Monday, February 27, 2012

LG Optimus 4X HD hands-on (video)

The quad-cores have arrived and the first out of the blocks is LG's sequel to its dual-core Optimus 2X. The Korean phone maker has apparently recruited its "best engineers "on this wafer-thin slab of power and it shows; the phone is light and slim. It's taken a detour from the Prada Phone stylings we've seen on the Optimus Vu and L-series, but looks noticeably more mature than last year's efforts and Android's Ice Cream Sandwich is in attendance -- with some tweaks. Our video hands-on and impressions are waiting after the break. Until then, take a 360-degree tour of the device at our gallery below.

Continue reading LG Optimus 4X HD hands-on (video)

LG Optimus 4X HD hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 09:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/GUHwz4dQns4/

solar storm terrell owens terrell owens aapl mitt romney tax return flip saunders apple earnings

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Syrians trapped in Homs say world is failing them (Reuters)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Reuters - The Syrian military took its bombardment of the rebel-held Baba Amro district of Homs into a fourth week on Saturday as the Red Cross tried to evacuate more distressed civilians from the city.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/parenting/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120225/ts_nm/us_syria

pga tour lamar odom presidential debate argentina train crash nancy pelosi nancy pelosi gop debate

JM Business Marketing | House of script

by admin on February 25, 2012

JM Business Marketing Joomla Templates

JM Business Marketing, The free joomla template that can be used for any business due to its clear design and possibility to choose the template?s colour to match your company?s purposes.

JM-Business-Marketing Template compatibility:

Joomla 2.5
Joomla 1.7

Width: option setting on template configuration

Detailed layout options:

  • left+content+right
  • left+content
  • content+right
  • content

Detailed options:

  • 4 template color versions
  • 2 design module options
  • RTL option
  • logo replacable at the template configuration

Other features:

  • Collapsible module positions
  • W3C XHTML 1.0 Transitional. W3C CSS Valid.
  • Lightweight, modern and very fast-loading design.
  • Well-commented css style files

Cross browser support: IE7+, Firefox 2+, Safari 3+, Chrome 8+, Opera 9+ and other Standards-Supporting Browsers.

?

Similar articles you also like....

Source: http://houseofscript.net/joomla-templates/joomla-1-7-templates-joomla-templates/jm-business-marketing-free-joomla-1-7-2-5-templates/

christopher hitchens ron paul 2012 zynga stock zynga stock sam houston state university sam houston state university bradley manning

Saturday, February 25, 2012

beer Club: What Beer Can Teach Us

While this law ensured the quality, tradition, and purity of beer in Germany, it also stifled experimentation and innovation by prohibiting brewers from testing other ingredients. The Belgian monks, by contrast, were free to develop complex and innovative beer styles during the last few centuries by adding fruits, spices, wild yeast and bacteria, and other cereal grains, like wheat, to their ales. This experimental spirit has been embraced by today?s do-it-yourself home brewers and craft brewers in the United States, which is currently regarded as the most innovative and exciting country for craft beer.

Source: http://beerwiz.blogspot.com/2012/02/what-beer-can-teach-us.html

fast times at ridgemont high soylent green phil davis george st pierre aldon smith friday night lights nick santino

Fatcow is a good website hosting ? Pen in 2010

Joomla cms hosting is usually a website cms of which encourages it is consumers to build up sites plus the alternative net uses and these uses incorporates a selection of factors for example extensibility and also user friendly set up. The particular belongings becoming managed can range from basic scrolls, images, music, online video, paperwork that is published digitally with on line method and among the real key benefits is it involves just a little complex ability or perhaps know-how to control the device. This kind of fatcow review hosting has utilized previously to help keep a variety of websites irrespective with their styles offering corporate websites, websites, intranets and also extranets on line newspapers, digital the business sector an internet-based reservations net app and personal internet pages. Joomla cms hosting involves virtually no complex ability or perhaps know-how to implement if you?ve got every problem, as well as a network support can there be to help.

Joomla cms is instantly readily available and it also enables the purchasers in making the best of their services through generating custom made websites, themes, designs and also elements. The easy to use support, with the industry experts of web sites focusing on joomla, makes it the particular web hosting best support for corporations for individuals. Combining the particular joomla services allows the particular author to do complex elements with their web page for example video tutorials and also music as well as facts, back links and photographs. The particular support can be extensive plus the support is easy though enabling you to develop deceitful sophisticated shopping websites. The particular great deal of joomla hosting local community compromises of such programmers which provide full instruction, aid and also help on the using this kind of opens up origin application. Joomla cms offers support to over The year 2000 additions this glaring attribute permits you to modify the content, uses and also design of their websites, down to needing the small business at ease.

Many people that will with recommended for any website or perhaps business online possess practically no notion should be done to launch a beautiful, safe and sound website. For instance, you might not realize that it?s the hosting web server, not necessarily the web page or even the personal computer it is becoming utilized with that is accountable for those blunders and also packing waiting if you visit your favorite site. In order to guarantee that individuals might gain access to your internet site whenever they want connected with nite and day, and that they never have to bother about safety when producing buying on line, you have to be sure to pick out Joomla cms hosting that offers you will you will need. Essentially the most surprising things about linux hosting server is it has not got to run you lots of money. If you spend an afternoon searching for the appropriate hosting support, you?ll find alternatives for acquiring no cost samples, reductions, and also discount codes that can keep support low-cost. Search for hosts which might be Joomla cms lovers so that you can find the best discounts. When you have questions the ideal prefer to utilize for your Joomla cms site, also you can make contact with the particular support company and also programmers within the organization by itself.

Source: http://www.pen2010.com/?p=740

game change marie colvin cm punk cm punk lint justin theroux buenos aires train crash

Friday, February 24, 2012

Golf Swing Basics Are Important If You Want To Play Good Golf ...

You are here: Home / General / Golf Swing Basics Are Important If You Want To Play Good Golf



Are you curious about golf swing basics to boost your game? Everyone who plays golf strives to be the next pro golfer. People attempt to drive like Tiger Woods and putt like Jack Nicklaus, but regularly they come up short because of a absence of talent. The piece below contains golf swing basics that may help any person play like the professionals.

One excellent method to get a better idea of what works and does not work in your swing is to take a video of yourself while on the practice range. Sometimes you may feel like you are hitting your mechanical focus points thru your swing, but by viewing yourself in action you're able to see major bugs that otherwise go unchecked.

Another golf swing basics tip is to shoot at the ground in a sand trap. If you find your ball stuck in a sand trap, target lower. When you hit the sand under the ball, it will pop the ball up into the air, and back onto safe ground. You won't get much distance, but you'll be out of the trap saving you valuable strokes in the long term.

Most golfers are looking to add yards to their drive, but you need to start out by looking for precision. Working on golf swing basics and then accuracy before distance is far better than working on distance and then accuracy. It is often possible to put more body into your shot, but tweaking your swing for precision is tough.

If you would like to strike your ball as far as possible try for a higher target than what you actually intend to hit. Because the challenge looks so hard, your grey matter will search for resources you may not know you had. You must make golfing challenging to progress faster.

When you've taught yourself the golf swing basics to regularly hit the ball, you'll be enjoying your golf in no time. Think of the club as the pendulum in a granddad clock. Practice swinging your club from side to side like the pendulum. Remember, it doesn't take a lot of force to drive the ball a long way. It takes consistency and precision when striking the ball. People as old as 60 can out drive someone twice their strength because it is all about consistency and precision.

You have got to ensure you rotate your shoulders and hips in the correct way. This is known as ?coiling?, one of the most important golf swing basics tips. If you don't turn properly then you are not going to hit full power. To maximize your drive potential, you need to learn how to ?coil? properly. Practice with an instructor or tape yourself swinging and practice doing this without striking the golf ball.

If you're having a bad round on the course, you should learn to control your feelings to end up with a good score. When you become annoyed, you will shoot too many assertive shots, which will lead directly to sending drives and putts, way off course. Take a big breath and regroup after a bad shot.

In conclusion, everybody attempts to be an expert golfer and improve their handy cap. But because of a lack of talent are unable to do so. Use these golf swing basics tips from this article will have your golf skills that can rival the pros.

If you are interested in golf and are looking for golf tips for beginners this is for you. There are some great golf swing reviews online that will have you playing some great golf with a little bit of practice.

Written by: Dan on February 22, 2012.

Posted by Dan on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 10:49 am?
Filed under General ? Tagged with Absence, Accuracy, Bugs, Clock, Focus Points, Golf Game, golf swing basics, golf swing reviews, golf swing speed, Golf Tips For Beginners, Golfers, Good Golf, Grey Matter, Jack Nicklaus, Pendulum, People, Pro Golfer, Sand Trap, Strokes, Target, Tiger, Tiger Woods, Tweaking

Source: http://www.theyellowads.com/recreation_sports/golf-swing-basics-are-important-if-you-want-to-play-good-golf/

new hampshire primary hue jackson alabama football coachella 2012 line up lsu crimson tide crimson tide

Summary Box: Target's muted holiday sales (AP)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]AP - HO-HUM HOLIDAY: Target Corp.'s fourth-quarter earnings fell 5.2 percent due to sluggish holiday sales.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120223/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_target_summary_box

space ball jim mora the weeknd echoes of silence gio gonzalez san francisco fire patti labelle the weeknd

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Argentine train slams into station, killing 49

Firemen rescue wounded passengers from a commuter train after a collision in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday Feb. 22, 2012. A packed train slammed into the end of the line in Buenos Aires' busy Once station Wednesday, injuring over 300 morning commuters, Argentina's transportation secretary said. (AP Photo/Leonardo Zavattaro,Telam)

Firemen rescue wounded passengers from a commuter train after a collision in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday Feb. 22, 2012. A packed train slammed into the end of the line in Buenos Aires' busy Once station Wednesday, injuring over 300 morning commuters, Argentina's transportation secretary said. (AP Photo/Leonardo Zavattaro,Telam)

Paramedics carry away wounded passengers from a commuter train after a collision in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday Feb. 22, 2012. A packed train slammed into the end of the line in Buenos Aires' busy Once station Wednesday, injuring over 300 morning commuters, Argentina's transportation secretary said. (AP Photo/Leonardo Zavattaro,Telam)

A policeman helps carry a wounded passenger from a commuter train after a collision in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday Feb. 22, 2012. A packed train slammed into the end of the line in Buenos Aires' busy Once station Wednesday, killing dozens and injuring hundreds, according to police. (AP Photo/Leonardo Zavattaro,Telam)

Injured passengers from a commuter train wait to be carried away after a collision in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday Feb. 22, 2012. A packed train slammed into the end of the line in Buenos Aires' busy Once station Wednesday, killing dozens and injuring hundreds, according to police. (AP Photo/Leonardo Zavattaro,Telam)

A wounded passenger waits to be rescued from a commuter train after a collision in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday Feb. 22, 2012. A packed train slammed into the end of the line in Buenos Aires' busy Once station Wednesday, killing dozens and injuring hundreds, according to police. (AP Photo/Anibal Greco) NO PUBLICAR EN ARGENTINA

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) ? The first two cars were packed as usual for the morning rush, so tightly that people stood pressed flesh to flesh, sandwiched between bicycles and the few seats, many without so much as a strap to hold onto.

This train didn't lurch, though. It had trouble stopping at all, overshooting platform after platform and missing at least one station entirely as it rushed toward the end of the line.

The train didn't come to a halt until it had slammed into a metal barrier at Buenos Aires' Once station. With eight cars carrying a mass of steel and humanity ? more than 1,200 people on board ? the momentum was devastating. Forty-nine people were killed and 600 were injured.

Windows exploded and the first cars were crushed into a jumble of glass, metal, plastic and bodies.

The cause wasn't immediately determined, but many pointed to a deteriorating rail system and train cars that lack modern equipment and safety measures. Passengers said the conductor had appeared to be struggling with the brakes before the crash.

The dead included 48 adults and one child ? most of whom had crowded into the first two cars to get ahead of the rush-hour crowds on arrival. The injured included 461 who were hospitalized, Transportation Secretary J.P. Schiavi said.

Passengers' friends and relatives were still rushing around the city hours later, checking emergency rooms and the city's two largest morgues for some sign of their loved ones.

Ezequiel Mercado, his mother-in-law and 10 other friends and family members frantically searched for his wife, Sabrina Espindola, 29, who didn't show up for work Wednesday. They checked nine hospitals before heading to the morgue.

"I went everywhere. She is always with her Blackberry. We are always in contact," he said. "This morgue is the last place I thought of, but, well, she's missing. I call her cell phone, and it rings, rings, but she isn't responding."

Schiavi defended the rail system at a news conference.

"It was an accident like those in many other countries," he said, pointing to a newspaper clipping about a fatal crash in Los Angeles. "In recent years, we've made huge investments" in the system.

As Schiavi spoke, riot police faced off against angry passengers in the closed station, where emergency workers spent hours extracting dozens of people trapped inside the train's first car. Rescuers had to slice open the roof and set up a pulley system to ease them out one by one. Dozens of the injured were lined up on stretchers on the station platform.

The 28-year-old conductor, who survived the crash, was apparently well-rested, Schiavi said, having just begun his workday.

"Tiredness, his age, the problems that a conductor might face" are among the factors being investigated, he said. "This young person had just begun his shift moments before the accident."

The motorman was hospitalized in intensive care and hasn't given a statement, Schiavi added.

Passengers said the conductor seemed to struggle with the brakes, missing his stopping marks at station after station.

Concepcion Ortiz, 60, told the Clarin newspaper that in Caballito, the conductor "went past the station and needed to go in reverse." Jorge Medina told the paper the same thing happened in the Haedo and Ramos Mejia stations.

"We had noticed severe problems in the brakes during the whole trip," said a man with a broken ankle who gave his name only as Juan, and was interviewed in a wheelchair at Ramos Mejia Hospital, one of a dozen that cared for the injured.

"It was noticeable because when he got to where he needed to stop, he didn't slow down. In Haedo, almost half the train passed the station; in Liniers he also overran (the platform) and in Floresta he simply went right past it. He never stopped," the young man told the C5N television channel.

A labor union official said earlier Wednesday the train had appeared to be in good working order.

"This machine left the shop yesterday and the brakes worked well. From what we know, it braked without problems at previous stations. At this point I don't want to speculate about the causes," union chief Ruben Sobrero told Radio La Red.

Schiavi said the train was recorded slowing from about 30 miles per hour (50 kph) to 12 miles per hour about 40 yards (meters) before the impact. "We don't know what happened in those final 40 meters," he said.

The train slammed into a shock-absorbing barrier at 8:33 a.m., smashing the front of the engine and crunching the much lighter cars behind it. The second car penetrated nearly 20 feet (six meters) into the next, Schiavi said.

Most damaged was the first car, where passengers shared space with bicycles. Survivors said many people were injured in a jumble of metal and glass. Security camera images showed windows exploding as the cars crumpled into each other like an accordion, with a man on the adjacent platform scrambling across the tracks to escape the wreck.

It was Argentina's deadliest train accident since Feb. 1, 1970, when a train smashed into another at full speed in suburban Buenos Aires, killing 200.

President Cristina Fernandez canceled her day's agenda due to the accident, which raised fresh doubts about government investment in the train system millions depend on. While largely privatized, the system depends on huge state subsidies, and fares are relatively low compared to other countries in the region.

Union leaders blamed what they called a history of failure to invest in maintaining or replacing aging trains.

The Trains of Buenos Aires company promotes its low fares on its website, saying that passengers pay just 23 cents a ride on average, compared to 80 cents in Santiago, Chile, and $1.11 in Sao Paulo. But TBA also complains that without higher fares, maintenance is a struggle.

Employee salaries and benefits have soared nearly 900 percent in the last decade, while the TBA now spends just 12 percent of its operating costs on maintenance, the company said.

Railway experts told The Associated Press that accidents like this are common among older trains that lack modern designs. The TBA has bought many cast-offs from other countries that have modernized their systems, and uses hundreds of Japanese-made "Toshiba Classic" rail cars that were built in the 1960s.

"That's a very slow speed" for so many casualties, said University of Southern California engineering professor Naj Meshkati, who studies rail disasters. "It's important to look at the age of the cars."

Trains using older cars can lesson the danger by running an empty and locked "deadhead" car between the engine and the passenger cars, said Colin Fulk, a rail expert and consultant in Sherrills Ford, N.C. Argentina's commuter trains don't do this.

The TBA said it is cooperating in the investigation.

"This is not an accident whose causes will be hidden from view in any way," Schiavi promised, noting that recorders, security cameras, computer systems and other evidence would be handed to investigators.

There have been a half-dozen serious train accidents in Argentina in the last 15 months. Last September, a bus driver crossed the tracks in front of an oncoming train, killing 11 people. Two months later, a bus driver transporting children on a field trip drove in front of a train, killing eight schoolgirls.

___

Debora Rey in Buenos Aires and Martha Mendoza in Santa Cruz, Calif., contributed to this report.

___

Follow Michael Warren on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mwarrenap

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-02-22-LT-Argentina-Train-Accident/id-36344cae817b4b1eba0f2d1cbd66789b

father of the bride bluebeard blue angels weather miami angus t. jones belgian malinois girl fight

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

4.0 earthquake in Missouri shakes 9 states

Residents got an early morning jolt Tuesday after an earthquake rumbled at least nine states, causing minor damage and a big stir in the town of East Prairie, near the quake's epicenter.

?I live on a main highway and five miles from the reported epicenter,? Rhonda Brack, a manager at Tasters Restaurant in East Prairie, told msnbc.com. ?It sounded like a semi-truck and it rattled my windows and it rattled my house.?

She said the magnitude 4.0 earthquake has been the hot topic of conversation since the popular breakfast and coffee house opened up at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday.

  1. Only on msnbc.com

    1. Updated 89 minutes ago 2/21/2012 5:39:17 PM +00:00 Rev. Graham: Obama seen as 'son of Islam'
    2. Updated 96 minutes ago 2/21/2012 5:32:04 PM +00:00 Spike in poaching threatens rhinos once facing extinction
    3. FDA moves to ease shortages of 2 cancer drugs
    4. Online coupons not always honored by merchants
    5. Avalanche survivor ?in shock? after 3 die in tragedy
    6. Chinese police beat up journalists at protests
    7. Updated 64 minutes ago 2/21/2012 6:04:32 PM +00:00 One in four Americans have more debt than savings

"We're no strangers to quakes, but this one was different," Brack said. "We had one four years ago and that one rolled. This one was straight underneath us and lasted for 30 seconds or so. It reminded you of lightning."

U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist John Bellini said the rural farming community of East Prairie is known for its seismic activity.

"It's a normal event that occurs from time to time," Bellini told msnbc.com. "It happens every two years or so. They have many that are small but no one can really feel them. Once in a while you will get one like this one that is wider and stronger."

Bellini said several people in Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee also reported being awakened by the temblor that happened at 3:58 a.m. GMT. A few residents of North Carolina, Alabama, Indiana and Georgia also experienced some shaking.

East Prairie City Administrator Lonnie Thurmond told The Associated Press he's heard reports of cracks in sidewalks and walls, some broken windows, and minor household damage such as rattled shelves and things falling from cabinets.

Adam Rhodes said he was awakened by the earth?s trembling and then carried on with this morning routine before heading into work at Creative School Zone in East Prairie.

?You heard it and felt it,? Rhodes said. "It woke up my wife and my 3-year-old, but my baby slept right through it."

? 2012 msnbc.com Reprints

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46465402/ns/us_news-life/

coriolis effect giants patriots yolo steelers vs ravens jack dempsey lake malawi warren jeffs

How To Choose The Right Financial Planner | Articles @ Redbright

Are you trying to choose a financial adviser but don?t know where to start? Are you confused by the available choices, difference in fees and myriad of financial planning firms? If so, then we can help.

There are 3 easy steps for choosing a financial planner in Australia.

Step 1 ? Get Clear On Your Advice Needs

Not all financial advisers provide all types of financial advice. Some advisers are experts in wealth building strategies, other work only in personal protection insurance.

It is necessary to choose a financial planner who?s specialised in the type of advice you need.

The common specialisations are:

* Insurance Advice

* Wealth building, loan reduction and budgeting

* Retirement Planning Advice

* Self-Managed Super Funds

While a financial planner may be competent in one or more of these types of advice, they may not have experience in them all. That?s because each areas of advice has unique rules, legislation and strategies, so it?s important to choose a financial planner who specialises in the type of advice you require.

Step 2 ? Different Ways To Choose A Financial Planner

Now that you understand the type of advice you require you can start searching for a financial planner to match your advice needs. Here are five different ways to choose a financial planner.

1. Ask Your Existing Service Providers

2. Ask A Friend

3. Contact Professional Associations

4. Conduct A Specific Search Engine Search

5. Use The Find A Financial Planner Matching Service

Let?s look at each of these options in more detail.

1. Ask Your Professional Service Providers

Your current service provider may be able to help you chose a financial adviser, this may be an accountant, a finance broker or a general insurance consultant. Inform them of the type of advice you require so that you can be referred to a specialist financial adviser.

One pitfall with this approach is that many finance companies also own financial products and may refer you to one of their internal planners who may only recommend their internal products. Also be cautious if the referrer will receive a referral fee for connecting you with a financial planner. If this is the case, then the referral may be in their best interest and not yours.

2. Ask A Friend

Do you have friends or family members in a similar situation who have received financial advice? Ask them how they found the experience and if they were happy with the advice they received.

Remember, not all financial advisers specialise in all types of advice, so if you are trying to find a financial planner who provides insurance advice it may not be wise to ask a retiree for a referral to their retirement adviser, and vice versa.

3. Contact Professional Organisations

There are several professional associations who can assist you to find a financial planner from their member database.

* Association of Independent Financial Advisers

* Australian Financial Advisers Association (AFA)

* Financial Planning Client Advocate (FPCA)

* Financial Planning Association (FPA)

Professional organisations like these can only refer you to a financial adviser on their member base.

4. Specific Google Search

Using the type of advice you require as a search term, such as ?Insurance Advice Sydney? may help you uncover a planner. The biggest problem with this method is that there is no third party referral, as with all the other methods mentioned in this article.

5. Use Our Online Matching Service

The Financial Planning Client Advocate offers free matching service called ?Find A Financial Planner? on their website www.findafinancialplanner.com.au. The service matches you with a financial planner based on your location and the sort of advice you need, which means you will be matched with a specialist financial planner for your advice needs.

To your benefit, all financial planers using the matching service need to pass an accreditation by the Financial Planning Client Advocate (FPCA) before they can be listed, this gives you the added security needed whilst selecting a credible financial adviser.

Step 3 ? Qualify Your Financial Planner

When searching for a financial adviser on FindAFinancialPlanner.com.au you know your adviser is FPCA approved, they have had background checks and an accreditation process to guarantee that they meet our high standards.

If you choose to go it alone, the following are some tips to help you qualify the financial planner you choose.

1. Are They Licensed? ? All financial planners must either hold a license or be employed by a business that holds an Australian Financial Services (AFS) license to practice in Australia.

2. Request A Financial Services Guide (FSG) ? A Financial Service Guide (FSG) outlines the services offered, fees involved and what to do in the unfortunate event of a complaints. Obtaining a copy of the FSG which will help you assess a financial planner.

3. What Are The Fees & How Are They Charged? ? Ensure that you are fully aware of all fees and how you will be charged before you precede wit any advice.

4. Who?s Backing The Advice ? Who?s behind the advice if something goes wrong? Do they hold insurance? Are there any ownership conflicts of interest? A financial planning firm can be owned by or licensed by a financial institutions, fund managers or life insurance company. This can lead to conflicts of interest if the adviser is limited to recommending only that companies products.

If you?re ready to choose a financial planner then visit the Financial Planning Client Advocate?s (FPCA) free matching service to find a financial planner who right for you.

Source: http://art.redbright.co.za/how-to-choose-the-right-financial-planner/

marie osmond st louis cardinals beavis and butthead cardinals jennifer nicole lee jennifer nicole lee chris harris

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

John Malik: So This Isn't a Cookbook?

Recently I hosted a dinner and book signing at a friend's restaurant in Charlotte. Me and Tom Condron, the Chef/Owner go way back. So after everyone had a glass of wine and a few hors d'oeuvre in them they sat down. We were all in a great mood, it was a Saturday night and the anticipation of a great evening was in front of us. Of the 40 guests in the room, only four had finished my novel, five were in the process and some of them were probably there for a little something different on a Saturday night. I gave a quick introduction, talked about what sent me down a writer's path then told a couple of quick stories about me and Tom and soon everyone was laughing and raising their glasses. I waited for everyone to settle down then I read the first page of my novel:

If I had to name the most infuriating part of being this old, I would have to say that first and foremost, it's the crumbs. I cannot seem to control the food crumbs. They pile up on the edges of my mouth, the tip of my chin, and are scattered from the top of my shirt to the edges of my lap, often giving me the appearance of a wheelchair-bound Santa Claus at the bottom of a snow globe before he gets shaken up. I would wipe them away, but in order to do that one needs to be able to control their own hands, and on some days my hands shake so bad I can't even hold a napkin. Today the service staff at this over-priced retirement community has more pressing business than to bother with the crumbs on an old man's shirt. I'm rolling down the hallway after a messy breakfast so I can continue shaking behind closed doors, when the prettiest woman I have seen in years comes into focus. She is maybe five feet, eight inches tall with shoulder length brown hair, high cheeks and green eyes behind thin eyeglasses. She smiles at me. It is an absolutely gorgeous smile, and I'm covered in flecks of grits and toast, sausage grease and a smear of grape jelly, a rolling menu that my fellow residents can practically place their own orders from. If she stops to talk to me, there will be no limit to my humiliation. I'm a retired fire fighter. In my day, I stood six feet, four inches tall and my chest and biceps crowded the fullest shirts. Even the most sophisticated women -- such as this young lady in front of me -- would routinely be reduced to smiles, incomplete sentences and nervous giggles when I showed up at their minor kitchen fires, usually created by their fumbling children or inept husband's attempt at a Mother's Day breakfast. My guys at the station house called my ability to render women incapable of uttering a coherent sentence the "Bannon Effect." The reports filed after minor fires often read something like: The homeowner attempted to provide a statement at the scene. However, the trauma associated with the incident coupled with the Bannon Effect provided by the Station Captain prevented the homeowner from offering a reasonable statement regarding said incident. And now, old age has reduced me to a 225-pound crumb-covered and palsied burden that even I cannot be bothered to care for. Please God, let this woman walk past me.

After a few seconds of silence a gentleman spoke up, "So this isn't a cookbook?"

Good writing should make a personal connection with you, grab you and hold on, speak to your fears or dreams. And that night in my audience maybe half of these people were over 60 years old and I'm certain they were thinking "Good God, in a few years that could be me in that wheelchair." Perhaps some of these people, like myself, have a parent in a nursing home and wonder how they're treated when no one is looking.

The inevitably of old age is a given and with it comes a diminishment of our ability to take care of ourselves. It's possible that as we age, we may need help doing even the simplest of things such as eating. If we do end up in a retirement home, no matter how pricey that home is, will we have someone to wipe the crumbs off of our chins, not because they're paid to or because someone is looking, but because it's the right thing to do?

?

Follow John Malik on Twitter: www.twitter.com/chefjohnmalik

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-malik/so-this-isnt-a-cookbook_b_1287785.html

groupon ipo breeders cup 2011 gwar gwar san diego weather tropic thunder justin bieber baby

Adam Levine: 'I was very skeptical' of 'The Voice'

By Anna Chan

"The Voice" is big hit with fans of singing competitions and for those looking for something a little different than ratings juggernaut "American Idol," but coach Adam Levine wasn't always so sure it would be the success it is today.

When the Maroon 5 frontman sat down with TODAY's Savannah Guthrie on Monday morning to talk about the show's second season, he admitted that he had doubts when he was first approached to do the competition.

"I was very skeptical, naturally," Levine said. "I had my life and my career and didn't necessarily think this was going to work. But it seemed interesting and I loved the idea. And then it worked! And wow!"

Not only did he feel iffy about "The Voice," he also had doubts about his abilities to mentor. "I wasn't aware that I would be able to be a good coach," he admitted on TODAY. "But I kind of eased my way into it. I don't know what makes a good coach!"

Coaching abilities aside, Levine does add to the winning formula of "The Voice." Just as many fans on our Facebook page have noted and the musician reiterated on TODAY, "The great thing about the show ... you get to listen. You're not affected by how somebody looks." At least not at first. As the musician pointed out, looks do eventually matter. "But for that initial spark and that thing you want to find, it's great! It isolates it."

And for those who tune in for the talent and not the looks (at least at first), there's good news: Levine confirmed to TODAY that he and his fellow coaches -- Christina Aguilera, CeeLo Green and Blake Shelton -- will be back for a third season of chair-turning vocal goodness.

"The Voice" airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. on NBC.

Are you surprised by the show's success? What makes "The Voice" a winner for you? Tell us on our Facebook page!

?

Related content:

Source: http://theclicker.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/20/10458489-levine-i-was-very-skeptical-of-the-voice

larry the cable guy miracle on 34th street santa tracker

Monday, February 20, 2012

Russia's islands of media freedom are under attack

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev says management changes at a radio station were ordered by the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin. Mr. Gorbachev worries other news outlets could be next.

One of Russia's few independent radio stations, Ekho Moskvi, was forced to change its board of directors after Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused its controversial news editor, Alexei Venediktov, of "slinging mud at me from dawn to dusk."?

Skip to next paragraph

A new and very highly-rated talk show on the Russian MTV youth channel was abruptly pulled off the air after its celebrity host, socialite Ksenia Sobchak, invited anti-corruption blogger and opposition activist Alexei Navalny?to participate on the program this Friday.?

The last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev warned in an interview?that the Kremlin ordered the management changes at Ekho Moskvi and worries that the opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta,?of which he is part owner, could be next.?

Are these events ? all of which have occurred in the past day ? just routine media upsets??Or do they herald a coming crackdown on the few little islands of relative free speech that have flourished during the Putin-era amid a sea of huge media outlets dominated by the state and Kremlin-friendly oligarchs??

"The political situation is developing badly for Putin," says Dmitry Oreshkin, head of the Mercator Group, an independent Moscow-based media consultancy.? Putin is running for a third presidential term.

"Putin is not getting the political traction he needs, and he can't just walk away from power, because he might find himself in court the next day," Mr. Oreshkin says.?Putin sits at the center of a system of power that feels threatened right now, "and that's why our 'collective Putin' is turning to authoritarian methods."

On Tuesday the state-run Gazprom-Media corporation, which owns 66 percent of Ekho Moskvi, ordered a surprise boardroom shakeup which led to the sacking of editor-in-chief Mr. Venediktov and two other liberal board members.?Though removed from the management side, Venediktov remains in charge of the station's newsroom. However, he later told his radio audience that the removal of himself and his allies from the board will "make it easier to fire the editor" in the near future.?

In a statement posted on Ekho Moskvi's website, Venediktov said that the station's journalists, who own 34 percent of the station's shares, are "bewildered" by the sudden changes, and added that the sackings were probably political payback.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/08BYfDFoWbM/Russia-s-islands-of-media-freedom-are-under-attack

jonbenet ramsey tim howard goal ben gibbard aubrey o day nfl playoff schedule tim howard scores nick cannon kidney failure

Saturday, February 18, 2012

ESPN News ? Gary Carter dies of brain cancer | The Dixie ...

The Kid, the 11-time all-star catcher who never failed to bring total enthusiasm and joy to a baseball field in his entire life. Carter was the first truly great player for the Montreal Expos ? the team that spawned the Washington Nationals ? and he was the heart and soul of the 1986 Mets team that won one of the most memorable World Series in baseball history.

Carter died Thursday at age 57, nine months after being diagnosed with brain cancer. When the news broke last spring that Carter had tumors on his brain and that the prognosis was about as bad as it could get, there was an overwhelming sadness among baseball people. But there was also a sense that if anybody could beat an unbeatable disease, it would be The Kid, because that?s who he was his entire life.

RIP Gary Carter.

20120217-083556.jpg

Source: http://dixiehollywoodhotel.com/espn-news-gary-carter-dies-of-brain-cancer/

a very gaga thanksgiving black friday walmart 2011 sams club dancing with the stars winner too short thanksgiving thanksgiving

Friday, February 17, 2012

Motherhood "Detrimental" to Women in Math-Intensive Sciences ...

While women make up 33 percent of the faculty at doctoral institutions today, they are significantly underrepresented in math-intensive fields such as chemistry, physics, mathematics, engineering and computer science. In 2007, women full professors in these fields numbered only 4.4 to 12.3 percent of faculty at the top 100 US universities; they comprised only 16 to 27 percent of assistant professors. In a new study in American Scientists, Cornell human development professors Wendy M. Williams and Stephen J. Ceci argue that motherhood is the reason.

Why Are Women So Underrepresented in the Math-Intensive Sciences?

Usually three other factors ? ability differences, occupational and lifestyle preferences and sex discrimination ? are cited as the reason for women being underrepresented in math-intensive fields. Williams and Ceci review these while arguing that they are unlikely causes.

Surveys have indicated that women tend to be more interested in careers involving living things such as medicine, biology, animal science and psychology, rather than fields such as computer science, mathematics, physics and engineering. Nonetheless, in 2005, women and men were almost equally represented among college math majors; women indeed tend to get better grades in math courses. While sex discrimination in publishing, securing grants and being hired for academic jobs was a factor historically, a 2004 ? 2005 survey by the National Research Council committee found that ?women applicants were actually more likely to be interviewed and offered tenure-track jobs than were their male competitors, and that there were no differences in tenure and promotion rates for women and men.?

Motherhood Can Be ?Detrimental? to Women?s Careers in the Sciences

A desire to have children and for family life is ?the single most important factor in explaining women?s underrepresentation? in the math-intensive sciences, say Williams and Ceci. Noting that ?women?s optimal fertility is between ages 18 and 31,? the authors write that, for a women seeking an academic career in these areas, the ?most significant physical and emotional challenges of their lives? occurs at the same time as she encounters the ?most significant professional challenges? in a tenure-track job.

Source: http://www.care2.com/causes/motherhood-detrimental-to-women-in-math-intensive-sciences.html

new kindle trill amazon tablet amazon tablet carl sagan gloria estefan ahava

Fed minutes: Members divided over more bond buys (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The Federal Reserve isn't about to launch another bond-buying program to boost the economy ? at least not anytime soon.

While some Fed officials are open to such a move, according to minutes of the Fed's Jan. 24-25 policy-setting meeting, others believe the economy ? which has come to life lately ? would need to weaken before taking such action.

The debate took place at a meeting in which the Fed decided to hold its benchmark interest rate at record lows until at least late 2014. One Fed official argued that the central bank might need to consider abandoning that plan to keep inflation low.

"The minutes did not show an urgency to pursue further measures, with the general tone seeming to be one of `wait-and-see'," said Joshua Shapiro, chief U.S. economist at MFR, Inc. "So, if the economy loses steam, markets will begin to expect further action."

That seems even less likely now after recent data show the economy has picked up since that meeting.

Employers added 243,000 net jobs in January, the most since spring. That helped lower the unemployment rate for the fifth straight month, to 8.3 percent. Car sales are up, as is consumer borrowing. And U.S. factories reported having their best month of growth in five years.

"Given that the incoming economic data since that meeting has only been more positive ... there is now little chance of the Fed launching another round of large-scale asset purchases at the meetings in either March or April," said Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics.

The minutes, which were released Wednesday, show Fed officials expected only modest economic growth in the coming months with only gradual declines in the unemployment rate.

Members cited several factors that could weaken the recovery and warrant more action from the Fed. Among them: a slowdown in economic activity abroad; U.S. budget cuts; further weakness in the already-depressed housing market; less borrowing by consumers; and increased volatility in financial markets because of Europe's debt crisis.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke told a Senate panel last week that the declining unemployment rate doesn't capture the plight of millions who have stopped looking for work.

His cautious view suggests the Federal Reserve plans to stick with the three-year time line, even if the unemployment rate continues to gradually decline.

At the January meeting, the central bank for the first time released forecasts for where individual Fed officials expected the key interest rate to be in the future. Those forecasts showed that some members foresee super low rates beyond 2014, while six members saw the increases starting in either 2013 or 2014.

The rate forecasts were an effort to provide more explicit clues about the Fed's plans to give financial markets greater assurances that rates will stay low for some time to come.

The forecasts support a broader Fed effort to make its communications with the public more open.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120215/ap_on_bi_ge/us_fed_minutes

bubba smith oakland strike new gmail new gmail oakland general strike oakland general strike houshmandzadeh

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Video: Inside NYC's Technology Wave

Insight on New York's growing tech startup scene, with Rachel Sterne, New York City Chief Digital Officer, and Lawrence Lenihan, FirstMark Capital.

Related Links:

Business & financial news headlines from msnbc.com

Top of page

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/46419857/

san diego chargers j.r. martinez snl lance ball lance ball kansas city chiefs chiefs

Skin Care Reviews, How Can They Help You | New Health and ...

New Health And Fitness.Org - Health Information You Can Use

Skin care reviews are mostly located on the internet right now. Believe it or not, these reviews that you take for granted can really save your life as well as your skin. The individuals who do these opinions have tried these products first hand so they have the knowledge in terms of the usefulness of the product and whether or not the ads that the company is making is plausible or not. These things should be read cautiously by all customers because you will find all sorts of information that they are able to get from this and they will instantly know if the products are worth their cash. To help you comprehend these things further, certain insights will be discussed so as to provide you with the overall picture as to why these reviews are very significant.

It Provides You Absolutely nothing But Facts

Skincare reviews will not only provide you with the positive side however it also points out the flaws of the stated product. Obviously, whenever you try to look at promotional campaigns, you will not see the negative side of things but you would only hear about the good things that these products need to provide. The good thing about certain opinions is the fact that they create the balance that others are afraid to tackle on. Like in the case of Obagi skin-care products, they don?t only talk about the positive effects of the product but it also states particular facts that people usually experience when they use these goods. These are the things that you have to look for in a review simply because you?ll be made aware of all sorts of info concerning the product so you will have an concept if it is worth trying or if you ought to just stay away from it.

You?ll be Able To Save Quite a bit Of Money

Advertising campaigns can lure customers to purchase the products even if they?ve not tried using it. The persuading powers of these ad campaigns is really some thing else and if you are the type of person who believes everything that he/she sees in print and on Television, then, probabilities are which you will purchase every single skin care product that you?ll see within the market. With the help of skin care evaluations, buyers like you are able to steer clear of having to invest a lot of money on these goods and just buy the ones that are rated five stars by other consumers and the ones which are getting rave critiques in cyberspace. Because of this, you will be able to save an enormous amount on skincare goods simply because you can just purchase the things that has its worth and value.

In fact, skin care reviews are essential information that you ought to not take without any consideration. It?ll assist you to save some money and at the same time it could preserve your youthful skin from being damaged. Having the right information can work for your advantage and with the help of these skin care reviews you will definitely be on the right track.

Written by Emma Obama. Looking to find the best deal on Obaging, then visit www.obaging.com to find the best advice on cheap elastiderm for you.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Source: http://newhealthandfitness.org/2012/02/15/skin-care-reviews-how-can-they-help-you/

dallas weather the killing fields the killing fields texas killing fields burzynski pete seeger gazelle

Friday, February 10, 2012

The Splendid Experience of Watching a Basketball Match in High ...

How does it feel to sit in your home relaxed with a can of beer and some snacks? What kind of feeling and enjoyment would you get watching an exciting and engaging match in high definition? The answers to these questions are simple. The feeling you get sitting relaxed in your house with some snacks and drinks in front of your high definition TV is indefinable. It is indefinable because you need to experience it by yourself rather than hear it from someone else.

Yesterday, I watched the nail biting finish between the Washington Wizards and the Boston Celtics on my HD TV. The match was awesome and the Boston Celtics took the game right from the Washington Wizards in the final period. If you are a Celtics fan, it would have been one of the best games of your team. The team's experienced and famous players did their job perfectly and proved to their critics and fans why they are considered the best.

It was undoubtedly one of the best games of the Celtics, making sure that they climb up the rankings.

For the Washington Wizards, it was indeed a discontenting performance. In the first half they were able to stand-up against the Celtics, making sure that the game would be a close one. But destiny had planned something else. You can say that destiny favored the Celtics in the form of Paul Pierce, the star player of the Celtics. Pierce scored 34 points and took just 15 shots in doing so. It also made him the topmost player in the team's ranking, defeating his counterpart Bass. His last half an hour showdown with the opposing team gave the game a nail biting finish.

Not to forget if you are a Wizard fan, it was a tough luck as they had a great chance of winning the game, but unfortunately fortune favored the Celtics. John Wall, the star player of the Wizards, gave a tough competition to the Pierce and run for his money. He scored 27 points which was one of his best knock-out points and this season's best. You may feel sad for him, but Wall has no qualms in seeing his efforts go waste. He said that the Celtics played much better than his team, especially Pierce. Being one of the best players of the NBA league and the star player of the team, Wall felt that they could have contained him. The Wizards should have been more aggressive towards Pierce and tried to get the ball from his hands.

He felt that they weren't able to tackle Pierce and move the ball away from him. Wall even praised Pierce and said that when a best player wants a ball, he will get it at any cost and no one can stop him. The same can be said about Pierce. Once he was going, none of the opposition players could stop him and contain him. Besides that even the other team members of Wizard couldn't chip in that much of their contribution in scoring points. That could be one reason why the Wizards started to lag when the scored reached 84-83, where the Washington were 84 and the Celtics were 83 respectively.

Ultimately, you could say that the superb and par by excellence performance by Pierce made sure that his team won the game and slightly pushed the team up in the ranking spot. For hardcore NBA fans, there are still more exciting and electrifying matches coming up. Make sure to watch them in high definition which is present in most of the deals offered by cable TV providers like Verizon FiOS Deals. So enjoy and have a blast of a time.

Source: http://entertainment.ezinemark.com/the-splendid-experience-of-watching-a-basketball-match-in-high-definition-7d3379cd662a.html

the duchess the duchess spice katy perry mike starr gli ufc 141 fight card

Google reportedly working on wireless home entertainment system to be sold under its own brand

Details are still fairly light at the moment, but The Wall Street Journal is reporting today that Google could be about to make big push into the hardware business. Citing people briefed on the company's plans, the WSJ says that Google is now developing a home entertainment system that would stream music wirelessly throughout the home (including to web-connected devices and "Google-made speakers"), and be able to be controlled using a smartphone or tablet -- making it sound a whole lot like a Sonos competitor. What's more, unlike current Android and Google TV devices, this system will reportedly be marketed under Google's own brand. An attempt to really turn it up to eleven, perhaps?

Google reportedly working on wireless home entertainment system to be sold under its own brand originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink AllThingsD  |  sourceThe Wall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/09/google-reportedly-working-on-wireless-home-entertainment-system/

frys ad a very gaga thanksgiving black friday walmart 2011 sams club dancing with the stars winner too short thanksgiving

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Getting back together ex Girlfriend ? A few Romantic relationship ...

Because you are here content, I realize it?s likely you?ll always be having difficulties in your head currently around losing a loved one deeply not long ago. Even though the marriage has concluded, yourrrre still wishing for to be able to do the repair and also get in touch with the ex. That you?re questioning come riconquistare una ex rapid, I hope you will manage to benefit out of my own revealing during this short article come riconquistare una ragazza.

So why the romance ends?
First of all, it?s so crucial that you see the real reasons why their bond has switched wrong as well as severed. Every single day, you?ll find husbands and wives breaking down but different sexes ordinarily give the partnership on account of unique factors.

Adult males: They love to remain popular designed for who they are plus they long for respect. They want regard and find out the opposite sex serious about all of them. Should they are not that, they?ll prone to get away from the bond. Contrary to public opinion, men do certainly not get away from since they identified a rather together with attractive female. People depart to be able to sense shown admiration for, respected, along with needed once more.

Girls: That they get away from with regard to not the same reasons when compared with men. These are rather faithful during the connection until finally they prevent sense valued by way of its dude. Adult men are likely to believe that women of all ages desire focus. It?s not a person?s eye they want however rather it does not take want that you just enjoy all the things they actually do on your behalf.

Your ex girlfriend or boyfriend are usually theoretically finished at this point. Your current instant impulse could be to call up or maybe ship many associated with texting to your ex lover and continue to regain your ex girlfriend. The activity is usually easy to understand nevertheless you donrrrt want to accomplish that. Alternatively, de-stress first. Don?t stress and panic. In reality, anxiety will end up an individual?s most unfortunate opposition.It is important that you are taking a true break out of your partnership to begin with.

Put simply, you might want to cease getting in touch with, emailing, stopping by, and also looking during spots where you believe that he or she will be determined.Hold on, isn?t the true secret on how to get your girlfriend back around expressing him / her what amount you really care asap in advance of it?s far too late? Any pathetic truth is you can expect to as a substitute find yourself triggering them that will truly feel alienated and obtain also more annoyed with you.In its place, you need to enable yourself to possess a cooling off period. Have 4 weeks and simply you are able to confer with your ex-mate.

Evaluate the circumstances
Despite the fact that spending some time without bugging them, please take a step back and check out your current partnership. Always be very objective if coming up with the partnership by way of taking off the sensations with the points. Look at the best parts along with the low times during a person?s romantic relationship.Think about the pluses in addition to notice the negative aspects.

Ever since the romantic relationship will be ruined, you can be assured there must have been a acquired associated with sufficient bad issues.Another critical factor you might want to investigate has to be your source of wanting to get back into the very same association. If you?ve chosen that your chosen relationship may be worth keeping returning and you just want to find out much more about learn to get him or her back, make sure you please read on.

Proved anticipate the way to get he or she again
As a way for the program in order to win back your ex to your workplace and produce everyone to the primary development connected with attractive force and relationship, it is important to continue all those feelings associated with self-belief along with desirability.

Step # 1: Take the time along with to look after your state of health and your looks. Begin workouts to get in shape plus take in certain nutritious nutrition. If you take care oneself good, you may create a vibe that can appear and may bring these individuals towards you. This is certainly positively critical in assisting you receive backside your ex girlfriend.

Step # 2: Regularly dating many people gently is really what you need to realize that the world will not be around. Yourself assurance increase and take your head away your worries. Furthermore, it indicates him or her you happen to be self-confident, willing to move on and not just desperate.

Action 3: When you are dating a bit of, the main one calendar month soothing timeframe will quickly possibly be above. It?s a chance to start reconnecting with your ancient romance. Prior to drawing near your ex girlfriend for a second time, you need to do an inspection in your experience. This is very important because if you?re becoming determined, then you are not really all set to begin speaking to him or her.Your current mindset really should be you can do without your ex knowning that you?re ready to move on. If you?re still keeping the feelings that you just can?t do without this kind of other individual, you?re not necessarily ready.

Just why should the following matter? As your ex boyfriend is aware everyone properly. The individual knows in the event you?re phoning out from impulsiveness. When that happens, you?ll quickly shed issues along with your ex-mate. Instead of appearing more inviting to your ex, you?ll quieten down and less appealing. So whether or not you?re really looking you can speak with your ex girlfriend or boyfriend, avoid them unless you are within the mindset associated with moving forward no lengthier are concerned about tips to get your ex girlfriend backside.

Source: http://www.cnplasmacutter.com/relationships/getting-back-together-ex-girlfriend-a-few-romantic-relationship-guidelines-you-must-break/

national grid day light savings time 2011 hocus pocus hocus pocus bj penn roasted pumpkin seeds roasted pumpkin seeds

2012 Grammy Winners Revealed ... Probably

We take a look at both the 'actual' and 'bizarro' Grammys (and try to pick some winners) in Bigger Than The Sound.
By James Montgomery


Adele
Photo: Getty Images

Last year, when the Arcade Fire shocked everybody (especially Dog the Bounty Hunter) by winning Album of the Year at the Grammys, it set in motion a chain of events that culminated in one rather troubling realization: Perhaps everything has changed.

I say troubling because, really, the Grammys have never been cool (and there is something like five decades of empirical evidence to back up that claim), and voters bestowing the night's top award on an indie act — instead of Eminem, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, each of whom were also nominated — was a hip, hip move. So it stood to reason that, if one of the stuffiest of award shows could get with the times, then perhaps everyone could. Perhaps the Arcade Fire's AOTY win fractured the space-time continuum itself, sort of like on "Lost," when Benjamin Linus turned that wheel and the island started skipping through time and there were actually two islands, one existing in current time and one that was stuck in the 1970s, and that old woman had a pendulum and Jack ended up detonating a hydrogen bomb with a rock or something ("Lost" definitely got confusing for a while there).

What I am trying to say is that it is not entirely inconceivable that, post Arcade Fire, there now exist two Grammy Awards: the one where Led Zeppelin has zero wins (but Sheryl Crow has nine) and the one where cool bands take home the biggest awards. You know, the actual Grammys versus the bizarro Grammys.

It's an insane theory, yes, and yet, it is also (sort of) backed up by this year's Grammy nominations. In actuality — given she had one of the best-selling albums of the past decade and almost single-handedly saved the industry in 2011 — Adele is not only one of the night's most-nominated artists, but she'll probably end up walking away with the most golden gramophones, too. In fantasy, Bon Iver stuns the Dog the Bounty Hunters of the world and takes home three-quarters of the "Big Four" awards. In the grand cosmic scheme of things, I suppose either is probable.

Shoot, at the very least, the theory makes the Grammys a lot more interesting ... and impossible to predict. Still, I'm going to try my best. So here are my theoretical picks for the 54th Grammy Awards, where I've weighed the actual against the bizarro in a misguided attempt to predict just who will triumph in the night's biggest categories. Hey, it's better than just saying "Adele is gonna win everything." Even though she probably will. It is just a theory, after all.

Album of the Year
» Adele, 21
» Foo Fighters, Wasting Light
» Lady Gaga, Born This Way
» Bruno Mars, Doo-Wops & Hooligans
» Rihanna, Loud

"Actual" Grammys: Dude, come on, Adele wins this one by a mile.

"Bizarro" Grammys: The most bizarro winner would probably be Rihanna, who's not exactly celebrated as an "album artist," or maybe Bruno Mars, though, thanks to "F--- You" (much-nominated at last-year's Grammys) and his string of hits this year, he seems to be a favorite among voters.

Continuum-Uniting Winner: Remember in 2009, when Taylor Swift's Fearless won AOTY and everyone got all upset? Well, it was the year's best-selling album, too, and at the time, Swift was credited with keeping a sinking industry afloat. Adele's 21 has sold nearly as many copies as Fearless ... and has done so in less than a year. So, uh, yeah, she'll win this.

Record of the Year
» Adele, "Rolling in the Deep"
» Bon Iver, "Holocene"
» Bruno Mars, "Grenade"
» Mumford & Sons, "The Cave"
» Katy Perry, "Firework"

"Actual" Grammys: It's Adele's to lose, though she may face a tough challenge from Mumford & Sons, who not only landed nominations last year, but had 2011's best-selling rock album based mainly on the strength of "The Cave." Still, a win by them here would be an upset in every sense of the word.

"Bizarro" Grammys: Got to be "Holocene," which on the surface, doesn't stand much of a chance. Still, I can't shake the feeling that Bon Iver wins something on Sunday, and so, much like Arcade Fire's Album of the Year win last year ...

Continuum-Uniting Winner: ... I'm going with the bearded dude from Wisconsin. Look, voters aren't going to give Adele everything, most likely because they don't want to deal with the backlash. There's also the Arcade Fire momentum from last year, not to mention the fact that since this award goes to not only the artist, but the producer, recording engineer and mixer, too, it tends to go to classically constructed tunes (Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody," Alison Krauss' and Robert Plant's "Please Read the Letter") as opposed to songs with massive commercial appeal. So I'm taking "Holocene" for the upset.

Song of the Year
» Adele, "Rolling in the Deep"
» Bon Iver, "Holocene"
» Bruno Mars, "Grenade"
» Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi and Fergie, "All of the Lights"
» Mumford & Sons, "The Cave"

"Actual" Grammys: Again, Adele.

"Bizarro" Grammys: "Holocene," though how amazing would it be if "All of the Lights" actually won here? Would Kanye even let anyone else talk during his acceptance speech?

Continuum-Uniting Winner: "Rolling in the Deep." It was 2011's biggest song, and one look at previous SOTY winners — massive hits like "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," "Rehab," "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" — well, you can see which way this one tends to go.

Best New Artist
» The Band Perry
» Bon Iver
» J. Cole
» Nicki Minaj
» Skrillex

"Actual" Grammys: Adele. Oh, wait, this is the only category she's not nominated in (though she did win it in 2009). OK, well, then how about the Band Perry? They're a country act, and over the past decade, when nominated, country acts tend to win BNA (Shelby Lynne in 2001, Carrie Underwood in 2007, the Zac Brown Band in 2010). Oh, and it doesn't hurt that their "If I Die Young" was a certified crossover smash, either.

"Bizarro" Grammys: It actually wouldn't be all that odd if Bon Iver wins here (since, even though I picked him to take Song of the Year, there's a pretty good shot this is the "Big Four" award he wins), so, can I interest you in some Skrillex?

Continuum-Uniting Winner: Barbz rejoice, I'm taking Nicki Minaj! Why? Well, after a massive year, she was ignored everywhere else in the "Big Four," so a BNA win would be a nice olive branch extended by Grammy voters. Also, no hip-hop artist (male or female) has won this award since Lauryn Hill in 1999, and how bizarro is that?!? So fittingly, Best New Artist is hers.

Make your predictions for the Grammy Awards in the comments section below!

Related Videos

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1678745/2012-grammy-winner-predictions.jhtml

mike stoops mike stoops end of the world end of the world jerome harrison ryan leaf ryan leaf