Xmas in the Europe

srijeda, 25.02.2009.

New Mothers Who Are Diabetic At Increased Risk of Postpartum Depression

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A new study finds that new mothers who are diabetic are at an increased risk of developing postpartum depression.

This study finding comes from researchers from the Harvard Medical School in Boston, who say that 12% of new mothers may experience the condition.

“Postpartum depression is a very serious illness that affects between 10 and 12 percent of mothers every year. It may have long-term negative impacts on the women it affects, but also on their children and families,” said lead author Katy Backes.

For their study the research team looked at Medicaid data from New Jersey focusing on 11000 pregnant women.

The data spanned the time frames of 6 months prior to the women giving birth, up to 1 year post giving birth.

The researchers found a link between pregnant women with diabetes and increased cases of postpartum depression.

This link appeared to be present across all races, as well as the different types of diabetes.

The study is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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ponedjeljak, 23.02.2009.

Forecasters: Unemployment rate to go up in the next year

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Brace yourself: The recession is projected to worsen this year.

The country stands to lose a sizable chunk of economic activity in 2009 as consumers at home and abroad retrench in the face of persistent economic troubles. And the U.S. unemployment rate — now at 7.6 percent, the highest in more than 16 years — is expected hit a peak of 9 percent this year.

That gloomy outlook came from leading forecasters in the latest survey by the National Association for Business Economics to be released today. The new estimates are roughly in line with other recent projections, including those released last week by the Federal Reserve.

“The steady drumbeat of weak economic and financial market data have made business economists decidedly more pessimistic on the economic outlook for the next several quarters,’’ said NABE president Chris Varvares, head of Macroeconomic Advisers.

All told, Varvares and his fellow forecasters now expect the economy to shrink by 1.9 percent this year, a much deeper contraction than the 0.2 percent dip projected in the fall.

If the new forecast is correct, it would mark the first time since 1991 the economy actually contracted over a full year and would be the worst showing since 1982, when the country had suffered through a severe recession.

Vanishing jobs, shrinking nest eggs, rising foreclosures and tanking home values have forced American consumers to cut back, which in turn has caused businesses to lay off workers and slash costs in other ways, feeding a vicious downward cycle for the economy.

The current recession, which started in December 2007, is posing a major challenge to Washington policymakers, including President Barack Obama and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke. That’s because its root causes — a housing collapse, credit crunch and financial turmoil — are the worst since the 1930s and don’t lend themselves to easy or quick fixes.

“As the news on the economy has darkened, so too, have the forecasts,’’ said Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics. “We are suffering a period of maximum stress on the economy.’’

The economy is expected to remain feeble this year — even with new efforts by the administration and Congress to provide relief.

Just over the past few weeks, a $787 billion recovery package of increased government spending and tax cuts was signed into law, the president unveiled a $75 billion plan to stem home foreclosures and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said as much as $2 trillion could be plowed into the financial system to jump-start lending.

In terms of lost economic activity in 2009, the biggest hit will come in the first six months, forecasters said.

NABE forecasters now expect the economy to slide backward at a staggering pace of 5 percent in the current January-March quarter. That’s a sharp downgrade from the 1.3 percent annualized drop projected in the old survey.

Many economists believe that the current quarter will be the worst of the recession in terms of the bite to gross domestic product, which is the value of all goods and services produced within the U.S. and is the broadest barometer of the country’s economic health.

The second quarter of this year also will be a lot weaker, with the forecasters now calling for the economy to contract at a 1.7 percent pace, compared with the prior projection of 0.5 percent growth.

In the second half of this year, the economy should expand, but still less than what economists thought just a few months ago. NABE forecasters believe home sales and housing construction should hit bottom by the middle of the year, which would help stabilize the economy. Home prices, however, are expected to keep falling, according to other experts.

NABE forecasters predicted that when all is said and done the recession will have caused GDP to decline 2.8 percent. That would be “slightly less than the 3.1 percent during the early ‘70s,’’ according to the survey of 47 forecasters taken between Jan. 29 and Feb. 12.

Even in the best-case scenario, with the recession ending sometime in the second half of this year, employment conditions will be tough.

Some of the forecasters said the nation’s unemployment rate could rise as high as 9 percent for all of 2009 and hit 10 percent next year. In 2008, the jobless rate averaged 5.8 percent, the highest since 2003.

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nedjelja, 22.02.2009.

8-year mystery of Chandra Levy's slaying may end (AP)

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Living Near Fast Food Ups Stroke Risk

Those Living in Areas With Many Fast Food Restaurants May Have a Higher Stroke Risk

People living in neighborhoods where fast food restaurants are plentiful appear to have a higher risk of stroke than those living where such restaurants are scarce, a new study says.

Fast food consumption has previously been linked to higher rates of heart disease and organ damage. In this latest study tying fast food restaurants to cardiovascular ills, researchers studying neighborhoods in one Texas county found that people living in regions with 33 fast food restaurants or more had 13 percent greater odds of stroke than those living in neighborhoods with the fewest fast-food joints.

The study also showed that each additional fast food restaurant in the neighborhood increased the chance of stroke by 1 percent. The results of the research were presented at the International Stroke Conference in San Diego on Thursday.

"This study suggests that those living in neighborhood...

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četvrtak, 19.02.2009.

Judging autism

Science has failed to convince many people that vaccines do not cause autism. Will last week's court ruling finally change their minds?

Health and medicine got a big headline last week: "Vaccines Didn't Cause Autism, Court Rules." The details have been extensively discussed, but here's the gist of the story: Three special federal judges working for the government's Vaccine Injury Compensation Program issued three separate decisions in what's become known as the Autism Omnibus Trial. The trial is a class-action lawsuit in which almost 5,500 families have sued the government, claiming routine childhood vaccines caused their children to develop autism. Last Thursday, each judge, known as a special master, reviewed the claim of one family, and in each case, ruled against it. Physicians praised the decisions, calling it great day for children and science. Anti-vaccination activists declared it unjust, wrong and unfair.

Among those expressing shock and disappointment...

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utorak, 17.02.2009.

Recession takes little sheen off Oscar gold

Whether it's the recession, the age of Obama or the fact a hopeful movie is favored to win best film, it's clear that change has come to Hollywood as Oscar week kicks off on Monday.

Movie fans and critics have escaped the gloomy economy by seeking out Academy Award front-runner "Slumdog Millionaire," a rags-to-riches romance about a poor, young Indian man on an odds-defying quest on a television game show.

"Slumdog" follows two straight years of dark crime dramas -- "No Country for Old Men" and "The Departed" -- winning the world's top film honor, the Oscar, for best motion picture.

Party planners and caterers say plans for Oscar festivities have slowed ahead of Sunday's Oscar show. Celebrity gift-getting suites are open for business but organizers say giving back seems to be more of a priority among the stars.

"Obama asked us for a day of service and we're asking for a night to make a difference," celebrity talk show hostess Leeza Gibbons said.

Gibbons and singer Oliv...

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ponedjeljak, 16.02.2009.

Barbie all dolled up in New York

Heidi Klum was among the spectators at Barbie's birthday runway show.

New York Fashion Week has celebrated Barbie's 50th birthday with a catwalk debut for the famous doll.

Organised under tents in Bryant Park, and attended by model Heidi Klum, the weekend event drew throngs of fans of the fantastic plastic model, many of them young girls brandishing their pink invitations in a bid to cut through the crowd.

Shrouded in pink extravaganza, the podium gave way to real-life models showing off specially-designed outfits by top designers and coifed "a la Barbie" with a high pony tail or hair draping their shoulders. Designers included Michael Kors, Calvin Klein and Badgley Mischka.

Models showed off twinkling outfits, tiaras and the black and white bathing suit the first Barbie wore in 1959. A young woman wearing a T-shirt that read "everyone needs a Ken" strutted her stuff while holding the hand a man bearing a striking resemblance to Barbie's plastic fiance.

The world's most-sold toy has often inspired designers, and Assouline Publishing distrib...

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nedjelja, 15.02.2009.

Days of Wine and Roses Are Over This Valentine’s

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Long-stemmed roses are being replaced by homemade cards. Theater tickets are being replaced by Netflix. Personal jewelry is being replaced by personal poems.

And even some preparing to propose on Saturday are seeking a bargain approach: on Yahoo, searches for “cheap engagement rings” are “off the charts” compared with a year ago, according to Vera Chan, a trend analyst for the company. Other searches that are up over last year include “cheap lingerie,” “free Valentine’s Day cards” and “homemade Valentine’s Day gifts.”

Valentine’s Day, a more discretionary holiday compared with birthdays and Christmas, is proving particularly vulnerable to the bursting of the economic bubble. Diamond jewelry sales are down 20 percent to 30 percent. Flower sales are likely to tighten as well, in part because the day falls on a Saturday.

In the current economic climate, many men say it comes as a great relief not to have to produce a material manifestation of an intangible emotion.

“It has become such an ingrained part of our culture that women expect it and men expect they need to do such things,” said Marc Matsumoto, 31, a New York marketing manager who was laid off in December.

For Mr. Matsumoto, Valentine’s Days past meant splurging on $700 to $1,000 dinners, $400 and $500 dresses from Theory and Eli Tahari, and jewelry from Tiffany’s. This year, he and his wife are planning a meal at home. The menu includes foie gras with persimmon port and lobster sous vide with yuzu butter, but they will split the $125 cost.

Angeline Close, a business professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, who has studied consumer attitudes toward Valentine’s Day, says the reassessment of the day is forcing it back to its roots. It started out as an intimate card-giving occasion in the mid-1800s but then grew into the second-most-marketed holiday after Christmas.

“It became a card and chocolate,” Professor Close said. “Then card, chocolate and roses, and then card, chocolate, roses and a lavish night out.”

Last year, consumers spent an average of $122.98 on Valentine’s Day gifts and merchandise, up from $80 in 2003, according to the National Retail Federation. With men, Professor Close said, “a lot of it had to do with the whole one-upmanship.” This year, however, the average expense is expected to drop 17 percent, to $102.50 this year, the federation said.

Tim Rhodes, 23, of Snellville, Ga., said he never wanted his wife to feel left out when other men doted on their partners; it seemed like “you don’t love your significant other as much as they love theirs.” This year, Mr. Rhodes and his wife, Beth, are planning to exchange practical gifts, like boots or a coat, and save their money for their move to Russia to teach English.

Creative, personal and experiential have become the key words. Chadd Bennett, 30, of Seattle, and his wife are forgoing their traditional getaways and jewelry this year, and will instead camp out in their living room and build a fort, harking back to their childhood.

“We can still keep that ritual together,” Mr. Bennett said. “It will save us a few hundred bucks, and be a heck of a lot more fun.”

Some men say they are reflecting a perceived shift in women’s thinking that they not spend a “stupid gluttonous amount of money,” said Brad Wilson, 28, of Chicago, the editor in chief of BradsDeals.com, which offers online shopping deals.

Indeed, Candace Lindemann, 31, an educational consultant from Miller Place, N.Y., pre-emptively drew the line, telling her husband, “No cut flowers.”

“I think they are expensive for what they are,” Ms. Lindemann said.

Even if plans include going out, many are finding creative ways to cut corners. Some are using restaurant gift certificates. Others are avoiding the pricey prix fixe dinners and going out for lunch, or dinner during the week.

Susan Jennings, 44, an artist from Manhattan, did both, using a gift certificate for Craft restaurant on Thursday. “We have zero income,” Ms. Jennings said. “We are just living on savings.”

Businesses are adapting in subtle ways. Roses are being sold in bundles of 10 instead of a dozen for a few dollars less. Jewelry companies are pushing less expensive items, like colored stones. Budget restaurants, which have not traditionally been hot spots for lovers, are offering Valentine’s Day specials.

The Internet abounds with ideas for frugal options, like playlists burned onto CDs and coupons for household chores. Sheryl P. Kurland, a relationship counselor, had another suggestion: do whatever it is that you did on your first date. The emphasis “recalls falling in love and nostalgia that’s often filled with humor,” Ms. Kurland said.

Susan Ji-Young Park, 39, of Los Angeles, has seen her income from teaching cooking classes fall sharply lately, so she prepared truffles to send to friends and family, in lieu of $100 orchid arrangements.

The holiday, Professor Close said, may be coming full circle.

“It started as a very pure romantic holiday, until capitalism and marketing spiked it,” she said. “We are retreating back a little bit to the original meaning behind the day.”

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petak, 13.02.2009.

Friday the 13th (Remake) (2009)

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A Slice of Life

There’s a refreshing lack of numbers in the title of “Friday the 13th,” the latest in a slasher-flick franchise that has spawned approximately 500 sequels, including one that sent its villain, a hockey-mask-wearing psycho named Jason, into outer space to terrorize nubile astronauts.

Neither is it a remake of the 1980 original, which is just as well, since even that dubious classic is a lousy movie. Directed by Marcus Nispel, who gave us a monstrously cynical remake of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” a few years back, “Friday the 13th” attempts to shake off a quarter-century of Jason-related silliness (“Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan”). Set in the present-day, with a story line that references the original’s mythology, this movie attempts to reboot the concept, if that’s the word, of this undying series.

The surprise is that it does so with vicious aplomb, massacring its clutch of topless young girls and their inebriated boyfriends, assembled at a lavish summer house around the way from Camp Crystal Lake, with a gleeful sense of fun.

Fun? Granted, most people’s notion of entertainment doesn’t involve watching sexed-up, beer-guzzling morons impaled, decapitated or burnt alive. But there’s an itch for this kind of material, and here it is scratched — to the bone.

“Friday the 13th” is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian) for some very, very nasty things.

FRIDAY THE 13TH

Opens on Friday nationwide.

Directed by Marcus Nispel; written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, based on a story by Mr. Shannon, Mr. Swift and Mark Wheaton and the original film by Sean Cunningham; director of photography, Daniel C. Pearl; edited by Ken Blackwell; music by Steve Jablonsky; production designer, Jeremy Conway; produced by Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller and Mr. Cunningham; released by Warner Brothers Pictures. Running time: 1 hour 30 minutes.

WITH: Jared Padalecki (Clay), Danielle Panabaker (Jenna), Aaron Yoo (Chewie), Amanda Righetti (Whitney), Travis Van Winkle (Trent) and Derek Mears (Jason Voorhees).

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četvrtak, 12.02.2009.

Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)

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Playing Rebecca Bloomwood, the blissfully clothes-crazy heroine of Confessions of a Shopaholic, Isla Fisher walks around with the mad gleam of a true believer. She's utterly rational as well (you can't talk her out of buying things — she's too busy trying to talk herself into them), and it's that flaky combination that makes her an addict for our times. When Rebecca goes into a store, preferably of designer vintage, she's in her own yum-yum version of paradise. She wants — needs — to acquire dresses, shoes, belts, handbags. That fantastic diaphanous forest-green scarf? She simply must have it! Each of these things is a magical object that will upgrade her identity, making her over into something as gorgeous and perfect as the clothes themselves.

Based on Sophie Kinsella's fluffier-than-air novels, Confessions of a Shopaholic may have been shot before the economic crisis, but as the cautionary tale of one girl's protracted shopping meltdown, it's actually quite timely. It takes only a few scenes for Rebecca to learn that she has maxed out her credit cards, and when she lands a job at Successful Saving magazine, her atonement begins. (The gig she actually wanted, at the girly fashion bible Alette, was already taken.) This is a role you would imagine might be filled, with cheesy-klutzy charm, by Kate Hudson or Sandra Bullock. But Fisher has her own brain-working-a-mile- a-minute adorable magnetism, with eyes that widen like a naughty child's and a smile so vivacious it could light up the next three rooms. Breathless and petite yet powerfully in-your-face, Fisher combines dizzy femininity and no-nonsense verve in the manner of a classic screwball heroine. She's like Carole Lombard reborn as a tiny angel-faced dynamo.

In movies from Pretty Woman to Sex and the City, the fun of couture capitalism has been a grown-up-girls-play- dress-up guilty pleasure. The disreputable, spangly-headed joy of Confessions of a Shopaholic is that, as directed with infectious verve by P.J. Hogan (My Best Friend's Wedding) — and starring costumes by Patricia Field that look froufy-chic enough to eat — the movie makes no apologies about its heroine's addictive craving for clothes. (It has no illusions about it, either.) After writing a finance article based on that telltale green scarf, Rebecca becomes a star columnist, and she falls for her editor, played by Hugh Dancy, who's like a warmer James McAvoy with Hugh Grant's rare gift for making insecurity debonair. Yes, Shopaholic is Bridget Jones meets SATC, but the film is weirdly liberated by barely having the pretense of, you know, a plot. It's just a moonstruck whirl of parties and buying sprees, with a few very funny Shopaholics Anonymous meetings thrown in, as Rebecca works to get control of her obsession. From its talking storewindow mannequins to its sneaky debauched heroine, the movie is romantic-comedy fizz, but it's fizz that bubbles like champagne.

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srijeda, 11.02.2009.

American Idol 8: Hollywood Week Continues

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Seventy-two hopefuls crowded the Kodak Theater for their solo performances in front of the American Idol judges. For this all-important audition, the very last they’ll have on Idol, the singers were allowed to sing with the band, their own back-up singers and instruments of their own choosing. The show began with the judge deliberation, showing them scattering photos around their table. The day’s events were re-told, flashback style, for our amusement.

The solo singing started with Adam Lambert, who has already completely impressed me with his amazing voice. Lambert put so much power into “Believe,” a song choice which should have been terribly strange and awkward, I was absolutely stunned. I thought this guy was a David Cook rip-off in the beginning, but now I’m not so sure he isn’t a complete original.

Matt Giraud lovingly played piano as he sang “Georgia” by Ray Charles. He put a ton of soul into the performance, winning a standing ovation from the watching crowd.

Focus was once again put on the BFF pair of Danny Gokey and Jamar Rogers, who can both sing amazingly well. Rogers appeared before the judges before his friend, offering up a very good performance and a very poor fashion choice. But despite his dressing habits, I’ve got to admit I really like Jamar Rogers. Danny Gokey followed his friend with beautiful, soft singing and lots of heart. He finished off the song with a strong finish.

Anoop Desai put plenty of soul into his performance as well, continuing to display the star power the judges said he needed at his first audition. This time, Desai owned the stage as he sang an old Bobby Brown tune. Jorge Nuńez was briefly featured after Desai, and though the former sounded a little nasal in this round I think Nuńez has proven his chops in previous auditions. Scott McIntyre sat at the piano for his number, which he delivered amazingly well. Paula Abdul was brought to her feet by the power of the performance.

Kendall Beard, a cute blonde who hasn’t been featured in previous episodes, sang Carrie Underwood passably well. Stevie Wright is still hanging around, and she offered up a lovely performance with her beautiful vocals. Lil Rounds used her opportunity to show off amazing power, flooring me and potentially the judges as well.

Kristin McNamara, the cute blonde who suffered through so much drama on group night, continues to surprise me. She looks like a sweet little girl with a sweet little voice, but she’s definitely got huge singing power. McNamara put her all into the audition, proving that she earned her right to be in Hollywood beyond the stressful group round.

Mishavonna Henson tried out in Season 7 but was dismissed during Hollywood Week. She returned to the stage to sing beautifully, hoping to change her fate this time around.

Tatiana Del Toro is still monopolizing a good deal of American Idol programming - she’s obviously a producer favorite. The diva sang Whitney Houston decently, displaying a good deal of range and power even though she made a terrible choice with her floor-length dress. Tatiana skipped off the stage celebrating, certain she’d knocked ‘em dead. Before the day was done, however, Del Toro’s confidence would falter.

Alexis Grace, Kenny Hoffpauer, Jasmine Murray and Nathaniel Marshall were singled out for their singular singing efforts on stage.

Joanna Pacitti, Casey Carlson and Stephen Fowler were also singled out in the episode - but for an entirely different reason. All of them had noticeable trouble with lyrics, something that’s always been a pet peeve of Simon Cowell’s. Fowler, who played piano during his audition, stumbled so badly through his lyrics he had to ask if he could start over. Ryan Seacrest, off stage, mentioned Brooke White from season 7. But Fowler was unable to carry on even during the do-over. Flabbergasted, he walked offstage solemnly. Together, these three (and many others, of course) awaited their fate in the same room.

Through the day, competitors were shuffled into four different rooms to await word from the judges, who did not offer comments after each performance this time around. In the middle of it all, Tatiana Del Toro was shunted out of room 2 and stood in the hall as she waited to be placed in her newest locale.

Nick Mitchell, also known as Norman Gentle, donned his flamboyant persona to perform. He sang “Georgia” with a ton of enthusiasm, putting forth a very theatrical rendition. Randy Jackson seemed to love every bit of it, and at the end of his song Norman was sent off to room 4.

Ann Marie Boskovitch, who sang beautifully, sat in the same room with Mitchell. Ju’not Joyner, whom I don’t remember seeing before now, performed very nicely as he stood at center stage. He also waited for news with Mitchell and Boskovitch in room 4. It was here, finally, that Tatiana Del Toro was placed.

Kaylen Loyd and Leneshe Young both offered good performances, though Loyd struggled with her lyrics. Both sat in wait together, hoping for good news in room 3. Meanwhile, Kai Kalama, whose voice cracked and gave out during the solo, and Michael Sarver stayed in room 2 with Nathaniel Marshall and Jasmine Murray. Joanna Pacitti, Casey Carlson and Stephen Fowler also waited for news in room 2.

Simon Cowell disappeared once the singing was done, leaving the remaining judges to deliver the news to four rooms filled with hopeful singers. They visited room 2 first and joyously announced that each had made it through the next round.

In room 3, the competitors listened to sounds of joy next door. India Morrison and Michael Castro were among the waiting singers, and both were sadly rejected with the rest of the room. The group remained quiet as the judges moved on about their business - no celebrating for room 3.

Room 1 was the first to be filled, and they sat the longest to hear what would become of them. It was here that BFF Danny and Jamar waited, along with Kristin McNamara, Adam Lambert, Anoop Desai and Jackie Tohn. With so many great singers in the bunch, it’s no surprise that room 1 was summarily voted on to the next phase of American Idol mania.

In room 4, the air began to grow even heavier with tension. Each one heard two rooms filling with sounds of celebration, knowing that slots for Idol were growing slimmer and slimmer as the day wore on. Tatiana, Matt Brietzke, Ju’not, Ann Marie Boskovitch and Nick Mitchell were among the waiters. But despite a very drawn-out scene with the judges (where Del Toro almost completely lost her cool, if she has any), room 4 was also put through the next round.

They don’t have a lot of time to celebrate the achievement. Tomorrow night’s episode will feature two lengthy hours chock-full of contestants trudging back and forth to “the judges’ mansion” to find out whether or not they’ll make it to the Top 36. By the end of it all, we’ll know which singers have the chops to move forward…and which ones just need to move on.

- 09:51 - Komentari (0) - Isprintaj - #

utorak, 10.02.2009.

Grammys Show Plant, Krauss a Whole Lotta Love

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A Stairway to Grammys: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss win 5 awards, album of the year

The 51st annual Grammys was an all-ages affair ultimately dominated by a rock legend who took up with a younger bluegrass singer on a whim.

The unlikely pairing of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss that produced the hit album "Raising Sand" won five Grammys on Sunday including album of the year. The former Led Zeppelin frontman, previously best known for his high-decibel shrieking and rock star theatrics, found more docile Nashville melodies with Krauss.

While accepting the Grammy for album of the year, the 37-year-old Krauss — perhaps wanting to remind the audience that Plant's rock star hadn't entirely matured — said there's "never a dull moment" with the 60-year-old singer.

"Raising Sand," produced by T Bone Burnett, bested fellow nominees Lil Wayne, Ne-Yo, Coldplay and Radiohead. Their "Please Read the Letter" also won record of the year.

"I'm bewildered," said Plant. "In the old days we would have called this selling out, but I think it's a good way to spend a Sunday."

In a performance-stuffed live broadcast on CBS, the subject of age — and intertwining musical realms — was always close at hand.

Taylor Swift, 19, and Miley Cyrus, 16, sang a duet of Swift's "Fifteen." The 66-year-old Paul McCartney, with 40-year-old Dave Grohl on drums, sang the Beatles classic about a girl who "was just 17."

Stevie Wonder performed with the Jonas Brothers and even a nine-months pregnant woman — the rapper M.I.A. — hobbled out on the stage to join the dapperly dressed Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lil Wayne and T.I. in a "rap summit" performance of T.I.'s "Swagger Like Us."

Before the night's end, Plant and Krauss seemed to be in a three-horse race with Lil Wayne and Coldplay — a trio of acts of wildly different sounds.

Lil Wayne — who led the field with eight nominations — won three awards, including best rap album for "Tha Carter III," for which he literally hopped on stage to receive. (His tally came to four Grammys if you count his inclusion on "Swagger Like Us," which won best rap performance by a duo or group.)

Coldplay also took home three awards, including best rock album for "Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends."
"We've never had so many Grammys in our life," said lead singer Chris Martin, perhaps so excited he got confused (they had already won four over the years). "We feel so grateful to be here. I'm going to tear up."

The Grammys this year offered a CBS telecast without a host and — unexpectedly — without several performers.

Rihanna and Chris Brown, both nominated for awards and scheduled to perform, were absent after the Los Angeles Police Department announced that Brown — who is dating Rihanna — was the subject of an investigation into a felony domestic violence battery from around 12:30 a.m. Sunday.

Brown turned himself into police late Sunday and was released after posting bail. Police booked the 19-year-old R&B singer on suspicion of making a criminal threat.

To fill in for Rihanna's scheduled performance, the Recording Academy hastily put together an ensemble of Al Green, Justin Timberlake, Boyz II Men and Keith Urban performing Green's "Let's Stay Together."

One of the night's superior performances, it reflected the comments of producer T. Bone Burnett, who explained while accepting the award for record of the year: "Good things happen out of nowhere."

"Things happen; you have to be nimble," said Recording Academy president Neil Portnow after the show, explaining he didn't know of the absences until Sunday afternoon. "We think to ourselves, we've got the greatest musical talent in the world in the same place at the same time."

The broadcast from the Staples Center in Los Angeles sometimes had the appearance of a bubble. No mention was made of economic troubles across the country or of the music industry's continuing declining sales. Though download sales are rising, album sales dropped 14 percent last year.

Even the election of Barack Obama was hardly referred to. Following the inauguration and the Super Bowl, it was just about the only major broadcast of late not to feature Bruce Springsteen, whose "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" won for best rock song.

Besides the expected will.i.am mention of Obama ("congratulations," will.i.am said), Portnow was one of few to mention Obama. He noted musicians had supplied "the soundtrack to history" and that the new president is, after all, a two-time Grammy winner for his readings of his books.

Such awards, though, never make it into the televised broadcast, which this year included awards for only a dozen of the 110 categories.

Among the unseen awards was a posthumous award for George Carlin in the comedy album category for "It's Bad for Ya," a recording of his final HBO comedy special. Al Gore — adding to his extensive awards tally — won for the audio book of his "An Inconvenient Truth."

Instead of focusing on the awards, though, the Recording Academy has increasingly turned the Grammys into an all-star revue, packing the three-and-a-half-hour long show with performance after performance, duet after duet.

Among them: U2 kicking things off with their new single "Get on Your Boots"; Lil Wayne and Allen Toussaint paying tribute to New Orleans; Neil Diamond singing "Sweet Caroline"; Radiohead performing with the University of Southern California marching band; Jay-Z joining Coldplay; a tribute to the Four Tops; and Jennifer Hudson singing a rousing, touching version of "You Pulled Me Through" that left her teary-eyed.

Following the Super Bowl, it was Hudson's second major performance since her mother, brother and nephew were killed in October. Hudson's self-titled disc also won best R&B album.

"I first would like to thank God, who has brought me through," she said accepting the award. "I would like to thank my family in heaven and those who are with me today."

The Grammys also sought to tap into online traffic with official updates on Twitter and Facebook throughout the broadcast.

There were some oddities in the show, too:

Gwyneth Paltrow introduced not the giant British rock group that her husband, Chris Martin, plays in (Coldplay), but the giant British rock band they have often been compared to (Radiohead). Introducing the Al Green performance, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson curiously declared, "I live for the Grammys." Katy Perry, again singing her hit "I Kissed a Girl," performed a choreographed routine while simultaneously appearing to disdain choreographed routines.

Other notable winners included: Rick Rubin for producer of the year; Adele for best female pop vocal performance ("Chasing Pavements"); Duffy for best pop vocal album ("Rockferry"); Radiohead for best alternative music album ("In Rainbows"); Metallica for best metal performance ("My Apocalypse"); Al Green for best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals, and best traditional R&B vocal performance; Daft Punk for best dance recording, and best electronic dance album; George Strait for best country album ("Troubadour"); and B.B. King for best traditional blues album ("One Kind Favor").

A complete list of winners is available at http://www.grammy.com.

Following last year's surprise best album winner — Herbie Hancock's Joni Mitchell tribute "River: The Joni Letters" — the Grammys have now picked a folk album for best album a year after choosing a jazz record.

Krauss is the most decorated female artist in Grammy history with 26 awards. Burnett has known Grammy glory before, too, most notably as producer of the best-album winning soundtrack to "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"

Led Zeppelin, which was given a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2005, was never otherwise honored by the Recording Academy.

- 11:20 - Komentari (0) - Isprintaj - #

nedjelja, 08.02.2009.

Netflix gets closer with ‘Watch Now’

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Any movie, any time. Is that too much to ask?

It’s technically possible. It’s what the people want. It will make the movie companies rich. And yet not a single legal source of movies — hotel, plane, pay-per-view, video store, Apple TV, Vudu box, Internet downloads, nothing — offers instant delivery of any movie you want.

Netflix comes close. It’s got the “any movie” part covered, since it stocks virtually every movie ever released on DVD — about 100,000 titles.

As for “any time,” well, Netflix is best known as a DVD-by-mail company. You can freely rent and return DVD movies all month long for a fixed monthly fee ($9 to check out one movie, $14 for two at a time); they come and go in bright red, postage-already-paid mailing envelopes. There are no late fees or penalties. But “any time” boils down to “in a day or two,” because you have to wait for the movie to come in the mail.

But Netflix has been clawing its way out of its dependence on the postal system with a feature called Watch Now — and it’s especially worth watching now.

Phase 1. Twelve months ago, Netflix revealed the original Watch Now. It let you, a regular Netflix subscriber, watch any of 1,000 streaming movies on your Windows PC, on demand, without having to download them first.

In the following months, the catalog grew to 12,000 movies; more are constantly added. Mac software came next. The monthly hours-of-watching limit was eliminated; now any Netflix member with a plan of $9 or more can watch unlimited streaming movies, for no extra charge.

No extra charge is a crazy, game-changing concept. It transforms movie consumption from Ŕ la carte into all-you-can-eat. You can watch favorite scenes of individual movies, or try a movie for 15 minutes and then change your mind. In short, you can movie surf, without ever worrying about running up your bill.

Still, a desk chair in front of PC is not what most people would call the ultimate home theater setup.

Phase 2. Eight months ago, Netflix and Roku introduced a tiny TV-connected box ($100) that does only one thing, but very well: It lets you watch Netflix streaming movies on your TV instead of your PC.

Since a remote control and a TV screen make a clumsy system for browsing and searching the catalog, you still pick the movies you want using your Mac or PC, at Netflix.com. Whatever assortment of titles you choose online appears instantly on your TV’s list of available movies.

The Roku box is great. But let’s face it: It’s another remote to learn, another gadget to connect and more wires around the TV.

Phase 3. About six months ago, things began to get really interesting.

The Roku box was basically just a plastic box o’ software — software that could be built into machines that are already connected to your TV.

One by one, the announcements came: Netflix instant movies became a TiVo feature. An Xbox 360 feature. A Blu-ray DVD player feature (LG and Samsung). Even a feature built right into the TV sets themselves (LG and Vizio, starting this spring).

There’s genius to this master plan; everybody, apparently, wins. Consumers get a better on-demand movie deal than they’ll find anywhere else: $9 a month, unlimited. Netflix attracts millions more subscribers. And the equipment manufacturers gain a marketable new feature without having to spend another nickel on hardware.

You shouldn’t be surprised, in other words, if this instant Netflix thing becomes a huge, megalithic hit, a dominant movie delivery system, a more-or-less standard feature of home theater setups.

To find out what that future will look like, I’ve made the enormous sacrifice in the name of science. I’ve spent several months watching movies, using three of the first Netflix-enhanced products: my own TiVo, an Xbox 360 and an LG Blu-ray player (the BD300). Here’s what I found.

TiVo: The Netflix feature quietly installed itself in the TiVo’s menus one night, without my awareness or involvement. On the TiVo menu, you choose Video on Demand; you’re shown a list of services like YouTube and Amazon Unbox. Choose Netflix, and bam: There’s your list of Watch Now movies, in a scrolling vertical list. Hit Play to play one. (This works on TiVo HD, HD XL and Series 3 models.)

Xbox 360: Assuming you’ve upgraded your Xbox with Microsoft’s most excellent November software update, Netflix is now part of your game console. Log in, choose the Video Marketplace page, click Netflix, and there’s your Netflix movie list, gorgeously represented as colorful DVD cases, which flip past as you browse (something like Apple’s Cover Flow feature in iTunes).

There’s one crushing downside, however: You have to pay Microsoft $50 a year for this feature, which is absurd. (That gains you a Gold membership, which also includes other perks.)

LG BD300: The BD300 is a Blu-ray DVD player ($333 bought online). It’s black and shiny and slim, with a beautiful main menu that offers five icons: Movie, Netflix Streaming, Photo, Music and Setup. You don’t need a manual to figure out where to go to see your Watch Now movie list.

On all of these machines, each movie remembers exactly where you left off watching, even if it was on a different machine. Amazing.

Now, instant fixed-fee access to 12,000 movies and TV shows is giddy and life-changing. There are, however, some disappointments.

First, you need a high-speed Internet connection to your TV setup. The faster the service, the better video quality you get; hi-def TV shows, in particular, look fantastic on a decent cable modem.

Second, remember that these movies are streaming. They’re not stored on a hard drive (unlike the Apple TV, Vudu box or Blockbuster’s rival MediaPoint box). So every time you fast-forward or rewind, there’s a 10-second pause for “rebuffering.”

Fortunately, most people don’t scan through movies often; usually, you just sit back and let them play. And when you do scan, little thumbnail images of the movie scenes flash by, one for every 10 seconds of movie, so you have some guidance as you skim.

The third problem is that, as with all Internet downloads, you miss out on a lot: surround sound, subtitles, alternative endings, director’s commentaries and other DVD supplements.

Fourth, and biggest, problem: not all of those 12,000 movies are, ahem, what you’d call Oscar material. There’s an awful lot of chaff, and no new DVD releases at all. (Thanks to the ridiculous Hollywood system of “release windows,” Internet services can’t offer new movies until after they have had their runs on pay-per-view, hotels, DVD “new release” periods and so on.)

On the other hand, that still leaves several thousand great marquee movies to choose from (including the entire Starz Play catalog of 1,200 fairly recent hits: “Ratatouille,” “Superbad,” “No Country for Old Men” and the like). Furthermore, you’re still a Netflix DVD-by-mail customer; if you’re craving a movie that just came out on DVD, you can still get it by mail.

The industry has been trying to sell us on Internet movie downloads for years. It took Netflix to figure out how to crack the technology code, bringing us tantalizingly close to the “any movie, any time” future that’s surely just around the corner.

- 18:41 - Komentari (0) - Isprintaj - #

subota, 07.02.2009.

Universal to DreamWorks: We're just not that into you

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In the midst of the honeymoon, the marriage between DreamWorks and Universal Studios is finished.

In a sort of "Dear DreamWorks …" letter, Universal released a statement Friday afternoon ending its agreement to release DreamWorks' films.

The breakup over finances leaves the studio that created hits such as Transformers, Tropic Thunder and Blades of Glory stalled as they work on new projects, not only unable to place their films in theaters but also unable to shoot them without a new home.

The agreement had been heralded as an ideal fusion of DreamWorks' creativity with Universal's powerhouse marketing and distribution. That partnership was dissolved in a four-sentence announcement from Universal spokesperson Cindy Gardner:

"Universal Pictures has ended discussions with DreamWorks for a distribution agreement. Over the past several weeks, DreamWorks has demanded material changes to previously agreed-upon terms. It is clear that DreamWorks' needs and Universal's business interests are no longer in alignment. We wish them luck in their pursuit of funding and distribution of their future endeavors."
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Hollywood | India | Disney | JPMorgan Chase | Steven Spielberg | Paramount | Universal Studios | DreamWorks | Dreamgirls | Transformers | Jaws | Sweeney Todd | Tropic Thunder | Extra-Terrestrial | Blades of Glory | Stacey Snider | Cindy Gardner | Reliance Big Entertainment | Amblin Entertainment

DreamWorks opted not to issue a public response.

The breakup comes as a shock to Hollywood and likely a personal blow to DreamWorks partners Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider. Spielberg's early hits Jaws and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial were at Universal, and he has always had his Amblin Entertainment headquarters on the studio's backlot. Snider was the former studio boss for Universal.

When they announced the pairing five months ago, Spielberg said, "We came home." He was looking for a welcome mat and a friendly reception at his old homestead.

"Every movie is fraught with unknown hazards: Is the idea commercial? Are we being too adventuresome with our concept? There are so many unknowns in conceiving a motion picture and getting it made and doing it the best you can," Spielberg said at the time. "I want my colleagues and partners to be the least of my problems. The making of a film, the conceiving of a good script is enough of a problem. I want calm waters."

DreamWorks' previous two-year-old arrangement with Paramount had been financially successful — resulting in hits Transformers, Dreamgirls and Sweeney Todd, among others — but was plagued by internal wrangling with Paramount's leadership.

DreamWorks began hunting for a new partner, financing its independence with $550 million in equity from India's Reliance BIG Entertainment and about $700 million from JPMorgan Chase. But the economic crisis made it difficult for Morgan to raise those funds as quickly as expected. Timetables were extended, and the half-billion dollars from Reliance hung in the balance, waiting for DreamWorks to get on surer footing.

One way DreamWorks sought to do that was by requesting more of a financial commitment from Universal, which led to today's breakup. Now Spielberg and Snider must find another Hollywood partner. One possibility: Disney, one of the early suitors for DreamWorks after the Paramount split.

- 20:29 - Komentari (0) - Isprintaj - #

petak, 06.02.2009.

MSN Wonderwall Gives Juicy Celebrity Gossip

MSN has partnered with BermanBraun Interactive to launch a new celebrity gossip service called Wonderwall.com

Microsoft has partnered with BermanBraun Interactive to launch a new celebrity gossip news services - Wonderwall.com. Microsoft's portal MSN has made this site attractive enough to live up to its name with a plethora of pictures on sideways scrollable wall.

Wonderwall carries juicy gossip about Hollywood celebs striking a balance between sarcy and cheering celebrity news tone. Visually, the site looks a bit flooded with loads of celebrity images literary hung on the scrollable wall.

Wonderwall is expected to pump in more content for MSN's entertainment portfolio using new visual outlook featuring photos and graphics. It would be worth noting whether the HotGossip (Celebrity Gossip) section will still continue to appear on the MSN homepage.

Microsoft claims to present the celebrity gossips, news, cultures, trends and other content on Wonderwall in a visually dynamic manner.

Celebrity sites such as TMZ, Perezhilton, Defamer, People, etc. already exists and MSN is betting on the visual presentation to attract larger masses.

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- 10:36 - Komentari (1) - Isprintaj - #

utorak, 03.02.2009.

Hormone May Predict Postpartum Depression: Study

Spiking and sinking levels of a hormone that prepares a pregnant woman for the strain of childbirth may hold the key to why some women suffer postpartum depression, researchers said on Monday.

In a study of 100 women, researchers at the University of California, Irvine, found 12 out of 16 women who had postpartum depression also had high levels of a hormone circulating in the placenta midway through pregnancy.

Corticotropin-releasing hormone, or CRH, is normally produced in tiny amounts by the hypothalamus near the brain in response to stress.

In pregnant women, the placenta pumps out 100 times more CRH than is normally produced by the hypothalamus. The hormone has been nicknamed the "placental clock" because it is thought to prepare the woman's body for childbirth, said psychologist Ilona Yim, who worked on the study.

Levels of CRH and other hormones drop after the mother gives birth, which Yim said causes hormone "withdrawal" that can create havoc with the endocrine system.

"It puts the whole system out of whack," she said in a telephone interview.

CRH triggers a cascade of reactions in the pituitary and adrenal glands that culminates in increased output of stress hormones like cortisol.

Previous research suggested an overactive stress response plays a role in heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and autoimmune disorders. Stress hormones produced by a dysfunctional endocrine system may also trigger mental disorders like depression.

"When they look at the brains of suicide victims, they have elevated levels" of these stress hormones, Yim said.

Postpartum depression strikes those who experience the biggest change in the hormone levels, Yim found. Women who had high levels of CRH 25 weeks into their pregnancy were more likely to experience postpartum depression.

"This is the first study that implicates CRH in postpartum depression. That has implications for understanding this disorder," she said, adding the results needed to be replicated on a larger scale.

Postpartum depression affects as many as 1 in 5 women four to six weeks after childbirth, and 7 percent of new mothers suffer a major depression. If not addressed, women can become so despondent they attempt suicide, and some harm or neglect their newborns.

Previous bouts of depression, a lack of social support, low self-esteem and a stressful pregnancy all increase the likelihood of postpartum depression, according to the study, which appeared in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

The report suggested that a routine blood screening, which would coincide with a commonly performed prenatal diabetes test, could determine levels of the hormone at around 25 weeks to identify women at risk.

While antidepressant drugs can sometimes relieve postpartum depression, Yim urged a preventive approach, such as having at-risk women learn relaxation techniques common in prenatal yoga classes, and bolstering the emotional ties they may need.

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- 16:59 - Komentari (0) - Isprintaj - #

ponedjeljak, 02.02.2009.

FDA Approves of Lilly, Daiichi Anti-Clot Drug

Friday, the Food and Drug Administration gave the go-ahead to Eli Lilly and Company’s and Daiichi Sankyo Co Limited’s anti-clotting drug prasugrel, yet that did not manage to put to rest investors’ concerns regarding cancer and bleeding, which they say could give rise to low demand.

The former company’s shares dropped by over 2 percent when investors voiced their worries that safety issues might come to limit the use of the drug and thus hinder the product to gain market share to the loss of major rival Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Sanofi-Aventis SA's Plavix.

In a statement made to Reuters, Natixis Bleichroeder analyst Jon LeCroy said that were the drug to be FDA approved, it would have the most restrictive label.

The FDA issued its report on the drug before a meeting concerning its approval is to be held on Tuesday, when the agency’s officials will vote on the matter and decide whether to let the companies put their product on the market.

Lilly and Daiichi have been waiting for an answer from the FDA for over a year now, while federal health officials have delayed making a decision twice within that time-frame.

Prasugrel, which the two companies are planning to market under the Effient brand name, is aimed at reducing heart attacks in patients that have undergone angioplasty.

The drug’s effectiveness has been proved via clinical trials, which according to the regulatory staff that recommended its approval, showed that prasugrel was more effective than active drugs and not just placebos, adding that the benefits weighed more than the risks entailing excessive bleeding.

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- 09:54 - Komentari (2) - Isprintaj - #

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