Is T-Mobile Getting The Samsung Galaxy Note?

Even though I think it's way too big for the average human, Samsung's Galaxy Note is doing quite well since its debut in January at CES. In fact, Samsung has sold 5 million units of the Galaxy Note thus far, which comes out to about 1 million Notes sold per month. But could it be selling better? Possibly. The phablet is only available at AT&T with a rather steep $299 price tag, but that may be changing soon according to TmoNews.

beef o bradys bowl the hobbit the hobbit an unexpected journey dark knight rises trailer dark knight rises trailer latkes how to make it in america

Study finds way more emperor penguins than previously thought

New satellite data reveals that emperor penguins are far more abundant in Antarctica than previously estimated.?

Emperor penguins in Antarctica are far more plentiful than previously thought, a study that used extremely high-resolution imagery snapped by satellites has revealed.

Skip to next paragraph

"It surprised us that we approximately doubled the population estimate," said Peter Fretwell, a scientist with the British Antarctic Survey and lead author of a paper published today in the journal PLoS One.

Fretwell said that in contrast to previous estimates, which put?emperor penguin?numbers somewhere between 270,000 and 350,000 birds, the new research counted 595,000 birds.

Antarctic research is challenging, since humans can essentially only work on the frigid continent for three months out of the year, and nailing down hard numbers for the iconic birds has proved difficult.

Bird census

The last overall population estimate, done in 1992, found that approximately 135,000 to 175,000 emperor penguins lived around the continent.?[See Antarctica's iconic emperor penguins in action.]

Fretwell and a team of researchers melded several kinds of high-definition imagery captured by satellites to arrive at their new number. They sharpened the images to allow them to differentiate between penguins, shadows on the ground, and the penguins' poop, which is plentiful enough to show up in satellite pictures.

The team also used actual ground counts of penguins in their analysis. "The ground counts told us the density of penguin clusters, and we used this to multiply the area of penguins calculated by our satellite image analysis into penguin numbers," Fretwell told OurAmazingPlanet in an email.

The analysis not only doubled the previous estimate of emperor penguins, but also uncovered seven previously undiscovered colonies.

Fretwell said this kind of research is important, particularly in the face of a changing climate.

Penguin future

There are concerns that changes to Antarctica's ice heralds a difficult future for emperor penguins. The birds breed on the Antarctic sea ice during the brutal winter months, but earlier spring melts may pose threats to the more northern colonies, according to a statement from the British Antarctic Survey.

victoria secret fashion show brian williams patrice o neal patrice o neal paulina gretzky paulina gretzky wayne gretzky

Family Photo: The Silverstone-Jarecki?s Coachella Cutie

Alicia Silverstone and husband Chris Jarecki bring their little guy, 11-month-old Bear Blu, along for a laid-back afternoon at Coachella on Saturday in Indio, Calif.

survivor south pacific survivor south pacific house of wax patrick willis team america snow day snow day

Levon Helm and The Band: a rock parable of fame, betrayal, and redemption

Levon Helm of The Band found an unlikely path back to fame after decades of disappointment. But by the end, the homespun singer from Turkey Scratch, Ark., had come full circle.

In the eight years preceding his death Thursday, Levon Helm enjoyed the highest distinction that any music veteran could hope for: an audience that remembers.

Skip to next paragraph

Two recent Grammy awards had brought a resurgence of interest in Mr. Helm?s career as the voice and drummer of The Band, one of rock?s most enduring groups. But it was only in 2004, when he began his homespun ?Midnight Ramble? concerts, that he began to reemerge into the public eye following years of health and financial problems, as well as lingering disappointment and resentment surrounding the dissolution of his former band.

Indeed, much of Helm?s story is a parable of rock ?n? roll ? the story of a band fractured by money and fame, leaving its disillusioned members to pick of the pieces of lives that had seemed to promise something more.

In that way, Helm?s musical legacy is not one meticulously groomed by publicists or biographers. It has evolved organically through what he has left behind.

His appeal in The Band and to Bob Dylan, who collaborated with the group during his most fruitful years, has not just been his voice but also his insurgent spirit. After all, the late-1960s marked the transition from presenting pop music as audible candy for teens to a progressive art form. While the Beatles represented a breakthrough in pushing boundaries that were heady and abstract, The Band later represented their American counterpart, which was dangerous, unkempt, and with a profound feel for, and understanding of, blues, gospel, and country.

That understanding came largely from Helm?s biography. The only American in a group of Canadians, he grew up in Turkey Scratch, Ark., as the son of cotton farmers. Many of the references in classic Band songs came from the people he knew and the sounds he heard in his childhood. Blues great Sonny Boy Williamson performed regularly in the area, and traveling minstrel shows and rockabilly bands made frequent stops.

Helm ?couldn?t wait to get out of high school and get off the farm. His dad told him he couldn?t play with bands until he finished high school.? All he was doing was biding his time,? says Anna Lee Amsden, Helm?s lifelong friend and the ?Anna Lee? in the lyrics of ?The Weight,? the group?s classic song. ?Crazy Chester? and ?Carmen,? other familiar characters in the song, were also people Helm knew in town, Ms. Amsden says.

In a statement Friday, Mr. Dylan called Helm "one of the last true great spirits of my or any other generation."

Much of The Band?s identity ? as suggested by its name ? was in being a true collective where no single person stood out. The Band?s 1968 debut, ?Music From Big Pink,? reflected that unity. Despite vocals shared by Helm, Richard Manuel, and Rick Danko, no one singer was identified, and the lyrics weren?t even printed on the jacket. The magic of that music came from a special alchemy among those individuals that could never be achieved separately since.

Yet in what is now a storied pattern from the early days of the music business, camaraderie crumbled amid fame. Robbie Robertson, The Band?s lead guitarist, joined with the band?s management to persuade the others to sign away their individual publishing rights, which in today?s era of multiplatform media are considered the pension plans of the music industry. They ensure artists later income when the songs receive renewed life in movies, television, and beyond.

In his autobiography ?This Wheel?s On Fire,? Helm describes seeing a copy of the 1969 album ?The Band? and noticing he was credited for writing only half of one song, with Mr. Robertson credited on all 12.

?Someone had pencil-whipped us. It was an old tactic: divide and conquer,? he writes.

Things got worse in 1978 when director Martin Scorsese, who collaborated with Robertson on the film ?The Last Waltz,? reinforced what Helm said was a false narrative that Robertson was somehow the band?s auteur.

sinead o connor dan marino passing record ipad 2 cases movie times serene branson matthew mcconaughey to catch a predator

Officials Don't Know Why 877 Dead Dolphins Have Been Found on Beaches in Peru [Animals]

From February to April, a 2-month span, 877 dead dolphins and porpoises have been found on the beaches of northern Peru. The problem? No one knows why. It could be a virus. It could be an infection. It could be seismic oil exploration. It could be air guns. It could be nothing? More »

mike leach mike leach billy graham scion fr s elf on a shelf elf on a shelf carrier iq

Deal of the Day ? Samsung Replenish Eco-Friendly 3G Smartphone [Sprint]

Saturday’s LogicBUY Deal is the Samsung Replenish eco-friendly 3G smartphone (w/new 2-year Sprint contract) for FREE.? Features: ?3G connectivity, Android 2.2OS, QWERTY keyboard, 2.8″ QVGA touch display, 2MP camera, Bluetooth 3.0, up to 32GB microSD compatible (comes with 2GB), made from 82% recyclable materials, boxed in fully recyclable packaging, and optional solar panel charger available. [...]

orange juice photos doomsday clock nate robinson sharia law sharia law ron paul

HTC One S Review: Head-To-Head With The One X And iPhone 4S

I've been fiddling around with the HTC One S for a few days now, and I have to say it's stolen a little piece of my heart. The hardware is just about perfect, with a 4.3-inch qHD display and a slender aluminum unibody shell, and software like HTC's Sense 4 overlay and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich only sweeten the deal. But, as per usual, there's plenty to consider out there. The wide world of mobile only grows wider by the second, with hot new phones launching left and right. Just today, Sprint's Galaxy Nexus and the LG Viper landed on store shelves, and lest we forget that the iPhone 4S and HTC's mamma jamma One X are also ready and waiting for new owners. So many options. To help, we've put the One S up against it's greatest competitors, the HTC One X and the iPhone 4S, in a spec showdown. Who will come out on top? Well, my dear readers, that ball is in your court.

stephen colbert running for president richard threlkeld moonrise kingdom coachella lineup joran van der sloot coachella 2012 lineup school delays

Social Media Optimization (SMO) ? It's About the Traffic! | Social ...

You may have heard on the national television media recently about the wide spread coverage of the race to 1 million Twitter followers between Ashton Kutcher and CNN. Even more recently talk show hosts like Oprah and Ellen DeGeneres have begun to see the value of using Social Media. One could easily take away from all of this national press coverage that Social Media is only about the numbers and that you have to be a ?celebrity? to get in on it. But in my opinion, it?s no. There are very good reasons for Small Business Owners to spend the time, energy and money to get involved on Social Media web sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube. For a Small Business Owner using Social Media should be about enhancing your marketing by taking it to the next level and helping you sell more by driving ?qualified? visitor traffic back to your website.

In the midst of all of the national media frenzy over ?quantity? of connections or followers, I find myself starting to think that Twitter and Social Media in general may be starting to lose the essence of what made it cool to use; a way to connect in an online social setting with people that you have an affinity with, to expand your reach and influence beyond your local markets using the Internet. Don?t get me wrong, I think it is great that people are connecting with each other and using Social Media tools because that is what it is all about. However, I feel strongly that it?s not a good idea for people to start chasing followers just to have followers or start to use Twitter or any other Social Media website just because it is the ?IN? thing to do. I believe that by doing so they may start to lose that sense of individual and group connectivity or ?quality? that attracted everyone to Social Media in the first place.

So, in the midst of all of this media frenzy you may have heard or gleaned that you should establish a Social Media marketing strategy. What you may not be hearing is why? I know that what I?m not hearing is that an effective Social Media Optimization (SMO)* strategy should be all about increasing your website visitor traffic and helping you sell more. Why else would a Small Business Owner invest all of that time, energy and money? Right? But, you have to be subtle about it and you should be a giver, not a taker?

As you may already know, Social Media Optimization (SMO) is a set of strategies for generating publicity, creating viral marketing and increasing incoming website visitor traffic by using existing social media, online communities and social networking websites. Methods of SMO include adding RSS feeds, social news buttons, blogging, and incorporating third-party community functionalities like images and videos into your website.

SMO is related to Search Engine Marketing (SEM), but differs in several ways, primarily because the focus is on creating website visitor traffic from sources other than search engines. Improved Search Engine Results Page (SERP) rankings and higher Google Page Rank could also be benefits of a successful SMO strategy. This is very important to Small Business Owners because if you don?t show up on Page One of a Google, Yahoo or MSN-Bing search then 90% of the people who are interested in the contents of your website may never find it or you. Plus from my experience the number one organic (non-paid) search engine result listing tends to get 40-50% of the click thus to their website from that potential buyer?s Internet topic search.

Additionally, Social Media Optimization is sometimes related to viral marketing where word of mouth is created not through friends or family but through a presence on social media, social networking, social bookmarking, video and photo sharing websites. In a similar way posting blogs achieves the same effect by sharing content through the use of RSS Feeds in the blogosphere and special blog search engines and directories. For most owners blogging could be a natural fit for expanding your marketing efforts.

So, focusing on generating more website visitors is why I create a triangle diagram for my Internet Marketing Clients to simply explain an SMO strategy and show the interrelated aspects of SEO (at the top of the triangle), Blogging (on the bottom left) and Social Networking (on the bottom right) and the resulting benefit that should equate to more website traffic (in the middle of the triangle).

In my Small Business Coaching practice, creating a clear focus on driving more visitor traffic back to your website is why I set-up SMO campaigns. In my own case, using SMO strategies I have been able to increase the monthly visitors to my website by 500% in 6 months. I work with my Internet Marketing Clients to develop actions plans so that their SMO strategies integrate with their Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and or Search Engine Marketing (SEM) campaigns. Then we execute the SMO action plan by establishing or improving their social media accounts, blogging, adding RSS feeds, pursuing ethical link building, social bookmarking and launching viral marketing strategies. Finally, we evaluate the SMO results monthly to monitor the Return On Investment (ROI) and to identify areas of improvement.

* According to Wikipedia, Rohit Bhargava was credited with inventing the term SMO. His original six rules for conducting Social Media Optimization are:

1. Increase your linkability

2. Make tagging and bookmarking easy

3. Reward inbound links

4. Help your content travel

5. Encourage the mashup

6. Get communities connected

Dave Westfall, MBA is an experienced internet marketing eBusiness Consultant with DewPointe Ventures LLC. His areas of expertise include Lead and Sales Pipeline Development, Pay Per Click (PPC- Google, Yahoo, MSN-Bing), Email Campaigns, Website Analytics and Landing Pages, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Article and Blog Writing and Social Media Optimization (SMO) viral marketing campaign management. Visit my website http://www.dewpointe.com for your Free SocialNetomics whitepaper.

jesse ventura keri russell drew barrymore bill o brien portland trailblazers will kopelman casey anthony

Jennifer Love Hewitt Horrified Over Giant Image Of Her Boobs (VIDEO)

Jennifer Love Hewitt Horrified Over Giant Image Of Her Boobs (VIDEO)

Jennifer Love Hewitt has admitted her favorite body part is probably her boobs. But, the “Client List” star was a bit freaked out to see [...]

Jennifer Love Hewitt Horrified Over Giant Image Of Her Boobs (VIDEO) Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

good morning america jon hamm jon hamm kim kardashian law school rankings ncaa bracket predictions jeff foxworthy heather morris

VCs Invested $5.8B In 758 Deals In Q1 2012, Total Dollars And Deals Both Down From Last Quarter

Venture capitalists invested $5.8 billion in 758 deals in the first quarter of 2012, according to a MoneyTree Report from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). The report shows that after a strong fourth quarter 2011, VC investment activity for the quarter fell 19 percent in terms of dollars and 15 percent in the number of deals compared to the fourth quarter of 2011 when $7.1 billion was invested in 889 deals. While the Life Sciences (biotechnology and medical device industries combined) and Clean Technology sectors saw decreases in both dollars and number of deals in the first quarter, there were double-digit percentage increases in dollars invested in the Consumer Products and Services, and Telecommunications industries. Additionally, investments into companies in the Later stage of development experienced an increase, rising 11 percent and accounting for 40 percent of total dollars invested during the first quarter of 2012.

bachmann iowa caucus results dan savage sickle cell trait michigan football michigan football sugar bowl

Hong Kong to slam door on pregnant mainland Chinese

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong may bar mainland Chinese mothers from giving birth in public hospitals next year to ease over-crowding in local maternity wards, the city's health chief said on Tuesday.

Since it reverted from British to Chinese rule in 1997, Hong Kong has benefited from its deepening integration with China. Yet the unfettered access of mainland Chinese to public services in the densely populated city has also caused social strains.

"Right now, we expect that in 2013, all public hospital obstetric services may be reserved for local pregnant mothers," Hong Kong's Health chief York Chow told reporters.

The comments came after the financial hub's leader-elect, Leung Chun-ying, said private hospitals should bar mainland Chinese mothers and that their newborns will no longer be able to claim permanent residence in the city.

"If they apply now and prepare to come to Hong Kong next year to deliver their babies, in all likelihood, their babies will not have permanent residency status in Hong Kong because once I assume office, I will surely work on this," Leung told Hong Kong's Cable Television in an interview on Tuesday.

Leung, a property surveyor and Beijing loyalist was chosen in March to succeed the bowtie-wearing Donald Tsang by a 1200-member, largely pro-Beijing election committee, in a scandal-tainted contest that protesters denounced as a "small circle" affair puppeteered by Beijing's leaders behind the scenes.

Leung's tough stance on the mainland mothers signals a move toward a more populist agenda once he takes office on July 1, that has included pledges to provide more land for public flats and to make housing more affordable.

NO SPECIFICS

Leung did not say if the city would pass laws or use other methods to stop the children of mainland parents from gaining the right of abode, or permanent residency, in Hong Kong.

The pledges by authorities to tackle the hot-button issue come after street protests by local mothers, heated online debates and provocative advertisements in local newspapers denouncing mainland Chinese visitors as "locusts", including mothers crowding out Hong Kong's maternity wards for months.

In 2010, of the 88,584 newborns in Hong Kong, around a third, or 32,653 were born to mainland women, up from 620 babies in 2001.

The influx has spawned an industry of agents shuttling Chinese mothers across the border, hiding them in illegal 'inns' before birth, partly to circumvent China's one-child policy and also to gain the right the live in one of the world's most developed, wealthiest cities.

A broad provision in Hong Kong's mini-constitution grants Hong Kong citizenship to any Chinese born there.

"Everyone should know Hong Kong society already has a clear consensus about this matter. One, delivering babies of couples with no residency right is not the way we want to develop our healthcare industry. Two, such offspring are not the solution to the problem of our ageing population," Leung said.

Chow, the city's health secretary, said that he was in touch with Leung and respected his view of suspending the quota system, but a final decision had yet to be made.

Private hospitals that increasingly rely on maternity services said a sudden policy change would have a major impact.

"Can we change our mode of operation? Yes we can, but not suddenly. If we are given say three years, we can make a long- term plan," said Alan Lau, chairman of the Hong Kong Private Hospital's Association.

But Henry Yeung, president of the Hong Kong Doctors' Union, said blocking automatic permanent residency would ease the crowding at maternity wards.

"This move will return maternity beds to local mothers. Before this trend, private hospitals managed to survive."

(Additional reporting by James Pomfret; Editing by Ed Lane and Daniel Magnowski)

latkes how to make it in america how to make it in america schweddy balls schweddy balls bill conlin kendall jenner

PSA: I'm Watch smartwatch series ready to ship, as soon as it confirms the destination

All things I'm Watch went a bit quiet following the unveiling of its latest series of smartwatches at CES 2012 several months ago. Now there's finally been an update -- we've heard from a kindly reader that the Italian manufacturer is now ready to deliver on its preorders, requesting a final confirmation of delivery details before they leave the warehouse. Those willing to stump up the substantial amount -- prices start from €340 ($445) -- for these sapphire glass-coated timepieces will get to dabble with a watch-friendly version of Android 1.6. While this means the device will only be able to access a fraction of Google's app catalogue, at least there's a whole gamut of colors and material finishes to choose from -- with the requisite price difference, of course.

[Thanks Owen]

PSA: I'm Watch smartwatch series ready to ship, as soon as it confirms the destination originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

bolton muamba sxsw crystal cathedral st. patrick s day brandon lloyd brandon lloyd celtic thunder

aTV Flash (black) for Apple TV hits version 1.5, brings new player, NFS streaming and more

Folks enjoying all the tidbits aTV Flash (black) brings to the 2nd-gen Apple TV will be happy to know there's a fresh update rolling out now. Inside v1.5, FireCore's added new features such as NFS streaming, as well as including other minor things like extra transitions, subtle timing settings and support for more languages. In addition, and what's perhaps the biggest enhancement, the $29.99 kit is also getting an all-new player, which promises a smoother playback regardless of the file type being used -- not to mention it's optimized for iOS 5. Of course, the refresh is gratis to those who've already shelled out the cash, and you can get to it by hitting the "Manage Extras" menu on Cupertino's miniature box. Not familiar with aTV Flash? Give the source link below a quick click to peruse all about it.

aTV Flash (black) for Apple TV hits version 1.5, brings new player, NFS streaming and more originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 22:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink AppleTV Hacks  |  FireCore  | Email this | Comments

solar flare joseph kony 2012 arian foster dennis kucinich apple ipad kony kony 2012

Angelina Jolie Cried Tears Of Joy During Proposal

Angelina Jolie Cried Tears Of Joy During Proposal

Angelina Jolie reportedly became very emotional when her partner of seven years proposed to her. The “Moneyball” actor spent a year designing the perfect engagement [...]

Angelina Jolie Cried Tears Of Joy During Proposal Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

patrice patrice tether lana peters lana peters jennifer nettles jennifer nettles

Londoners mourn as teletext goes dark, a victim of the DTV transition

Despite the many advantages of digital broadcast television, the transition is separating Europeans from a reliable source of information known as teletext. Citizens of London are the latest to experience the loss, as analog signals in the region were switched off just yesterday. Ceefax, a service of the BBC, has provided millions of Britons with news, sports, weather, television listings, subtitles and games for the past 38 years, and is now accessible only in Kent, Sussex, north-east England and Northern Ireland. Soon, it may cease to exist altogether.

Seen as a precursor to the internet, teletext is a free service that's heavily rooted in analog PAL signals, where small packets of data are sent in the vertical blanking interval, which is otherwise unnoticed by viewers. Because the information is broadcast, users were never subject to network congestion, and only needed to wait a brief moment for their desired page to be transmitted -- more advanced televisions even cached this information locally. As part of the airwaves, the service is naturally free, and in that sense, it lacks a suitable replacement. As with all progress, however, there are casualties, and teletext was an unfortunate bystander. Those who cherished the service can take a moment to relive the memories in the links below.

Londoners mourn as teletext goes dark, a victim of the DTV transition originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Boing Boing  |  BBC, The Telegraph  | Email this | Comments

ryan leaf ryan leaf anchorman 2 kentucky basketball oaksterdam the fray national anthem dallas tornado

'Rock Of Ages' Spotlights A Tom Cruise You've Never Seen

'He's a guy who loves challenges,' enthuses director Adam Shankman, as part of MTV News' Summer Movie Preview Week.
By Amy Wilkinson

Tom Cruise in "Rock of Ages"
Photo: Warner Bros

This summer, the city — and the cinema — will be built on rock and roll when "Rock of Ages" packs its ax, journeying from Broadway to a theater near you.

Set in Los Angeles and featuring the biggest jams of the '80s, the movie musical follows busboy/ aspiring rocker Drew Boley (played by Diego Boneta) as he falls for new-in-town Sherrie Christian (played by Julianne Hough) and lands a gig opening for rock legend Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise). All the while, greater forces are at work trying to convert the drug- and sex-fueled Sunset Strip into a safer, gentler piece of prime real estate, much to the chagrin of the bandannaed masses.

In anticipation of opening night (June 15), MTV News caught up with director Adam Shankman ("Hairspray") to chat about Tom Cruise's crazy work ethic, '80s nostalgia and the perils of working with a baboon.

MTV News: Movie musicals are nothing new for you. What is it about translating a work from stage to screen that is so compelling?

Adam Shankman: It's a matter of, I guess, finding a story you enjoy telling and a medium you enjoy. I grew up doing musical theater, so it's something that's in my bones, and I love it. I feel it's always informed a lot of the way I think and the way I approach material. It's just sort of a natural thing for me to be doing, given my history with music and dance and all that. All I ever wanted to be in my life was a chorus boy, so how things turned out couldn't be a bigger surprise to me.

MTV: What was it specifically about "Rock of Ages" that drew you in?

Shankman: I thought, "Holy moly!" Here's an opportunity to make a musical truly for straight men. I mean, straight guys walk into the theater and they know every word of the music. So it's a completely different experience from girls having to drag their boyfriends to boys dragging their girlfriends.

MTV: There's been a lot of '80s nostalgia in pop culture lately. Is that an era you're particularly nostalgic for?

Shankman: I mean, that was my time. I graduated high school in '82. My dad's office was on Sunset. I saw my first concert at the Roxy. I was choreographing music videos in '87 when, it happens, I actually choreographed a video for someone whose music is in the movie. It was, you know, the last time I remember everything being kind of innocent. Everything kind of shifted then, suddenly fun became drug addiction and crazy, casual sex became AIDS. It was the end of all of that.

MTV: Diego Boneta, who plays Drew, is a fairly under-the-radar talent right now. How did he land the role?

Shankman: His audition just sort of stopped me in my tracks. I saw it on my casting website. I've seen hundreds and hundreds of guys on there, and his stopped me because there was no acting — he just was that guy. And he also sang so great. In the best casting moments, you're looking at somebody and saying, "How much do I have to do with this person to get them there?" I just looked at him and he just dropped into it very easily and naturally. And then, of course, there's that face.

MTV: One of the film's many familiar faces is Tom Cruise, though I have a feeling this is a Tom Cruise we've never seen before.

Shankman: We have definitely never seen him do this before. A lot of the joy in this for him was just the adventure of trying something that was so foreign. I think part of the reason that he said yes to doing it was that he was so stunned that he was asked, and he thought, "Oh my god, of all the millions of things I've done in my career, nothing has ever been like this." He's a guy who loves challenges.

MTV: We did see him sing in "Top Gun."

Shankman: Not like this.

MTV: For fans of the original, how closely does the film hem to the Broadway musical?

Shankman: It's pretty close. I mean, I changed who the villains are. They were Europeans in the play, and I wanted them to be more L.A.-based so it had more of a local resonance. The character Lonnie, the Russell Brand character, isn't the narrator. I didn't think the movie should have a narrator. But in terms of spirit, the boy-meets-girl and what happens to the boy and girl is very close.

MTV: Is there a favorite musical number for you?

Shankman: I never cease to be in awe of "Pour Some Sugar on Me" because it was Tom on his first day of shooting, and he spent the day performing it for a giant crowd, and Def Leppard showed up on set and were there. That was an incredibly crazy, magical day.

MTV: Conversely, there's always a scene or two that give a director pause. Any particularly difficult moments for you on the set?

Shankman: Well, I have one of those that turned into one of the best scenes in the movie. There's a giant protest outside of the Bourbon, where Catherine Zeta-Jones and all the anti-Bourbon moms and all the rockers are fighting and they do a mash-up of "We Built This City" and "We're Not Going to Take It." Then, you know, we had the baboon there and the baboon got loose, and it was a nightmare and nobody could move because it was going to eat your face off. And then we were standing there for 20 minutes stuck on the street. Bizarre, bizarre day. On top of which, it was just really daunting because there was a lot going on. We had Sebastian Bach and Debbie Gibson and all these rockers there from that period. It was insane.

Check out everything we've got on "Rock of Ages."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

Related Videos

• Rock of Ages
• Summer Movie Preview 2012

Related Photos

• Get Psyched For 2012's Summer Movies!

jennifer hudson tribute to whitney houston nicki minaj grammy jason whitlock adele beach boys tony bennett joe walsh

Video: March Housing Starts Fall

CNBC's Rick Santelli breaks down March's housing starts data, and discusses its impact on the markets, with Scott Nations, NationsShares CIO & President.

Related Links:

Business & financial news headlines from msnbc.com

Top of page

new orleans weather sparkle sacagawea new hope baptist church associated press foster friess new orleans hornets

Hart of Dixie ?Bachelorette & Bullets? Episode Review

  The CW?s Hart of Dixie is really heating up.? The Rachel Bilson drama featured a guest appearance by Smallville?s Justin Hartley and Lemon?s hilarious bachelorette party. Get the full episode review below.   After waiting since midway through the start of the season it looks like Lemon haters and team Zoe fans? got their wish, in a sense anyways.? If you didn?t tune into last night?s episode of hart of Dixie you missed a big one.? Not only does George now know that what he saw in the street last week was in fact Lavon and Lemon sharing an intimidate moment, he?s fully aware of their previous affair and has called off the wedding.   Fans were treated of course to the main event until the very end of the episode entitled Bachelorette and Bullets, but that?s not to say the episode?s start wasn?t just as exciting.? Justin Hartley showed up and sparks were flying between Zoe and his character Wade, a soldier of sorts who shows up in town referring to himself as a ninja.? After charming Zoe into a lunch date at the Rammer Jammer things really go downhill.? In Hart of Dixie fashion things never pan [...]

joan of arc tony robbins bon iver abraham lincoln vampire hunter their eyes were watching god lara logan manu ginobili

Retirement planning ? what's the right ratio of house/pension/ISAs ...

?Reader Question:

I have been working hard on my pension & using the carry forward rules will have a large sum put away ? higher than the value of my home. But my savings are not too high ? less than ?100k in ISAs. What might the right ratio of money in house/pension/isas be?

?

My response:

It?s an interesting question.

The first thing to do is to get independent financial advice as your wider personal and financial circumstances need to be taken into consideration.?For help in finding the right financial adviser read my article?10 tips on how to find a good financial adviser

But obviously I want to give you some sort of idea.

Going back to your question you need to make sure you are comparing apples with apples. A house is an asset whereas a pension and?ISAs are tax wrappers in which you can invest in assets (stocks and shares etc)

What is a tax wrapper?

When you invest, two things to consider are ?how? you invest and ?what? you invest in. The ?how? is whether you invest via pension, ISAs, investment bonds, collectives etc. While the ?what? is usually the underlying investment itself, such as equities, bonds, property etc.

Without trying to oversimplify investment but think of it like a car. In order to get from A to B (ie your current situation to your desired stage in life) you need to choose a car. The car that best suits you will depend on the journey you plan to take, your current budget etc. Every car will have different running costs, tax etc and not one car suits all. Think of this as the investment wrapper (pension, Stock and Shares ISA etc). Once you have chosen a car you need to put petrol in it to get you to your desired destination. This is akin to the underlying investment choices. Clearly the petrol drives performance but the car can enhance it. But obviously it?s no good buying a Ferrari if all you plan on doing is going to the shops and back each day. It?s a similar thing with investment ? excessive costs can wipe out any benefit. A good financial adviser can help you make the investment decision that suits you and your plans.

Pension or ISAs?

When it comes to saving for retirement most people will automatically think of a pension. However, using Stock and Shares ISAs as part of your retirement planning is another option. In my article Pension vs ISA ? which is best for you I cover the issue in more detail which should help answer the relevant part of your question.

How much do you need to save for retirement?

The short answer is that it depends on how much retirement income you desire as well as the amount of capital you want in the bank. The only way to work this is out is to carry out a financial plan and again I suggest you seek financial advice.

But to give you a steer the following calculator and can tell you how much a?personal pension or money purchase pot (which I?m guessing you have) might generate.

The calculator can also help answer the following questions:

• How much income will your current pension plan give me?
• How much should you be putting away each month?
• When can you retire?
• Should you be saving for my retirement now?

Once you have played with the calculator (and done your sums) you should not be left in any doubt as to how much you might need to save for your retirement and what that retirement might look like.

Where should you be invested in? ? (how much in property, shares etc)

You appear to have included your home in your retirement planning. That is fine if you plan on downsizing otherwise relying on the value of one asset which you also need to use for retirement planning is risky.

If instead you build a portfolio of assets it is possible to diversify your investments so as to not put all your eggs in one basket. Consequently, other than your investment amount, there is nothing to stop you spreding your risk by investing in a range of asset with which to provide an income. By choosing the right combination of assets and investment wrapper/product to suit your circumstances you can enhance your returns. This is what a good financial adviser would do for you. This value added is often overlooked by investors who concentrate solely on investment performance. While investment performance is important so is tax efficiency, suitability and risk.

However, I am fan of tools that bring complicated concepts to life. Fidelity have created an interactive (and fun) animated tool which asks you a few simple questions such as your age, what you are investing for (such as a rainy day or retirement), your view on taking risks etc and then design an example asset allocation for you.

By asset allocation I mean how much you should be investing in UK company shares, how much you should be investing in property unit trusts etc.

Interactive investment tool (give it a few seconds to load and turn the volume up)

I hope that helps.

Damien

The material in any email, the Money to the Masses website, associated?pages / channels / accounts?and any other correspondence are for general information only and do not constitute investment, tax, legal or other form of advice. You should not rely on this information to make (or refrain from making) any decisions. Always obtain independent, professional advice for your own particular situation. See full?Terms & Conditions?and?Privacy Policy.

Image: Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

People who read this article also read:

aortic aneurysm minnesota timberwolves jr martinez melasma jimmy rollins jimmy rollins let it snow

How to Find the Perfect Web Development Company in the UK?

Gone are the days, when having a website alone was more than sufficient to have a strong e-presence. Today, you need more to make an impact online and reach your customers in an effective manner. Now, you can not do it all by yourself; you need an expert to do this for you. Look for a web development company which can understand your business, its objectives and then, devise a detailed strategy on helping your website stand different from the pool of millions of other websites.

The good news is that there are as many as hundreds, if not thousands, of web development companies in UK, and thus, you will not fact much of trouble in finding an ideal partner for your needs. However, don't forget to do a complete home work before you point your finger on a particular web development or web design company in the UK, as this choice alone will make a huge impact on how the final product (your website) will look like.

Look for the portfolios of these companies before you decide on a particular one.

See the quality of work that they have done in the past. If they have not done anything big and impressive in the past, they are not going to do it, even in your case, for your website. So, it's better to move on, instead of staying with this service provider. However, portfolios alone should not become the sole reason for your yes or not; there is more that you should watch out for.

It's time you should start a chat with their past customers. They will better tell you, whether you should go ahead with this particular web development company in UK or not.

Once you are done with this step, you should talk to a few of these service providers for providing you with their price quotes. Once you have these price quotes with you, it's time to make a comparison and choose the best option available.

One thing that you should always keep in your mind is that you trust only an experienced web development or web design company. It's good if you do not get your work done by a newcomer in the industry as it may not offer you the services, which an experienced company can easily do for you, for your website.

Now, if you haven't already hired a service provider to boost your business online, it's time you start it.

?

the muppet movie mars rover mars rover apple cup jewelry stores sleep no more cyber monday deals