Chen Hong is the sole China entry, although he is officially no longer with the national team, in the men’s singles and will have to be at his best to beat Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei, the recent Japan Open winner in Tokyo last Sunday.
CHINA’S, and several other big name eleventh hour withdrawals have left the Chinese Taipei Yonex Open wide open and forced a re-draw to be conducted in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.
Chen Hong is the sole China entry, although he is officially no longer with the national team, in the men’s singles and will have to be at his best to beat Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei, the recent Japan Open winner in Tokyo last Sunday.
Chen Hong takes on Malaysia’s Kenn Lim in the first round and is only expected to be stretched in the last eight where he is tipped to take on Indonesia’s Taufik Hidayat. Taufik lost to Chong Wei in the final on Sunday.
Denmark’s Peter Gade or South Korea’s Lee Hyun Il is expected to meet Chen Hong or Taufik in the semi-finals.
At the bottom half of the draw, Chong Wei opens his campaign against Indonesia’s Ari Yuli Wahyu Hartanto while the former’s teammate Roslin Hashim begins his quest for a title with a match against Thailand’s Boonsak Ponsana.
World Championships silver medallist Sony Dwi Kuncoro, who is tipped to progress to the last four against Chong Wei, plays Hong Kong’s Wong Wai Hong.
In the women’s singles, Hong Kong’s Wang Chen is the new top seed following the withdrawal of Zhang Ning and Xie Xingfang of China. Wang Chen plays Japan’s Kanako Yonekura in the first round.
France’s Pi Hongyan is the No 2 seed but has a tough opener in the form of India’s Saina Nehwal. However, looking to spoil their party will be Denmark’s Tine Rasmussen who was a major sensation in Japan when she downed the likes of Zhang Ning, Lu Lan and Xie Xingfang to win the women’s singles crown.
The Dane, seeded fifth, opens against Germany’s Juliane Schenk and will probably be up against Malaysia’s Julia Wong in the second round and a quarter-final date against the top seeded Wang Chen.
Indonesia’s Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan and South Korea’s Jung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae are expected to battle it out for the men’s doubles title. However, strongly challenging them will be Denmark’s Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen, South Korea’s Lee Jae Jin-Hwang Ji Man and Malaysia’s Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif-Mohd Fairuzizuan Tazari.
Markis-Hendra have tough opener against Hong Kong’s Albertus Susanto-Yohan Hadikusumo and a win may reward them with another tough encounter against Malaysia’s Tan Bin Shen-Ong Soon Hock.
Jung-Lee open against a qualifier and will have tough test in the quarter-finals where Paaske-Rasmussen are expected to qualify.
Local hopes will be pinned on Chien Yu Chin-Cheng Wen Hsing, the top seeds, in the women’s doubles. The seasoned pair play Hong Kong’s Wong Sin Yee-Fung Ying in the opening round and is tipped to face Canada’s Fiona Mckee-Charmaine Reid in the second round.
Expected to be waiting for them in the semi-finals are the dangerous Malaysians Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui.
Japan’s Kumiko Ogura-Reiko Shiota are the No 2 seeds but will face a stern test from Indonesia’s Lilyana Natsir-Vita Marissa for a place in the final.
In the mixed doubles, it could be an all-Indonesia final with Nova Widianto-Lilyana Natsir and Flandi Limpele-Vita Marissa the favourites to feature in the final.
Source: Internationalbadminton.org
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
2007 Emmy Awards Winner List
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
Jeremy Piven - Entourage
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
Terry O’Quinn - Lost
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
Jaime Pressly as Joy - My Name Is Earl
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie
Thomas Haden Church - Broken Trail
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
Katherine Heigl - Grey’s Anatomy
Outstanding Writing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Program
Late Night With Conan O’Brien
Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Program
Rob Marshall - Tony Bennett: An American Classic
Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie
Robert Duvall - Broken Trail
Outstanding Miniseries
Broken Trail
Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series
Alan Taylor - The Sopranos
Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series
David Chase - The Sopranos
Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Special
Tony Bennett: An American Classic
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie
Judi Davis - The Starter Wife
Outstanding Made For TV Movie
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee
Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie
Helen Mirren - Prime Suspect
Outstanding Directing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special
Philip Martin - Prime Suspect
Outstanding Writing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special
Frank Deasy - Prime Suspect
Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Television
Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, CurrentTV.com
Outstanding Individual Performance In A Variety Or Music Program
Tony Bennett - Tony Bennett: An American Classic
Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series
Richard Shepard - Ugly Betty
Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series
Greg Daniels - The Office for “Gay Witch Hunt”
Outstanding Reality-competition Program
The Amazing Race
Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
Ricky Gervais - Extras
Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series
Sally Field - Brothers & Sisters
Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
America Ferrera - Ugly Betty
Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series
James Spader - Boston Legal
Outstanding Comedy Series30 Rock
Outstanding Drama Series
The Sopranos
2007 Emmys Awards - Live Summary
We bring you 59th annual Primetime Emmy Awards summary to save your time while cathching your idol and celebrities latest nominations if you not in front of TV.
10:37 p.m. In what has become a favorite Emmy staple, Stephen Colbert (with a loud leaf-blower [run on Al Gore's tears]) and Jon Stewart take the stage ("There's no leaves." "Not anymore."). They're on to talk about the show's claims of environmental-friendly Green-ness and their bit is less amusing than last year's, though I love the line, "If entertainers stop publicly congratulating each other, the earth wins." After something about going online to by carbon offsets so that Peruvian boys can partially resod the Andes (Kevin Bacon? Not laughing), they present outstanding lead actor in a comedy series to...
10:38 p.m. Ricky Gervais of Extras, whose absence forces the line "Ricky Gervais couldn't be here tonight, so instead we're going to give this to our friend Steve Carell." Humorous enthusiasm ensues.
10:41 p.m. Sally Field is a slightly surprising winner for lead actress in a drama series for Brothers & Sisters. Banal writers will observe that Emmy voters like her, they really really like her. Field gets flustered in the middle of a plea to bring our troops home and when she says that if mothers ruled the world there'd be no goddamn war, the Emmy censors cut out. That's kind of pathetic, guys.
10:47 p.m. Peter Boyle is the obvious winner of the "In Memoriam" necrology cheer-meter. "Bud" Melman gets more cheers than Glenn Ford.
10:53 p.m. Roaring along at breakneck speed, outstanding lead actress in a comedy series goes to America Ferrera. I'm contractually obligated to note that while she plays a character who's called "ugly," she, um, isn't. Several of my co-workers want me to point out that Ferrera loses cool points for mentioning NBC bigwig Ben Silverman in her speech.
10:55 p.m. Outstanding lead actor in a drama series goes to James... SPADER? Wait. You sure they read that right? Wasn't it Gandolfini? "I feel like I just stole a pile of money from the mob," Spader says.
11:00 p.m. Even when the Emmys confuse me and leave me scratching my head, it beats the snot out of watching Eric Gagne. I love that they're trying to get this show done as soon as possible, but I'd love to add pictures to this blog!
11:02 p.m. No time for clips. Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton present outstanding comedy series to 30 Rock, which is both wonderfully surprising and wonderfully deserving. Also no time for Tina Fey, though I preferred her way of thanking Silverman (in advance for keeping the show on for the next six years).11:02 p.m. No time for clips. Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton present outstanding comedy series to 30 Rock, which is both wonderfully surprising and wonderfully deserving. She also thanks their dozens and dozens of viewers.
11:08 p.m. We love Helen Mirren. We love her so much that she gets to present outstanding drama series. While Galdolfini and Falco may have been uset, The Sopranos is not to be denied the night's biggest award. The ovation is long and standing. David Chase thanks the primary members of the cast.
11:12 p.m. Somebody should tell the Emmy producers that the show is already 12 minutes over, so Chase shouldn't be cut off. He ends his speech by vamping on Field's, say, "If the world and this nation were run by gangsters... Maybe it is." Now back to see if the Sox have one more miracle in them.
Late Summary
7:55 p.m. We haven't officially started yet, but I'm curious to see how the theater-in-the-round stage setup plays. American Idol does something similar, so maybe they're hoping to make host Ryan Seacrest comfortable?
8:02 p.m. We were threatened with a Seacrest song-and-dance at the top of the show, so I guess Stewie and Brian Griffin from Family Guy is not such a bad alternative. And for those of you keeping score at home, that's three minutes into the show before our first Sopranos blank-screen reference.
8:05 p.m. Smart move by whoever's writing for Seacrest to lead with self-deprecating jokes, including a Teri Hatcher reference. And, thank goodness, he keeps it good and short, and does not sing.
8:09 p.m. Where'd the picture go? What was Ray Romano saying about Frasier?
8:12 p.m. Ah, so this is how it's going. Seacrest lets the professional comic take the joke-telling reins, and he does a good couple minutes on bieng outa work. He eventually gets around to presenting the night's first award, best supporting actor in a comedy. Entourage's Jeremy Piven wins for the second year in a row, beating office favorite Neil Patrick Harris. We still love you, Barney.
8:14 p.m. Don't know if you've heard, but America Ferrera, who plays Ugly Betty, isn't ugly.
8:15 p.m. I might have gone for his Lost castmate Michael Emerson, but Terry O'Quinn did some darn fine work on the show this past season. And he delivered a darn fine and funny speech too.
8:22 p.m. Seacrest: "Weeds -- great show, amazing after-party. Isn't that right, Paula [Abdul]?" Nice.
8:24 p.m. Jaime Pressly probably deserved her Emmy last year for her standout work on My Name Is Earl. But in a really strong field this year, it wouldn't have been a real injustice to give it to any of them (yes, even the two women from Two and a Half Men). So, while Jenna Fischer, just getting over a broken back, was our sentimental favorite, this was a pretty good makeup call by the Academy.
8:28 p.m. I don't understand what Thomas Haden Church was saying about his pants. But he wins me back with his dedication to David Angell -- the Wings producer who died in one of the 9/11 planes -- and his wife, Lynn.
8:36 p.m. Could we have just had the Tom Snyder tribute without the one-liner montage? Just sayin'.
8:37 p.m. The cast of Entourage plus Eva Longoria. I'm sure this looked cute on paper, but on stage? Not so much. But they are introducing another fantastic category, best supporting actress in a drama. In something of an upset, it's Katherine Hi-jel Heigl. That also makes The Sopranos 0-for-2 in tonight's awards. I really, really, really, really hope this is not the start of a trend.
8:42 p.m. Most underrated part of every Emmy ceremony? The clips for the variety-show writing teams. Based on those alone, I'd give it to the foot-tapping folks from Real Time with Bill Maher, but the folks from Late Night with Conan O'Brien win instead. And folks, that breaks the Conan Curse: O'Brien and his show had been nominated 20 previous times before getting their first win tonight. So the answer to that trivia question is still Newhart, 25 noms without a win.
8:52 p.m. One of the great -- or trivial, whichever -- mysteries of last season may be solved: In singing a duet with Tony Bennett, Christina Aguilera fingers the mike like she's playing a trumpet or something. On the Search for the Next Doll show last spring, eventual winner Asia -- she's pursuing a solo career now, by the way -- did that all the time, to our unceasing puzzlement. Maybe that's where she got it?
8:56 p.m. That's two wins for AMC's Broken Trail tonight -- with Robert Duvall joining Thomas Haden Church in taking movie/miniseries acting honors -- on top of one at last week's Creative Arts awards. So, (admittedly very well-made) western on AMC three, landscape-changing show about mobsters on HBO zero.
9:03 p.m. Nice little tribute to Roots, which is 30 years old this year. It holds up remarkably well, and it's kind of a shame to think how bloody hard it would be to get something like that on network TV these days.
9:07 p.m. Make that Broken Trail 4, Sopranos 0, as the former wins for best miniseries. And FOX: You do not play Robert Duvall off the stage. At least they didn't cut to a blogger this time.
9:12 p.m. An hour and 12 minutes into the show, we have our first Sopranos win of the night. Alan Taylor wins for the exceptionally well-done "Kennedy and Heidi" episode, in which [spoiler alert!] Christopher dies.
9:14 p.m. It's no surprise that David Chase wins the drama writing award for the Sopranos finale, but let's take a moment to admire the quality of this ridiculously stacked category. Two other episodes from that show -- "Kennedy and Heidi" and "The Second Coming" -- plus the Lost finale and the two-part Battlestar Galactica premiere from last season. That is some damn good stuff.
9:23 p.m. Awww ... Former Daily Show correspondent Steve Carell gets to present Jon Stewart and the show with the best variety show Emmy. In his speech, Stewart raises a good point. It seems like there's only one micrphone stand on the stage. If you're doing a show in the round, shouldn't you be playing to all parts of the room? Maybe they are and it's just hard to tell on TV. But Stewart's "What a great show ... this part of the audience has seen tonight" crack makes me wonder.
9:29 p.m. Following the lead of Judy Davis, who wins for best supporting actress in a movie or miniseries, but is absent from the ceremony (someone really shoulda told Marcia Cross where she was; is it me, or has the production been a little slipshod tonight?), Academy chairman Dick Askin keeps his remarks short. So that's good.
9:36 p.m. Big applause for the over-40 women lead actresses on cable. Maybe someday we can get one on network TV too.
9:37 p.m. Those over-40 women -- Mary-Louise Parker, Glenn Close and Kyra Sedgwick -- present the award for best made-for-TV movie to HBO's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. Exec producer Dick Wolf is very gracious in his acceptance speech, but he's more fun when he's prickly and contentious at press tours.
9:41 p.m. The Jersey Boys tribute to The Sopranos is just about exactly as cheesy as a lot of people feared. This isn't Rob Lowe and Snow White bad -- the performers are talented, at least -- but if they're going for ironic underscoring of the clip montage, it's just not working.
9:45 p.m. And now, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Daniel Fienberg, who'll take you through the rest of the show.
9:48 p.m. Thanks Rick. Because it's not like I wanted to be watching the Red Sox or Patriots games. If this is the lowest-rated Emmy telecast ever, it isn't because of Seacrest or the nominated shows. It's because there are better things on. Anywho...
9:50 p.m. There's a bylaw somewhere that Helen Mirren has to win everything. She isn't just the queen. She's all queens ever. A winner for the fourth time and second year in a row (this time for something "Prime Suspect"-y), she vows to keep talking until she gets played off. "You Americans are wonderfully generous people..." she says, before adding that we're some less savory things as well. She actually runs out of things to say and has to beg to be played off.
9:52 p.m. Who gets to follow Dame Mirren? Lewis Black, naturally. As you might imagine, he's a little bit angry about something, in this case, little network chyrons telling viewers what's on next ("Have you forgotten what your job is? It's to tell story... It's not to tell us in the middle of a story what show is coming on next, or which one is premiering two weeks from now."). He's also ticked off by TV news, both its overall quality and its annoying informational crawls.
9:59 p.m. It's the "Prime Suspect" programming block at the Emmys as Phillip Martin and Frank Deasy win for directing and writing the latest Mirren opus. After so much adulation for "Broken Trail" and "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" already tonight, these wins have to be considered a minor surprise. Not the Mirren win. Nobody's surprised there.
10:02 p.m. Awkward moment as Seacrest goes to Tony Sirico and says, "Mr. Walnuts, the ushers have asked that you stop shanking seat-fillers." Nobody laughs. Particularly Sirico.
10:04 p.m. An entire audience of Hollywood celebrities rise to give a standing ovation to the man behind CurrentTV even though 99.99 percent of them don't know if they get CurrentTV. It helps that he looks a lot like Al Gore. If he didn't look like Al Gore, I somehow doubt that we'd be hearing anything about CurrentTV on the live primetime telecast.
10:07 p.m. In the finest piece of promotion for 'Til Death since FOX put it after American Idol, stars Brad Garrett and Joely Fisher come out and make one joke after another about her breasts ("I think you just made Charlie Sheen's to-do list." "It's nothing like the very real threat of nipple to keep the audience tuned in.").
10:10 p.m. Stephen Colbert's newest vendetta is against Tony Bennett, as the legendary crooner beats the fake pundit for outstanding individual performance in a music, variety or comedy thingie. The Colbert Nation can go back to not caring about Barry Manilow.
10:13 p.m. It doesn't get much better than Elaine Stritch. Whether she's yawning at Stanley Tucci's teleprompter text, failing to follow her own lines or talking about how the reason she doesn't do TV because she's too expensive, she's batty and brilliant. Tucci and Stritch give comedy writing and directing trophies to Greg Daniels (for the "Gay Witch Hunt" episode of The Office) and Richard Shepard for the Ugly Betty pilot.
10:21 p.m. Oooh! It's time for "Things that looked good on paper." Up first is Seacrest pointlessly popping up in Henry the 8th garb. He makes a gay joke, passes the spotlight to Wayne Brady and exits. Brady is there because he hosts a FOX reality show and he sets up a parody of Don't Forget the Lyrics! in which Rainn Wilson and Kanye West compete to present an Emmy. The category is "The Songs of Kanye West," but Wilson wins! Who ever could have seen that coming? I start ignoring the end of the bit to watch the wonder that is Mr. Randy Moss.
10:25 p.m. Well that just tears it. American Idol gave $70 million to charity. They resurrected Elvis to perform with Celine Dion. They brought back Akon over and over again. What more do you want, Emmy voters?!?!? Once again, the award for outstanding reality competition program goes to The Amazing Race, the Helen Mirren of this category.
10:35 p.m. Ignoring Derek Jeter.
Source: http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2007/09/emmys-2007-minu.html
10:37 p.m. In what has become a favorite Emmy staple, Stephen Colbert (with a loud leaf-blower [run on Al Gore's tears]) and Jon Stewart take the stage ("There's no leaves." "Not anymore."). They're on to talk about the show's claims of environmental-friendly Green-ness and their bit is less amusing than last year's, though I love the line, "If entertainers stop publicly congratulating each other, the earth wins." After something about going online to by carbon offsets so that Peruvian boys can partially resod the Andes (Kevin Bacon? Not laughing), they present outstanding lead actor in a comedy series to...
10:38 p.m. Ricky Gervais of Extras, whose absence forces the line "Ricky Gervais couldn't be here tonight, so instead we're going to give this to our friend Steve Carell." Humorous enthusiasm ensues.
10:41 p.m. Sally Field is a slightly surprising winner for lead actress in a drama series for Brothers & Sisters. Banal writers will observe that Emmy voters like her, they really really like her. Field gets flustered in the middle of a plea to bring our troops home and when she says that if mothers ruled the world there'd be no goddamn war, the Emmy censors cut out. That's kind of pathetic, guys.
10:47 p.m. Peter Boyle is the obvious winner of the "In Memoriam" necrology cheer-meter. "Bud" Melman gets more cheers than Glenn Ford.
10:53 p.m. Roaring along at breakneck speed, outstanding lead actress in a comedy series goes to America Ferrera. I'm contractually obligated to note that while she plays a character who's called "ugly," she, um, isn't. Several of my co-workers want me to point out that Ferrera loses cool points for mentioning NBC bigwig Ben Silverman in her speech.
10:55 p.m. Outstanding lead actor in a drama series goes to James... SPADER? Wait. You sure they read that right? Wasn't it Gandolfini? "I feel like I just stole a pile of money from the mob," Spader says.
11:00 p.m. Even when the Emmys confuse me and leave me scratching my head, it beats the snot out of watching Eric Gagne. I love that they're trying to get this show done as soon as possible, but I'd love to add pictures to this blog!
11:02 p.m. No time for clips. Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton present outstanding comedy series to 30 Rock, which is both wonderfully surprising and wonderfully deserving. Also no time for Tina Fey, though I preferred her way of thanking Silverman (in advance for keeping the show on for the next six years).11:02 p.m. No time for clips. Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton present outstanding comedy series to 30 Rock, which is both wonderfully surprising and wonderfully deserving. She also thanks their dozens and dozens of viewers.
11:08 p.m. We love Helen Mirren. We love her so much that she gets to present outstanding drama series. While Galdolfini and Falco may have been uset, The Sopranos is not to be denied the night's biggest award. The ovation is long and standing. David Chase thanks the primary members of the cast.
11:12 p.m. Somebody should tell the Emmy producers that the show is already 12 minutes over, so Chase shouldn't be cut off. He ends his speech by vamping on Field's, say, "If the world and this nation were run by gangsters... Maybe it is." Now back to see if the Sox have one more miracle in them.
Late Summary
7:55 p.m. We haven't officially started yet, but I'm curious to see how the theater-in-the-round stage setup plays. American Idol does something similar, so maybe they're hoping to make host Ryan Seacrest comfortable?
8:02 p.m. We were threatened with a Seacrest song-and-dance at the top of the show, so I guess Stewie and Brian Griffin from Family Guy is not such a bad alternative. And for those of you keeping score at home, that's three minutes into the show before our first Sopranos blank-screen reference.
8:05 p.m. Smart move by whoever's writing for Seacrest to lead with self-deprecating jokes, including a Teri Hatcher reference. And, thank goodness, he keeps it good and short, and does not sing.
8:09 p.m. Where'd the picture go? What was Ray Romano saying about Frasier?
8:12 p.m. Ah, so this is how it's going. Seacrest lets the professional comic take the joke-telling reins, and he does a good couple minutes on bieng outa work. He eventually gets around to presenting the night's first award, best supporting actor in a comedy. Entourage's Jeremy Piven wins for the second year in a row, beating office favorite Neil Patrick Harris. We still love you, Barney.
8:14 p.m. Don't know if you've heard, but America Ferrera, who plays Ugly Betty, isn't ugly.
8:15 p.m. I might have gone for his Lost castmate Michael Emerson, but Terry O'Quinn did some darn fine work on the show this past season. And he delivered a darn fine and funny speech too.
8:22 p.m. Seacrest: "Weeds -- great show, amazing after-party. Isn't that right, Paula [Abdul]?" Nice.
8:24 p.m. Jaime Pressly probably deserved her Emmy last year for her standout work on My Name Is Earl. But in a really strong field this year, it wouldn't have been a real injustice to give it to any of them (yes, even the two women from Two and a Half Men). So, while Jenna Fischer, just getting over a broken back, was our sentimental favorite, this was a pretty good makeup call by the Academy.
8:28 p.m. I don't understand what Thomas Haden Church was saying about his pants. But he wins me back with his dedication to David Angell -- the Wings producer who died in one of the 9/11 planes -- and his wife, Lynn.
8:36 p.m. Could we have just had the Tom Snyder tribute without the one-liner montage? Just sayin'.
8:37 p.m. The cast of Entourage plus Eva Longoria. I'm sure this looked cute on paper, but on stage? Not so much. But they are introducing another fantastic category, best supporting actress in a drama. In something of an upset, it's Katherine Hi-jel Heigl. That also makes The Sopranos 0-for-2 in tonight's awards. I really, really, really, really hope this is not the start of a trend.
8:42 p.m. Most underrated part of every Emmy ceremony? The clips for the variety-show writing teams. Based on those alone, I'd give it to the foot-tapping folks from Real Time with Bill Maher, but the folks from Late Night with Conan O'Brien win instead. And folks, that breaks the Conan Curse: O'Brien and his show had been nominated 20 previous times before getting their first win tonight. So the answer to that trivia question is still Newhart, 25 noms without a win.
8:52 p.m. One of the great -- or trivial, whichever -- mysteries of last season may be solved: In singing a duet with Tony Bennett, Christina Aguilera fingers the mike like she's playing a trumpet or something. On the Search for the Next Doll show last spring, eventual winner Asia -- she's pursuing a solo career now, by the way -- did that all the time, to our unceasing puzzlement. Maybe that's where she got it?
8:56 p.m. That's two wins for AMC's Broken Trail tonight -- with Robert Duvall joining Thomas Haden Church in taking movie/miniseries acting honors -- on top of one at last week's Creative Arts awards. So, (admittedly very well-made) western on AMC three, landscape-changing show about mobsters on HBO zero.
9:03 p.m. Nice little tribute to Roots, which is 30 years old this year. It holds up remarkably well, and it's kind of a shame to think how bloody hard it would be to get something like that on network TV these days.
9:07 p.m. Make that Broken Trail 4, Sopranos 0, as the former wins for best miniseries. And FOX: You do not play Robert Duvall off the stage. At least they didn't cut to a blogger this time.
9:12 p.m. An hour and 12 minutes into the show, we have our first Sopranos win of the night. Alan Taylor wins for the exceptionally well-done "Kennedy and Heidi" episode, in which [spoiler alert!] Christopher dies.
9:14 p.m. It's no surprise that David Chase wins the drama writing award for the Sopranos finale, but let's take a moment to admire the quality of this ridiculously stacked category. Two other episodes from that show -- "Kennedy and Heidi" and "The Second Coming" -- plus the Lost finale and the two-part Battlestar Galactica premiere from last season. That is some damn good stuff.
9:23 p.m. Awww ... Former Daily Show correspondent Steve Carell gets to present Jon Stewart and the show with the best variety show Emmy. In his speech, Stewart raises a good point. It seems like there's only one micrphone stand on the stage. If you're doing a show in the round, shouldn't you be playing to all parts of the room? Maybe they are and it's just hard to tell on TV. But Stewart's "What a great show ... this part of the audience has seen tonight" crack makes me wonder.
9:29 p.m. Following the lead of Judy Davis, who wins for best supporting actress in a movie or miniseries, but is absent from the ceremony (someone really shoulda told Marcia Cross where she was; is it me, or has the production been a little slipshod tonight?), Academy chairman Dick Askin keeps his remarks short. So that's good.
9:36 p.m. Big applause for the over-40 women lead actresses on cable. Maybe someday we can get one on network TV too.
9:37 p.m. Those over-40 women -- Mary-Louise Parker, Glenn Close and Kyra Sedgwick -- present the award for best made-for-TV movie to HBO's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. Exec producer Dick Wolf is very gracious in his acceptance speech, but he's more fun when he's prickly and contentious at press tours.
9:41 p.m. The Jersey Boys tribute to The Sopranos is just about exactly as cheesy as a lot of people feared. This isn't Rob Lowe and Snow White bad -- the performers are talented, at least -- but if they're going for ironic underscoring of the clip montage, it's just not working.
9:45 p.m. And now, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Daniel Fienberg, who'll take you through the rest of the show.
9:48 p.m. Thanks Rick. Because it's not like I wanted to be watching the Red Sox or Patriots games. If this is the lowest-rated Emmy telecast ever, it isn't because of Seacrest or the nominated shows. It's because there are better things on. Anywho...
9:50 p.m. There's a bylaw somewhere that Helen Mirren has to win everything. She isn't just the queen. She's all queens ever. A winner for the fourth time and second year in a row (this time for something "Prime Suspect"-y), she vows to keep talking until she gets played off. "You Americans are wonderfully generous people..." she says, before adding that we're some less savory things as well. She actually runs out of things to say and has to beg to be played off.
9:52 p.m. Who gets to follow Dame Mirren? Lewis Black, naturally. As you might imagine, he's a little bit angry about something, in this case, little network chyrons telling viewers what's on next ("Have you forgotten what your job is? It's to tell story... It's not to tell us in the middle of a story what show is coming on next, or which one is premiering two weeks from now."). He's also ticked off by TV news, both its overall quality and its annoying informational crawls.
9:59 p.m. It's the "Prime Suspect" programming block at the Emmys as Phillip Martin and Frank Deasy win for directing and writing the latest Mirren opus. After so much adulation for "Broken Trail" and "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" already tonight, these wins have to be considered a minor surprise. Not the Mirren win. Nobody's surprised there.
10:02 p.m. Awkward moment as Seacrest goes to Tony Sirico and says, "Mr. Walnuts, the ushers have asked that you stop shanking seat-fillers." Nobody laughs. Particularly Sirico.
10:04 p.m. An entire audience of Hollywood celebrities rise to give a standing ovation to the man behind CurrentTV even though 99.99 percent of them don't know if they get CurrentTV. It helps that he looks a lot like Al Gore. If he didn't look like Al Gore, I somehow doubt that we'd be hearing anything about CurrentTV on the live primetime telecast.
10:07 p.m. In the finest piece of promotion for 'Til Death since FOX put it after American Idol, stars Brad Garrett and Joely Fisher come out and make one joke after another about her breasts ("I think you just made Charlie Sheen's to-do list." "It's nothing like the very real threat of nipple to keep the audience tuned in.").
10:10 p.m. Stephen Colbert's newest vendetta is against Tony Bennett, as the legendary crooner beats the fake pundit for outstanding individual performance in a music, variety or comedy thingie. The Colbert Nation can go back to not caring about Barry Manilow.
10:13 p.m. It doesn't get much better than Elaine Stritch. Whether she's yawning at Stanley Tucci's teleprompter text, failing to follow her own lines or talking about how the reason she doesn't do TV because she's too expensive, she's batty and brilliant. Tucci and Stritch give comedy writing and directing trophies to Greg Daniels (for the "Gay Witch Hunt" episode of The Office) and Richard Shepard for the Ugly Betty pilot.
10:21 p.m. Oooh! It's time for "Things that looked good on paper." Up first is Seacrest pointlessly popping up in Henry the 8th garb. He makes a gay joke, passes the spotlight to Wayne Brady and exits. Brady is there because he hosts a FOX reality show and he sets up a parody of Don't Forget the Lyrics! in which Rainn Wilson and Kanye West compete to present an Emmy. The category is "The Songs of Kanye West," but Wilson wins! Who ever could have seen that coming? I start ignoring the end of the bit to watch the wonder that is Mr. Randy Moss.
10:25 p.m. Well that just tears it. American Idol gave $70 million to charity. They resurrected Elvis to perform with Celine Dion. They brought back Akon over and over again. What more do you want, Emmy voters?!?!? Once again, the award for outstanding reality competition program goes to The Amazing Race, the Helen Mirren of this category.
10:35 p.m. Ignoring Derek Jeter.
Source: http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2007/09/emmys-2007-minu.html
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Microsoft Live Pets
Windows Live Messenger users are now just a click away from exploring a virtual world as Microsoft Casual Games partners with GoPets Ltd to launch GoPets on Windows Live Messenger. You can bring your pets to everywhere.
Inhabited by pets that owners can create and customise, the virtual GoPets world on Windows Live Messenger offers an environment to explore, casual games to play, groups to join and countless ways to express individuality. The relationship between Microsoft and GoPets Ltd brings about the unique integration of a virtual world into an instant messaging (IM) service.
“GoPets on Windows Live Messenger takes instant messaging to the next level of 3-D interactivity,” said Barrie Ooi, Regional Product Manager for Microsoft Online Services Group SEA. “Teaming up with GoPets enables us to provide the Windows Live Messenger network with this new social networking experience.”
“GoPets is an online community where anyone can adopt a pet, customize it to their liking and interact with other pet owners anywhere in the GoPets virtual world at any time of day,” said Erik Bethke, CEO and founder of GoPets Ltd. “With direct access through Windows Live Messenger, it will be even easier for pet fans to make friends all over the world through common interests and shared experiences, such as chatting and playing games on the Windows Live Messenger and GoPets platforms.”
With a growing user base of nearly 260 million active accounts worldwide, Windows Live Messenger is the world’s most-used IM service. Current Windows Live Messenger users in more than 30 countries can travel the world with GoPets by visiting http://games.msn.com/en/general/article/mgopmessengerlaunch.htm or by clicking the Games icon on the left side of the Windows Live Messenger window and selecting GoPets. New Windows Live Messenger users can visit http://messenger.live.com to connect and share instantly on the world’s most popular IM network.
Source: http://www.lowyat.net/v2/latest/microsoft-live-pets-2.html
Inhabited by pets that owners can create and customise, the virtual GoPets world on Windows Live Messenger offers an environment to explore, casual games to play, groups to join and countless ways to express individuality. The relationship between Microsoft and GoPets Ltd brings about the unique integration of a virtual world into an instant messaging (IM) service.
“GoPets on Windows Live Messenger takes instant messaging to the next level of 3-D interactivity,” said Barrie Ooi, Regional Product Manager for Microsoft Online Services Group SEA. “Teaming up with GoPets enables us to provide the Windows Live Messenger network with this new social networking experience.”
“GoPets is an online community where anyone can adopt a pet, customize it to their liking and interact with other pet owners anywhere in the GoPets virtual world at any time of day,” said Erik Bethke, CEO and founder of GoPets Ltd. “With direct access through Windows Live Messenger, it will be even easier for pet fans to make friends all over the world through common interests and shared experiences, such as chatting and playing games on the Windows Live Messenger and GoPets platforms.”
With a growing user base of nearly 260 million active accounts worldwide, Windows Live Messenger is the world’s most-used IM service. Current Windows Live Messenger users in more than 30 countries can travel the world with GoPets by visiting http://games.msn.com/en/general/article/mgopmessengerlaunch.htm or by clicking the Games icon on the left side of the Windows Live Messenger window and selecting GoPets. New Windows Live Messenger users can visit http://messenger.live.com to connect and share instantly on the world’s most popular IM network.
Source: http://www.lowyat.net/v2/latest/microsoft-live-pets-2.html
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Tenor Luciano Pavarotti dead at 71
This to announce that Pavarotti had left us this morning. It's a great loss and he brings lot of wonderful voice to us. Farewell to him. Salute to the Man with Great Voice.
Famed opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti, who appeared on stage with singers as varied as opera star Dame Joan Sutherland, U2's Bono and Liza Minnelli, died Thursday after suffering from pancreatic cancer, his manager Terri Robson said in a statement. He was 71.
"The great tenor, Luciano Pavarotti, died today at 5:00 a.m. at his home in Modena, the city of his birth," according to Robson.
"The Maestro fought a long, tough battle against the pancreatic cancer which eventually took his life. In fitting with the approach that characterized his life and work, he remained positive until finally succumbing to the last stages of his illness."
According to Robson, his wife, Nicoletta; his daughters, Lorenza, Cristina, Giuliana and Alice; his sister, Gabriela; and other relatives and friends were at his side when he died.
The portly singer retired from staged opera in 2004, but was on a "farewell tour" of concerts when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2006 and underwent emergency surgery to remove the tumor.
Although the remaining concerts of his tour were canceled, his management said that he hoped to resume the tour in 2007.
But in early August, Pavarotti was hospitalized in Modena with a fever and released 17 days later after undergoing diagnostic tests.
Pavarotti is survived by his wife, Nicoletta Mantovani, and a daughter, Alice, along with three grown daughters by his first wife, Adua Veroni, whom he divorced in 2000, and a granddaughter.
Much as the star power of Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov revived widespread interest in classical ballet in the 1970s and 1980s, Pavarotti's beaming charisma and bravura style captured the attention of the late-20th-century audience for opera.
Widely considered the greatest tenor of his time, Pavarotti began his life modestly in Modena, the son of Fernando, a baker and amateur singer, and Adele, who worked at the local tobacco factory.
"I dreamed to become a singer when I was four and I hear my father singing in the church with a beautiful tenor voice," he told CNN in a 1991 interview. "And I say to myself, well, let's try to do something."
The young Pavarotti -- who played soccer with his town's junior team -- joined the church choir with his father and traveled with him to Wales, where the singing group won first prize at the Llangollen International singing competition.
Although the experience left Pavarotti enthralled with singing, he graduated from the local teaching institute in 1955 and taught elementary school for two years, then worked as an insurance salesman. He continued his vocal studies, however, working first with with Arrigo Pola and then with Ettore Campogalliani.
Then, in 1961, Pavarotti won the prestigious Concorso Internazionale and made his operatic debut at the Reggio Emilia Theater as Rodolfo in Giacomo Puccini's "La Boheme." His fame spread throughout Italy and then throughout the European continent as he made his international debut in Giuseppe Verdi's "La Traviata" in Belgrade.
When Dame Joan Sutherland brought him onstage with her during a performance of Gaetano Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor" with the Greater Miami Opera in 1965, Pavarotti began his American career. He debuted at New York's Metropolitan Opera House three years later, and eventually marked 379 performances there, including his final opera, Puccini's "Tosca" in 2004, in which he performed as the painter Mario Cavaradossi.
In between Pavarotti sold millions of records and raised millions of dollars for charity through benefit concerts, often sharing the stage with pop stars as well as other opera singers.
Of his recordings, 1990's "The Essential Pavarotti" was the first classical album to reach No. 1 on Britain's pop charts, where it remained for 5 weeks. 1994's "The Three Tenors in Concert," with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras, remains the best selling classical album of all time.
Pavarotti joined with Domingo and Carreras in 1990, and although critics complained that Pavarotti's vocal skills were waning, the trio performed together for 14 years.
Among his charities were a 1995 "Concert for Bosnia" that raised $8.5 million and other concerts that raised $3.3 million for refugees from Afghanistan and $1 million for refugees from Kosovo.
In artistic terms, Pavarotti brought to the stage a voice neatly suited to the traditional bel canto, or "beautiful singing" style, essential to 17th-century Italian opera. As much about intensity as pitch, bel canto focuses the voice, concentrating the sound with both outstanding warmth and agility.
So demanding is this work even of the best singers that Pavarotti in concert recital could be seen rising to the balls of his feet during the most challenging passages. A long, white handkerchief always hung from one hand as he sang, his eyebrows arched high in the effort, forming an expression seemingly of surprise at his own success.
From his small beginnings, Pavarotti rose to great heights, performing in front of 500,000 people in New York's Central Park -- a concert seen by millions on television -- and before another 300,000 at Paris' Eiffel Tower.
He won countless awards and honors -- including five Grammys -- and was named United Nations Messenger for Peace by then-Secretary-General Kofi Annan. He launched an international competition, The Pavarotti International Voice Competition, in 1982. He even founded a teaching facility for young singers in his home town.
His signature aria, Puccini's "Nessun Dorma" from "Turandot," was chosen as the theme music for the 1990 soccer World Cup, hosted by Italy. He also performed the aria at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.
The great singer was also known as an equestrian expert, organizing one of the international show jumping circuit's most important competitions, the Pavarotti International, in Modena. Coinciding with that event, Pavarotti also staged an annual charity concert, Pavarotti and Friends.
When cancer finally stopped Pavarotti from singing, it was only the second interruption of his career.
"I think I just stop for one year when from a kid I become a man and the voice is changing," he said in 1991. "I was an alto and become a tenor and that is the only time I think I remember to have stopped singing. Otherwise I have sung all my life."
Amid reports this week that his condition was worsening, it was announced in Rome on Tuesday (Sept. 4) by Italy's cultural minister, Francesco Rotelli, Pavarotti is receiving a newly created prize for excellence in cultural achievement.
The New York Times' Alan Riding pointed out in a February article that ironically, the modern-day popularity of operatic work has prompted the building of new opera houses in many major centers including Copenhagen, Tokyo and -- coming next year, Beijing -- at a time when the repertoire remains rooted in centuries-old work and the costs of production make tickets prohibitive for most younger would-be audience members.
For opera to survive today, Riding wrote, it needs not only new music but also "exciting young singers." Pavarotti was that singer, in the right place and the right time for his generation
Source: CNN
Famed opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti, who appeared on stage with singers as varied as opera star Dame Joan Sutherland, U2's Bono and Liza Minnelli, died Thursday after suffering from pancreatic cancer, his manager Terri Robson said in a statement. He was 71.
"The great tenor, Luciano Pavarotti, died today at 5:00 a.m. at his home in Modena, the city of his birth," according to Robson.
"The Maestro fought a long, tough battle against the pancreatic cancer which eventually took his life. In fitting with the approach that characterized his life and work, he remained positive until finally succumbing to the last stages of his illness."
According to Robson, his wife, Nicoletta; his daughters, Lorenza, Cristina, Giuliana and Alice; his sister, Gabriela; and other relatives and friends were at his side when he died.
The portly singer retired from staged opera in 2004, but was on a "farewell tour" of concerts when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2006 and underwent emergency surgery to remove the tumor.
Although the remaining concerts of his tour were canceled, his management said that he hoped to resume the tour in 2007.
But in early August, Pavarotti was hospitalized in Modena with a fever and released 17 days later after undergoing diagnostic tests.
Pavarotti is survived by his wife, Nicoletta Mantovani, and a daughter, Alice, along with three grown daughters by his first wife, Adua Veroni, whom he divorced in 2000, and a granddaughter.
Much as the star power of Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov revived widespread interest in classical ballet in the 1970s and 1980s, Pavarotti's beaming charisma and bravura style captured the attention of the late-20th-century audience for opera.
Widely considered the greatest tenor of his time, Pavarotti began his life modestly in Modena, the son of Fernando, a baker and amateur singer, and Adele, who worked at the local tobacco factory.
"I dreamed to become a singer when I was four and I hear my father singing in the church with a beautiful tenor voice," he told CNN in a 1991 interview. "And I say to myself, well, let's try to do something."
The young Pavarotti -- who played soccer with his town's junior team -- joined the church choir with his father and traveled with him to Wales, where the singing group won first prize at the Llangollen International singing competition.
Although the experience left Pavarotti enthralled with singing, he graduated from the local teaching institute in 1955 and taught elementary school for two years, then worked as an insurance salesman. He continued his vocal studies, however, working first with with Arrigo Pola and then with Ettore Campogalliani.
Then, in 1961, Pavarotti won the prestigious Concorso Internazionale and made his operatic debut at the Reggio Emilia Theater as Rodolfo in Giacomo Puccini's "La Boheme." His fame spread throughout Italy and then throughout the European continent as he made his international debut in Giuseppe Verdi's "La Traviata" in Belgrade.
When Dame Joan Sutherland brought him onstage with her during a performance of Gaetano Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor" with the Greater Miami Opera in 1965, Pavarotti began his American career. He debuted at New York's Metropolitan Opera House three years later, and eventually marked 379 performances there, including his final opera, Puccini's "Tosca" in 2004, in which he performed as the painter Mario Cavaradossi.
In between Pavarotti sold millions of records and raised millions of dollars for charity through benefit concerts, often sharing the stage with pop stars as well as other opera singers.
Of his recordings, 1990's "The Essential Pavarotti" was the first classical album to reach No. 1 on Britain's pop charts, where it remained for 5 weeks. 1994's "The Three Tenors in Concert," with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras, remains the best selling classical album of all time.
Pavarotti joined with Domingo and Carreras in 1990, and although critics complained that Pavarotti's vocal skills were waning, the trio performed together for 14 years.
Among his charities were a 1995 "Concert for Bosnia" that raised $8.5 million and other concerts that raised $3.3 million for refugees from Afghanistan and $1 million for refugees from Kosovo.
In artistic terms, Pavarotti brought to the stage a voice neatly suited to the traditional bel canto, or "beautiful singing" style, essential to 17th-century Italian opera. As much about intensity as pitch, bel canto focuses the voice, concentrating the sound with both outstanding warmth and agility.
So demanding is this work even of the best singers that Pavarotti in concert recital could be seen rising to the balls of his feet during the most challenging passages. A long, white handkerchief always hung from one hand as he sang, his eyebrows arched high in the effort, forming an expression seemingly of surprise at his own success.
From his small beginnings, Pavarotti rose to great heights, performing in front of 500,000 people in New York's Central Park -- a concert seen by millions on television -- and before another 300,000 at Paris' Eiffel Tower.
He won countless awards and honors -- including five Grammys -- and was named United Nations Messenger for Peace by then-Secretary-General Kofi Annan. He launched an international competition, The Pavarotti International Voice Competition, in 1982. He even founded a teaching facility for young singers in his home town.
His signature aria, Puccini's "Nessun Dorma" from "Turandot," was chosen as the theme music for the 1990 soccer World Cup, hosted by Italy. He also performed the aria at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.
The great singer was also known as an equestrian expert, organizing one of the international show jumping circuit's most important competitions, the Pavarotti International, in Modena. Coinciding with that event, Pavarotti also staged an annual charity concert, Pavarotti and Friends.
When cancer finally stopped Pavarotti from singing, it was only the second interruption of his career.
"I think I just stop for one year when from a kid I become a man and the voice is changing," he said in 1991. "I was an alto and become a tenor and that is the only time I think I remember to have stopped singing. Otherwise I have sung all my life."
Amid reports this week that his condition was worsening, it was announced in Rome on Tuesday (Sept. 4) by Italy's cultural minister, Francesco Rotelli, Pavarotti is receiving a newly created prize for excellence in cultural achievement.
The New York Times' Alan Riding pointed out in a February article that ironically, the modern-day popularity of operatic work has prompted the building of new opera houses in many major centers including Copenhagen, Tokyo and -- coming next year, Beijing -- at a time when the repertoire remains rooted in centuries-old work and the costs of production make tickets prohibitive for most younger would-be audience members.
For opera to survive today, Riding wrote, it needs not only new music but also "exciting young singers." Pavarotti was that singer, in the right place and the right time for his generation
Source: CNN
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
AdSense Blog launches in Chinese
Inside Adsense Chinese had been launched for the Chinese community. Have your time to view the latest blog.
Today, we're excited to announce the launch of our 11th AdSense blog -- Inside AdSense: AdSense 中文博客. The new blog is written in Simplified Chinese, and will provide Chinese-speaking publishers with the latest AdSense updates and announcements. Members of the Chinese support team will be addressing commonly asked questions, sharing optimization advice, and introducing you to publishers who have been successful with the program.