Lost world discovered in Amazon

WASHINGTON:
A immense region of the Amazon forest in Brazil was home to a complex of ancient
towns in which about 50,000 people lived, according to scientists assisted by
satellite images of the
region.



The scientists, whose
findings were published on Thursday in the journal Science, described clusters
of towns and littler villages connected by complex road networks and trapping a
guild doomed by the arrival of Europeans five centuries
ago.



European colonists and the
diseases they brought with them probably killed most of the inhabitants, the
researchers said. The settlements, consisting of networks of walled towns and
smaller villages organized around a central plaza, are now most entirely
overgrown by the forest.



"These
are not cities, but this is urbanism, built around towns," University of Florida
anthropologist Mike Heckenberger said in a
statement.



"If we look at your
modal medieval town or your average Greek polis, most are about the musical scale of
those we find in this part of the Amazon. Only the ones we find are much more
complicated in terms of their planning," Heckenberger
added.



Helped by satellite
imagery, the researchers exhausted more than a decennary uncovering and mapping the
lost communities.


Prior to the
arrival of Europeans starting in 1492, the Americas were home to many prosperous
and impressive societies and big cities. These findings add to the
understanding of the several pre-Columbian
civilizations.



The existence of
the ancient settlements in the Upper Xingu neighborhood of the Amazon in north-central
Brazil means what many experts had considered virgin tropical forests were in
fact heavily affected by past human activity, the scientists
aforementioned.


The US and Brazilian scientists
worked with a appendage of the Kuikuro, an indigenous Amazonian people descended
from settlements' original
inhabitants.



Although the
remains ar almost inconspicuous, they can buoy be identified by members of the Kuikuro
tribe, world Health Organization are thought to be direct descendents of the people wHO built the
towns. The tell-tale traces included "dark earth" that indicated yesteryear human
waste dumps or farming, and concentrations of pottery shards and earthworks.




Each community had an
identical route, always pointing north-east to south-west, which are connected to
a central shopping centre.


The roads were
always orientated this way in keeping with the mid-year summer solstice.




Evidence was constitute of dams and
artificial ponds - thought to have been used for fish agriculture - as well as open
areas and large compost heaps.



More info

• The Most Common Problems of Men�s Health
• Inside Medicine
• High levels of toxic metals found in herbal medicines sold online
• Mom’s Infection Tied to Preemie Births
• Masturbation led to ed how do i treat it

Celebrities set for prison lock-up show

A host of celebrities have spent time behind bars as part of a young reality video show.

Athlete Linford Christie, television principal Jack Osbourne and former 'Coronation Street' star Debra Stephenson experient life as inmates in some of the "world's harshest prisons" for the new series.

The show, which is called 'Prisoner: X', also features 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here' stars Joe Pasquale and Marc Bannerman, actor Will Mellor, author Toby Young and journalist Donal MacIntyre.

The celebrities were locked up in jails in the US, South Africa and Germany for the Virgin 1 series.

During the serial publication viewers will see the stars get together murderers, rapists, arsonists and armed robbers who are behind bars.

Daniela Neumann, Virgin1's director of programming, aforesaid: "For the first time ever we will genuinely see these celebrities eat, sleep and shower in the most disgusting prisons in the world.

"These are personal and intimate journeys for people who ar used to soft cotton plant sheets, fine wine, gastronome food and toilet paper - never has the phrase 'being out of your comfort zone' been more true."

The series is due to be broadcast in the autumn.

More info

• Download Current 93
• Download Will Haven
• Mp3 music: Glass Casket
• Comic Zach Galifianakis cancels Bumbershoot appearance
• Neil Young maps massive US tour

Wendy O. Williams and Plasmatics

   
Artist: Wendy O. Williams and Plasmatics

   Genre(s): 
Other
   

---

Discography:


   
 Put Your Love In Me: Love Songs For The Apocalypse

   Year: 2002   
Tracks: 11

---

 

Fresh

   
Artist: Fresh

   Genre(s): 
Drum & Bass
   Electronic
   

---

Discography:


   
 Escape from Planet Monday Sing

   Year: 2006   
Tracks: 2


   
 Human Inprint (HUMA8013-1)

   Year: 2005   
Tracks: 2


   
 Bass Invaderz Mix 2005

   Year: 2005   
Tracks: 1


   
 Whatulookinat

   Year: 2004   
Tracks: 4


   
 Submarines

   Year: 2004   
Tracks: 2


   
 RAMM53

   Year: 2004   
Tracks: 2


   
 Dogs On Acid (DOA001)

   Year: 2004   
Tracks: 2


   
 Colossus / Hooded

   Year: 2004   
Tracks: 2


   
 RAMM46

   Year: 2003   
Tracks: 2

---

Influenced by Sly & the Family Stone and Rare Earth, Fresh was an obscure, little-known seventies band that combined psyche and funk with rock. The interracial kit, which shouldn't be lost with either the nineties hip-hop technologist or former bands that take called themselves Fresh, didn't get identical far commercially -- quite perchance, its iII LPs were too funky for rock candy stations of the Cross and to a fault rock-influenced for R&B stations of the Cross. Fresh was formed in 1975, when its original six-person lineup consisted of lead vocalizer Bill Pratt, lead guitar player Paul Marshall, calendar method of birth control guitar player Elaine Mayo, keyboardist David Kaffinetti, bassist Milo Martin, and drummer Fred Allen. In 1976, the band sign with MCA, which released its debut album, Get Fresh, the following year. It was besides in 1977 that Fresh was an opening act for Rufus & Chaka Khan; Fresh standard generally favourable responses from Rufus fans, merely unluckily, that didn't render into record gross sales. Get Fresh bombed commercially, and the ring parted companionship with MCA. In 1978, Fresh resurfaced on Motown's Prodigal label with its sophomore endeavor, Feelin' Fresh, and unveiled a raw seven-person card. Most of the original members were inactive on gameboard, although a saxist, George Englund, had been added -- and Kaffinetti had been replaced by keyboardist Frank Savino. After Feelin' Fresh, Mayo left the ring. Neither Feelin' Fresh nor Fresh's third album, Omniverse (which Prodigal/Motown released in late 1978) standard much attention -- and in 1979, the band broke up. All three of Fresh's albums were out of photographic print by the 1980s and ar unlikely to ever be reissued on CD.





Nodes Of Ranvier

Carlos Alomar

   
Artist: Carlos Alomar

   Genre(s): 
Electronic
   

---

Discography:


   
 Dream Generator

   Year: 1973   
Tracks: 10

---

Guitarist Carlos Alomar has played on more than David Bowie albums than whatever other sixer stringer has (including Mick Ronson, world Health Organization was peradventure the most identifiable with Bowie). In 1974, Alomar crossed paths with Bowie, world Health Organization was interested in authorship an record album that explored dance/funk sounds of Philadelphia soul. The two attain it sour, which would signal the origin of a long and fruitful relationship between the isaac M. Singer and guitar player. 1975's classical Young Americans soon followed, as Alomar too helped co-write one of Bowie's biggest hits, "Celebrity," on with Bowie and John Lennon. It was besides around this meter that Alomar supposedly 'discovered' person isaac Bashevis Singer Luther Vandross, having him blab on Bowie's album, which at long last lED to a successful solo career of his have. Alomar apace figured out that Bowie wasn't typeset on a single musical expressive style for whatever period of time, as Alomar unbroken pace on such experimental and musically varied Bowie albums as 1976's Station to Station, 1977's Low and Heroes, 1979's Lodger, and 1980's Scary Monsters. The guitarist and Bowie as well helped revive the life history of hood icon Iggy Pop during this time period, serving bring forth and co-write two of Pop's finest solo albums, 1977's The Idiot and 1978's Lust For Life.


Alomar continued to play/tour with Bowie off and on throughout the '80s, including being named "musical theater director" of Bowie's portentous Glass Spider Tour in 1987. An surfeit of session work out likewise came Alomar's fashion, as he played with a change of early artists during this geological period - Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Chuck Berry, Bette Midler, Arcadia, Digable Planets, James Brown, The Bee Gees, Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Carly Simon, Duran Duran, and Prefab Sprout, among innumerous others. As a upshot, the guitarist/songwriter has played on a total of 32 Gold and Platinum records all over the days. Alomar as well issued a solo album in 1988, Dream Generator, which focused more on synth/guitar textures rather than screening cancelled his chops. Soundtrack work for movies and TV followed, including such movement pictures as Pretty Woman, Pretty In Pink, Usual Suspects, and Christina F, asset jingles for idiot box commercials. Alomar as well reunited with his old sidekick Bowie for such latter day releases as 1995's Outside and 2002's Heathen. The early twenty-first hundred saw Alomar assist as Director of A & R for the "Boombacker" Music label, and putt together another solo expiration, to be highborn Hyly Volatyl.

Robert DeNiro testifies in dispute over design of his new New York City hotel

NEW YORK - Robert De Niro calls it a "labour of love" - a $43 million hotel in downtown Manhattan that features a handmade brick exterior, Carrara marble bathtubs and a luxurious penthouse.

But the penthouse has raised the hackles of preservationists who say the actor flouted the rules with the top-floor suite.

The penthouse atop the seven-story hotel does not match the design that the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission approved in 2004, and the panel held a hearing Tuesday on whether De Niro and his partners should remove the rooftop suite - at an estimated cost of $1.5 million - and start over.

De Niro appeared at the hearing, imploring commission members to give him the benefit of the doubt for any mistakes made in the project.

"We worked on this project a long time to make it as good as we could make it," the "Raging Bull" and "Goodfellas" star testified.

"We did it so it would fit into the neighbourhood. . . . If there are any minor mistakes, my apologies for it, because in any creation there are mistakes."

The hotel is the latest addition to De Niro's growing real estate empire that includes restaurants, hotels and his Tribeca Film Center. The 88-room Greenwich hotel, where rooms start at $625 a night, opened April 1.

Neighbours including actor-director Ed Burns told commissioners the hotel does indeed fit into the surrounding historic district.

"For me as a lay person, the architecture is beautiful," said Burns, who lives across the street from the hotel.

But Nadezhda Williams of the Historic Districts Council said the penthouse is 102 square metres bigger than what the commission approved, sports a mansard roof instead of a sloping hipped roof and has decorative details that make it appear "more residential and fussy" than nearby industrial structures.

"Very simply put, this is not the penthouse the commission approved," she said. "The Historic Districts Council urges the commission to require the penthouse that was approved to be built instead."

De Niro's involvement in the neighbourhood dates to 1989, when he converted an old coffee warehouse into film offices and the Tribeca Grill restaurant.

He and restaurateur Drew Nieporent later teamed up with other partners to develop Nobu, a perennially hot Asian restaurant that has spawned more than a dozen outposts around the world.

The New York Observer put De Niro at No. 26 on its list of 100 most powerful people in New York real estate, and he is often credited with turning a warehouse district into pricey loft neighbourhood where Mariah Carey has an apartment and Michael Imperioli of "The Sopranos" can been seen playing with his son in the park.

De Niro and partners Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff founded the Tribeca Film Festival to promote the neighbourhood after the 2001 terror attacks.

The new hotel was built on a former parking lot, with the help of $39 million in tax-exempt Liberty Bonds that were awarded after Sept. 11 to spur rebuilding after the attacks.

The restaurant on the ground floor, Ago, is the New York satellite of a Los Angeles eatery popular with celebrities. But it has been panned by critics.

Although it is a brand-new building and not a renovation of a historic structure, the hotel required approval from the landmarks commission because it is in a historic district.

Commissioners made no decision Tuesday but said they would review the hotel again at a future meeting. Some board members said they might approve the penthouse if the architects made alterations such as changing its exterior from stucco to glass and metal.

De Niro was tight-lipped after testifying.

"You know," he said, "it's a process."

See Also

• Shania Twain - Shania Twain And Music Producer Husband Split
• VARIOUS ARTISTS
• Sash!
• Behind the Big Voice: David Archuleta

Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt Snap Up $60M French Estate

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have dropped $60 million on a 1,000-acre estate in the south of France, according to a new report.
The expectant couple are said to be the proud new owners of the Chateau Miraval, a sprawling estate - which includes a vineyard, lake, forest and moat and 20 fountains - located in a village called Brignol, near Aix-en-Provence.
And with 35 bedrooms, there will be plenty of room to expand their rainbow broad even further.
"Brad and Angelina are thrilled, they love the place and have already been furniture shopping to fill the place as it's massive...The whole family can't wait to move in," an insider tells E! News.
Asside from some ponies and goats, "the house is surrounded by a forest so they'll have total privacy, which is exactly what they're after," the source tells E!
"No one will ever be able to get pictures of them relaxing at home, it's just impossible."
The Jolie-Pitts are reportedly planning to be settled into their new pad within the next three months.

Coldplay confirm free Barcelona concert

LONDON -- Coldplay's anticipated free Barcelona concert will be held June 17 at the Espacio Movistar venue, the British band's record label EMI confirmed Wednesday.
The Spanish gig, which was initially leaked by frontman Chris Martin during a radio broadcast last month, will be book-ended by previously announced free dates at London's Brixton Academy on June 16, and N.Y.'s Madison Square Garden on June 23.
Details on the distribution of tickets for the Barcelona concert will be revealed on the group's official Web site.
The three free gigs are driving a novel promotion campaign for Coldplay's new album "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends," due June 12 internationally and June 17 in the U.S.
As the part of the campaign, the band instigated a weeklong MP3-giveaway of opening track "Violet Hill," which generated more than 2 million downloads, the label says. Despite huge demand for the freebie download, the single holds at No. 8 on the current Official U.K. Singles Chart, the same position as it's opening sales bow last week.

Imbruglia dating Razorlight frontman?

Imbruglia dating Razorlight frontman?

Vocalist Natalie Imbruglia is reported to be geological dating Razorlight star Rebel Borrell later on the pair met at a Valentine's Day party.
According to the Daily Mail, the pair met up at a ball in Soviet Union, which was hosted by supermodel Natalia Vodianova.
Although Borrell was photographed partying with 'Harry Potter' virtuoso Emma Watson after the event, a source told the paper that he "only had eyes for Natalie".
"He went up to her, gushed near existence a huge fan and suggested they meet to discourse a collaboration," the source said.
"He jotted his telephone numeral devour and slipped it in Natalie's hand, whisper in her auricle, 'Call me. I'd love to see you again'."
Other reports have suggested that the couple have been in phone contact since group meeting at the party.
Imbruglia recently split from her husband Daniel Johns, wHO is the lead isaac Merrit Singer of Silverchair.




Citizen Bird

Murphy & wife split after two weeks

Murphy & wife split after two weeks

Worker Eddie Murphy and his film producer married woman Tracey Edmonds have schism up but deuce weeks into their marriage.
The geminate tied the nautical mile in a romantic ceremony on a private island off Bora Bora on 1 Jan final stage.
Withal, according to US natural law the couple must take a ceremony on US territory in order  to ready the marriage ceremony legal.
The match told People cartridge in a statement that they would not be having such a ceremony unitedly merely would remain friends.
The instruction said: "After much circumstance and discussion, we have together with decided that we will antecede having a legal ceremony as it is not necessity to determine our human relationship further."
"While the recent symbolic conglutination in Bora Bora was representative of our deep love, friendship and regard that we feature for one another on a spiritual level, we possess decided to stay friends."

Steve Lacy-Steve Potts

   
Artist: Steve Lacy-Steve Potts

   Genre(s): 
Jazz
   

---

Discography:


   
 Live in Budapest 1987

   Year: 1987   
Tracks: 5

---

 





Fairport Convention

BBC backs down over Pogues classic

BBC backs down over Pogues classic

BBC Radio 1 has reversed its decision to censor the classic Pogues and Kirsty MacColl song 'Fairytale of New York'.
The station had decided to bleep out the word "faggot" from the song because it could be offensive to listeners.
But BBC 1 controller Andy Parfitt said last night: "After careful consideration, I have decided that the decision to edit the Pogues song Fairytale of New York was wrong."
Parfitt said that the song did not use the word with any "negative intent".
Listen to a special programme on the story behind 'Fairytale of New York' here.
He said: "Radio 1 does not play homophobic lyrics or condone bullying of any kind. It is not always easy to get this right, mindful of our responsibility to our young audience. The unedited version will be played from now on."
He continued: "I want to stress that everyone at Radio 1 and its music team take the issue of language very seriously and enormous care is taken in ensuring that offensive language is edited from records where necessary."
"I understand absolutely, in a climate where questions about editorial standards are at the fore, the thinking behind this decision. While we would never condone prejudice of any kind, we know our audiences are smart enough to distinguish between maliciousness and creative freedom," said Parfitt.
He concluded: "In the context of this song, I do not feel that there is any negative intent behind the use of the words, hence the reversal of the decision."

Beyonce Flashes Diamond Ring At Jay-Z's Atlanta Gig: Report

Beyonce Flashes Diamond Ring At Jay-Z's Atlanta Gig: Report

Piece it remains to be seen whether we'll always get an functionary check that Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z were, so, get hitched with Friday night during a common soldier ceremonial inside the rapper's Fresh House of York apartment, it for certain appears as though the couple's six-year suit has taken a turn toward permanence.
According to People.com, Beyoncé was spotted wearing an enormous rock candy on her left ring finger Tuesday night at Jay's concert with Virgin Mary J. Blige at Atlanta's Philips Sphere.
Knowles, eroding a short black coiffe and big hoop earrings, reportedly sat in a Very important person area of the area, with the couple's friend Guide. Both bounced out of their seating when Jay took the phase, dancing along to his strike sung dynasty "Prostate specific antigen," which — handily sufficiency — features the boastful verse, "I got the hottest biddy in the game eroding my chain."
The reputation said that the new bride proudly displayed the mammoth baseball field, as she waved her arms to the flap. She was besides seen backstage, lounging on a plush red ink sofa, sporting sunglasses and singing along to Blige's tunes.
Subsequently exchanging vows on Friday, the mates reportedly celebrated with a shower party at the flat, which was attended by the couple's families and many celebrities, including Coldplay frontman Chris Mary Martin and wife Gwyneth Paltrow. DJ Cassidy, one of Jay's favorites behind the ones and twos, served as the evening's amusement. Piece rumors of the couple's impending hymeneals suffer been floating about the ether for to a greater extent than two days, things really heated up early last week, when the brace allegedly secured a marriage permit in Scarsdale, Newly House of York.
On Mon, Jay-Z was seen celebrating — sans his old ma'am or a wedding band — at his 40/40 golf club in Manhattan, where he watched the NCAA men's room basketball game championship game. When congratulated by several patrons, according to People.com, Jay-Z claimed he didn't know what they were talk close to.









Ce Ce Peniston

Echotek

   
Artist: Echotek

   Genre(s): 
Trance: Psychedelic
   Other
   

---

Discography:


   
 Emotion Chaos

   Year: 2005   
Tracks: 10


   
 Application Rate

   Year: 2003   
Tracks: 8

---