VIA An Evening with Amon Amarth in Times Square

Second chance: The cute youngsters were stopped, but had more success with their rendition of All My Life
But their ambition to 'be big stars, recording, on tours, number ones' was put in jeopardy when halfway through their audition number, Bruno Mars’ Just The Way You Are, was halted by Amanda Holden.
The judges were shown wincing as the boys' harmonies came across out of tune.
Amanda held up her hand to stop them and asked if they had another song.
New Bounce's second attempt, All My Life by K-C and JoJo, was received with cheers and wild applause by the audience.
Try again: The judges said they were 'frustrated' by the out-of-tune performance but put the boys through

Close bond: The four friends describe themselves as 'brothers from other mothers'
But even though the audience was won over, David Hasselhoff remained unconvinced.
'You, the lead singer, you were singing flat the whole time and the harmonies worked okay…when you came back with the last song, you guys were great.'
Amanda retorted: 'I didn’t think that you were that flat, you worked really, really well together and you can sing.'
Michael McIntyre said: 'I agree with David…I did think when you were singing that first song it was flat, I felt it really was…in the second song it was better.'
Raunch factor: Sexy dance troupe Girls Roc had David Hasselhoff hot under the collar
Too sexy for the Queen? Michael was concerned about their raunchy routine but Amanda and David loved it
The sweet-faced boys were left nervous after Michael told them no, while Amanda put them through.
It was left to David, who decided: 'You gotta work on your stuff, you were flat today…but I’m glad you sang that second son. Yes.'
Other acts who were left on the edge of their seat with indecisive judges were raunchy dance act Girls Roc.
The sexy girls gyrated with snakes and swallowed fire as part of their routine, which they performed in skimpy leotards.
Big moment: The violinist gets her chance to impress the judges on tonight's show
Talent: French dancer Michael stuns the dancers (and his translator, right) with his moves

Moves: David Hasselhoff said Michael was 'the best dancer we've seen on this show'
Moving: Dancer James, who revealed he was home-schooled after suffering autism, had Amanda close to tears with his emotional routine
Another raunchy auditionee is classically-trained musician Alexandra Parker, 22, who wows the judges in her skintight leather as she plays the violin.
The ex-busker from Doncaster struts out onto the stage in round four of the auditions round - and before she's said her name, comedian Michael, 35, jokes: 'You’re through.'
Former Baywatch smoothie David Hasselhoff, 58, - himself a fan of leather trousers - almost seems to lose his cool, and all he can think to say is 'You have a lovely string section.'
Amanda meanwhile attempts to keep the boys in check with some withering looks, and says: 'You are a very good violinist, I'm just trying to keep it real here.'
All over the world: An extremely flexible contestant shows off her skills and received three yes votes from the judges after David said she 'had gone around the world in 80 moves'
Tasty: fine art student Nathan thrilled Michael with his Marmite portrait
Glamorous Alex said afterwards: 'Michael just concentrated on the fact I didn’t have many clothes on and The Hoff just sat there with his mouth open. But Amanda said she needed to know if I could play!'
Unsurprisingly, she gets a standing ovation from David, as well as show hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly.
Also on the show are an 11-year-old Billy Elliot in the making, autistic ballet dancer James.
Clever canine: Angela and her dog teddy show off their skills on the BGT stage
Full of surprises: Robert Fulford's soprano voice stunned the judges, while Rachel takes a strange approach to musical talent with her loo-roll trumpet
There's also a burlesque dancer, Teddy the dancing dog, a body popper called Michael, 21, and student Nathan, 21, who makes a picture of Michael out of pieces of toast and Marmite.
Other acts include the rather improbable Sailor Pig .
Show four sees Britain’s Got Talent roll into Cardiff, Manchester and Birmingham with judges Michael McIntyre, Amanda Holden and David Hasselhoff.
Britains got talent - New Bounce audition

Britain's Got Talent 2011 Audition - Girls Roc ep4



Angela and Teddy - Britain's Got Talent 2011 Audition ep4

Michael Moral on Britain's Got Talent 2011 Week 4

Robert (Bobby) Fulford - Hey There Lonely Girl - Britain's Got Talent

Britains got talent - Big Mama Funk audition

Michael Moral - Britain's Got Talent 2011 audition

source: dailymail

VIA Teen four-piece New Bounce melt audience's hearts but divide the judges on Britain's Got Talent

I've recently started listening to a lot of talk radio and literary podcasts. I thought it was important to do a post showcasing these shows because they provide a lot of great insights into the literary world and really round out my blogging ideas.

By far my favorite literary podcast is Books on the Nightstand. This weekly podcast is hosted by Michael Kindness and Ann Kingman. They both work in the publishing industry, but this podcast isn't full of fancy lingo I can't understand. It's actually very easy on my ears and the podcasts are relatively short because I honestly don't have a lot of free hours to listen to podcasts. On average the podcasts are about twenty-five minutes long. There is usually some kind of book topic, this past week it was cookbooks, and then Ann and Michael each suggest a book and talk a little bit about it. Ann and Michael have great chemistry and their podcast is informative as well as fun to listen to. I subscribe to this podcast through iTunes but you can also download the podcast on their website.

Another great podcast is the New Yorker's monthly fiction podcast. This podcast features an author reading a story by another author and then there is a discussion about the story and why they chose the story they did. This podcast has introduced me to a few writers I would not have otherwise heard of and this is another short one. It's only once a month and about thirty minutes long. Very easy to keep up with!

NPR Books isn't my favorite podcast but I listen to it pretty frequently. It's fairly short, about twenty minutes, and features, reviews, news, and interviews. It's an enjoyable podcast but it doesn't feel as friendly to me as Books on the Nightstand does.

The next podcast isn't exactly a lit show but it is a show about book bloggers. Linus's Blanket's Nicole hosts That's How I Blog, a weekly podcast about blogging books. This is a great podcast that has given me ideas on how I would like to change my blog, and Nicole asks some great questions! It's always interesting and there is also some discussion of books (obviously, what else can you expect from book bloggers) in each episode. You can download these podcasts on Blog Talk Radio.

I'm probably a little biased on this one, but the University of Iowa's radio station has two great literary radio shows. One is the newer Not Your Literati which is hosted by my two pals Pierce and Mackenzie. This show talks about what is up on the undergraduate literary scene every Sunday. There is another show on Tuesdays called The Lit Show, which I sadly don't get to hear very often. You can listen to these shows even if you don't live in Iowa City. You can find the schedule on KRUI's website and download the stream for your music player. Both of these shows are one hour long.

Kitty and Ben plan on tying the knot. Kitty’s mother, so excited that Kitty has found “a keeper” begins planning a large, ostentatious wedding. Kitty and Ben want something much smaller, so they plan to elope in Las Vegas. Kitty’s producers even arrange a special live televised episode of Kitty’s radio show “The Midnight Hour.” When word gets out that Kitty’s planning on making a trip to Vegas, she is approached by Rick, Denver’s Vampire Master, and is asked to give a message to the Vegas Master, Dom. Kitty obliges, after all, she and Rick do have a special “partnership” as leaders of their respective “species.” When Kitty and Ben arrive in Vegas, they discover their hotel is holding a gun show. They are surrounded by hundreds of gun-toting bounty hunters. Not exactly paradise for a lycanthrope!

Kitty begins searching for guests for her show. In a city like Vegas, it can’t be that difficult. She soon learns about a show at The Hanging Gardens, one run completely by lycanthropes. But there’s something off about the Vegas lycanthropes---no wolves.

While Kitty is off on her search, Ben has discovered that being a wolf has some advantages. He sits in on a round of poker, and soon learns that he can sense how his opponents are doing. He signs up for a poker championship. Kitty is thrilled for him—she’s happy that he’s accepting and taking advantage of his “wolf.” But during the championship game, Ben outs a cheater, and is abducted. On his wedding day, nonetheless. Kitty reports him as missing, but everyone seems to believe that he’s not missing, but simply has a case of cold feet.

As usual, Kitty finds herself in danger. She’s discovered a secret behind The Hanging Gardens show, and an explanation for the lack of werewolves in Las Vegas. How will she protect her life, and save the man she loves?

Vaughn does another amazing job with this installment of the Kitty Norville series. As always, the character development is spot on. It’s amazing to see how Kitty’s character has grown, both as a person and as a wolf. The secondary characters add a great deal of interest to the book as well. So, once again, I’m impressed! Another highly recommended book!

Red alert: Cheryl looks stylish in a red jacket and jeans as she gets into her waiting car
Accompanied by her assistants, she wore yellow harem pants, towering buckled ankle boots and a blue striped T-shirt.
Following months of speculation, Cole was confirmed yesterday as a judge on the new U.S. version of the hit British show alongside Simon Cowell and Antonio 'LA' Reid.
Cole has already voiced her excitement about the new role searching for the talent America has to offer and said she is ready to battle it out against Cowell on the first series.
Cole said: 'I’m so excited to be taking part in the American version of The X Factor. I absolutely love it here in the UK, and with the talent they have out in America, I’m sure we’re going to find someone very special.'
Alreet America! Cheryl Cole arrives at Heathrow Airport to board a flight to Los Angeles ahead of her new role on X Factor USA
She added: 'I can’t wait to get started. I just can’t decide whether I am more excited to find and nurture the talent or for the unbelievable amount of amusement and entertainment I will have watching Simon doing everything and anything he can to beat me.
'He’s tried to beat me for three years in the UK, and hasn’t even come close. His ego must be so bruised. America is gonna love this.'
Cowell, who has championed the Geordie singer in the U.S., said: 'I’m thrilled for Cheryl. She is massively excited about this show, and has been fantastic to work with.'
He added: 'She is also a complete brat! Most importantly, this girl can spot talent.'
I'm in! Cheryy, seen in new promotional stills for the show, is excited to be heading Stateside for the X Factor USA where she will sit next to Simon Cowell and LA Reid on the judging panel
Ready for battle: Cheryl can't wait to get the first series of the American version of the X Factor show underway and is looking to beat Simon Cowell as she has in the U.K. show
Great chemistry: Fox bosses have praised Cheryl's talent as a judge and have said America will love the way she interacts with Simon Cowell
The confirmation about her X Factor role comes only days before auditions are held this Sunday, May 8, in specially-built high-definition recording studios in Honolulu, Phoenix, Nashville, Anchorage, Kansas City and Denver.
Auditions will continue in Dallas on May 26.
The U.S. version of The X Factor is set to be the biggest and best yet with the winner scooping a recording contract worth $5 million.
source: dailymail

VIA Welcome to your new life Cheryl! New X Factor USA judge

Kitty Norville is a DJ for a Denver radio station. She’s also a werewolf, a secret that she’s been able to keep from her audience. One night, however, things change. She brings up the topic of “Bat Boy”, a local phenomena that frequently appears in the news. Hundreds of calls start pouring in, comments ranging from “My girlfriend, a werewolf, won’t bite me” to recommendations on exorcisms. And thus, “The Midnight Hour”, a supernatural advice show, is born! Kitty is overjoyed at the success of her new show. But her pack leader, Carl, is not. He’s afraid the show is casting too much attention on their pack. Nevertheless, Kitty continues to broadcast, and a rift forms between her and her pack. Her desire for independence is misunderstood as an attempt to gain power within the pack. When Kitty accidentally reveals herself as a werewolf on one airing of a show, her life is in danger. When Cormac, a werewolf hunter, threatens her life, Kitty, and her show, are brought to the attention of the local police. Hardin, a local detective, asks for Kitty’s advice on a batch of unsolved murders. Murders originally thought were the work of wolves. Kitty visits the crime scene and it’s instantly obvious—a rogue werewolf is killing people.

The first in a series, KITTY AND THE MIDNIGHT HOUR is a very addictive read. I can’t wait to pick up the next book in the series!

To enter to win a copy of KITTY AND THE MIDNIGHT HOUR, comment on this post. To be entered twice, blog about it. To be entered three times, become a follower of this blog. Drawing will take place Friday, February 20th. US and Canada only, no P.O. Boxes.

Check out my blog each week as I review (and give away!) all six books in the “Kitty Norville” series, leading up to a blog tour on March 25!

All white on the night: Alexandra, pictured here in her day job, is Doncaster's first ever licensed busker
Unsurprisingly, she gets a standing ovation from David, as well as show hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly.
he's not the only bit of raunch on tonight's show either - dance group Girls Roc get the judges hot under the collar with their routine using fire and snakes to Rihanna's Only Girl In The World.
Also on the show are an 11-year-old Billy Elliot in the making, autistic ballet dancer James.

There's also a burlesque dancer, Teddy the dancing dog, a body popper called Michael, 21, and student Nathan, 21, who makes a picture of Michael out of pieces of toast and Marmite.
Other acts include the rather improbable Sailor Pig .
Show four sees Britain’s Got Talent roll into Cardiff, Manchester and Birmingham with judges Michael McIntyre, Amanda Holden and David Hasselhoff.
Britain's Got Talent is on ITV1 tonight at 8pm followed by Britain’s Got More Talent, on ITV2 at 9pm.


source: dailymail

VIA Britain's Got Talent male judges set to be wowed by sexy violinist in skintight leather

Today begins a blog tour for an amazing series of books by Carrie Vaughn--the Kitty Norville werewolf DJ series! Every day for the next six days, check out my blog for reviews of each of Vaughn's books!

Review: Kitty and the Midnight Hour

Kitty Norville is a DJ for a Denver radio station. She’s also a werewolf, a secret that she’s been able to keep from her audience. One night, however, things change. She brings up the topic of “Bat Boy”, a local phenomena that frequently appears in the news. Hundreds of calls start pouring in, comments ranging from “My girlfriend, a werewolf, won’t bite me” to recommendations on exorcisms. And thus, “The Midnight Hour”, a supernatural advice show, is born! Kitty is overjoyed at the success of her new show. But her pack leader, Carl, is not. He’s afraid the show is casting too much attention on their pack. Nevertheless, Kitty continues to broadcast, and a rift forms between her and her pack. Her desire for independence is misunderstood as an attempt to gain power within the pack. When Kitty accidentally reveals herself as a werewolf on one airing of a show, her life is in danger. When Cormac, a werewolf hunter, threatens her life, Kitty, and her show, are brought to the attention of the local police. Hardin, a local detective, asks for Kitty’s advice on a batch of unsolved murders. Murders originally thought were the work of wolves. Kitty visits the crime scene and it’s instantly obvious—a rogue werewolf is killing people.

Check out the other blogs participating in this tour!

http://bookingmama.blogspot.com/
http://cafeofdreams.blogspot.com/
http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/
http://acircleofbooks.blogspot.com/
http://amateurdelivre.wordpress.com/
http://cindysloveofbooks.blogspot.com/
http://confessionsofaromancebookaddict.wordpress.com/
http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
http://stephaniesbooks.blogspot.com/
http://www.bookthoughtsbylisa.blogspot.com/
http://www.bananas4books.blogspot.com/
http://www.chikune.com/blog
http://www.foreigncircuslibrary.blogspot.com/
http://www.msbookish.com/
http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/
http://www.writeforareader.edublogs.org/
http://www.amberstults.com/
http://literaryfeline.blogspot.com/
http://confessionsofaromancebookaddict.wordpress.com/
http://www.wrightysreads.blogspot.com/
http://bookzombie.blogspot.com/
http://fictiontofruition.blogspot.com/
http://wendisbookcorner.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/darbyscloset
http://inbedwithbooks.blogspot.com/
http://thisbookforfree.com/
http://thetometraveller.blogspot.com/
http://www.grammasreads.blogspot.com/
http://samsbookblog.blogspot.com/
http://bookseriesreviews.blogspot.com/
http://www.booksbytjbaff.blogspot.com/

Check out this great video created by Hachette Books to promote the Kitty Norville Series.

And check back on March 31 when I pick a random commenter to win the entire Kitty Norville series! So, start commenting! I will pull together all the comments on my "Kitty" posts and choose one lucky winner!

Rules: Winner must be a resident of the US or Canada. No PO Boxes, please. Books will be shipped directly from the publisher.

Nineteen year-old Harmony Blue Kucharski is single, alone, and pregnant. She opts to put her son up for adoption. She had a difficult childhood and only wants the best for her son.

Twenty years later: Blue Reynolds is a very successful Chicago-based talk show hostess. She has everything that money can buy, everything but happiness. During the taping of a teen pregnancy show, Blue loses herself and begins to defend a young pregnant teen that is a guest of the show. Blue realizes what she's missing in her life: knowing what happened to her son. She hires a private investigator to find the location and name of her son's adoptive parents. He finds the location of the daughter of her midwife, and begins sending her money in return for her medical file.

While taping an episode of The Blue Reynold's Show in Key West, Blue is reunited with Mitch Forrestor, her former English Professor. They had a relationship twenty years ago, and the dissolution of this relationship is what caused blue (then Harmony Blue) to rebound and find herself pregnant. Is this reunion Fate's way of telling her to fight to regain everything she lost those decades ago?

When Blue decides to help Mitch produce his literary documentary, Literary Lions, Blue meets his thirty-something son, Julian. Julian puts a bit of a kink in Mitch and Blue's potential relationship.

When her past is revealed, Blue must quickly decide just how much she is willing to relinquish in order to find true happiness. Reunion

tells a a story that pulled me in during the first few pages. Blue's character is a strong and honest one. One can't help but feel for her and everything she was forced to experience in life. The secondary characters are extremely well-developed as well and serve as a backbone to the storyline. All of the characters are human, they have natural faults real challenges they are forced to address. The tale that Reunion

portrays is a powerful one. Fowler's writing paints the setting of Key West as if it were a painting that is being unveiled before our eyes. The imagery and detail pulls the reader into the story. I felt the sun beating on my face, smelled the warm ocean breeze. The ending leaves me begging for a sequel so I can follow the characters on their journey of rediscovery

Reunion

is the perfect book to take along with you to the beach, or in my case, to read on a rainy day.

About the Author

Therese Fowler is the author of Souvenir. She holds an MFA in creative writing. She grew up in Illinois and now lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her husband and two sons. You can visit Therese Fowler’s website at http://www.theresefowler.com/.

Giveaway:

I have one copy of Reunion to give way. To enter, please answer the following question:

Where is your favorite getaway or vacation spot?

To get extra chances at winning:

• Blog and/or tweet about this contest. You must include a link to your blog post or tweet in your comment.
• Become a follower of Jenn's Bookshelf.
  

• Please leave your email address in your comment. Comments without email addresses will be disqualified.
  
• U.S. Residents only, please.
  
• Winner will be announced on Friday, May 15.
  

PUMP UP YOUR BOOK PROMOTION VIRTUAL BOOK TOURS

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I'm in! Cheryy, seen in new promotional stills for the show, is excited to be heading Stateside for the X Factor USA where she will sit next to Simon Cowell and LA Reid on the judging panel
Following months of speculation, Cole was confirmed yesterday as a judge on the new U.S. version of the hit British show alongside Simon Cowell and Antonio 'LA' Reid.
Cole has already voiced her excitement about the new role searching for the talent America has to offer and said she is ready to battle it out against Cowell on the first series.
Cole said: 'I’m so excited to be taking part in the American version of The X Factor. I absolutely love it here in the UK, and with the talent they have out in America, I’m sure we’re going to find someone very special.'
She added: 'I can’t wait to get started. I just can’t decide whether I am more excited to find and nurture the talent or for the unbelievable amount of amusement and entertainment I will have watching Simon doing everything and anything he can to beat me.
'He’s tried to beat me for three years in the UK, and hasn’t even come close. His ego must be so bruised. America is gonna love this.'
Ready for battle: Cheryl can't wait to get the first series of the American version of the X Factor show underway and is looking to beat Simon Cowell as she has in the U.K. show
The confirmation about her X Factor role comes only days before auditions are held this Sunday, May 8, in specially-built high-definition recording studios in Honolulu, Phoenix, Nashville, Anchorage, Kansas City and Denver.
Auditions will continue in Dallas on May 26.
The U.S. version of The X Factor is set to be the biggest and best yet with the winner scooping a recording contract worth $5 million.
Great chemistry: Fox bosses have praised Cheryl's talent as a judge and have said America will love the way she interacts with Simon Cowell
source: dailymail

VIA Welcome to your new life Cheryl! New X Factor USA judge

I am a long time fan of Sex and the City. I used to stay home from school and watch it for hours (okay I finally admitted where I was to all of my high school teachers!). And I've always seen myself as a Carrie so when I saw that Candace Bushnell had written a book about Carrie before Sex and the City (i.e. high school Carrie Bradshaw) I knew it would be the perfect summer book for me. I have never actually read Sex and the City or any other books by Candace Bushnell, so The Carrie Diaries was actually my first taste of her writing style. I'll be honest, I've read better, but it certainly wasn't the worst writing I've ever read. So now, to answer the question everyone wants to hear, what was Carrie Bradshaw like in high school?

The book picks up right at the beginning of Carrie's senior year. She's from a small town and lives with her two younger sisters and her dad. Her mom has sadly died* and her sister Dorrit is having some serious issues with coping. She has begun to steal, dye her hair, and basically cause quite a ruckus in the Bradshaw house. Carrie has her own problems to deal with. She didn't get into the summer writing program at the New School and while she was busy working on that all summer it seems that all of her friends have started having sex, including her smart, quiet best friend The Mouse. Carrie goes into panic mode, and that is when the new kid comes to town. His name is Sebastian Kydd and he is all kinds of trouble, which of course means every girl in school wants him. Carrie knows she does not want him though, because they met once as little kids and he didn't find her uber feminist comments amusing. At least, she's pretty sure she doesn't want him.

Carrie's dad is an extremely intelligent man who wants nothing more than his daughter to go to Brown. Carrie is, well, alright with this and when they visit the school Carrie meets the older (and personally I think more awesome) George. George is a student at Brown who has taken a wild interest in Carrie, but Carrie (true to form- I'm an Aiden fan) has zero interest in him because she is blinded by Sebastian. So this is how Carrie's senior year is shaping up. And as senior years go, it sounds about right.

I really had no quibbles with this book. The writing was what I expected, although not great. Carrie's character made sense as the younger version of Carrie Bradshaw. There were several storylines and they were mostly finished by the end of the book. Basically this was a fairly mindless, brainless book that was perfect to start my summer off with. I would suggest it to any Carrie Bradshaw fan. This book earned a C.

*Anyone who has watched the show as religiously as I have knows this is not the case on the show, because on the show she has a deadbeat dad. That's not to say that Bushnell's image of Carrie Bradshaw (which I understand is an alternative name for herself) is not less important than the interpretation of her in the show, but it's something I couldn't help but notice.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you make a purchase using one of my links I will earn a small percentage which will then go back into this blog.

The report analyzes six of the 12 sites that Syria has nominated as World Heritage Sites: Dura Europos, Ebla, Hama's Waterwheels, Mari, Raqqa, and Ugarit. A forthcoming report will analyze the additional six sites.

"As we continue to study the conditions at Syria's important cultural sites, we have observed significant destruction that is largely the result of conflict. However, unlike our previous analysis of Syria's World Heritage Sites, we're seeing a lot of damage that appears to be the result of widespread looting," said Susan Wolfinbarger, director of the AAAS Geospatial Technologies and Human Rights Project, which authored the report. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania Museum's Penn Cultural Heritage Center and the Smithsonian Institution also contributed to the research.

"This report helps us understand how the extensive the actual damage is to Syria's cultural heritage. It will inform future emergency preservation efforts," said Brian Daniels, director of research and programs at the University of Pennsylvania Museum's Penn Cultural Heritage Center.

In the report, images from 2014 show numerous pits throughout three sites where ancient cities once stood. The pits generally do not appear in similar images from 2011, when the conflict in Syria began. "We interpret these pits as evidence of looting due to the distinct craters visible within the satellite images," said Jonathan Drake, a senior program associate at AAAS.

"This type of documentation really allows us to make a firm statement based on scientific observation of things that have happened at a site," said Wolfinbarger.

"Sometimes when things are reported in the news media or social media, details can be obscured or purposefully misconstrued. But this analysis is replicable. We can say definitively, 'we see this.' And when it is tied it in with other types of information, satellite imagery can give us a more complete picture in parts of the world that are difficult to access."

"These images show the destruction of ancient artifacts, architecture, and most importantly, archaeological context that is the record of humanity's past," said Katharyn Hanson, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Museum's Penn Cultural Heritage Center and a visiting scholar at AAAS. "From the origins of civilization to the first international empires, Syria's cultural heritage and these sites in particular are vitally important to our understanding of history."

The most extensive looting identified in the report was at Dura-Europos, which was founded in the 3rd century B.C. and served as a frontier city as well as the main hub for caravan routes. The site represents a blend of cultural traditions, including Greek, Mesopotamian, Aramaic, Persian, and Roman influences. There have been numerous reports of damage through social media and news reports, and the AAAS report now documents the extent of this activity.

Based on the imagery analysis, 76% of the area within the city wall had been damaged by April 2014, and the looting pits were so close together it was impossible to distinguish individual pits, the researchers report. Looting pits outside the city wall were less dense but still numerous; approximately 3,750 individual pits were observed. Images from 2 April 2014 show four vehicles among the ancient Roman ruins in close proximity to the looting, suggesting that the disturbances at the site may have been ongoing at that time, according to the report.

The second site described in the report is Ebla, the site of an important kingdom in the Early Bronze Age. The site is best known for its archive of several thousand written tablets that "revolutionized knowledge regarding the ancient history and political economy of the region," the report says. Ebla is constructed out of mud brick, so without preservation it is vulnerable to erosion.

The images in the analysis show looting pits, including 45 new holes observed between 18 August 2013 and 4 August 2014, as well as eroded walls, earthen berm fortifications, and heavy vehicle tracks. Military compounds have been constructed on the site, likely due to the fact that the site is elevated over the surrounding plain and provides a good view of the area.

Looting is also widespread at the ancient Mesopotamian city of Mari, which was founded in the early 3rd millennium B.C. and prospered as a node on the trade routes. Like Dura-Europos, Mari is located in the Deir ez-Zor province that has seen violent clashes during the conflict. The Albu Kamal region, where Mari is located, came under the control of ISIS in June 2014.

The looting appears to have ramped up during the last year. The researchers identified 165 visible pits dug between August 2011 and March 2014 (an average of 0.17 pits formed per day). Between 25 March and 11 November 2014, however, they identified 1,286 new pits, an average rate of 5.5 pits dug every day over the seven-month period.

The fourth site is Raqqa, and important city center that exemplifies the transition of a Greek/Byzantine urban center into an Islamic city by 796 A.D. Since 2013 Raqqa has been at the center of the conflict in Syria. After fighting by opposition groups, ISIS took control of the city in October 2013, and in September 2014, the United States and partner nations began an airstrike campaign against ISIS in Raqqa.

The observed damage in vicinity of the Tentative World Heritage site in Raqqa appears to be different from that of the other sites in the analysis, according to the report, with little evidence of direct military conflict. "Rather, when damage is present, it appears to be nearly total and targeted, with specific buildings disappearing while the surrounding buildings remain untouched," the report states.

This phenomenon appears too precise to have been caused by the Syrian Arab Republic Government's military forces, and while it is well known that the United States and other partner air forces have the ability to deliver munitions with high precision, the destroyed sites are all cultural sites located within the UNESCO Tentative World Heritage site boundary, according to the report. "The more plausible explanation is that the demolitions in the vicinity of the Tentative World Heritage site's boundaries are the result of actions by ISIS," the report states.

The two other areas that the researchers analyzed -- the historic waterwheels of Hama, which raised water up to aqueducts for drinking and irrigation, and the ancient site of Ugarit, a mostly stone city that connected the ancient empires of Mesopotamia with those of the Mediterranean -- do not appear to have been damaged.

Copies of the report can be downloaded at http://www.aaas.org/geotech/culturalheritage-SyrianTWHS-122014.html.

Source: American Association for the Advancement of Science [December 17, 2014]

'So difficult': Fergie was disappointed she couldn't join her daughters Eugenie and Beatirce at the ceremony
She was disappointed she wasn't able to accompany her daughters, Princess Beatrice, 22, and Eugenie, 21, who attended the wedding with their father Prince Andrew.
'I was not invited,' Ferguson, 51, who was caught up in a scandal last year after she was taped offering access to Prince Andrew for $724,000, said on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
In contact: The 51-year-old said she spoke to her ex-husband Prince Andrew throughout the day
'I went through the phase of feeling so totally worthless and that [it] was quite right they didn't invite me. Why would they - why would they invite me?'
'I chose to go and be in Thailand in a place called Camelia... the jungle embraced me,' she explained.
Ferguson revealed she was in contact with her former husband, whom she married at Westminster Abbey in 1986, throughout the day.
'When Andrew went with the girls, we were talking all morning and he was saying, "It's okay. Just remember we had such a good day. Our wedding was so perfect." Because we're such a unit together. He made me feel very part of the day on April the 29th.'
Royal affair: Fergie said Diana would be 'so proud of her son'
Ferguson is to have a show on Winfrey's new cable station, OWN.
Her interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show will air in the U.S. tomorrow.
Sarah Ferguson Spills on Royal Snub

Duchess Of York Sarah Ferguson: From Royalty To The Real World

source:dailymail

VIA 'It was so difficult': Fergie reveals her hurt over Royal Wedding snub

Smiling for the cameras as ever, Stacey showed off the style wearing a bright peach top with a white bow, taupe leggings and red bowed flipflops.
Give us a wave: The Sing If You Can presenter has had her long brunette hair cut into a wavy bob
The former X Factor star, who won last year's I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here - is famed for her non-stop talking and exclamations like 'Oh my god!'.
She came third on the X Factor in 2009, won last year’s I’m A Celebrity Get Me out Of Here and this year's Celebrity Mum Of the Year and lives in Dagenham, Essex, with her three-year-old son, Zachary.
Stacey currently co-hosts with comedy star Keith Lemon the hysterical Sing If You Can, a guilty Saturday night pleasure on ITV1 for many, but a show that also more importantly raises money for the Teenage Cancer Trust charity.

Longer locks: Stacey, left, on I'm A Celebrity at the end of last year, and right, in 2009 during her time on X Factor
The show sees celebrities attempting to sing songs while all sorts of distractions happen around them - like last week, when football legend Rodney Marsh and singer Ray Quinn attempted to sing Blur's Parklike while surrounded by dogs.
Teenage Cancer Trust aims to ensure that every young person with cancer and their family receive the best possible care so the show is well worth watching and donating - or just donate anyway.
Meanwhile, ditzy Essex star Stacey, who confirmed last month that she is wokring on her debut album, also has a book coming out on 12 May.
Her autobiography, it's called My Story So Far.
Ray Quinn on Sing if you can - 30/04/11 - Parklife

Stacey Solomon Behind the Scenes of the Photoshoot for her autobiography

source :dailymail

VIA Oh my god! Sing If You Can presenter Stacey Solomon gets the chop

I haven't read a lot about Africa or a lot of postcolonial literature, but I was really struck by this satirical essay in my essay film class this week. How to Write About Africa by Binyavanga Wainaina is a look at the Western perception of Africa and how Westerners portray Africa in literature, film, and other media. I'm not a big fan of satire, but Wainaina does a great job of controlling his comments and returning to ideas over the course of this very short essay. He talks a lot about the African landscape; it has to be portrayed as beautiful, orange, and rolling, but people on the landscape must be black, thin, and starving. The following passage encompasses a lot of the feelings that come out in the essay:

Make sure you show how Africans have music and rhythm deep in their souls, and eat things no other humans eat. Do not mention rice and beef and wheat; monkey-brain is an African's cuisine of choice, along with goat, snake, worms and grubs and all manner of game meat. Make sure you show that you are able to eat such food without flinching, and describe how you learn to enjoy it—because you care.
Africans are often associated with music, and while there is some truth to that there are other cultures that are highly musical that we don't pay as much attention to. With the bit about food I think he is trying to point out how Westerners push the differences between the West and Africa and really dehumanize it. Earlier in the essay he says we "should" talk about Africa as if it were an entire country, which of course Africa is not. It's a continent. The final sentence is what really interests me though-- "because you care." As Westerners we feel the need to talk about Africa and discuss it to show that we care about it. But we only care about it in a cultural sense.

You can go to Granta to read the essay, or you can listen to it by watching this video. I like the video, but I'll warn you that some parts of the essay are missing-- not a lot, you'll still get the idea.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you make a purchase using one of my links I will earn a small percentage which will then go back into this blog.

Back down to earth: Hudson changed into flip flops as she left the studio with her fiancé and father of her baby, Muse frontman Matt Bellamy
She accented her outfit with a pair of sky high beige peep toe Christian Louboutin heels which showed off her toned legs.
Hudson joins the trend of pregnant celebrities like Victoria Beckham and Rachel Zoe who continued to wear sky high heels throughout their pregnancies while many mothers-to-be opt for flats to cope with their swollen ankles.
Waiting: Kate says she and Matt have not found out the sex of their baby and want it to be a surprise
The pregnant actress appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel show to promote her new movie Something Borrowed.
She was later accompanied by her fiancé and the father of her baby, Muse rocker Matt Bellamy, as she left and was then decidedly more dressed down.
Hudson had changed into a long flowing brown dress, a cream cardigan and wore flip flops as she exited the television studio.
Bellamy gallantly carried her bag for her while also clutching his iPad.
Promotional trail: Kate appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres show yesterday in the same dress as she wore on Jimmy Kimmel
'I get really exhausted,' she told Ellen. 'More tired, more sick, more everything.'
Kate and Matt can't wait to meet their child, but refuse to find out ahead of time whether they are having a boy or a girl.
'I looked at Matthew and said: 'We're almost there',' says Hudson. 'It's so easy to find out.'
'But this way, there's no expectation on what the baby is. You're not thinking about what they look like. You're literally just going: 'Is it a boy or is it a girl?', she told USA Today.
The actress already has a seven-year-old son, Ryder, with her ex-husband Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson.
All smiles: The actress clutched her baby bump as she made her entrance on the talk show
Kate Hudson Guesses Her Baby is a Girl!

source: dailymail

VIA Pregnant in very high heels! Kate Hudson wears towering Louboutin stilettos

Jack Black, the stars of "Kung Fu Panda 2, and megastar mom Angelina Jolie, speaks in a U.S. TV show "Extra" at the 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival about the film, tattoos and having more children. 

The other tattoos you see all logged the longitude and latitude of where her adopted kids were born – and when she had another set of mysterious tattoos; people immediately assumed it was because she was about to adopt again.

But now Angie has set the record straight, in her latest Extra interview, about the inking saying that the latest coordinates simply log Brad Pitt’s place of birth.

VIA Angelina Jolie talked about her mysterious tattoo in her latest interview in US TV Show "Extra"

VIA Steven Moffat Is Pissed!

Today's Fairy Tale Fortnight post is an excerpt from author Beth Barany's novel, Henrietta, The Dragon Slayer. And, there's a giveaway!

HENRIETTA, THE DRAGON SLAYER

chapter one—invitation

I love dragons! And a female dragon slayer? Sounds totally awesome, right?! If you would like to win a copy — Simply comment on this post. Leave a meaningful comment about the excerpt and/or why you want to read this book! The winner will have their choice between an e-copy or a physical copy. And, because there is an e-copy, this does mean that this giveaway is international!!
Make sure you have filled out the giveaway form on Misty's blog!

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VIA Hugh Grant Was Set For "Two And A Half Men" Reboot!