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http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2012/0928/1224324532192.html BUSINESS INTERVIEW: As executive vice president of digital media for MTV's music brands, Dubliner Dermot McCormack is confronting head-on the challenges all media companies face in an ever-changing digital landscape IT'S HARD TO know what to envy Dermot McCormack for most - his 17th-floor, corner office (the sign, in America, at least, that you have truly arrived) overlooking Times Square, or the fact that Bono has a nickname for him: Digital Dermot from Dublin. To be fair, he has earned it. McCormack is now executive vice president of digital media for MTV's music brands - including MTV itself, VH1, Country Music Television (CMT) and Logo TV. "My job is to move these cable TV brands into new platforms, expand the brands, expand the audience and make money while I'm doing it," says McCormack - who is originally from Ballyfermot - as though this were easy peasy. Few know quite as well as him, however, just how tricky the internet can be. An early pioneer of new media in the 1990s, McCormack was around for the dot com bubble (the first one, as some would argue). In fact, he was right at the heart of it. Having moved to New York in the early 1990s (the day after he graduated from DIT Kevin Street with a degree in electronic engineering - "My poor Mom," he says. "I never came back!"), McCormack was among those who built some of the earliest websites. Eventually, he went to work in advertising for the hottest new things around at the time - a website called iVillage.com. (So early on in the web age was this that McCormack talks about having approached Toyota about web advertising before the company had any sort of presence on the internet.) The iVillage group of websites still exists today, but you would be hard pushed to find any sign of the fact that, when the company went public in 1999, it was the biggest IPO in history. Shares in the comp

http://myblackhawkminesmusic.posterous.com/black-hawk-mines-music-mtv-boss-bono-calls-di BUSINESS INTERVIEW: As executive vice president of digital media for MTV's music brands, Dubliner Dermot McCormack is confronting head-on the challenges all media companies face in an ever-changing digital landscape IT'S HARD TO know what to envy Dermot McCormack for most - his 17th-floor, corner office (the sign, in America, at least, that you have truly arrived) overlooking Times Square, or the fact that Bono has a nickname for him: Digital Dermot from Dublin. To be fair, he has earned it. McCormack is now executive vice president of digital media for MTV's music brands - including MTV itself, VH1, Country Music Television (CMT) and Logo TV. "My job is to move these cable TV brands into new platforms, expand the brands, expand the audience and make money while I'm doing it," says McCormack - who is originally from Ballyfermot - as though this were easy peasy. Few know quite as well as him, however, just how tricky the internet can be. An early pioneer of new media in the 1990s, McCormack was around for the dot com bubble (the first one, as some would argue). In fact, he was right at the heart of it. Having moved to New York in the early 1990s (the day after he graduated from DIT Kevin Street with a degree in electronic engineering - "My poor Mom," he says. "I never came back!"), McCormack was among those who built some of the earliest websites. Eventually, he went to work in advertising for the hottest new things around at the time - a website callediVillage.com. (So early on in the web age was this that McCormack talks about having approached Toyota about web advertising before the company had any sort of presence on the internet.) The iVillage group of websites still exists today, but you would be hard pushed to find any sign of the fact that, when the company went public in 1999, it was the biggest IPO in history. Shares in the compan

MY BLACK HAWK MUSIC: As executive vice president of digital media for MTV's music brands, Dubliner Dermot McCormack is confronting head-on the challenges all media companies face in an ever-changing digital landscape. IT'S HARD TO know what to envy Dermot McCormack for most - his 17th-floor, corner office (the sign, in America, at least, that you have truly arrived) overlooking Times Square, or the fact that Bono has a nickname for him: Digital Dermot from Dublin. To be fair, he has earned it. McCormack is now executive vice president of digital media for MTV's music brands - including MTV itself, VH1, Country Music Television (CMT) and Logo TV. "My job is to move these cable TV brands into new platforms, expand the brands, expand the audience and make money while I'm doing it," says McCormack - who is originally from Ballyfermot - as though this were easy peasy. Few know quite as well as him, however, just how tricky the internet can be. An early pioneer of new media in the 1990s, McCormack was around for the dot com bubble (the first one, as some would argue). In fact, he was right at the heart of it. Having moved to New York in the early 1990s (the day after he graduated from DIT Kevin Street with a degree in electronic engineering - "My poor Mom," he says. "I never came back!"), McCormack was among those who built some of the earliest websites. Eventually, he went to work in advertising for the hottest new things around at the time - a website callediVillage.com. (So early on in the web age was this that McCormack talks about having approached Toyota about web advertising before the company had any sort of presence on the internet.) The iVillage group of websites still exists today, but you would be hard pushed to find any sign of the fact that, when the company went public in 1999, it was the biggest IPO in history. Shares in the company peaked at just over $100 shortly after the initial public offering, before plummeting to al

Black Hawk Mines Music (Blogspot News) - - Mario Lopez and Khloe Kardashian Odom are officially joining "The X Factor." After weeks of speculation, Fox announced Tuesday that the "Extra" host and the "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" co-star will indeed host the second season of the talent competition. Lopez and Odom will first appear as hosts during the show's live broadcasts next month, the network said. "The worst kept secret in Hollywood is out," said "X Factor" creator and judge Simon Cowell in a statement. "Mario and Khloe are our hosts. They will debut on our first live show in November, and I couldn't be happier." British television personality Steve Jones served as the sole host for the first season of the U.S. edition of the show. The addition of Lopez and Kardashian is the latest shift for the underperforming singing contest. Britney Spears and Demi Lovato joined Cowell and L.A. Reid on "The X Factor" judging panel at the start of the second season. The pair replaced Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger. "I'm very excited to be joining 'The X Factor' team," said Lopez, who has also hosted MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew" for the past seven seasons. "I love the show, and I've been a big fan of Simon Cowell and the judges for a long time. Khloe and I have been friends for years, and I know we'll be a great team and have a blast." The current second season of "X Factor" is earning solid ratings for Fox, but NBC's "The Voice" continues to perform better. Last week, 12.55 million people watched "The Voice," while "X Factor" was seen by 9.71 million, according to the Nielsen Co.

Pirates are not just hunting oceans' floor but also the music industry. There's still no way she can pay record companies the $222,000 judgment she owes said the Minnesota woman at the center of a long-running court fight over the unauthorized downloading of copyrighted music after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear her appeal Monday. The justices did not give remark on their decision. The amount was excessive argued by the attorneys of Jammie Thomas-Rasset, of Brainerd. In the early to mid-2000s, the music industry filed thousands of lawsuits in opposition to people it charged of downloading music without authorization and without paying for it. Most of these cases were settled for about $3,500 apiece. Only two defendants refused to pay and went to trial one of them is Thomas-Rasset while the other was former Boston University student Joel Tenenbaum. The later also lost and was ordered to pay $675,000. Back in 2006, the initial case was file against Thomas-Rasset. Ever since the case was filed has gone through three trials and several appeals. According to the evidences presented by the industry, Thomas-Rasset made available over 1,700 songs to other computer uses via the file-sharing service Kazaa, though the lawsuit targeted only 24 songs. "I'm assuming that since they declined to hear the case it's probably done at this point," she said. But she also said she needed to consult with her attorneys to determine what happens next. Thomas-Rasset at the age of 35 and who works for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe tribal government, maintained her claim that as she has all along can't afford to pay. "There's no way that they can collect," she said. "Right now, I get energy assistance because I have four kids. It's just the one income. My husband isn't working. It's not possible for them to collect even if they wanted to. I have no assets." She became a grandmother in June, Thomas-Rasset added. She refused

PowerPoint Presentation: In my previous life as a paid promotion site, I got to see any number of companies and sectors pushed and promoted that didn't deserve to be! It seemed that every week I was doing an Oil and Gas Play. Alternative energy plays were very popular...biofuels and solar, too. BUT, the clear winner over the past year has been the Lithium mining sector. I saw a succession of mining plays like LIEG, AMEL, LTUM, BHWX and AMLM parade across the paid promotion universe. They did just want "pump and dumps" should do...they skyrocketed and then fell. They all has slick, professional websites that touted that Lithium was the "energy source of the future". It may well be, but these companies are very far away from being viable companies. The truth is I did alerts on all of these companies at one time or another over the past year. I just ran across LIEG the other day and have added it to my list since it is in the lithium mining business and it is a paid promotion stock, too. PowerPoint Presentation: Is Lithium the energy source of the future? It certainly is when it comes to batteries for electric cars. Greentech Media published an article by Mark Boslet called "Lithium Battery Oversupply Debate Rages" ( click here to read ). It was an entertaining article that makes a case that the future demand for Lithium batteries will be extremely strong. Certainly Obama's multi-billion dollar investment in Lithium battery technology should bear some fruit for the domestic battery and electric car industry. Here are just a few facts that I have gleaned about Lithium: The Obama administration's Energy and Environmental plan requires increased lithium production because the plan calls for ONE MILLION hybrid/electric vehicles on American roads by 2015 and is investing BILLIONS to jumpstart a domestic electric battery industry. It may play a vital role to the future of the automotive industry. In fact, According to a new report from Pike Research, this market growth will

PowerPoint Presentation: In my previous life as a paid promotion site, I got to see any number of companies and sectors pushed and promoted that didn't deserve to be! It seemed that every week I was doing an Oil and Gas Play. Alternative energy plays were very popular...biofuels and solar, too. BUT, the clear winner over the past year has been the Lithium mining sector. I saw a succession of mining plays like LIEG, AMEL, LTUM, BHWX and AMLM parade across the paid promotion universe. They did just want "pump and dumps" should do...they skyrocketed and then fell. They all has slick, professional websites that touted that Lithium was the "energy source of the future". It may well be, but these companies are very far away from being viable companies. The truth is I did alerts on all of these companies at one time or another over the past year. I just ran across LIEG the other day and have added it to my list since it is in the lithium mining business and it is a paid promotion stock, too. PowerPoint Presentation: Is Lithium the energy source of the future? It certainly is when it comes to batteries for electric cars. Greentech Media published an article by Mark Boslet called "Lithium Battery Oversupply Debate Rages" ( click here to read ). It was an entertaining article that makes a case that the future demand for Lithium batteries will be extremely strong. Certainly Obama's multi-billion dollar investment in Lithium battery technology should bear some fruit for the domestic battery and electric car industry. Here are just a few facts that I have gleaned about Lithium: The Obama administration's Energy and Environmental plan requires increased lithium production because the plan calls for ONE MILLION hybrid/electric vehicles on American roads by 2015 and is investing BILLIONS to jumpstart a domestic electric battery industry. It may play a vital role to the future of the automotive industry. In fact, According to a new report from Pike Research, this market growth will

Kanye West's series of concerts in Atlantic City last December 30, 2012 came to be a surprise for everyone. Every night he managed to surprise everyone, on the first night he played dress-up, second night he ranted. But the third and final night was the night he shocked everyone, he declared that he is a father-to-be. This was the first time we ever saw him with a genuine happiness on his face, he couldn't take that smile off. At 35, Kanye is as excited as a kid on his Christmas presents. During a freestyle of "Lost in the World" he revealed that Kim kardashan, 32, will going to be his "baby's mama." Kanye was really happy when he heard about the news. "He's known this for some time now," according to reliable source. "You don't even know how f**king excited this [guy] is about being a father." So blackmail is not a question here because he is genuinely happy. Kanye was overcome with emotion when Kim told him the good news, the source added. The sorce also revealed, "He's like really on one right now and I don't know if I should say this, but [Kanye] was crying when Kim told him she was knocked up." The source also adds, "I heard he got on his knees in front of Kim, she rubbed his head while he was crying and he was kissing her stomach. Guess he was overwhelmed at that point and couldn't believe he's about to be a father." This is all maybe because Kanye in fact grew up without his father by his side. His parents got divorced and Kanye and his mother moved to Chicago when he was 3. He will only go and see his father on Christmas, spring break and summer. He considers his father as his everything although most of the time his mother was his everything. He once said to an interview, "It gets to the point that when you go to high school and you wasn't out in the streets like that, and you ain't have no father figure, or you wasn't around your father all the time, who you gonna act like

et's predict the future by analyzing culture and trends today. Last year has been the year for the solo female pop vocalists like Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, etc. Solo male vocals were also hit last year like Psy, Eminen, Bruno Mars, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, etc. These guys churning out all Top 20 hits all over the world. There has been much collaboration with featured singers, with all the rapping, dub step and dance music. But what genre or style of music will be dominant this 2013. If 2012 meant to the dub step it is not the case this year because 2013 cannot come quick enough. Although it will just be a passing phase this year because the lasting strong points of the year seem to be turning to the indie alternative gone pop. It seems that 2013 will focus more on the artist which made 2012 only its transition. Some made the prediction that guitar music may return to radio playlist in the near future. It is expected that new guitar music is to be a fusion of something that will be playing in the radio stations this year. This is actually already been starting. More attention seems to be leaning towards the young singer-songwriter who plays the instrument and the hot tween pre-made dance talent is slowly vanishing. This could mean Justin Bieber may be on his way out sooner than expected. May this be a warning for him so that he can mature in terms of his music. Songs like his built trend for the next wave and pop music could use some wake-up call wit more artist that could make a mainstream impact. 90's R&B will go even more mainstream, this is due to almost every artist feels compelled to reel off their R&B influences. When you go night out, you will never fail to endure repeated plays of R Kelly's She's Got That Vibe. With many artists sprouting in every corner, attention span grows short regarding the choice or artist that listeners will listen to. Those who cannot reinvent

Let's predict the future by analyzing culture and trends today. Last year has been the year for the solo female pop vocalists like Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, etc. Solo male vocals were also hit last year like Psy, Eminen, Bruno Mars, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, etc.

Lopez, Kardashian to host 'The X Factor' LOS ANGELES (AP) - Mario Lopez and Khloe Kardashian Odom are officially joining "The X Factor." After weeks of speculation, Fox announced Tuesday that the "Extra" host and the "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" co-star will indeed host the second season of the talent competition. Lopez and Odom will first appear as hosts during the show's live broadcasts next month, the network said. "The worst kept secret in Hollywood is out," said "X Factor" creator and judge Simon Cowell in a statement. "Mario and Khloe are our hosts. They will debut on our first live show in November, and I couldn't be happier." British television personality Steve Jones served as the sole host for the first season of the U.S. edition of the show. The addition of Lopez and Kardashian is the latest shift for the underperforming singing contest. Britney Spears and Demi Lovato joined Cowell and L.A. Reid on "The X Factor" judging panel at the start of the second season. The pair replaced Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger. "I'm very excited to be joining 'The X Factor' team," said Lopez, who has also hosted MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew" for the past seven seasons. "I love the show, and I've been a big fan of Simon Cowell and the judges for a long time. Khloe and I have been friends for years, and I know we'll be a great team and have a blast." The current second season of "X Factor" is earning solid ratings for Fox, but NBC's "The Voice" continues to perform better. Last week, 12.55 million people watched "The Voice," while "X Factor" was seen by 9.71 million, according to the Nielsen Co.

In my previous life as a paid promotion site, I got to see any number of companies and sectors pushed and promoted that didn't deserve to be! It seemed that every week I was doing an Oil and Gas Play. Alternative energy plays were very popular...biofuels and solar, too.

MIDDLE EAST: PRESIDENT Barack Obama has condemned a rocket attack on an American Consulate which left the US Ambassador to Libya dead. Ambassador Chris Stevens, 52, died alongside three guards, as he went to the Benghazi consulate to try to evacuate staff as the building came under attack by a mob firing machine-guns and rocket-propelled grenades. MIDDLE EAST: Muslim anger over perceived Western insults to Islam has exploded several times. The violence, fuelled mostly by religious zealots, reflects the tension between Muslims and the secular West that followed the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. MIDDLE EAST: A film-maker whose movie attacking Islam's prophet Mohammed sparked assaults on US missions in Egypt and Libya, where an American diplomat was killed, said today he had gone into hiding. California-based writer and director Sam Bacile remained defiant, saying Islam was a cancer and he intended his film to be a provocative political statement condemning the religion. EUROPE: Eurozone countries have been asked to hand control of their banks to the EU in an attempt to solve its crippling financial crisis. In a proposal that represents one the most significant surrenders of national sovereignty since the creation of the euro in 1999, the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, wants to make the European Central Bank the single supervisor for all 6,000 banks in the 17 countries that use the currency. GREECE: A fresh wave of anti-austerity strikes has hit Greece as its leaders struggled to agree further spending cuts for the coming two years - without which the country will lose its vital rescue loans. State hospital doctors, teachers and local authority employees walked off the job to protest over planned salary and funding cuts. AMERICA: Americans marked the anniversary of the September 11 2001 attacks with tearful messages to loved ones and moments of silence, but the smaller ceremonies gave a sense of moving on 11 years aft

American Idol judge Steven Tyler announced that he won't be back for another season of the show. The 64-year old rock icon and frontman of Aerosmith said that his exit after two seasons of judging in the show is because he think "it's time to bring rock back". Tyler said in a statement, "After some long … hard … thoughts … I've decided it's time for me to let go of my mistress 'American Idol' before she boils my rabbit." He explained that his departure from the show is to allow him to focus more on his band, Aerosmith, which has been around for 40 years. His decision makes sense as their band is expected to come out with a new album this fall and also set to go on tour. "I strayed from my first love, Aerosmith, and I'm back - but instead of begging on my hands and knees, I got two fists in the air and I'm kicking the door open with my band." Though it is interesting to note that at the start of his judging gig in American Idol, he said on Black Hawk Mines of his bandmates' reaction, "At first, they were jealous because they heard it through the press and not from me. But four months ago they were looking for another lead singer." Tyler's departure is just one of the changes awaiting the next season as co-judge Jennifer Lopez is still undecided about staying. Since the latest season wrapped up with the smallest ratings, there has been many speculations as to what changes will be done by Fox for the next season - and who will remain as Idol judges. The singing reality show has its sharpest decline in ratings last season, which was 30% or 21 million viewers compared to its peak in 2003 with 38 million, sending warning signals on the network. Looks like the only sure thing about the Idol series is its host, Ryan Seacrest, who renewed his contract for 2 years for USD 15 million.

American Idol judge Steven Tyler announced that he won't be back for another season of the show. The 64-year old rock icon and frontman of Aerosmith said that his exit after two seasons of judging in the show is because he think "it's time to bring rock back". Tyler said in a statement, "After some long … hard … thoughts … I've decided it's time for me to let go of my mistress 'American Idol' before she boils my rabbit." He explained that his departure from the show is to allow him to focus more on his band, Aerosmith, which has been around for 40 years. His decision makes sense as their band is expected to come out with a new album this fall and also set to go on tour. "I strayed from my first love, Aerosmith, and I'm back - but instead of begging on my hands and knees, I got two fists in the air and I'm kicking the door open with my band." Though it is interesting to note that at the start of his judging gig in American Idol, he said on Black Hawk Mines of his bandmates' reaction, "At first, they were jealous because they heard it through the press and not from me. But four months ago they were looking for another lead singer." Tyler's departure is just one of the changes awaiting the next season as co-judge Jennifer Lopez is still undecided about staying. Since the latest season wrapped up with the smallest ratings, there has been many speculations as to what changes will be done by Fox for the next season - and who will remain as Idol judges. The singing reality show has its sharpest decline in ratings last season, which was 30% or 21 million viewers compared to its peak in 2003 with 38 million, sending warning signals on the network. Looks like the only sure thing about the Idol series is its host, Ryan Seacrest, who renewed his contract for 2 years for USD 15 million.

American Idol judge Steven Tyler announced that he won't be back for another season of the show. The 64-year old rock icon and frontman of Aerosmith said that his exit after two seasons of judging in the show is because he think "it's time to bring rock back". Tyler said in a statement, "After some long … hard … thoughts … I've decided it's time for me to let go of my mistress 'American Idol' before she boils my rabbit." He explained that his departure from the show is to allow him to focus more on his band, Aerosmith, which has been around for 40 years. His decision makes sense as their band is expected to come out with a new album this fall and also set to go on tour. "I strayed from my first love, Aerosmith, and I'm back - but instead of begging on my hands and knees, I got two fists in the air and I'm kicking the door open with my band." Though it is interesting to note that at the start of his judging gig in American Idol, he said on Black Hawk Mines of his bandmates' reaction, "At first, they were jealous because they heard it through the press and not from me. But four months ago they were looking for another lead singer." Tyler's departure is just one of the changes awaiting the next season as co-judge Jennifer Lopez is still undecided about staying. Since the latest season wrapped up with the smallest ratings, there has been many speculations as to what changes will be done by Fox for the next season - and who will remain as Idol judges. The singing reality show has its sharpest decline in ratings last season, which was 30% or 21 million viewers compared to its peak in 2003 with 38 million, sending warning signals on the network. Looks like the only sure thing about the Idol series is its host, Ryan Seacrest, who renewed his contract for 2 years for USD 15 million.

Last Monday, U.S. magistrate judge sentenced Grammy-winning hip hop artist Lauryn Hill to three months in prison, three months in home confinement and a $60,000 fine for federal tax evasion. Last year Lauryn Hill pleaded guilty to three counts of failing to file tax returns on more than $1.8 million of income between 2005 and 2007 and faced up to three years in prison. Hill has credited her failure to pay taxes to years of pressure she practiced as a recording star all at the same time with raising six children, causing her to go underground and shut away from the public eye. On the eve of her scheduled sentencing, Hill paid $504,000 in back taxes to the Internal Revenue Service and another $420,000 to the state of New Jersey, her attorney told the court. She still owes another $285,000 in interest and penalties. "When the government is asking for 36 months and the judge gives three months, I think the judge gave a fair and reasonable sentence," Hill's attorney Nathan Hochman told reporters. Thirty months to the maximum of 36 months was asked by the prosecutors for a sentence. Hill's lack of a criminal record, her six children and her repayment of the back taxes as mitigating factors in the sentence, cited U.S. Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo. Hill, native of South Orange, New Jersey, must report on or before July 8. Her attorney asked the court to assign her a facility close to home. Part of one year of supervised probation is the three months of home confinement following the prison stay. Hill told the court she pulled away from society because her life was in crisis, received veiled threats and was blacklisted because she did not conform to the norms of the music industry. "I was being perceived as a cash cow, not a person," Hill said. Just this Friday, a new single by Hill, her first in several years, called "Neurotic Society," was posted on iTunes. "Here is a link to a piece that I was 'required' to release imm

Taylor Swift walks around with a constant expression of shock at her swell luck and good fortune. As well she should, as the pitch-challenged, confessional sweetheart is doing phenomenally well in the singing business. She doesn't do as well in the relationship business, but her prolific taste in celebrity men has served her and supermarket magazines fine. "Love is a ruthless game, unless you play it good and right," she sings on State of Grace. I would argue that Swift plays the game ruthlessly - "good and right" being adverbs open to interpretation, or even meaningless to a doe-eyed pop careerist whose open-book romantic life is grist for the mill, an attention-getting supply of gotcha-good inspiration. Red, her fourth album, is full of big, errorless music - arena-pop that is just country enough to keep the CMT crowd happy. But even if there are very few missteps, excitement and soul are decidedly lacking. Swift's lyrical style lacks for ambition; someone like Canada's Liam Titcomb, a complete unknown in comparison, has much more of a clue how to write a poppy relationship song with wordy charisma. The pigtailed set will enjoy the 22-year-old woman-child who giggles at the end of the plucky-cute Stay, Stay, Stay. "Before you I only dated self-indulgent takers, who took all of their problems out on me," she sings, resisting the urge to rhyme "Jake Gyllenhaal" with "darn it all" or "John Mayer" with "hey, that's not fair." The album's catchy first single We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together is Avril-bratty, complete with a resolute girlie army on the chorus. But beyond the adolescent stuff, the platinum-selling Kennedy-clan befriender branches out - sometimes moving in less-than-mysterious U2 ways. While State of Grace uses chiming guitars and bold dynamics, All Too Well doesn't at all try to hide its With or Without You tension-building methods. Lyrically it represents Swift's best work, involving broken p

MIDDLE EAST: PRESIDENT Barack Obama has condemned a rocket attack on an American Consulate which left the US Ambassador to Libya dead. Ambassador Chris Stevens, 52, died alongside three guards, as he went to the Benghazi consulate to try to evacuate staff as the building came under attack by a mob firing machine-guns and rocket-propelled grenades. MIDDLE EAST: Muslim anger over perceived Western insults to Islam has exploded several times. The violence, fuelled mostly by religious zealots, reflects the tension between Muslims and the secular West that followed the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. MIDDLE EAST: A film-maker whose movie attacking Islam's prophet Mohammed sparked assaults on US missions in Egypt and Libya, where an American diplomat was killed, said today he had gone into hiding. California-based writer and director Sam Bacile remained defiant, saying Islam was a cancer and he intended his film to be a provocative political statement condemning the religion. EUROPE: Eurozone countries have been asked to hand control of their banks to the EU in an attempt to solve its crippling financial crisis. In a proposal that represents one the most significant surrenders of national sovereignty since the creation of the euro in 1999, the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, wants to make the European Central Bank the single supervisor for all 6,000 banks in the 17 countries that use the currency. GREECE: A fresh wave of anti-austerity strikes has hit Greece as its leaders struggled to agree further spending cuts for the coming two years - without which the country will lose its vital rescue loans. State hospital doctors, teachers and local authority employees walked off the job to protest over planned salary and funding cuts. AMERICA: Americans marked the anniversary of the September 11 2001 attacks with tearful messages to loved ones and moments of silence, but the smaller ceremonies gave a sense of moving on 11 years after nearly 3,000 people

Taylor swift continues to step a notch everyday, country-pop singer started at a very young age and from then on she struggled on her way up. Her hardships didn't last long. She found her big break and here she is as how we know her. Hardships are really paying off, singer's album "Red" topped the U.S. album chart for a second week despite a big percentage drop. Singer-songwriter Swift has undoubtedly paved the way to stardom on her own. She gained the respect of her fans by being one of them. Teen girls idolize her by being her, she's reasonably gorgeous even in ballet flats. She's awkward but speaks her mind through her song. She's a geek chic oozing with sex appeal. And above all, she's a star but she is approachable. It was not a surprise that her forth album "Red" is another big hit. Released October 22, 2012 through Big Machine Records, Red is the fourth studio album by singer-song writer Taylor Swift. According to Nielsen SoundScan data for the week ending Nov. 4, "Red" retained the apex with 344,000 copies sold, may sound much but actually it has a decline of 72% from 1.21 million sales on the first week. Despite the big difference in terms of sales, Red maintained to be on top on the second week and until now on its third week. There is no stopping "Red", industry forecasters put forward that the album will spend a third straight week atop the Billboard 200 chart next week. The new Billboard 200 chart's top 10 will be revealed on the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 14. Red is a 16-song geyser of willful emotions, Swift's songs grows with her as well. As she ages her songs matures with her. Album includes songs entitled, 1. "State of Grace" - a not typical Taylor at all is what you will see in this song, she was blindsided by love. Lush and dreamy, a drum driven song is what you can expect in "State of Grace". 2."Red"- this song is a different shade for Taylor, it talks about how impossible it is moving on from a

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American Idol judge Steven Tyler announced that he won't be back for another season of the show. The 64-year old rock icon and frontman of Aerosmith said that his exit after two seasons of judging in the show is because he think "it's time to bring rock back". Tyler said in a statement, "After some long … hard … thoughts … I've decided it's time for me to let go of my mistress 'American Idol' before she boils my rabbit." He explained that his departure from the show is to allow him to focus more on his band, Aerosmith, which has been around for 40 years. His decision makes sense as their band is expected to come out with a new album this fall and also set to go on tour. "I strayed from my first love, Aerosmith, and I'm back - but instead of begging on my hands and knees, I got two fists in the air and I'm kicking the door open with my band." Though it is interesting to note that at the start of his judging gig in American Idol, he said on Black Hawk Mines of his bandmates' reaction, "At first, they were jealous because they heard it through the press and not from me. But four months ago they were looking for another lead singer." Tyler's departure is just one of the changes awaiting the next season as co-judge Jennifer Lopez is still undecided about staying. Since the latest season wrapped up with the smallest ratings, there has been many speculations as to what changes will be done by Fox for the next season - and who will remain as Idol judges. The singing reality show has its sharpest decline in ratings last season, which was 30% or 21 million viewers compared to its peak in 2003 with 38 million, sending warning signals on the network. Looks like the only sure thing about the Idol series is its host, Ryan Seacrest, who renewed his contract for 2 years for USD 15 million.

BLACK HAWK MINES : DAVY JONES OF MONKEES DEAD AT 66 The past few months have been a particularly tough time for the music industry as the death of The Monkees' lead singer came after those of Etta James and Whitney Houston. Davy Jones, 66, died after a heart attack while in his stable in Florida on the morning of February 29. He was found in his car suffering from chest pains and was promptly rushed to a hospital in Stuart. However, he was pronounced dead due to severe heart attack. His sudden death has a considerably strong impact for someone that belongs in a band that has almost never gotten any musical respect in the industry. Jones first gained the public's attention as an actor where he was even nominated for a Tony award for his part on the Broadway in Oliver!. Afterwards, and on the same time that The Beatles are gaining popularity, he became part of a singing group that has their weekly sitcom called The Monkees. The funeral in Florida is expected to be private but there will be public services in England and New York to honor Jones. The singer's death seems to hit many people so hard, even those who are not claiming to be a fan, perhaps owing to the Monkees' influencing generations. The height of their career came in the 60s but reruns of their show were aired in the 70s. Jones propelled to popularity during the 60s as The Monkees TV show became a household name. Though the series only lasted for 2 years and the band eventually broke up, they have left chart-topping hits such as "Daydream Believer" and "Im a Believer". At 18 years old, Jones had his first performance in The Ed Sullivan Show where he sang his piece from Oliver!. Incidentally, that same night The Beatles also performed for the first time in the show.