====>|| News ||<====

[unartig]

Super Madonna gets into a hi-tech groove

by ARWA HAIDER - Friday, September 12, 2008


One of Madonna's perfectly choreographed routines

In the late 1980s and 90s, Madonna live tours were a rare treat - in the 21st century, they keep coming thick and fast, and upping the extravagant ante.
The Sticky & Sweet tour is her fourth this decade, two years on from the glitterball thrills of her Confessions arena spectacle, and this time it's boldly stadium-sized, from the masses of dynamic dancers and musicians backing the superstar, to the gigantic 'M' initials flanking the stage. Madonna makes her entrance to a rapturous packed house, appropriately enough, on a bespoke throne.


Super fit Madonna


There's never any questioning who's queen of this show, and by the second number - the snappy, hip-hop flavoured Beat Goes On, taken from latest album Hard Candy - she's already packed in more energy and visual trickery than average artists muster in an entire concert: hi-tech screen projections, super-slick choreography, revolving surfaces and an onstage Rolls Royce. Hard Candy's bombastic pop production and playful humour is well suited to this massive venue, but the show's highlights include live 'remixes' of older favourites, including a vibrant rendition of Into The Groove (featuring Keith Haring cartoons and double dutch skipping en masse) and a Gypsy jam version of La Isla Bonita (she played this version at Live Earth last year, but it's still a raunchy winner).
Less successful is the show's pronounced 'rock' element - whenever she's compelled to pick up an electric guitar, it seems to sap her natural assurance. And it does nothing for tracks such as Human Nature and Hung Up - why reinvent your own classics in the style of Avril Lavigne?


Britney made a surprise appearance with a video message


Overall, though, Sticky & Sweet is delectable fun - and Madonna enhances its tight pacing and heady scale with some expert audience rapport; she gives praise that 'it didn't f*******' rain!' before leading a 90,000-strong singalong to her 1989 hit Express Yourself.
Having recently turned a nifty 50, Madonna stakes her claim as the most inexhaustible entertainer in the world, both in terms of repertoire and stamina.
This London date is just midway through the European leg of her latest tour, with a glut of shows across the Americas taking her right up to Christmas.
And at the core of this confection are two characteristically Madonna conceits - the golden age of showbiz and world dominationa

[unartig]

... Lame pet? Try a fling with this

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Cats and dogs can be such boring pets. They don't eat crickets or live in trees – and they don't fly.
Well, if Fido or Tiddles is not exciting enough for you, why not pick up a sugar glider – a critter which can glide up to 60m (200ft) by spreading its limbs like wings.
The possums, native to Australia and New Guinea, can fit in the palm of your hand and are becoming popular pets in Britain

Owners report seeing the gliders shimmying up curtains and flying across rooms, using their tails to help steer them.
Sugar gliders were first bred in captivity in the US ten years ago. A few breeders have set up shop in Britain, claiming the possum-like animals are good companions thanks to their lively, ­inquisitive natures.

Martin Bieda, from Pets Love Us in Southampton, has sold 40 pairs in two years. 'It's becoming quite a celebrity-type thing,' he said. 'Women wear them around their necks in pouches.'
But before you think about forking out £150 for your new pet, ­beware – they are high maintenance. They are nocturnal, very sensitive to sunlight, and have a strict diet.

Leap of faith: The possum prepares to land on breeder Sian Bailey's arm

The little creatures must be bought in pairs as, alone, they get so sad they can die.
Sugar gliders form strong bonds and love nothing more than curling up on their owner's shoulder or in their hair.
Breeder Sian Bailey, from Southampton, said: 'My only concern with them becoming more popular is that some people will buy them because they are unusual and then get bored

[unartig]

Zola reveals Hammers plan of attack

Friday, September 12, 2008
Gianfranco Zola last night pledged to liberate West Ham's players by putting the smiles back on their faces.

Looking forward: New West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola wants to entertain

Zola beamed his way through a press conference held to announce his appointment as Alan Curbishley's successor and proceeded to outline his footballing philosophy.

In news that will be warmly greeted by Hammers fans who had grown restless during Curbishley's regime, Zola vowed to honour the club's attacking traditions

And the former Italy and Chelsea favourite expects his influence to be felt by the team sooner rather than later.
'Football is joy. The best part of the game comes when you are enjoying what you're doing,' he said.
'So my first target will be to make it as enjoyable as possible for the players.
'Once they realise that I'm sure their performances will be better. The crowd will enjoy it more too.
'My philosophy is to play offensive football. I've always played that way because I trust it. It will be quicker for my philosophy to take effect than many people think.
'Once the players realise what I want from them and feel the freedom, it will happen quickly. But I haven't seen the players yet. I need to judge the situation with my eyes.
'I'm aware of the high expectations of West Ham fans. This is a challenge but I like challenges. I'm not afraid.'
Curbishley departed Upton Park in acrimonious circumstances, resigning from a position he held since December 2006 after clashing with the board over transfer policy.
He complained players has been sold behind his back amid reports of an uneasy relationship with technical director Gianluca Nani.
But Zola, who yesterday became West Ham's 12th permanent manager after agreeing a three-year contract, does not envisage any difficulty working with Nani.
'I have no problem working with a technical director. My job is working on the pitch,' he said.
'I will develop the players and team, then I'll report to the technical director.
'He's working with me, not against me. We will do what is good for the club.'
Zola is held in high esteem by English football thanks to a seven-year spell at Chelsea that saw him score 80 goals in 312 appearances.
The 42-year-old's coaching CV is far less impressive, comprising of a two-year stint as an assistant with Italy's Under-21s, but he is confident he will be a managerial success.
'I know I am not the most experienced manager around but I have ideas - I have been in football for 20 years,' he said.
'I know what we're talking about and I will certainly give something to this club - whether it is enough or not we will see.
'But I have a lot of knowledge of the game and the players will help me with this.'
West Ham's chief executive Scott Duxbury denied the club had taken the cheap option in opting for Zola over the more established Roberto Donadoni and Roberto Mancini.
'I agree the lack of experience is a question mark and there were people on the shortlist who had more experience,' he said.
'But meeting him and talking to him at length about his football philosophy, it became clear there was no other choice.
'It wasn't about a taking a cheap option, he was the perfect option. His interview was so impressive that it was clear who we needed
---------------------------------------
envisage
to contemplate; visualize: He envisages an era of great scientific discoveries
Synonyms 1. picture, imagine, conceive, envision

[unartig]

I forgive my son's killers, says mother of stabbed teen

by JO STEELE - Sunday, September 14, 2008

Victim: Oliver King-Onzila

The grieving mother of a promising young footballer stabbed to death outside a nightclub said yesterday that she had forgiven his killer.
Caroline King-Onzila spoke out after her 19-year-old son, Oliver, became the 26th teenager to be murdered in the capital this year.
'Whoever can take a knife and use it to hurt someone else is possessed by demons and needs help,' said the committed Christian. 'I forgive that person because my faith is strong, but only Jesus can help them.'
Her son, who played for Barnet FC and captained the England College team, was drinking with friends in the early hours of Saturday when he was attacked by two youths

The teenager collapsed outside the E Bar in Croydon, south-east London, and died of his injuries.
Police arrested two 18-year-olds, one of whom was later released. One of them needed treatment for injuries to his hands.
It is the second tragedy to hit the family this year. Oliver's elder brother Herve, 27, collapsed and died of a suspected heart attack during a football match in February.
'I am totally devastated. I don't know what to do. I've only got one son left now. This is like a story that is repeating itself,' said Mrs King-Onzila.
She described Oliver as 'a kind and gentle boy who never carried a knife and could never harm anyone'
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
stabbed
noun
a thrust or blow with, or as if with, a pointed weapon
demons
An inferior deity, such as a deified hero

[unartig]

New model army kicks off London Fashion Week

by SOPHIE FREEMAN - Sunday, September 14, 2008
High heels, military dress and bright colours marked the start of London Fashion week yesterday.

Some of the designs on display at the beginning of London Fashion Week

Irish designer Paul Costelloe kicked off the event with a collection mixing army-style coats with short dresses, first in neutral colours and later in pink and yellow.
Newlywed Peaches Geldof attended the Topshop show and looked impressed with its new range.
In an opening speech, British Fashion Council chairman Harold Tillman said: 'This is the most exciting fashion capital in the world

'Here is where fashions start. Our schedule provides diversity in style, inspired by our culturally rich city.'
An estimated 5,000 buyers, models and journalists are expected to attend the 52 shows which run until Friday evening at locations including the Natural History Museum.
Highlights include collections from Julien Macdonald, Vivienne Westwood and Luella Bartley.
Last month, it was announced that a move to bring in health certificates for models had been dropped after New York, Paris and Milan said it was unworkable.
But model Erin O'Connor, vice-chairman of the BFC, said 'We've gone to great lengths to make sure London Fashion Week is a healthy place for models to work

-------------------------------------------------
I gonna go London,anybody wants souvenir?

[unartig]

It's Beyoncé on the beat

by JONATHAN MARTENS - Sunday, September 14, 2008
Pop diva Beyoncé shows her masculine side as she shoots her new video, If I Were A Boy.

The 27-year-old is seen wearing a police uniform while frisking a criminal on the streets of Harlem in New York.
The r'n'b star's as-yet-untitled new album is said to include suggestive new offerings about gender role reversals
-----------
on the beat
in the correct rhythm or tempo: By the end of the number they were all finally playing on the beat
frisking
the act of searching someone for concealed weapons or illegal drugs; "he gave the suspect a quick frisk
-----------
Finally i find out why boys like to be criminal in early ages

[unartig]

Mother 'took girl's ID to be school cheerleader'

by JOEL TAYLOR - Sunday, September 14, 2008

Wendy Brown: 'wanted to be a cheerleader'

A mother has been charged with stealing the identity of her 15-year-old daughter - so she could fulfil her dream of being a high school cheerleader.
Wendy Brown got as far as attending practice with the cheerleading squad at a US school without raising suspicions.
The 33-year-old was given her own locker and went to a swimming pool party at the home of the squad's coach.
Her daughter was living 3,200km (2,000 miles) away in Nevada with her grandmother at the time. When questioned by police, Brown said she never had a proper childhood and wanted to regain a part of her life that she missed

Kim Demeny, who works at the school in Green Bay, Wisconsin, said Brown seemed timid and even cried when she talked about moving from a school in Nevada.
She said that while Brown looked older than a student, she behaved like one.
Teachers became suspicious only when Brown turned up for just one day of classes last week. Her cheque for £67 towards her cheerleading uniform also bounced.
She appeared in court charged with identity theft via video link
If convicted, Brown could face six years in prison and a £5,000 fine. She allegedly has a history of ID theft.
Police said the school was given all the correct pupil registration documents.
A spokesman said: 'I don't know how long she could have continued to play the game but she was successful at what she was doing
----------------------------------------
timid
adjective
lacking in self-assurance, courage, or bravery; easily alarmed; timorous; shy
Synonyms fearful, fainthearted

[unartig]

Guitar hero who is just nine years old

by MILES ERWIN - Sunday, September 14, 2008
Most children his age would be happy standing in front of a mirror playing air guitar - but Yannick Koffi is no ordinary nine-year-old.

The youngster can play the bass so well that he is being hailed as a future rock star.
The pint-sized prodigy's ability to perform complex pieces of music has astounded experts, with electric guitar maker Fender making him one of their youngest endorsees.
Yannick, who looks the part of a rock star with his dreadlocks, plays with two of his father's bands as a bass player and on the keyboards. 'I just pick stuff up really quickly,' he said

His father, Gervais, added: 'He's got the ear - he has a very pure ear. He can hear instantly if a note isn't right. Even with some of the musicians in the band, if they are not in shape he will look at them and say, "What are you doing?"'
Yannick's talents became obvious at the age of ten months when he began singing a traditional Ivory Coast song. By the age of two he had learnt an entire Michael Jackson concert from a video.
A home video shows him singing Billie Jean, strumming a tiny plastic guitar and attempting a moonwalk.
The youngster, who has been dubbed the Mozart of Marrickville, after his home town in New South Wales, Australia, is now off to Japan to film a TV show. He will play in a band with host of other pre-teen prodigal talents in the rock world
----------------------------------------------
prodigy
a person, esp. a child or young person, having extraordinary talent or ability: a musical prodigy

[unartig]

Lava-ly view for volcano snapper

by JO STEELE - Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The temperature of this lava is more than 1,000˚C (2,000˚F) but the man behind the camera is cool as ice.

Red hot: Lava pours from Kilauea volcano in Hawaii

Brad Lewis has travelled the world to photograph these extreme forces of nature. Known as the Volcano Man, he gets close to the action without being burnt to a crisp

'If I stay upwind, I can get pretty close,' said the 50-year-old, adding: 'I love being around exploding bubbles of lava for the twisting dynamics of exploding light.'

But the American from Hawaii insists he's not taking risks.
'If my little voice inside tells me I am in danger, I leave,' he said.
'It is great fun being a volcano photographer but more fun being a father and husband
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
lava
the molten, fluid rock that issues from a volcano or volcanic vent
crisp
Something crisp or easily crumbled: The roast was burned to a crisp
upwind
moving or situated toward or in the direction from which the wind is blowing: an upwind leap; the upwind portions of the aircraft

[unartig]

Smallest man meets world's longest legs

Tuesday, September 16, 2008
[
Keep your eyes to the front, not up

Here's an image you don't see very often: the world's smallest man standing directly underneath the woman with the longest legs ever.
Svetlana Pankrtova's legs rise a whopping 51.96in while He Ping Ping measures at just 29.37in tall
They met today in London's Trafalgar Square to celebrate the launch of this year's Guinness Book Of Records.
She may not be the world's tallest woman, that record is held by Yao Defen, who stands 7ft 9in.
But she certain has pins to die for and was not afraid to show them off in a daring ocean blue mini dress
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
what a lovely couple they could be