[Source: http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8723477582919415197#editor ]
Thursday 22 September 2011
IIM student commits suicide amid Facebook messages
[Source: http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8723477582919415197#editor ]
Tuesday 20 September 2011
Kate Walsh's Social and Political Activism
In January 2008, Walsh participated in a video for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama called, "Yes We Can", produced by will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas. She also campaigned for Obama in Arizona, Texas, Nevada, and Pennsylvania.
In July 2008, Walsh was nominated as a candidate on the Unite for Strength slate for a place on the national governing board of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) in elections scheduled for 18 September 2008. On September 18, 2008, Walsh was elected to serve on the SAG board for a three year term. Walsh ran as a candidate with the Unite for Strength party who won 6 of the 11 Hollywood Division seats which were up for contention in the recent Screen Actor's Guild National Board elections.
Walsh supports pet adoption and frequently campaigns for the cause. On February 7, 2008, she cut the ribbon to a new dog adoption center named Pedigree(R) Dogstore in Times Square.
In 2005, Walsh joined the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA)'s Board of Advocates, and in 2008 received the PPFA Maggie Award for an Artist who Stands Up for Reproductive Health and Freedom. Kate has participated in numerous Planned Parenthood activities, including national fundraisers, local Planned Parenthood affiliate events, the PPFA Awards Gala, and lobby day on Capitol Hill promoting the need for comprehensive sex education. In January 2009, Kate spoke at the Planned Parenthood Presidential Inauguration Brunch in Washington, DC.
As announced in late 2009, Walsh partnered with the ocean conservancy and advocacy group Oceana to call for increased sea turtle protections. She joined experts from the group on a trip to the Virgin Islands to witness the turtles' hatching and moving to the sea. In her own words: "I want to get the word out and make people aware about the challenges facing sea turtles. I also want to help get legislation enacted to keep harmful fishing techniques to a minimum and help protect the sea turtles."
Walsh referenced Oceana during a September 16, 2010 appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. She told Leno that her dress was covered in sushi and sashimi as an homage to a dress made of beef worn by Lady Gaga at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. While she claimed it was sustainable seafood, Walsh later admitted via her twitter account that the sushi was fake.
She recently attended a meeting on Capitol Hill in which they marked the one year anniversary since the BP oil spill.
Kate Walsh's Personal Life
Before modelling she worked at Burger King and Dairy Queen. Walsh began as a model in Japan in the 1980s where she also taught English. Later she moved to Chicago and worked with the Piven Theatre Workshop. She also performed on National Public Radio in the production of the radio play Born Guilty. Walsh later moved to New York City and joined the comedy troupe Burn Manhattan on June 27, 1987, performing in a number of Off-Broadway plays.
Walsh married movie executive Alex Young on September 1, 2007. They were married in the Ojai Presbyterian Church in Ojai, north of Los Angeles. On December 11, 2008, it was announced that Young filed for divorce after 15 months of marriage. On December 24, 2008, Walsh counterfiled for divorce, contesting the date of separation listed in Young's divorce papers. The divorce was finalized February 5, 2010.[19] In 2009, Walsh started dating underwater specialist Neil Andrea. The couple first stepped out together at the 2009 Emmy Awards. In September 2009, Walsh launched her official website.
18 Years In The Life Of Julianna Margulies
Margulies is one of the great network television veterans -- but she paid her dues in short-lived series before finding what will almost definitely go down as the greatest role of her career. (Yep, it'll even best Nurse Hathaway.)
And the actress's profile took tons of twists and turns before she stepped into Alicia Florrick's heels.
[Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/julianna-margulies-2011-9]
Julianna Margulies's Personal Life
After several small television roles, Margulies achieved success in her regular role as Nurse Carol Hathaway on the NBC medical drama ER, for which she won an Emmy Award. After her departure from ER in 2000, Margulies appeared in the 2001 miniseries The Mists of Avalon and voiced the female iguanadon, Neera, in Disney's CGI film Dinosaur (2000). In 2009, she took the lead role in the American legal drama The Good Wife on CBS, for which she has won a Golden Globe and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. She won the 2011 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her performance as Alicia Florrick on The Good Wife.
Margulies, the youngest of three daughters, was born in Spring Valley, New York. Her mother, Francesca (née Gardner), was a ballet dancer and eurythmy teacher, and her father, Paul Margulies, was a writer who wrote the Alka-Seltzer jingle "Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is". Her parents are Jewish, descended from immigrants from Austria, Hungary, and Romania. The family lived in Israel for a time before Margulies was born, before moving back to the Upper West Side of New York City.
Margulies attended grade school at Green Meadow Waldorf School and high school at High Mowing School. As a child, she lived in New York, France and England. Margulies obtained a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, where she appeared in several campus plays.
Margulies and attorney Keith Lieberthal were married on November 10, 2007, in Lenox, Massachusetts. Their son, Kieran Lindsay Lieberthal, was born on January 17, 2008.
Miss Universe 2011 Leila Lopes Fake document controversy update
News also came that Leila Lopes is actually of Cuban ancestry and could speaks Spanish language .The news of her profession as a business student in Great Britain also is false - the report tells.
Though now the Miss Universe Organization claimed that all the allegations are actually false and they have never heard about the person named Charles Mukano,moreover the news of Cuban ancestry and knowing spanish language is also not true.
[Source: http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/10373070-miss-universe-2011-leila-lopes-fake-document-controversy-update]
Miss Universe Scandal: Could Leila Lopes Lose the Crown?
The Miss Universe Organization is investigating claims that Lopes falsified documents during the Miss Angola UK pageant earlier this year. The English competition, which she won, helped Lopes reach the Miss Universe pageant in Brazil this month.
rgentine newspaper Infobae alleged that Lopes, with help from a man named Charles Mukano, participated in the Miss Angola UK pageant despite the fact that she lived in Angola, and not the United Kingdom, which is a violation of the rules. Mukano is also said to have helped Lopes obtain documents claiming she was a business management student at an English university.
The report goes as far as to say that Lopes might have bribed British judges to ensure a win.
Could a coup d'monde be in the future?
Olesia Stefanko, Miss Ukraine and the pageant's runner-up, certainly hopes so. The Miss Universe crown is generally a stable one, especially compared to the Miss America title, which is subject to nearly as many head-of-state changes as the emperors of Rome, but Lopes could be disqualified and banished from the universal kingdom if the allegations prove to be true.
Although not as shadowy or opprobrious as the linea regis of England, there have been a number of Miss Universe titleholders that met strange ends.
In the contest's 60-year history, only one Miss Universe "officially" failed to sit through a whole one-year term. That was Oxana Fedorova, a Miss Russia who won the show in Puerto Rico in 2002. There is no authoritative reason why Fedorova left half-way into her year as Miss Universe, except a vague notion that she didn't perform the duties expected of her. There were rumors at the time that Fedorova was secretly pregnant, and Federova has herself said that she quit because she was forced to go on the Howard Stern Show.
Whatever the real reason, the Miss Universe Organization refuses to recognize Fedorova as a former winner.
Miss Universe 1974, Amparo Muñoz from Spain, also gave up her crown before her term expired, and Miss Universe 1952, Armi Kuusela of Finland, gave up the title to get married.
If Lopes does lose the title, it will be a great emotional cost to Angola. The African nation was immensely proud of its beauty queen, evoking respect of the country's top diplomats.
“There is a great engagement of assuring an advance with regard of the development, progress and well-being of the Angolan people,” said Angola's Media Minister, Carolina Cerqueira.
Cerqueira said that the Miss Universe prize showed the beauty and potential of all Angolans to overcome the obstacles in their lives.
The Angolan First Lady, Ana Paula dos Santos, was especially proud of Lopes.
"Leila is really our queen and all Angolan women feel like Miss Universe as it is a very great honor for us to be there, with a competition with more than 80 girls and countries, with different habits, customs and religions, and they chose Angola, winning the crown of Miss Universe", said dos Santos.
[Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/215687/20110918/miss-universe-2011-angola-scandal.htm]
Monday 19 September 2011
Sikkim Earthquake Toll Rises to 50
Another eight people, who were travelling in a bus of Teesta Urja Limited, are presumed dead as their vehicle got stuck under the debris of a landslide caused by the 6.8 magnitude tremblor last evening, Major General S L Narasimhan, GOC 17 Mountain Division, told reporters here.
The overnight toll climbed to 50, with 23 people being killed in Sikkim, six in West Bengal, seven each in Bihar, Nepal and Tibet, official reports said.
Over a hundred people have been injured in the quake which has left a trail of devastation in Sikkim, causing hindrances in relief work because of landslides and road blockades, they said.
Narasimhan said army has launched 'Operation Madad' in Gangtok and other areas by deploying over 2,000 troops.
"Around 44 columns of army are working in various parts of Sikkim, while another 15 are in the East District of the state. We are also sending teams to Darjeeling and Kalimpong (in West Bengal)," he said.
Two districts -- West and South -- in Sikkim remained inaccessible to the army, delaying rescue work, he said, adding that the local authorities were carrying out relief work and army commanders stationed there have been alerted.
The casualties have occurred mostly in the North District and in towns and villages like Rangpo, Dikchu, Singtam and Chungthang located along the course of Teesta river, officials said.
A group of 14 tourists were rescued by the army from north Sikkim last night, Narasimhan said.
In Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced Rs two lakh as ex-gratia to next of kin of those killed in the earthquake and Rs one lakh each for those seriously injured.
Around 300 rescue workers from the National Disaster Response Force were stuck at Bagdogra Airport as chopper services to Gangtok have been suspended due to inclement weather, officials said.
Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the kin of the deceased, Rs 50,000 for those grievously injured and Rs 25,000 for those with minor injuries.
Union Home Secretary R K Singh said in Delhi that road communication in Sikkim, disrupted due to landslides affecting rescue and relief operations, was likely to be restored by tonight as Border Roads Organisation personnel were working round the clock to remove the blockades.
"We will restore the road communication by tonight. The situation is under control and army, ITBP and SSB personnel already deployed in Sikkim are helping in rescue operations," he told reporters here.
In Kolkata, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said that the quake had left six people dead in different areas in north Bengal. She said she will be going to Kurseong in Darjeeling district to get a first-hand account of the situation.
"I have already sent industry minister Partha Chatterjee and North Bengal affairs minister Gautam Deb to Kurseong. The District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police of Darjeeling are also there. After assessing the situation, we will decide the next course of action," she said.
Banerjee said while helicopters have been kept ready for movement of health and disaster management personnel, they have not been able to proceed to Sikkim due to bad weather.
She said efforts were on to repair the damages to NH-31A and NH-55 caused by landslides on a war-footing. She also announced compensation of Rs two lakh each for the next of kin of those who died in the state.
With reports of five more quake-related deaths, the toll in Bihar mounted to seven with reports of damages to property being received from the affected areas.
While Darbhanga alone accounted for four deaths, one person each died in Nawada, Nalanda and Bhagalpur districts, official reports reaching the state headquarters said.
Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua reported that at least seven persons have been killed and 22 others injured in Tibet in the quake which has caused landslides and has disrupted traffic, power and water supplies as well as telecommunication in Yadong County, an area 40 km away from Sikkim.
Three people were killed at Lainchaur in Kathmandu, two in Sunsari district, and one each in Dhankuta and Sankhuwasabha districts in eastern Nepal, according to home ministry sources in the Nepalese capital.
In Gangtok, power was restored this morning. Residents had spent the night outside their houses fearing aftershocks. At least 20 aftershocks throughout the night had created panic in the city. The toll in Sikkim till last night was seven.
Many buildings in and around Gangtok have collapsed and around 85 per cent of structures and houses have developed cracks due to the quake that hit Sikkim and other areas last evening, they said.
Most of the areas in north Sikkim have been cut-off from the rest of the country as roads were blocked and communication lines got snapped. All BSNL telephone landlines in the city have gone dead since last evening.The Sadar police station in Gangtok was badly damaged due to the tremor.
The epicentre of the quake - the biggest in two decades - was located at Mangan and Sakyong areas, over 50 km from Gangtok on the Sikkim-Nepal border.
Tremors were also felt in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chandigarh and Delhi.
[Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Sikkim-earthquake-toll-rises-to-50/articleshow/10040635.cms]
Narendra Modi refuses to put on 'skull cap' offered by Muslim cleric
AHMEDABAD: Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi refused to put on a 'skull cap' offered by a Muslim cleric during his sadbhavana fast in Ahmedabad.
Sayed Imam Shahi Saiyed, a cleric of a small Dargah in Pirana village on the outskirts of the city (he lives in Savali village of Dakor taluka), had on Sunday gone up to stage to greet the chief minister, at Gujarat University Convention hall.
He offered Narendra Modi a 'skull cap', but Modi politely refused to wear it, asking him to offer a shawl instead. The imam did so, and Modi was seen accepting it.
"Narendra Modi's refusal to accept the cap is not my insult but an insult of Islam," Saiyed told reporters.
"I had come to Ahmedabad after hearing about the Sadbhavna Mission fast and went to the stage to felicitate Modi.
"When I offered him the cap he told me that he would not wear it. He might have thought that wearing a skull cap will dent his image...," the cleric said.
The BJP, however, said it was a non-issue. "Narendra Modi has clearly said that his policy is not of appeasement of a section of society unlike other parties, but our approach is development for all and treating everyone as equal," party spokesperson Vijay Rupani said.
"Thousands of members of the minority community have come here, but nobody insisted that Narendra Modi put on a skull cap. This is a non-issue which is being turned into a big one by our opponents," Rupani said.
[Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Narendra-Modi-refuses-to-put-on-skull-cap-offered-by-Muslim-cleric/articleshow/10040530.cms]
Antonio Gates a non-factor in Chargers' loss to Patriots
For the first time since 2008 -- a stretch of 34 games -- the star tight end was held without a catch in the Chargers' 35-21 loss to the Patriots.
"They would put a corner or safety on me, or two safeties," said Gates, who had eight catches for 74 yards in a 24-17 win over Minnesota the previous week. "They did a lot of different things to take me out of the game."
Gates has 537 receptions for 7,079 yards in nine NFL seasons, all with the Chargers. His 69 career touchdowns are second all-time for the Chargers and his 89 receptions in 2005 are tied for third-best in a single season in team history.
Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers threw Gates' way only twice Sunday. One of those passes was intercepted by Sergio Brown to end a San Diego drive that had reached the New England red zone with San Diego trailing, 20-7, early in the third quarter.
The other was a deep pass that drew an interference call on Brown, setting up a three-yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson to help the Chargers pull to within 20-14 early in the fourth quarter.
“We just hit him,” Brown said of Gates. “Hit him as much as we could and don't let him get started because as he builds — as he gets up the field — he runs better routes. So we tried to get him close to the line of scrimmage and stopped him before we get going.”
The double-teams on Gates opened things up for Jackson, who had 15 catches for 172 yards and two touchdowns. Rivers finished with 378 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, but he and the Chargers could not keep up with Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who passed for 423 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
[Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/09/antonio-gates-a-non-factor-in-chargers-loss-to-patriots.html]
Michael Vick or Matt Ryan: Who would you want as your QB?
Some fans wore Falcons jerseys with Vick's old No. 7 and some wore Ryan's No. 2 -- and they got the showdown they were looking for.
Ultimately, Ryan led the home team to a 35-31 victory, completing 17 of 28 passes for 195 yards and throwing for a career-high four touchdowns, including two to Tony Gonzalez. But the current Falcons quarterback also threw a pair of interceptions.
Vick completed 19 of 28 for 242 yards and two touchdowns in addition to rushing six times for 25 yards. But he also threw an interception and lost two fumbles before leaving the game in the third quarter with what's now being called a concussion.
So Ryan won this particular showdown, at least on the scoreboard, but who would you rather have as your team's quarterback? Vote in the poll and then leave a comment explaining your reasoning.
[Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/09/michael-vick-matt-ryan.html]
Nick Collins appears OK after scary injury
Packers safety Nick Collins is believed to be in good condition after being taken off the field on a stretcher in Carolina today.
Collins suffered what looked like a head or neck injury while trying to tackle Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart. Collins’ helmet hit Stewart’s leg, and the impact caused his neck to bend in an ugly fashion. There was a lengthy delay as Collins was attended to, but Collins was waving to the crowd as he was stretchered off.
Rachel Nichols of ESPN reports that Collins was taken to a local hospital, but indications are good and the Packers are hoping he’ll be out of the hospital in time to make the team flight home. And Charley Casserly of CBS reports that Collins has movement in all extremities and a CT scan was negative.
So it appears that Collins will be just fine after an injury that looked severe.
[Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/09/18/nick-collins-appears-ok-after-scary-injury/]
Emmy Awards 2011 Winners: Hit or Miss?
Hosted and produced by Emmy award winners, the 63rd annual prime-time Emmy Awards ceremony had a mostly weak response.
Jane Lynch of “Glee” served as host and opened the show with a comedic song, during which a few nominees were introduced. The catchy lyrical number which lasted a bit too long according to some critics and Twitter users revealed mixed reactions.
Mark wrote on Twitter: “Unimpressed with the Emmys last night. Didn’t love Jane Lynch as the host.”
“I’m as sick of Jane Lynch right now as I was of Betty White last year. #Emmys,” wrote Jeremy.
In contrast, Twitter user Doug praised Lynch, writing, “Really enjoyed the Emmys this year. Jane Lynch did a great job presenting.”
Suzanne wrote, “We think Jane Lynch was the perfect Emmys host!”
The show was produced by reality television director Mark Burnett, who has received four Emmys in past years.
The main winners of the evening met many people’s expectations. With “Modern Family” stealing five Emmys, including both Outstanding Actor awards as well as Outstanding Comedy Series, the award winners failed to deliver any surprises.
During the show, Lynch quipped, “Welcome back to the ‘Modern Family’ awards show,” about the series’ numerous wins.
“Modern Family swept the Emmys. I love that show,” said Amit on Twitter.
Noah tweeted, “Modern Family deserves all the Emmys they won! Best comedy!”
Also in line with winner predictions, “Mad Men” earned Outstanding Dramatic Series, and “Downton Abbey” took home the Outstanding Miniseries award.
Rob highlighted that the win for “Mad Men” was the fourth consecutive, and wrote, “Congrats to Mad Men on your entry to the 4 for 4 club. Welcome.”
“Man Men, big surprise. Such an overrated show. Should have been @GameofThrones,” wrote Twitter user Matthew.
About the PBS series winning, Hadley wrote, “Downton Abbey won! Britain, if only you were awake YOU WOULD BE CHEERING SO MUCH!”
“Saturday Night Live” comedian Seth Meyers jibed, “If we learned anything at last night’s Emmy it was that it’s DownTON Abbey and not DownTOWN Abbey.”
[Source: http://global.christianpost.com/news/emmy-awards-2011-winners-hit-or-miss-55874/]
2011 Emmy Awards Winners List – See How Your Favorites Faired Last Night
The Emmy Awards are presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences each year to honor achievements in television programming.
We begin the list with the winners in the category for best Drama series. The show taking home the top honors in the category was AMC’s “Mad Men.” The breakdown for the Drama Series awards for individuals goes as follows:
- Actress, Drama Series: Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife,” CBS.
- Actor, Drama Series: Kyle Chandler, “Friday Night Lights,” DirecTV/NBC.
- Supporting Actor, Drama Series: Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones,” HBO.
- Supporting Actress, Drama Series: Margo Martindale, “Justified,” FX.
- Writing, Drama Series: Jason Katims, “Friday Night Lights,” NBC.
- Directing, Drama Series: Martin Scorsese, “Boardwalk Empire,” HBO.
Next, we take a look at the winners for one of the most popular categories, that of best Comedy Series. Taking home the Emmy Award for best Comedy Series in 2011 was “Modern Family,” from ABC. .” The individual Emmys for best Comedy Series went to:
- Actor, Comedy Series: Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS.
- Actress, Comedy Series: Melissa McCarthy, “Mike & Molly,” CBS.
- Supporting Actress, Comedy Series: Julie Bowen, “Modern Family,” ABC.
- Supporting Actor, Comedy Series: Ty Burrell, “Modern Family,” ABC.
- Writing, Comedy Series: Steven Levitan and Jeffrey Richman, “Modern Family,” ABC.
- Directing, Comedy Series: Michael Spiller, “Modern Family,” ABC.
Next, we take a look at the winners for one of the most popular categories, that of best Comedy Series. Taking home the Emmy Award for best Comedy Series in 2011 was “Modern Family,” from ABC. .” The individual Emmys for best Comedy Series went to:
Top Emmy, in a category which typically goes to big budget productions companies like HBO, was take home by PBS last night. In the category of best Miniseries or Movie, the Emmy Award went to “Downton Abbey” airing on PBS’s Masterpiece Theater.
In the same category individual honors were won by:
- Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Kate Winslet, “Mildred Pierce,” HBO.
- Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Barry Pepper, “The Kennedys,” ReelzChannel.
- Supporting Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Maggie Smith, “Downton Abbey” (“Masterpiece”), PBS.
- Supporting Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Guy Pearce, “Mildred Pierce,” HBO.
- Directing, Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special: Brian Percival, “Downton Abbey” (“Masterpiece”), PBS.
- Writing, Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special: Julian Fellowes, “Downton Abbey” (“Masterpiece”), PBS.
“The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” took home two awards. One award for the best Variety, Music or Comedy Series, and the other Emmy was won for Best Writing in the same category. The award for Best Directing in that category was won by Saturday Night Lives’s Don Roy King for NBC.
[Source: http://newstaar.com/2011-emmy-awards-winners-list-see-how-your-favorites-faired-last-night/354228/]
2011 Emmy Winners: The Awkward, Unexpected and the Predictable Wins
Mad Men continued their streak at last night's 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards which aired live on Fox. The AMC series took home its fourth consecutive Emmy for Best Drama while ABC's Modern Family took home a second consecutive Emmy for Best Comedy. Those were predictable wins even though most TV fans were hoping to see a little change-up and see Parks And Recreation take home the award for Best Comedy. The series had an incredible run for their 3rd Season, but still lacks the attention of the Academy for anything more than a nomination nod.
Other predictable wins included Kate Winslet for HBO's Milred Pierce and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (9th year straight!)! The surprising wins of the night went to a British series called Downton Abby who few have heard of, but the critics absolutely love. Most viewers expected Milred Pierce to dominate in these categories as well.
Another notable moment included Charlie Sheen taking a moment to address the writers/cast of Two And Half Men. Viewers, including myself, cringed as he walked up to the microphone not knowing what to expect, but the actor has calmed down from his past rantings. He didn't exactly apologize - but he did say some kind words:
"I want to take a moment to get something off my chest, to say a few words to everyone here from Two And Half Men. From the bottom of my heart, I wish you nothing but the best for this upcoming season. We spent eight wonderful years together and I know you will continue to make great television."Jim Parsons of The Big Bang Theory won the award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series - the category presented by Sheen. Chuck Lorre, creator of Two And Half Men, is also the creator of The Big Bang Theory - not sure if anyone else picked up on a little of the awkwardness that Parsons himself even acknowledged.
We've got the full list of winners for you below:
- Outstanding comedy series: Modern Family
- Outstanding drama series: Mad Men
- Outstanding miniseries or movie: Downton Abbey
- Outstanding lead actress, miniseries or movie: Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
- Outstanding supporting actor in a miniseries or movie: Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce
- Outstanding directing for a miniseries, movie or dramatic special: Brian Percival, Downton Abbey
- Outstanding lead actor in a miniseries or movie: Barry Pepper, The Kennedys
- Outstanding supporting actress, miniseries or movie: Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
- Outstanding writing for a miniseries or movie: Julian Fellowes, Downton Abbey
- Outstanding lead actor, drama: Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
- Outstanding lead actress, drama: Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
- Outstanding supporting actor, drama: Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
- Outstanding directing, drama: Martin Scorsese, Boardwalk Empire
- Outstanding supporting actress, drama: Margo Martindale, Justified
- Outstanding writing, drama series: Jason Katims, Friday Night Lights
- Outstanding variety, music or comedy series: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
- Outstanding directing for a variety, music or comedy series: Don Roy King, Saturday Night Live (host: Justin Timberlake)
- Outstanding writing for a variety, music or comedy series: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
- Outstanding reality competition: The Amazing Race
- Outstanding lead actress, comedy: Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly)
- Outstanding lead actor, comedy series: Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
- Outstanding writing for a comedy: Steve Levitan, Jeffrey Richman (“Caught in the Act”), Modern Family
- Outstanding director, comedy: Michael Alan Spiller (“Halloween”), Modern Family
- Outstanding supporting actor, comedy: Ty Burrell (Modern Family)
- Outstanding supporting actress, comedy: Julie Bowen (Modern Family)
What were your thoughts on the skits, the wins, and the snubs at this year's Emmy Awards? Sound off in our comment section below!
[Source:http://www.fanbolt.com/headline/11823/2011_Emmy_Winners:_The_Awkward,_Unexpected_and_the_Predictable_Wins]
Emmy Winners Dish Backstage: 'Modern Family,' Kate Winslet and More
LOS ANGELES, Calif.
Sept. 19, 2011
The statues have been handed out. "Modern Family" swept. "Mad Men" dominated. But backstage, it wasn't all bravado from the stars of those shows, or any of the other Emmy winning programs. Below, check out how Julie Bowen, Kate Winslet, Melissa McCarthy, Martin Scorsese and more reflected on their victories backstage.
Click here for a full list of the winners of the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards.
Ty Burrell, winner, best supporting actor in a comedy, "Modern Family," on the show's pro-gay stance: "It feels very, very good to be on a show that seems like it's changing a lot of minds."
Julie Bowen, winner, best supporting actress in a comedy, "Modern Family," on how having children of her own influences her role as Claire Dunphy: "I think if I wasn't a mom, it would be harder to look at a child and understand how you can hate and love them all at once … There are times when I really wouldn't mind if there was a giant hook pulled [my kids] off the stage of my life."
Jim Parsons, winner, best actor in a comedy, "The Big Bang Theory," on former "Two and a Half Men" star Charlie Sheen presenting his award: "He just congratulated me and said, 'That's awesome.' He was that sweet and that banal, I'm sorry to say."
Kate Winslet, winner, best actress in a miniseries or movie, "Mildred Pierce," on playing Elizabeth Taylor in a bio pic if asked to take on the role: "I would be honored. In the same breath I would say yes."
Melissa McCarthy, winner, best actress in a comedy, "Mike & Molly," on the beauty pageant inspired presentation of her award: "It was all Amy's idea. If Amy Poehler thinks something's funny, I'll do it. I don't want to piss her off."
Peter Dinklage, winner, best supporting actor in a drama, "Game of Thrones," on exuding a super cool persona and thanking his dog sitter: "It comes from being terrified on the inside. It's all a show. … I mentioned [my dog walker named Kitty] but not my manager or my lawyer or anyone who's actually responsible for me having this job. … It comes at a price, I think. My mom will be really happy about that."
Martin Scorsese, winner , best drama direction, on television being a more creative medium than film: "I think you really have an opportunity here now and I see it even maybe more so than what's possible with independent cinema. You have the opportunity here now. It depends on the vision … but you can do something extraordinary."
[Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/emmy-winners-dish-backstage-modern-family-kate-winslet/story?id=14552533]
Emmys not the only awards in town for celebrities
Gift suites catering to Emmy nominees and presenters beckoned the stars, writers and producers of TV's top shows Saturday with loads of luxury freebies.
The stars who came by the Nokia Theatre to rehearse for Sunday's ceremony were invited backstage to the HP Touchsmart Gift Lounge, where HP gave away notebook computers and made a donation to the TV academy's nonprofit foundation for each celebrity who stopped by.
Actor David Boreanaz of TV's Bones came to the suite with his family in the morning and was among the stars who collected bedazzled toasters, sneakers made from recycled plastic water bottles, designer sunglasses, Centrum vitamins, Nautica watches and a $700 hair dryer.
At the Four Seasons Hotel across town, the HBO Luxury Lounge was a crowded, multi-room affair that drew LL Cool J, Loretta Devine, who won an Emmy for her guest-starring role on Grey's Anatomy, Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner and veteran actress Cloris Leachman, among others.
Guests could retreat to a mini spa, where L'Oreal provided manicures, makeovers, hairdos and hot shaves. They could sip cocktails inspired by HBO shows such as True Blood and Boardwalk Empire in the Klipsch listening lounge; and they could gather lots of goodies, from handbags to headphones to high-end baby strollers.
Among the offerings: UppaBaby's $680 Vista stroller (outfitted with shock absorbers and an organic bassinet with a pull-out sun shade); rare and red-carpet-ready blue diamonds from jeweller Sophia Fiori; Brahmin leather handbags (popular Saturday with actress Melissa Joan Hart and TV personality Samantha Harris); indestructible steel True Blood headphones by V-MODA; and vegan footwear from Michael Antonio Shoes.
Devine, who won her Emmy at last week's Creative Arts ceremony, was all smiles as she navigated the crowded suite. Other guests included Penny Marshall, actress Lorraine Bracco and Entourage star Jerry Ferrara.
More gifts were handed out in Hollywood at the GBK Tic-Tac Gift Lounge at the W Hotel. But the most coveted prizes won't be presented until Sunday, when the Emmys are awarded.
-AP
[Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10752726]
NFL Fantasy Football Week 2 Injury Report: Knowshon Moreno Inactive in Week 2
The Denver Broncos star running back Knowshon Moreno will be out of the Broncos Week 2 game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Moreno injured his hamstring against the Oakland Raiders in their Monday night game, and hasn't practiced all week long.
With the Broncos bringing up Jeremiah Johnson from the practice squad to give the Broncos an extra running back to play behind expected starter Willis Mcgahee.
If McGahee is available pick him up as he will get the majority of the carries and has the skill set to rack up some decent points for fantasy owners who take a chance on him.
[Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/854327-fantasy-football-week-2-injury-report-latest-updates-on-every-major-injury/entry/130435-nfl-fantasy-football-week-2-injury-report-knowshon-moreno-inactive-in-week-2]
Santonio Holmes: Legal Trouble
Holmes was arrested in Miami Beach, Florida on May 27, 2006 for disorderly conduct. Charges were subsequently dropped after Holmes paid a fine. Holmes was arrested for a second time on June 18, 2006 for domestic violence and assault in Columbus, Ohio.
On July 7, 2006, Holmes appeared in Franklin County Court in Columbus, Ohio for both a pre-trial hearing regarding the domestic case and a hearing regarding the traffic ticket. He pled no contest to the traffic ticket and agreed to pay a fine. While Lashae Boone, the mother of Holmes' daughter and the victim in the assault case, requested that the domestic violence and assault charges be dropped, the prosecutor refused. Boone and their daughter accompanied Holmes to court. The charges were later dropped.
On October 23, 2008, Holmes was arrested in Pittsburgh and cited by officers for possession of marijuana. He released an apology after missing a game, stating that he wished to "focus all of [his] efforts on helping our team win on the field and achieve its ultimate goal."
On March 24, 2010, Anshonae Mills filed a lawsuit against Holmes over a March 7 incident in which she alleges Holmes threw a glass at her in an Orlando nightclub, resulting in a cut above her eye. Initially, Mills did not pursue charges, claiming Holmes and the police intimidated her into it, but the case has been reopened. Subsequently, after a Twitter comment criticizing the nightclub incident, Holmes told the follower to "kill urself." He later Tweeted it was time to "wake n bake," a reference to marijuana. Holmes alleges his account was hacked and it was not him making the comments.
On April 29, 2010, according to a report filed by authorities at Pittsburgh International Airport, a flight attendant told police that Holmes wouldn't turn off his iPod when requested and asked that officers speak to him. Holmes got off the Colgan Air flight and spoke to the officers, who reminded him to comply with regulations, but did not charge the wide receiver with anything. Holmes later talked to Jets head coach Rex Ryan about the incident.
Oklahoma linebacker Austin Box passes away
The Oklahoma football program was rocked today by the death of starting middle linebacker Austin Box. Box, 22, was found unresponsive at a house in El Reno this morning, and was airlifted to Mercy Hospital in nearby Oklahoma City. He was later pronounced dead.
KFOR 4 in Oklahoma City was the first to report that the medical examiner's office confirmed Box's passing, but no details past that have been officially released as yet. The Tulsa World has reported that the medical examiner's office does not expect a cause of death to be known today.
According to a report by Fox 25 in Oklahoma City, the police report notes that Box took an unnamed "controlled dangerous substance," and that his death was likely an overdose.
Oklahoma president David Boren released this statement today:
"The University family is deeply saddened by the tragic death of student-athlete Austin Box. Our hearts go out to his family and friends."
Also, OU athletic director Joe Castiglione released this statement:
"Austin Box will be greatly missed by his many friends and teammates in the Athletics Department and all across campus. Grief counseling is being made available to members of the team and his close friends."
As The Oklahoman reports, head coach Bob Stoops is currently overseas.
Needless to say, this is horrible news for Oklahoma and the Box family, and horrible news for the rest of college football -- especially just days after the passing of Alabama lineman Aaron Douglas. 22 years is far too young for anybody to pass away, far too short a life to live, and we offer our condolences to all affected.
[Source: http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/24156338/29425193]
Calvin Johnson 'good to go' for Chiefs game
Needless to say, a Calvin Johnson-Matt Stafford combo is more dangerous ... when healthy. Good news, Lions fans -- Megatron, who was listed as questionable with an ankle injury, is going to play on Sunday against Buffalo.
"Good to go," Johnson told Josina Anderson while warming up at Ford Field Sunday morning.
Stevie Johnson ended up with four catches for 66 yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs and tight end Scott Chandler caught a pair of scores, and that was in a 41-7 beatdown that saw the Bills run the ball 40 times as well.
Johnson injured his ankle against the Bucs in Week 1, but he still caught six balls for 88 yards and two touchdowns in the Lions victory and eventually practiced this past Friday, an indication that he would be alright to get on the field this week.
All of which is to say that the Lions should feel good about Megatron's guarantee that he'll play on Sunday, as he should be slated for a pretty big game against a depleted Chiefs defense, though it wouldn't be surprising to see his reps get limited if the Lions get a big lead.
[Source: http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22475988/32059606]
Sunday 18 September 2011
Susan Lucci's Personal Life
As early as 1991, her salary had been reported as over $1 million a year. In 2005, she received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to television. She also has her own line of hair care products, perfumes, lingerie and skin care, called The Susan Lucci Collection. In 1996 TV Guide ranked her number 37 on its 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time list.
Lucci's father, Victor, was a first-generation American.
Family
Lucci has been married since September 13, 1969 to Austrian businessman Helmut Huber. They are the parents of soap opera actress Liza Huber (who played Gwen Hotchkiss on the daytime serial Passions) and Andreas Huber, an aspiring professional golfer. She became a grandmother when her daughter, Liza, gave birth on December 23, 2006 — Lucci's 60th birthday. The baby was named Royce Alexander. Liza gave birth to Lucci's second grandchild, Brendan, on August 16, 2008 and her third grandchild, Hayden Victoria on March 23, 2011. Lucci is a registered Republican.
Autobiography
On July 28, 2010 HarperCollins announced that they would be publishing Lucci's autobiography in April 2011. The book was acquired by Lisa Sharkey, Director of Creative Development at HarperCollins.
Justin Tuck, Hakeem Nicks questionable
Two key New York Giants starters are questionable for Monday night's home opener against the St. Louis Rams.
Defensive end Justin Tuck, who missed Week 1 with a neck injury, was limited in Saturday's practice.
Same goes for wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, who suffered a bone bruise and a hyperextended knee in the first quarter of the Giants' season-opening loss to Washington.
Tuck predicted Friday that he would be a game-time decision for Monday night. Nicks guaranteed that he will be on the field.
As expected, defensive end Osi Umenyiora (knee) has been ruled out for Monday. Tight end Travis Beckum will also sit with a hamstring injury. Jake Ballard will likely start in place of Beckum.
As for Tuck, the Giants' defensive captain said Thursday that his "gut" told him that he'll suit up in Week 2.
Of course, his gut told him the same thing prior to the Redskins game.
"My gut was wrong once," Tuck said. "I hope I don't make that a trend."
Tuck said Thursday that there was no soreness in his neck. He did acknowledge that he is still affected by the injury, though he was evasive when pressed on the matter.
"There's no pain," Tuck said. "There's something else, but there's no pain."
As for Nicks, the wideout said Friday that he would "be on the field," though the decision will largely rest with team doctors.
"I'm pretty comfortable with what they're telling me," he said.
Nicks caught seven passes for 122 yards Sunday, so losing him would be a crushing blow. It is unclear who would start in his place. Candidates include Domenik Hixon and Victor Cruz. The newly signed Brandon Stokley is a remote possibility.
Tuck's absence, obviously, would also loom large for the Giants.
New York sacked Rex Grossman four times without Tuck or Umenyiora last week. But the secondary was torched by Grossman for 305 yards and two touchdowns. Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell attributed that in part to the absence of Tuck and Umenyiora.
It is unclear at this point how long Umenyiora will be out. He worked on the side during Friday's practice and moved well, according to Giants coach Tom Coughlin.
The veteran defensive end had arthroscopic surgery on his bothersome left knee Aug. 19 and was expected to be out four to six weeks. It is possible he could be healthy enough to return Week 3 in Philadelphia.
Beckum, the Giants' starting tight end, will miss his second straight game with a hamstring ailment. He had not practiced all week.
Ballard started in his place last Sunday, catching two balls for 59 yards.
Ian Begley is a regular contributor to ESPNNewYork.com.
[Source: http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/6981691/new-york-giants-justin-tuck-hakeem-nicks-questionable-home-opener]
Hakeem Nicks's Personal Life
Nicks was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended Independence High School (Charlotte, North Carolina). Playing football there, he was rated as one of the Top 10 Players in North Carolina by SuperPrep and Rivals.com. He was also named the Charlotte Observer Offensive Player of the Year and was also selected to the North Carolina Associated Press All-State team. He never lost a game in high school, and completed his senior year with MVP honors at the 4-AA state championship game. In the game, he posted eight catches for 205 yards and two touchdowns (one for 11 and another for 80 yards). He posted 93 catches for 1,819 yards and 20 touchdowns in his senior year.
Nicks is the son of Philly Nicks and Lisa Mason. While attending the University of North Carolina, Nicks was enrolled in the General College.
2012: Beginning of the End or Why the World Won't End?
Much like Y2K, 2012 has been analyzed and the science of the end of the Earth thoroughly studied. Contrary to some of the common beliefs out there, the science behind the end of the world quickly unravels when pinned down to the 2012 timeline. Below, NASA Scientists answer several questions that we're frequently asked regarding 2012.
Question (Q): Are there any threats to the Earth in 2012? Many Internet websites say the world will end in December 2012.
Answer (A): Nothing bad will happen to the Earth in 2012. Our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, and credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012.
Q: What is the origin of the prediction that the world will end in 2012?
A: The story started with claims that Nibiru, a supposed planet discovered by the Sumerians, is headed toward Earth. This catastrophe was initially predicted for May 2003, but when nothing happened the doomsday date was moved forward to December 2012. Then these two fables were linked to the end of one of the cycles in the ancient Mayan calendar at the winter solstice in 2012 -- hence the predicted doomsday date of December 21, 2012.
Q: Does the Mayan calendar end in December 2012?
A: Just as the calendar you have on your kitchen wall does not cease to exist after December 31, the Mayan calendar does not cease to exist on December 21, 2012. This date is the end of the Mayan long-count period but then -- just as your calendar begins again on January 1 -- another long-count period begins for the Mayan calendar.
Q: Could phenomena occur where planets align in a way that impacts Earth?
A: There are no planetary alignments in the next few decades, Earth will not cross the galactic plane in 2012, and even if these alignments were to occur, their effects on the Earth would be negligible. Each December the Earth and sun align with the approximate center of the Milky Way Galaxy but that is an annual event of no consequence.
Q: Is there a planet or brown dwarf called Nibiru or Planet X or Eris that is approaching the Earth and threatening our planet with widespread destruction?
A: Nibiru and other stories about wayward planets are an Internet hoax. There is no factual basis for these claims. If Nibiru or Planet X were real and headed for an encounter with the Earth in 2012, astronomers would have been tracking it for at least the past decade, and it would be visible by now to the naked eye. Obviously, it does not exist. Eris is real, but it is a dwarf planet similar to Pluto that will remain in the outer solar system; the closest it can come to Earth is about 4 billion miles.
Q: What is the polar shift theory? Is it true that the earth’s crust does a 180-degree rotation around the core in a matter of days if not hours?
A: A reversal in the rotation of Earth is impossible. There are slow movements of the continents (for example Antarctica was near the equator hundreds of millions of years ago), but that is irrelevant to claims of reversal of the rotational poles. However, many of the disaster websites pull a bait-and-shift to fool people. They claim a relationship between the rotation and the magnetic polarity of Earth, which does change irregularly, with a magnetic reversal taking place every 400,000 years on average. As far as we know, such a magnetic reversal doesn’t cause any harm to life on Earth. A magnetic reversal is very unlikely to happen in the next few millennia, anyway.
Q: Is the Earth in danger of being hit by a meteor in 2012?
A: The Earth has always been subject to impacts by comets and asteroids, although big hits are very rare. The last big impact was 65 million years ago, and that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs. Today NASA astronomers are carrying out a survey called the Spaceguard Survey to find any large near-Earth asteroids long before they hit. We have already determined that there are no threatening asteroids as large as the one that killed the dinosaurs. All this work is done openly with the discoveries posted every day on the NASA NEO Program Office website, so you can see for yourself that nothing is predicted to hit in 2012.
Q: How do NASA scientists feel about claims of pending doomsday?
A: For any claims of disaster or dramatic changes in 2012, where is the science? Where is the evidence? There is none, and for all the fictional assertions, whether they are made in books, movies, documentaries or over the Internet, we cannot change that simple fact. There is no credible evidence for any of the assertions made in support of unusual events taking place in December 2012.
Q: Is there a danger from giant solar storms predicted for 2012?
A: Solar activity has a regular cycle, with peaks approximately every 11 years. Near these activity peaks, solar flares can cause some interruption of satellite communications, although engineers are learning how to build electronics that are protected against most solar storms. But there is no special risk associated with 2012. The next solar maximum will occur in the 2012-2014 time frame and is predicted to be an average solar cycle, no different than previous cycles throughout history.
[Source: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012.html]
6.8 Earthquake Rattles India; At Least 8 Dead
The Indian government has reported that eight people died in India and Nepal, at least three when a building in Kathmandu collapsed. The quake also created a number of mudslides on the outskirts of Gangtok, killing at least one man who was trapped inside his car.
Additionally, at least 100 people were injured, according to initial reports. The earthquake also temporarily disrupted telephone lines, and the rapid rate of cell phone use over-burdened mobile networks, according to The Hindustan Times.
The tremors were felt as far away as Delhi, about 900 miles to the west.
India sits on the Indian Plate, a tectonic plate that has been colliding with the Eurasia Plate for about 50 million years. The Indian Plate is slowly being wedged under Eurasia, pushing up the northern plate, causing it to lift. The tectonic movement created the Himalayan Mountain range, which straddles the collision point between India, Nepal, Tibet and China.
Because of the plates' movement, the Himalayas are growing taller every year.
Earthquakes in India aren't rare, but a 6.8 magnitude quake is significant. The most recent quake in the country occurred on Sept. 7, when a 4.2 magnitude quake hit Delhi, where just hours earlier a bomb blast killed 11 and injured dozens more outside the Delhi High Court.
Delhi is considered to be in Zone 4 of the Earthquake Hazard Map of India, and is therefore designated as being in the High Damage Risk Zone. There hasn't been a significant earthquake in the city's recent history, although it has experienced minor vibrations from quakes elsewhere in the country and in Pakistan.
Gangtok is also in Zone 4, and is nestled between two Zone 5 (highest risk) areas to the east and west.
On Sunday, there were also earthquakes reported in Virginia and New Zealand, although they were significantly less potent than the Sikkim quake.
A series of tremors in Virginia, ranging from magnitudes 1.9 to 2.1 on the Richter scale, are now considered to be aftershocks of the Aug. 23 earthquake that shook the East Coast of the United States, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Meanwhile, a 4.1 magnitude quake hit North Queensland, New Zealand around 2:30 a.m. Sunday.
There have not been any reports of injuries or damages in either location.
Last Thursday, two significant earthquakes happened in Cuba and Japan, ranging from a 6.0 to a 6.2-magnitude respectively.
Are multiple earthquakes in the same day anything to worry about?
Considering that there are about 1.5 million earthquakes a year, not really. And that's just above magnitude 2.0. Below that, there are more millions.
Additionally, USGS claims that 134 earthquakes between the magnitudes 6 and 6.9 occur annually, the same magnitude as those that hit India, Cuba and Japan. Statistically, is it not unlikely that two would happened on the same day.
In the past week, there have been more than 250 earthquakes in Alaska alone, nearly 30 of which happened Sunday. In California and Nevada, there were nearly 400 quakes over the same period, the largest reaching around 4.0 magnitudes, according to USGS.
Yet, 2011 has seen its share of large-scale quakes. In March, a 9.0 earthquake hit Japan, causing enormous damage and a nuclear disaster at the Fukushima power plant. A month earthlier, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand killed nearly 200.
On Sept. 6, a 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit the Indonesian island of Sumatra, killing a 12-year-old boy who was lying in bed and a man who died of a heart attack as he fled his home.
[Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/215703/20110918/earthquake-today-inda-virginia.htm]
Can India Face the Earthquake?
A well-known geologist at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research located at Bangalore, K.S. Valdiya is among those who think that complacence will definitely be harmful. He also said that had the tsunami of 2004 happened from near the Andaman Islands, and not Sumatra, it would have lashed the eastern coast of India with greater ferocity.
Several earthquakes capable of generating tsunamis have originated near the Andaman Islands and it cannot be guaranteed that such huge events won’t be taking place in future.
As per the latest works of K.S. Valdiya, the “lineaments” identified by the field work and remote sensing along the west coasts of states like Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra “are actually geological faults” that have the potential capability of causing earthquakes. While some of the faults are inert, some on the other hand are active and locked as well that is without any movement.
Valdiya also added further that; “one cannot simply locate nuclear plants on the basis of today’s hazard zoning map that is based on past occurrences of earthquakes………Just because a fault has not been identified, it doesn’t mean the fault does not exist”.
Valdiya’s work has also come up with detection of a seismic “hotspot” near the Indo-Gangetic plain, which should be addressed.
As per C.P. Rajendran from the Centre for Earth Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science located in Bangalore, India has the biggest threat of earthquake from the Himalayan region. To quote him: “One of our major concerns should be the 2,500-km long Himalayan plate boundary that extends from the northwest to northeast, a zone that hosts potential fault lines that could generate both large and great earthquakes (magnitude-7 and above).”
There are several gaps Himalayan axis such as the central Himalayas, which have been quiet from a long time and might generate earthquakes in future. There are seismic gaps also in the northeast Himalayas. Rajendran believes that the geologists in India should take motivation from the Japanese disaster and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and thereby check out India’s preparedness to handle earthquake-related calamities.He also added: “We need to focus both on the earthquake engineering and on the scientific research of the earthquake processes.”
A senior geologist at NGRI that is National Geophysical Research Institute located in Hyderabad, Vineet Gahalaut also agreed to this saying: “The Japan region is the best instrumented region in the world and even there this earthquake occurred as a surprise……We need to improve our understanding of the earthquake occurrence processes. We need more instrumental data”.
Though there are less chances of India facing the threat of an earthquake so big in magnitude yet there are complete chances of earthquake measuring 6 or above in the Richter scale looming over different regions in the country.
The whole India has been categorized into 4 seismic zones, 2, 3, 4 and 5, according to the sensitivity of the region to quakes. Zone 5 consists of areas with earthquake threats measuring about 9 in the Richter scale. Zone 4 consists of quake threats measuring 8to 9 on the Richter scale while Zone 3 comprises of earthquakes in between 6to 8 on the Richter scale. In terms of quake threats, about 65% of India comes under zone 3. About 17 states and 169 districts in India have been announced to be sensitive to earthquakes.
Delhi falls under zone 4. The situation in Delhi is so grave that if an earthquake takes place in the region, lakhs of houses can get destroyed. In the year it was made mandatory for the houses being established in the capital city to use anti-earthquake techniques. Unfortunately, it has always been ignored. Similar situations can be found in case of other cities in India as well. About 80% of the population in Delhi is located in irregular colonies and slums constructed without the recommendations from the engineer. Hence it is very obvious that these houses have not been created as per the earthquake situation tackling norms.
Professor S Mukherjee in this regard has pointed out the fact that many localities in Kolkata and Delhi have more than 2 lakh people residing in every square kilometer. Hence in case of earthquakes there are possibilities of heavy casualties.
The most unfortunate fact in India is that the inadequacy in the infrastructure often mars the entire relief measures and procedures in India. In times of disasters, more people die because of the lack in the basic infrastructure. With a ratio of 0.7:1000, India is not even able to provide with a single bed for every 1000 people in the country. Further approximately only a single doctor is available for every 1722 patients in the country.
Scarcity of money or funds is yet another huge problem that is plaguing the Indian system.
When asked if the geologists in India are ready to face similar earthquakes as that of Japan, “No” was the answer that came form Vineet Gahalaut, the senior geologist at the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI). He pointed out that: “The biggest problem is the implementation of building codes and lack of public awareness…….When death toll and economic losses in such a technologically advanced country like Japan may reach so high, imagine a country like India, where there is no law on building codes and almost no public awareness.”
According to the ex-director of NGRI and also the famous seismologist, Vinod Gaur, earthquake or threats from tsunami are surely technologically manageable. Nevertheless, “India’s record of managing even low-intensity hazards is dismal”
[Source: http://blog.mapsofindia.com/2011/03/17/can-india-face-the-quakes-no-place-for-complacency/]
6.8 Earthquake Rattles India
(AP) – Officials say a strong earthquake has hit northeastern India near the border with Nepal. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. Indian seismology official RS Dattatreyan says the quake struck today and had a preliminary magnitude of 6.8. It was centered near Nepal in India's northeastern state of Sikkim.
[Source: http://www.newser.com/story/128819/india-earthquake-68-shaker-hits-sikkim-near-nepal-border.html]
[Source: http://www.newser.com/story/128819/india-earthquake-68-shaker-hits-sikkim-near-nepal-border.html]
Earthquake in SIKKIM, North and East INDIA - Magnitude 6.8
Date-Time: Sunday, September 18, 2011 at 12:40:48 UTC
Sunday, September 18, 2011 at 06:10:48 PM at epicenter
Location: 27.730°N, 88.082°E
Depth : 20.7 km (12.9 miles)
Region: SIKKIM, INDIA
Distances: 68 km (42 miles) NW of Gangtok, Sikkim, India
119 km (73 miles) NNW of Shiliguri, West Bengal, India
272 km (169 miles) E of KATHMANDU, Nepal
572 km (355 miles) N of Kolkata (Calcutta), West Bengal, India
Location Uncertainty: horizontal +/- 14.4 km (8.9 miles); depth +/- 7.4 km (4.6 miles)
Parameters: NST=258, Nph=258, Dmin=369.6 km, Rmss=1.17 sec, Gp= 29°,
M-type=regional moment magnitude (Mw), Version=9
Source: Magnitude: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Location: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
[Original Post: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc0005wg6.html#details]
6.8 magnitude earthquake in Sikkim, strong tremors felt in North and East India
[Source: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/6-8-magnitude-earthquake-in-sikkim-strong-tremors-felt-in-north-india-134537]
[NOTE: the picture is taken from previous capture]
Bengaluru doesn't need a La Tomatina
"Next question, so why are we celebrating a Spanish festival in the first place? To foster bilateral relations with Spain? Definitely not; because it is loads of tangy fun. The whole idea of the Tomatina festival has been popularised by the Bollywood movie 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara'. Haven't you watched it? The next thing you know you'll be asked to leave the country! Go catch it first thing this evening. The movie of course was immensely popular but even more fame was garnered by the sequence of the tomato festival where the three main leads of the movie; Hrithik Roshan, Abhay Deol and Farhan Akhtar are romancing the squishy tomatoes along with the gorgeous lady Katrina Kaif."
As quoted on a website, this is the answer to 'Why this festival in India?' by organisers for La Tomatina festival Bangalore.
History has it recorded, films and cinema have always inspired individuals to enact what they see on on screens. A similar incident, that provoked me to get involved in this issue in the first place happened recently.
Almost all of us enjoyed Zoya Akhtar's "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" (ZNMD), a story that revolves around three friends decide to reunite after 4 years of college by taking a trip to Spain. Where they meet Katrina Kaif and experience Spain like never before. One of the events that take place in the film is the famous 'La Tomatina festival’ held in Valencia a district of Bunol. Of course, everyone who watched the film remembers the festival, the ZNMD had been using the event as a promotional gimmick, but a few decided to do their own version in India. First it was tried in Delhi, I’m guessing it was cancelled due to similar protests.
Now a few enthusiastic individuals in Bangalore have decided to throw an extravagant ‘La Tomatina Bangalore Party’ where they have booked Emerald Greens (Palace Grounds), got trucks full of tomatoes, alcohol, four popular DJ’s to squish & throw tomatoes at each other for hours. Not to mention, the over priced tickets. I was concerned on the amount of tomatoes that will be wasted during this festival. While Spain, being a developed country, hosts this festival in only one city once a year because of cultural reasons and historical association. India, being a developing economy, will have one in every city because we believe in our rights that come with money?
The World Bank estimates that India is ranked 2nd in the world of the number of children suffering from malnutrition, after Bangladesh (in 1998), where 47% of the children exhibit a degree of malnutrition. The prevalence of underweight children in India is among the highest in the world, and is nearly double that of Sub-Saharan Africa with dire consequences for mobility, mortality, productivity and economic growth. According to India State Hunger Index (ISHI), Karnataka is one of the 12 states that come under the alarming hunger index.
Finding out all the above information as I thought of the consequences, I decided a week back that I want to contribute to any form of protest against this and I started a petition on change.org titled “Karnataka Chief Minister: Ban La Tomatina festival in Karnataka”, my aim was to ask Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda to stop and prevent La Tomatina anywhere in Karnataka.
Within a few days, thousands of concerned citizens from across India signed my petition calling on the Karnataka Chief Minister to ban La Tomatina festivals in Karnataka, calling it as public wastage of food. More than 1500 people have signed the petition and over 8000 more have joined a Facebook group associated with the campaign. (Facebook page: WTF is Tomatina in Bangalore, Use that money to feed the poor.)
In addition to our efforts online, I approached the Deputy Commissioner of Urban Bangalore and filed a complaint with him. He accepted our complaint on the basis that this event is promoting public wastage of food which should not be acceptable in any district in a country like ours.
If the moral injustice of this isn’t enough, after checking with the government, it turns out that permissions have not been taken from BBMP or the Police Commissioner either! And despite not having permission to hold the event the organisers are continuing to sell tickets. What is even more suspicious is that there seems to be no publicly available information on who the organisers are and what company is receiving the funds, which makes me concerned for those who already paid to attend the event.
We've spoken with the Mayor’s office, the Chief Ministers office and the Commissioners office and they’re appearing increasingly sympathetic to what we’re calling for.
[Source: http://bangalore.citizenmatters.in/articles/view/3388-bangalore-citizens-against-la-tomatina-take-action]
La Tomatina gets Rotten Tomatoes
People who argued against such a festival in the City, pointed out the incongruity of such a festival in a country which hosts 25 per cent of the world’s hungry and has 43 percent of its children aged below five suffer from malnutrition, and whose culture discourages wastage of food. Not to mention the ongoing food inflation woes.
Lakshmaiah, a tomato grower from Kolar, who led a farmers’ delegation that met Sadananda Gowda on Friday, said: “Such activities in a country whose farmers commit suicide, knowing very well they are unable to grow enough for their country is unacceptable.”
Another farmer, Krishna Reddy, said it was “insulting” to find out that food could be wasted through such activity. “We get water from as deep as 1,200-ft to grow tomatoes and we definitely do not grow it to be thrown at each other,” he lamented. The opposition for the attempted festival planned to be at Palace Grounds here and also in Mysore, garnered support from NGOs, environmentalists and thousands of concerned citizens both online and off it. M K Shridharan, a Trustee of Education Informal, in a letter to Gowda has pointed out: “...A tomato festival could be designed to ensure tomatoes reach to those who are suffering from hunger and undernourishment.”
The chief minister, who ordered cancellation of La Tomatina, has directed the Police Commissioners of Bangalore and Mysore to take appropriate steps to effect the ban. The opposing groups pointed out that as many as 5,000 people were expected to participate in this fest, which would mean, even if underestimated, waste of nearly 60,000 kg of tomatoes.
They also ridiculed the notion of mimicking a ‘festival’ that originated as a rivalry between groups in 1945.
Rajesh Padmar, Director of Namaste India, said: “There are farmers who grow 40 to 50 tonnes of tomato per acre in the district and wastage to this extent means a ‘loss’ of an estimated Rs 64 lakh.” Akshey Kalra, who initiated the online campaign that got over 8,000 supporters on Facebook and another 3,000 to sign on the petition form that was sent to the Police Commissioner’s office and the CM’s office, said he had initiated the campaign because he was a “conscious” individual.
“...And I was glad that the authorities treated us so well when we took the matter up with them. Mr Suneel Kumar, Additional Commissioner had assured us that he would look into the matter. It is good news that the chief minister has banned it.”
[Source: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/191340/la-tomatina-gets-rotten-tomatoes.html]
HBO Pay-Per-View
But 1999 differed radically from 2006. 1999 saw De La Hoya-Trinidad (1,400,000 buys), Holyfield-Lewis I (1,200,000), Holyfield-Lewis II (850,000), and De La Hoya-Quartey (570,000). By contrast, only one pay-per-view mega-fight took place in 2006: De La Hoya-Mayorga (925,000 buys). Rahman-Maskaev bombed with under 50,000. The other eight PPV cards last year all fell in the 325,000-450,000 range. Pay-per-view fights in that range almost always generate more money for the promoter and fighters than HBO wants to pay for an HBO World Championship Boxing license-fee.
In May 2007, the super-welterweight boxing match between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. on HBO PPV became the biggest-selling non-heavyweight title fight, with a little more than 2.5 million buyers. The fight itself generated roughly $134.4 million dollars in domestic PPV revenue, making it the most lucrative prizefight of all time. In December 2007 the Floyd Mayweather vs. Ricky Hatton fight appeared on-track to sell well over 900,000 PPV buys,.
The leading PPV attraction, Oscar De La Hoya, has "sold" approximately 12.8 million units in total, giving $612 million in domestic television receipts.[citation needed] In third place in buys, Evander Holyfield has achieved 12.6 million units ($543 million); and in second, Mike Tyson has reached 12.4 million units ($545 million).
HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg calls the expansion of pay-per-view "the biggest economic issue in boxing" and says:
"I can't tell you that pay-per-view helps the sport because it doesn't. It hurts the sport because it narrows our audience, but it's a fact of life. Every time we try to make an HBO World Championship Boxing fight, we're up against mythical pay-per-view numbers. HBO doesn't make a lot of money from pay-per-view. There's usually a cap on what we can make. But the promoters and fighters insist on pay-per-view because that's where their greatest profits lie."
"It's a big problem," Greenburg continues. "It's getting harder and harder to put fighters like Manny Pacquiao on HBO World Championship Boxing. If Floyd Mayweather beats Oscar, he might never fight on HBO World Championship Boxing again. But if HBO stopped doing pay-per-view, the promoters would simply do it on their own [like Bob Arum did with Cotto-Malignaggi in June 2006] or find someone else who will do it for them."
Former HBO Sports President Seth Abraham concurs, saying, "I think, if Lou (DiBella) and I were still at HBO, we'd be in the same pickle as far as the exodus of fights to pay-per-view is concerned."
Pay-per-view: United States
The Zenith Phonevision system became the first pay-per-view system tested in the United States. Developed in 1951, it used telephone lines to take and receive orders as well as to de-scramble a broadcast signal. Phonevision field-tests ran for 90 days in Chicago. The system used IBM punched cards to de-scramble a signal broadcast during the broadcast station's "off-time". Both systems showed promise, but the FCC denied them permits.
One of the earliest pay-per-view systems on cable, the Optical Systems Channel 100, first entered service in 1972 in San Diego through Mission Cable (acquired by Cox Communications) and TheaterVisioN, which operated out of Sarasota, Florida. These early systems quickly went out of business, as the cable industry adopted satellite technology and as flat-rate systems like Home Box Office became popular.
Boxing fans were first introduced to their sport on pay-per-view with the Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier fight "Thrilla In Manila", there was also another in 1980, when Roberto Duran defeated Sugar Ray Leonard. Cable companies offered the match for $10, and about 155,000 customers paid to watch the fight.
A major pay-per-view event[citation needed] occurred on September 16, 1981, when Sugar Ray Leonard fought Thomas "Hitman" Hearns for the Welterweight Championship. Viacom Cablevision in Nashville, Tennessee, the first system to offer the event, sold over fifty percent of its subscribers for the fight. Leonard visited Nashville to promote the fight, and the event proved such a success that Viacom themed its annual report for that year around it. Viacom's Marketing Director was Pat Thompson who put together the fight and subsequently put together additional PPV fights, wrestling matches, and even a Broadway play.
After leaving Viacom, Thompson became head of Sports View and produced the first pay-per-view football game on October 16, 1983, when Tennessee played Alabama from Birmingham, Alabama. Sports View played a role in building pay-per-view networks and became the early pioneer in developing TigerVision for LSU, TideVision for Alabama, and UT Vol Seat for Tennessee. Sports View also produced the Ohio State-Michigan Football game on PPV in November 1983.
In 1985, the first U.S. cable channels devoted to pay-per-view, Viewer's Choice, Cable Video Store, First Choice, and Request TV began operation within days of each other.[citation needed] Viewer's Choice serviced both home satellite-dish and cable customers, while Request TV, though broadcasting to cable viewers, would not become available to dish-owners until the 1990s.
First Choice PPV was available on Rogers Cablesystems in the United States and Canada. When Paragon Cablesystems acquired the Rogers Cablesystems in San Antonio, Texas First Choice continued until 1996 when Time Warner Cable bought Paragon Cablesystems in San Antonio, Texas.
The term "pay-per-view" did not come into general use until the late 1980s when companies like iN DEMAND, HBO, and Showtime started using the system to show movies and some of their productions. In Demand would show movies, concerts, and other events, with live sporting events such as WrestleMania predominant. Prices ranging from $3.99 to $49.99, while HBO and Showtime, with their legs TVKO and SET Pay Per View, would offer championship boxing with prices ranging from $14.99 to $54.99.
ESPN has shown college football and basketball games on pay-per-view. The boxing undercard Latin Fury, shown on June 28, 2003, became ESPN's first boxing pay-per-view card and also the first pay-per-view boxing card held in Puerto Rico. Pay-per-view has provided a revenue stream for professional wrestling companies like World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), Ring of Honor (ROH) and Asistencia Asesoría y Administración.
In the United States pay-per-view broadcasters transmit without advertisements, unlike almost all other broadcasters.
Vince McMahon, the chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment, is considered by many as one of the icons of pay-per-view promotion. He owns the rights to payperview.com, which redirects to the WWE website.
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