The most memorable moment from Sunday night’s MTV Video Music Awards wasn’t a fight, or an interruption, or even a kiss. When we think back about the 28th annual VMAs, we’ll remember pop star Beyonce beaming onstage, rubbing her pregnant belly as if it was already an infant, while papa Jay-Z and well-behaved uncle Kanye West cheered her on from the front row of the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles.
Beyonce had roared through “Love on Top,” a standout cut from her excellent “4” album about marital fidelity and the joys of impending motherhood. She’d danced purposefully, but cautiously (one might even say parentally), looking throughout like a woman with a secret she was dying to spill. After modulating her way through five choruses, each time reaching — and hitting — higher notes, she pulled open her glittering purple blazer to reveal what she’d already half-given away on the pre-show.
The VMAs used to belong to pop’s bad boys: Eminem, Kanye, Van Halen, Aerosmith. But beginning with Rihanna’s protective “Umbrella” in 2007, a solo female performer has taken the most coveted Moon Men every year.
Top honors in 2011 went to Katy Perry’s “Firework,” a deadly earnest self-empowerment ballad that plays like the advice a well-meaning mom might give an offbeat child who’d been bullied on the schoolyard. The video matches the sentiment. Perry inspires a child with leukemia, a shy young gay man, a victim of domestic abuse, and an overweight teenager; in a clumsy but well-meaning metaphor for personal expression, sparks erupt from her chest as she sings.
Because MTV targets a younger audience than the one that tunes in for the Grammys, the Video Music Awards show reflects the state of contemporary mainstream pop better than any other single event. For the past two years, the Billboard Hot 100 has been dominated by female voices with supportive messages for young misfits. It is telling thing that the most prominent male presence at the 2011 Video Music Awards was the fictitious greaser “Joe Calderone” — the drag alter-ego of Lady Gaga, the Mother Monster herself.
2011年8月29日 星期一
Hike brings out the best in Countryside third-grader
One student, 8-year-old Conrad French, raised the bar of courage and leadership this summer with his discipline and determination.
Each year, the school takes a group of campers to Gatlinburg, Tenn., for its Camp Free Spirit. There, campers learn about the core values of Countryside, such as respect, honesty, caring, environmental awareness and sportsmanship.
The trip features whitewater rafting and storytelling and is capped off by a challenging hike to a waterfall.
"It is a good 4 miles in and 4 miles back," said Mustang athletic director Nick Nichols. "The first 2 miles are pretty flat, but the next mile is a steep incline. If that third mile is steep, the last mile is straight up. You are literally hanging onto trees to pull yourself up. It is grueling and demanding."
Nichols said it is so demanding, if it has recently rained, they do not even attempt the hike.
Conrad, a rising third-grader, was attending his fourth Countryside camp this summer. He has a rare birth defect, skeletal dysplasia, a bone condition in which bones and some connective tissues abnormally develop.
His father, Michael French, said they have seen doctors from Tokyo to Berlin. There is no known cure.
Because of the disorder, Conrad's left arm won't fully extend, and his foot sticks out to one side, but otherwise he is an active third-grader. He plays on an in-house basketball team at Countryside, skateboards, rides his bike, is a scout archery member and does not use his condition as an excuse for anything.
"Everything for Conrad is a challenge," said Michael French. "The thing with my son is that he has more determination in his pinkie finger than the average NFL player has in their whole body. He gives 1,000 percent effort in everything that he does."
Each year, the school takes a group of campers to Gatlinburg, Tenn., for its Camp Free Spirit. There, campers learn about the core values of Countryside, such as respect, honesty, caring, environmental awareness and sportsmanship.
The trip features whitewater rafting and storytelling and is capped off by a challenging hike to a waterfall.
"It is a good 4 miles in and 4 miles back," said Mustang athletic director Nick Nichols. "The first 2 miles are pretty flat, but the next mile is a steep incline. If that third mile is steep, the last mile is straight up. You are literally hanging onto trees to pull yourself up. It is grueling and demanding."
Nichols said it is so demanding, if it has recently rained, they do not even attempt the hike.
Conrad, a rising third-grader, was attending his fourth Countryside camp this summer. He has a rare birth defect, skeletal dysplasia, a bone condition in which bones and some connective tissues abnormally develop.
His father, Michael French, said they have seen doctors from Tokyo to Berlin. There is no known cure.
Because of the disorder, Conrad's left arm won't fully extend, and his foot sticks out to one side, but otherwise he is an active third-grader. He plays on an in-house basketball team at Countryside, skateboards, rides his bike, is a scout archery member and does not use his condition as an excuse for anything.
"Everything for Conrad is a challenge," said Michael French. "The thing with my son is that he has more determination in his pinkie finger than the average NFL player has in their whole body. He gives 1,000 percent effort in everything that he does."
2011年8月26日 星期五
Protecting Resources
New Jersey voters don’t stop at building parks and buying open space. They support innovative land-use planning and regulations that protect resources; they support programs that save farmland and farmers to feed future generations; and they understand that the state’s future depends on the availability of clean air and clean water.
They understand that maintaining these resources requires stringent regulation, not short-term gratification. The people of New Jersey recognize that the loss of a single species of flora or fauna is the first step to a disappearing human existence.
The key to New Jersey's success is the willingness of its people to be steadfast in protecting the local control of governmental functions, while utilizing regional and statewide planning as a framework.
Just as county governments were created to provide those services that bridge the gaps between towns, state government must provide services that bridge the economic and infrastructure gaps between counties. This state has Led light all states in the union in applying regional solutions to the broader issues of resource protection.
New Jersey's various landscapes abound with examples of the success of regional planning. In the Meadowlands, regional planning has transformed what was once a dump into a productive development, bejeweled with restored habitat and resources serving all the residents and businesses of northeastern parts of the state.
Shared property taxes --unique to New Jersey as a local control state -- have played a major role in the Meadowlands Commission’s achievement of its goals.
They understand that maintaining these resources requires stringent regulation, not short-term gratification. The people of New Jersey recognize that the loss of a single species of flora or fauna is the first step to a disappearing human existence.
The key to New Jersey's success is the willingness of its people to be steadfast in protecting the local control of governmental functions, while utilizing regional and statewide planning as a framework.
Just as county governments were created to provide those services that bridge the gaps between towns, state government must provide services that bridge the economic and infrastructure gaps between counties. This state has Led light all states in the union in applying regional solutions to the broader issues of resource protection.
New Jersey's various landscapes abound with examples of the success of regional planning. In the Meadowlands, regional planning has transformed what was once a dump into a productive development, bejeweled with restored habitat and resources serving all the residents and businesses of northeastern parts of the state.
Shared property taxes --unique to New Jersey as a local control state -- have played a major role in the Meadowlands Commission’s achievement of its goals.
2011年8月25日 星期四
Power line link to asthma, study finds
Children whose mothers had high exposure to electromagnetic fields while pregnant may have an increased risk of developing asthma, US researchers said in a study that adds to an ongoing debate.
Many prior studies have failed to show convincingly that chronic exposure to electromagnetic fields – from power lines and appliances such as microwave ovens, hair dryers and vacuum cleaners – are harmful to human health.
But many of these studies required people to estimate their exposure levels over several years, says Dr De-Kun Li, a scientist at the Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, California.
To get a more conclusive answer, Li designed a study in which 801 pregnant women wore monitors that measured their exposure to magnetic fields for 24 hours.
Measurements were taken from microwaves, hair dryers, fans, coffee grinders and fluorescent light bulbs, power lines, and transformer stations.
It did not monitor exposure to higher frequency electromagnetic fields generated by cellphones or cellphone towers.
The team used medical records to follow the women's children for 13 years. During the follow-up, 130 children, or 20.8 percent of study participants, developed asthma.
Most of these cases were diagnosed before age five.
They then compared exposure levels during pregnancy to rates of asthma and found that children whose mothers had the highest exposure levels were 3.5 times more likely to develop asthma than those who were in the bottom 10 percent.
Many prior studies have failed to show convincingly that chronic exposure to electromagnetic fields – from power lines and appliances such as microwave ovens, hair dryers and vacuum cleaners – are harmful to human health.
But many of these studies required people to estimate their exposure levels over several years, says Dr De-Kun Li, a scientist at the Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, California.
To get a more conclusive answer, Li designed a study in which 801 pregnant women wore monitors that measured their exposure to magnetic fields for 24 hours.
Measurements were taken from microwaves, hair dryers, fans, coffee grinders and fluorescent light bulbs, power lines, and transformer stations.
It did not monitor exposure to higher frequency electromagnetic fields generated by cellphones or cellphone towers.
The team used medical records to follow the women's children for 13 years. During the follow-up, 130 children, or 20.8 percent of study participants, developed asthma.
Most of these cases were diagnosed before age five.
They then compared exposure levels during pregnancy to rates of asthma and found that children whose mothers had the highest exposure levels were 3.5 times more likely to develop asthma than those who were in the bottom 10 percent.
2011年8月18日 星期四
Now for the good news
I judge a theater by its popcorn, so I went the purist route, ordering a midsized tub of buttered popcorn ($5.50). I received a small cardboard box filled 2/3 full with dry, stale popcorn. When I asked for butter on top, the cashier said they don’t serve it at the counter, but she’d go in the kitchen and find something to pour on top. Another mistake. The rancid-flavored topping leaked through the slit-bottomed box and all over the tray, chair and my pants.
My daughter picked the Raspberry Chesecake Brulee ($9), which was certainly better than the popcorn, but still mushy, oversweet and of modest size for the price.
Now for the good news.
The auditoriums more than live up to the “Luxury Cinemas” name.
The large, wide, electronically controlled leather recliners are comfy enough to sleep in, have drink cups, tray tables, armrests, waiter call buttons and little lamps so you can read the menu and dig through your purse for a tip when the waiter delivers your overpriced cheesecake.
The chairs are also paired in twos with a center armrest that can be raised if you want to snuggle. And the chairs are far enough apart from the next set of seats that you won’t be bothered by any distractions.
The Cinepolis staff is unfailingly polite and ultra-quiet, including the young waiter who brought me two rounds of napkins for cleaning up the butter mess. And the sound and video quality in the auditoriums is excellent.
We saw “Captain America” with fancy wraparound 3-D glasses and I can say it’s the first time I’ve enjoyed a 3D film all the way through.
Cinepolis isn’t cheap, but it does offer a lot if you’re there to watch a movie in style. It’s a fun grown-up date locale, too.
My daughter picked the Raspberry Chesecake Brulee ($9), which was certainly better than the popcorn, but still mushy, oversweet and of modest size for the price.
Now for the good news.
The auditoriums more than live up to the “Luxury Cinemas” name.
The large, wide, electronically controlled leather recliners are comfy enough to sleep in, have drink cups, tray tables, armrests, waiter call buttons and little lamps so you can read the menu and dig through your purse for a tip when the waiter delivers your overpriced cheesecake.
The chairs are also paired in twos with a center armrest that can be raised if you want to snuggle. And the chairs are far enough apart from the next set of seats that you won’t be bothered by any distractions.
The Cinepolis staff is unfailingly polite and ultra-quiet, including the young waiter who brought me two rounds of napkins for cleaning up the butter mess. And the sound and video quality in the auditoriums is excellent.
We saw “Captain America” with fancy wraparound 3-D glasses and I can say it’s the first time I’ve enjoyed a 3D film all the way through.
Cinepolis isn’t cheap, but it does offer a lot if you’re there to watch a movie in style. It’s a fun grown-up date locale, too.
2011年8月16日 星期二
How to Green Your College Dorm
hen you leave for college you are leaving your parents, your friends from childhood, and a familiar home.
These are only a few parts of your life that you are leaving behind, but these alone are enough to make adjusting to freshman year hard. One way to make the transition into your new space as easy as possible is to keep your green lifestyle because it one aspect of your life that is familiar and comforting.
Going to college is an exciting time and you may be tempted to immediately go out and buy new dorm accessories, but hang on a second. In 2006, college freshman spent an average of $1,285 on back-to-school items, including dorm room décor. You can cut this cost and be eco-friendly by buying secondhand items. Buying used items shows support against production of new items and will keep these items out of the landfill.
Thrift stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army carry everything from clothing to furniture and linens. If you are planning to bring a fridge, microwave, or led light to school checkout Craigslist to see if any are listed. Getting appliances on Craigslist is a great way to save money, as well as be eco-friendly. Although buying eco-friendly products are comparably better for the environment than other products, the best thing for the environment is to not consume newly produced items at all.
Many people attend a college far away from home and ship everything from their home to the university; however, shipping goods long distances consumes a lot of resources and energy. For example, the fuel that planes use is not always eco-friendly, although companies like FedEx are working on using a percentage of alternative energy.
One way to overcome this issue is to get to school with some items and then buy everything else at a store near campus.
These are only a few parts of your life that you are leaving behind, but these alone are enough to make adjusting to freshman year hard. One way to make the transition into your new space as easy as possible is to keep your green lifestyle because it one aspect of your life that is familiar and comforting.
Going to college is an exciting time and you may be tempted to immediately go out and buy new dorm accessories, but hang on a second. In 2006, college freshman spent an average of $1,285 on back-to-school items, including dorm room décor. You can cut this cost and be eco-friendly by buying secondhand items. Buying used items shows support against production of new items and will keep these items out of the landfill.
Thrift stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army carry everything from clothing to furniture and linens. If you are planning to bring a fridge, microwave, or led light to school checkout Craigslist to see if any are listed. Getting appliances on Craigslist is a great way to save money, as well as be eco-friendly. Although buying eco-friendly products are comparably better for the environment than other products, the best thing for the environment is to not consume newly produced items at all.
Many people attend a college far away from home and ship everything from their home to the university; however, shipping goods long distances consumes a lot of resources and energy. For example, the fuel that planes use is not always eco-friendly, although companies like FedEx are working on using a percentage of alternative energy.
One way to overcome this issue is to get to school with some items and then buy everything else at a store near campus.
2011年8月12日 星期五
I, personally, have moved beyond the PC as well
IBM CTO: PC dead, glad we flogged LenovoOne of Big Blue’s first patent holders reckons the decision to sell Lenovo was evidence it was at the forefront of the post-PC era.
Celebrating the 30th anniversary of IBM’s first personal computer, the IBM 5150, Mark Dean, IBM’s new Middle East and Africa chief technology officer announced he had ditched his PC for a tablet.
“I, personally, have moved beyond the PC as well. My primary computer now is a tablet. When I helped design the PC, I didn’t think I’d live long enough to witness its decline,” Dean said.
IBM’s 5150 was led light at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City on August 12, 1981.
As Microsoft’s chief of corporate communications officer, Frank X. Shaw pointed out, IBM’s PC was not the first.
There was the Apple II, launched in 1977, the Commodore PET, The Osborne 1, and the Tandy TRS-80.
PCs would remain in use, according to IBM’s Dean, but they were no longer “leading edge” devices, lumping it with other aging technologies such as the vacuum tube, typewriter and vinyl records.
Innovation was now a social phenomenon that happened between devices rather than on the PC, according to the IBM veteran who holds three of IBM’s original nine patents and led the team that created the first one-gigahertz chip.
That shift proved IBM was right to sell Lenovo, he said.
“It may be odd for me to say this, but I’m also proud IBM decided to leave the personal computer business in 2005, selling our PC division to Lenovo.
Celebrating the 30th anniversary of IBM’s first personal computer, the IBM 5150, Mark Dean, IBM’s new Middle East and Africa chief technology officer announced he had ditched his PC for a tablet.
“I, personally, have moved beyond the PC as well. My primary computer now is a tablet. When I helped design the PC, I didn’t think I’d live long enough to witness its decline,” Dean said.
IBM’s 5150 was led light at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City on August 12, 1981.
As Microsoft’s chief of corporate communications officer, Frank X. Shaw pointed out, IBM’s PC was not the first.
There was the Apple II, launched in 1977, the Commodore PET, The Osborne 1, and the Tandy TRS-80.
PCs would remain in use, according to IBM’s Dean, but they were no longer “leading edge” devices, lumping it with other aging technologies such as the vacuum tube, typewriter and vinyl records.
Innovation was now a social phenomenon that happened between devices rather than on the PC, according to the IBM veteran who holds three of IBM’s original nine patents and led the team that created the first one-gigahertz chip.
That shift proved IBM was right to sell Lenovo, he said.
“It may be odd for me to say this, but I’m also proud IBM decided to leave the personal computer business in 2005, selling our PC division to Lenovo.
2011年8月4日 星期四
LED light sales will be boosted by dropping prices
A recent market survey indicated that continuously dropping prices will boost the sales of LED light bulbs. A good example is the success of LED module based lighting in Japan, where the price LED replacement bulb for 40W incandescent light bulbs dropped significantly to $18 a piece in 2011.
According to the survey conducted by LEDinside, the prices of LED light bulbs dropped by 55% to an average price of USD24 during the period from March, 2010 to June, 2011, and there is potential of further price dropping.
In Japan, the retail prices of LED light bulbs were about USD 40 in 2010, and now set a record low of USD 18. As a result, sales of LED light bulb in Japan surpassed that of incandescent light bulbs in June for the first time.
Encouraged by the development of LED market in Japan, major manufacturers from South Korea, America and Europe such as LG, Philips, Osram and GE are also making pricing strategies that will boost the sales of their products. Therefore, LED lighting products will gradually take a major part in the global light bulb market.
According to the survey conducted by LEDinside, the prices of LED light bulbs dropped by 55% to an average price of USD24 during the period from March, 2010 to June, 2011, and there is potential of further price dropping.
In Japan, the retail prices of LED light bulbs were about USD 40 in 2010, and now set a record low of USD 18. As a result, sales of LED light bulb in Japan surpassed that of incandescent light bulbs in June for the first time.
Encouraged by the development of LED market in Japan, major manufacturers from South Korea, America and Europe such as LG, Philips, Osram and GE are also making pricing strategies that will boost the sales of their products. Therefore, LED lighting products will gradually take a major part in the global light bulb market.
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