The News Review:
- Review: ‘Second Lives’ makes the virtual real
- Classy dance sets the standard
- The State News
- SCHOOL BREAK: Time to get rid of the BLAHS
- Russia Denounces Kosovo Declaration; Calls for Emergency UN Session
- As O’Neal’s Shadow Fades Who Will Cast the Next One?
- Served with a twist
Review: ‘Second Lives’ makes the virtual real
San Francisco Chronicle – Feb 17, 2008
In 2003 when the game premiered it had 25000 players who paid monthly fees for access; today it boasts more than 12 million residents. (It’s so popular that the news agency Reuters has a reporter working full time in the game to sleuth out the latest virtual news. ) In total an estimated 70 million people worldwide regularly log onto enormous online game worlds like EverQuest and World of Warcraft to do everything from hunt monsters to break dance in floating clubs. Analysts expect that by 2009 virtual communities will take in $19. 3 billion per year a figure that rivals Hollywood’s annual global gross. So what’s drawing these people in? The opportunity to live in the sort of ideal world where anything is possible a place that lets you do everything you always wished you could do but couldn’t in RL (”real life”). “In the past mankind could only dream of such utopias” Guest writes.
Classy dance sets the standard
NEWS.com.au – Feb 17, 2008
Not much gap between those last two although it doesn’t come close to the gap in height between Grant Denyer and his towering sidekick Erika Heynatz. Seven’s celebrity singing show is way down on last year so the network has rushed to schedule a repeat of the opener (today at 3pm) as well as a new backstage show on Tuesdays at 5pm: It Takes Two – Getting Ready. What’s coming next? It Takes Two – Make-up and Wardrobe?Blood-letting AUSSIE Alex O’Loghlin’s big US break – Moonlight – could be pulled from under him as the American networks scramble to decide on their new schedules. Possibly joining O’Loghlin’s vampire series on the scrap heap are Men In Trees Kid Nation Bionic Woman and Big Shots (a male version of Sex And The City). Most disconcerting is the omission of Boston Legal from the renewal list despite a repeat episode there beating the second season’s premiere of fan-resurrected Jericho. Maybe the Jericho nuts (who bombarded CBS with peanuts) are now busy trying to get The 4400 back on air by sending the network sunflower seeds. Kitchen cussesNice to see that Gordon Ramsay is a big hit for Nine given the foul-mouthed chef from Kitchen Nightmares USA was yanked off air last year after just two outings.
The State News
MSU State News – Feb 17, 2008
Kaustav Mukherjee president of ISA said adding more cultural dances and audience interaction to Cupid’s Crush is one reason the number of people who attended was higher than previous years. “We should utilize and enjoy the beautiful community we have” he said. Participating dance troupes included break dancing by the Korean Student Association Modern Dance Team Egyptian belly dancing by La Comunidad Latino-Americana and Chinese sleeve dancing by the Chinese Student Coalition. The Greek Club which isn’t a registered student organization and is made up of students from modern Greek language classes performed five routines from different regions of Greece at Cupid’s Crush. Andre Ahee a no-preference freshman said most of the Greek dancers himself included have been Greek dancing since they were young. The Greek dancers all dressed in black-and-white performance attire with royal blue sashes tied at their waists were the first to perform at the event. Their upbeat cultural steps had onlookers on their feet almost immediately.
SCHOOL BREAK: Time to get rid of the BLAHS
Central Maine Morning Sentinel – Feb 17, 2008
For most local students the vacation hits the week of Feb. Many kids will chill out with friends and catch the latest movie. Others will jump on the free time to go snowboarding skiing or sledding in what is turning out to be a bounty season for snow… “I plan to open a nightclub once I get out of college” Ashley said. “I want to have fun — a job that gives me excitement — something new and entertaining. I envision live bands — pop and techno — and dance. “I’m hoping some of the classes at college will teach me how to fund it” she said. Lynn Ascrizzi — 621-5731lascrizzi@centralmaine. comBookmark and share this story:.
Russia Denounces Kosovo Declaration; Calls for Emergency UN Session
FOXNews – Feb 17, 2008
17: Kosovar Albanians dance with an Albanian flag in the streets of the Albanian side of the ethnically divided town of Kosovska Mitrovica. 17: Kosovar Albanian children wearing national costumes wave U… ” Neither Gagloyeva nor Khadzhimba would confirm plans for any formal appeals however. The United States and others expected to recognize Kosovo contend that it sets no precedent. And analysts say Russia is unlikely to risk a potentially devastating break with the West by swiftly recognizing the regions emphasizing that the Kremlin is more concerned about pushes by the pro-Western leadership of Georgia and Ukraine to join NATO. Putin has built his popularity on restoring Russia’s pride after a period of post-Soviet humiliation and Moscow’s firm stance on Kosovo comes amid growing Kremlin assertiveness toward the West. Putin has held out backing for Kosovo as a glaring example of double standards and dangerous disregard for international law. As Kosovo’s parliament was declaring independence several dozen activists demonstrated outside Serbia’s embassy in Moscow in a show of support for Belgrade. Some held flags bearing the words “I am for an indivisible Serbia.
As O’Neal’s Shadow Fades Who Will Cast the Next One?
New York Times – Feb 17, 2008
Portland’s Greg Oden whose rookie season was wiped out by knee surgery is physically imposing and charismatic. But Howard is the consensus choice to succeed O’Neal as the game’s best center and possibly as the next larger-than-life personality. Although often reserved in public Howard has been known to show off his dance moves break up teammates on the bench and generally act like an overgrown kid. Howard flashed his playful side in Saturday night’s dunk contest donning a Superman shirt (O’Neal’s signature logo) and cape then taking off from just inside the free-throw line to dunk a ball thrown by his teammate Jameer Nelson from behind the baseline. “He’s young he’s funny he’s good-looking athletic he’s just a nice guy” O’Neal said Friday at the start of the Dunkman of the Year competition. “He probably needs to open up a little more. ” From there the task grows difficult.
Served with a twist
The Age – Feb 17, 2008
Even now I don’t findthat there are many frontmen in Melbourne who can do thatwell. Though he came late to playing music it was never far away. Hismother was a dance teacher and performer who taught the youngMartin to tap dance from the age of three. “And I always had musicplaying. I couldn’t sleep unless 3AW was on. He continued to dance throughout his youth and eventuallylearned to sing – “opera and stuff”. After school he went to theWestern Australian Academy of Performing Arts where he studied -of all things – musical theatre before taking to the stage mostnotably as Kenickie in the 2001 touring show of the Greasearena extravaganza and Cupid in the Bacharach musical What theWorld Needs Now… In the past sixmonths he’s been dumped by his girlfriend had a head-oncollision and lost two members of his Bone Palace Orchestra. He’shandling things well. “The break-up was crazy. She had this weird addiction tostationery. When she broke up with me I spent every day atOfficeworks walking up and down the aisles. It was good businessfor them: I was buying heaps of shit. The car accident saw him roll his car down a hill but escapewith only glass shards in his shoulder.