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BioShock’s Latest: Civil War in a City in the Sky

9:43 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/03/25/arts/bioshock/bioshock-articleLarge.jpg" /><br /><br /><div class="articleSpanImage" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; width: 600px;"><span itemid="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/03/25/arts/bioshock/bioshock-articleLarge.jpg" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject"><div class="caption" itemprop="description" style="color: #666666; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 1.2727em;">An image from BioShock Infinite, by Irrational Games.</div></span></div><nyt_byline style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><h6 class="byline" style="color: grey; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 2px 0px;">By <span itemprop="author creator" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person">CHRIS SUELLENTROP</span></h6></nyt_byline><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"></span><h6 class="dateline" style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px;">Published: March 25, 2013</h6><h6 class="dateline" style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px;"><div class="articleBody" style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.7em; margin-top: 1.5em;"><nyt_text><div data-key="DtlDtl" data-num="0" itemprop="reviewBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em;"><span class="emInfo" style="background-color: transparent !important; font-size: 10px; margin: -1px 0px 0px -8px; padding: 0px; position: absolute;"><a class="emAnchor" data-key="DtlDtl" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/arts/video-games/bioshock-infinite-irrationals-new-video-game.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0#p[DtlDtl]" style="color: #666699; text-decoration: none;" title="Link to 1st paragraph">¶</a></span>During the long development of BioShock Infinite — the first release by the Massachusetts studio <a href="http://irrationalgames.com/" style="color: #666699;" title="Studio Web site">Irrational Games</a> since the original BioShock transfixed players more than five years ago — there were open fears on blogs, in discussion forums and in conversations among video game journalists that the new BioShock game just wouldn’t be any good.</div></nyt_text></div><div class="articleInline runaroundLeft" style="clear: left; color: #333333; display: inline; float: left; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 15px 10px 0px !important; width: 190px;"><div class="columnGroup doubleRule" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/global/borders/doubleRule.gif); background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-width: 0px !important; clear: both; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 7px; padding-top: 12px; width: auto !important;"><h3 class="sectionHeader" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.2857em; margin: 0px 0px 8px;">Related</h3><ul class="headlinesOnly multiline flush" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px;"><li style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;"><h6 style="color: black; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.25em; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/24/arts/video-games/the-nerd-as-auteur-in-bioshock-infinite.html?ref=video-games" style="color: #666699; font-size: 1em; text-decoration: none;">The Nerd as Auteur in BioShock Infinite</a> (March 24, 2013)</h6></li><li style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px;"><h6 style="color: black; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.25em; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/21/bioshock-infinite-ken-levine-talks-about-his-new-video-game/?ref=video-games" style="color: #666699; font-size: 1em; text-decoration: none;">ArtsBeat: Ken Levine Talks About His New Video Game</a>(March 21, 2013)</h6></li></ul></div><div class="doubleRule" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/global/borders/doubleRule.gif); 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line-height: 1.25em;"><a href="https://twitter.com/nytimesarts/nyt-culture/members" style="color: #666699; text-decoration: none;">Arts Twitter List: Critics, Reporters and Editors</a></div></div><div class="doubleRuleDivider" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/global/borders/doubleRule.gif); background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-width: 0px !important; clear: both; height: 4px; line-height: 0; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-top: 12px; overflow: hidden;"></div><div class="story" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px;"><div style="padding-bottom: 5px;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/events/index.html" style="color: #666699; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Arts & Entertainment Guide" border="0" height="41" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/images/arts/events/events190.png" style="border: none;" width="190" /></a></div><div class="summary" style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 5px;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/events/index.html" style="color: #666699; text-decoration: none;">A sortable calendar</a> of noteworthy cultural events in the New York region, selected by Times critics.</div><ul class="refer" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; list-style: none; margin: 2px 0px 0px; padding-left: 0px;"><li style="background-image: url(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/misc/bullet4x4.gif); background-position: 0% 0.45em; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 1.182em; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 8px;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/events/index.html" style="color: #666699; font-size: 1em; text-decoration: none;">Go to Event Listings »</a></li></ul></div></div></div><div class="articleBody" style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.7em; margin-top: 1.5em;"><div data-key="StwSpe" data-num="1" itemprop="reviewBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span class="emInfo" style="background-color: transparent !important; font-size: 10px; margin: -1px 0px 0px -8px; padding: 0px; position: absolute;"><a class="emAnchor" data-key="StwSpe" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/arts/video-games/bioshock-infinite-irrationals-new-video-game.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0#p[StwSpe]" style="color: #666699; text-decoration: none;" title="Link to 2nd paragraph">¶</a></span>Surely that was why it was taking so long to make it, why its release was twice delayed, why the studio seemed to be bleeding personnel. Some people even asked themselves if <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/24/arts/video-games/the-nerd-as-auteur-in-bioshock-infinite.html" style="color: #666699;" title="Times profile of Mr. Levine">the impeccable reputation of Ken Levine</a>, the mercurial creative director at Irrational, was perhaps undeserved, given that it was largely dependent on only two games, System Shock 2 (1999) and BioShock (2007), made almost a decade apart.</div><div data-key="EcsTem" data-num="2" itemprop="reviewBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span class="emInfo" style="background-color: transparent !important; font-size: 10px; margin: -1px 0px 0px -8px; padding: 0px; position: absolute;"><a class="emAnchor" data-key="EcsTem" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/arts/video-games/bioshock-infinite-irrationals-new-video-game.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0#p[EcsTem]" style="color: #666699; text-decoration: none;" title="Link to 3rd paragraph">¶</a></span>Everyone can stop worrying. With <a href="http://www.bioshockinfinite.com/home" style="color: #666699;" title="The Web site">BioShock Infinite</a>, which goes on sale on Tuesday, Mr. Levine and his colleagues at Irrational have produced yet another video game that is a model of what the medium can achieve. This world — an alternate history with a dollop of science fiction that is set in the United States of 1912 — is dense, fascinating and inventive. The combat is exhilarating. The ending manages to be both mind-bending and moving.</div><div data-key="TgbCht" data-num="3" itemprop="reviewBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span class="emInfo" style="background-color: transparent !important; font-size: 10px; margin: -1px 0px 0px -8px; padding: 0px; position: absolute;"><a class="emAnchor" data-key="TgbCht" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/arts/video-games/bioshock-infinite-irrationals-new-video-game.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0#p[TgbCht]" style="color: #666699; text-decoration: none;" title="Link to 4th paragraph">¶</a></span>The game begins at a lighthouse off the coast of Maine but quickly moves to Columbia, a utopian — or dystopian — city in the sky built by Zachary Hale Comstock, who calls himself an American prophet. Comstock has transformed this country’s secular religion of Constitutionalism into a theocratic system of white supremacy that worships the founders as gods.</div><div data-key="BDtBaE" data-num="4" itemprop="reviewBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span class="emInfo" style="background-color: transparent !important; font-size: 10px; margin: -1px 0px 0px -8px; padding: 0px; position: absolute;"><a class="emAnchor" data-key="BDtBaE" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/arts/video-games/bioshock-infinite-irrationals-new-video-game.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0#p[BDtBaE]" style="color: #666699; text-decoration: none;" title="Link to 5th paragraph">¶</a></span>Booker DeWitt, the playable character, is a former Pinkerton agent turned private investigator who was sent to Columbia to find a girl named Elizabeth and bring her to New York City. Booker and Elizabeth are caught in the middle of a civil war between Comstock and the Vox Populi, a violent leftist group modeled partly on the socialists and anarchists of the period.</div><div data-key="PatIae" data-num="5" itemprop="reviewBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span class="emInfo" style="background-color: transparent !important; font-size: 10px; margin: -1px 0px 0px -8px; padding: 0px; position: absolute;"><a class="emAnchor" data-key="PatIae" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/arts/video-games/bioshock-infinite-irrationals-new-video-game.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0#p[PatIae]" style="color: #666699; text-decoration: none;" title="Link to 6th paragraph">¶</a></span>Putting aside the obviously fictional element of an airborne religious community that has seceded from the American union, in many ways BioShock Infinite tries to provide an accurate portrait of the period. In particular, the signs in Columbia are saturated with crude racial and ethnic caricatures. In an early scene a mixed-race couple is threatened with violence by a city-sanctioned mob.</div><div data-key="AtsItB" data-num="6" itemprop="reviewBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span class="emInfo" style="background-color: transparent !important; font-size: 10px; margin: -1px 0px 0px -8px; padding: 0px; position: absolute;"><a class="emAnchor" data-key="AtsItB" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/arts/video-games/bioshock-infinite-irrationals-new-video-game.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0#p[AtsItB]" style="color: #666699; text-decoration: none;" title="Link to 7th paragraph">¶</a></span>At the same time strange anachronisms — especially musical ones — emerge as Booker and Elizabeth make their way through Columbia. A quartet sings a barbershop cover of “God Only Knows,” by the Beach Boys. A woman in a shantytown delivers Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” as a spiritual. A calliope plays Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” There’s a soulful ragtime version of “Tainted Love.” (If the BioShock Infinite soundtrack is not for sale, it should be.)</div><div data-key="WtoTsm" data-num="7" itemprop="reviewBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span class="emInfo" style="background-color: transparent !important; font-size: 10px; margin: -1px 0px 0px -8px; padding: 0px; position: absolute;"><a class="emAnchor" data-key="WtoTsm" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/arts/video-games/bioshock-infinite-irrationals-new-video-game.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0#p[WtoTsm]" style="color: #666699; text-decoration: none;" title="Link to 8th paragraph">¶</a></span>Why these odd intrusions from the future are occurring becomes clear — mostly — by the game’s end. An early clue comes when Booker first finds Elizabeth, and she tries to hit him with a book titled “The Principles of Quantum Mechanics.” Elizabeth has the ability to see windows — she calls them “tears” — into other worlds. To say much more would spoil the pleasure of the surprise.</div><div data-key="EtaBhw" data-num="8" itemprop="reviewBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span class="emInfo" style="background-color: transparent !important; font-size: 10px; margin: -1px 0px 0px -8px; padding: 0px; position: absolute;"><a class="emAnchor" data-key="EtaBhw" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/arts/video-games/bioshock-infinite-irrationals-new-video-game.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0#p[EtaBhw]" style="color: #666699; text-decoration: none;" title="Link to 9th paragraph">¶</a></span>Elizabeth’s tears (as in rips, not boo-hoos) are handy during combat, when Booker can call on her to bring forth helpful objects: a structure to hide behind, a box of healing bandages, an automated turret and the like. Booker himself wields a relatively standard arsenal of first-person shooter weapons (this being, after all, a first-person shooter game, even if it is an unusually brainy and smartly written one).</div><div data-key="HcaTeh" data-num="9" itemprop="reviewBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span class="emInfo" style="background-color: transparent !important; font-size: 10px; margin: -1px 0px 0px -8px; padding: 0px; position: absolute;"><a class="emAnchor" data-key="HcaTeh" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/arts/video-games/bioshock-infinite-irrationals-new-video-game.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0#p[HcaTeh]" style="color: #666699; text-decoration: none;" title="Link to 10th paragraph">¶</a></span>He can also deploy magical powers that the game calls “vigors”: After drinking surprisingly effective snake-oil potions, he can hurl lightning bolts or flames or a flock of murderous crows, among other tricks. The enemies he fights include ordinary human soldiers, as well as mechanical sentries — most notably the Motorized Patriot, a robot George Washington that is best described as something out of a Hall of Presidents run by the National Rifle Association rather than Disney.</div><div data-key="TmeIas" data-num="10" itemprop="reviewBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span class="emInfo" style="background-color: transparent !important; font-size: 10px; margin: -1px 0px 0px -8px; padding: 0px; position: absolute;"><a class="emAnchor" data-key="TmeIas" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/arts/video-games/bioshock-infinite-irrationals-new-video-game.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0#p[TmeIas]" style="color: #666699; text-decoration: none;" title="Link to 11th paragraph">¶</a></span>The most exciting aspect of the shooting and killing in BioShock Infinite is the Skyline, a roller-coaster-like system for moving freight in Columbia that Booker and others traverse by using hand-held hooks. When Booker leaps and attaches himself to a Skyline rail, the act adds an element of speed and altitude to the fight that is absent from most shooters. Riding it is a thrilling change of pace from the many current games that emphasize (much more realistically) the importance of hiding behind cover during firefights. It’s a shame that Mr. Levine and Irrational couldn’t develop a multiplayer component of BioShock Infinite that satisfied them: just hanging out online and shooting your friends — or strangers — in these spaces would be joyous.</div><div data-key="NeiWdB" data-num="11" itemprop="reviewBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span class="emInfo" style="background-color: transparent !important; font-size: 10px; margin: -1px 0px 0px -8px; padding: 0px; position: absolute;"><a class="emAnchor" data-key="NeiWdB" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/arts/video-games/bioshock-infinite-irrationals-new-video-game.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0#p[NeiWdB]" style="color: #666699; text-decoration: none;" title="Link to 12th paragraph">¶</a></span>Not everything in the game is perfect. The world and the characters are so well drawn that small, video gamy things feel infelicitous. Why does Booker spend so much of his time rather creepily rifling through the pockets of freshly dead corpses, looking for ammunition and spare change? Why do some bodies turn into searchable lockboxes upon death? Why are there vending machines that sell weapons for coins (thus requiring Booker to spend so much of his time corpse robbing)?</div><div data-key="TbfBIi" data-num="12" itemprop="reviewBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span class="emInfo" style="background-color: transparent !important; font-size: 10px; margin: -1px 0px 0px -8px; padding: 0px; position: absolute;"><a class="emAnchor" data-key="TbfBIi" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/arts/video-games/bioshock-infinite-irrationals-new-video-game.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0#p[TbfBIi]" style="color: #666699; text-decoration: none;" title="Link to 13th paragraph">¶</a></span>To be fair, in a less ambitious game — and a less fully realized one — these absurd fictions wouldn’t be so objectionable. BioShock Infinite is confirmation that in the hands of the right creators, video games are the most sophisticated form of not just interactive entertainment, but of multimedia storytelling as well.</div><div data-key="BayBay" data-num="13" itemprop="reviewBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span class="emInfo" style="background-color: transparent !important; font-size: 10px; margin: -1px 0px 0px -8px; padding: 0px; position: absolute;"><a class="emAnchor" data-key="BayBay" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/arts/video-games/bioshock-infinite-irrationals-new-video-game.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0#p[BayBay]" style="color: #666699; text-decoration: none;" title="Link to 14th paragraph">¶</a></span>Beyond allowing you to shepherd a protagonist and his companion through a captivating world at your own pace, the game tells its story by deftly mixing text (mostly in the form of graffiti and propaganda posters), audio diaries (using a sort of portable phonograph) and moving pictures (through period-appropriate Kinetoscopes).</div><div data-key="AglYjh" data-num="14" itemprop="reviewBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span class="emInfo" style="background-color: transparent !important; font-size: 10px; margin: -1px 0px 0px -8px; padding: 0px; position: absolute;"><a class="emAnchor" data-key="AglYjh" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/arts/video-games/bioshock-infinite-irrationals-new-video-game.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0#p[AglYjh]" style="color: #666699; text-decoration: none;" title="Link to 15th paragraph">¶</a></span>A game like this, which demands a deep and focused investment of player time and attention, is powerful evidence that narrative for people with long attention spans is thriving. You just have to know where to look.</div><div class="emActive emReady" data-key="BIdIir" data-num="15" data-sentences="1" itemprop="reviewBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span class="emInfo" style="background-color: #f2f4f5; font-size: 10px; margin: -1px 0px 0px -8px; padding: 0px; position: absolute;"><a class="emAnchor" data-key="BIdIir" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/arts/video-games/bioshock-infinite-irrationals-new-video-game.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0#p[BIdIir]" style="color: #666699; text-decoration: none;" title="Link to 16th paragraph">¶</a></span><span data-num="1" style="background-color: #f2f4f5;"><em>BioShock Infinite, developed by Irrational Games, is available for personal computers, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is rated M (Mature, for players 17 and older) for intense violence.</em></span></div></div></h6></div>

BioShock Infinite BioShock’s Latest: Civil War in a City in the Sky

An image from BioShock Infinite, by Irrational Games. By CHRIS SUELLENTROP Published: March 25, 2013 ¶ During the long development of BioSh...

Shakira, Usher Debut on an Emotional Premiere of The Voice

9:41 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><img alt="The Voice: Shakira, Usher Debut on an Emotional Premiere" src="http://img2-1.timeinc.net/people/i/2013/news/130408/the-voice-300.jpg" /><br /><a class="tracklink3" href="http://www.people.com/people/tvwatch/category/0,,20488604,00.html" style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; color: #067ab4; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><em style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; color: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Voice</em></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> is back! And there are new celebrity coaches. </span><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><a class="celebdb tracklink3" href="http://www.people.com/people/shakira" style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; color: #067ab4; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Shakira</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">, who </span><a class="tracklink3" href="http://celebritybabies.people.com/2013/01/22/shakira-gerard-pique-welcome-son-milan/" style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; color: #067ab4; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">welcomed a son, Milan</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">, in January, and </span><a class="celebdb tracklink3" href="http://www.people.com/people/usher" style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; color: #067ab4; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Usher</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> officially took over for Cee Lo Green and </span><a class="celebdb tracklink3" href="http://www.people.com/people/christina_aguilera" style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; color: #067ab4; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Christina Aguilera</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Monday night, joining </span><a class="celebdb tracklink3" href="http://www.people.com/people/blake_shelton" style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; color: #067ab4; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Blake Shelton</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> and Adam Levine on the show's two-hour season 4 premiere. </span><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The quartet kicked off the show with a group performance of the Beatles' "Come Together," with Levine on drums and Shakira playing a harmonica while Shelton and Usher traded licks on guitars. </span><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">But it was the emotional backstories of several contestants that stole the show. </span><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br /><div class="relatedtext" style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px -15px; padding: 0px;">Stay in the know about Shakira <a class="tracklink3" href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3db1/3/0/%2a/z%3B269344061%3B0-0%3B1%3B51388462%3B4802-600/30%3B51007265/50977613/1%3B%3B~okv%3D%3Brsseg%3Dj10012%3Brsseg%3Dj10005%3Brsseg%3D10028%3Brsseg%3D11190%3Brsseg%3D11203%3Brsseg%3D11184%3Brsseg%3D10259%3Brsseg%3D71156%3Brsseg%3D73515%3Brsseg%3D73516%3B~aopt%3D2/1/41/0%3B~sscs%3D%3fhttps%3a%2f%2fsubscription.people.com/storefront/subscribe-to-people/link/1012898.html" style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; color: red; font-style: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">by subscribing now</a>.</div><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Kris Thomas, a pastor's son who signed a record deal and lost it after college, recounted a story of nearly driving his car into a house while intoxicated. His gender-bending falsetto on Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love for You" shocked the judges who didn't realize a man was on stage until they turned their chairs to face the R&B singer. </span><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">"In my four seasons, I've never heard anything like that," Levine said with surprise. </span><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">"You're a gem," said Shakira, who claimed him for her team. </span><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Danielle Bradbery, 16, of Cypress, Texas, wowed the judges with her performance of</span><a class="celebdb tracklink3" href="http://www.people.com/people/taylor_swift" style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; color: #067ab4; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Taylor Swift</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">'s "Mean." Later, Usher attempted to bribe her with </span><a class="celebdb tracklink3" href="http://www.people.com/people/justin_bieber" style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; color: #067ab4; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Justin Bieber</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> tickets but Danielle ended up with Shelton. </span><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">"What the hell? This is crazy," he said when she told him it had been her first big performance. </span><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">In the end, however, it was Judith Hill of Pasadena, Calif., who wowed </span><em style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Voice</em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">'s coaches and audience the most. Levine and Usher turned around in their chairs before Hill finished the first few lines of Aguilera's "What a Girl Wants." </span><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Her soulful rendition of the song left Shakira with her mouth gaping open and Levine standing atop his chair cheering. </span><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">"You are the first person who has ever come on this show and done a Christina song as well as Christina Aguilera," Levine said. </span><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">"I'm going to light myself on fire," Levine continued as he begged to be her coach. </span><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">"It's like a star just hatched out of a shell up there," Shelton said. </span><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">"My heart is beating fast right now because I really feel I am in front of a star," Shakira said as the judges fought for Hill. </span><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Eventually, she picked Levine. </span><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Blind auditions continue Tuesday on </span><em style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Voice</em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">.</span></div>

Shakira Shakira, Usher Debut on an Emotional Premiere of The Voice

The Voice is back! And there are new celebrity coaches. Shakira , who welcomed a son, Milan , in January, and Usher officially took ove...

IWS Radio: The Florida Gulf Coast University of Internet Radio!!

9:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7hJM8-3mDF7a0-TJw0jCecrLEu_K-RvA9g1x1SSLirG4sAYPMrlUURg2kqb_EkTt3-EOdba_1WwNTwt4iXRpiHoV1qgdrs2vcOctzpRjAZPBYo9OyOItqcA-koPMrbKC6YEvSl3VaHT0/s1600/FGCU+Over+Georgetown.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7hJM8-3mDF7a0-TJw0jCecrLEu_K-RvA9g1x1SSLirG4sAYPMrlUURg2kqb_EkTt3-EOdba_1WwNTwt4iXRpiHoV1qgdrs2vcOctzpRjAZPBYo9OyOItqcA-koPMrbKC6YEvSl3VaHT0/s400/FGCU+Over+Georgetown.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Cheeeeeeers Chuckleheads!!<br /><br />I have only been casually following the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament this year, but like many, I have been intrigued by the unexpected and Cinderfella-type trek of the Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles into the Sweet 16 of said tourney.<br /><br />Upon seeing clips of FGCU’s convincing beat downs of the mighty and much higher seeded Georgetown Hoyas and San Diego State Aztecs, two thoughts came to mind.<br /><br />Number one…Evidently FGCU’s basketball team has a thing against teams who use nicknames that reflect stone walls and people who want to climb over stone walls, and number two…<br /><br />I thought about how IWS Radio and our parent company, news-these-days.com, are very similar to the FGCU Eagles basketball program.<br /><br />Jay and I started our radio show some 2 plus years ago, and FGCU?  They have been in Division I basketball for about the same amount of time.<br /><br />IKR?  Such a coincidence…or is it?<br /><br />You know what else?  It seems that FGCU baller, Christophe Varidel came to America from Switzerland, and Chris refuses to lift weights and/or exercise, other than swimming around in a pool.<br /><br />Jay and I?  We don’t exercise either, and while not a Swiss guy, we do have a European correspondent in Dutchman, Guy Ahnyurdyck.  Uh-huh…see the correlation and equilibriumish universe that is developing?  Damn right.<br /><br />Chase Fieler, who had a maddening dunk against Georgetown said that when he came to FGCU, he didn’t know how to jump, let alone dunk with a two foot hop.<br /><br />Jay and I?<br /><br />We don’t jump.  We never jump.  It takes too much energy.  The only time Jay jumps is when he sees a plate of liver, and the only time I jump, is when I see brussel sprouts.<br /><br />Sherwood Brown, who was the Atlantic Sun Player of the Year this past season was not a scholarship guy; he was a walk-on.<br /><br />Jay and I?<br /><br />Blog Talk Radio didn't come looking for us…Jay and I walked onto the court of Internet Radio and took it by storm, annnnnnd…we have been slam dunking it just like the man of lack of hops, Sherwood Brown.<br /><br />Another thing we have in common with FGCU?<br /><br />We have a coach, or rather in our case, a patron.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8f-_UW5rfFoEvJ1jTnUNAJw0sv0SlXoTp16n_5qsgIEctOQjxWOVYDpkmdZW6kO5mnP1OgbCJCnpWXcqtGfmhD-G6PuYhArlzl_bFRRs8dtj9L1yljB_JcQogrow89_esSHy2HIb9x54/s1600/Andy+Enfield+FGCU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8f-_UW5rfFoEvJ1jTnUNAJw0sv0SlXoTp16n_5qsgIEctOQjxWOVYDpkmdZW6kO5mnP1OgbCJCnpWXcqtGfmhD-G6PuYhArlzl_bFRRs8dtj9L1yljB_JcQogrow89_esSHy2HIb9x54/s400/Andy+Enfield+FGCU.jpg" width="400" /></a>Our friend Big Dick, decided that we weren’t reaching our full potential as radio hosts, so he bought us a Premium status on BTR so we could get our audio file creativity and two hour show freak on.<br /><br />See?  Our Big Dick is just like FGCU head coach, Andy Enfield.<br /><br /><br />Coach Enfield has taken a rag tag bunch of characters and turned them into a Sweet Sixteen basketball team.  The mighty and nascent Eagles are a team to be reckoned with, and…<br /><br />So is IWS Radio…<br /><br />Jay and Matt…Two less than moronic bum-fucks from Arkansas and Ohio have turned the brackets of BTR Radio on their heads…Oh yeah, no matter the fate of FGCU from here on out, we are following their playbook.<br /><br />We are the little train that could.  We <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid/2013/03/24/palm-funday"><span style="color: blue;">are the little radio show that will</span></a>…be Number One.<br /><br /><i>Cheers!!</i><br /><br />Matt-Man<br /><br /><a href="mailto:mattmaniws@ymail.com">mattmaniws@ymail.com</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/MattMan_IWS"><span style="color: blue;">@mattman_iws</span></a></div>

IWS Radio: The Florida Gulf Coast University of Internet Radio!!

Cheeeeeeers Chuckleheads!! I have only been casually following the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament this year, but like many, I have been in...

Star Looks Review

8:54 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u><br /></u></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>*Star Looks Review *</u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxR7UA8k2OV7rHtIxLk7Wv6Jg6C56fsnz_1alzqq9B4K_7jqrT0tBg7_pWnp_K3grXFrc7LFgZeuT8MNe4Zr2p2dOHByJchCRXR3dUjA_0-E4P86SzsdewlVcgH6FlA8F833b-cose0YE/s1600/starlooks+box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxR7UA8k2OV7rHtIxLk7Wv6Jg6C56fsnz_1alzqq9B4K_7jqrT0tBg7_pWnp_K3grXFrc7LFgZeuT8MNe4Zr2p2dOHByJchCRXR3dUjA_0-E4P86SzsdewlVcgH6FlA8F833b-cose0YE/s320/starlooks+box.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey makeup lovers, did you know that you can get makeup delivered straight to you're door?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can sign up for these lovely boxes each month!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u><br /></u></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I usually don't wear any makeup at all, So I tend to go the natural way.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I do decide to wear makeup I usually wear a little bit of cover up, mascara, eye shadow and a lip gloss or chap stick.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I guess I just don't know which colors to wear sometimes because they are too dark for my skin tone and it won't look right.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So when I came across <a href="http://starlooks.com/">Starlooks makeup</a> and saw the beautiful colors that they use I just knew I had to try their products!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was overjoyed with excitement when I got the email that I was going to be reviewing their products to share with my readers.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was just counting down the days for the box to arrive wondering what I was going to be reviewing. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Arrival:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Star Looks box arrived today!!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I received the March Star Box.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVYlmQnm7UdidSoNJprKw8sS1O3ihIBLa8eqhpy2lErkqdqlCv1U1I53YlqZsxR8K_3qvg1Reo-TkQHOanavp7_AxNkF7KyAz6q-rolfoQGp3hIzSddGlmIiT_XfaMMejj1iRS6yfDLI/s1600/Star+Looks+inside+the+box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVYlmQnm7UdidSoNJprKw8sS1O3ihIBLa8eqhpy2lErkqdqlCv1U1I53YlqZsxR8K_3qvg1Reo-TkQHOanavp7_AxNkF7KyAz6q-rolfoQGp3hIzSddGlmIiT_XfaMMejj1iRS6yfDLI/s320/Star+Looks+inside+the+box.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I couldn't wait to open it and see what was inside.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The box alone was like unwrapping a present, it had a gold band tied around the box in a tiny bow.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I loved how the box was presented as well inside.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The box contained 4 full sized samples and they were wrapped in a pretty blue tissue paper.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can tell that this company puts a lot of thought into their boxing of the products!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The products in my box:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lip Sugar:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> A sugary scrub for you're lips adding a shine to those luscious lips, so pucker up baby!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No joke, it seriously smelled like butter cream frosting!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eye Shadow:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_yjJvsxgqWQte-YVCa3TKJ07r0UgtsCdwuAAtBVeh99D5QW5e9qttrFlju4hQHioEBy9KRrTg7LXJSvjdDgbD_yLgZhOP38oD43lD5VRGFloxsCeBiy2n-dviaJeK1JHC9sWrUm9TwPE/s1600/Smoky+star+looks+eye+shadow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_yjJvsxgqWQte-YVCa3TKJ07r0UgtsCdwuAAtBVeh99D5QW5e9qttrFlju4hQHioEBy9KRrTg7LXJSvjdDgbD_yLgZhOP38oD43lD5VRGFloxsCeBiy2n-dviaJeK1JHC9sWrUm9TwPE/s320/Smoky+star+looks+eye+shadow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've tried a fair share of eye shadows through out my life and other brands can't even compare to Star Looks brand at all!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The colors are amazing and the one I received looked great on me, it wasn't too dark and that's just the way I like it.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Really brought out my eyes adding a smoky color to my eye lashes.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lipstick:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNMIQw2q7e7AIHXbJj9Pianya3ZIAeiy-yZjkkPPyfuXhGw-eNwTjncRGuPAkxYECYSWn_yY2etEoDyW9Ky6qNs_9sSbkK-Rpr1-uhpWBI_x5KcsZi0EI9tTD7BjkO9A9Msfk8aaFrAM/s1600/Star+Looks+lipstick+color.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNMIQw2q7e7AIHXbJj9Pianya3ZIAeiy-yZjkkPPyfuXhGw-eNwTjncRGuPAkxYECYSWn_yY2etEoDyW9Ky6qNs_9sSbkK-Rpr1-uhpWBI_x5KcsZi0EI9tTD7BjkO9A9Msfk8aaFrAM/s320/Star+Looks+lipstick+color.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I loved about this lip stick was that it wasn't too dark for me, as in it didn't look like I rubbed hot chocolate sauce on my lips! Laugh out loud.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looked fantastic on me.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mascara: </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZbTtZudN7vsbNyYyH3l57jGZhwaatersJcNY5HQ8_oWbJD0bWwSVm8R5w1oRtkQrX4I5OG8wEbSr_aC1S4gP7v35ydrC5xxyAm3frzxmd_QbrOVdC7wjiyBQd5sV6xxrqlI-XXARTkM/s1600/Star+looks+end+result.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZbTtZudN7vsbNyYyH3l57jGZhwaatersJcNY5HQ8_oWbJD0bWwSVm8R5w1oRtkQrX4I5OG8wEbSr_aC1S4gP7v35ydrC5xxyAm3frzxmd_QbrOVdC7wjiyBQd5sV6xxrqlI-XXARTkM/s320/Star+looks+end+result.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I put this mascara on I noticed that my eye brows looked longer and fuller, also that my eyes didn't itch and water like they usually do from mascara.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I absolutely love this brand and will continue using Star Looks!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check them out online!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Face Book:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/starlooksmd">https://www.facebook.com/starlooksmd</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/starlooksmd">https://twitter.com/starlooksmd</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pinterest:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><a href="http://pinterest.com/starlooks/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://pinterest.com/starlooks/</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You Tube:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/starlooksmd"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://www.youtube.com/starlooksmd</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Due to FCC guidelines:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Star Looks sent me a makeup box for the month of March in exchange for a product review. However, All the opinions expressed here are my own.</span><br /><div><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div></div>

Star Looks Review

*Star Looks Review * Hey makeup lovers, did you know that you can get makeup delivered straight to you're door? You can sign up for thes...

CYPRUS AND GERMANY

6:23 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">DEUTSCHE Bank owns Vegas investments that equal its exposure in GREECE, S<span style="font-size: large;">PAIN</span> and <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">PORTUGAL</span> and probab<span style="font-size: large;">ly CYPRUS</span> </span></span></b></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fjzWwnvOHJA?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">CYPRUS – IS THE EUROPEAN UNION OPENING PANDORA’S BOX?</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By Harris A. Samaras </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Are we witnessing the slow death of the EUROPEAN UNION? Have the repeatedly failing EU policymakers finally opened Pandora’s Box with their recent proposal for CYPRUS?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why are some EUROPEAN member states taking actions that are catastrophic for the EUROPEAN sentiment?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Aren’t all citizens of the EU equal under the EUROPEAN law?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is a serious blunder and a gaffe when the EU is squeezing the government of one of its member states, CYPRUS – to confiscate the deposits that rightfully belong to EU ordinary citizens and others alike! Depositors that trusted the written and unwritten laws that the EUROPEAN UNION inspired or used to inspire…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Could such action ever affect the EUROPEAN Financial Crisis positively?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">NORTHERN EUROPE VERSUS SOUTHERN EUROPE</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">CYPRUS never had a problem with earlier “blunders” caused by EU policy… The CYPRUS banking sector is indeed quite large but it was in solid state up until the one-sided decisions of some EUROPEAN governments caused many billions of losses to banks through the haircut imposed on GREEK sovereign debt and elsewhere within the EU…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All EU member states must in concert find a solution for the EU as a whole instead of shifting the damage to one member state or another… The crisis of the Euro area is systemic! Decisions taken by the strongest countries in the EU have spread misery sequentially to citizens in IRELAND, GREECE, PORTUGAL, SPAIN, ITALY and now CYPRUS. This is not going to end if they, the strongest countries, keep on handling the crisis in such manner. The EU has to enforce a decision making process where the EUROPEAN governments are asked to care for all their citizens. The inability of the EU to take care of its citizens wholly led to the failure of the EU… clearly seen these days by the way the EU has handled the CYPRUS financial issue…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">IS A CYPRUS-LIKE INCURSION ON PEOPLE’S SAVINGS UNLIKELY TO HAPPEN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE EU?</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This inconceivable way of blackmailing the government of CYPRUS to confiscate the deposits is sending a clear message: Nobody with deposits in smaller countries, such is LUXEMBOURG for instance, should feel safe with her or his deposits; nobody with deposits in a weaker financially country, such is SPAIN, should feel safe about her or his deposits either…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whatever happens, the CYPRUS story teaches important lessons for every EUROPEAN and not only economy: Austerity has failed!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A most valid question which if we answer yes to transforms into an oxymoron: Are the people that led EUROPE into this mess the right ones to lead EUROPE out of it?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">BOOST GROWTH WITH NO MONEY</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Praying that there will be no bank runs across EUROPE…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It just does not make any sense…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You would expect that finance Ministers across EUROPE to have known better…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How could countries like, CYPRUS, GREECE, PORTUGAL, SPAIN, ITALY and SLOVENIA ever boost growth with no money? With lending rates continuously dropping how can any country even have growth?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">WHAT IS GERMANY'S REAL ROLL IN ALL THIS? </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgJw47QeZM3cW4uYjnKYKDo-plCBDCuYjgwxNbUw6zhoJWv_htH48GPluNVN-wLJV5ZStdzqtZUbKY65T_hsEWFePVUJOMeMRJy2hW4QmSUfyG2r6YnBz016RAPSoX762hiGo6p1l8kNDe/s1600/BF_vXMUCYAE10Yo.jpg+large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgJw47QeZM3cW4uYjnKYKDo-plCBDCuYjgwxNbUw6zhoJWv_htH48GPluNVN-wLJV5ZStdzqtZUbKY65T_hsEWFePVUJOMeMRJy2hW4QmSUfyG2r6YnBz016RAPSoX762hiGo6p1l8kNDe/s320/BF_vXMUCYAE10Yo.jpg+large.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One thing is for sure: Decisions like this one about CYPRUS or about the haircut of the GREEK debt benefit in essence some countries… it can be very easily observed from the markets that such decisions reduce the financing cost of the GERMAN government… the GERMAN government can now borrow at negative rates… while it inflicts pain and misery on other countries… not everyone is equal under the EUROPEAN law!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Moreover, GERMANY is quick to scold the citizens of other countries for the actions of its own government officials and bankers; actions which GERMANY tolerated and even encouraged for years… enjoying a large market for its manufacturing products, while exerting enormous financial leverage over other EU member states… its economic missteps have gone unnoticed and so has its profit-taking from its EU partners…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Only an ignorant should not worry that the total failure of the EUROPEAN UNION is around the corner…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The EUROPEAN Central Bank has also been quite unclear on its position… and it was the vehicle to blackmailing the CYPRUS government… thus contributing to say the least to the mess that the EU is now into…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In order for the EU to “work”, the EU needs to form a banking union (as per the EUROPEAN Council’s decision of June 2012) which primarily means that all member states should have a common credible deposit insurance guarantee; a guarantee that shall apply to everybody in the Euro Area! Now the EU or better the strongest states, members of the EU, made a mockery of it, sending clearly the message that that they do not want to be part of such a decision, a decision that they so much preached about and advocated for less than a year ago…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Those in the EU that use blackmail as a mean to their own benefit should think again… Is it the right way towards a better EU to demand confiscation of somebody’s deposits? It is not! And notions of recalibrating the amounts to be seized or better stolen from depositors are not a solution either! The EU as a whole should take responsibility! And remember this is more about EUROPE than about CYPRUS!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">See: <span style="color: #990000;">DRAGHI, HEAD OF ECB, NEEDS THE MONEY OF CYPRIOT BANK- CUSTOMERS</span></span></b><b><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: 18.0pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2013/03/zypern-krise-ezb-schieflage.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2013/03/zypern-krise-ezb-schieflage.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Think!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">IS IT JUST ABOUT THE RUSSIAN MONEY DEPOSITED IN CYPRUS?</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The EU did not feel that way two decades ago, even a few years ago…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Is it just a GERMAN-led propaganda which argues that the CYPRUS depositor is aimed at RUSSIAN oligarchs who evade taxes? But it targets ordinary CYPRIOTS nearly as much as it targets high depositors and somehow it doesn’t matter if it’s the life savings of a middle-class family…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Is it just about the deposits of non-residents? Only very recently the IMF and the EU stated in their reports about CYPRUS that supervision of international and local commercial banks in CYPRUS are more than competent, progressed over the years to the highest of standards…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Is it just about the recently confirmed and scientifically estimated huge hydrocarbon reserves of CYPRUS? A fact by the way that has so strangely been ignored or diminished by the EU and international media…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">See: </span><span style="color: #990000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">COULD IT BE THAT THE TROIKA (WITH GERMANY IN LEAD) IN REALITY FOCUSES ON TAKING CONTROL OF CYPRUS’S PROCLAIMED HYDROCARBON FINDINGS? </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2013/03/cypruss-financial-crisis-and-its.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2013/03/cypruss-financial-crisis-and-its.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Could it be that the EU in its effort to save a mere €5.8 billion (the CYPRUS “bail-out” money)… is upsetting EUROPEAN confidence and trust… facing possible bank runs… and in essence risking trillions?</span></div>

CYPRUS AND GERMANY

DEUTSCHE Bank owns Vegas investments that equal its exposure in GREECE, S PAIN and PORTUGAL and probab ly CYPRUS CYPRUS – IS THE EUROPEA...

Research Scientist ( C++/Image Processing / Algorithm / Computational Geometry ) (#109173)

3:17 PM Anonymous 0

<font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size:10pt;">  <div><b>Position</b>: Research Scientist<br>    <b>Location</b>: Milpitas, CA <br>    <b>Duration</b>: Full time<br>    <br>    <b>Job Description</b>:<br>    This position belongs to the High-Performance Computing and Algorithms (HPCA) group in the Wafer Inspection Division of KLA-Tencor Corporation. The group is responsible for developing high performance computing systems and advanced real-time image processing  algorithms that support multiple wafer inspection product lines within KLA-Tencor's product portfolio<font color="#1F497D">.<br>    <br>    </font><b>Responsibilities:</b></div>  <div>1) Analyze the signal and noise characteristics of current and emerging IC yield limiting defects, formulating algorithmic solutions, and validate them via simulation and prototyping.</div>  <div>2) Define the algorithm performance requirements/specifications and apply it to the algorithm design and implementation.</div>  <div>3) Work closely with other groups to define software requirements, design software architecture, program software in C/C++, optimize software performance, troubleshoot software problems, and maintain software in current products.</div>  <div>4) Act as the algorithm representative during system level hardware/software integration and testing.</div>  <div>5) Provide algorithm technical support during product demo and beta testing, work with domain experts from other functional teams on special customer engagement projects.</div>  <div>6) Participate in software quality assurance activities required by the HPCA software development process.<br>    <br>    <b>Preferred Qualifications:</b></div>  <div>1) MS/PhD degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Applied Mathematics or related discipline</div>  <div>2) Very strong problem solving and critical thinking skills</div>  <div>3) Experience in image processing, computer vision or pattern recognition</div>  <div>4) Willingness to learn new technologies and take on challenging problems</div>  <div>5) Solid theoretical background in signal/image processing, computer vision, computational geometry and pattern recognition.</div>  <div>6) Experience in Electronic Design Automation (EDA) and large data structure is preferred.</div>  <div>7) 5+ years of research and/or software development experience on Unix/Linux platform and/or Windows platform.</div>  <div>8) Experience with all phases of software development cycle and proficiency in C/C++, solid MATLAB programming skills.</div>  <div>9) Solid mathematical skills</div>  <div>10) Strong written and oral communication skills</div>  <div>11) Demonstrated ability to work as a team player<font color="#1F497D">.<br>    <br>    </font><b>Minimum Qualifications:</b></div>  <div>Bachelor's Level Degree with at least 5 years of relevant industry experience.<br>    OR<br>    Master's Level Degree with at least 3 years of relevant industry experience.<br>    OR<br>    Doctorate (Academic).<br>    <br>    Kindly send your resumes to<font color="navy"> </font><a href="mailto:Sivaram.bose@kla-tencor.com"><font color="navy"><u>Sivaram.bose@kla-tencor.com</u></font></a></div>  <div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></font></div>  </span></font>

Research Scientist ( C++/Image Processing / Algorithm / Computational Geometry ) (#109173)

Position : Research Scientist Location : Milpitas, CA Duration : Full time Job Description : This position belongs to ...