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Managing Your Time Effectively

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:34:14 GMT

Managing Your Time Effectively

Time is very precious for all of us. If once the time flees it never comes back. So Spending time, like spending money, is a very personal matter. Unlike money, however, you can't get a "time raise" or "save some hours" for a busy day. Successful people, must budget time according to their priorities to ensure that they spend it effectively. To be able to perform effectively at work, time management skills are a must for everybody.

Time management is important for those who wish to have a balanced professional and personal life. Have you ever taken a look around at your workplace? If you were an observant person, you would have probably noticed how certain people complete their task with great ease before the stipulated time while some struggle laboriously with the same. You may have thought it probably has to do with the particular abilities of a person. Yes, it does hint at a person’s capability but it does not mean others do not have skills. The thing missing out in case of others who fail to perform well is the knowledge about time management skills.

Having the knowledge of time management skills is all about being more productive at work while keeping stress at bay. Slogging for long hours at work does not always mean he/she is really a hardworking employee. An employer would then need to check if the particular person is unable to manage his/her time well enough to complete the taskwithin the given hours. If you are often caught in this trap of being unable to manage your tasks well no matter how hard you try, read all about some tips on techniques about time management skills.

Identify Your Goals and Priorities:
The first step in learning to manage your time—controlling your life—is to identify what your goals and priorities are. Think about the set tasks for the day. You would then need to know how much time should be allotted to a particular task. Focus your energy on the important tasks that are completely significant to you. Is there a particular time of the day when you feel most productive? If your thinking powers are particularly sharp in the morning hours, try to finish your important tasks during that period. You can use the rest of time to finish the seemingly smaller tasks later.

Maintain a planner/diary:
Having a diary with all your activities for the day may seem a little cumbersome to you but you must maintain a diary to know the way you plan your day. Make a to-do list to organize things. Mark all the important tasks for the day. Include some time for your personal self as well.

Learn to say no!
Well, when you are delegating your tasks and if you really can’t fit things in the schedule, learn to say no when required. There is a major difference between realistic goals and the completely impractical ones. Find out another alternative in that case. Every problem has its solution and you are not a one-man show, so learn to refuse when required.

Always keep time for yourself:
To be energized for work would require you to plan for some things, which you really enjoy apart from the work schedule. Going for a dance class or exercising at the gym would give you a chance to feel geared up about your work as well. Explore a new place at the weekend. Plan some time for yourself in between meetings; this is absolutely necessary if you are aiming to finish all the tasks on time!

Be flexible but remain in control:
Expect interruptions, as they are bound to occur. If you are doing things in priority order—not leaving big things to the last—you and your schedule will easily survive.

It is therefore very necessary for one to be aware of time management skills and feel more organized at work. These tips and techniques are bound to help you manage your work in the most effective manner!

The SSF

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 04:13:53 GMT

The Spectacular Sex Fest that followed the Olympics!

Olympic athletes eventually overcame the stress of strict discipline they faced during the two weeks of competition with a final burst of sexual release on the eve of the closing ceremonies in the Olympic Village.

“This sex fest . . . (happened) right here in Beijing,” the New York Post quoted Matthew Syed, a past Olympian and table-tennis champion now working as a commentator, as writing in the Times of London.

“Olympic athletes have to display an unnatural - and, it has to be said, wholly unhealthy - level of self-discipline in the build-up to big competitions. How else is this going to manifest itself than with a volcanic release of pent-up hedonism?” he wrote.

He said that big winners were the principal objects of desire for many female athletes, included those as geeky as Michael Phelps”.

Even losers got their share, he said, adding that it was “a common sight to see recently knocked-out athletes gorging on Magnums and McDonald’’s, swilling alcohol and, of course, shagging like crazy.”

The Beijing Government ensured the supply of free condoms so that the competitors would practice safe sex.

One Australian athlete said: “It is unbelievable in there; everyone is totally crazy once they are out of their competitions.”

Eva Mendes

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 04:23:39 GMT

Eva Mendes Strips Off For Sexy New Lingerie Ads

Eva Mendes will soon be making men's hearts skip a beat, as she's getting set to pose for a new Calvin Klein underwear campaign.

The gorgeous actress will show off her perfect body wearing nothing but Klein's classy lingerie in the label's new Seductive Comfort line show.

The new bras will be available in stores later this year (08).

Recently, the 30-year-old Mendes lavished praise for the media for not "trashing" her rehab stint. Mendes had entered Utah's Cirque Lodge centre in February this year.

As for the reason why she entered rehab, it has been said that she had to "proactively" attend to "some personal issues".

Julio Iglesias

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:27:23 GMT

Julio Iglesias, toujours là,

fête ses 40 ans de carrière

de "latin lover" !

A presque 65 ans (23 septembre), toujours sur la brèche, Julio Iglesias, le chanteur de charme espagnol le plus célèbre au monde, fête par une tournée dans son pays ses 40 ans de carrière, entamée un soir de juillet 1968 sur la côte méditerranéenne.

L'homme aux 250 millions d'albums, qui a susurré aux oreilles de millions de femmes que les hommes étaient des "Pauvres diables" à leurs pieds, ou "Me va, me va", était mardi soir dans les arènes de Puerto de Santa Maria, en Andalousie (sud).

C'était l'une des six étapes de sa tournée espagnole, qui se poursuivra de l'autre côté de l'océan Atlantique le mois prochain.

Samedi dernier, il était à Benidorm, la ville près d'Alicante (sud-est) qui l'a révélé au monde, 40 ans plus tôt. Le 17 juillet 1968, il était alors un Madrilène d'un peu moins de 25 ans et il remportait le "Festival de la chanson" avec le titre "La vida sigue igual".

"J'étais très nerveux. Un ami m'a poussé, et je suis monté sur scène les mains dans les poches", s'est-il rappelé dans la ville de ses débuts.

"J'ai l'impression que c'était hier, ici-même", a ajouté celui qui se préparait à une carrière de footballeur professionnel, brisée à 20 ans par un accident de la route.

Après ce premier trophée, sa carrière était lancée. Il a signé un contrat avec Discos Columbia, le label de musique latine de Columbia Records et est vite devenu le chanteur "latin lover" le plus international (aujourd'hui, son site internet est disponible en 21 langues).

Quarante ans plus tard, il est toujours là, bardé de distinctions, dont un disque de diamants délivré par le Livre Guinness pour le record du nombre de disques vendus dans le plus grand nombre de pays, en plusieurs langues. Il s'est aussi vu attribuer une étoile sur le fameux "Walk of Fame" d'Hollywood Boulevard en 1985.

"Ce furent 40 années intenses et très heureuses", a déclaré mardi au journal "La Voz de Cadiz" le chanteur, qui a dû interrompre un concert en juin en Russie après un coup de fatigue.

"Comme le temps passe, n'est-ce pas ? On ne se rend pas compte, mais ainsi va la vie", a ajouté ce père de huit enfants. Le plus jeune a tout juste un an et Enrique, 33 ans, a suivi sur scène les pas de son père.

Le temps passe, mais le sourire est toujours aussi étincelant de blancheur: "Je n'ai pas changé" est le titre d'une de ses plus célèbres chansons.

Si à Benidorm, il n'a vendu que 2.000 des 7.000 places disponibles, il a fait salle comble à Gérone (Catalogne, nord-est), et il va poursuivre sa tournée pendant au moins encore 10 mois.

Globe trotteur infatigable, il était en concert en Roumanie le jour de l'anniversaire du festival de Benidorm, le 17 juillet, et il fêtera ses 65 ans en septembre entre Monterrey au Guadalajara, au Mexique.

Après sa tournée, il devrait aller se reposer dans l'une de ses résidences à Miami (Etats-Unis), Punta Cana (République Dominicaine) et Marbella (Espagne).

La retraite pour Julio Iglesias ? "Tant que j'aurai la force, je continuerai", prévient le crooner.

Elisa SANTA FE

AFP

Eva Mendes

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:25:49 GMT

Eva Mendes Wanted to Become a Nun

Eva Mendes, who has posed topless, considered becoming a nun when she was younger - until she realized they don't get paid.

"I guess there is this little Catholic girl still inside me somewhere," The Daily Telegraph quoted her, as saying. "For a while there I wanted to be a nun.

"Well, that was until my sister told me that they don't get paid. Then I went off the idea really quickly," she added.

The 34-year-old, who is baring all for a series of underwear ads that have been banned by YouTube and US TV, recently revealed to Star magazine that she'd have no hesitation about going under the knife when her famously firm figure starts to sag.

The actress acknowledges her looks will only last so long, and she is ready to check in for some cosmetic surgery when she needs to. "When the time comes, I'm going to nip it and tuck it all," she said.

Offre d'emploi

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 05:12:31 GMT

Offre d'emploi

Monsieur Le Créateur, Patron d'une grande entreprise de communication spécialisée dans la mondialisation, recherche pour développer ses projets :

- un électricien pour rétablir le courant entre ceux qui ne se parlent plus,

- une infirmière pour soigner les bleus de l'âme,

- un opticien pour changer les regards,

- un démineur pour désamorcer les disputes,

- un fossoyeur pour enterrer la hache de guerre,

- un maçon pour bâtir la paix,

- un agronome pour promouvoir la culture de la non-violence,

- un aiguilleur pour retrouver le bon sens,

- un musicien pour adoucir les mœurs,

- un cuisinier pour partager la nourriture à toute l'humanité,

- un modérateur pour calmer la consommation,

- une couturière pour raccommoder le tissu social,

- un instituteur pour apprendre à compter les uns sur les autres,

- un informaticien pour sauvegarder la création,

- une femme de ménage pour dépoussiérer les vieilles théories,

- un journaliste pour répandre la Bonne Nouvelle,

- un horticulteur pour semer les fleurs d'espérance.

- un artiste pour dessiner un sourire sur tous les visages.

Megan Fox

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 05:10:30 GMT

Megan`s Steamy Lesbian Scene with Amanda Seyfried

Megan Fox has filmed a "really hot" lesbian love scene for her new movie.

The Transformers actress romps topless in bed with Mamma Mia star Amanda Seyfried in zombie film Jennifer's Body.

"The two girls make out hardcore, rolling around in a bed. It was a really hot scene," reveals a source.

In Jennifer's Body, Megan plays a possessed cheerleader who goes on a killing spree murdering her male classmates.

She recently hinted that she would be sharing a passionate smooch with her co-star Amanda, revealing: "I eat and seduce everyone. There's a lot of kissing everyone - boys and girls. All kinds of craziness."

This isn't the only highly-anticipated big screen lesbian kiss.

Scarlett Johansson recently revealed she enjoyed locking lips with Penelope Cruz in the new Woody Allen movie Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

"Everybody wants to know what it was like. Penelope had less facial hair than a guy so it was certainly more pleasant. It was better than kissing Jonathan Rhys Meyers in Match Point," she said.

Jennifer's Body, also stars Adam Brody and JK Simmons, and open in cinemas worldwide in 2009.

Sharon Stone

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 04:10:00 GMT

Sharon Stone Dating a Toyboy?

Basic Instinct star Sharon Stone is reportedly dating a man who is less than half her age.

Contactmusic.com reports that Stone, 50, is dating a 24-year-old guy called Chase Dreyfous. The actress is not talking about it, but Dreyfous boasted about his new romance with friends at a recent party.

"I've started dating Sharon Stone, and she’s pretty good for 50," Chase Dreyfous, 24, told his pals.

A source said, "Sharon called him and he showed the caller ID to everyone. She is really into him and even asked him to come with her to Mexico."

Jennifer Aniston

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:40:39 GMT

Jennifer Aniston is falling in love again

Jennifer Aniston is "falling in love" with singer-songwriter John Mayer, according to a report.

The 39-year-old actress was spotted on a romantic dinner date with Mayer, 30, last month in Miami, where she is currently filming her new movie Marley & Me. They have also been seen cuddling up together on a sun lounger at Aniston's hotel on South Beach.

A source close to Aniston told the Daily Mail: "She's really into John, and the nine year age difference doesn't bother her for a second. Jen's already telling friends she's falling in love with this guy."

Though Mayer has since returned to New York, the pal added: "Jen's really hoping he can spend more time in Miami with her. She just wants to see a lot more of him. This was definitely not a one-off thing as far as she's concerned."

John Mayer

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:31:34 GMT

John Mayer dumped Jennifer Aniston by SMS

John Mayer ended his relationship with Jennifer Aniston with a text message that read, “That’’s it - the end.”

“She is so intent on getting married and having children, he felt hemmed in, The Mirror quoted a pal, as saying.

After a 20-minute phone conversation, he just said, ”I can”t take it any more,” and hung up.

Then he texted, “That’’s it - the end, the pal added.

The pair became romantically linked in April.

Mayer said that he broke off with the actress because he didnt see a future with her.

Mayer described Aniston “the smartest, most sophisticated person I think Ive ever met.”

He added that throughout their relationship, the two remained completely honest and faithful.

“Theres no lying. Theres no cheating. Shes one of the most lovely people Ive ever met in my life,”

Lindsay

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:35:04 GMT

Lindsay Lohan's Lesbian Fears Revealed

American actress Lindsay Lohan’s first ever-lesbian lover Courtenay Semel has come forward to reveal the harrowing secret affair she had with the ‘Mean Girls’ star.

Semel was the first girl that Lohan shared her lesbian inclination with, and it had been a very covert relationship, unlike the one she is now having with British DJ Samantha Ronson.

“Everyone thinks Samantha is Lindsay’s first lesbian love, but we were very passionate until her fear of being found out drove us apart,” News of the World quoted Semel as telling a pal.

“At the time she was terrified her career would be over if she revealed her sexual tendencies.

“But then Samantha came on to the scene and I was dropped,” she added.

Semel, 25, also revealed that Lohan, 22, bedded a string of men in a bid to suppress her lesbian urges, and to hide them from her public.

She further revealed how as the pressure of her double life grew, Lohan fell into addictions, and finally having a bizarre love triangle with Ronson and her.

“She met Lindsay in the summer of 2006 at a party in Malibu,” Semel’s pal explained.

“From the start Lindsay was very confused about her feelings for Courtenay so did more and more drugs to stifle the sexual attraction she was experiencing.

“But eventually she just gave in and at every party they’d kiss and touch each other in the corner. It’s a miracle nobody found out.

“Both of them would do lines of cocaine in the toilets then head home and fall into bed together," the pal said.

The two went through an on-off relationship as Lohan checked into a succession of rehab units, and continued to date men as a ‘cover’.

But it was as early as January 2007 that she first met 31-year-old Samantha, sister of pop guru Mark Ronson.

“Back then Samantha and Lindsay didn’t have a physical relationship,” the pal continued.

“She once said, ‘Samantha’s the father I never had’!

“Apparently Samantha acted in a ‘paternal’ way towards her, giving her advice and cuddles,” the pal stated.

At one stage, the friend added, both Semel and Ronson were separately visiting Lindsay at a rehab unit called Promises.

“By now Lindsay was sending ‘I love you’ notes to Samantha and signing them ‘Lindsay Ronson’ but telling Courtenay she loved her too," the pal went on.

By October, Courtenay appeared to have the upper hand. She and Lindsay moved into a rented house in Beverly Hills.

“But still Lindsay brought men back,” the pal added.

“Courtenay would throw fits of rage, writing her hundreds of angry e-mails from another room in the house.

“The sexual attraction between them was electric though and they’d still kiss and make up," the pal said.

That ended last December when Lohan bedded one man too many and, unable to take more humiliation, Semel moved out.

It was less than a week later that Samantha was back on the scene. Outwardly, at least, Lindsay became a changed person, even turning blonde.

“Courtenay still can’t understand how Lindsay is now so open with Samantha,” the pal commented.

“Every time she sees a picture of them together it kills her,” the pal added.

Solar Bra

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 03:17:03 GMT

Now, a Solar Bra as Phone Charger!

Ladies, now you may take your battle for the environment a little closer to your heart with a solar-powered bra that can generate enough electric energy to charge a mobile phone or an iPod!

According to reports, Japanese lingerie maker Triumph International unveiled its environmentally friendly “Solar Power Bra” in Tokyo that includes a solar panel worn around the stomach.

Triumph spokeswoman Yoshiko Masuda said that the panel requires light to generate electricity and the concept bra will not be in stores anytime soon, as “people usually can not go outside without wearing clothes over it” .

Masuda added that the bra should not be washed or sunned on a rainy day to avoid damaging it.

Pop queen Madonna

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 03:41:49 GMT

Pop queen Madonna has 50th birthday

7:19am Sunday 17th August 2008

Madonna has reached her half century, but the queen of pop shows no signs of relinquishing her crown.

The singer has the knack of constant reinvention, from cone corsets, her Sex book and kissing Britney Spears, to becoming a children's author and raising awareness about the devastating effects of HIV in Malawi.

According to Guinness World Records, Madonna is the most successful female solo artist, selling around 120 million albums and 40 million singles - a combined total more than any other female.

Not one to be accused of slowing down, the super-fit singer is preparing for her Sticky And Sweet world tour.

Her spokeswoman was keeping tight-lipped about exactly how Madonna will be celebrating, only confirming she was in the UK at the moment.

The Mirror recently reported that a lavish do at her country estate in Wiltshire may have to be postponed due to Madonna suffering a bad ankle.

Despite world domination, Madonna has not always had her own way. In recent years she has had to face rumours of marriage difficulties with film director husband Guy Ritchie, which have been denied, as well as controversy over her adoption of Malawian child David Banda. The singer has two other children, a son, Rocco, and a daughter named Lourdes.

At the Cannes Film Festival this year, Madonna introduced a screening of her documentary I Am Because We Are about the effects of Aids in Malawi, saying the film was a "labour of love".

A new poll of more than 1,200 Madonna fans conducted by MSN Entertainment (entertainment.uk.msn.com) named Like A Prayer as her best song of all time. The album of the same name also topped the poll as Madonna's best.

Madge

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 00:01:00 GMT

Madge says she' turn 36, not 50, as per Kabbalah!

On the eve of her 50th birth anniversary, Madonna has declared that shes actually 36 according to Kabbalah.

Using ancient techniques known only to a select few, the high priests of Kabbalah have calculated the superstars spiritual age by channelling the energy of the poptastic one. And it’’s come out to be a mere 36.

While the Material Girls family and friends are wrapping up gifts for her, the lady has barred anyone to even utter the number 50 at her much awaited starry birthday celebrations on August 16, reports News.com.au.

In fact, she has even given clear instructions to her guests not to give any cards, cakes or presents bearing the number 50 or theyll bear the consequences at her hand.

According to sources, Madge’’s estranged brother is also sending flowers in a bid to mend bridges over his warts-and-all book Life With My Sister Madonna.

Geri Halliwell

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:57:37 GMT

Geri Halliwell moves girl in Coma

Spice Girl Geri Halliwell turned out to be a saviour when she personally sang for a 14-year-old schoolgirl, and brought the child out of coma.

Jessica Knight was stabbed 30 times in a frenzied attack as she walked alone through a park close to her home, and lay in coma for six days. She was fighting for life on the surgeon"s table, and her parents stayed by her bedside desperately waiting for her to recover.

Geri sang a few lines for Jessica during a surprise hospital visit, and the little girl"s body showed some movement.

"Geri sang a couple of lines of one of their songs and Jessica started moving her arms and legs," British tabloid Daily Mirror quoted the girl"s mother, Jill Walmsley, as saying.

"It was amazing. We were all in fits of giggles because we were so relieved and it was just so funny seeing her legs move to Geri's singing. The next day, she opened her eyes for the first time," she added.

She revealed that it was a family friend who arranged Geri's visit, after meeting the Spice Girls while they were performing their reunion tour in Manchester last month.

Jessica had been stabbed just two days before she was due to attend the group"s gig, she added. "I only found out Geri was coming half an hour beforehand. You just don't expect to be sitting in the hospital and for Geri Halliwell to walk in. She gave me a big hug and said that Jessica's story had really touched her," Jill said.

"It's just such a shame Jessica can't remember anything about it - when I told her Geri had been to visit her, she looked stunned and said 'No way!' Luckily, Geri left her a wristband from the Spice Girls concert as proof!" she added. Seven weeks after the attack, Jessica has finally started walking again.

Geri Halliwell

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 01:24:12 GMT

Geri Halliwell Strips for Bikini Shoot

Spice Girls star Geri Halliwell has bared her stunning body for a sexy photo shoot in seven years, insisting that she’s finally comfortable with her body.

Throughout her career, the 36-year-old has battled eating disorders, but is adamant that she is now fit and well after giving birth to her daughter Bluebell in 2006. In a new spread for British magazine Hello! the star is seen proudly showing off her curves in a tiny white swimming costume.

"People think I'm really confident but I do get self-conscious like many women about stripping off in public,” Contactmusic quoted her, as saying.

"I haven't been willingly photographed in a bikini for seven years - and I don't think I'll do it again. “At the moment I'm a bit curvier having done the tour so it was a big step forward for me to show my natural self rather than my worked-out honed self,” she added.

The singer admits that living with her demons is a constant battle but insists she is now happy with her healthy eating regime.

She added, "I did strive to have my most perfect body and in moments when I lack confidence that voice is always there waiting to tell me 'You are not good enough do better' but I'm more conscious of it.”

Scarlett Johansson

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:20:43 GMT

Scarlett Johansson slams Hollywood Ageism

Scarlett Johansson has criticised Hollywood's treatment of older women.

The 23-year-old actress and singer said that the movie industry was harder on women than men.

Johansson told Hello! magazine: "Women kind of wilt as men sort of achieve as they get older, like wine or whatever. It's like, 'Oh, she's past her prime and she can't play a sex symbol'."

The Girl With A Pearl Earring star, who is engaged to Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds, 31, added: "It's just a preconceived notion about women in general and particularly in this industry. It's a very vain, vain industry."

Johansson is the latest in a string of actresses to complain of ageism in Hollywood.

Sharon Stone, 50, once quipped: "When I went to the Oscars, it was like, 'Oh, there's been an archaeological dig and look what we've found, a 40-year-old'."

British actress Charlotte Rampling, 62, also condemned the treatment of actresses of a certain age, saying: "The system in Europe is nothing like in Hollywood. It is not so barbaric in terms of the ageing process."

Last year Demi Moore, 45, was quoted as saying: "It's been a challenging few years, being the age I am.

"Almost to the point where I felt like, well, they don't know what to do with me. I am not 20. Not 30.

"There aren't that many good roles for women over 40. A lot of them don't have much substance, other than being someone's mother or wife."

Lin Miaoke

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 01:26:17 GMT

Yang Peiyi, Lin Miaoke

Tribune wire report

11:21 AM CDT, August 12, 2008

Lin Miaoke may have appeared to be the star of the Olympics opening ceremony after she sang "Ode to the Motherland;" however, one member of China's Politburo revealed Miaoke had lip-synched the song, after the original singer, Yang Peiyi, was told she was not good-looking enough.

Chen Qigang, the ceremony's music director, had been asked last minute by the Politburo official to replace Peiyi with Miaoke, according to an interview with Beijing Radio.

"The audience will understand that it's in the national interest," Chen said in a video of the interview posted online Sunday night.

The news follows reports that some footage of the fireworks exploding across China's capital during the ceremony was digitally inserted into television coverage, apparently over concerns that not all of the 29 blasts could be captured on camera.

China has been eager to present a flawless Olympics image to the world, shooing migrant workers and so-called petitioners who come to the central government with grievances from the city and shutting down any sign of protest.

The country's quest for perfection apparently includes its children.

Lin Miaoke's performance Friday night, like the ceremony itself, was an immediate hit. "Nine-year-old Lin Miaoke becomes instant star with patriotic song," the China Daily newspaper headline said Tuesday.

But the real voice behind the tiny, pigtailed girl in the red dress who wowed 91,000 spectators at the National Stadium on opening night really belonged to 7-year-old Yang Peiyi. Her looks apparently failed the cuteness test with officials organizing the ceremony, but Chen said her voice was judged the most beautiful.

"The national interest requires that the girl should have good looks and a good grasp of the song and look good on screen," Chen said. "Lin Miaoke was the best in this. And Yang Peiyi's voice was the most outstanding."

During a live rehearsal soon before the ceremony, the Politburo member said Miaoke's voice "must change," Chen said in the radio interview. He didn't name the official.

So Peiyi's voice was matched with Miaoke's face.

"We had to make that choice. It was fair both for Lin Miaoke and Yang Peiyi," Chen told Beijing Radio. "We combined the perfect voice and the perfect performance."

Chen couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday.

A photo of Peiyi posted Tuesday on popular Web site Sina.com shows a smiling girl with bangs and crooked teeth. A China News Service story posted with the photo says a China Central Television reporter asked Peiyi whether she felt regret over the opening ceremony.

Peiyi responded that just having her voice used for the opening ceremony was an honor.

Whether the move was unethical, or unfair to both girls, has become a hot topic among Chinese and is racing across the country's blogosphere.

"The organizers really messed up on this one," said Luo Shaoyang, 34, a retail worker in Beijing.

"This is like a voice-over for a cartoon character," Luo said. "Why couldn't they pick a kid who is both cute and a good singer? This damages the reputation of both kids for their future, especially the one lip-synching. Now everyone knows she's a fraud. Who cares if she's cute?"

Zhang Xinyi, 22, who works in marketing in Beijing, disagreed.

"I can understand why they picked the prettier girl. They need to maintain a certain aesthetic beauty during the opening ceremonies. This situation is not so bad, especially since it gives two people an opportunity to shine rather than just one."

Peiyi is a first-grader at the Primary School affiliated to Peking University. Her tutor, Wang Liping, wrote in her blog that Peiyi is both cute and well-behaved, with a love for Peking opera.

"She doesn't like to show off. She's easygoing," Wang wrote. She and other school officials couldn't be reached Tuesday.

Miaoke, however, was a minor celebrity even before the opening ceremony. The third-grader appeared in a television ad last year with China's biggest gold medal hope, hurdling champion Liu Xiang, and she was in an Olympics ad just before Chinese New Year, China Daily reported.

Miaoke has her own blog, and one of the latest photos posted since the ceremony shows her looking up nervously at the ceremony's director, film director Zhang Yimou. "Giving the child encouragement," the caption says.

Her father, Lin Hui, told China Daily he learned Miaoke would be "singing" only 15 minutes before the opening ceremony began. The newspaper wrote Lin "still cannot believe his daughter has become an international singing sensation."

It was the second straight Olympics where the opening ceremony involved lip-synching.

Luciano Pavarotti's performance at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin was prerecorded. The maestro who conducted the aria, Leone Magiera, said earlier this year that the bitter cold made a live performance impossible for Pavarotti, who was in severe pain months before his cancer diagnosis. Pavarotti died in September 2007 at age 71.

Madonna

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 01:05:48 GMT

I'm getting more attractive with age

Pop superstar Madonna is happy getting older because she believes she is becoming more attractive with each passing year.

Contactmusic.com reports that the singer, who will be 50 in August this year, feels more fit, toned and more attractive than she has ever been.

She said: 'I like the way I look better now. My thighs aren't as chubby. I'm not kidding. I'm being perfectly honest.'

She admits she never thought of herself as a natural beauty saying, 'I see myself as practical and handsome and useful. I don't think of myself as a great beauty. But I think of myself as stylish.'

She also doesn't reminisce too much about her past looks and said, 'I don't look at old pictures of myself. I don't look at pictures of myself from last week. Once I've approved of them, they're gone.'

Britney Spears

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 04:29:29 GMT

Britney Spears won't play lesbian stripper

Troubled pop singer Britney Spears, who is working on a comeback, won't play a lesbian stripper in Quentin Tarantino's new movie.

TMZ.com reports that Spears was roped in to play dancer Varla in a remake of the 1965 cult film 'Faster Pussycat!

Kill! Kill!' and her character was to murder the boyfriend before taking the girlfriend hostage. She was also to have sex scenes with another girl before the climax.

But Spears' representatives have denied that she is doing any such role.

Nicole Kidman

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 01:17:44 GMT

Nicole Kidman stripping down for Australia

Australian actress Nicole Kidman's new movie 'Australia' will see her stripping down to her underwear for a raunchy love scene with Hugh Jackman.

The movie has been directed by Baz Luhrmann, and as per the released pictures, Kidman can be seen in a passionate embrace with Jackman in a series of romantic scenes in the epic.

The movie, filmed on location in her Australia last year, had the Oscar winner playing English widow Lady Sarah Ashley, an aristocrat who inherits a huge cattle station in northern Australia. The story is set during World War II, when the Northern Territory town of Darwin was bombed by the Japanese army.

"It''s romantic, adventurous, and huge in scale," Daily Telegraph quoted Jackman as describing the film.

"That''s what I love about Baz. His movies really are all about breaking society''s rules and love conquering all. "Working with Nicole was beyond anything I could have imagined," he added.

Kidman admitted she found the film very challenging and abandoned her usual five star hotels to camp out in the bush with the cast and crew. "It''s the roughest thing I ever had to go through. We got caught in a dust storm so bad we couldn''t even see," she said. "Everybody lived out there for five days in these little silver tents. It was great," she added.

Paris Hilton

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 01:31:56 GMT

Paris Hilton, un clip pour

répondre à John McCain

C’est sans doute le buzz du moment aux Etats-Unis. Si vous suivez un tant soit peu ce qui se passe outre atlantique avec les élections présidentielles, vous avez sans doute entendu parler de la vidéo de John McCain présentant Barack Obama comme «la plus grande célébrité du monde», avec comme images de fond, pour justifier ses paroles, des images de star dont celle de Paris Hilton.

De la à se dire que Paris Hilton a sauté sur l’occasion pour faire de nouveau parler d’elle, il n’y a qu’un pas. Mais en attendant elle n’a pas tardé à lui répondre, quoique il ne me semble pas que McCain lui ai demandé quoi que ce soit, par le biais d’un clip vidéo de près de 2 minutes réalisé par funnyordie.com.

Dans ce clip tout y passe, à commencer par Maitre Yoda, une momie, pour un petit clin d’œil à son age, et ensuite apparaît Paris Hilton qui comme à son habitude est peu vêtue avec son maillot de bain, pour nous parler du « mec ridé aux cheveux blancs » et du fait que si elle se trouve présente dans un clip de McCain c’est qu’elle est sûrement candidate à la présidence.

Une des paroles qui risque de faire parler d’elle est qu’elle reconnaît être aussi célèbre mais de ne pas venir du passé. Oups, l’équipe qui a réalisé le clip de McCain doit s'en mordre les doigts.

Bref un soutien (gorges ? ) pour Barack Obama, même si ce dernier, je pense n’en espérait pas tant de la part de la starlette.

Reste plus qu’à attendre ce que dira Britney Spears !

Scarlett Johansson

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 01:11:36 GMT

Kissing Penelope Cruz was not sexy: Scarlett Johansson

Kissing Penelope Cruz was "the least sexy thing you can ever imagine", according to Scarlett Johansson. The blonde beauty, who locks lips with the Spanish siren Cruz in Woody Allen's new movie Vicky Cristina Barcelona, insists despite the hype surrounding the raunchy scene, it did not live up to her expectations.

Johansson said: "There were about 60 crewmen sitting around eating salami sandwiches! It's really the least sexy thing you can ever imagine!"

Scarlett also said the scene will only shock the most conservative viewers, adding: "These characters are in love with each other! Oh my gosh! People are so conservative!"

However Scarlett, who is engaged to Definitely, Maybe star Ryan Reynolds, admits she would love to be nominated in the Best Kiss category at next year's MTV Movie Awards.

"Anytime that my name and best kiss come up, I'm more than inclined to accept the award," she said.

It was Johansson's third time working with Allen, who directed her in Match Point and Scoop. Has she set a date with Reynolds?

“We’re just enjoying our time,” she said. “We’re just recently - very recently - engaged. So, you know, we’re just taking it easy. And no big plan yet. But it’s a good time and we’re just … enjoying our time to be young and engaged.

“I mean, I’m 23. There’s no reason to rush into it. Everything feels very natural and relaxed.”

Lauren Conrad

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 01:01:40 GMT

'Hills' star Conrad brings reality to Emmy fashion

In this Aug. 3, 2008 file photo, Lauren Conrad

poses backstage at the 2008 Teen Choice Awards

at Universal Studios in Los Angeles.

(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, file)

August 6, 2008

LOS ANGELES—Lauren Conrad has designs on an Emmy -- or at least designing a dress for next month's awards ceremony. The star of MTV's reality hit "The Hills" will be creating a "couture red carpet gown" for the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards, the TV academy said Wednesday.

The dress -- or maybe dresses, if Conrad designs more than one -- will be worn by the "trophy girls" who tote Emmy statuettes on-stage for presenters to hand to winners, the academy said. The trophy bearers also walk the pre-show red carpet.

Reality TV already has a big presence at the ceremony, with emcee duties given over to five reality series hosts, including Ryan Seacrest of "American Idol" and Tom Bergeron of "Dancing With the Stars."

Conrad, who pronounced herself "excited" by the academy's request, also managed to put in a plug for her clothing line.

"I will be doing a red carpet look that still reflects the simple classic design of the Lauren Conrad Collection but with a black tie twist," she said in a statement.

How real Conrad's design credentials are remains a question for some in the industry. When she made her debut in March at Mercedes-Benz L.A. Fashion Week, mainstays such as Sue Wong told The Associated Press, "I don't believe in reality TV stars turning into designers."

Conrad said then she understands such skepticism.

"I will probably never have the respect I want in the fashion industry, but I can work hard every day to try and prove myself," Conrad, who has trained at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, told the AP.

The Emmy ceremony airs Sept. 21 on ABC.

Julianne Moore

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 01:23:10 GMT

Emoting during sex scenes is difficult

Actress Julianne Moore, known for taking on dark roles, says that doing nude scenes is easier than showing emotions during them.

In her latest film 'Savage Grace', Moore, 47, plays disturbed 1920s socialite Barbara Baekeland and has a shocking sex scene with her screen son.

Thesun.co.uk quoted her as saying: 'People ask all the time if sex scenes and nudity are hard. What's hard? Not the lines or the physicality, but the emotion.'

Moore, who recently posed for Wonderland magazine and looked stunning, says her husband Bart Freundlich too finds her liking for dark roles weird.

She said: 'He thinks I'm weird. There was a script I read recently where I was like, 'Ooh this horrible thing happens and it's really good because they're all dead!' He's like, 'What is the matter with you?''

Pitt, Jolie twins pictures

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 01:13:05 GMT

Pitt, Jolie twins pictures sold for $14 million

People magazine and British tabloid Hello! have jointly bagged the rights to publish the exclusive photos of Hollywood couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's newborn twins, a deal considered to be the most expensive for celebrity pictures.

The pictures were sold for $14 million with Getty Images as the photo agency and go-between, hufingstonpost.com reports.

People.com will unveil the first photo online Sunday evening.

'People will feature twin babies Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon in an issue to hit the news stands Aug 4,' informed People's spokeswoman Nancy Valentino in a statement.

The money will go to the couple's charity, the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, for humanitarian aid around the world.

The couple had earlier sold pictures of their kids Shiloh and Pax to the same magazines and the same photo agency to raise money for charity.

The US rights for the pictures go to People that will split the bill with Hello! magazine, which has the worldwide rights.

Hello! magazine secured the deal after a bidding frenzy with rival OK!, reports mirror.co.uk

Lindsay Lohan

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 01:11:20 GMT

Lindsay Lohan fires back at police 'gay' remark

Lindsay Lohan said Friday that police have no business getting involved in her personal life, a day after the police chief explained that the paparazzi were no longer an issue — in part because the 22-year-old actress had evidently "gone gay."

"Police chiefs shouldn't get involved in everyone else's business when it comes to their personal life. It's inappropriate," Lohan said in a video shot by paparazzi Friday and posted on TMZ.com. In the footage, Lohan and gal pal Samantha Ronson are trekking through the Los Angeles Airport on their way to catch a flight to Chicago.

The day before, Chief William Bratton said the paparazzi have become less of a problem thanks to Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Lohan leading more moderate lifestyles.

"If you notice, since Britney started wearing clothes and behaving; Paris is out of town not bothering anybody anymore, thank God, and evidently, Lindsay Lohan has gone gay, we don't seem to have much of an issue," he told KNBC-TV.

Bratton was speaking about his refusal to participate in a meeting held by elected officials Thursday that was called to discuss new laws to curb problem paparazzi.

He called Los Angeles City Councilman Dennis Zine's special session — which was attended by the likes of John Mayer, Eric Roberts and Milo Ventimiglia — "a complete waste of time."

Bratton later called a news conference outside police headquarters to clarify his position on the paparazzi. When asked about the Lohan remark — which followed months of tabloid speculation that Lohan and Ronson, a DJ, are dating — Bratton said his sister is gay and he is a proponent of gay rights.

Marché

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 01:45:48 GMT

Marché nautique l Isle Sorgues

JUSTE AVANT LE DEPART DU MARCHE

Le marché flottant de l'Isle sur la Sorgue a lieu chaque année, le premier dimanche du mois d'Août, en même temps que le très fameux marché dominical. Il se déroule sur le bras de la Sorgue se trouvant face au jardin public et débute vers les 9h pour se terminer aux alentours de 12h30.

Les "nego chins", barques typiques de l'Isle sur la Sorgue, glissent d’une rive à l’autre à l’appel du public, et offrent à leurs yeux une farandole de couleurs et de senteurs (productions locales telles que fruits et légumes, bouquets de fleurs, fromage, vin, pain..). On peut ainsi faire son marché et profiter, en plus, des costumes provençaux traditionnels, de la musique et du commentaire vivant et chantant… Mais pour cela, il faut arriver tôt car l’accès est très difficile !

Lorsque le marché flottant se termine, les nego chins se réunissent en ligne ainsi qeu tous les participants du marché traditionnel, et ensemble, entonnent la fameuse "Coupo Santo" qui célèbre la Provence.

MARCHANDE D'ABSENTE

L'absente est une liqueur composée d’alcool, de sucre, d’essence et d’infusion d’Armoise, d’alcoolat d’Anis vert, d’essence de Badiane, d’alcoolats de Mélisse et de menthe et d’essence de grande Absinthe. Verser l'Absente sur de la glace pilée ou en cube, en ajoutant de l'eau fraîche ou du Ricqlès. Les amoureux du temps passé pratiqueront avec application le rituel utilisé jadis, en posant un morceau de sucre sur la cuillère à absinthe, placée sur le rebord du verre puis en versant lentement l'eau qui dissout le sucre et teinte l'Absente en vert.

MARCHANDE D'AILS OU D'AULX COMME VOUS VOULEZ

MARCHAND DE VIN AVEC DEGUSTATION

MARCHANDE DE COLOQUINTES ET DE FLEURS

jE SUIS CONTRE LES GRANDS PANNEAUX PUBLICITAIRES QUI GARNISSENT LES ENTREES ET L'INTERIEUR DE NOS VILLES ET VILLAGES.

D'AUTANT PLUS QUE CE N'EST PAS DE NOTRE INTERET EN CONDUISANT DE LIRE CE QU'IL Y A ECRIT DESSUS, CAR UN MOMENT D'INATTENTION PAN!! CELA PEUT ETRE UN PIETON QUI TRAVERSE OU UNE VOITURE DEVANT VOUS QUI A FREINE.

MESSIEURS LES ELUS DES COMMUNES FAITES DISPARAITRE, CES PANNEAUX QUI ENLAIDISSENT LE PANORAMA.

Pourquoi je dis ceci, parce que sur cette vue il y a dans un marché flottant, une belle tradition du beau village de l'Isle sur Sorgue, un grand super marché qui fait sa publicité, de ce fait j'ai caché son nom NA! ET NA!
IL N'A RIEN A FAIRE DANS CETTE BELLE COUTUME PROVENCALE

MARCHANDS DE JOURNAUX

etc.