Kamis, 31 Maret 2011

Top 10: KPOP (Korean Pop)

Hey guys welcome to the third month of the year 2011! Compared to last month March has been the polar opposite. Taking off with ‘Big Bang – Tonight’ from the beginning, this month was already looking very promising. Now without further ado here is our top 10…
10. Bella – Don’t Let Go

At the current moment it is well known that numerous girl groups have been trying to debut this month, much to the annoyance of some fans. But we have used this opportunity to scount out some new talents and one of the girls groups at the top of this list is this group. ‘Bella’ has remade the Eternal classic ‘Don’t Let Go’ into what has been one of our favourite songs of the month. The vocals are refreshing, incredible and just phonemenal. Just take a look…
9. K.Will – My Heart Beating

Biased for both IU (the main girl in the video) and Lee Joon (MBLAQ) this is one of the cutest videos we have seen. Beautiful acting from both IU and Lee Joon helps this song to be extremely addictive. With a soft melody and a catchy chorus this song is one to listen to.
8. Chi Chi – Don’t Play Around

This girl group has already caught the eyes of many kpop fans… for good reasons and bad. Already setting themselves the massive obstacle of reaching the popularity of SNSD many wonder how this will ever happen. Although we agree with the fact that this band has a lot to do to reach this tremendous goal, we feel this song is a step in the right direction. With ‘Sun’ from the amazing drama ‘Secret Garden’ starring in the MV and also an extremely  addictive chorus, this is well deserved at our no. 8 spot.
8. Girl’s Day – Twinkle Twinkle
 
Joined with Chi Chi at our no. 8 spot this MV is quite irritating but yet so hilarious at the same time. With Kung-fu moves used to get her guy back this MV is definately creative/ imaginative. Watching the strange dance choreography and listening to the strange music, the concept is definately… strange…but at the same time amazing! The tune is definitely enjoyable to listen and one of our favourites for the month.
7. MBLAQ – Again

MBLAQ are back with another great hit. After succeeding with two amazing consecutive songs ‘Cry’ and ‘Stay’, ‘Again’ has definitely got us hooked. No real MV has been released as it has been sang for the movie ‘The Fighter’ we only have the performance available. But then again that’s nothing to complain about. They continue to amaze us with their incredible live performance and show us exactly why Bi Rain chose this group to debut into the kpop industry.
6. ZE:A – Here I Am

A mixed reaction from us both. One of us likes it whilst the other doesn’t like it as much. With a very cute concept surrounding the MV as a whole this sure ticks all my boxes into being a successful kpop song. Each member showcase their talents in both their live performances and the MV. They have surely succeeded in making a great song.
5. Dalmatian – That Man Opposed

Dalmation is definately one our favourite new boy bands entering the kpop world. With another cute MV and catchy song this ranks 5 on our Kpop chart for March and quite rightly so. With already thousands of views on youtube, this band is one of our favourites to succeed in the near future.
4. CN Blue – Intuition

Finally the comeback we have been waiting months for has finally happened. After their huge impact with ‘I’m a Loner’ they’ve come back with another indie composed track. Alreading winning awards from the ‘M!Countdown’ music show this is a sure fire hit! Also the MV is so sexy with them acting like rebels running around graffiting their name, they sure pull off the black hair too!
3. Infinite – Nothing’s Over

Yet again another one of our rookie bands have come out with another top-notch song. With an different/ innovative idea for their MV it is yet another classic addded to a long list of great KPOP songs. A beautiful message sent across showing a man’s never-ending love for his woman. Infinite is on our list of which rookie bands will make it big!
2. Big Bang  – Tonight

Big Bang have been sweeping the kpop nation with their latest comeback! With heavy beats as their instrumental and GD and TOP’s rapping it was a decent song. But what we felt really saved this track was Taeyang’s and Seungri’s vocals. We weren’t too keen on this song at first but it soon grew on us like a rash :P Ruling over the music shows for at least most of the month there’s a reason why this is placed at our no. 2 spot
1. TVXQ/DBSK – Before You Go

We’re totally not biased for TVXQ :P With amazing vocals from the two remaining members, they certainly pulled off this R’n'B style. From smooth vocals to their beautiful storyline. The video was even more breathtaking with sexy strong charisma from the two members as they showed off their amazing fighting skills (lets not forget them in their sexy police uniforms ;) . All of these elements combined secured the spot as our No.1!

TOP 10 Medical Technologists – March 2011 Board Exam Result in the Philippines

Here’s the list of the top ten examinees in the March 2011 Board Exam for Medical Technologists.
1. JOSE LOUIE DELA CERNA REMOTIGUE – SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY – 89.6
2. RAYNA KARIYA ABENDAN – CEBU DOCTORS UNIVERSITY – 87.80
3. PAUL ROTHWEL CONDINO DE JESUS – ADVENTIST UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES – 87.50
4. CLINT EDEL BORINAGA FRIAS – OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY-VALENZUELA – 86.70
5. LITO JAY GUTIERREZ DUMAYAS - CENTRO ESCOLAR UNIVERSITY-MANILA - 86.60
6. TERRENCE EDWARD CHUA LEE - SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY - 86.50
7. JOHN MARK DENIEGA TUTING - ADVENTIST UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES - 86.30
8. JOSEPH REUEL BILLETE CRUZ - CENTRO ESCOLAR UNIVERSITY-MANILA - 86.20
9. JENNIFER AUBREY LOTEYRO MOLINA - ST. SCHOLASTICA'S COLLEGE-TACLOBAN - 86.10
MA CECILIA VANESSA MANLANGIT SERRANO - CENTRO ESCOLAR UNIVERSITY-MANILA - 86.10
10. JENES PAYO MANCHING - ST. SCHOLASTICA'S COLLEGE-TACLOBAN - 85.70

Selasa, 29 Maret 2011

10 of the Best Banks (International Banks and Finance)




HSBC remained the biggest bank brand for the third year in a row with its brand value rising 12% to $28,472 million.


This must have been a relief to the bank that saw its brand value erode by 28% in 2009 league table.

1 - HSBC

RANK
2010: 1
2009: 1

BRAND VALUE (Note: Brand Value in $ millions)
2010: 28,472.15
2009: 25,364.17


HSBC Holdings plc is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. As of 2011 it is the world's second-largest banking and financial services group and second-largest public company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine. It has around 7,500 offices in 87 countries and territories across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America and around 100 million customers. As of 30 June 2010, it had total assets of $2.418 trillion, of which roughly half were in Europe, a quarter in the Americas and a quarter in Asia.
2 - Bank of America

RANK
2010: 2
2009: 2

BRAND VALUE
2010: 26,046.9
2009: 21,017.43


Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC), an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. Bank of America serves clients in more than 150 countries and has a relationship with 99% of the U.S. Fortune 500 companies and 83% of the Fortune Global 500. The company is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and a component of both the S&P 500 Index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
As of 2010, Bank of America is the 5th largest company in the United States by total revenue, as well as the second largest non-oil company in the U.S. (after Walmart). In 2010, Forbes listed Bank of America as the 3rd biggest company in the world.
The bank's 2008 acquisition of Merrill Lynch made Bank of America the world's largest wealth management corporation and a major player in the investment banking market.
3 - Santander

RANK
2010: 3
2009: 4

BRAND VALUE
2010: 25,576.48
2009: 10,839.70


The Santander Group is a banking group centered on Banco Santander, S.A., the largest bank in the Eurozone and one of the largest banks in the world in terms of market capitalisation. According to Forbes Magazine Global 2000, it is the 13th largest public company in the world. It originated in Santander, Cantabria, Spain.
4 - WELLS FARGO

RANK
2010: 4
2009: 3

BRAND VALUE
2010: 21,915.50
2009: 14,507.94


Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home mortgage servicing, and debit card. In 2011, Wells Fargo was the 23rd largest company.
In 2007 it was the only bank in the United States to be rated AAA by S&P, though its rating has since been lowered to AA- in light of the financial crisis of 2007–2011. The firm's primary U.S. operating subsidiary is national bank Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., which designates its main office as Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Wells Fargo in its present form is a result of an acquisition of California-based Wells Fargo & Company by Minneapolis-based Norwest Corporation in 1998 and the subsequent 2008 acquisition of Charlotte, NC-based Wachovia. Although Norwest was technically the surviving entity in the 1998 merger, the new company renamed itself Wells Fargo, capitalizing on the 150-year history of the nationally recognized name and its trademark stagecoach. Following the acquisition, the company transferred its headquarters to Wells Fargo's headquarters in San Francisco and merged its operating subsidiary with Wells Fargo's operating subsidiary in Sioux Falls.
In 2010 Wells Fargo had 6,335 retail branches (called stores by Wells Fargo), 12,000 automated teller machines, 280,000 employees and over 70 million customers.
5 - Citibank

RANK
2010: 5
2009: 7

BRAND VALUE
2010: 14,362.34
2009: 9,809.593


Citibank, a major international bank, is the consumer banking arm of financial services giant Citigroup. Citibank was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York, later First National City Bank of New York. As of March 2010, Citigroup is the third largest bank holding company in the United States by total assets, after Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase.
Citibank has retail banking operations in more than 100 countries and territories around the world. More than half of its 1,400 offices are in the United States, mostly in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Washington, D.C. and Miami. More recently, Citibank has expanded its operations in the Boston, Philadelphia, Houston, and Dallas metropolitan areas.
In addition to the standard banking transactions, Citibank offers insurance, credit cards and investment products. Their online services division is among the most successful in the field,[citation needed] claiming about 15 million users.
6 - BNP Paribas

RANK
2010: 6
2009: 8

BRAND VALUE
2010: 14,059.82
2009: 9,360.48


BNP Paribas S.A. is the largest global banking group in the world, headquartered in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, with its second global headquarters in London. In October 2010 BNP Paribas was ranked by Bloomberg and Forbes as the largest bank and largest company in the world by assets with over $3.1 trillion. It was formed through the merger of Banque Nationale de Paris (BNP) and Paribas in 2000. In April 2009, BNP Paribas purchased a 75 percent stake in Fortis Bank, the Belgian banking business, making BNP the eurozone's largest bank by deposits held.
7 - Goldman Sachs

RANK
2010: 7
2009: 17

BRAND VALUE
2010: 13,886.94
2009: 6,752.69


The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE: GS) is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients. Goldman Sachs was founded in 1869 and is headquartered at 200 West Street in the Lower Manhattan area of New York City, with additional offices in major international financial centers. The firm provides mergers and acquisitions advice, underwriting services, asset management, and prime brokerage to its clients, which include corporations, governments and individuals. The firm also engages in proprietary trading and private equity deals, and is a primary dealer in the United States Treasury security market.
Former employees include Robert Rubin and Henry Paulson who served as United States Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, respectively, as well as Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of Canada since 2008, and Mario Draghi, governor of the European Central Bank.
8 - Chase

RANK
2010: 8
2009: 10

BRAND VALUE
2010: 13,399.82
2009: 8,746.50


JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., doing business as Chase, is a national bank that constitutes the consumer and commercial banking subsidiary of financial services firm JPMorgan Chase. The bank was known as Chase Manhattan Bank until it merged with J.P. Morgan & Co. in 2000. Chase Manhattan Bank was formed by the merger of the Chase National Bank and the Bank of the Manhattan Company in 1955. The bank is headquartered in Chicago, since its merger with Bank One Corporation in 2004. In 2008, the bank acquired the deposits and most assets of Washington Mutual.
9 - Bradesco

RANK
2010: 9
2009: 12

BRAND VALUE

2010: 13,298.90
2009: 7,698.39


Bradesco (BM&F Bovespa:BBDC3, BBDC4 / NYSE: BBD / BMAD: XXBDC) is one of the Big Four banks in Brazil, the others being Banco do Brasil, Itaú Unibanco and CEF. Bradesco was the largest private bank in Brazil until Banco Itaú and Unibanco merged in 2009. Bradesco is headquartered in Osasco, has 3,945 branches and 38,772 Automatic Teller Machines. Bradesco offers Internet Banking, insurance, pension plans, annuities, credit card services (including football club affinity cards for soccer fans) for customers, and savings bonds. The bank also provides personal and commercial loans, as well as leasing services. Internationally, Bradesco has branches in New York, Grand Cayman and Nassau, and banking or financial subsidiaries or affiliates in Nassau, Luxembourg, Buenos Aires, Grand Cayman and Tokyo.
10 - Barclays

RANK
2010: 10
2009: 14

BRAND VALUE
2010: 13,133.71
2009: 7,582.57


Barclays PLC (LSE: BARC, NYSE: BCS) is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. As of 2010 it was the world's 10th-largest banking and financial services group and 21st-largest company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine. It has operations in over 50 countries and territories across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America and around 48 million customers. As of 30 June 2010 it had total assets of €1.94 trillion, the third-largest of any bank worldwide (after BNP Paribas and HSBC).
Barclays is a universal bank and is organised within two business 'clusters': Corporate & Investment Banking and Wealth Management, and Global Retail Banking. The Corporate & Investment Banking and Wealth Management cluster comprises three business units: Barclays Capital (investment banking), Barclays Corporate (commercial banking) and Barclays Wealth (wealth management). The Global Retail Banking cluster comprises four business units: Barclaycard (credit card and loan provision), Barclays Africa, UK Retail Banking and Western Europe Retail Banking.

Sabtu, 26 Maret 2011

Top 10: Romance Writer, (Past - Present)

Well, the first batch of reader favorites is in, and it demonstrates one thing clearly: that our readers are as determined to get as many books on their top ten lists as they can manage.

The top ten best romance authors, past and present.
1. Jane Austen
Jane Austen (16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.
2. Charlotte Bronte
Charlotte Brontë (pronounced /ˈbrɒnti/;[1][2] 21 April 1816 – 31 March 1855) was an English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters, whose novels are English literature standards. She wrote Jane Eyre under the pen name Currer Bell.
3. Madeline Hunter
Madeline Hunter's first book By Arrangement was published in 2000 and she received the award for Waldenbooks Bestselling Debut Author that year.
In 2000 she also received a rare starred review from Publisher's Weekly for her book By Possession. This happened again in 2003 with The Charmer.
She has been nominated four times and has twice won the Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA award, first in the long historical category for Stealing Heaven in 2003 and then in the historical category for Lessons of Desire in 2008. Fifteen of her books have appeared on the USA Today bestseller list. She has also appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List and the Waldenbooks Paperback Fiction Bestseller List. Romantic Times has awarded four and a half star reviews to fifteen of her books.
Madeline Hunter is a Ph.D. in Art History, and she teaches at the college level. She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons.
4. Kathleen Woodiwiss
Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, née Kathleen Erin Hogg (June 3, 1939 – July 6, 2007), was a U.S. writer, pioneered the historical romance genre with the 1972 publication of her novel The Flame and the Flower.
5. Julie Garwood
Julie Garwood (born in 1946 in Kansas City, Missouri) is an American writer of over twenty-five romance novels in both the historical and suspense subgenres. Over thirty million copies of her books are in print, and she has had at least 15 New York Times Bestsellers. She has also begun writing a novel for young adults under the pseudonym of Emily Chase.
Garwood's novel For the Roses was adapted for the television feature Rose Hill.
6. Terri Brisbin
7. Jude Devereux
Jude Deveraux (born September 20, 1947 in Fairdale, Kentucky as Jude Gilliam) is an American Romance novel author who is well-known for her historical romances. As of 2010, 36 of her novels had been on The New York Times Best Seller list according to Forbes, including among the dozens such titles as 2009's Lavender Morning and Days of Gold. Deveraux, who was described as "a popular romance author" by the New York Times in 2009, appeared as herself in the 1987 romance novelist documentary Where the Heart Roams. In 2009, she was one of four authors who produced works for the debut of Vook, a company which produces "video books" by combining text, video and internet links into a single experience.
Known for her historical romances with storylines centered on strong, capable heroines, Deveraux has written stories set in later time periods, including post-Revolutionary America, nineteenth century Colorado, and nineteenth century New Mexico. She has written several time-travel romances, and her latest novels have had a contemporary setting. Many of her more recent books feature paranormal storylines.
Many of her books follow the Montgomery and Taggert families and contain recurring characters.
8. Linda Castillo
9. Eloisa James
Mary Bly (born 1962) is a tenured associate professor of English Literature at Fordham University who also writes best-selling Regency romance novels under the pen name Eloisa James.
She is the daughter of poet Robert Bly and short-story author Carol Bly.
10. Nora Roberts
Nora Roberts (born Eleanor Marie Robertson, October 10, 1950 in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA), is a bestselling American author of more than 209 romance novels.[1] She writes as J.D. Robb for the "In Death" series, and has also written under the pseudonym Jill March. Additionally, some of her works were published in the UK as Sarah Hardesty.
Nora Roberts was the first author to be inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. As of 2006, her novels had spent a combined 660 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List, including 100 weeks in the number-one spot. Over 280 million copies of her books are in print, including 12 million copies sold in 2005 alone.

I’ve read a lot of their books. How many have you read?

2010 Winter Olympics: Top 10 Medal Table

The top ten listed NOCs by number of gold medals are listed below. Canada is the host nation of 2010 Winter Olympics.






 Rank NationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Canada (CAN)147526
2 Germany (GER)1013730
3 United States (USA)9151337
4 Norway (NOR)98623
5 South Korea (KOR)66214
6 Switzerland (SUI)6039
7 China (CHN)52411
7 Sweden (SWE)52411
9 Austria (AUT)46616
10 Netherlands (NED)4138

The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University Endowment Lands, and in the resort town of Whistler. Approximately 2,600 athletes from 82 nations participated in 86 events in fifteen disciplines. Both the Olympic and Paralympic Games were being organized by the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC). The 2010 Winter Olympics were the third Olympics hosted by Canada and the first by the province of British Columbia. Previously, Canada hosted the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec and the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta.
Following Olympic tradition, then-Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan received the Olympic flag during the closing ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. The flag was raised on February 28, 2006 in a special ceremony and was on display at Vancouver City Hall until the Olympic opening ceremony. The event was officially opened by Governor General Michaëlle Jean.
For the first time, Canada won gold in an "official" sport at an Olympic Games hosted at home, having failed to do so at both the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary (although Canada won a gold medal in the "demonstration-sport" of curling in Calgary).
Canada clinched first overall in gold medal wins on the second to last day of competition and became the first host nation since Norway in 1952 to lead the gold medal count. With 14, Canada broke the record for the most gold medals won at a single Winter Olympics, which was 13, set by the former Soviet Union in 1976 and Norway in 2002. The United States won the most medals in total, their second time doing so at the Winter Olympics, and broke the record for the most medals won at a single Winter Olympics, with 37, which was previously held by Germany in 2002 at 36 medals. Athletes from Slovakia and Belarus won the first Winter Olympic gold medals for their nations.

The Beatles: Top 10 Hits

Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Revolver, Hard Day’s Night, Help!, Magical Mystery Tour, The White Album. The list of timeless and revolutionary albums seems almost unreal. How could one band haveso many hits?
I’d probably have trouble picking out the top 10 Beatles albums lent alone songs. So acknowledging that it’s enough of a task just to pick out the top ten hits, there’s no way I can go so far as to rank them.
With that in mind, here’s my list in no particular order. (And please don’t respond with angry emails informing me which Beatles gem I left off the list. I’m aware some hits are going to be left behind in the dust of my all too cursory list.)
1.Twist and Shout
Why it made the list: This pop rock anthem has enough snap, crackle and pop to make a mummy move. Well…that might be stretching it slightly, but it’s certainly catchy.

It’s one of those immediately recognizable songs that sneak into feel good films like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (think the parade scene when Ferris takes over a float and Ferris’ unsuspecting dad dances in his high-rise office.)

It puts a smile on my face after the first familiar bar, and that alone is reason enough to put it on my list.
2.A Hard Day’s Night
Why it made the list: Come on. Any song that gets an entire movie named after it deserves to make the top list.
But I have to admit, my reasoning for adding it to the list is much stranger than just an appreciation for the Beatle’s ability to cross media mediums. I laugh every time I think of this song because of an old Saturday Night Live “Celebrity Jeopardy” skit. The category is “Words that rhyme with dog.” Alex Trebek (Will Ferrell) asks his celebrity guests to finish this sentence—It’s been a hard day’s night, I should be sleeping like a…this. Sean Connery (Daryl Hammond) quickly buzzes in. Trebek looks hopeful. “Yes, Sean Connery.” “Chinese whore!” Connery seems so sure of his answer, so proud. It’s hysterical, and single-handedly earns A Hard Days’s Night a coveted spot on my list.
3.Help!
Why it made the list: Again, if it engenders a film, it probably deserves to be on the list. At least the song version of Help! wasn’t as atrocious as the film version (don’t hate me hardcore Beatles fans…)

4.Drive My Car
Why it made the list: I’ve always loved this song. My dad used to blast it while we were on family road trips. (My siblings and I cultivated a love for the Beatles this way.) So for the sake of personal nostalgia, on the list it goes.
5.Yesterday
Why it made the list: This song is just plain haunting. There are certain songs that by virtue of their sappy nature and slow rhythm become staples for weddings, graduations, christenings…you name it.

And while Yesterday is admittedly present at many of these milestones, it’s always meaningful and perpetually heartfelt. It’s not sugarcoated, and it doesn’t feel the need to apologize for that. I respect that enough to add it to my list.
6.Eleanor Rigby
Why it made the list: Granted, the line, “Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door” has always intrigued me and is just sufficiently strange enough to secure it on the list.

But the real reason is that I had to play this song in my high school orchestra. After learning a song and playing it for months, one gains a new appreciation for it.

7.I am the Walrus
Why it made the list: Some people say they don’t even listen to the lyrics of a song, and this never ceases to shock me. Lyrics can really make or break a song for me, and in the case of this song, it absolutely makes it (not that the music isn’t phenomenal as well).

This stanza was the clincher:
Yellow matter custard, dripping from a dead dog's eye.
Crabalocker fishwife, pornographic priestess,
Boy, you been a naughty girl you let your Knickers down.
I am the eggman, they are the eggmen, I am the walrus,
goo goo gajoob

Now I don’t pretend to know what that means, but I know I like it.
8.Strawberry Fields Forever
Why it made the list: Somehow this seems like such a definitive Beatles songs I just had to put it on the list. If I didn’t, it would be like having a Bob Dylan Best Of and not including The Times They Are A-Changin’. It just wouldn’t seem right.
9.Come Together
Why it made the list: The constant stops and starts of this song are what make it so classic. The rhythm of the song never lets you get comfortable, and consequently it feels innovative when you listen to it.
Not to mention the creative things they do with lyrics. I particularly like the paralleled lines “He got hair down to his knee” in the fist stanza and “He got feet down below his knee” in the third.

10.Tax Man
Why it made the list: There’s quite a bit of political angst loosely hidden behind its pop music veneer. Don’t tell me you don’t hear a smidgeon of anger in the chorus:

(if you drive a car, car;) - I’ll tax the street;
(if you try to sit, sit;) - I’ll tax your seat;
(if you get too cold, cold;) - I’ll tax the heat;
(if you take a walk, walk;) - I'll tax your feet.

Great music with a message? It had to make the list.
So that’s my top ten. And believe me—this is my list, and I still had to leave off some of my personal favorites. Let the angry emails commence…

Selasa, 15 Maret 2011

Top Ten Female Authors of Vampire Books

This is the list of top women who writes about vampires:

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro was born in Berkeley, California. She attended Berkeley schools through high school followed by three years at San Francisco State College (now University). In November 1969 she married Donald Simpson and divorced in February 1982. She has no children.
Writing for over 35 years, Yarbro has worked in a wide variety of genres, from science fiction to westerns, from young adult adventure to historical horror. She is the author of over 70 novels and numerous short stories. She is probably best known for her series of historical horror novels about the vampire Count Saint-Germain. She also has published numerous volumes in a popular series of channeled wisdom from the entity Michael in the Messages from Michael series.
Yarbro's contribution to the horror genre has been recognised in a variety of ways: she was named a Grand Master at the World Horror Convention in 2003, and in 2005 the International Horror Guild named her a "Living Legend". She has also received the Knightly Order of the Brasov Citadel from the Transylvanian Society of Dracula. In 2009 the Horror Writers' Association presented Yarbro with the Bram Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award.[3] Additionally, two of her novels, The Palace (1979) and Ariosto (1980) were nominated for the World Fantasy Award, neither winning.
On average, Yarbro writes three to four books a year, and one or two short stories and/or essays. She writes six hours per day, six days per week except when traveling. Five days a week she spends three to four hours doing research.
Aside from writing, she has worked as a cartographer, has read tarot cards and palms, and has composed music, all of which she continues to do. Over the years she has studied seven different instruments, voice, and musical theory: composition, voice, and piano have continued to be active interests for her. The newsletter, Yclept Yarbro, about her and her writings has been published since 1995 by Lindig Hall Harris.
Freda Warrington is a British author, known for her epic fantasy, vampire and supernatural novels.
Her earliest novels, the Blackbird series, were written and published when she was just finishing her teen years; in the intervening years she has seen numerous stand-alone novels and a trilogy published. (The original Blackbird series has recently been put back into print by Immanion Press.) Four of her novels (Dark Cathedral, Pagan Moon, Dracula the Undead, and The Amber Citadel) have been nominated for the British Fantasy Society's Best Novel award. Dracula the Undead won the Dracula Society's 1997 Children of the Night Award.[1] Her novel, Elfland, won the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award in the Fantasy Novel category for 2009.[2] Warrington has also seen numerous short stories published in anthologies and magazines.
Born in Leicester, Warrington grew up in Leicestershire. After completing high school, she trained at the Loughborough College of Art and Design and afterward held a job at the Medical Illustration Department of Leicester Royal Infirmary. She eventually moved to full-time writing, pursuing a love she had had since childhood. In addition to her writing, Warrington works part-time in the Charnwood Forest.
Tanya Sue Huff (born 1957) is a Canadian fantasy author. Her stories have been published since the late 1980s, including five fantasy series and one science-fiction series. One of these, her Blood Books series, featuring detective Vicki Nelson, was adapted for television under the title Blood Ties.
Anne Rice (born Howard Allen O'Brien; October 4, 1941) is a best-selling American author of gothic, erotic, and religious-themed books from New Orleans, Louisiana. She was married to poet and painter Stan Rice for 41 years until his death from cancer in 2002. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history.
Poppy Z. Brite (born Melissa Ann Brite on May 25, 1967 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American author. Brite initially achieved notoriety in the gothic horror genre of literature in the early 1990s after publishing a string of successful novels. Brite's recent work has moved into the related genre of dark comedy, of which many are set in the New Orleans restaurant world. Brite's novels are typically standalone books but may feature recurring characters from previous novels and short stories. Much of Brite's work features openly bisexual and gay characters.
Nancy A. Collins (born 10 September 1959) is a United States horror fiction writer best known for her series of vampire novels featuring her character Sonja Blue. Collins has also written for comic books, including the Swamp Thing series, Jason Vs. Leatherface, Predator: Hell Come A Walkin and her own one-shot Dhampire: Stillborn.
Collins was born in McGehee, Arkansas, United States. She lived in New Orleans, Louisiana in the 1980s; after time in New York City and Atlanta, Georgia she settled in Wilmington, North Carolina in the late 2000s.
Patricia N. Elrod is an American novelist specializing in urban fantasy. She's written in the mystery, romance, paranormal, and historical genres with at least one foray into comedic fantasy. Elrod is also an editor, having worked on several collections for Ace Science Fiction, DAW, Benbella Books, and St. Martin's Griffin. She self-published a signed, limited edition novel under her own imprint, Vampwriter Books.
In 2010, she was nominated for the RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award in Urban Fantasy.
Charlaine Harris (born November 25, 1951) is a New York Times bestselling author who has been writing mysteries for over twenty years. She was born and raised in the Mississippi River Delta area of the United States. She now lives in southern Arkansas with her husband and three children. Though her early works consisted largely of poems about ghosts and, later, teenage angst, she began writing plays when she attended Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. She began to write books a few years later. Her later books have been in the urban fantasy genre.
Stephenie Meyer (born December 24, 1973), née Morgan, is an American author known for her vampire romance series Twilight. The Twilight novels have gained worldwide recognition and sold over 100 million copies globally, with translations into 37 different languages. Meyer is also the author of the adult science-fiction novel The Host.
Meyer was the biggest selling author of both 2008 and 2009, having sold over 29 million books in 2008 alone, with Twilight being the best-selling book of the year. She sold an additional 26.5 million books in 2009, making her the first author to achieve this feat in that year. Meyer was ranked #49 on Time magazine's list of the "100 Most Influential People in 2008", and was also included in the Forbes Celebrity 100 list of the world's most powerful celebrities in 2009, entering at #26. Her annual earnings exceeded $50 million. Also in 2010, Forbes ranked her as the #59 most powerful celebrity with annual earnings of $40 million.
Laurell Kaye Hamilton (born February 19, 1963) is an American fantasy and romance writer. She is the author of two series of stories. Hamilton is known for her New York Times-bestselling Anita Blake series, featuring a professional zombie raiser/supernatural consultant for the police as the protagonist in a world where vampires and werecreatures not only exist, but are citizens with recently protected, if nervously granted, civil rights in the US. The series has 19 novels, several short story collections, and other media tie-ins such as comic books. 6 million copies of Anita Blake novels are printed.[1] Also notable is her Merry Gentry series, an urban fantasy in which the world of fairy interacts with the "real world".