal."
Reports suggest Eto'o has agreed a five-year deal with Inter and will earn about £9.6m a season. It brings an end to his five-year stay at the Nou Camp.
"It's done," said Mesalles. "We have reached an agreement with Inter. Samuel talked to Mourinho and is very happy to be wearing the Nerazzurri shirt. All the details have been filed.
"It's complete harmony with us and the Nerazzurri club. We are very happy and satisfied. The deal's sealed, next week he will start working with Inter.
The agreement should give the green light for Ibrahimovic's move in the opposite direction, despite the 27-year-old Sweden striker picking up a wrist injury during Inter's friendly defeat by Chelsea on Tuesday.
Inter and Barca have yet to confirm the news but the Italians announced on Thursday that Ibrahimovic's injury is not as serious as first feared.
Inter president Massimo Moratti said on Tuesday: "Until things are wrapped up, there's nothing to say but I am confident.
"Eto'o is one of the most important players on the market. Along with Ibra, he's one of the most wanted. It's a good chance for us to have another champion."
606: DEBATE
£40 million alone would buy you a world class player, but adding Eto'o? Think Barca have gone mad myself.
mascotman
Ibrahimovic was the top scorer in Serie A last season and Moratti had nothing but praise for the 27-year-old.
"He's a very serious professional," he said of the Swedish international. "He has always behaved well with us.
"He helped us win the championship and he was top scorer last year."
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, who transfer-listed Eto'o last year, has said he believes the Cameroon striker should leave the club.
"I am convinced that the best thing for Barca is for Eto'o to leave," stated Guardiola. "Could I be mistaken? Maybe so. But I am here to make these decisions."
Guardiola added Eto'o's departure would be good for the team.
"I feel that it is best for the club and the team. It's a question of feelings," said Guardiola. "I am not here to change anyone's character, but I can decide on which players I want to count on for the season.
"After what we won, we had to change the dressing room. I took this decision from my experience as a footballer."
Eto'o had been on the verge of a deal with Manchester City but Mark Hughes's side withdrew their interest last week.
The forward signed for Barcelona from Mallorca for £16m in 2004.
Kelis $cores One From The Judge!
Give birth to some babies, make the big bucks. Such is the motto for Kelis, who won big time at her custody hearing Thursday morning against Nas. (They haven't even cleaned up the after birth from popping out their newest baby and their already in court? Damn.)The judge ruled that Nas is expected to pay $55,000 dollars in combined spousal & child support a month, plus pay the mortgage on their El Lay home.
And now, it officially sucks to be Nas!
Cheaters never win, friend.
Angelina Jolie visits displaced Iraqis
BAGHDAD — Angelina Jolie on Thursday visited a settlement for displaced Iraqis in northwest Baghdad in her role as a goodwill ambassador for UNHCR.
The actor met four families whose members said their children could not go to school and they could not afford to pay for medical treatment, the U.N. refugee agency said.
Jolie said during her one-day trip that there is progress in returning Iraqis to their homes after years of war, but more needs to be done, according to UNHCR.
"This is a moment where things seem to be improving on the ground, but Iraqis need a lot of support and help to rebuild their lives," the agency quoted Jolie as saying. It was the actor's third trip to Iraq.
UNHCR estimates that 1.6 million Iraqis were displaced within the country by sectarian violence, and that 300,000 have returned home amid improving security. It says hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees live in neighboring countries, mostly in Syria and Jordan.
Microsoft profits down by a third
Microsoft has reported disappointing results for the April to June quarter, with profits down by almost a third.
Net profit for the period was $3.1bn (£1.9bn), down by 29% from the same period a year earlier. Revenue came in at $13.1bn, down 17% from a year ago.
The results were worse than analysts had been expecting.
The world's largest software maker said it had been affected by weakness in the global personal computer (PC) and server markets.
Cost cutting
In after hours trading, Microsoft shares fell more than 7%, reflecting the market's disappointment with the results.
"It looked like a pretty tough quarter for Microsoft. The top line was very weak," said Toan Tran at Morningstar.
The one bright spot was the company's cost-cutting measures.
"In light of the environment, it was an excellent achievement to deliver over $750m of operational savings compared with the prior year quarter," said Chris Liddell, Microsoft's finance chief.
Microsoft makes most of its profit selling the Windows operating system and business software such as Office.
However, demand has been hit by falling sales of PCs as consumers and businesses trim spending.
Microsoft - which became a public company in 1986 - has been looking at ways of cutting costs.
In January, it said it would cut up to 5,000 jobs over the next 18 months, including 1,400 immediately.
Increasing pressure
To make matters worse, the company is coming under increasing pressure from internet search engine Google, which recently announced a better-than-expected rise in second quarter profits.
Google is developing an operating system for personal computers in a direct challenge to market leader Microsoft and its Windows system.
Microsoft itself is poised to launch its new operating system, Windows 7, this autumn.
Net profit for the period was $3.1bn (£1.9bn), down by 29% from the same period a year earlier. Revenue came in at $13.1bn, down 17% from a year ago.
The results were worse than analysts had been expecting.
The world's largest software maker said it had been affected by weakness in the global personal computer (PC) and server markets.
Cost cutting
In after hours trading, Microsoft shares fell more than 7%, reflecting the market's disappointment with the results.
"It looked like a pretty tough quarter for Microsoft. The top line was very weak," said Toan Tran at Morningstar.
The one bright spot was the company's cost-cutting measures.
"In light of the environment, it was an excellent achievement to deliver over $750m of operational savings compared with the prior year quarter," said Chris Liddell, Microsoft's finance chief.
Microsoft makes most of its profit selling the Windows operating system and business software such as Office.
However, demand has been hit by falling sales of PCs as consumers and businesses trim spending.
Microsoft - which became a public company in 1986 - has been looking at ways of cutting costs.
In January, it said it would cut up to 5,000 jobs over the next 18 months, including 1,400 immediately.
Increasing pressure
To make matters worse, the company is coming under increasing pressure from internet search engine Google, which recently announced a better-than-expected rise in second quarter profits.
Google is developing an operating system for personal computers in a direct challenge to market leader Microsoft and its Windows system.
Microsoft itself is poised to launch its new operating system, Windows 7, this autumn.
Jackson's doctor is probe target
Was Jackson's Doc Snoozing?
A new report today says Michael Jackson's personal doctor may have fallen asleep after giving the superstar a dose of the powerful IV anesthetic Diprivan, and in effect, leaving him to die. Dr. Conrad Murray's Houston clinic was raided by the DEA on Wednesday, but he denies any wrongdoing
It is believed the doctor was at Michael Jackson's house when he died last month
Michael Jackson's personal doctor has been identified as the target of a manslaughter investigation into the singer's death, US court papers say.
Dr Conrad Murray's medical clinic in Houston, Texas, and another site rented by him were searched on Wednesday.
Police have said previously that Dr Murray is not a suspect but the search warrant allowed the authorities to seek evidence of manslaughter.
The doctor was at Jackson's mansion and tried to revive him before he died.
Dr Murray has already been interviewed twice by police, who had asked for medical records in addition to those already provided.
He has not been arrested or formally charged.
Unwelcome attention
According to the warrant, approved by a Houston judge and filed in Harris County District Court, authorities were looking for "items constituting evidence of the offence of manslaughter that tend to show that Dr Conrad Murray committed the said criminal offence".
Items seized during the searches included 27 tablets of the weight loss drug phentermine, a tablet of the muscle relaxant clonazepam, two hard drives, notices from the Internal Revenue Service and a controlled substance registration.
Speaking a few days after Jackson's death, Dr Murray's lawyer, Edward Chernoff, denied his client administered painkilling drugs that could have contributed to the singer's death.
But he said that, because of his closeness to Jackson at his death, the doctor had received unwelcome attention from people angry at the singer's demise.
Mr Chernoff was present at Wednesday's searches.
"I do not know what they are looking for and I can't possibly tell you how anything they took in any way connects with the death of Michael Jackson," he was quoted by the Los Angeles Times as saying.
The BBC's Peter Bowes in Los Angeles, where Jackson died, says it is now up to public prosecutors to sift through the considerable amount of evidence and decide whether to charge Dr Murray.
An official determination of what killed Jackson will not be made until after a toxicology report, which is expected to be completed next week.
A new report today says Michael Jackson's personal doctor may have fallen asleep after giving the superstar a dose of the powerful IV anesthetic Diprivan, and in effect, leaving him to die. Dr. Conrad Murray's Houston clinic was raided by the DEA on Wednesday, but he denies any wrongdoing
It is believed the doctor was at Michael Jackson's house when he died last month
Michael Jackson's personal doctor has been identified as the target of a manslaughter investigation into the singer's death, US court papers say.
Dr Conrad Murray's medical clinic in Houston, Texas, and another site rented by him were searched on Wednesday.
Police have said previously that Dr Murray is not a suspect but the search warrant allowed the authorities to seek evidence of manslaughter.
The doctor was at Jackson's mansion and tried to revive him before he died.
Dr Murray has already been interviewed twice by police, who had asked for medical records in addition to those already provided.
He has not been arrested or formally charged.
Unwelcome attention
According to the warrant, approved by a Houston judge and filed in Harris County District Court, authorities were looking for "items constituting evidence of the offence of manslaughter that tend to show that Dr Conrad Murray committed the said criminal offence".
Items seized during the searches included 27 tablets of the weight loss drug phentermine, a tablet of the muscle relaxant clonazepam, two hard drives, notices from the Internal Revenue Service and a controlled substance registration.
Speaking a few days after Jackson's death, Dr Murray's lawyer, Edward Chernoff, denied his client administered painkilling drugs that could have contributed to the singer's death.
But he said that, because of his closeness to Jackson at his death, the doctor had received unwelcome attention from people angry at the singer's demise.
Mr Chernoff was present at Wednesday's searches.
"I do not know what they are looking for and I can't possibly tell you how anything they took in any way connects with the death of Michael Jackson," he was quoted by the Los Angeles Times as saying.
The BBC's Peter Bowes in Los Angeles, where Jackson died, says it is now up to public prosecutors to sift through the considerable amount of evidence and decide whether to charge Dr Murray.
An official determination of what killed Jackson will not be made until after a toxicology report, which is expected to be completed next week.
White House goes a little bit country
The White House went a little bit country Tuesday.
"Now, I know folks think I'm a city boy, but I do appreciate listening to country music," President Barack Obama said to guests gathered in the East Room for a performance by country musicians Alison Krauss and Union Station.
Brad Paisley and country music legend Charley Pride also entertained the audience, which included first lady Michelle Obama, Cabinet secretaries and lawmakers.The president, whose hometown is Chicago, said the genre has helped to make Americans more hopeful. "It's captured our restlessness and resilience, and told so much of our story in the process," he said.
The performance, along with a morning workshop for students, was the second in a music series that Mrs. Obama launched last month to encourage arts and arts education. The first session was devoted to jazz. A classical music workshop is planned for the fall.
Earlier, Paisley, Krauss and Union Station taught 120 middle and high school music students from Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia about music and song writing.
Paisley and Krauss started their careers early. Krauss, who plays the fiddle, signed a record deal at 14; the guitar-playing Paisley was just 13 when he appeared on a country music show.
Krauss said she would listen to music all day but "I didn't think I would ... end up doing it as a career."
Paisley's grandfather, a country music lover, gave his grandson a guitar for Christmas when Paisley was 8. And the rest is country music history. "I've really not been good at much else," Paisley said. "Thankfully I was able to do this for a living because, as I said, I did not have anything to fall back on, that's for sure."
Paisley and Krauss sat on stools in the State Dining Room in front of a large portrait of a pensive-looking President Abraham Lincoln. Krauss played one piece on her fiddle, and sang another. Paisley also sang. Both answered questions from the students.
One of the participants, Sal La Rosa, of Nashville, Tenn., who just finished the fourth grade, also performed a song he wrote as part of a music education program sponsored by the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Paisley and Krauss talked about the family support they've enjoyed along the way to country music stardom.
"Music is like being up at bat," Paisley told the students. "It's really very much like stepping up to the plate. And you can have all the support in the world but it's up to you guys to really get where you want to go."
"Now, I know folks think I'm a city boy, but I do appreciate listening to country music," President Barack Obama said to guests gathered in the East Room for a performance by country musicians Alison Krauss and Union Station.
Brad Paisley and country music legend Charley Pride also entertained the audience, which included first lady Michelle Obama, Cabinet secretaries and lawmakers.The president, whose hometown is Chicago, said the genre has helped to make Americans more hopeful. "It's captured our restlessness and resilience, and told so much of our story in the process," he said.
The performance, along with a morning workshop for students, was the second in a music series that Mrs. Obama launched last month to encourage arts and arts education. The first session was devoted to jazz. A classical music workshop is planned for the fall.
Earlier, Paisley, Krauss and Union Station taught 120 middle and high school music students from Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia about music and song writing.
Paisley and Krauss started their careers early. Krauss, who plays the fiddle, signed a record deal at 14; the guitar-playing Paisley was just 13 when he appeared on a country music show.
Krauss said she would listen to music all day but "I didn't think I would ... end up doing it as a career."
Paisley's grandfather, a country music lover, gave his grandson a guitar for Christmas when Paisley was 8. And the rest is country music history. "I've really not been good at much else," Paisley said. "Thankfully I was able to do this for a living because, as I said, I did not have anything to fall back on, that's for sure."
Paisley and Krauss sat on stools in the State Dining Room in front of a large portrait of a pensive-looking President Abraham Lincoln. Krauss played one piece on her fiddle, and sang another. Paisley also sang. Both answered questions from the students.
One of the participants, Sal La Rosa, of Nashville, Tenn., who just finished the fourth grade, also performed a song he wrote as part of a music education program sponsored by the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Paisley and Krauss talked about the family support they've enjoyed along the way to country music stardom.
"Music is like being up at bat," Paisley told the students. "It's really very much like stepping up to the plate. And you can have all the support in the world but it's up to you guys to really get where you want to go."
The 2009 ACM Awards--Winners
Check out the fashion hits and misses of the night here.
Aaaaand we're back for another country-soaked weekend in Sin City, folks. Las Vegas has the annual distinction of hosting the Academy of Country Music Awards for quite a few years running--a more peanut-butter-and-jelly combo than one might think. The best aspect of the country genre is its ability to be simulaneously down-to-earth yet covered in stardust, and what city does that better than you-know-where? Besides, well, Nashville of course.
To that end, here's our annual "who won vs. who shoulda won" rundown. Quick aside: Wherefore art thou, Tim McGraw? But anyway, let's get on with the nuts and bolts.
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR:
Carrie Underwood deserved the win, if only for the massive secrecy surrounding her dress and all that. (Just kidding. She always looks great, no matter what she wears, so who cares?) No, really--in all seriousness, it's kind of nice to see someone break Kenny Chesney's winning streak, and a gal at that. Underwood's ability to cross-pollinate the pop genre on a real, adult level is refreshing, and deserving of an epic award.
TOP MALE VOCALIST:
The usual suspects. Kenny again (mildly low-pro in the past 12 months), George Strait doing his best thing (i.e., keeping on keeping on), Toby Keith god lovin' her. Keith Urban pulled a fair advantage this year, what with his high-profile dad status of one of the cuter babies of last year, plus excellent buildup to his new 2009 record. In the end, however, Brad Paisley and his smoking guitar work took the award.
TOP FEMALE VOCALIST:
All about the Carrie this year, despite formidable opposition by the other crossover chickie (Taylor Swift), Ms. Saucy (Miranda Lambert), breakout hitmaker Heidi Newfield, and critical pick Lee Ann Womack. My gosh--I just realized all these women are very, very blond. What does this mean, subliminally? Anyway, a fair win for Carrie, as she's reaching the largest mature audience out there.
TOP VOCAL GROUP:
It's not really fair to pit anyone against Rascal Flatts--even if we are talking upstart talents such as Lady Antebellum and the Lost Trailers, who have been marinating in buzz long and hard enough to have lost feeling in their toes at this point. Or Little Big Town, ditto, not quite as on the crescendo. However, the Flatts are one of those acts that really should be in Entertainer of the Year status and keep getting bumped into group category wins--for about ten zillion wins straight. Which makes it a little hard on those who compete against them. But, as it were. (BTW--Jay DeMarcus: "Now I know how Brooks & Dunn feel"--ha ha ha ha! LOL! That was good.)
TOP VOCAL DUO:
Sugarland can't quit. Of late, they're not only scaring the likes of Montgomery Gentry, they've been knocking down the formidable Brooks & Dunn door. Sure would be nice to see our fave raunchy pals Big & Rich win (Taxman! John Rich! Yeah!), and it's fun to see "Cheater, Cheater" Joey + Rory nominated as well. But hey, can't deny that Jennifer Nettles continues to be skinny, sexy, and damn good video/audio.
TOP NEW ARTIST:
Zac Brown Band put up a hell of a fight. Dang, "Chicken Fried" really held on there for months, didn't it? And Jake Owen made some impressive chart moves as well. However, I can anecdotally record that my 11-year-old niece and her friends have a "We Heart Julianne" club in which they collect every scrap of evidence that Ms. Hough lives and breathes. Plus, she's a good time. Sunshine, good looks, dancing with the stars--a very nice package indeed. No hard feelings on this win whatsoever.
TOP NEW MALE ARTIST
Jake Owen took this one, which is a bit of a surprise given the Grammy attention paid toward Jamey Johnson. Well, good for Jake. He's been deserving of this sort of attention for a couple years now.
TOP NEW FEMALE ARTIST
Julianne Hough again, but she wasn't up against formidable competition. No offense, Ashton Shepard and Sarah Buxton. There just wasn't a chance.
TOP NEW VOCAL GROUP
Eli Young Band and the Lost Trailers both were nice and buzzy, but again--not really formidable competition in the face of the brute damn force of Ze Zac Brown Band. Not much to comment on except, "Easy win."
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Okay, now we can get back to comparing some close calls. Jamey Johnson was the star Grammy nom boy and all that, and "In Color" is a great tune. Competing against stalwarts Brad Paisley and Trace Adkins is some tough row to hoe, though. Not sure if Miranda Lambert and HeidI Newfield are up to the plate in this category although both singles did smoke and steam. If pressed, we would have guessed Brad would have taken the honor, but it was nice to be surprised and have Trace pull through.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Taylor Swift. Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah. It was. Just shut up and admit it.
SONG OF THE YEAR
Jamey Johnson. He had to win something--all that hype couldn't be for nothing, right? Nah, just jesting--good tune. Interesting that this category was almost identical to single of the year, no?
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
We had some decent contenders here, with the best probably being Carrie or Taylor running around in fancy dresses looking aching and longing. In the end, though, can you really beat a cute as hell video featuring ANDY GRIFFITH? It would be like beating...America. Good win, Brad. Good work.
VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
Aw. Come on. Brad Paisley plus Keith Urban? You might as well just hang it up and go home.
Until next year, podners. Or, well, until later this year anyway, when we recap the CMA awards. Stay Country!
Aaaaand we're back for another country-soaked weekend in Sin City, folks. Las Vegas has the annual distinction of hosting the Academy of Country Music Awards for quite a few years running--a more peanut-butter-and-jelly combo than one might think. The best aspect of the country genre is its ability to be simulaneously down-to-earth yet covered in stardust, and what city does that better than you-know-where? Besides, well, Nashville of course.
To that end, here's our annual "who won vs. who shoulda won" rundown. Quick aside: Wherefore art thou, Tim McGraw? But anyway, let's get on with the nuts and bolts.
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR:
Carrie Underwood deserved the win, if only for the massive secrecy surrounding her dress and all that. (Just kidding. She always looks great, no matter what she wears, so who cares?) No, really--in all seriousness, it's kind of nice to see someone break Kenny Chesney's winning streak, and a gal at that. Underwood's ability to cross-pollinate the pop genre on a real, adult level is refreshing, and deserving of an epic award.
TOP MALE VOCALIST:
The usual suspects. Kenny again (mildly low-pro in the past 12 months), George Strait doing his best thing (i.e., keeping on keeping on), Toby Keith god lovin' her. Keith Urban pulled a fair advantage this year, what with his high-profile dad status of one of the cuter babies of last year, plus excellent buildup to his new 2009 record. In the end, however, Brad Paisley and his smoking guitar work took the award.
TOP FEMALE VOCALIST:
All about the Carrie this year, despite formidable opposition by the other crossover chickie (Taylor Swift), Ms. Saucy (Miranda Lambert), breakout hitmaker Heidi Newfield, and critical pick Lee Ann Womack. My gosh--I just realized all these women are very, very blond. What does this mean, subliminally? Anyway, a fair win for Carrie, as she's reaching the largest mature audience out there.
TOP VOCAL GROUP:
It's not really fair to pit anyone against Rascal Flatts--even if we are talking upstart talents such as Lady Antebellum and the Lost Trailers, who have been marinating in buzz long and hard enough to have lost feeling in their toes at this point. Or Little Big Town, ditto, not quite as on the crescendo. However, the Flatts are one of those acts that really should be in Entertainer of the Year status and keep getting bumped into group category wins--for about ten zillion wins straight. Which makes it a little hard on those who compete against them. But, as it were. (BTW--Jay DeMarcus: "Now I know how Brooks & Dunn feel"--ha ha ha ha! LOL! That was good.)
TOP VOCAL DUO:
Sugarland can't quit. Of late, they're not only scaring the likes of Montgomery Gentry, they've been knocking down the formidable Brooks & Dunn door. Sure would be nice to see our fave raunchy pals Big & Rich win (Taxman! John Rich! Yeah!), and it's fun to see "Cheater, Cheater" Joey + Rory nominated as well. But hey, can't deny that Jennifer Nettles continues to be skinny, sexy, and damn good video/audio.
TOP NEW ARTIST:
Zac Brown Band put up a hell of a fight. Dang, "Chicken Fried" really held on there for months, didn't it? And Jake Owen made some impressive chart moves as well. However, I can anecdotally record that my 11-year-old niece and her friends have a "We Heart Julianne" club in which they collect every scrap of evidence that Ms. Hough lives and breathes. Plus, she's a good time. Sunshine, good looks, dancing with the stars--a very nice package indeed. No hard feelings on this win whatsoever.
TOP NEW MALE ARTIST
Jake Owen took this one, which is a bit of a surprise given the Grammy attention paid toward Jamey Johnson. Well, good for Jake. He's been deserving of this sort of attention for a couple years now.
TOP NEW FEMALE ARTIST
Julianne Hough again, but she wasn't up against formidable competition. No offense, Ashton Shepard and Sarah Buxton. There just wasn't a chance.
TOP NEW VOCAL GROUP
Eli Young Band and the Lost Trailers both were nice and buzzy, but again--not really formidable competition in the face of the brute damn force of Ze Zac Brown Band. Not much to comment on except, "Easy win."
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Okay, now we can get back to comparing some close calls. Jamey Johnson was the star Grammy nom boy and all that, and "In Color" is a great tune. Competing against stalwarts Brad Paisley and Trace Adkins is some tough row to hoe, though. Not sure if Miranda Lambert and HeidI Newfield are up to the plate in this category although both singles did smoke and steam. If pressed, we would have guessed Brad would have taken the honor, but it was nice to be surprised and have Trace pull through.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Taylor Swift. Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah. It was. Just shut up and admit it.
SONG OF THE YEAR
Jamey Johnson. He had to win something--all that hype couldn't be for nothing, right? Nah, just jesting--good tune. Interesting that this category was almost identical to single of the year, no?
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
We had some decent contenders here, with the best probably being Carrie or Taylor running around in fancy dresses looking aching and longing. In the end, though, can you really beat a cute as hell video featuring ANDY GRIFFITH? It would be like beating...America. Good win, Brad. Good work.
VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
Aw. Come on. Brad Paisley plus Keith Urban? You might as well just hang it up and go home.
Until next year, podners. Or, well, until later this year anyway, when we recap the CMA awards. Stay Country!
Analysis: Obama missteps confuse health overhaul
WASHINGTON – Determined to avoid the fatal missteps of the Clinton White House, President Barack Obama is wobbling along his own precarious path to try to overhaul the nation's health care.
Where Hillary Rodham Clinton micromanaged the 1990s effort, Obama has given lawmakers lots of room and held back from offering a detailed plan of his own — but with no indication his strategy is working any better.
The sense of bipartisanship the president infused into the effort in March has been dissipated; lawmakers may never have taken it seriously. And the clear, confident message of last year's presidential campaign has turned into confusing policy options and messy politics, a standoff on Capitol Hill over how to expand and improve health coverage — and somehow pay for it.
It's all recasting Obama's image. The cool, crisp candidate who captivated voters last fall has been replaced by a president who is constantly calling for action, with little to show for it and his credibility at stake.
Democrats are putting on a brave face, noting that in Congress a legislative standstill can quickly shift into high-gear action.
"I have no question we have the votes on the floor of the House to pass this legislation," Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Wednesday. But she hasn't scheduled a vote.
Around the country, doubts are creeping in. A majority of Americans — 56 percent — still think Obama can pull off an overhaul. But a new Associated Press-Gfk poll found that disapproval of how he's handling health care spiked in the past three months. Disapproval stands at 43 percent, up from 28 percent in April. Overall, just half approve of the way Obama is dealing with the issue.
Obama says it's not about him. "I have great health insurance and so does every member of Congress," the president said in remarks prepared for his news conference Wednesday night. "This debate is about the letters I read when I sit in the Oval Office every day, and the stories I hear at town hall meetings. This debate is not a game for these Americans, and they cannot afford to wait for reform any longer."
But confidence in his approach is slipping. Independents, middle-of-the-roaders who were vital for Obama's election, are increasingly skeptical. Forty-seven percent disapprove of how he is handling health care, up from 30 percent in April, the AP poll shows.
What went wrong?
The quest to guarantee health insurance for all Americans has never been easy, because it means raising taxes and expanding the role of the federal government. Add to that Obama's goal of taming medical costs, and the degree of difficulty gets much higher.
The last Democrats to attempt it — President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton — were accused of micromanagement after they handed Congress a 1,300-page bill that had taken months to draft in the isolation of the White House office complex. Bill Clinton went on to wave his veto pen at a Democratic Congress, saying he'd settle for nothing short of coverage for all.
He settled for nothing.
Obama was going to take a humbler path, but one that he hoped ultimately would reach the goal. His strategy was to set the tone, paint the big picture and let seasoned leaders in Congress work out the details. Everybody would have an ownership stake in the legislation.
The problem: He may have cut his Democratic allies in Congress too much slack, both on policy decisions and political strategy. He underestimated the depth of ideological divisions on health care.
In the House, liberal committee chairmen drafted a bill that doesn't even represent a consensus of their own members, moderates and conservatives whose votes they need to pass it on the floor. In the Senate, Democrats headed off in different directions. One group produced a partisan bill; another keeps searching for a compromise with Republicans.
Obama — like a modern-day father with a somewhat dysfunctional family — has tried to encourage, not criticize. With Congress, that doesn't seem to be working.
Battles have broken out over major issues: How to raise $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion over 10 years to cover the uninsured; whether the government should offer a plan that competes with private insurance; how to make sure employers and individuals contribute their fair share.
Not wanting to alienate lawmakers who have taken sides on an issue — but could be allies later on — Obama for the most part has avoided coming down hard. And because he lacks his own public plan, it's often unclear where the administration stands.
"He doesn't have a plan," said Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, one of the bipartisan negotiators. "He's given some broad guidelines of what ought to be done, but you find (the congressional bills) now being completely contrary to the letter that the president sent up here on June 2 when he said that he wanted to bend the inflation curve of medical care downward."
It's created the impression that the administration is trying to have it all ways.
For example, Obama insisted from the beginning the overhaul won't add to the deficit. But this week his budget director said that pledge doesn't include an estimated $245 billion in the House bill to restore programmed cuts in Medicare payments to doctors.
It's unclear how Obama will move forward. Bipartisan talks continue in the Senate, but there seems to be little chance of resuming the civil dialogue Obama sought to launch at the beginning by inviting all sides to a White House summit on health care.
"We need to put the brakes on this president," Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., told NBC on Wednesday. "His goal seems to be a government takeover, not making insurance more available. So I do think we need to stop the president on this."
Where Hillary Rodham Clinton micromanaged the 1990s effort, Obama has given lawmakers lots of room and held back from offering a detailed plan of his own — but with no indication his strategy is working any better.
The sense of bipartisanship the president infused into the effort in March has been dissipated; lawmakers may never have taken it seriously. And the clear, confident message of last year's presidential campaign has turned into confusing policy options and messy politics, a standoff on Capitol Hill over how to expand and improve health coverage — and somehow pay for it.
It's all recasting Obama's image. The cool, crisp candidate who captivated voters last fall has been replaced by a president who is constantly calling for action, with little to show for it and his credibility at stake.
Democrats are putting on a brave face, noting that in Congress a legislative standstill can quickly shift into high-gear action.
"I have no question we have the votes on the floor of the House to pass this legislation," Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Wednesday. But she hasn't scheduled a vote.
Around the country, doubts are creeping in. A majority of Americans — 56 percent — still think Obama can pull off an overhaul. But a new Associated Press-Gfk poll found that disapproval of how he's handling health care spiked in the past three months. Disapproval stands at 43 percent, up from 28 percent in April. Overall, just half approve of the way Obama is dealing with the issue.
Obama says it's not about him. "I have great health insurance and so does every member of Congress," the president said in remarks prepared for his news conference Wednesday night. "This debate is about the letters I read when I sit in the Oval Office every day, and the stories I hear at town hall meetings. This debate is not a game for these Americans, and they cannot afford to wait for reform any longer."
But confidence in his approach is slipping. Independents, middle-of-the-roaders who were vital for Obama's election, are increasingly skeptical. Forty-seven percent disapprove of how he is handling health care, up from 30 percent in April, the AP poll shows.
What went wrong?
The quest to guarantee health insurance for all Americans has never been easy, because it means raising taxes and expanding the role of the federal government. Add to that Obama's goal of taming medical costs, and the degree of difficulty gets much higher.
The last Democrats to attempt it — President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton — were accused of micromanagement after they handed Congress a 1,300-page bill that had taken months to draft in the isolation of the White House office complex. Bill Clinton went on to wave his veto pen at a Democratic Congress, saying he'd settle for nothing short of coverage for all.
He settled for nothing.
Obama was going to take a humbler path, but one that he hoped ultimately would reach the goal. His strategy was to set the tone, paint the big picture and let seasoned leaders in Congress work out the details. Everybody would have an ownership stake in the legislation.
The problem: He may have cut his Democratic allies in Congress too much slack, both on policy decisions and political strategy. He underestimated the depth of ideological divisions on health care.
In the House, liberal committee chairmen drafted a bill that doesn't even represent a consensus of their own members, moderates and conservatives whose votes they need to pass it on the floor. In the Senate, Democrats headed off in different directions. One group produced a partisan bill; another keeps searching for a compromise with Republicans.
Obama — like a modern-day father with a somewhat dysfunctional family — has tried to encourage, not criticize. With Congress, that doesn't seem to be working.
Battles have broken out over major issues: How to raise $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion over 10 years to cover the uninsured; whether the government should offer a plan that competes with private insurance; how to make sure employers and individuals contribute their fair share.
Not wanting to alienate lawmakers who have taken sides on an issue — but could be allies later on — Obama for the most part has avoided coming down hard. And because he lacks his own public plan, it's often unclear where the administration stands.
"He doesn't have a plan," said Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, one of the bipartisan negotiators. "He's given some broad guidelines of what ought to be done, but you find (the congressional bills) now being completely contrary to the letter that the president sent up here on June 2 when he said that he wanted to bend the inflation curve of medical care downward."
It's created the impression that the administration is trying to have it all ways.
For example, Obama insisted from the beginning the overhaul won't add to the deficit. But this week his budget director said that pledge doesn't include an estimated $245 billion in the House bill to restore programmed cuts in Medicare payments to doctors.
It's unclear how Obama will move forward. Bipartisan talks continue in the Senate, but there seems to be little chance of resuming the civil dialogue Obama sought to launch at the beginning by inviting all sides to a White House summit on health care.
"We need to put the brakes on this president," Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., told NBC on Wednesday. "His goal seems to be a government takeover, not making insurance more available. So I do think we need to stop the president on this."
Daughtry Makes "Idol" History
Daughtry's sophomore album, Leave This Town, enters The Billboard 200 at #1. This makes the band's leader, Chris Daughtry, the first American Idol alumnus to land back-to-back #1 albums. Daughtry rang the bell for two weeks in early 2007. Kelly Clarkson is the only other Idol alum to notch two #1 albums, and hers weren't consecutive. She topped the chart with her first and fourth albums. This obviously makes Chris Daughtry the first Idol alum who didn't win the competition to land two #1 albums. (Clay Aiken is the only other non-winner to land a #1 album, though Adam Lambert is likely to join this little club.)
Leave This Town is Daughtry's first album to debut in the top spot. Daughtry bowed at #2 in November 2006. It first hit #1 in its ninth week. Daughtry has sold 4,494,000 copies. Of the thousands of albums that have been released in the nearly three years since Daughtry, only one other (Josh Groban's Noel) has reached the 4 million mark in sales. (Taylor Swift, which has also topped the 4 million mark, was released a month before Daughtry.)
Leave This Town sold 269,000 copies in its first week, a little less than Daughtry, which had first-week sales of 304,000. (The softening of music sales in the past three years easily accounts for the difference.) It's common for debut albums by Idol alums to open with big numbers. The real test is how their second albums open. Only one sophomore album by an Idol album started with a bigger tally than Daughtry managed this week. Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride debuted with sales of 527,000 in October 2007. (Kelly Clarkson's sophomore album, Breakaway, opened with sales of 250,000 in December 2004. Clay Aiken's A Thousand Different Ways started with 211,000 in September 2006.)
The total for Daughtry's album includes nearly 63,000 digital copies. That makes it the week's #1 Digital Album. Daughtry was also #1 on this chart in its first week of release, though with a much smaller total (12,000), which dramatizes the growth in this field in the past three years.
Michael Jackson has six of the 10 best-selling albums in the U.S. for the second week in a row. Number Ones sold 192,000 copies and would have slipped from #1 to #2 on The Billboard 200 if catalog albums were eligible to make the big chart. The Essential Michael Jackson sold 125,000 and would have inched up from #4 to #3. Thriller sold 114,000 and would have slipped from #3 to #4. Off The Wall sold 68,000 and would have slipped from #6 to #8. Bad sold 61,000 and would have slipped from #8 to #9. Dangerous sold 55,000 and would have dipped from #9 to #10.
Jackson's incredible showing the past two weeks breaks a record that had stood for 43 years, since April 1966 when Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass put four albums in the top 10. It's not the first time that these two artists have tangled. In October 1979, Alpert's instrumental smash "Rise" booted Jackson's "Don't Stop ‘Til You Get Enough" out of the #1 spot on the Hot 100. There is, of course, another Alpert/Jackson tie-in: Janet Jackson was featured on Alpert's "Diamonds," a top five hit in 1987.
Number Ones has sold 1,104,000 copies in the U.S. in 2009, which puts it #4 for the year-to-date. Where will it rank on the year-end chart? Place your bets.
Jackson has sold nearly 3 million albums in less than a month. Four weeks ago, on the last chart before Jackson's death, the pop icon ranked #47 on Nielsen/SoundScan's running list of the best-selling album artists in its history, with sales of 21,737,000 albums. This week, he ranks #37, with sales of 24,724,000. That's a huge increase in just four weeks' time, on a chart that measures 18 years of sales activity.
A total of 27 songs that feature Jackson are listed on Hot Digital Songs, down from 46 last week. Jackson had a staggering 50 of the top 200 three weeks ago. (The Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" tops that chart for the sixth straight week. The smash sold 219,000 downloads this week. This is the 16th week in a row that the Peas have headed that chart with a song that sold at least 200K in paid downloads.)
While Jackson no longer has the best-selling album in the U.S., he is on top in Japan and the U.K., which are the world's #2 and #3 music markets. King Of Pop (Japan Edition) jumps from #3 to #1 in Japan. This is the second time in a little more than two months that a retrospective by or featuring a deceased American pop star has hit the top spot in Japan. Carpenters' 40/40 The Best Selection rang the bell there in May. Jackson has five of the top 10 albums in the U.K. (counting a Jackson 5 collection). The Essential Michael Jackson is #1 there for the third straight week.
I'll have more on the simmering catalog chart controversy at the end of this week's column, but first let's look at the rest of this week's action.
Taylor Swift's Fearless logs its 30th week in the top 10, which ties Carrie Underwood's 2005 album Some Hearts for the recent country record. The last country album to have a longer run in the top 10 was Shania Twain's Come On Over, which logged 53 weeks in the top 10 from 1997 to 1999. Fearless has sold 3,537,000 copies, a real achievement given the state of the economy and music sales in particular. Fearless also returns to #1 on the Country Albums chart for the first time in nearly four months. This is its 19th week atop that list.
Jack White, the leader of the White Stripes, returns to the top 10 with his new group, The Dead Weather. The group's album Horehound enters The Billboard 200 at #6. This is White's sixth top 10 album, following three albums with the Stripes and two with the Raconteurs. It's very unusual for an artist to reach the top 10 as often with side projects as with his primary group. The Dead Weather also features Alison Mosshart of the Kills; Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age; and Jack Lawrence of the Raconteurs and the Greenhornes.
You've heard the expression, "Slow but steady wins the race?" That's certainly true of Kings of Leon's Only By The Night. The album returns to the top 10 this week for the first time since it debuted at #5 in September. The album dropped as low as #78 in December, before beginning a remarkable rebound. It has ranked in the top 20 for all but one of the last 13 weeks. The album is about two weeks away from topping the 1 million mark in sales. (It currently stands at 959,000.) These guys will have earned those platinum records.
Here's the low-down on this week's top 10 albums.
1. Daughtry, Leave This Town, 269,000. This new entry is Daughtry's second #1 album in a row. Three songs from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs, topped by "No Surprise," which vaults from #59 to #24.
Leave This Town is Daughtry's first album to debut in the top spot. Daughtry bowed at #2 in November 2006. It first hit #1 in its ninth week. Daughtry has sold 4,494,000 copies. Of the thousands of albums that have been released in the nearly three years since Daughtry, only one other (Josh Groban's Noel) has reached the 4 million mark in sales. (Taylor Swift, which has also topped the 4 million mark, was released a month before Daughtry.)
Leave This Town sold 269,000 copies in its first week, a little less than Daughtry, which had first-week sales of 304,000. (The softening of music sales in the past three years easily accounts for the difference.) It's common for debut albums by Idol alums to open with big numbers. The real test is how their second albums open. Only one sophomore album by an Idol album started with a bigger tally than Daughtry managed this week. Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride debuted with sales of 527,000 in October 2007. (Kelly Clarkson's sophomore album, Breakaway, opened with sales of 250,000 in December 2004. Clay Aiken's A Thousand Different Ways started with 211,000 in September 2006.)
The total for Daughtry's album includes nearly 63,000 digital copies. That makes it the week's #1 Digital Album. Daughtry was also #1 on this chart in its first week of release, though with a much smaller total (12,000), which dramatizes the growth in this field in the past three years.
Michael Jackson has six of the 10 best-selling albums in the U.S. for the second week in a row. Number Ones sold 192,000 copies and would have slipped from #1 to #2 on The Billboard 200 if catalog albums were eligible to make the big chart. The Essential Michael Jackson sold 125,000 and would have inched up from #4 to #3. Thriller sold 114,000 and would have slipped from #3 to #4. Off The Wall sold 68,000 and would have slipped from #6 to #8. Bad sold 61,000 and would have slipped from #8 to #9. Dangerous sold 55,000 and would have dipped from #9 to #10.
Jackson's incredible showing the past two weeks breaks a record that had stood for 43 years, since April 1966 when Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass put four albums in the top 10. It's not the first time that these two artists have tangled. In October 1979, Alpert's instrumental smash "Rise" booted Jackson's "Don't Stop ‘Til You Get Enough" out of the #1 spot on the Hot 100. There is, of course, another Alpert/Jackson tie-in: Janet Jackson was featured on Alpert's "Diamonds," a top five hit in 1987.
Number Ones has sold 1,104,000 copies in the U.S. in 2009, which puts it #4 for the year-to-date. Where will it rank on the year-end chart? Place your bets.
Jackson has sold nearly 3 million albums in less than a month. Four weeks ago, on the last chart before Jackson's death, the pop icon ranked #47 on Nielsen/SoundScan's running list of the best-selling album artists in its history, with sales of 21,737,000 albums. This week, he ranks #37, with sales of 24,724,000. That's a huge increase in just four weeks' time, on a chart that measures 18 years of sales activity.
A total of 27 songs that feature Jackson are listed on Hot Digital Songs, down from 46 last week. Jackson had a staggering 50 of the top 200 three weeks ago. (The Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" tops that chart for the sixth straight week. The smash sold 219,000 downloads this week. This is the 16th week in a row that the Peas have headed that chart with a song that sold at least 200K in paid downloads.)
While Jackson no longer has the best-selling album in the U.S., he is on top in Japan and the U.K., which are the world's #2 and #3 music markets. King Of Pop (Japan Edition) jumps from #3 to #1 in Japan. This is the second time in a little more than two months that a retrospective by or featuring a deceased American pop star has hit the top spot in Japan. Carpenters' 40/40 The Best Selection rang the bell there in May. Jackson has five of the top 10 albums in the U.K. (counting a Jackson 5 collection). The Essential Michael Jackson is #1 there for the third straight week.
I'll have more on the simmering catalog chart controversy at the end of this week's column, but first let's look at the rest of this week's action.
Taylor Swift's Fearless logs its 30th week in the top 10, which ties Carrie Underwood's 2005 album Some Hearts for the recent country record. The last country album to have a longer run in the top 10 was Shania Twain's Come On Over, which logged 53 weeks in the top 10 from 1997 to 1999. Fearless has sold 3,537,000 copies, a real achievement given the state of the economy and music sales in particular. Fearless also returns to #1 on the Country Albums chart for the first time in nearly four months. This is its 19th week atop that list.
Jack White, the leader of the White Stripes, returns to the top 10 with his new group, The Dead Weather. The group's album Horehound enters The Billboard 200 at #6. This is White's sixth top 10 album, following three albums with the Stripes and two with the Raconteurs. It's very unusual for an artist to reach the top 10 as often with side projects as with his primary group. The Dead Weather also features Alison Mosshart of the Kills; Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age; and Jack Lawrence of the Raconteurs and the Greenhornes.
You've heard the expression, "Slow but steady wins the race?" That's certainly true of Kings of Leon's Only By The Night. The album returns to the top 10 this week for the first time since it debuted at #5 in September. The album dropped as low as #78 in December, before beginning a remarkable rebound. It has ranked in the top 20 for all but one of the last 13 weeks. The album is about two weeks away from topping the 1 million mark in sales. (It currently stands at 959,000.) These guys will have earned those platinum records.
Here's the low-down on this week's top 10 albums.
1. Daughtry, Leave This Town, 269,000. This new entry is Daughtry's second #1 album in a row. Three songs from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs, topped by "No Surprise," which vaults from #59 to #24.
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