DJ6ual: An Irish Girl's Blog

Friday, January 8, 2010

IRS Forms

IRS Forms: "












Forms and Publications


























1040 Form

Welcome to the forms and publications resource page, the official
source of IRS tax products. The links below provide methods to access
and acquire both electronic and print media. Additionally, the Search function above provides basic and advanced search capabilities for published products available on IRS.gov.














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Source: IRS

"
weight-loss myths debunked http://ping.fm/Bd8lM
DA to seek indictment of Jackson doctor http://ping.fm/xYHcr
Icy hazards persist through US, deep into South http://ping.fm/DL5Gj
U.S. Now a Renters' Market http://ping.fm/B1Jqi
Ray Stevens� Tea Party Song �We the People� http://ping.fm/zn0Qz
The Vita Myth - Do supplements really do any good? http://ping.fm/tQau1
Inverted Body Scanner Image Shows Naked Body In Full Living Color http://ping.fm/sMP2T

Inverted Body Scanner Image Shows Naked Body In Full Living Color

Inverted Body Scanner Image Shows Naked Body In Full Living Color: "

Inverted Body Scanner Image Shows Naked Body In Full Living Color 080110top


The full body scanners that President Obama last night
authorized to be rolled out in airports across the country at a cost of
over $1 billion dollars not only produce detailed pictures of your
genitals, but once inverted some of those images also display your
naked body in full living color.


And you don’t need to be a graphics wizard using a $600
software suite like Photoshop to pull off the trick – inverting a photo
is a simple process that takes one click and is an option available
even in the most basic image editing software.


We were sent examples of the process by readers and
then tested it for ourselves to confirm that simply inverting some of
the pictures produced by the body scanners creates a near-perfect
replica of a naked body in full color. (SOURCE OF IMAGE).


Inverted Body Scanner Image Shows Naked Body In Full Living Color 080110top2


It is important to stress that this is a low resolution image.
Airport screeners will have access to huge high definition images that,
once inverted, will allow them to see every minute detail of your body.


The inversion trick doesn’t work for all the sample
images produced by body scanners, but with or without its application,
every image will still show details of your sexual organs. Even without
being inverted, the images already break child porn laws in the UK.


Reassurances that airport screeners won’t be abe to
save the images will provide little comfort to parents who know that
the crystal clear image of their naked son or daughter being ogled by a
TSA thug can merely be snapped with a handheld camera for their
enjoyment later.


Apologists for the scanners have routinely described
the images they produce as “ghostly” or “skeletal” in an effort to
downplay the intrusion of privacy they really represent.


As we reported yesterday, claims that the body scanners
did not provide details of genitals were disproven after a London
Guardian journalist who was present at a trial for the machines earlier
this week reported that the devices produce an image which make “genitals eerily visible.”


German Security advisor Hans-Detlef Dau, a representative for a company that sells the scanners, admits that the machines, “show intimate piercings, catheters and the form of breasts and penises”.


Indeed, as was admitted when the scanners were first
being rolled out over a year ago, they don’t function properly if areas
of the body are blurred out.


A report from October 2008, when
the naked body scanners were first being introduced at Melbourne
Airport in Australia, detailed how the X-ray backscatter devices don’t work properly unless the genitals of people going through them are visible.


“It will show the private parts of people, but what
we’ve decided is that we’re not going to blur those out, because it
severely limits the detection capabilities,” said Office of Transport
Security manager Cheryl Johnson.


“It is possible to see genitals and breasts while they’re going through the machine,” she admitted.


TV news reports have been deliberately misleading viewers by
blurring out faces and genitals of people in images produced by the
scanners. When it comes to the real thing, your sexual organs and those
of your children will be on full display to officials sat alone in back
rooms, and with a simple inversion trick, your daughter’s naked body in
full living high definition color will be there to be enjoyed by
screeners.


Source: infowars

"
Shock study: 12% of kids sexually abused in govt. custody http://dj6ual.viviti.com/entries/new-world-order/shock-study-12-of-kids-sexually-abused-in-govt-custody

Shock study: 12% of kids sexually abused in govt. custody

Shock study: 12% of kids sexually abused in govt. custody: "

Some 12 percent of minors held in government custody are sexually
abused, and in some facilities the rate reaches a stunning one in three
children, says a report released Thursday by the Bureau of Justice
Statistics.


The first-ever National Survey of Youth in Custody
found that no less than 10 percent of the 26,550 juveniles being held
in detention facilities in the US are abused by staff at the facility,
while another 2.6 percent report abuse at the hands of other inmates.


Among the facilities studied were six identified to have rates of sexual abuse as high as three in 10. According to
the Associated Press, those six facilities are Pendleton Juvenile
Correctional Facility in Indiana; Corsicana Residential Treatment
Center in Texas; Backbone Mountain Youth Center in Swanton, Maryland;
Samarkand Youth Development Center in Eagle Springs, North Carolina.;
Cresson Secure Treatment Unit in Pennsylvania; and the Culpeper
Juvenile Correctional Center, Long Term, in Mitchells, Virginia.


“The widespread sexual abuse of children in juvenile facilities
shows that public officials either aren’t paying attention or can’t be
bothered to do the right thing,” said Jamie Fellner,
senior counsel for Human Rights Watch. “The high rates of victimization
are powerful testimony to the failure of governments to safeguard the
boys and girls in their care.”


The study was mandated by a 2003 law, the National Prison Rape
Elimination Act, which also created the National Prison Rape
Elimination Commission. Human Rights Watch notes that six months ago
the commission set out “comprehensive, effective standards for the
prevention, detection, and punishment of prison rape,” but the Justice
Department has yet to act on those recommendations.


“Every day Attorney General Eric Holder fails to promulgate national
prison rape elimination standards is another day in which kids and
adults are being abused behind bars,” Fellner said. “The attorney
general already has on his desk proposed standards that reflect the
best thinking and effective practices to end this widespread scourge.
There is no need to reinvent the wheel or to delay moving forward.”


The survey found that gay youth were at higher risk than
heterosexual youth, with one in five reporting abuse at the hands of a
staffer or fellow inmate. Males were more likely to report being abused
than females (10.8 percent to 4.7 percent). And 95 percent of those
abused by staff reported that the abuser was female. But that number
may be influenced by the fact that 91 percent of youth in custody are
male.


The AP reports:



Although advocates said the level of abuse wasn’t
surprising, the prevalence of sexual abuse by staff, particularly
female workers, was shocking, said Linda McFarlane, deputy executive
director of Just Detention International, which fights to end sexual
abuse of those who are detained.


“Many of these are already the most vulnerable and traumatized youth
from all of our communities and they’re placed for custody because
they’re considered to be a danger,” she said. “If sexually abused in
those very institutions that are supposed to help them prepare for life
in the community, then it’s just an incredible travesty.”



The Associated Press also notes that sex abuse by staffers was
higher in state-run facilities than in privately-run or municipal
detention centers, and smaller facilities appear to have lower abuse
rates than larger ones.


The study investigated a 12-month period, and was carried out from June, 2008, to April, 2009.


Source: infowars

"
Miley Cyrus' 'Hannah Montana' Coming To An End http://ping.fm/PuSFe
Looks Matter More in a City http://ping.fm/3eHlb
Priscilla Presley: Elvis would be preaching now http://ping.fm/AftEz
Ellen Barkin - Judge rules in Barkin's favour in breach of contract case http://ping.fm/5K5IW
Teen Stars All Grown Up http://ping.fm/QXTyE
Husted: Balloon-boy saga inspires musical takeoff http://ping.fm/s0REW
Charlie Sheen ordered to appear at Aspen hearing http://ping.fm/c4X5g
MKULTRA - Government Mind Control Program http://ping.fm/ihacR
Banks Try to Lure New Customers With Cash http://ping.fm/ZoyLA
The Happiness Project http://ping.fm/1BZS9
Natalie Portman Hotel Chevalier Scene! http://ping.fm/NtFFV
DJ6ual: An Irish Girl's Blog http://ping.fm/vpeq3
Fmr. CEO of American Airlines Calls Full-Body Scanners in Airports a �Waste of Resources� http://ping.fm/THOeI
Obama orders $1B spent on airport body scanners http://ping.fm/rbMmV
U.S. airlines align to start new year with higher fares http://ping.fm/we2jQ
AAPA warns against use of full body scanners http://ping.fm/Rk8Yi
Lieberman's Approval Ratings Tank In Connecticut http://ping.fm/V0ikg
Artie Lange's Suicide Attempt: Howard Stern P'd Off! http://ping.fm/4iKsk
Radio Host Erica Lee Fired http://ping.fm/giZfK
MKULTRA - Government Mind Control Program - DJ6ual - An Irish Girl http://ping.fm/aEYoH
FBI arrests 2 in NYC terror investigation http://ping.fm/PQf89
Portugal Parliament votes to permit gay marriage http://ping.fm/LSXGy
US museum exhibits celebrate Elvis Presley http://ping.fm/AaA5k
Elvis Presley's 75th Birthday: A Tribute In Photos & Songs http://ping.fm/eg8jc
"Pirates of the Caribbean" eyes Baton Rouge http://ping.fm/oWLf1

Elvis Presley's 75th Birthday: A Tribute In Photos & Songs

Elvis Presley's 75th Birthday: A Tribute In Photos & Songs: "



Images


Launch Slideshow
/slideshow/235481






























Jan. 8, 2010 is Elvis Presley

























































Artists in this Article




/artist/elvis-presley/5444


Elvis Presley


/artist/lisa-marie-presley/510346


Lisa Marie Presley







Albums in this Article





















It was 75 years ago today (Jan. 8) that Elvis Presley
came into the world. To join in the worldwide celebration, we're taking
a look back at the King's greatest moments in photos and Billboard
chart feats. Have a look at our Elvis gallery, listen to the brand-new
'Elvis 75' CD and read about all of the other Elvis festivities marking
the occasion.



PHOTOS: Elvis Through The Years





















































































Play Elvis Presley's Hot 100 Hits Now Listen to the 'Elvis 75' CD


Selected Songs
Release DateHot 100 Peak
Play Elvis Presley Heartbreak HotelJanuary 27, 1956
1
Play Elvis Presley Blue Suede ShoesJanuary 20, 195620
Play Elvis Presley Hound DogJuly 13, 1956
1
Play Elvis Presley Don't Be CruelJuly 13, 1956
1
Play Elvis Presley Love Me TenderOctober 6, 1956
1
Play Elvis Presley All Shook UpMarch 22, 1957
1
Play Elvis Presley Jailhouse RockSept. 24, 1957
1
Play Elvis Presley It's Now Or NeverJuly 5, 1960
1
Play Elvis Presley ...Lonesome Tonight?November 1, 1960
1
Play Elvis Presley Can't Help Falling in LoveOctober 1, 1961
2
Play Elvis Presley Viva Las VegasApril 28, 1964
29
Play Elvis Presley In The GhettoApril 1969
3
Play Elvis Presley Suspicious MindsAugust 26, 1969
1
Play Elvis Presley Burning LoveAugust 1, 1972
2



More On Elvis at 75 From Around The Web:
Watch Lisa Marie and Priscilla Presley speak at Elvis' 75th Birthday Proclamation Ceremony at Elvis.com (Beginning at 10:30 AM EST)



Check out the '75 Years of Elvis' timeline at Elvis.com



Viva Elvis by Cirque du Soleil, which will be performed at Las Vegas' Aria Resort & Casino. More info: Cirquedusoleil.com





Source: Billboard

"
Kenna, Jessica Biel And Lupe Fiasco Gear Up For Kilimanjaro Climb http://ping.fm/fcGYN
Restoration of lost Scientology materials complete http://ping.fm/zz0Lo
DeGeneres is in tune with solo singing hopefuls on 'Idol' http://ping.fm/rNbLc
High-stakes gay marriage trial to begin in Calif. http://ping.fm/UPTtV
Colors on Facebook status http://ping.fm/QY5Gp
Burned body in trash identified as Playboy model http://ping.fm/zIbk4

Burned body in trash identified as Playboy model

Burned body in trash identified as Playboy model: "

Model Paula Sladewski, 26, was found dead in Miami, where she had gone to celebrate the New Year holiday.Paula Sladewski, a 26-year-old who once modeled for Playboy, was
identified Wednesday by Miami police as the person found dead and
'burned beyond recognition' in a trash bin on Sunday.


Now,
police are asking for the public's help to put her killer behind bars.
Whoever the murderer is, police said, they are nothing short of a
'monster.'


'It's so horrific. They'd have to be a monster. It's
a dastardly act,' North Miami police spokesman Lt. Neal Cuevas told
CNN. 'It's the most heinous thing that a person can do to another
person.'


Sladewski's body was found Sunday night after
firefighters extinguished flames coming from a large trash bin near a
propane business.


When they put out the fire, they saw a body. But there was barely any way to identify it.


'It
was just total, total, disfigurement,' Cuevas told CNN. 'You couldn't
even tell that it was a woman or a man or even what race.'


Cuevas,
who was in the area when the call came in, said the trash bin and body
were still smoldering when he arrived. Police were able to identify the
body through dental records late Tuesday night, he said.


Police
are trying to figure out how a model from Michigan, who appeared in a
2003 Playboy video, ended up burned beyond recognition inside the trash
bin -- and who put her there.


'This was a brutal, horrible, disgusting murder, and this monster or these monsters need to be brought to justice,' Cuevas said.






It's so horrific. They'd have to be a monster. It's a dastardly act.
--Lt. Neal Cuevas, police spokesman





The only timeline police have comes from
Sladewski's boyfriend, who was vacationing with her. Because he was the
last one to see her, police are considering him a person of interest,
but he has not been named as a suspect.


Police said they would
consider whoever was the last known person to see her alive a person of
interest. Right now, they have no suspects, Cuevas said.


The boyfriend is 'devastated and traumatized' by news of the death, said his attorney, Marc Beginin.


'He desperately wants this crime solved and anybody involved brought to justice,' Beginin said.


The
boyfriend, whom police did not identify, reported Sladewski missing to
police and also tried to find her by calling hospitals and jails,
interviewing people and hiring a private investigator, Beginin said.
The boyfriend also has met with investigators for 12 hours, the
attorney said.


'The Miami police are pursuing all leads and
doing their jobs. However, ultimately, he doesn't need to be a person
of interest,' he said.






[Sladewski's boyfriend] desperately wants this crime solved and anybody involved brought to justice.
--Marc Beginin, boyfriend's attorney





The couple arrived in Miami on Thursday to ring in the new year by watching Lady Gaga perform, police said.


Cuevas
told CNN that Sladewski's boyfriend said they went to Club Space on
Saturday and remained until about 7 a.m. Sunday, when they got into an
argument.


When he was thrown out of the club after the altercation, Sladewski decided to stay, her boyfriend told police.


That
was the last time her boyfriend saw her, according to police. Cuevas
said when Sladewski did not return to their hotel by Monday, her
boyfriend called police and filed a missing person report.


Sladewski's
sister, Kelly Farris, was battling back tears at a news conference
Wednesday night. She said her sister had been dating the man for about
two years, and he had called her Monday to say she was missing.


Farris said she had last seen her sister, who lived in Michigan and California, at Christmas.


'She loved life, she was full of life,' Farris said, beginning to sob. 'She went on a lot of vacations. She was a great person.'






She loved life, she was full of life.
--Kelly Farris, Sladewski's sister










Farris said her family was devastated by the news of Sladewski's death, especially given the nature of how she was found.


'I
couldn't imagine anything like this happening, you know,' Farris said.
'We can't even give her an open casket. We can't even see her again.'


Farris pleaded with anyone who saw her sister at the club or afterward to contact police.


'She did not deserve to die in this way,' she said.


And until her sister's killer is found, Farris said she can't imagine what she will do.


'I
can't see myself going back to work,' Farris said. 'I can't see myself
living a normal life until I know whoever did this pays for it.'


Source: CNN

"
Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Rock Salt http://ping.fm/W3Gnc
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AIG bailout secrecy could mean Geithner testifies http://ping.fm/iZ2RZ
How to get ready for Cash for Caulkers http://ping.fm/EBofM
US urges Japan to help end base row, clarify alliance http://ping.fm/Zboix
Ray Stevens� Tea Party Song �We the People� http://ping.fm/lV9nE
File Your Taxes Online Professionally FREE! http://ping.fm/5B0jR

Thursday, January 7, 2010

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"
Frigid weather hits Midwest, -52 wind chill in ND http://ping.fm/Lisvh
Sandra Bullock steals show at People's Choice http://ping.fm/AUr8o
Couple's tortured goodbye led to Newark airport breach http://ping.fm/Qwqbg

Frigid weather hits Midwest, -52 wind chill in ND

Frigid weather hits Midwest, -52 wind chill in ND: "

Snow was piled so high in Iowa that drivers couldn't see across intersections and a North Dakota snowblower repair shop was overwhelmed with business as heavy snow and wind chills as low as 52 below zero blasted much of the Midwest on Thursday.


Frigid weather also gripped the South, where a rare cold snap was expected to bring snow and ice Thursday to states from South Carolina to Louisiana. Forecasters said wind chills could drop to near zero at night in some areas.


In Bowbells, in northwestern North Dakota, the wind chill hit 52-below zero Thursday morning.


"The
air freezes your nostrils, your eyes water and your chest burns from
breathing — and that's just going from the house to your vehicle," said
Jane Tetrault, the Burke County deputy auditor.


Her vehicle started, but the tires were frozen.


'It was bump, bump, bump all the way to work with the flat spots on my tires,' Tetrault said. 'It was a pretty rough ride.'


Other parts of the Midwest also had dangerously cold wind chills, including negative 40 in parts of South Dakota and minus 27 in northeast Nebraska, according to the National Weather Service. Equally disturbing chills were expected overnight Friday.


An
additional 10 inches of snow was expected in Iowa, already buried by
more than 2 feet of snow in December, while up to 9 inches could fall
in southeast North Dakota
that forecasters warned would create hazardous zero-visibility driving
conditions. Wind gusts of 30 miles per hour were expected in Illinois — along with a foot of snow — while large drifts were anticipated in Nebraska and Iowa.


Joe Dietrich said he had to turn away dozens of customers this week from his snowblower repair shop in Bismarck, N.D.


'My building is only so big and I can only take so many,' Dietrich said.


The
weather hasn't let up since sweeping into the eastern U.S. earlier this
week. Five straight days of double-digit subzero low temperatures,
including negative 19, were recorded by the National Weather Service office in Chanhassen, Minn., a Twin Cities suburb.


'It's brutally cold, definitely brutal,' meteorologist Tony Zaleski said.


At least 15 deaths this year have been blamed on the cold and icy, snow-covered roads. An 88-year-old woman died of hypothermia
in her unheated Chicago home, an Alzheimer's sufferer died after
wandering into his yard in Nashville, Tenn., and a homeless man was
found dead in a tent in South Carolina, authorities said. Kansas City
police said a man involved in a multi-car pileup Wednesday died after
jumping a barrier wall in the dark, apparently to avoid sliding cars,
and falling about 80 feet.


Slick roads were blamed for scores of accidents. In Indiana,
a driver was reported killed in a crash with a school bus near Delphi
on Thursday. In Iowa, a driver died Wednesday after slamming into the
back of a semitrailer that had slowed for an accident near Des Moines.


In
preparation for worsening conditions, more than 500 flights were
grounded at Chicago's airports. The Chicago Department of Aviation
reported more than 400 canceled flights at O'Hare International Airport and more than 100 canceled flights at Midway International Airport. In Atlanta, Delta Air Lines
canceled nearly 200 flights scheduled to leave after 5 p.m. Thursday in
anticipation of snow. Frost on planes' wings delayed seven early
flights in Tampa, Fla.


Just one day into the 2010 legislative session, the Missouri Senate
canceled its Thursday session because of weather. The House planned
only a technical session, which allows bills to be processed without
the attention of most lawmakers.


Freeze
warnings covered nearly all of Florida with temperatures expected to
drop into the 20s. Iguanas were seen falling out of trees; experts say
the cold-blooded reptiles become immobilized and lose their grip when
the temperature falls into the 40s or below.


Schools in parts of Nebraska, Minnesota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia canceled classes because of the weather. Major roads were closed in South Dakota, Minnesota, North Carolina and Virginia.



Salt had no effect on the Twin Cities' ice-rutted streets, and deep
snow left over from a Christmas storm had hardened into rock-solid
blocks. The conditions helped business at Roger's Master Collision, an
auto-body repair shop in Plymouth, Minn.


'A lot of people sliding on the ice, then hitting the
snowbanks. They're frozen up pretty hard,' said store manager Kirk
Suchomel, estimating the shop is averaging 15 repair estimates a day.
'I'm sure we're going to stay busy.'



In Iowa, officials in Des Moines warned that a $3 million annual snow removal
budget would likely be exhausted with this week's storm. Public Works
Director Bill Stowe said the city would tap a $6 million road
maintenance fund to cover snow clearing for the rest of the season.
Snow that had been plowed into tall piles at intersections was set to
be dumped into a lake.



'It can be a half-million dollar operation, depending on the amount of snow,' Stowe said.


Source: AP

"
`American Idol' thinks young, edgy in ninth season http://ping.fm/nOLaO
Intel unveils new microprocessors http://ping.fm/WncDP
Vampires Among Us: From Bats to Psychics http://ping.fm/I5UvA
Jay Leno's future on NBC up in the air http://ping.fm/7xkDJ
Vampires rule People's Choice Awards http://ping.fm/c2aLh
Jonathan Ross to leave the BBC after 13 years http://ping.fm/I86MO
David Hasselhoff announces he's leaving 'America's Got Talent' http://ping.fm/u6pBN
Hanes drops ads featuring Charlie Sheen http://ping.fm/x5oda
EPA replacing Bush smog limit with stricter rule http://ping.fm/mFpwN
Prosecutors Oppose Lifting Restraining Order - Charlie Sheen http://ping.fm/kSJVo
Denise Richards Dishes Up Dirt on Charlie Sheen http://ping.fm/M4bC2
Denise Richards Dishes Up Dirt on Charlie Sheen http://ping.fm/TWGqO
Charlie Sheen, Brooke Mueller's kids doing fine http://ping.fm/uXPIq
Charlie Sheen Removing Tattoos http://ping.fm/9aFrk
Barack Obama ordering changes after anti-terror foul-ups http://ping.fm/yLMq1
Finally BBC asks: are we maybe a bit biased on �climate change�? http://ping.fm/GC4P7
Alex Jones Has Three New Protest Video Contests for 2010 http://ping.fm/KKGu5
Clara's Great Depression Cooking Contest http://ping.fm/I4zSB
At Home Massage Tips http://ping.fm/ffOjd
Top 10 Free Health Tips http://ping.fm/LK3IS
Food calorie counts are often wrong http://ping.fm/9NDKw
9 foods that can help you lose weight http://ping.fm/cbqNt
5 habits that save you money http://ping.fm/dQ6T6
State Tax Revenue in U.S. Drops Most Since 1963, Study Says http://ping.fm/NA9FW
The CIA Double-Cross: How Bad a Blow in Afghanistan? http://ping.fm/BkgkN
Father in Colorado balloon boy saga denies hoax http://ping.fm/LJWkt
Holiday hoax stuns Salvation Army http://ping.fm/BHjw1
PETAs use of First Lady in advertisement angers White House http://ping.fm/6kbVm
Agenda 21 Alert: Obama�s $250 Million Plan to Brainwash Your Children http://ping.fm/wIr8y
Kentucky couple wins lottery by mistake http://ping.fm/1nI1o
Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon resigns as part of plea deal http://ping.fm/EwdiD
Terry Glenn arrested on car theft charge http://ping.fm/qKLbU
Retailer takes aim at warehouse clubs http://ping.fm/xgqqm
Female singers make history - Top 5 of the Week http://ping.fm/VuApw

Female singers make history - Top 5 of the Week

Female singers make history - Top 5 of the Week: "






For the first time ever, female solo artists occupy the top five spots on The Billboard 200. Susan Boyle's I Dreamed A Dream logs its sixth week at #1; Lady Gaga's The Fame surges from #6 to #2; Alicia Keys' The Element Of Freedom rebounds from #4 to #3; Mary J. Blige's Stronger withEach Tear drops from #2 to #4; and Taylor Swift's Fearless holds at #5.


The previous record for female domination was set on April 21, 1990, when female solo artists held down the top four spots on The Billboard 200. The albums were, in order: Bonnie Raitt's Nick Of Time, Sinead O'Connor's I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 and Paula Abdul's Forever Your Girl.


On
two other occasions, women locked up the top four spots, though, in
each case, female solo artists accounted for just three of those spots.
On Feb. 10, 1996, the all-female Waiting To Exhale soundtrack finished ahead of albums by Tori Amos, Alanis Morissette and Mariah Carey. On Jan. 12, 2003, Norah Jones, Jennifer Lopez and Avril Lavigne finished ahead of Dixie Chicks.


I Dreamed A Dream is the first album to spend its first six weeks at #1 since 50 Cent's The Massacre in 2005. It's the first album by a female artist to spend its first six weeks at #1 since Norah Jones' Feels Like Home in 2004. It's the first album by a British artist to spend its first six weeks at #1 since Elton John's Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy way back in 1975.


I Dreamed A Dream is the first album to top the 3 million mark in sales in just six weeks since The Massacre. But this still wasn't enough for Boyle to overtake Swift's Fearless, which is officially the best-selling album of 2009. Fearless sold 3,217,000 copies in 2009, compared to 3,104,000 for I Dreamed A Dream. That gives Fearless
a winning margin of 113,000 copies. That's the second closest margin
between the year's top two albums in Nielsen/SoundScan history.


I
have much more on the final year-end rankings in an updated Chart Watch
Extra in which I count down the year's top 10 songs and albums. Here's
a link.


For
the record, this is the 53rd and last week of the 2009 chart year. (And
yes, this means that sales that transpired on Jan. 1, 2 and 3 are
recorded in 2009 sales totals.)


Both I Dreamed A Dream and The Fame are debut albums. This marks the first time that debut albums have held down the top two spots on The Billboard 200 since January 2003, when Norah Jones' Come Away With Me and Avril Lavigne's Let Go scored.


The Fame sold more than 30,000 copies digitally this week, making it the week's #1 Digital Album. The Fame
this week becomes only the fifth album ever to sell 500,000 or more
digital copies. The album has sold 511,000 digital copies, which trails
only Coldplay's Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends (761,000), Taylor Swift's Fearless (568,000), the Twilight soundtrack (564,000) and Kings Of Leon's Only By The Night (533,000).


Sales
routinely slip after the holidays. Boyle's tally of 137,000 copies this
week is the slimmest weekly total for a #1 album since Michael Buble's Crazy Love debuted with sales of 132,000 in October. (And that based on just three days of sales; the album was released on a Friday.)


Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel jumps from #20 to #7 in its fifth week. The soundtrack to the first Alvin And The Chipmunks movie reached #5 in April 2008, when the movie was released on DVD. David Seville and the Chipmunks first reached the top 10 with their 1959 album Let's All Sing With The Chipmunks. Here's the very unlikely bottom line: The Chipmunks have had a longer span of top 10 albums than Tony Bennett, Stevie Wonder, Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan or The Beatles.


The Squeakquel is the week's #1 soundtrack, replacing Michael Jackson's This Is It. The first Alvin And The Chipmunks was the #1 soundtrack for three straight weeks in March and April 2008.


Glee was conceived by Fox as a music show to follow to its top-rated American Idol. It has succeeded beyond all expectations. But no one could have foreseen this: In its first season, Glee is selling more albums than Idol is. As of this week, the two volumes of Glee: Season One, The Music have sold a combined total of 1,071,000 copies. By comparison, the debut albums by Idol winner Kris Allen, runner-up Adam Lambert and fourth place finisher Allison Iraheta have, as of this week, sold a combined total of 736,000 copies.


Both Glee albums are listed in this week's top 20. Volume 2 rebounds from #16 to #11; Volume 1 rebounds from #21 to #18.


Ke$ha's 'TiK ToK '
is #1 on Hot Digital Songs for the third straight week. The song sold
394,000 downloads this week, bringing its 15-week total to 2,443,000.
Look for Ke$ha's debut album, Animal, to make a high entry on next week's chart.


Here's the low-down on this week's top 10 albums.


1. Susan Boyle, I Dreamed A Dream, 137,000. The album holds at #1 for the sixth straight week. No songs from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs.


2. Lady Gaga, The Fame,
82,000. The album jumps from #6 to #2 in its 62nd week. This is its
highest ranking to date. This is its 28th week in the top 10. Six songs
from the expanded version of the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs,
topped by 'Bad Romance ,' which rebounds from #3 to #2.


3. Alicia Keys, The Element Of Freedom,
80,000. The album rebounds from #4 to #3 in its third week. Two songs
from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs, topped by 'Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart ,' which dips from #81 to #82.


4. Mary J. Blige, Stronger withEach Tear, 62,000. The album slips from #2 to #4 in its second week. 'I Am ' drops from #109 to #182 on Hot Digital Songs.


5. Taylor Swift, Fearless,
60,000. The former #1 album holds at #5 in its 60th week. This is its
51st week in the top 10. Six songs from the album are listed on Hot
Digital Songs, topped by 'You Belong With Me,' which dips from #22 to #24.


6. Justin Bieber, My World,
52,000. The EP rebounds from #7 to #6 in its seventh week. This is its
fifth week in the top 10. (Bieber is the top male artist on this week's
chart.) Four songs from the EP are listed on Hot Digital Songs, topped
by 'One Time,' which dips from #13 to #17.


7. Soundtrack, Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel,
51,000. The soundtrack surges from #20 to #7 in its fifth week. Three
songs from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs, topped by the Chipettes' version of Beyonce's 'Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It), which jumps from #132 to #100.


8. The Black Eyed Peas, The E.N.D.,
47,000. The former #1 album rebounds from #15 to #8 in its 30th week.
This is its 17th week in the top 10. This ends a rare, five-week
shut-out where no groups or duos appeared in the top 10. Four songs
from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs, topped by 'I Gotta Feeling,' which rebounds from #14 to #7.


9. Lady Gaga, The Fame Monster,
44,000. This eight-song EP rebounds from #12 to #9 in its sixth week.
This is its second week in the top 10. Two songs from the EP are listed
on Hot Digital Songs, topped by 'Bad Romance,' which rebounds from #3
to #2.


10. Owl City, Ocean Eyes,
44,000. The album rebounds from #14 to #10 in its 25th week. This is
its second week in the top 10. Three songs from the album are listed on
Hot Digital Songs, topped by 'Fireflies,' which holds at #4.


Four albums drop out of the top 10 this week. Andrea Bocelli's My Christmas tumbles from #3 to #34, Carrie Underwood's Play On slips from #8 to #17, Young Money's We Are Young Money drops from #9 to #12, and Michael Buble's Crazy Love slips from #10 to #15.


Taylor Swift's 2007 release The Holiday Collection jumps from #34 to #29. It's this week's #1 Catalog Album ( replacing Michael Jackson's Number Ones) and #1 holiday album (replacing Andrea Bocelli's My Christmas).


At The Movies: Avatar
was #1 at the box-office for the third weekend. It seems to be on track
to becoming the second highest-grossing movie of all time, behind Titanic. James Cameron directed both films. James Horner scored both. The Avatar soundtrack leaps from #119 to #32 its third week on The Billboard 200. (Incidentally, Avatar is the first movie to be #1 for three weekends since Tropic Thunder in August 2007. It's the first Christmas release to be #1 for three weekends since National Treasure: Book Of Secrets in December 2007 and January 2008.)


Song Scorecard: Miley Cyrus' 'Party In The U.S.A' and 'Down' by Jay Sean featuring Lil Wayne
both topped the 3 million mark in paid downloads this week. It's Lil
Wayne's third song to reach this level, counting both lead and
supporting roles. 'Lollipop' (featuring Static Major) has sold 3,723,000 downloads. Kevin Rudolf's 'Let It Rock' (on which Lil Wayne is featured) has sold 3,580,000.


Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance' and 'Run This Town' by Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West both topped the 2 million mark in paid downloads this week. 'Bad Romance' did the trick in just 10 weeks, the fastest since The Black Eyed Peas' 'I Gotta Feeling' did it in 10 weeks in August.


Country Queens: Reba McEntire's 'Consider Me Gone'
tops Hot Country Songs for the third straight week. It's Reba's (as she
is billed now) 23rd #1 country hit. Only one other female artist, Dolly Parton,
has had more #1 country hits. Parton has had 25. McEntire first topped
the country chart with 'Can't Even Get The Blues' in January 1983.
Parton first scored with 'Joshua' in February 1971.


U.K. Watch: Paolo Nutini's Sunny Side Up,
which first hit #1 in the U.K. in June, returns to the top spot this
week. It's the first album to return to #1 in the U.K. after being
dislodged since Kings Of Leon's Only By The Night in February.


Heads Up: As noted above, Ke$ha will try to parlay the success of her #1 smash 'TiK ToK' into a hit album with Animal, due on next week's chart. Also due: Katharine McPhee's Unbroken and Elvis Presley's Elvis 75.




Source: YMusic

"
Four-legged Creature's Footprints Force Evolution Rethink http://ping.fm/fJGLV

Four-legged Creature's Footprints Force Evolution Rethink

Four-legged Creature's Footprints Force Evolution Rethink: "



Visitors admire one of a number of fossil footprints that Polish ...

Four-legged creatures were mucking around a muddy basin in what is now Poland
about 397 million years ago. And they left behind distinctive
footprints, which have turned back the clock on the evolution of these
landlubbers.



Scientists discovered the fossilized prints,
which included various trackways and isolated prints, in the Holy Cross
Mountains in southeastern Poland. Analyses suggest most if not all of
them came from different tetrapod species - which are four-legged
animals that had backbones, such as amphibians - with some possibly
belonging to juveniles and adults of the same species.



The land creatures likely had bodies shaped somewhat like crocodiles, with fin-like tails and stumpy legs. And some of them were pretty big, reaching up to about 10 feet (3 meters) in length, the researchers said.



The discovery helps to refine the timing of the transition from our fishy ancestors to land creatures, which until now was thought to have occurred about 380 million years ago or so. The new discoveries
show the four-leggers were stomping around millions of years earlier
than had been estimated based on fossils. Until now, the earliest
complete evidence for a four-limbed animal with digits came from Ichthyostega and Acanthostega, which date back to between 374 million and 359 million years ago.



'We didn't know they existed at this point, and we would not have
expected to have found them in this environment,' study researcher Per
Ahlberg of Uppsala University in Sweden said in a telephone interview.



Since scientists have used modern amphibians and such as models for the
earliest tetrapods, some have assumed the earliest four-limbed
creatures emerged from a freshwater environment, Ahlberg said.



Not so, according to the new prints.



'It seems like it was a very extensive muddy basin, marine basin, that
was very shallow and very wide, hundreds of kilometers wide,' said
study scientist Marek Narkiewicz of the Polish Geological Institute,
adding that the basin likely dried out every few years or so.



That drying out may have been an evolutionary boost needed to get fishy animals
up onto the land, he speculated. 'When we have an animal that's
adjusted to swim and then it's left stranded during desiccation, during
drying out, and if it doesn't have the ability to walk then of course
it's death,' Narkiewicz told LiveScience.



The animals were likely adept swimmers and walkers, Ahlberg said. 'They're trying their terrestrial skills out in the intertidal zone, and it's only later that we find they are moving onto the land proper,' Ahlberg said.



The testing ground was likely intertidal, with ebbs and flows on a
daily basis. So when the tide came in, the animals would have swam
around and when the water receded to expose mud banks, like the one
where the prints were found, the animals would have easily snagged any
food that washed up, Ahlberg said.


Source: LiveScience

"
Whale Wars Sea Shepherd New Boat Ady Gil Destroyed by Whalers http://ping.fm/BYWyY
First portrait of Princes Harry and William http://ping.fm/S88Mw

Good Credit Score Not Good Enough Anymore

Good Credit Score Not Good Enough Anymore: "

With historically low rates, many homeowners are watching closely
for the right time to refinance their mortgages. Those with good credit
may well recall being showered with praise by a mortgage broker during
the initial purchase for that solid credit score.


That was then. This is now.


A few years ago, a score of 620 or higher was good enough. That
increased to 680 in early 2008. Then it jumped to 720 in April last
year and 740 in August, says Rodney Anderson, senior managing partner
of Plano, Texas-based Rodney Anderson Lending Services.


In the
past, any score of 700 or higher would get a double thumbs-up from
credit experts. Now, rate adjustments begin kicking in at 740, with
every 20-point drop adding another adjustment.


In other words,
many people who were taking pride in their credit habits either must
pay significantly higher or try to make quick changes to nudge their
scores upward. 'What used to be great is now only good,' says mortgage
broker Todd Huettner, president of Denver-based Huettner Capital.
Refinancing that would have worked a year ago might well not make
sense, he adds.


'I have clients all the time who literally wind up with a score of
739, 719, 699, 679 ... and it costs them money to either fix it or pay
for it,' Huettner says.


One of Huettner's clients, who always had
a score of about 740, went to do a refinance and found her current
score at 719. 'The reason was, she put a new washer and dryer on a
store credit card,' he says. Many store cards are actually revolving
credit, and your limit may well be equal or about equal to the purchase
you're trying to make that day.


Take the application that
Stamford, Conn.-based Luxury Mortgage Corp. got recently. Interested in
lowering the rate on an existing mortgage, the borrower could verify
substantial income, assets and personal credit history, says chief
executive David Adamo. But the borrower's credit score had taken a hit
after co-signing an auto loan for his son that had not been paid timely.


'As
a result, the borrower, who otherwise met every other criterion, was
unable to refinance the loan at a rate that made economic sense,' Adamo
says.


Another wrinkle in today's market: Even those with FICO
scores of 740 or higher are penalized for buying in a geographic market
on the downswing. 'This adjustment affects all borrowers, regardless of
score, if in a declining market,' says mortgage broker Jim Heidelberg,
president of Heidelberg Capital Corp. in Tampa, Fla.


In many
cases, the added costs of rate adjustments are 'enough to make a
refinance that would otherwise make sense have no benefit to the
borrower,' Huettner says.


The road to new scoring


How did we get to this new reality?


The
nation's two largest mortgage lenders, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,
suffered major losses in the market last year and then redefined risk,
announcing price adjustments for borrowers with FICO scores below 720,
says Sean Cragg, vice president of sales for Ann Arbor, Mich.-based
Gold Star Mortgage Financial Group.


And, in case you were
wondering, 'these fees have nothing to do with your mortgage company or
its various products and cannot be negotiated away,' Cragg says.


All
mortgage bankers, brokers and credit unions must comply with the higher
interest rates and delivery changes in all traditional mortgages, says
Heidelberg. Only entities intending to hold the mortgages in their own
portfolios can follow their own guidelines.


Worse news may be on
the horizon. 'There are many factors, including proposed legislation
and regulation, that continue to change the mortgage lending
landscape,' says David Chung, managing director of Towson, Md.-based
CreditXpert Inc., which provides credit analysis services to consumers.
'In the near term, it is more likely that this benchmark will continue
to rise than fall.'


Surprise, surprise


Joe
and Jane Homeowner have likely heard of the new credit restrictions.
But the actual cost to them is often a surprise when they sit down with
a broker.


'Often, lenders will quote rates that include the
adjustments, without calling attention to them in order to avoid a
negative reaction from their customer,' says James Guthrie, a partner
in New Home Finance in Suwanee, Ga.


Less surprising are other
factors that go into securing financing for a new or existing mortgage.
Paola Kielblock, national products manager for Sun Prairie, Wis.-based
Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp., clarifies today's requirements:


• Good credit.

• Stable job, with a minimum of two years of employment.

• Reserves after closing, including a minimum of two to six months of mortgage principal, interest, taxes and insurance.

• Down payment from the borrower's own funds.

• Low debt-to-income ratio. The required ratio varies between banks but
is generally less than 40 percent, according to many in the industry.

• Good loan-to-value percentage. It also varies, but it's often cited as less than 80 percent.


Having
equity in your home is a major factor in getting approved for a
refinance and in finding the best rate, says Cameron Findlay, chief
economist for LendingTree.com. The more equity in the home, the less
risk there is to the lender if the home is repossessed.


Taking action on your score


What can a homeowner who wants to refinance do with a good FICO score that's not good enough?


'Virtually
everyone can raise their scores by at least 10 (points) to 20 points,
sometimes significantly more in 30 days,' Anderson says. Here's what to
do.


1. Find out what might have gone wrong. Applicants
should know their credit score, understand what it means to their loan
rates and ask their loan officers to use credit analysis on their
behalf, says Chung. Credit analysis tools are a simple way to identify
key score influencers by scrutinizing the information contained in each
of an individual's three credit reports to look for inconsistencies,
errors and omissions that may artificially depress the score.


2. Correct any inaccuracies.
Although consumers can improve scores on their own, Kielblock notes
that credit agencies offer services to mortgage brokers to help
consumers raise their credit scores if something is reported
inaccurately and there is proof of a discrepancy.


3. Decrease the percentage of available credit used.
This can be done by paying down balances or increasing credit limits,
says Guthrie. Ideally, this means keeping balances as close to zero as
possible, and definitely below 30 percent of the available credit
limit, experts say.


'We've seen people increase their scores by as much as 90 points or more, simply by paying off the right cards,' Anderson says.


4. Move things around.
If one income can be used to qualify for the loan, transfer accounts to
'park' the debt in the other party's name, Guthrie says.


5. Get a rapid rescore.
It's the only way to find out fast if an attempt to improve a score was
successful. It's done through your lender and a rescoring company. The
process takes about a week, but it can get the loan process back on
track. The downside is it costs a few hundred dollars. The credit
bureau Experian has seen an increase in rapid rescoring requests, says
spokeswoman Cynthia Baker. 'While we haven't done a direct
cause-and-effect analysis, anecdotally, the volume does appear to have
increased as interest rates have dropped in March,' she says.


Aside
from working toward a better score, there are two additional options.
One is paying points to buy down the interest rate. 'This is only a
good idea if the borrower will then live in the house beyond the
break-even point, meaning the time where the money they've paid in
points is made up for by way of less expensive monthly payments,' says
Findlay.


The other option: shopping around. Some lenders, such as
Palo Alto, Calif.-based Addison Avenue Federal Credit Union, have
loans, known as 'portfolio' loans, that aren't subject to blanket rules
on credit scores because the lender intends to keep them rather than
sell the loans in the secondary market.


Michelle Edwards,
national mortgage sales director, reports that for these loans, her
company increases the cost of a mortgage only for consumers whose
credit scores are below 680. One customer looking to refinance avoided
a pricing adjustment because of compensating factors such as
loan-to-value ratio, assets and length of employment.


In a
perfect world, anyone contemplating a refinance or a new mortgage
anytime within the next year or so would start working on getting the
ideal credit score now.


But what if that didn't happen? Try not
to let your emotions drive how you feel about your interest rate. A
mortgage is a financial decision that should be driven by economics,
'not the pursuit of the world's lowest rate because having it would
make you feel good,' Heidelberg says.


He also says some consumers
wait six months for a slightly better rate when a refinance could save
$500 a month means missing $3,000 in savings. As Heidelberg says,


'This is foolish.'


Source: YFinance


"
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Russell Brand Confirms He's Engaged to Katy Perry http://ping.fm/4goFT

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Rosie O'Donnell Opens Up About New Girlfriend On Radio Show http://ping.fm/SVyO3
Bomber at CIA base was a double agent http://ping.fm/LM3Di
The moment comet was eaten up after orbiting too close to the sun http://ping.fm/VGnXS
Ben Pavone, California Lawyer, Refuses To Pay Bank Of America Credit Card, Threatens To Sue http://ping.fm/gXyzn
Eunice Johnson, who ran Ebony Fashion Fair, dies http://ping.fm/8eh6A
Warcraft helps catch a crook http://ping.fm/vRQR0
New Mammogram Guidelines Issued ... Again http://ping.fm/7hqBc
US takes risk on Yemen president to fight al-Qaida http://ping.fm/IvQqn
Democrats hoping to �ping-pong� Republicans right out of final health care reform negotiations http://ping.fm/xKZmK
Ex WWE Star Sean "Val Venis" Morley Makes TNA Debut http://ping.fm/9EOJW
Vince Vaughn Weds! http://ping.fm/V2JHo
Breaking News: The Twitter Name and the Domain Name Now Belong to MSNBC http://ping.fm/LGRyx
Socialite daughter of New York Jets owner has died http://ping.fm/amb59
Republicans 'screwed up' after Reagan http://ping.fm/GpeAj
Indigenous immigrants to be counted in 2010 Census http://ping.fm/SX4qF
Another child left behind on Pittsburgh school bus http://ping.fm/caaHK
Giant tuna fetches $177,000 at Japan fish auction http://ping.fm/oG77f
Health care talks should be televised http://ping.fm/APks8
Undoing Holiday Damage with Dr. Oz http://ping.fm/yRnmt
Big buzz for iPhone's latest rival http://ping.fm/YYvOd
U.S. shivers as temps head lower http://ping.fm/lezUm
New Mammogram Guidelines Issued ... Again http://ping.fm/enHBP
Planet-hunting telescope unearths hot mysteries http://ping.fm/eMD5s
ESPN to unveil 3-D television network in 2010 http://ping.fm/1eOA4
Republicans 'screwed up' after Reagan http://ping.fm/xVCEX
Indigenous immigrants to be counted in 2010 Census http://ping.fm/1iYeE
Another child left behind on Pittsburgh school bus http://ping.fm/l1egx
Giant tuna fetches $177,000 at Japan fish auction http://ping.fm/9dSqr
Health care talks should be televised http://ping.fm/oE5JS
Undoing Holiday Damage with Dr. Oz http://ping.fm/BoeKE
Heiress Casey Johnson dead at 30 http://ping.fm/Ts3Sm
Jeff Hardy Signs With TNA http://ping.fm/qGRO7
Vince Vaughn Weds! http://ping.fm/lLcsr
Twitter Quitters http://ping.fm/KtFbd
Confirmed FBI Cover-Up Of Flight 253 Terrorist Attack http://ping.fm/WQJmv
Early Sexual Encounters Linked To Increased Risk Of Cervical Cancer Among Deprived Women http://ping.fm/NoDyq
Holiday Demon http://ping.fm/wW9vu
False Flag Event in Detroit a Pretext to Invade Yemen http://ping.fm/SMtcf
7-Day Ultimate Diet Cleanse http://ping.fm/nUcfI
What is Multiple Sclerosis? http://ping.fm/4aMu4
U.S. tightens international air security http://ping.fm/WGq9f
'The Simpsons' set to celebrate the big 4-5-0 http://ping.fm/r7hHs
Next Up on Cable TV, Higher Bill for Consumers http://ping.fm/VXZHH
U.S. says Yemen raid allowed embassy opening http://ping.fm/iE0UP
Taiwan bans U.S. beef imports on fears of mad cow disease http://ping.fm/4XOgV
Planet-hunting telescope unearths hot mysteries http://ping.fm/k5svl
Heiress Casey Johnson dead at 30 http://ping.fm/hQK69

Monday, January 4, 2010

Jeff Hardy Signs With TNA http://ping.fm/51RiS
How to Drop the Holiday Weight Gain http://ping.fm/kxLZW
Matthew McConaughey Welcomes Baby Girl http://ping.fm/FUJhv
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Ke$ha sets female download record in U.S. http://ping.fm/GUmv1
Million-dollar missing cattle mystery http://ping.fm/4vYJz
Watch list grows as extra airline screening begins http://ping.fm/MDiP4
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Is Google unveiling an 'iPhone killer?' http://ping.fm/82ykr
Rosie O'Donnell Opens Up About New Girlfriend On Radio Show http://ping.fm/q2eSd
Bomber at CIA base was a double agent http://ping.fm/k0kOn
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'The Simpsons' set to celebrate the big 4-5-0

'The Simpsons' set to celebrate the big 4-5-0: "

To speak of the latest milestone by 'The Simpsons'
seems to restate the obvious.




Long before now, enduring life for 'The Simpsons' and its brightly
jaundiced folk was simply assumed. What began 20 years ago as a
fluke then erupted into a pop-culture juggernaut has continued to
spin yarns, spawn characters and lampoon society, with no end in
sight.




On Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox, 'The Simpsons' is airing its 450th
episode. 'Once Upon a Time in Springfield' will be followed by an
hourlong documentary from Morgan Spurlock ('30 Days,' 'Super Size
Me'), fancifully titled 'The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special in
3-D on Ice.'




During this season, when NBC's "Law & Order" boasts of having
tied "Gunsmoke" as TV's longest-running prime-time drama, "The
Simpsons" has seized the mantle as TV's longest-running scripted
nighttime series -- period. Ay, caramba!




'I think we could do it for another 20 years, actually,' Matt
Groening, 'Simpsons' uber-creator, told the Associated Press at a
recent 'Simpsons' tribute by Los Angeles' Paley Center for Media.
Then he dissolved into giggles.




'Omigod! Another 20? We'll TRY,' he chortled. 'We'll do our
BEST!'




Here's hoping the spectacular ensemble of voice talent keeps
talking to the end. After 20 years, Dan Castellaneta remains
full-throated as portly, dimwitted dad Homer, Julie Kavner is
tower-tressed mom Marge, Nancy Cartwright is lippy first-born Bart
and Yeardley Smith is oversmart daughter Lisa.




Of course, these offscreen stars of 'The Simpsons' are well served
by visual artistry that, among things, keeps them shielded from the
passage of time.




The show's writers play a huge role, too, with fastidiously crafted
scripts that, by comparison, leave most sitcoms in the dust.
(Granted, some fans may complain 'The Simpsons' isn't as sharply
realized as in earlier years, but still.)




'What I love about 'The Simpsons' is, it's so collaborative,' Smith
said. 'The actors do a third, the animators do a third and the
writers do a third. That's how I see it.'




Also part of the acting troupe is Hank Azaria, a go-to guy for
numerous characters including police Chief Wiggum, Comic Book Guy
and convenience-store owner Apu Nahasapeemapetilon.




Rounding out the core cast is Harry Shearer, whose stable of roles
includes Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Ned Flanders, Reverend
Lovejoy, Kent Brockman, Dr. Hibbert and Principal Skinner.




Besides 'The Simpsons,' Shearer, 66, is best-known from his role as
bassist Derek Smalls in the 1984 mock musical documentary 'This Is
Spinal Tap,' and subsequently in the real-life group that film
inspired.




But Shearer, who began his career as a child actor on such early TV
series as Jack Benny's weekly show, keeps a multiplicity of
projects under way. These currently include a new DVD, "Unwigged
& Unplugged," reteaming him musically with Tap bandmates
Michael McKean and Christopher Guest. He hosts his own signature
channel on the "My Damn Channel" comedy Web site.




















The first 'Simpsons' episode


And for a quarter-century, he has churned out 'Le Show,' a mostly
solo act of wry humor, satirical sketches and blistering
commentary, plus music (some performed by his singer-songwriter
wife, Judith Owen).




'Le Show' is available through numerous radio and Web outlets, and
by podcast. It's a weekly passion project that Shearer has always
done gratis -- which means he's free from any vexing business
entanglements.




'I never have a meeting, I never see a memo,' he says. 'It's
between me and my audience.'




Sipping an early morning orange juice during a Manhattan stopover a
couple of weeks ago, Shearer describes 'Le Show' as a place for him
to give voice to whatever's on his mind.




'I'm an insatiable news junkie,' he says, 'so the reading that I
do, I would do anyway. The show just gives me a way to answer
back.'




The sensibility of 'Le Show,' and much of Shearer's creative
output, is conveniently echoed by 'The Simpsons,' even though he
plays no part in its writing.


'Matt has a satirical, anti-authority streak,' says Shearer. 'From
the beginning, 'The Simpsons' was taking the side of the family
against all the authority figures and institutions that buffeted
them in the modern world. Certainly, that resonated for me.'




Shearer recalls the show's first script, whose characters assigned
to him were highlighted in yellow. In the next script, other
characters' dialogue would be highlighted for him.




Much of the time, he didn't see drawings of the new characters
until months after he had created their voices, when the episode
was finished: 'Oh, THAT'S what he looks like!'




How many different voices has Shearer done on 'The Simpsons' in
all?




'The one real influence that Bob Dylan has had on my life is that,
every time I'm asked that question, I give a different answer,'
says Shearer. 'So: hundreds,' he replies in a raspy Dylan-esque
voice.




As the years passed, Shearer's many voices were part of the
emerging world of Springfield, an oblivious community that seemed
satisfied to settle for less in nearly everything: public
education; organized religion; TV news and kids programming;
government, law enforcement, business, and food and drink intake;
and certainly environmental issues, such as the nuclear power plant
that employs Homer Simpson, of all people, as a safety
inspector.




What's the message of 'The Simpsons'? That people, for all their
highfalutin talk, are willing to settle for less if it's easier or
saves them a buck?




Has 'The Simpsons' taken on a new, unexpected relevance thanks to
the current economic downturn, when standards for everything seem
under threat?




'You look around and the only person who ostentatiously and
repeatedly proclaims his pursuit of excellence is Rush Limbaugh,'
says Shearer, then does a perfect imitation of Limbaugh: 'I'm
presenting broadcast excellence.'




'That's got to tell you something,' Shearer says. 'Everybody ELSE
is just getting by.'




But he, unlike most people taking stock of 'The Simpsons' at this
moment in its run, resists any grandiose claims for its
legacy.




'Together with NFL football, 'The Simpsons' put the Fox network on
the map -- whatever you think of that,' he hedges. 'And Fox has
changed the face of network television -- you got to decide for
better or worse.




'I wish I could say that we inspired an awful lot of funny, smart,
irreverent, acerbic shows that took a lacerating view of the
institutions of society. But I don't think we have.'




Nor does he think the show -- or any contemporary satire -- really
changes anything it lampoons.




'For instance, after 20 years and 450 episodes,' Shearer sums up,
'I don't really think 'The Simpsons' has increased the country's
skepticism about nuclear power.'


Source: The Hollywood Insider

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