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Pacers take fire out of Heat for big win

admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 04:58:57 +0000

(Reuters) – The surprising Indiana Pacers held Dwyane Wade to five points and shocked the cold shooting Miami Heat 94-75 to take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semi-final series on Thursday.

Center Roy Hibbert muscled his way for 19 points and 18 rebounds as the Pacers defeated the Heat for a second consecutive game, this time at home in Indianapolis.

Guard George Hill added 20 points and forward Danny Granger collected 17.

Mario Chalmers led the Heat with 25 while LeBron James had 22. The three other Miami starters collectively scored five points, all by Wade.

Game Four is on Sunday in Indianapolis.

Indiana roared to a 7-0 lead before the Heat fought back for a 26-17 advantage at the end of the first quarter, though that would be the last period the Heat, missing injured forward Chris Bosh, would dominate.

The Pacers tied the score at halftime and dominated afterwards, holding Miami to 12 points in the third quarter as they stormed to a 69-55 lead before closing it out in the final period.

(Reporting By Gene Cherry in Raleigh North Carolina Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

Will the Colts be happy they drafted Andrew Luck?

They’ll regret not drafting RG3 instead Yes, he’ll be in the HOF someday

34%

16,378 people have answered this question.

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Discover Video Announces NIMBUS Live Transcoding and Streaming Service

admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 02:59:34 +0000

This service enables customers to stream live events by the day or month, which is ideal for the thousands of private live events that occur every day. Customers can now avoid the cost, long-term commitment, and complexity of conventional Content Distribution Networks (CDNs) for simple streaming events.

Wallingford, CT (PRWEB) May 16, 2012

Discover Video today announced a new cloud-based live streaming service called “Nimbus”. The service enables customers to stream live events by the day or month, which is ideal for the thousands of private live events that occur every day. Customers can now avoid the cost, long-term commitment, and complexity of conventional Content Distribution Networks (CDNs) for simple streaming events. The service is hosted in an Amazon® Cloud and each customer has their own streaming server and live transcoder. The Nimbus service receives a live stream from the customer and delivers it to desktops and to iPhones®, iPads®, and other devices.

“For organizations new to online video, live events represent a natural entry point to the world of webcasting,” said Steve Vonder Haar, senior analyst with Wainhouse Research. “Service offerings like those being rolled out by Discover Video aspire to make these live video events more affordable, setting the stage for greater adoption of these capabilities in a broader array of business communications.”

Stream Live Windows Media to iPhones®

Nimbus allows the thousands of customers that use Windows Media to stream to iPhones®, something simply not possible before the service was introduced. Thanks to the built-in transcoder, any live rtmp/h264 or live http/mms Windows Media stream is transcoded on-the-fly to H.264 and delivered to both desktops and mobile devices.

Adaptive Bit Rate

The service does live transcoding of high rate H.264 streams to multiple lower rates and resolutions and produces an adaptive bit rate capability for iPhones®, iPads®, and other devices that support Apple’s HLS. Customers can now stream high definition live video to desktops and to WiFi-connected devices, but also reach 3G/4G viewers who will automatically receive a stream appropriate for their network conditions.

The service supports up to 2,000 simultaneous viewers and comes with 100 GB of streaming bandwidth per day, and this capacity can be extended. Nimbus costs only $49.95 per day and is available now.

“This is the type of service I always wanted” said Kevin Shively, VP of Services at Discover Video and long time industry veteran. “I have had a lot of clients who want to do an occasional live webcast to reach a small or medium-sized audience, but now, they also want to reach mobile users. They can’t suffer free, advertising-based services, and they don’t want to make a major financial investment in hardware. For just fifty bucks they can just order the service online and be on the air in minutes.”

About Discover Video, LLC

Discover Video was founded by the same people that created VBrick Systems, and provides video streaming equipment and services to broadcasters, schools, corporations, and government. The products include multimedia video encoders, decoders, and transcoders, priority video alert systems, and mobile broadcasting kits. Discover Video’s customers include major corporations, educational institutions, local cable-TV stations and small businesses. http://www.discovervideo.com

Mike SavicDiscover Video(203) 626-5267Email Information

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'Ring of Fire' Solar Eclipse Occurs May 20

admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:58:45 +0000

Skywatchers in East Asia and the western United States should circle Sunday (May 20) on their calendars. That’s when a solar eclipse will block out most of the sun, leaving a spectacular “ring of fire” shining in the sky for observers located along the eclipse’s path.

The event is what’s known as an annular solar eclipse — from the Latin “annulus,” meaning “little ring” — and its full glory should be visible from much of Asia, the Pacific region and some of western North America, weather permitting. At its peak, the eclipse will block about 94 percent of the sun’s light.

Other parts of the United States and Canada will still see a partial solar eclipse, without being treated to the ring of fire effect, though the East Coast will miss the event since the sun will have set before it begins. The eclipse will occur in the late afternoon or early evening of May 20 throughout North America, and May 21 for observers in Asia. Check out this eclipse skywatching guide to learn more about viewing locations and times.

Solar eclipses occur when the moon comes between Earth and the sun, casting a shadow on our planet. When the moon lines up perfectly with the sun and blots out all of its light, the result is a total eclipse. Partial eclipses cover only part of the sun’s face. [Annular Solar Eclipse of May 20, 2012 (Photo Guide)]

Annular eclipses are similar to total eclipses in that the moon lines up with the sun dead-on. But in this case, the moon is close to apogee — the farthest point from Earth in its elliptical orbit around our planet — so it’s a smidge too small in the sky to cover the solar disk completely. As a result, a ring of bright sunlight will still blaze around the moon’s circumference.

Like other types of solar eclipses, annular eclipses are spectacular but potentially dangerous skywatching events. Care must be taken to observe them properly, or serious and permanent eye damage — including blindness — could result.

Warning: Never look directly at the sun, either with the naked eye or through telescopes or binoculars without the proper filters.

To safely observe the May 20 annular eclipse, you can buy special solar filters to fit over your equipment, or No. 14 welder’s glass to wear over your eyes. Do NOT use standard sunglasses or any kind of homemade sun-shading contraption.

The safest and simplest technique is perhaps to watch the eclipse indirectly with the solar projection method. Use your telescope, or one side of your binoculars, to project a magnified image of the sun’s disk onto a shaded white piece of cardboard.

The image on the cardboard will be safe to view and photograph. Be sure to cover the telescope’s finder scope or the unused half of the binoculars, however, and don’t let anybody look through them.

And if you snap any good eclipse photos that you’d like to be considered for use in a story or gallery, send them to SPACE.com managing editor Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com.

You can follow SPACE.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter: @michaeldwall. Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

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Rare 'ring of fire' solar eclipse to grace skies on Sunday

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:58:30 +0000

Washington, May 16 (ANI): A partial solar eclipse, which will see the moon completely block out the sun except for a ‘ring of fire’ around the moon’s edge, is set to offer a spectacular site for observers on May 20.

Skywatchers in East Asia and the western United States will be able to witness the spectacular ‘Ring of fire’ in sky, CBS news reported.

The event known as an annular solar eclipse originating from the Latin “annulus,” meaning “little ring” should be visible in its full glory from much of Asia, the Pacific region and some of western North America, provided the weather stays clear.

At its peak, the eclipse will block out about 94 percent of the sun’s light.

However, the other parts of the United States and Canada will be able to see only a partial solar eclipse, without being treated to the ring of fire effect.

The East Coast will miss the event since the sun will have set before the eclipse begins.

The eclipse will occur in the late afternoon or early evening of May 20 throughout the continent of North America while in Asia the date gets switched to May 21.

Solar eclipses occur when the moon comes in between the Earth and the sun, casting a shadow on our planet. When the moon lines up perfectly with the sun and blots out all of its light it results into a total eclipse.

Annular eclipses are similar to total eclipses in that the moon lines up with the sun.

Like other types of solar eclipses, annular eclipses are spectacular but a potentially hazardous sky watching events.

Care must be taken while observing them otherwise it can cause serious and permanent eye damage including blindness.

To safely observe the May 20 annular eclipse, special solar filters can be bought to fit over the equipment or No. 14 welder’s glass to wear over the eyes.

However the safest and simplest technique is perhaps to watch the eclipse indirectly with the solar projection method.

This technique uses projects a magnified image of the sun’s disk onto a shaded white piece of cardboard.

The image on the cardboard will be thus is safe to view and photograph. (ANI)

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World's Largest Solar Eclipse Party Takes Over Football Stadium Sunday

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:58:44 +0000

A solar eclipse will blot out part of the sun this weekend, and astronomers in Colorado are organizing what they hope will be the world’s largest viewing party in one place. Their venue: an entire football stadium.

The eclipse will occur in the afternoon and early evening on Sunday (May 20), during which time the moon will pass between Earth and the sun, casting a shadow on the planet. This weekend’s event is called an annular solar eclipse (from the Latin word “annulus,” meaning “little ring”), because the moon will not completely cover the sun, but will leave a fiery ring around its circumference.

At its peak, the moon will block roughly 94 percent of the sun’s light. This potentially spectacular solar eclipse will be visible from much of Asia, the Pacific region and North America, provided the weather cooperates.

The University of Colorado, at Boulder, will be hosting a free eclipse-watching event at the campus’ Folsom Stadium, beginning at 5:30 p.m. local time (6:30 p.m. EDT; 2230 GMT). Special protective glasses will be sold at the football stadium, but organizers suggest planning ahead in case supplies run out. [Solar Eclipse of May 20 (Photo Observing Guide)]

Attendees will be treated to hot dogs, and have the opportunity to participate in trivia contests and giveaways. But the main attraction will, of course, be the show in the sky, which promises to be the best solar eclipse the U.S. has seen in more than a decade, said event organizer Doug Duncan, an astronomer at the University of Colorado, and director of the school’s Fiske Planetarium.

“After leading eclipse expeditions since 1970 I got tired of people not being prepared to watch, so as leader of the country’s top university planetarium I went into action,” Duncan said in a statement.

The campus’ Fiske Planetarium and Sommers Bausch Observatory will also celebrate “Astronomy Day” on May 20, featuring hands-on displays and telescope activities.

The event has already received a strong response, and Duncan is expecting between 10,000 and 20,000 people to attend the viewing party (the stadium seats roughly 40,000 spectators).

“As of right now, we have sold 39,000 pairs of eclipse glasses,” Duncan told SPACE.com. “We’ve been selling them at the planetarium and a local hardware store, and they’ve sold out.”

He reminds observers that it is extremely important to protect your eyes before viewing the eclipse. Skywatchers should never look directly at the sun, either with the naked eye or through telescopes or binoculars without the proper filters.

“The sun is very powerful, so you need to protect your eyes,” Duncan said.

The eclipse will occur in the late afternoon or early evening of May 20 throughout North America, and May 21 for observers in Asia. This solar eclipse skywatching guide has more specific information about viewing locations and times.

To safely view the annular solar eclipse, you can purchase special solar filters or No. 14 welder’s glass to wear over your eyes. Warning: Standard sunglasses will NOT provide sufficient protection. Astronomers use special filters and glasses to observe the sun safely.

Another safe and simple technique is to watch the eclipse indirectly with the solar projection method. This involves using your telescope, or one side of your binoculars, to project a magnified image of the sun’s disk onto a shaded white piece of cardboard.

Several U.S. national parks are also planning their own observing events for the solar eclipse, and NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. are sending a group of researchers to the Grand Canyon.

Editor’s note: If you snap any amazing eclipse photos that you’d like to be considered for use in a story or gallery, please send them to SPACE.com managing editor Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com.

You can follow SPACE.com staff writer Denise Chow on Twitter @denisechow. Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

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Sunday's Solar Eclipse 'Ring of Fire': Where and How to See It

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:02:54 +0000

On Sunday afternoon (May 20), the path of an annular solar eclipse will cross parts of eight western states. SPACE.com estimates that an estimated 6.6 million Americans live within the path of annularity.

An annular solar eclipse is typically no match for a total solar eclipse. It is really more like an embellished partial eclipse, with the beautiful solar corona not becoming visible and the sky never getting really dark. Nevertheless, an annular solar eclipse still ranks as one of the most remarkable of celestial sights for avid skywatchers.

Sunday’s eclipse track begins in East Asia and cross the Pacific Ocean before reaching North America. In the United States, the U.S. National Park Service has invited skywatchers to view the solar eclipse from a national park, while the University of Colorado, at Boulder

is opening its Folsom Stadium — a football stadium — to the public in what organizers are calling the world’s largest solar eclipse viewing party.

If you’re planning to position yourself within the path of Sunday’s annular solar eclipse you’re going to have one of three observing options to choose from:

1) Position yourself at or near the center of the eclipse track.

2) Position yourself just inside the northern or southern limit of the eclipse track.

3) Position yourself near the sunset point of the eclipse track.

Let’s look closely at each option, starting with being located at or near the center of the eclipse track, which is likely where the lion’s share of eclipse chasers plan to go. [Solar Eclipse of May 20 (Photo Observing Guide)]

In the middle

From here what you will see is a gradually increasing partial solar eclipse until the moon is almost at the middle of the sun; the annular eclipse begins when the moon detaches itself from one inner side of the sun.

You’ll then see the sun morph into a lopsided “ring of fire” — one side shining brighter than the other — that, at mid-eclipse will appear as a perfect ring; the moon’s dark disk will measure 94.4 percent of the apparent diameter of the bright sun behind it. Then, as moon continues to move on its way, the ring will become off-centered again. The end comes when the dark silhouette of the moon touches the other side of the sun.

The main attraction for being on the center line is that the duration of annularity lasts the longest. At the Pacific Coast in northern California, not far from the town of Requa, the ring phase will last for 4 minutes, 47 seconds with the sun standing 22 degrees high in the west-northwest sky (your clenched fist held at arm’s length is roughly equivalent to 10 degrees).

Heading southeast along the center of the track, the duration of annularity slowly diminishes, while the sun’s altitude gradually lowers. From Albuquerque, the ring will persist for 4 minutes 27 seconds, but the sun will have lowered to just 5.5 degrees above the horizon. If we were to divide the total duration of annularity into thirds (beginning, middle and end), then the appearance of a near-perfectly centered ring should last about 90 seconds.

Being on edge

Now let’s consider the aspects of being positioned just inside either the northern or southern limit of the eclipse track. At first this doesn’t seem like much of an option, since the duration of annularity will be much less and the ring will always appear off-center.

Indeed, just 1 mile inside the track, annularity will last only about 35 seconds, while going 3 miles in will give you about a minute’s worth of annular eclipse. But the moon’s limb, unlike the sun, is not smooth. Lunar mountains and valleys roughen its profile and when these touch the inside of the sun’s edge at the beginning and end of annular eclipse, they can break the thin line of light into a string of points called Baily’s Beads. [Sun Quiz: How Well Do You Know Our Star?]

This phenomenon might not last more than a few brief seconds on the center line, but for those stationed at the edges of the path they could last through the duration of annularity.

Paul D. Maley who worked at the NASA Johnson Space Center from 1969 to 2010 and who has led many eclipse expeditions (http://www.eclipsetours.com/about-us/) says:

“I can attest from personal decades of past experience with annulars that observing a solar eclipse at the edge (also called the ‘graze zone’) is much more unique than that at the center, especially if you have already seen an annular eclipse from the centerline. At the north graze zone, large beads are seen (just the opposite from a total solar eclipse) and from the south graze zone, tinier beads will be detected. From the graze zones, the sun penetrates valleys of different depths and expose what can be a startling array of dazzling points of light.”

Observing from near the edge of the eclipse track is also scientifically important in that it can serve to measure small variations in the diameter of the sun. Interestingly, there are two similarly sized cities that are situated exactly on the edge of annularity. On the north edge of the path is Cortez, Colo. (pop. 8,482), while on the south edge is Winslow, Ariz. (pop. 9,832).

A ringed sunset

The most intriguing possibility is to see the sun mimic a ring of fire as it is about to set, which makes an already striking sky event all the more dramatic. There’s the possibility of vivid sunset colors, other interesting atmospheric phenomena, and beautiful foreground scenery. Of course, in the case of a setting sun any calculation assumes you have a clear, flat horizon. Any foreground obstructions in the west-northwest (at about azimuth 295 degrees) will put a premature end to the sun’s visibility.

Lubbock, Texas, is not on center line, but is about 25 miles to the northeast. From there, an almost perfect ring will be formed, lasting 4 minutes 14 seconds beginning at 8:33:54 p.m. CDT. But the sun will be only 1.3 degrees above the horizon when the annular eclipse begins.

Annularity will end six minutes before sunset. Farther to the southeast, the effect of atmospheric refraction must be taken into account. The thick atmosphere at the horizon refracts or bends sunlight so that we are seeing the setting sun about a half degree above where it really is.

In Snyder, Texas, for example, calculations neglecting refraction suggest that only the beginning of the 3 minute 40 second ring phase (at 8:33:43 p.m. CDT) will be visible before the sun drops below the horizon, but taking refraction into account shows that the sun will remain above the horizon for another nine minutes. At Sweetwater, Texas, the sun will resemble a horseshoe with narrow, pointed tips tilted down and to the right when it transitions to a lopsided ring at 8:34:27 p.m. CDT. Less than three minutes later, the sun will set.

And you will also have to hope that the weather cooperates, for even if the sky is mainly clear there is always the possibility that clouds could lie close to the horizon, which could, of course, spoil the view at the critical moment.

Eye safety concerns

Lastly, we need to address the issue about watching the eclipsed sun as it sets, for in this special case it could be dimmed and reddened to an unpredictable degree, which can present a number of uncertainties. [How to Safely Observe the Sun (Infographic)]

Of course, when the sun is high and blindingly bright you’re going to need to use a safe sun-viewing filter such as a No. 14 rectangular arc welder’s filter; the standard for a normal daytime sun, or a metalized Mylar filter manufactured specifically for solar viewing. Don’t rely on other filter materials such as smoked glass, sunglasses or crossed polarizing filters; they may pass dangerous amounts of invisible infrared light that can burn your retina.

On a telescope, binoculars, or camera, the filter must be attached securely over the front of the instrument, never behind the eyepiece.

A dim, red setting sun, however, is another question altogether.

Many people have watched sunsets all their lives without any second thoughts. But caution is still advisable. While it is true that the sun’s ultraviolet radiation — the most damaging to the eye — is extinguished when sun turns a deep red, by the same token, infrared radiation can be expected to cut through the thick air much more strongly than visible light does. And retinal damage can happen painlessly — just because everything feels OK doesn’t mean it is.

So even if the sun is quite dim, it’s still a good idea to limit yourself to brief looks. All you lifelong sunset-watchers might be surprised to hear such a warning, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Good look and clear skies to all on Sunday!

Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York’s Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for The New York Times and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, New York.

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RFK Jr.'s troubled estranged wife found dead in NY

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:00:30 +0000

BEDFORD, N.Y. (AP) — The Kennedy family, so practiced at public mourning, is grieving again after the estranged wife of Robert Kennedy Jr. was found dead at her home in suburban New York.

Mary Richardson Kennedy, 52, an architect who struggled with drug and alcohol charges in recent years, was discovered dead Wednesday on the family’s property in Bedford.

An autopsy was scheduled for Thursday. No cause of death had been released.

On Thursday morning, people who knew the family, and some strangers, as well, dropped by home to leave flowers at the front door.

“I think every family has its tragedies. But this is too much. You have to feel for them,” said Kim O’Connell, 59, of Bedford Hills, as she dropped off a bouquet of Calla lilies. She said she had met Mary and Robert while working at their health club.

“I just thought she was just a lady. I woke up this morning, and I wanted to do something,” she said.

The former Mary Richardson married Robert Kennedy Jr., a prominent environmental lawyer and the son of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, in 1994 aboard a boat in the scenic Hudson River Valley. The couple had four children, the youngest born in July 2001. Robert Kennedy Jr. also has two children from a previous marriage.

She was an architect and designer and had overseen the renovation of the couple’s home into an environmentally advanced showpiece.

In a statement issued by Robert Kennedy Jr.’s chief of staff, the family said Mary Kennedy “inspired our family with her kindness, her love, her gentle soul and generous spirit.

“Mary was a genius at friendship, a tremendously gifted architect and a pioneer and relentless advocate of green design who enhanced her cutting edge, energy efficient creations with exquisite taste and style,” the family said.

Her family cited her devotion to her children in remembering her.

“We deeply regret the death of our beloved sister Mary, whose radiant and creative spirit will be sorely missed by those who loved her,” the family said in a statement issued by attorney Kerry Lawrence. “Our heart goes out to her children who she loved without reservation.”

Mary Richardson had known the Kennedys for years, through her friendship with Robert Kennedy Jr.’s sister, Kerry Kennedy, whom she met at boarding school when they were teenagers. She had been Kerry Kennedy’s maid of honor at her wedding in 1990 to now-Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The couple later divorced.

But recent years had seen darker moments.

She had had trouble with drugs and alcohol and had two high-profile arrests around the time her husband filed for divorce in 2010.

Kennedy was first arrested May 15 of that year on a charge of driving while intoxicated after a police officer reported seeing her drive her car over a curb near the family’s Bedford home. Her only passenger was a dog, and police said she had a blood-alcohol level of 0.11 percent; the legal limit is 0.08 percent. Her license was suspended.

At the time of her sentencing, famous family and friends spoke in support of her.

Her mother-in-law, Ethel Kennedy, wrote in a letter that she “is a caring, nourishing mother who has nursed her four children through lifelong bouts of debilitating allergies,” according to an account in the local newspaper, The Journal News, at the time.

Kerry Kennedy, in her letter, said, “When I look at my three daughters, my wish for them is that they are as blessed as I have been to have a companion, a confidante, a friend, like Mary Richardson.”

Mary Kennedy was charged later that year with driving under the influence of drugs, but that charge was dismissed in July 2011 when a judge said the evidence showed she didn’t know the medications she had taken would impair her ability to drive.

There were indications her troubles started earlier. In 2007, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. drove his wife to a hospital for treatment, but she resisted and ran from the car, according to the Journal News, which cited Mount Kisco police records.

“I remember she was acting kind of out of it, kind of crazy,” a witness, Rae Kesten, told The Journal News in 2007. “She was running into the street and flailing her arms around. He was trying to restrain her. I didn’t know if they were fighting or not, but I was concerned.”

The unexpected death of another person connected to the storied Kennedy clan brought to mind the other sorrows the famous family has suffered.

Shopping in Bedford, Diane Glokler said, “I’ve always just thought that family is very tragic. They keep having tragic things happening to them. It’s heart-wrenching.”

Neighbor Leslie Lampert, who owns the Cafe of Love restaurant a short drive from the Kennedy home, said Mary Kennedy was “at all times just a lovely individual.”

“She was community oriented,” Lampert said. “She was always kind in our presence.”

Another neighbor, Kim Fraioli, a trauma therapist who lives a few houses down from the Kennedys, said the family was private.

“We left them alone,” Fraioli. “We didn’t have any interaction. I think it’s a tragedy. It’s very sad for their family and the surviving children. My heart goes out to the family.”

___

Associated Press writer Verena Dobnik contributed to this report.

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Nicki Minaj: I don’t believe in luck

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:59:06 +0000

Two years ago, very few people outside the rap and hip-hop universe had heard of Nicki Minaj. Today, she’s a world famous recording artist whose performances at the Super Bowl and at the Grammys stole the show and shocked audiences into submission. Her new album, “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded,” has soared to the top of the charts in over twenty countries and suddenly she’s towering above the music scene. She’s a voluptuous Diva who has been thrust into the spotlight as the biggest female rapper of all time and an influential figure in the male-dominated hip-hop world. But it’s been a hard slog for the Trinidad-born, Jamaica/Queens section of New York-bred Minaj, whose fabulous mixes and outrageous fashion persona are causing ripples in a way that no one – except perhaps Minaj herself – expected.”I don’t have to prove myself anymore – this is my time now,” Minaj declares. “I‘m finally making my mark and standing alone with my music. I’ve always believed that where there’s a will, there’s a way. And I’m making my way. I’ve worked hard, I never gave up on myself, and there’s no stopping me now!” Roman Reloaded has been a massive success on both sides of the Atlantic and the 29-year-old singer/songwriter is being hailed as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Having worked with artistic legends Jay-Z and Lil Wayne on her way up, her new album has crossed over to a mass audience. Minaj is now embarking on a world tour that will see her fame multiply in rapid order. Though she recently decided to abandon her 11 million Twitter followers in a fit of pique, Minaj thrives on the controversy that surrounds her exotic looks and sudden rise up the musical ranks. She’s also launching her own fragrance and signed a lucrative multi-million dollar advertising deal with Pepsi, turning herself into a high profile brand to compliment her quantum leap into the musical mainstream. Here is what Nicki Minaj has to say about her new life as a solo artist and what it took to make it big.

THE INTERVIEW

Nicki, you’re suddenly the biggest force in music today. How are you handling it all?

NM: I’m not freaking out. I’m calm and composed because I know this is just the beginning. I don’t see myself as a big star who can coast. I have a lot of work to do, to keep pushing myself to go further and accomplish as much as I can. I know myself. I’m a natural pessimist. I’m not going to believe my success until maybe ten years down the road and then I can look back maybe and feel that kind of satisfaction. My nature is to keep moving forward and stay hungry. I want to have a career like Jay-Z where I can stay relevant and people will talk about my music.

Do you feel like you’ve been lucky to get to this point in your career or is it mainly hard work which got you here?

NM: I don’t believe in luck. Your talent and hard work is going to take you where you want to be. You also have God at your back but it’s your talent and drive that is going to make the difference. I dreamed this kind of life when I was a child and living in pretty harsh circumstances.

There must have been many times in your life and during the early part of your career in New York when you thought you weren’t going to make it?.

NM: Oh, there were so many nights when I would cry myself to sleep thinking that it was hopeless, that I was never going to make it. Every artist goes through that kind of hell. But you’ve got to be tough. You can’t get down on yourself because no one is going to do it for you. I came from nothing with no right to have any hope and now I’m living my dreams. It didn’t happen overnight. Even the last few years, it’s taken time to build and get to this point and then it kind of exploded.

Do you feel vindicated now?

NM: I like being able to show people that I’m capable of running my own show and being responsible for my music and for the business side of things. I went through some very hard times with people who weren’t representing me in the best way and weren’t even telling me about record labels wanting to sign me because they had their own selfish interests to look after. But then I got a chance to work with Jay-Z and with Wayne and this was part of the process of helping me get out there and be recognized for my own music. So I feel a lot of satisfaction in justifying their faith in me.

How hard is it to be a female rapper in a male-dominated rap and hip-hop world?

NM: It’s tough. You can’t let yourself be scared in this business. Female rappers have it much harder than the guys. We have to prove that we’re just as tough as the guys and still retain our feminine side and put that out there.

Your second album is shooting to the top everywhere. What’s the difference between Roman Reloaded and your first album?

NM: I’m much happier with this album. This was more fun to do. I felt much more sure of myself as an artist this time around compared to the first album where I was still figuring myself out and worried about what the critics might think or were expecting. This time I felt totally free to be myself and was in control of the process. I was in the kind of rhythm where I didn’t second-guess myself and just went into the studio, laid down the tracks, and stuck by my instincts.

Talk about Lil Wayne and some of the other people in your circle and who collaborated with you on Roman Reloaded?

NM: I love Wayne because he never tells me what to do. He trusts me and believes in me and that’s the way it’s always been between us. I’m so glad to have people like that behind me. I knew I was taking some risks with this album because I feel like I’m an experimental artist and sometimes I worried about letting people down. But in the end it all worked out and I’m very proud of it.

What kind of journey has it been for you over the last few years?

NM: It’s been about defining myself as an artist. First I had to detach myself from Wayne in the mind of audiences. That’s why I make sure I have creative control over my music so nobody can say it’s not mine.

How important was the Super Bowl appearance with Madonna?

NM: I had a great time collaborating with Madonna on the single (Give me all your luvun‘) and doing the Super Bowl with her. But that doesn’t compare to all the work I put into the album, to doing all the mixing and mastering, and hoping that my album will define me as a stand-alone artist. Up until now, my work has been associated with that of other artists. Which is great, because I love collaborating with some of the best artists out there. But I was always working to get to the point where I can stand alone and put out my music for my fans, for my Barbz (her pet name for her fans – ED), who give me so much love and are so passionate.

Your performance at the Grammys also attracted tremendous attention. How did you feel about that performance?

NM: I loved my performance and I’m very proud of my performance on the Grammys. It was an amazing production and I love the whole Church look and the whole atmosphere of it all. And my Barbz were so proud of me too and that makes me happiest of all. What was also greatest about that the Grammys was that that was my moment. The Super Bowl was Madonna’s moment – it wasn’t really mine. But at the Grammys it was my chance to create my own defining performance and I did it.

Did you feel you that the Grammy performance will always be something people refer back to when people talk about your career?

NM: I don’t know. I think it kind of sets things in motion. I’m going on a world tour this year and I think a lot of people will have watched the Grammy performance on YouTube and have been talking about me and my album. I like the idea that I’m going to be out there and meeting the public and making that connection. I love meeting my Barbz outside my hotel or after the shows and feeling that they are really into my music. I love that. I feed off their energy and it makes me so happy that I’ve been able to fulfil some of their hopes for me because they’ve been giving me so much love and support all along this journey.

Do you still think about the moment when Lil Wayne first contacted you and asked you to record for his label

NM: (Laughs) I first thought it was a joke. That I was being punkd or something. But then when I spoke to him and I saw it was for real I was just screaming and jumping up and down. It was a crazy and beautiful moment in my life. You just think about how you finally are going to get a shot at seeing your dreams come true, the ones you have when you’re working at a Red Lobster and day-dreaming about being a star. (Laughs) The kind of things that get you fired from Red Lobster and all the other places I worked as a waitress.

You grew up in a touch section of Queens, New York. Talk about that time in your life?

NM: It was the crack era. I used to go out into the street and see crack vials and broken liquor bottles up and down the sidewalk. We didn’t have much money or hope but we stuck together and always tried to make the best of our times. My mother was great. She held things together in our family. But growing up in rough circumstances makes you all the more determined to get out of there as soon as you’re able to.

Where does your wild persona and fashion taste come from?

NM: All my life I’ve been fascinated with hair and doing different things with my hair since I was a little girl playing with gels and experimenting with brushes and stuff like that. I remember when I was 14 and I wanted to get blonde highlight and the hairdresser told me that I had to get my mother on the phone! (Laughs) Fashion came a bit later when I would watch Cyndi Lauper videos and things like. Living in New York it’s easy to pick up so many wild outfits and accessories and put together so many different looks. I love experimenting with clothes and how I look.

Do you still have time to go shopping for your own clothes?

NM: No. I have my own personal glam squad who do the shopping for me and then I get to pick and choose. But I don’t spend hours figuring out what to wear. I rely on instinct. I just pick a top, put on a wig, and I’m done.

My goal is to do something with clothes that other people aren’t doing. I like the feeling that I’ve got a look going that no one else has thought of. That gives me a lot of satisfaction, being a little bolder than anyone else.

When did you decide to just go way out there in terms of your look?

NM: For a long time I was just following everyone else and trying to look sexy and that’s it. But I felt that that was very limiting and I wanted to do more than that around the time my first album came out. I felt that I had been holding back too much and I was hiding different sides of myself. So I decided I should just express my wilder and more comedic sides. Be a little crazy and ballsier.

You’ve always said that you’re very interested in acting. Does that side of you inform your music and your performances in a big way?

NM: Acting has always been a big part of my world and how I approach my music. I love being able to act out my raps and make wild faces and do weird voices. I never wanted just to adopt the angry and mean side that is associated with rappers and the whole gangster thing. I wanted to use my acting instincts to allow me to be more playful and to tell stories and not just be angry all the time.

Does it bother you that some rappers like Lil Kim have been attacking you for not being respectful enough of their work and deviating from what rap music is supposed to be about?

NM: I’m not thinking about that stuff. I don’t say anything bad about anyone and I think a lot of these girls are just mad and jealous of my success and watching how I’m taking off. I’m taking advantage of my opportunities and I respect the older generation because they opened doors for me. But I don’t understand why they’re coming down on me. But I don’t care. People don’t realise how strong I am. There’s nothing anyone can say or do to me that I haven’t already had to endure earlier in my life. I’m not going to back down. You have the right to not like me, but you should watch your mouth. I’m going to rise to the occasion every time.

Jan Janssen /Viva Press

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Nick Stahl Reported Missing

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:00:08 +0000

Nick Stahl has been reported as missing, a rep for the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to Access Hollywood.

According to People and TMZ, the actor’s wife, Rose, filed a missing person’s report with the Los Angeles Police Department on Monday.

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The “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” star was reportedly last seen on May 9.

LAPD Officer Rosario Herrera told People, “I can confirm that he’s missing and, as of now, he is still missing.”

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According to a TMZ source, the 32-year-old actor has allegedly been seen recently in the Skid Row area of Los Angeles.

In February, the actor’s wife filed court papers stating they had been separated since January and asked a judge to limit Stahl’s visitations with the couple’s daughter, Marlo, 2. A TMZ source claimed that Stahl’s wife asked for the actor to be tested for drug and alcohol use before being allowed to see their daughter.

A rep for the actor was not immediately available for comment when contacted by Access Hollywood on Wednesday morning.

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In addition to “Terminator 3,” Nick has appeared in “Sin City,” “In The Bedroom” and starred on HBO’s “Carnivale.”

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Reports: RFK Jr.’s Estranged Wife Found Dead

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:58:17 +0000