Music Biz Ignores Myspace

will.i.am Promotes New Beetle

Strawberry Mojito

I love to make mojitos. This is a refreshing cocktail.  Would you want it? What's your favorite drink?

Strawberry Mojito Recipe

1.5 ounces of simple syrup

3 fresh strawberries

5 fresh spearmint sprigs 

soda water

1/2 lime

2 ounces of light rum

1. In a chilled glass, muddle the simple syrup, strawberries and mint leaves together with the back of a spoon or muddler. Crush the strawberries and mint leaves well.
2. Squeeze the juice from the lime into the glass, add the rum and stir well. Fill glass with ice and top off with soda water.
3. Garnish with mint sprigs or strawberry slices. Makes 1 drink.

Amber Rose

Toshiba to be Sole Supplier of iPhone LCDs?

Plans to invest in a Sharp production facility have been reportedly dropped by Apple, with the company choosing instead to use Toshiba as the sole supplier of liquid crystal displays used in the iPhone.

A report in Japanese newspaper Nikkan Kogyu Shimbun claims that “Sharp was no longer a candidate for Apple’s investment,” and that the company wishes to avoid placing full dependancy on one country for the production of iPhone LCDs. It is believed the Tohoku area earthquake – which could have effected component production – may have persuaded Apple to think twice about its investment in two suppliers located in Japan.

Sharp has since issued a public statement denying the rumors, insisting that the report “contradicts the facts,” and requesting the paper retracts its report. If the rumors are true, however, it would be a substantial loss to Sharp.

Malaysia's anti-gay camp violates law says minister

A camp set up to correct the effeminate behaviour of Muslim schoolboys violates the law and should be abolished, says Malaysia's women's minister.

Sixty-six schoolboys identified by teachers as effeminate began counselling this week to discourage them from being gay.

They are undergoing four days of religious and physical education.

An education official said the camp was meant to guide the boys back "to a proper path in life".

But the women's minister, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, said singling out these children based on perceived feminine mannerisms was traumatising and harmful to their mental health.

The camp violates the Child Act, which protects children without prejudice, she said.

Gay rights groups have also criticised the measure, saying it promotes homophobia in the Muslim-majority country where gay sex is still illegal.

The schoolboys allegedly displayed "feminine mannerisms" - though educators in the conservative state of Terengganu did not detail what they were, the BBC's Jennifer Pak reports from Kuala Lumpur.

State officials say that, if left unchecked, the students - aged between 13 and 17 - could end up gay or transsexual.

They blame parents for encouraging boys to develop feminine traits, by dressing them up in girls' clothing at a young age.

Terengganu state's education director, Razali Daud, said the students were invited to join the camp and were not compelled to do so.

"As educators, we have to do something about it before the young ones misunderstand people and reach the point of no return," he was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.

Mr Razali says although homosexuals and transvestites exist in Malaysia, the authorities want to limit their number.

Homophobia

Gay sex is illegal in Malaysia and homosexuals say they face discrimination from government policies such as a law that makes sodomy punishable by 20 years in prison.

Activists say it is appalling that educators are persecuting children for expressing their personalities and identities.

The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality said "corrective boot camps" violate the rights of people who are perceived as different.

"It should be strongly opposed and challenged as it promotes homophobia and prejudice," the group said in a statement.

"We should send a clear message to institutions that they have no business meddling with an individual's identity and personal preference."

A campaigner for sexual rights, Pang Khee Teik, described the camp as outrageous and an example of homophobia.

"All the students will learn from these camps is that they are expected to behave a certain way," said Mr Pang, co-founder of Seksualiti Merdeka.

"And in order to avoid further ridicule, perhaps they will learn to pretend better. In the end, we are only teaching them how to be a hypocrite."

Cancer breath test 'step closer'

A breath test that can sniff-out cancer is a step closer to reality, according to a preliminary study.

Researchers found an "electronic nose" was able to identify chemical signals of cancer in the breath of patients with lung or head and neck cancer.

A cancer charity said it would take years of research to see if the breath test could be used in the clinic.

About 80 volunteers took part in the Israeli research, published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Of these 22 had various head-and-neck cancers, 24 had lung cancer and 36 were healthy.

The prototype breath test uses a chemical method to spot markers of cancer present in the breath.

The hope is that one day such a test could be used in a GP's surgery to give an instant diagnosis.

'Urgent need'

Researchers at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology - are working on a device called the nano artificial nose.

They looked at head-and-neck cancer, which is often diagnosed late, making it more difficult to treat successfully.

Lead researcher, Professor Hossam Haick, said: "There's an urgent need to develop new ways to detect head-and-neck cancer because diagnosis of the disease is complicated, requiring specialist examinations.

"We've shown that a simple 'breath test' can spot the patterns of molecules which are found in head-and-neck patients in a small, early study.

"We now need to test these results in larger studies to find if this could lead to a potential screening method for the disease."

Dr Lesley Walker, of Cancer Research UK, said it was incredibly important to spot the disease as soon as possible when it was easier to treat successfully.

She added: "These interesting initial results show promise for the development of a breath test to detect head-and-neck cancers which are often diagnosed at an advanced stage.

"But it's important to be clear that this is a small study, at a very early stage, so many more years of research with patients will be needed to see if a breath test could be used in the clinic."

Happy Days actors sue over merchandise

Actors from the cast of Happy Days are suing CBS Studios for more than $10m (£6.1m) in damages, claiming they have been denied profits from merchandise.

They say CBS released DVDs and allowed their images to be used on products including lunchboxes and gambling machines without sharing revenue.

Anson Williams, who played Potsie, and Don Most - Ralph Malph in the sitcom - are among cast members who have brought the case in Los Angeles.

CBS was not available for comment.

The actors contend that a "if you don't ask, then we don't pay" policy conflict with contracts promising the cast a share of merchandise revenue.

The case is also being brought by Marion Ross, who played Marion Cunningham, Erin Moran (Joanie) and the estate of the late Tom Bosley, who played Howard.

Happy Days - which ran for 255 episodes for 10 years from 1974 - was set in the 1950s and 1960s and starred Henry Winkler as Arthur "the Fonz" Fonzarelli.

Neither Winkler or Ron Howard - who went on to become an Oscar-winning film director - are part of the claim.

LL Cool J - I Shot Ya (Remix) ft Keith Murray, Prodigy, Fat Joe, Foxy Brown

Maschine Expansions -Vintage Heat and Transistor Punch

Native Instruments has introduced its new series of Maschine Expansions: affordable high-quality download libraries for its groove production system. All expansions provide new drum kits and instruments as well as pre-programmed patterns created by expert sound designers and producers, and feature a distinctive take on a contemporary sound aesthetic or musical style. The series debuts with Vintage Heat and Transistor Punch, created by Goldbaby and Surround SFX.

Vintage Heat was created by distinguished sampling artist Goldbaby, and specializes on warm, saturated sounds with typical vintage grit. The library includes 50 charismatic kits with analog, digital and acoustic origins, complemented through 50 matching synthesizer sounds ranging from bass and leads to brass, pads and strings. All sounds in Vintage Heat have been sampled from vintage drum machines and sought-after analog synths, and have been extensively processed with Goldbaby's unique array of classic compressors, effect units and valve tape machines to achieve his special signature sound. Inventive sampling techniques, including the mapping of successive tape delay repeats to different velocity layers, further contribute to the original and distinctive character of the Vintage Heat library.

Transistor Punch takes its inspiration from contemporary European club music, and provides extremely crisp and punchy sounds for a wide range of electronic styles. Created by renowned sound designer Denis Gögdak of Surround SFX, the library contains 30 energetic drum kits as well as 50 new bass and lead sounds that integrate seamlessly with the factory library of Maschine. All sounds have been sampled from analog drum machines and synthesizers as well, to be meticulously processed with modern high-end outboard gear for an especially defined, forceful sound. Transistor Punch also adds 20 sophisticated multi-effect chains that provide instant sonic treatments for any groove, as well as a large collection of patterns by acclaimed producer Martin Buttrich.

Vintage Heat and Transistor Punch are available for download purchase in the NI Online Shop for $59 / 49 EUR each.

http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/?search=maschineexpansion

Tone2 WarmVerb 1.2

Tone2 are pleased to announce the 1.2 update of Warmverb, a modular multi effect plugin with routable modules and 38 types of effects.

Warmverb lets you program and combine effect chains using up to four effects per multi-effect program.

It includes a 'Randomize' button and over 150 presets giving you access to vocoders, pitch shifters, distortion, modulators and a selection of effects.

New features:

• 64 Bit support
• SSE2 support

Announced Improvements:

• Slightly improved performance
• Improved compatibility for Windows7 and Vista Systems
• Smart installer which automatically fixes possible Win7 VST folder compatibility problems
• Improved host compatibility
• Important pop-ups are always displayed on top
• Many minor improvements

Fixes:

• Removed a small click after silence
• Fixed high CPU usage with Mac demo version
• Fixed a possible crash on Mac

Rob Papen Punch Coming in May

Rob Papen has indicated that its new Punch synthesizer is slated for an end of May release.

With Punch,  you can can use synthesis and the built-in samples to build your own drumkit. Your own samples can also be loaded into Punch to complete your kit.

Punch also features a built-in sequencer, allowing the user to handle multiple patterns. These grooves can be triggered in a live environment to build a song, or for improvisation and jamming.

Korg iElectribe Gorillaz Edition

Korg has teamed up with Gorillaz to create a new dedicated beatbox for the iPad: The iELECTRIBE Gorillaz Edition.

A limited run of 10,000 units released at a special price of US$9.99.

The iELECTRIBE is a virtual analog beatbox for the iPad. Choose a part and touch the 16-step sequencer to build a groove.

While retaining the beat-making features of the iELECTRIBE, the special Gorillaz Edition is a new machine customized to generate Gorillaz samples from their fourth album “The Fall” which allow the user to create music in a wide variety of musical styles. The iELECTRIBE Gorillaz Edition features: a special design and synthesizer engine including 128 new sounds created by Gorillaz; and 64 pre-programmed patterns by the sound team Gorillaz, Stephen Sedgwick, and Korg.

• Sound Engine:

- PCM Synthesizer; 128 PCM Samples; 8 parts x 16 types

• Instrument Voices (Parts):

- 8 Total: 8 PCM synthesizer parts

• Effect Section:

- Master Effect: Assignable per step/per part
- 8 Effect Types: Short Delay, BPM Sync Delay, Grain Shifter, Reverb, Chorus/Flanger, Filter, Talking Modulator, Decimator

• Sequencer Section:

- Patterns: 64 steps maximum per part (Motion Sequencing can memorize all knob motions in a pattern)
- Tempo: 20-300BPM (with Tap tempo and Swing function), Pattern-set function (iELECTRIBE has no “Song” function)

• Pattern Memory:

- 160 Total: 32 preset patterns x 2 banks; 32 blank patterns x 3 banks

• Other:

- Virtual Valve Force Tube Modeling
- Audio Export feature: Bounce Pattern, Real-Time Recording (16-Bit / 44.1 kHz Stereo WAV format)
- Publish and share songs online with the SoundCloud music distribution site
- Supports WIST (Wireless Sync-Start Technology)
- Supports “AudioCopy” function
- Supports performance and controls on an external USB-MIDI device (via the Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit)

Softube's Tube-Tech Classic Channel

"The Tube-Tech Classic Channel contains three different Tube-Tech products, the optocompressor CL 1B and two Pultec clones; the PE 1C program equalizer (the “classic” Pultec) and the ME 1B mid-range equalizer. On their own, these products immediately and easily produce a beautiful result, and combined they become an extremely powerful tool that lets you shape the sound of a track, bus or the whole mix. As well as providing these beauties as separate plug-ins, we also chose to combine them into a single powerful plug-in—the Classic Channel. The Classic Channel lets you bypass or engage any of the units, as well as change their order. By bypassing them, they won't take up any of your precious CPU, so you can might as well get used to always use the Classic Channel whenever you need just some CL 1B mojo or Pultec vibe. It makes it easier to add some eq or compression if necessary at a later stage..."

100 Artists Offer 100 Songs for Download to Raise Money for Japan

The music industry has been pitching in its fair share to help those affected by the March 11 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan.Lady Gaga and UMG both contributed to the cause, and now there’s a new musical effort on the block in the same vein: Songs of Love for Japan.

Songs of Love for Japan is a 100-song compilation packed with music from the likes of Sara Bareilles, Tori Amos, The xx, The Submarines and Ani DiFranco, as well as several other bands both signed and unsigned.

The album — which was put together by artist Cheryl B. Engelhardt and Bryce Longton from Estee Lauder — will be available until Thursday, and costs $100 for all 100 downloads. The pair hope to raise $250,000 forShelterBox, an international disaster relief charity.

If you don’t have $100, you can also buy 20 songs for $20. If you pick the $100 option, however, you could possibly score artist giveaways and other goodies. All proceeds will go to ShelterBox.

We asked some of the artists why they chose the song that they included (most tunes are rare or unreleased tracks). Check out some of their responses below:

“’Sunshower’ is a song of hope, and in a dark chapter in Japan’s history, it seems appropriate to include a song about hope. Japan is the land of the rising sun, and the sun will rise again. “ – Brian Mackey

“The reason I chose ‘Kissing Tree’ is because it’s a very happy upbeat song. I wrote it while basking out on a really fine day here in LA and I think that some of the sunlight has seeped into the final master. I know that, considering what happened in Japan, a heart-wrenching ballad is more of a natural choice, but I feel that the people of Japan need a little bit of positivity after what they’ve been through.” – Alina Smith

“Being a Louisiana native, I wrote ‘Fortune Teller’ about my beloved city of New Orleans. Pieces of the song reflect my time there before Hurricane Katrina, and then there are some emotions in there about the fear I felt not knowing where my sister and aunt were for three days after the levees broke. Just the reminder of those emotions for me during that time made me think this would be a good fit for SOLFJ.” – Hope Waits

“The song ‘Gimmie Resurrection’ was written for someone looking for a rebirth from a meaningless life. Japan has sustained not a lack of meaning but has endured unimaginable suffering and will undergo a rebirth of their own.” – John Cusimano of The Cringe

“Driving back from SXSW ’11 this year, I heard a recording of a man speaking in Japanese, with English translation superimposed, on NPR. He talked about how he had spent his week, searching for the bodies of his mother and sister, whom he could not find since the devastating earthquake and tsunami. He eventually found them, he said, where the living room used to be, as his house was completely totaled, and everything gone. Right then and there, I started to cry. I thought about how I spent my week (performing during SXSW, enjoying the nightlife, going on tour) and how this man had spent his. At this moment it clicked for me, and although I had already personally donated to the Red Cross, I knew I wanted to do something more with my music, instead of just playing it.” 

Why Does Laura Bush's Friend Want to Poison Our Water?

Dr Martin Schuepbach from Dallas, Texas, has the following plan, concerning natural gas, for the Cevennes region of France, where I live [below]:

 

First, he will take millions of gallons of our clean mountain water, to this he will add a cocktail of up to up to 600 toxic chemicals including highly corrosive salts, carcinogens like benzene, and radioactive elements like radium.

He will then pump the noxious mixture deep into our ground.

 

When this hydrofracking process as it's called, has done its work, and natural gas has been extracted, Martin's people will dump some of this poisoned water into open pits on the site — similar, one imagines, to the one shown below:

The rest will be left underground where some of it is highly likely to poison our ground water.

Chinese Animal Activists Save Hundreds of Dogs From Being Eaten

Hundreds of dogs were spared being served on the dinner table in China after activists staged a 15-hour standoff to save them.

Last Friday afternoon, hundreds of dogs were on their way to Chinese restaurants when a suspicious driver swerved his car in front of the truck to stop it. He then alerted activists on his microblog, who gathered 200 strong around the truck. They rendered the vehicle immobile, jamming traffic on the highway.

After a long standoff right outside Beijing, an animal activist group managed to free the dogs by purchasing them for 115,000 yuan ($17,600). Conflicting reports differ on the number of dogs involved, but the Global Times has placed the number as high as 520.

Sadly, many of the dogs were found with collars and nametags, indicating that they may have been stolen from their beloved owners. The healthy dogs will be put up for adoption while the sick ones were sent to pet hospitals in the nation's capital. Unfortunately, it is unclear whether some of the allegedly stolen dogs will ever be reunited with their owners.

Both dog and cat meat are popular delicacies because they are believed to promote bodily warmth during the winter season. In recent years, authorities have considered putting measures in place to outlaw the practice.

Local newspapers suggested that the transporters would probably face no repercussions. Animal protection laws barely exist in China, and the truck had all the legal permits to transport the animals. Still, it's one significant victory for Fido lovers everywhere.

Playboy Mansion Illness Traced to Hot Tub Bacteria

Los Angeles County health officials say the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease was found in a hot tub at the Playboy Mansion where scores of people became ill after attending a fundraiser in February.

The Los Angeles Times says health officials presented their findings Friday at an annual conference at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.

The legionella bacteria also causes a milder illness called Pontiac fever. Symptoms include fever and headache.

Many people who attended a fundraiser party at the Playboy Mansion came down with a respiratory illness after the DomainFest conference in February.

Officials contacted 439 people and found that 123 had fevers and at least one other symptom with 69 falling ill on the same day. Epidemiologists used social media to contact the conference attendees.

Luxury Designer Bijan Pakzad Dies

Bijan Pakzad gloried in offering "the costliest men's wear in the world" at a Beverly Hills showroom so exclusive that even presidents and princes had to make an appointment.

Long a highlight of the Rodeo Drive shopping district, the regally appointed House of Bijan was a natural extension of its extravagant proprietor, who died Saturday at age 67 after a stroke.

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Bijan

Pakzad Bijan

Known to all simply by his first name, Bijan used high prices as a selling point and lavished attention on his elite clientele, many of whom flew in on private jets for private fittings. Suits started in the neighborhood of $6,500—before customizations that might include a bullet-proof lining.

"He could do whatever the customer wanted and still make it chic," said his son, Nicolas Bijan Pakzad.

While boasting of his discretion, Bijan had stenciled on his showroom window the names of his more prominent clients—among them the five living U.S. presidents, movie stars Tom Cruise, Anthony Hopkins, and soul singer Usher. "I have six kings as customers," he boasted, as well as much of the House of Windsor.

As well as clothes cut along classic lines, Bijan sold what his son called "the Bijan show," a world of sybaritic fantasy. Amid sumptuous art and vases overflowing with lilies, one might accessorize an alligator top coat with a .38-caliber a gold-plated Colt revolver with Bijan's signature engraved on the barrel.

Born in Iran, Bijan was interested in clothes from his youth and opened his first boutique in Tehran. He spent a decade studying fashion and working as a designer in Europe. In the early 1970s, he moved to Southern California, selling Italian-manufactured clothes in a small boutique. He opened the more upscale House of Bijan in 1976.

"Appointment-only sounded ridiculous at that time," said Jimmy Delshad, a former mayor of Beverly Hills. "It helped make Rodeo Drive very sought-after."

Bijan heightened the allure by parking outside the showroom whichever of his stable of exotic cars he happened to be driving—Bentleys, Rolls, Bugattis in various candy colors including his signature yellow.

In the 1980s, Bijan struck gold with perfumes he sold at department stores around the world, making his brand available to average consumers for the first time. Scents, including a hugely popular offering in partnership with basketball star Michael Jordan, soon accounted for more than half his company's revenue.

He opened a New York showroom as opulent as the one in Beverly Hills and started appearing in idiosyncratic ads, posing with nuns in one poster and with a naked, obese woman straight out of Botero, his favorite artist, in another. His appointment book remained jammed and his prices continued to rise.

"Charge whatever you want, but make it the best," Bijan once told The Wall Street Journal.