Nicki Minaj's Grammy Spectacle Draws Mixed Reaction

Twitter followers debate about the performance, while one hip-hop expert tells MTV News it signals Minaj's 'push for pop.'
By Rob Markman

Nicki Minaj performs at the 2012 Grammy Awards
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

Nicki Minaj's Grammy performance Sunday night (February 12) was spirited, to say the least. Beginning her set with the "Exorcism of Roman" mini-movie, Minaj unleashed her alter ego onstage in a horror-themed backdrop and debuted her "Roman Holiday" single. It was the most elaborate of the night's Grammy performances and has everyone talking.

AllHipHop.com founder Chuck Creekmur thinks the performance will be among the most-talked-about tomorrow. "I definitely felt like she was reaching out to the mainstream with this performance, trying to make that full leap into the pop world," he told MTV News. "She'll definitely have people talking. Obviously, we've seen this before with Madonna and Lady Gaga — especially Gaga."

Video: Watch Highlights From The 2012 Grammy Awards

Nicki's fanatic following on Twitter was in full support of Minaj's display. "@NICKIMINAJ that is a monumental M4L for you and us. I'm in love with your performance," @SlickerGuy tweeted.

Others weren't as turned on by the Harajuku Barbie's set. "Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj, I'm all about expression, but it has gone overboard. Love Adele cause her focus is on music, not controversy," @thekatiestevens wrote.

"I liked Nicki Minaj's performance. Too many people be sipping on that hater aid! Hahaha," @_lookslikeali wrote, responding to all the negative comments.

While he did praise her for pushing the envelope, Creekmur thought Minaj was slowly shifting out of the hip-hop universe for poppier pastures. "One part theater and one part music — it just felt very much like she almost abandoning her hip-hop roots and really making a push for pop," he said. "Not necessarily in a bad way, but definitely a concerted effort; when you're making the leap and you know you're not coming back."

Stick with MTV News for all the news on Whitney Houston's tribute, the Grammy red-carpet fashion, Grammy winners and more until the hangover wears off!

Related Videos

• 2012 Grammy Awards Red Carpet Highlights
• 2012 Grammy Awards Show Highlights

Related Photos

• 2012 Grammy Awards: Backstage And Audience
• 2012 Grammys Red Carpet Photos

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1679117/2012-grammys-nicki-minaj-reactions.jhtml

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Drinking Tea To Lose Weight

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Losing weight is not easy. Most important is not to give up. Here are some tips to follow.

Boosting metabolic rate will help you to burn calories at a faster rate. Having a cup of green tea every morning helps in raising the metabolic rate. Green tea can also act as a natural appetite suppressant. You do not feel feel hungry so fast. This means less snacks eaten in between meals. Besides it is rich in beneficial antioxidants for boosting immune system.

The famous Japanese matcha green tea is green tea in powder form. It is very rich in antioxidants and health-giving sulfur compounds that also helps prevent cancer cells from forming.

If you prefer brewed tea leaves, then the Chinese pu erh tea is very good. It is high in polyphenols and helps in digestion of fat. It is recommended after a heavy meal.

Never eat too late at night as you want your food to be fully digested before you sleep.

Of course, having some exercises every day will also help in losing weight by raising metabolism and burning fat as well as getting a well toned body and muscles. So go for your daily run at the park or have some workouts at the local gym.

Include some chili peppers with your meals. They are good for metabolism, giving you a lot of energy and burning calories at the same time.

If you do not give up trying to lose weight, you will be successful. Showing off your muscular and well toned body at the beach and swimming pool is no longer a dream.

This entry was posted on Friday, February 10th, 2012 at 7:02 pm and is filed under Food and Drink. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Source: http://www.getlacedup.com/food-and-drink/drinking-tea-to-lose-weight/

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US government agency ditches BlackBerry in favor of iPhone (Digital Trends)

More woes for BlackBerry maker Research In Motion. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced this week that it would be handing out iPhones and iPads to its employees in May, replacing the BlackBerry devices currently used.

According to a Bloomberg report, the government agency, which carries out research into weather, oceans and fisheries, currently has about 3,000 of its 20,000 full-time workers and contractors using RIM devices. It?s not yet clear how many workers would be receiving Apple devices.

Speaking to Bloomberg, NOAA?s chief information officer Joe Klimavicz said that it would cost the agency less to securely integrate Apple devices into its information systems than RIM?s products.

?Times are changing and technology is changing and we have to look at our technologies and see how we can do things more efficiently,? he said. RIM will be dearly hoping other organizations that use its products won?t be having the same thoughts, though the switchover already appears to be part of a worrying trend for the Waterloo, Ontario-based company.

Only a few days ago oil giant Halliburton announced it would be turning its back on the BlackBerry in favor of the iPhone.

Credit Suisse, Barclays Capital and Standard Chartered are three other companies that have made moves towards the iPhone and Android devices at the expense of BlackBerry handsets.

The BlackBerry was once the phone of choice for business professionals, thanks in part to its popular native email system and effective security system.

But in recent years the mobile phone market has been turned on its head with the launch of Apple?s iPhone and smartphones running Google?s mobile operating system, Android, leaving RIM playing catch-up.

Last year was a particularly rotten one for the Canadian company, which included a four-day service outage in October and the postponement of the launch of its BlackBerry 10 mobile operating system, an OS which the company is hoping will turn its fortunes around. Last month the company installed a new CEO in an attempt to re-energize the company.

For Research In Motion, much rests on the launch of phones with the new operating system, which is expected to happen some time this year.

In the meantime, it needs to work on persuading businesses to stick with its products, though it looks like it has a tough battle on its hands.

This article was originally posted on Digital Trends

More from Digital Trends

iPhone overtakes BlackBerry to become top phone for business users

Pay for play: Are marketers manipulating Apple?s App Store rankings?

BlackBerry devices rejected by Halliburton in favor of the iPhone

iPhone outselling other smartphones in UK in run up to Christmas

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/digitaltrends/20120209/tc_digitaltrends/usgovernmentagencyditchesblackberryinfavorofiphone

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Event Tents for All Your Outdoor Fun Events

I am personally in love with event tents. And, why shouldn?t I be? They are so compact, so comfortable, and so strong. They are your best buddies for all your outdoor fun. Take them with you and erect them wherever you please. And, they are available in such a variety of options. You can pick one, depending upon the nature of event and space required. There are many tent suppliers around, so getting one or two is as easy as singing ?Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells?. Just ensure that you are getting the stuff from a reputed supplier so that you get the best stuff at the best prices in the market.

Whether it is a birthday party or any other celebrations, event tents are perfect for all occasions. Almost all are water repellant. This means that you need not to worry even if it rains. Rain will only add to the beauty of your event.

With such structures, you can put all your wild imagination at work so as to surprise your guests. Internet is filled with ideas as to how you can put your tent to the best use for your event.

If you are going to wed soon and looking for something different, you can consider wedding marquees. Yes, they provide ample of space and let all your imagination and desires play around.

Though there are numerous suppliers out there, providing event tents, cheap marquees, and wedding marquees in the UK. However, you should choose one with utmost care. Pick the one which understands your specific needs and offer you the best deal possible. Almost all top suppliers are having sites of their own. So, it is quite easy for you to log on to their sites and see what they have in store for you. Compare the top suppliers and finally pick the one which offers you the best deal possible.

Alternatively you can ask people you know. Someone may suggest you some good names. Who knows? So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and pick an event tent for your coming family event. Do make sure that the tent has sufficient space for all of you so that you don?t have to sit outside the structure, curing the supplier and your own foolishness.

If you want to know more on event tents, you can contact me at below mentioned contact details. Hope this article helps you in one way or another!

Source: http://entertainment.ezinemark.com/event-tents-for-all-your-outdoor-fun-events-7d33c4ffb15c.html

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Improve The Light, Walls and Vision of Your Home | Articles Registry

Update the actual lighting at house to improve your home?s vision. Adjustments within lamps and adding further wall lighting may bring the entirely facelift to your residence. Purchase economical lights to reduce your general power costs as well as contemplate investing in an intelligent lighting system which will instantly shut off lighting when not in use. Still, you want to highlight only clean and sound walls thus exterior cleaning is a must.

Age your walls panelling a few days just before installation. Brand new panelling is typically stored in the warehouse in huge firmly compressed piles. If the person pieces are removed from these piles and exposed to space humidity they sometimes shrink. Delivering an ageing duration of a couple of days at home will keep from suffering the results of the shrinking.

Not all do-it-yourself projects need to be a major overhaul or perhaps a significant expense; there are a number associated with fast and simple updates you can make cheaply to add worth as well as attract your home. Begin with paint. Paint your walls, your cabinets, your trim or perhaps your doorways. You may also paint your stove or floor tiles with speciality paint made for which purpose. Boost storage space through installing closet or pantry organizers. Replace boring kitchen cabinet knobs with ones which are distinctive and decorative. While you?re in internet marketing, perform the same with your own plain white wall dishes. Enhance your brand new paint job with fresh, vibrant drapes and sheers. Rent the ground buffer, and buff and polish your hardwood floors. A bit cash plus a splash of creativity can result in some dramatic changes. Good maintenance is absolutely recommended as even the best looking kitchen can look poor if not cleaned regularly enough.

If you?re searching to include range in your areas with paint it can be done rapidly and value successfully. Fresh paint one wall a different striking colour inside your space that doesn?t match another walls colours. This can create a new centre point in your space making your space want to simply stood a genuine update. House cleaners Melbourne advice paying even more attention when it comes to cleaning this highlighted area in your home. All your home-improvement efforts can be ruined if you are not a good housekeeper. However, for house cleaners Melbourne is full of options, which can turn even the worst homemaker into a good one.

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Source: http://www.articlesreg.com/home/home-home-improvement/home-improvement-lighting-features-wall-painting-and-cleaning/

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Arzinger defended the interests of Porsche Ukraine LLC in the ...

Arzinger?s Dispute Resolution practice defended the interests of Porsche Ukraine LLC in the dispute with the State Tax Inspection Service of Ukraine in Kyiv City regarding the abolishment of tax advice in the part of prohibition of including warranty repairs (maintenance) or replacement of products sold by a tax payer to legal entities into charges.

In accordance with the established trade practices and legal requirements official importers of automobiles bear warranty repair expenses for the automobiles sold. The costs for warranty repairs and replacement of parts had always been treated as charges for tax purposes under appropriate laws.

With the adoption of the Tax Code of Ukraine the State Tax Administration of Ukraine (STAU) published its interpretation of the rule of para 140.1.4. Article 140 of the Tax Code on its website, according to which ?charges for warranty repair (maintenance) or warranty replacement of products sold by a taxpayer to legal entities cannot be taken into account in determining the object of taxation, because this category of buyers is not subject to the rules of consumer protection legislation.? This ?interpretation? by the STAU was not deemed an official generalizing consultation. However, it would entail the removal of the said category of costs from charges by tax inspectors during audits of taxpayers.

Given the ambiguous interpretation and application of the relevant provisions of the Tax Code by tax authorities, Porsche Ukraine applied to the State Tax Service in Kyiv for official tax advice on the matter in question. In response, the STIS in Kyiv provided tax advice as of 17.06.2011 setting out an opinion similar to that of STAU, according to which only the costs of warranty repairs carried out for individual customers but not for purchasers that are legal entities can be referred to charges. In the opinion of Porsche Ukraine, this attitude is unfounded and contrary to the law thus causing significant losses for the business, which is why the company decided to appeal against the tax advice to the District Administrative Court of Kyiv.

On January 26, 2012 the District Administrative Court of Kyiv passed a ruling in the case No. 2?-18741/11/2670 on the action of Porsche Ukraine LLC against STIS in Kyiv regarding the cancelation of tax advice as of 17.06.2011, by which it declared illegal and abolished the given tax advice in the part of charges, namely that ?charges for warranty repair (maintenance) or warranty replacement of products sold by a taxpayer to legal entities cannot be taken into account in determining the object of taxation, because this category of buyers is not subject to the rules of consumer protection legislation.? The court?s decision is justified by the fact that the tax authority interprets the rule of the law too narrowly thus violating the rights of a taxpayer and that consumer protection legislation does not regulate taxation issues.

This is a key court decision to all car manufacturers and importers that have warranty obligations towards purchasers of automobiles, as it may become a precedent and help in getting similar court decisions in situations where the STAU through local tax authorities will promote its position on the impossibility of attributing material costs to the said category of charges.
The interests of Porsche Ukraine in this trial were represented by Arzinger?s litigation team, including Senior Associate Natalia Martynyuk lead by Senior Partner Sergiy Shklyar, Head of the Dispute Resolution practice.

?We are quite happy with the outcome of the case and glad that the court examined the materials of the case fully and in depth and supported the plaintiff?s arguments. In the light of the recent court practice, which fully supports the attitude of fiscal bodies, regardless of taxpayers? arguments, the court decision in such a complex case restores our faith in Ukrainian courts that are still able to make fair and unbiased decisions. This court decision is very important not only for our client but also for the whole automobile market of Ukraine, which has just begun to rise from its knees after a lengthy crisis. The abolished clarification of the tax body actually forced the importers to lay the warranty repair costs in the final consumer price. Under the existing fierce competition, the struggle for each client?s loyalty and the ever-changing market-play conditions could actually make the car sales market collapse.

We are aware that the state tax service bodies will appeal the decision of the first instance. However, we sincerely hope and believe that the higher instances will support the decision of the first instance as the one that fully complies with the law and meets the logic of the relevant legal relationship,? Timur Bondaryev, Managing Partner and Head of the Automotive sector at Arzinger Law Office, commented his colleagues? victory.

Tags: http://arzinger.ua/index.php?page=press&type=news&id=700

Source: http://mackrell.net/2696-arzinger-defended-the-interests-of-porsche-ukraine-llc-in-the-dispute-with-the-state-tax-inspection-service-of-ukraine-in-kyiv

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Skoda Celebrates 14 Millionth Car | Car Reviews,finance,lease ...

Skoda celebrates producing 14 million cars

Skoda are celebrating producing their 14 millionth vehicle.? The whole of the Skoda range can be financed, leased or purchased.

The special car is a limited edition Skoda ?Laurin & Klement? Superb, from the Kvasiny Czech plant, and is destined for a German customer.

Skoda are delighted by passing the impressive landmark, seeing it as an expression of their dynamic growth strategy, which will see new Skoda models released for purchase, lease and finance.

The dramatic rise of Skoda

Skoda have grown exponentially in the last decade, producing 4 million of those 14 million Skoda?s in the last five years.

This continues the Czech brand?s upward trend of the last twenty years, following its affiliation with the Volkswagen group in 1991.

A top Skoda spokesperson praised everyone at the company for their contributions, which have made this achievement possible.

New goals for Skoda

Skoda have announced an ambitious growth strategy that involves creating and releasing a new model on average every six months during the next few years.

This started with the launch of the celebrated Skoda Citigo, for purchase, lease or finance in the UK, and the Skoda Rapid, designed for the Indian market.

Skoda are wisely focusing much of their energy on bringing their value for money, practical cars to the rapidly expanding emerging markets of China, India and Russia.

Exciting new developments for the buoyant Chinese market include the Skoda Yeti, a compact SUV that will be produced in partnership with Shanghai Volkswagen.

The brand will commence production of a new compact sedan in China at the beginning of 2013.

2011 saw a new plant open in Russia, in addition to the existing Kaluga factory, while the Rapid is being successfully manufactured at Skoda?s Pune factory.

A timeline of success for Skoda

1991: Skoda have manufactured 5 million cars since their launch in 1905.
July 13 2006: 10 million Skoda cars manufactured
April 8 2009: 12 million Skoda?s made
September 2 2011: 4 millionth MQ200 gearbox made at Skoda?s Mlada Boleslav plant
October 12 2011: The 10 millionth Skoda roles off the production line at Mlada Boleslav
December 2011: Skoda celebrates the production of 1.5 million Skoda Octavia IIs
January 2012: The 14 millionth Skoda is built

Keep yourself updated with the latest motoring news by liking us on facebook, following us on twitter or connecting with us on LinkedIn.

If you?re looking to purchase or lease a new Skoda contact our sales team. Alternatively, visit our website where you will find new and used Skoda?s available for sale or on finance.

Thanks for visiting us today.

Source: http://www.osv.ltd.uk/latestnews/main-osv-news/skoda-celebrates-14-millionth-car/

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