Archives for September 2008

In this year's first presidential debate, as an economic storm raged in Washington, John McCain cast Barack Obama as naive and inexperienced and Obama countered by suggesting his opponent stubbornly supports failed policies on the economy and Iraq.

There were no major gaffes and some clear contrasts in style in the 90-minute debate at the University of Mississippi. Though it was intended to explore foreign policy issues, this week's extraordinary financial crisis caused moderator Jim Lehrer of PBS to spend nearly half of the time on economic issues.

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LONDON (AFP) - The first excavation inside the circle since 1964 uncovered fragments of stone that could have been used as lucky charms, said Professors Tim Darvill and Geoffrey Wainwright as they presented the preliminary findings of their two-week dig last April.

The archaeologists believe the Stonehenge monument was a temple constructed round the bluestones, which they believe were brought to the site in Wiltshire, southwest England, at 2,300 BC -- 300 years later than previously thought. They said people may have believed the stones had magical, healing qualities which attracted pilgrims to the site.

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The grande dame of British fashion, Vivienne Westwood, took center stage at London Fashion Week when a celebrity-studded audience gathered for the first look at her spring and summer "Red Label" collection for 2009.

The eagerly awaited show Thursday night drew throngs of people including Pamela Anderson, Kate Moss and actress Emma Watson to west London's Brompton Hall for a collection that focused on extremely lightweight tailored summer wear designed with Arabic and African overtones.

There were a number of hooded dresses and tops with Middle Eastern accents mixed in with tea dresses in draped and knotted fabrics that evoked nostalgia for the days of the British Empire. Colors were muted and often pale, set off at times by raucous gold metallic jewelry and other brightly colored accessories.

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The Government will provide state-of-the-art training and exposure at domestic and international levels to 40 tennis players, including Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza, who will form the 'core group' of sportspersons for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
 
Under the 'Preparation of Indian Teams for Commonwealth Games, 2010' scheme, besides approving the 40 players, the Steering Committee has also identified in consultations with All India Tennis Association (AITA) six Indian and a foreign coach, the Sports Ministry said on Thursday.
 
The coaches are Dough MacCurdy from the US, national coach Vishal Uppal, Arun Kumar, Kawaljit Singh, Nar Singh, Sukhbir Singh, Shalini Thakur.
 
The Committee has also directed the AITA to submit without delay the names of supporting personnel such as sports analyst, doctor, physical trainer, masseur and masseuse as per the scheme for its approval.It Sports Ministry has asked AITA to develop a comprehensive website, providing details of the players, coaches, sports equipment and facilities available in the country, within two months, a Sport Ministry release said.

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MGM studios announced on Tuesday a distribution deal with News Corp.'s Star India and a leading cable channel to tap into India, the world's third-largest cable television market.The agreement with Star India and Den, or Digital Entertainment Network, will help MGM reach a cable television market of more than 70 million homes across India.

"We are very excited about rolling out in India in a big way. This is a key milestone," Bruce Tuchman, executive vice president, told reporters in Mumbai. "MGM has an opportunity to accelerate our channel's reach to audiences in a booming market."The top markets in terms of cable television are China, the United States and India.

MGM movies are now available in India through a direct-to-home satellite platform, and the company aims to reach a larger audience through cable television.Rupert Murdoch's Star Group Ltd. and Den distribute 22 channels in India that range from news to regional movies and documentary programs.

Vodafone will launch an "all you can eat'' digital music download service today, becoming the first in New Zealand to adopt a charging model that is now common overseas.Vodafone MusicStation will provide unlimited access, from Vodafone mobiles, to a library of more than a million tracks for a flat fee of $2.50 a week. 

Tracks downloaded through MusicStation cannot be transferred from mobiles to other devices and customers will not be able play them if they cancel their subscription. But if customers cancel and then resubscribe to MusicStation, they will be able to access past lists.

Also from today, tracks downloaded from Vodafone's separate Vmusic store will be free of digital rights management software and can be transferred freely between computers, iPods and MP3 players.

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Brechin is playing host to painters, sculptors, musicians, and actors as the town's arts festival takes place. There will be drama, folk, and classical weekends, along with exhibitions and workshops. Famous percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie will be hosting a masterclass and putting on a concert.

There will also be performances of community play Journey of a Dream, based on the history of Brechin from the 1600s to the present day. In previous years the festival has seen visitors from Alaska, Siberia, South America, Canada, Australasia and Europe.

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Hallelujah! Last night's episode -- all about families and the secrets they keep -- was an improvement over "90210's" frantically overstuffed pilot. Not that it was perfect but, hey, "Beverly Hills 90210" never was, either. The iconic Fox series was, however, shamelessly addictive -- something the CW spinoff is starting to show signs of as well.

It took them all of a whopping week, but new kids Annie (Shenae Grimes) and Dixon (Tristan Wilds) are already so entrenched at West Beverly High -- what with rehearsals for the school musical, lacrosse and a posse of filthy rich friends -- that they simply don't have time to sit down to breakfast with mom (Lori Loughlin) and their high school principal pop (Rob Estes).

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MTV Video Music Awards host Russell Brand took several digs Sunday night at young stars wearing "purity rings" to pledge their virginity until marriage  and "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks wasn't having any of it.

The British Brand  who is a celebrity in the U.K. but not well known in the U.S.  made a series of jokes centered on the Jonas Brothers and their rings. At one point, he even pretended he'd stolen a Jonas Brother's virginity as he held a ring in his hand.Sparks used her moment on stage to have her say about his constant remarks.

"It's not bad to wear a promise ring because not everybody, guy or girl, wants to be a slut," Sparks spat back, the auditorium filling with applause. Sparks, Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez are also among the young stars who have vowed to remain chaste.

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Do You Know (2008)Jessica Simpson cutting a country album falls fairly low on the surprise scale, especially given the still-mooing cash cow of modern Nashville. It's also no shock to anyone who's even casually followed her nine-year career that the girl can sing.

 But while it's nice to hear her pipes free of breathless pop production, it's a shame she ran with such bland, emotionally self-indulgent material for this crossover Do You Know. And though teaming up with frequent Carrie Underwood songwriter Hillary Lindsey for five tracks was a savvy move, we already have a Carrie Underwood, honey...and she probably turned these songs down.