justin bieber kiss selena gomez on live TV

Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez kiss on live TV at the Billboard Music Awards

By Sophie Schillaci

May 22, 2011 10:12 PM ET

Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez shocked viewers by kissing on the mouth (eep!) during the live broadcast of ABC's Billboard Music Awards. Stop the presses!

The lip lock came after Bieber's second award of the evening, just as cameras hit him before heading on stage to accept the Best New Artist award. See the photographic evidence above.

The duo reportedly arrived at the Las Vegas award show together, though Gomez walked the red white carpet solo.

After several months of playing coy about their relationship, Gomez has been opening up little by little -- coming close to explicitly confirming, but not quite. We'll take this kiss as full confirmation.

Were you surprised to see the smooch? We're just happy they're finally (basically) admitting it. Look in the bottom right hand corner of the screen grab -- Keith Urban is apparently super excited for them!

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Mary J. Blige and Lil Wayne

After an electric performance from Rihanna and Britney Spears to kick off Sunday night's show and followed later by a duet between Far East Movement and Snoop Dogg, the Billboard Music Awards kept the collaborations coming with an inspired set from Mary J. Blige and Lil Wayne.

Entering the stage on a post-apocalyptic street corner set, with light poles down and and the street in ruins, Blige belted out "Someone to Love Me (Naked)" from her upcoming record, "My Life II: The Journey Continues."

The "Queen of R&B" was at the top of her game, giving a diva-esque performance as she paced about the stage, looking stunning in a long white overcoat and dangling golden earrings.

As expected, Weezy joined Blige onstage halfway through, with a Lakers cap atop his head. Though a small portion of Wayne's verse was censored during the TV broadcast, the crowd immediately in front of the performers seemed to catch the full effect quite well.

Afterward, the "Lollipop" rapper sat down on the stairs behind Blige, leading the audience in a chorus of claps while the diva brought the song home. And though Wayne was all smiles following the performance, Blige put an accent on the thrilling set with a defiant stare into the crowd before embracing Wayne.

The performance added to a continuing evening of live performances and award recipients at the BBMAs, airing on ABC from the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. Taio Cruz, Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears performed at the show, while Rihanna won an award for Top Female Artist and U2 was honored with a special Touring Award.

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Al-Qaeda releases posthumous bin Laden tape

Bin Laden praises Arab uprisings and calls on followers to help in bringing down more "tyrants" in the Muslim world. Last Modified: 19 May 2011 02:45

Al-Qaeda said bin Laden had recorded the message a week before his death [AFP]????? Al-Qaeda have released a posthumous audio recording by Osama bin Laden in which the group's late leader praised revolutions sweeping the Arab world. In the audio posted on Islamist websites on Thursday, bin Laden called on his followers to help efforts to bring down more "tyrants" in the Muslim world. Bin Laden, who was killed in a US raid on May 2 in Pakistan, called on al-Qaeda supporters to "set up an operations room that follows up events and works in parallel ... to save the people that are struggling to bring down their tyrants". Al-Qaeda said bin Laden had recorded the message a week before his death. The audio was included in an Internet video lasting more than 12 minutes. In the audio, a voice which appears to be bin Laden's referred to the wave of revolutions which began in the Maghreb region of North Africa. 'Winds of change' "The sun of the revolution has risen from the Maghreb. The light of the revolution came from Tunisia. It has given the nation tranquility and made the faces of the people happy." Tunisia's president was overthrown in January, followed by Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak after mass protests centred on Cairo's Tahrir Square. "Tunisia was the first but swiftly the knights of Egypt have taken a spark from the free people of Tunisia to Tahrir Square," said bin Laden, adding: "It has made the rulers worried." He predicted that the winds of change would blow over the entire Muslim world. "I think that the winds of change will blow over the entire Muslim world, with permission from Allah. "A delay may cause the opportunity to be lost, and carrying it out before the right time will increase the number of casualties," bin Laden says in the audio message.

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Wired Science News for Your Neurons

8 Hot Volcanic Eruptions

An underwater volcano exploded near Tonga in the South Pacific to stunning effect this week. The pictures of gas and steam erupting out of the surface of the water captivated the world.

Here at Wired Science, we love volcanoes — so we decided to use the Tongan eruption to round up some of our favorite volcano eruption pics and present them as big. Above, you can see Mt. Cleveland in Alaska erupting on May 23, 2006 as photographed by NASA’s Earth Observatory .

Next up is the glorious explosion, below, of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines back in 1991. Credit: USGS

Mt. St. Helens, located about 50 miles north of Portland, Oregon in southern Washington state, experienced the most catastrophic eruption of recent memory. In 1980, the mountain literally blew its top. In one day, Mt. St. Helens lost more than 1,000 feet of elevation. Photo: USGS.

Here we see an aerial photograph of the August 3, 2008 eruption plume from Okmok Volcano.
Credit: Alaska Volcano Observatory/UAF-GI.

This underwater volcano, Brimstone Pit, was caught erupting by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Submarine Ring of Fire program. You can see the same volcano erupting in the video below. "If we were observing this type of eruptive activity on land we would have to run for our lives!" the researchers note. "At Brimstone Pit the pressure of [1837 feet] of water over the site reduces the power of the explosive bursts."

The Tavurvur volcano in Papua New Guinea experienced a major eruption in 1994. Though it forced the evacuation of most of the area, it wasn’t nearly as bad as a 1937 eruption, which killed over 500 people. Credit: USGS

The Kamchatka province is a highly geologically active area in far Eastern Russia, near Sarah Palin’s house. On March 29, 2007, the peninsula’s Shiveluch Volcano erupted, sending an ash cloud more than 30,000 feet into the air. NASA’s Earth Observatory caught the action.

Mt. Stromboli, located on an Italian island, is famous for its fountain-like eruptions, as captured by Wolfgang Beyer. It’s one of the few volcanoes that exists in a state of permanent (and thankfully) moderate eruption. It’s been bubbling for more than 2,000 years.

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Boeing Booted Out of India

By Rich Smith | More Articles
May 2, 2011 | Comments (0)

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Around the globe, there was great rejoicing over the demise of Osama bin Laden Sunday -- but for investors in Boeing (NYSE: BA ) and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT ) , the news was bittersweet. Just days earlier, Pakistani neighbor and Kashmir contender India -- delivered bad news to both companies: They're out of the running India's $10 billion fighter jet contract.

For four years now, America's two defense juggernauts vied with Sweden's Saab, Russia's UAC, France's Dassault, and Europe's EADS for the right to rebuild India's aging air force. Last week, India's Ministry announced it was short listing Dassault and EADS, and giving Boeing and Lockheed the boot.

It's not all bad news. Boeing, along with partners Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC ) and Raytheon (NYSE: RTN ) still has a profitable contract to supply the subcontinent with P-8A Poseidon sub-hunters. Lockheed's still set to sell India a half-dozen odd C130 transports. But today, those contracts look like consolation prizes next to the big, $10 billion grand prize -- which is going to somebody else.

Can Lockheed and Boeing turn investors' frowns upside with new contract wins elsewhere? Bet on it -- and keep track of those wins as they come in. Add either stock (or both!) to your watchlist today.

Who's got the best deals in aerospace stocks? Fool Rising Star Anand Chokkavelu, that's who. Read all about his latest picks here.

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DREAM THEATER Comment On New Drummer

A little more than a month after drummer Mike Portnoy’s sudden departure from Dream Theater, the band held three days of auditions in New York City. Over an incredibly productive three-day period, the band played, jammed and spoke candidly and at length with seven of the world’s greatest drummers. The remaining members of the band got to know the candidates musically,

personally and professionally and thus assessed the fit of each drummer’s incredible chops with the band’s trademark prog-rock sound.

After intense consideration, the band has unanimously chosen drummer Mike Mangini (Extreme, Steve Vai, Annihilator) to fill the seat behind the kit which was left vacant by Portnoy’s departure late last summer.

Dream Theater began telling their intense tale on April 21st when the band took to its Facebook Page to give fans a glimpse into the audition process. A video tool that was powered by new technology prompted fans to ‘like’ the page in order to unlock exclusive content. Much to the joy of fans, a trailer for the 3-part documentary series on the audition process was then revealed. Those that ‘liked’ the page then received updates on when and where the actual documentary would be airing.

The series, which is featured on Roadrunner Records’ YouTube Channel, has received an overwhelmingly positive response from fans and critics alike and amassed over 1.5 million views in one week's time.

Additionally, both Dream Theater and Mike Mangini were trending topics on Twitter this past Friday, behind only Royal Wedding-related topics.

Keyboardist Jordan Rudess reflected on Mangini’s audition saying, “From the first countoff to the very last note of the final song, every beat Mike played was not only in perfect time, but also executed with an undeniable sense of virtuosity and musicality.”

The band has always been extremely sensitive to the fact that this is not only a monumental decision in their own lives, but also a critical moment in the lives of fans around the world, and has treated their announcement of their new rhythm section anchor with incredible respect to the band’s legacy.

“The departure of our lifelong bandmate and friend was an unexpected and truly heartbreaking blow,” said guitarist John Petrucci. “The fact that as a result of that event we’d be introduced to seven infinitely capable and uniquely talented drummers was heartening. But when we played with the infectiously positive powerhouse of a drummer that is Mike Mangini, we knew we had found a silver lining to what has been, by far, the most challenging episode in our musical lives.”

Bassist John Myung explained that “Mike Mangini is inspiring to us on many levels. His attitude and outlook are entirely positive. His total immersion into performing with us is undeniable, and during the audition, we all felt his strong musical and personal presence. At the same time, we also felt a real unity. He will open up our creative potential. It was destiny at work for us to have found the right person at the right time.”



Going into the auditions, singer James LaBrie had a strong vibe for Mangini’s potential. “I had the privilege of working with Mike on three of my solo albums, so I knew he would be a huge contender. He is without a doubt one of the most intelligent, intuitive, interpretive and virtuosic musicians I have ever played with.”

Mangini is completely cognizant of the demanding rhythmic and artistic responsibilities he’ll be expected to take on as the band’s new timemaster, as well as how deeply the band’s history and relationship runs with DT’s passionate and dedicated followers. “I went to work diligently on the audition material far beyond just learning the songs,” explained Mangini, who, upon taking up the mantle for DT, gives up a coveted faculty position at the Berklee College of Music. “I imagined myself onstage with them, giving the fans what I know Mike Portnoy – who is obviously a legend – always worked so hard to provide. For his sake, as well as for the fans and the band’s, I fought hard to earn the privilege of carrying on the spirit of Dream Theater. At the same time, I wanted to honor Mike’s incredible drumming and musical interpretations. This band has a phenomenal past. DT’s fans are so passionate about DT’s music. They deserve to hear the songs they know played as they love them. I’m responsible for that now.”

With the addition of Mangini to the band’s lineup, Dream Theater moved forward into the studio to begin recording their third release for Roadrunner Records. Guitarist John Petrucci reprises his role as producer, and Paul Northfield (Rush, Queensryche, Porcupine Tree) assumes the same engineering position that he has had on Dream Theater’s previous two Roadrunner releases. The band will kick off a world tour in July 2011.

Mangini, for one, cannot wait to get on the road and show the Dream Theater fan base why he was the chosen one. “I am just busting at the seams on being the new drummer for Dream Theater,” he said. “Digesting the incredibly challenging catalog, exploding with creative ideas, and anticipating what James, John, John and Jordan will come up with collectively and individually for new music and a

fresh stage show is going to be really exciting and fun for me. I consider this opportunity the absolute pinnacle of my career. I can’t even imagine what untapped and future musical genius is inside of these guys; I can’t wait until we get into the studio together. Playing with these guys…it’s the mountaintop. This is where I want to be.”

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Obama Looks to Ease Small Business Regulations

In a government-wide review, the President is asking officials to offer entrepreneurs special treatment, including extended compliance deadlines and total tax exemptions.

By Venuri Siriwardane | Jan 18, 2011

Newscom

A New Tone: President Barack Obama today announced a plan to ease the burden of government red tape on companies.

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President Barack Obama's latest overture to the business community appeared in a place where he is often criticized: The opinion section of The Wall Street Journal.

In an Op-Ed piece for the newspaper, Obama on Tuesday announced "a government-wide review" of business regulations, with the goal of eliminating those that hurt job creation and make the U.S. economy less competitive.

"It's a review that will help bring order to regulations that have become a patchwork of overlapping rules, the result of tinkering by administrations and legislators of both parties and the influence of special interests in Washington over decades," Obama wrote.

Analysts say it's an attempt to patch up the administration's shaky relationship with American businesses, which has suffered over health care and Wall Street reforms, among other policies. Many observers viewed Obama's recent naming of J.P. Morgan Chase executive William Daley as his chief of staff as a move to get a more business-friendly voice in the White House.

Much of the new initiative is aimed at making regulations easier on small businesses, with Obama asking officials to offer entrepreneurs special treatment, including extended compliance deadlines and total tax exemptions.

"Small firms drive growth and create most new jobs in this country," he wrote. "We need to make sure nothing stands in their way."

But some small-business groups remain skeptical of the President's new regulatory focus, wondering if it is mere political posturing rather than the impetus for real change.

"It has been a long time coming for small-business owners to hear this from this administration, and we will be watching closely to see if today's directive leads to real regulatory reform," Dan Danner, president of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, said in a statement.

Though Obama's announcement won support from both sides of the aisle, the move drew criticism from progressive groups, including Public Citizen, a Washington, D.C.-based consumer advocacy group, which say the President is pandering to business interests.

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Causes of Light Pollution

We all are aware about air, water and noise pollution but light pollution is an issue that isn't given much attention and we quickly dismiss it as an issue which impacts astronomers. In this article we will learn about the global menace of light pollution and will do some fact finding on the causes of light pollution.

Light pollution is the excessive light that is created by us. It poses a threat to the eyes, disturbs the ecosystem apart from interfering with astronomical observations. It is high time that we take corrective measures to control it as each year the problem of light pollution is getting worse. We will take a look at the causes of light pollution and know some light pollution facts, but before that let us know the different types of light pollution.

Types of Light Pollution

Light Trespass: Light trespass is caused due to undesirable illumination of an area which causes light to spill to places where it is not required. An example of light trespass can be the illumination caused inside an apartment due to streetlights.

Sky Glow: If you live in an area where the levels of light pollution are relatively high, then you must have noticed an orange 'smog' in the night. This 'smog' is called sky glow and it is caused both due to man-made and natural sources.

Glare: Glare can be defined as the increase in contrast in a given field of view. While driving at night, we have to shield our eyes with our hands as the glare makes it difficult for us to see things clearly. Glare causes discomfort to the eye and can lead to road accidents.

Causes and Effects of Light Pollution

Light pollution is caused by uncontrolled emissions and reflections. The design of most of the light emitting sources allows a significant fraction of light to go up in the sky. Excessive use of light emitting sources also causes significant loss of light energy and increases the production of greenhouse gases. Careless outdoor lighting is also responsible for light pollution. Estimates point out that about one-third of the energy used for outdoor lighting is sent to outer space where it doesn't serve any useful purpose and causes light pollution. The rate at which the urban areas are expanding is contributing to the increase in the levels of light pollution.

The range of new outdoor lighting products has also led to an increase in the light pollution levels. Three decades ago, the outdoor lighting products that were available to the public were limited to incandescent lights, mercury vapor lamps, etc. but today more powerful fixtures are available. These products are more powerful than needed and are poorly shielded causing light to spill in areas where it is not needed.

Continuous exposure to bright light can cause neurological disorders such as insomnia, migraine and depression. It has far reaching effects on nature and animals. It interferes with the biological cycle of nocturnal animals, altering their feeding, migration and reproduction activities. Light pollution confuses birds and animals as can be seen from the way sea turtles turn towards the road instead of the ocean after hatching their eggs on the beach. Light pollution causes waste of energy and puts a strain on the already depleting resources on earth. The streetlights in US alone generate around 2.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in a year.

Preventing Light Pollution

One of the first steps that we need to take to fight light pollution is to ensure that all outdoor lighting equipments are manufactured in such a way that light is only pointing to the areas where it is needed. This will require manufacturers to design the lighting products with proper shielding materials. The government agencies have to also ensure that they install streetlights in such a way that light is not shining horizontally into the eyes of people.

We all will need to do our bit to control light pollution. People are not yet fully aware about this form of pollution and there is a common misconception that light pollution hampers only astronomical observations and therefore, it is an issue for only those associated with astronomy. We all have a part to play in controlling light pollution and it is important that we start educating ourselves, our neighbors and those who are at the helm of the affairs about the severity of this issue before it is too late. We hope that this article would have helped you in getting an insight into the causes of light pollution and the threat that it poses to us.

By Rahul Pandita
Published: 4/25/2011

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