Olympic Games a ratings bonanza for TVNZ

Nine out of 10 Kiwis tuned in to watch the Olympics at some leg during its 16 years, with Super Saturday - the charles Herbert Best day in New Zealand Games account - starring a ratings bonanza for TVNZ.

Figures from AGB Nielsen showed a million hoi polloi were glued to their screens on August 16 to take in rowers Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell get ahead gold and singles sculler Mahe Drysdale and men's pair George Bridgewater and Nathan Twaddle claim bronze.

The audience peaked at 1.2 billion viewers at 9.15pm when rowers Nathan Cohen and Rob Waddell ruined fourth in the men's final of the two-fold scull.

Most viewers did not switch off till cyclist Hayden Roulston had added a silver to the Kiwi laurel wreath count in the item-by-item pursuit.

By 1am on the Sunday 250,000 were still watching when dig putter Valerie Vili won gold, taking the day's medal tally to five.

The record one-day haul eclipsed the quadruplet third-places achieved at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.

TVNZ sent some 100 faculty to Beijing.

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2008 Democratic National Convention: Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Margie Perez, New Orleans Jazz Singer & Song Writer from Musicians Village

DENVER, Aug. 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a
transcript of a speech, as prepared for delivery, by Margie Perez, at the
Democratic National Convention on Monday, August 25, 2008:

Scheduled for rescue: August 25, 2008 - 5:00-6:00 pm MT

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE ON DELIVERY

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080331/DNCCLOGO )

After 10 years of long-distance lovemaking for the city of New Orleans, I
moved there in 2004 to take up a new life as a musician. I was living there
when Hurricane Katrina hit. I grabbed some dress and a hula hoop and
evacuated New Orleans with a group of friends. We thought we would be
returning menage soon. Then the levees broke, and we watched our honey city
drown. We institute ourselves stranded in our own land, stranded with no
avail on the horizon. Those were afflictive days. We were frightened and powerless.
President Bush flew over the disaster zone in Air Force One, then went back
to Washington. We were alone. The sight of New Orleans under six feet of
urine is a perfect symbolization of what has happened to our country during the
Bush presidency.

America can't afford to let John McCain submerge our hopes in more of the
same failed policies. As New Orleans struggled to rebuild, I was fortunate
enough to qualify for a new home in a Habitat for Humanity project called
the Musician's Village. I met many wonderful Americans like the couple from
Boston who helped me build my porch. I too crossed paths with Senator
Barack Obama--he signed a 2-by-4 that I keep on my coffee table. Thanks to
his candidacy, I feel like the ramp our state has weathered may be ready
to pass. There is hope on the horizon.

America can't afford four more than years like the terminal eight. Barack Obama
offers the change we need, the hope we deserve and the future we can buoy build
together if we take stake our country and vote Obama for president this
November! It is said that those wHO forget the past ar doomed to repeat
it. We must never forget what happened to New Orleans. To help us remember,
we have a short film by Academy award-winning manager June Beallor that
illuminates the lessons of Katrina.




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Weekend Ticketing: Eagles, Coldplay, Weezer, Carrie Underwood, Sugarland

The Eagles [ ], who've already got quite a flake of touring under their belts this year, will work their way into fall with a latterly expanded run of US dates.

go on sale Monday (8/18) for the tour's michigan in N. Little Rock, AR; and Green Bay, WI.

story_top_holder>

[Click to search for Eagles at Ticketmaster.com.]

* * *

Coldplay [ ] has added a few newfangled shows to the North American ramification of the world circuit in support of the band's latest chart-topping studio album.

strike the market Friday (8/15) for approaching shows in Boston and Washington, DC. Saturday (8/16) on-sales ar set for Atlanta and Toronto.

[Click to search for Coldplay at Ticketmaster.com.]

* * *

Alt-rockers Weezer [ ] have laid out plans for their first proper North American tour in more than three years as the band continues to support its in vogue self-titled studio album.

strike the market Friday (8/15) for the tour's chicago in New York City; Camden, NJ; Auburn Hills, MI; Broomfield, CO; and Vancouver. Saturday (8/16) on-sales are set for Lowell, MA; Rosemont, IL; St. Paul, MN; West Valley City, UT; San Jose, CA; and Inglewood, CA.

[Click to lookup for Weezer at Ticketmaster.com.]

* * *

"American Idol" 2005 winner Carrie Underwood [ ] is taking fans for a spin through and through this fall, cruising through more than 50 cities in the US and Canada on her chronic "Carnival Ride Tour."

Saturday (8/16) on-sales are set for Milwaukee and Madison, WI.

[Click to lookup for Carrie Underwood at Ticketmaster.com.]

* * *

Country duo Sugarland [ ] will remain on the route well into the fall as they support their recent chart-topping album "Love on the Inside."

strike the market Friday (8/15) for the tour's stop in Fort Myers, FL; and Saturday (8/16) on-sales are plotted for Ames, IA.

[Click to search for Sugarland at Ticketmaster.com.]

* * *

Ticket on-sale information for many other artists--including Rock Band Live with Panic at the Disco & Dashboard Confessional [ ], Mary J. Blige [ ], Michael Buble [ ] and ZZ Top [ ]--is usable at LiveDaily's Ticket Report.

* * *

Unless otherwise noted, are available from Ticketmaster and Ticketmaster.com, as well as the venue

Swayze Considering Dirty Dancing Sequel?

Patrick Swayze has reportedly been approached to headliner in a sequel to his off 1987 film Dirty Dancing. The photographic film, which besides starred Jennifer Grey, spawned a byproduct movie Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights in 2004 with a young, then-unknown cast. But at present Swayze - who is currently battling pancreatic cancer the Crab - is said to be considering a repay to the role which shot him to international fame. A source tells British newsprint Metro, "It's great news that Patrick is so well and there are lots of offers for him. Everyone wants him to star in a 'Dirty Dancing' sequel. It's just a matter of him devising his mind up." The 55-year-old is back at work following his genus Cancer diagnosis, star in new TV series The Beast.

Big Brother - Jennifer And Dennis Sent To Big Brother Jail

Big Brother 9 housemates Jennifer Clark and Dennis McHugh have been sent to the house's jail for rule-breaking.

The pair had been talking about their auditions for the show, a banned subject under Channel 4 rules.

Big Brother called all housemates to the sofas and asked those who had discussed nominations to stand up.

Dennis, Jennifer, Rebecca Rice, Kathreya Kasisopa, Rex Newmark, Sylvia Barrie and new housemate Stuart Pilkington all got to their feet, with Big Brother reprimanding them for continuing to discuss the matter, despite numerous warnings.

"Two of you will go to jail until further notice," Big Brother told them. "You have one minute to decide which two of you will be punished and go to jail. Your time starts now."

Dennis and Jennifer put themselves forward, having admitted to being the worst offenders, and were told: "Dennis and Jennifer, you must go to jail immediately."

And though he had been punished for speaking out of turn, the duo decided to pass the time in the jail by badmouthing blind housemate Mikey Hughes.

"I find Mikey unbearable," Jennifer said. "I can't stand him. I find everything that comes out of his mouth just repulsive."

And Dennis, who had said he thought he cope with the Scottish radio producer, then replied: "I cannot bear to hear him any more. Can you imagine watching that all summer? You'd be traumatised! I don't even want him in here."

Mario Marconi later told Mikey he failed to understand how Jennifer, Dennis et al had managed to land themselves in trouble, saying: "It's not hard to adhere to, is it?

"It's not like you're declaring yourself under the Official Secrets Act. They're just saying 'keep your gob shut and use your common sense'."


24/06/2008 09:20:57

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The science of survival, and why we're kept in the dark

"The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes — and Why"

by Amanda Ripley

Crown, 266 pp., $24.95

Governments and corporations could save thousands of lives if they trusted ordinary people with vital information about disasters. That's the theme Amanda Ripley emphasizes in her new book, "The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes — and Why."

This is about making it through — and helping others through — fire, plane crash, hurricane, earthquake or terrorist attack. It's also a critique of public policies that keep survival preparation in the hands of officials and shut out the ordinary citizens who do most of the lifesaving in a disaster.

As Ripley points out, the U.S. government has granted more than $18 billion to states and cities to upgrade homeland security since Sept. 11. But almost none has been used to teach ordinary people how to survive an attack. For example, she asks, "Why don't we tell people what to do when the nation is on Orange Alert against a terrorist attack — instead of just telling them to be afraid?"

The book is packed with first-person accounts of survival from the attacks on the World Trade Center, from Hurricane Katrina, from airline crashes and other large and small disasters. From hours of interviews with survivors and disaster experts, Ripley defines what she calls the "arc of survival," the stages of brain-freeze and recovery that victims undergo.

The common first stage is denial; a kind of protective coating seems to descend on the psyche, shutting out the awful truth. This is the fatal mind-set that kept victims of Sept. 11 sitting at their desks in the World Trade Center, checking e-mails and making phone calls instead of heading for the stairwells.

Ripley describes the second stage as deliberation — "We know something is terribly wrong but we don't know what to do about it."

In the third stage, which the author describes as the decisive moment, individuals may become the victims of panic or paralysis, or act quickly to save their own and others' lives. Ripley describes moments when understanding this sequence and being ready for it — practicing escape routes, for example — has saved lives in the most awful situations.

Too often, public and private authorities are so anxious to keep customers or constituents from worrying about their safety that they avoid explaining in detail what steps to follow when the worst happens. Or they assume that only officialdom can be trusted to react properly. A glaring example is that of the London subway terrorist attacks, in which passengers had no way to let train drivers know there'd been an explosion; train doors could be opened only by transit authorities, from the outside; and first-aid kits were kept in the offices of safety officials, rather than on the trains.

Coping with terrorism demands even more initiative from regular people than do other hazardous situations, Ripley argues. Yet the federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) keeps no record of how many people have received training in its volunteer programs. DHS maintains a somewhat insipid Web site (www.ready.gov) with such helpful hints as "During a nuclear incident it is important to avoid radioactive material if possible."

As a longtime staff writer for Time magazine, Ripley evidences a reporter's need to know everything about a story before writing it. In "The Unthinkable," she digs into the biological and social evolutions that cause us to make smart or terrible decisions under stress. She also suggests how we can train our brains and those of others to choose survival.

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Hella

   
Artist: Hella

   Genre(s): 
Other
   Rock
   

---

Discography:


   
 There's No 666 in Outer Space

   Year: 2007   
Tracks: 11


   
 Church Gone Wild-Chirpin' Hard

   Year: 2005   
Tracks: 24


   
 Church Gone Wild - Chirpin Hard CD2

   Year: 2005   
Tracks: 12


   
 Church Gone Wild - Chirpin Hard CD1

   Year: 2005   
Tracks: 12


   
 The Devil Isn't Red

   Year: 2004   
Tracks: 11

---

Indie rockers Hella consist of guitar player Spencer Seim and drummer Zach Hill. The deuce number one got unitedly in the springtime of 2001, development a following about the Sacramento area that won them a record administer on 5 Rue Christine Records. Their debut LP, Defy Your Horse Is, appeared in 2002, and accomplished Hella's chaotic coming to instrumental noise rock. The duet proven prolific, issuing the LP Total Bugs Bunny on Wild Bass on Narnack in 2003, The Devil Isn't Red for 5RC in 2004, and the bivalent record album Christian church Gone Wild/Chirpin' Hard on Suicide Squeeze in 2005. The CD/DVD jazz band Denseness Face/Homeboy followed from 5 Rue Christine in November of that class. After cathartic the EP Acoustics in tardy 2006, Hella moved to Ipecac Records -- 5RC had folded after the going of flop Slim Moon -- and regrouped with guitarist Josh Hill (cousin to Zach) and bassist Carson McWhirter, both of whom had been in a dance orchestra with the span before they had get Hella, as well as vocalist Aaron Ross (it was, in fact, the inability to find a vocalist that caused the initial dissolution and formation of the duet Hella). Their first gear record as a fivesome, There's No 666 in Outer Space, was released in January 2007.