5 star hotels in cyprus

read five star hotels in portugal i found

GENEVA — Airlines canceled hundreds of flights across Europe and added hours to trans-Atlantic journeys Sunday as planes were diverted around a large plume of ash spewed by an Icelandic volcano and stretching from Greenland to Portugal.

So far, the weekend cancellations have been a fraction of the flights nixed two weeks ago when jittery European air traffic authorities closed down much of the continent's airspace for fear the volcano's abrasive ash could harm jet engines. But the possibility loomed of continuing eruption, and rising costs to airlines from ongoing disruption.

The bulk of the cloud, measuring 2,100 miles long and 1,400 miles wide (3,400 kilometers by 2,200 kilometers), stretched over the North Atlantic, according to the Irish Aviation Authority. It ordered Ireland's five westernmost airports to close Sunday afternoon but allowed the country's three biggest airports in Dublin, Shannon and Cork to stay open.

Airlines diverted their trans-Atlantic traffic north and south of the cloud, causing congestion as planes tried to squeeze through remaining routes. Some connections were canceled entirely because of an offshoot of the main cloud that was snaking its way from Portugal through Spain, southern France and northern Italy, then up to Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria.

Eurocontrol, the Brussels-based agency that coordinates air traffic control centers throughout the continent, warned airlines to plan on taking on more fuel for the longer flight around the North Atlantic no-fly zone.

It said there would be approximately 24,500 flights within the European area Sunday, about 500 below average for this time of year. It said the ash cloud hovering over the continent was expected to dissipate and that most of the closed airports were likely to reopen later Sunday.

Daniel Gerstgrasser, a meteorologist with Switzerland's national weather agency, said rain would help wash out the cloud by Monday morning and no further ash drifts were expected to reach the continent in the coming 24 hours.

Longer-term forecasts were less clear. Meteorologists say that until Eyjafjallajokul (pronounced ay-yah-FYAH-lah-yer-kuhl), the volcano in southern Iceland, stops erupting, the future course of Europe's ash crisis will depend heavily on the prevailing winds. The eruption of the glacier-capped volcano has shown no signs of stopping since it began belching ash April 13. It last erupted from 1821 to 1823.

Irish airline Aer Lingus apologized to its customers for a string of flight cancellations since Tuesday, when the ash threat returned to Irish air space after a two-week break. Its trans-Atlantic services to Boston and New York were operating Sunday subject to delays.

Today Spain will test the capital markets with a downsized E2-3 billion 5 year issue (from E4.5 billion) carrying a 3% coupon. The yield on the note is expected to come higher than existing comparable maturities which are trading at 3.3%, thus pricing will likely be in north of 3.5%. At the end of March, Greece managed to raise 5 year bonds at 2.8%: there are no concerns that Greece will be able to repeat that result, much to the negative P&L of all those who bought into the last bond issue.  "Spain is firmly in the eye of the storm, and the Spanish
treasury cannot allow this sale to fail," said Jose Garcia
Zarate at consultancy 4Cast. Yet as we showed yesterday, traders are not so worried about Spain, whom they have pretty much written off now, as the UK, France and Germany. In the meantime, the PIIGS fire is raging: Greek 3 Years just hit 15%, as its CDS trades 30 bps wider since the NY close, now at 877 bps. And the eye of the hurricane is moving west: Portugal CDS hit another high of 456 bps today, implying a 33% chance of a sovereign default. Lastly, the euro is plunging and after hitting an overnight support in the low 1.27 area, has bounced slightly. Spain will need all the help it can get. In the very least, today will be a test whether the recent rumor spread by a prominent nationalized and GGB heavy UK bank, that Spain has requested a E280 billion rescue package, was true or not.

 

source: Yahoo Jobs Job Finder

Earn Money In Fashion

web site about fashion jobs you have to see

I first saw Buke And Gass last summer at Joe’s Pub as part of the Happy Ending Music & Reading Series. They performed some of their songs on a bill where I did a reading about black metal (and, separately, Colin Stetson made his saxophone sound like black metal). I’d never heard them before that — they stood out in the way they conjured these weird, catchy, dense songs on homemade instruments. It was unexpectedly bracing. Lots of momentum. As far as the lingo, the buke is “a self-modified six string baritone ukelele” and the gass is “a guitar-bass hybrid.” They both handle all sorts of foot percussion. The sounds are then filtered and processed, etc. It’s compelling watching them kick and strum on these things, but it was Arone Dyer’s waling, uplifting, melodic voice that left the biggest impression on me. You hear Beth Ditto for a second (one who races/fixes bikes and builds her own instruments, doesn’t hang out at fashion shows), Kathleen Hannah in those Bikini Kill days, Throwing Muses, something else, etc., an overall joy.

Just to make things confusing, Arone’s bandmate’s name is Aron. I caught up with the two for Quit Your Day Job because what they do for work helps make more sense of their music: Aron builds instruments for the Blue Man Group (he invented the Aronophonic) and Arone’s a bike mechanic (who happened to sing on Blue Man Group’s “What Is Rock”). And, of course, they also build their own noisemakers. They’re releasing a full-length on Brassland in late summer/early fall and have a few shows next month opening for Brassland heads (with Alec Hanley Bemis) Aaron and Bryce Dessner’s band.

Aron, drums and gass

STEREOGUM: How did you get hooked up with the Blue Man Group?

ARON SANCHEZ: A friend of mine was a member of the Blue Man Group band when I first moved to NYC, he introduced me to them and I started working and performing in the band for the Chicago and New York productions. After a few years of that I began designing and building instruments for them full-time which lasted about nine years. Since ‘08 I work for them freelance.

STEREOGUM: What’s your background in instrument design?

AS: No formal background really, just something I’ve been doing since childhood. I just have a strong desire to build the instruments I play, it’s more satisfying and I’m able to experiment and discover new sounds and techniques. Actually, I have a strong desire to build almost anything, I’m a total geek that way. I studied art and music in school and I suppose instrument design is a way to straddle the two.

STEREOGUM: That show is basically ongoing… forever? How often do you need to build new instruments? Repair old ones?

AS: For Blue Man it’s pretty sporadic, several times a year. They call me when they’re putting up a new show or when something needs to be replaced. Though I’m about to do some big pieces for a new tour they’re putting up next fall, a few instruments that I’ve built before and some that are new designs.

STEREOGUM: Are you able to introduce you own new designs or are you working off specific prototypes?

AS: Well, back when I was working full-time for them I was able to experiment and come up with new designs all the time. A lot of R&D and problem solving.  Basically they would have a concept or idea for a new instrument or new sound they wanted to create and use and I would go off and try to make it happen somehow. Often times it was for a skit they were performing on The Tonight Show or a video piece or the touring productions. There was also the day to day stuff of building and repairing the stock instruments they use in the shows.

STEREOGUM: So you’re not on call?

AS: Yeah, not on call.  Blue Man work is project by project. Lately I’ve been doing more recording than anything else.

STEREOGUM: How many people work on the instruments? The show’s been long-running … Any elder statesman over there?

AS: Mostly just myself and maybe one or two assistants working on the instruments. We had a workshop in Red Hook Brooklyn where all the props, sets, special effects and costumes were fabricated, about 12 people working in they’re specific areas. The show’s been running since ‘90-91 I think. Some elder statesman there, yes, but mostly just the founders of the company.

STEREOGUM: You also build instruments for your own band.

AS: Yes, I build the instrument I play which is a hybrid between a bass and a guitar, as well as the amplifiers and some effect pedals we use.

STEREOGUM: Do you ever incorporate any Blue Man Group-esque elements for Buke & Gass noisemakers?

AS: Mm, not really, no. Different ball game.

STEREOGUM: How many times have you watched the Blue Man Group’s show?

AS: I can’t say, I performed in the show probably … 300-400 times in the two years I was doing that. Since then I’ve probably only seen it a handful of times.

STEREOGUM: Did Tobias ever have a chance?

AS: Didn’t he?

///

Arone, buke and voice

STEREOGUM: You’re a bike mechanic. Do you work in a shop or on your own?

ARONE DYER: I had managed a shop in Lower East Side for a few years, but recently chose to change that situation … Now I’m more freelance/part-part time at a couple different shops, one where I’m their main wheel builder, the other I’m just wrenching. More hands on, as I prefer.

STEREOGUM: How’d you get started?

AD: About seven or eight years ago I began volunteering at Recycle-a-Bicycle, which was a great source of information and gateway into the good-natured cycling community of NYC. I learned a lot there, moved on to another shop and learned more, moved to another/learned more, etc etc. I wrote a few articles on repair for a magazine a few years back, and since then I’ve tried to avoid being in a cycling spotlight.

STEREOGUM: What’s the most common repair?

AD: Flats.

STEREOGUM: Ever been stumped?

AD: Certainly, but far less as time has gone on. Right now I’m stumped as to why I still haven’t fixed the flat on my bike that’s been sitting in my backyard for a year, I mean … just crazy …  Apparently it’s really common.

STEREOGUM: In your opinion, what’s the ideal city bike?

AD: Something you hate so much you love it, yet wouldn’t mind leaving it behind.

STEREOGUM: Do you belong to any biking activist groups?

AD: No, I’m not terribly activisty in general. I support their causes, some of the time, but I tend to stay away from rallies and I don’t yell at cars anymore.

STEREOGUM: You also build instruments…

AD: Yes, learning more about that each day. I’ve dabbled for years, but now I have more reason to dive into it. I’ve built two amplifiers now, the one I play at our shows and a Fender Champ weber kit. Also, I just finished a nicer playing Buke. It’s far fancier with a radial fretboard and a truss rod in the neck, rather than the old fashioned Frankenbuke-style of stretching a cable from the head-stock to the base of the neck, potentially holding it from warping forward with the tension of the strings. No more entanglement.

STEREOGUM: How do you see your biking and music making overlapping, if at all?

AD: Aah, yes, well … to begin with, I just enjoy doing both things so much that that’s what I make sure to spend my time doing. On top of that, my mechanic work provides me the meager financial abilities and mental respite to survive while I make music … and sometimes it works the other way around. Also, I’ve noticed that singing while riding bike is very similar to playing a show, where I’m moving so much it’s hard to catch my breath at times.

///

Here’s a new one:

• Buke And Gass – “Medulla Oblongata”Download

You can hear older ones at MySpace. They recently spoke for/played at Radiolab. The instruments are explained. Hookworms are mentioned. The shows:

04/25 – Brooklyn, NY @ Glasslands #

05/05 – London UK @ Electric Ballroom %

05/06 – London UK @ Royal Albert Hall %

05/08 – Berlin Germany @ Huxley’s Neue Welt %

05/09 – Berlin Germany @ Astra %

05/14 – Brooklyn, NY @ Glasslands !!

# w/ Melati Malay, Parlovr, The Luyas

% w/ The National

!! w/ Talk Normal, Asa Ransom, Miniboone

The comments left a bit of a shiver in the room—and the next day, Gawker called her compliments for fashion bloggers "bitchy ."

Wintour's words echoed the sentiments of Joe Zee, the creative director of Elle, who recently spoke on a panel at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology. When asked about how digital media was influencing the fashion industry, Zee, speaking about fashion bloggers, snipped : "…if you don't know what you're talking about, then do you have the credibility to talk about it?"

In a strange, self-fulfilling prophecy, Zee's quote quickly spread around the blogosphere like news of a Rodarte sample sale—yet another mainstream dinosaur was dismissing the digital meteor shower.

But if it used to be easy to wave aside fashion bloggers, and criticize them for being nothing more than kids writing about fashion from their bedrooms, these days they are impossible to ignore. Even Zee, when reached by phone last Monday, explained: "What I was trying to say is that you can't compare Cathy Horyn and Tavi ," he says of The New York Times' fashion critic and the popular blogger Tavi Gevinson, who turned 14 on Wednesday. "One is a fashion critic who has been doing this for a number of years and can reference things that she's seen. The other is doing it to be fun and quirky. Can Tavi reference a collection that happened five years ago? She was 8. But there is room for both in fashion journalism."

In just a few years of existence, fashion bloggers have already become influential tastemakers. They are often granted front-row seats at fashion shows, they've been profiled by The New York Times, photographed for Vogue—and one even had a bag named after him by Marc Jacobs. And this year, for the first time, two of the most famous bloggers, Tavi and Bryan Boy, voted for the prestigious CFDA awards, which will be presented on June 7.

But with the increasing success, of course, comes new problems. Some bloggers are now realizing what many fashion magazines have struggled with for years: How do you remain an independent voice without being co-opted by the very industry you cover? Like mainstream fashion editors, bloggers are now swimming in freebies, and industry veterans wonder whether they can maintain enough distance from the brands they critique. They are also expressing reservations about selling out, as some bloggers are making money off their readers and inking corporate deals.

One such blogger is Grechen Cohen, 37, who founded Grechen's Closet, in 2004. In 2006, she was able to quit her job working on business development for projects between American and Israeli companies because she began making enough money with the blog, which focuses on shopping. Since then, she's blogged about favorite products and where to find the best discounts. She's supported herself through both advertising and affiliate programs, whereby she collects a finder's fee on items that she recommends to readers that they go on to buy on e-commerce sites. Now, she says, she makes over $50,000 a year on her blog.

Like Cohen, other bloggers aren't just relying on advertisers—they're also making money from "affiliate" deals with major shopping sites. In November 2009, Net-a-Porter founder Natalie Massenet noted that bloggers and affiliate sites represented 5 percent of the company's sales.

Learn To Bring In Money With Fashion

see fashion jobs you can read

After editorial stints at Vanity Fair and Elle, Alia Ahmed-Yahia was tapped to be the fashion director of LOFT in late 2008. Since then, she's been busy revamping the brand, bringing in a cache of stylists to work with the collections and expanding LOFT's social-media reach. (She's also courting the celebrity set: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Alexa Chung, Mena Suvari, and Amanda Hearst all checked out the brand's fall preview this month.) She says, "It's a 360 degree job" that includes snapping street-style pictures for concept boards, styling the collections, and conceptualizing window displays. This spring, she helped launch LOFT's new Tumblr site (featuring guest blogger Jessica Schroeder of What I Wore), as well as coordinating the brand's blog, Facebook page, and Twitter feed. We chatted with the West Village local about her shoe addiction, styling, and DIY fashion.

What's the idea behind LOFT's new Style Studio?

We brought in three stylists — Kate Young, Tina Chai, and Joanna Blades — to arrange looks from the fall 2010 collection. It was about bringing in a diverse group of women to the table to mix the pieces in different ways. Every woman has style; some are just more fashion-confident than others.

Who are your favorite designers?

Well, I'm never mad at Balenciaga. I love YSL, especially the accessories, and my guilty pleasure is Azzedine Alaïa shoes. My friends say I have two speeds: running shoes or five-inch heels.

What's the first designer item you bought?

It was a Prada sweater, and I wore it to death. I must have gotten the price down to a penny a day. Then I passed it on to my little sister.

Where do you like to shop in New York?

I'm a fashion nomad. I shop at a lot of flea markets, like the Chelsea flea. I love Resurrection. And New World Order is a very cool store in the East Village. The guy who started it used to live in Paris, and he has these French style scouts.

How would you describe your personal style?

Colorful, creative, and experimental. I'm very DIY. I've been known to spray paint a watch or cut the sleeves off a vintage fur coat and wear them as leg warmers. I have a typically tiny New York closet, and some of my best style inspiration comes from having to hang things on the same hanger to save space — it's a forced strategy.

What trends are you appreciating right now?

I've gotten really into slim cargos. I also like mixing patterns, like classic stripes with a leopard-fur vest.

Any trends you're ready to see retired?

Ditzy florals and prairie skirts. I can't handle that — it's too literal.

What's one item you're saving up to buy?

I run past the Louboutin store every day, and there's always a new pair of shoes that I covet. There's this amazing pair that has spikes all over the heel. They're definitely dinner shoes, but I would probably wear them on the subway. When I like something, I wear it to death, then I never want to see it again. Luckily, I'm the oldest of seven kids, so I have a lot of siblings to pass things on to.

What should every woman have in her closet?

I think the feminine cropped jacket is the new cardigan. I love the look of a structured shape over a soft flowing dress.

What's something you never leave the house without?

My BlackBerry is my best friend. I'm always taking pictures of people on the street, and I e-mail ideas to myself a lot.

Tonight The City returns on MTV. It may not have a promo as fancy as that of the Hills, in which the girls are finally cut from the strings by which they hang from Adam DiVello's meaty and powerful fingers, but it has just as much (if not more) tension. Between characters with that rare thing in reality TV — arcs. We rang Whitney Port up to talk about Olivia, her clothing line, her forthcoming first book, Kelly Cutrone, dating, and more. And she's feistier than ever before.

As revealed in the trailer, Olivia is not supporting your line — were you surprised? What is your relationship like with her?

I was not so surprised by that. Olivia and I have never really been the best of friends. You know, at the time, yes, I was a little bit hurt because it wouldn’t have really taken that much for her to interview me for elle.com, and as a "journalist" or whatever she is for the magazine, your opinion doesn't really matter. Your job is to interview someone and then report it, but she made it personal. I think that there's obviously some level of insecurity on her part, and she's showing it. I don't know that she knows that she's showing it, but it definitely comes through. It was a little bit hurtful, but Olivia's one of those people who doesn't care about anybody but herself. That's why it's not so surprising because she doesn't want to help anybody else out. She's only out for herself. So, if I expected something different from her, then maybe I would have been more hurt, but it's like the same old thing with her.

It seems like there's quite a bit of drama in store for this season of The City. What's going to particularly surprise viewers?

I think the show has taken on a totally different look. At first it was kind of The Hills' legacy, and it was very relationship-heavy, just kind of character-driven, and I think this season it's really focused on our careers, and how we're going to eventually make it in the fashion industry. I watched the first episode yesterday, and I was actually quite excited about it, because I think that, for girls, if you're interested in fashion and have goals of being in fashion, I think it's pretty cool that you can kind of see how to navigate your way through it in this way.

On to your fashion line, Whitney Eve, which we saw during Fashion Week in September: You had MTV cameras filming as you were trying to put out a runway show. Did they interfere?

It's been a balance of both. On the one hand it's been a little difficult, because I was worried about how the line was going to be portrayed, and they get every little detail of your process — the design process, the selling process, the presentation process, so not everything always goes smoothly and they're there for all those hiccups. So that can be a little bit daunting, but at the same time, it's also going to have such publicity and visibility because of it, so it's like a double-edged sword.

What do you see as the next step for your line?

The next step is basically starting on my spring collection. I'm continuing to design it, I'm trying to make it a little more accessible and affordable for my customers and my viewership, and just continuing to work on it.

Speaking of making it more accessible, would you consider doing a diffusion line?

Definitely. I first wanted to establish myself and show that I actually had some design sense. It's very easy for people to just put their name on something, especially in this industry — everyone seems to be doing that — and so it was really important to me that people kind of took me seriously at first. But I think I haven’t necessarily gotten to that point where people are taking me seriously yet, but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't be open to doing something on a larger scale.

Designer Adrienne Baravetto recently sued you, claiming she designed Whitney Eve but wasn't paid or acknowledged for her work. Is there any truth to that?

[Publicist intervenes: "I'm sorry, she can't comment on that, it concerns litigation."] I can't comment on that.

You're not represented by People's Revolution. Given Kelly Cutrone's involvement in your career, why did you decide to go with another PR firm?

I've been an employee at People's Revolution and I thought it was weird for me all of a sudden to become a client of theirs. And she was helping me out of the goodness of her heart, and she's got a lot on her plate, so I figured I would just move to something else and keep my relationship with Kelly as kind of a mentor relationship and not a business relationship.

You're writing a book. What can you tell us about it?

I've actually been working on it a lot. I'm coming out with basically a "how-to" guide. It's called True Whit and it covers everything from fashion, beauty, interviewing for a job, just all different elements of your quarterlife crisis. Once you get out of college, what to do and where to go and how to navigate through it. I found that I had so many questions when I graduated college and had a job in L.A. and moved out to New York and had to start a whole new life for myself, so I thought that I would share my experience and anecdotes and kind of help out that same kind of girl.

Last season, we saw Roxy get you into a bit of trouble. Are you still good friends with her? Do you think she's a bad influence on you?

I maintain a really good relationship with Roxy. I don't think that she's a bad influence, I just think that we have a really different way of doing things. Roxy and I still work together, but we're kind of going our own separate ways. She wants to do something different now, which you'll see, and she's definitely trying to stay out of my shadow.

There's been buzz that you're dating Buried Life star Ben Nemtin. Did you meet through MTV?

We met through friends, not through MTV.

So it's just a coincidence that you're both on reality shows?

Yeah, basically.

How has being on a reality show affected your dating life? Do you make an effort to balance a public and private life?

Now I've begun to do that. I think it's really important to maintain that level of privacy. While I would go on little dates here and there this past season, I'm not looking to put the spotlight on a serious relationship, I really want to maintain that the show is career-oriented.

Do you think you were you more willing to put yourself and your relationships in front of the camera in previous seasons?

In The Hills, I never was. I had a boyfriend behind the scenes, and no one knew who he was, and it was just kind of under the radar in that way. But once I moved to New York I lived out a whole relationship in front of the camera, so I totally learned my lesson, and I just don't think I could put myself in that position again.

Bring In Income With A Fashion Job

read fashion jobs i found in google

Tonight The City returns on MTV. It may not have a promo as fancy as that of the Hills, in which the girls are finally cut from the strings by which they hang from Adam DiVello's meaty and powerful fingers, but it has just as much (if not more) tension. Between characters with that rare thing in reality TV — arcs. We rang Whitney Port up to talk about Olivia, her clothing line, her forthcoming first book, Kelly Cutrone, dating, and more. And she's feistier than ever before.

As revealed in the trailer, Olivia is not supporting your line — were you surprised? What is your relationship like with her?

I was not so surprised by that. Olivia and I have never really been the best of friends. You know, at the time, yes, I was a little bit hurt because it wouldn’t have really taken that much for her to interview me for elle.com, and as a "journalist" or whatever she is for the magazine, your opinion doesn't really matter. Your job is to interview someone and then report it, but she made it personal. I think that there's obviously some level of insecurity on her part, and she's showing it. I don't know that she knows that she's showing it, but it definitely comes through. It was a little bit hurtful, but Olivia's one of those people who doesn't care about anybody but herself. That's why it's not so surprising because she doesn't want to help anybody else out. She's only out for herself. So, if I expected something different from her, then maybe I would have been more hurt, but it's like the same old thing with her.

It seems like there's quite a bit of drama in store for this season of The City. What's going to particularly surprise viewers?

I think the show has taken on a totally different look. At first it was kind of The Hills' legacy, and it was very relationship-heavy, just kind of character-driven, and I think this season it's really focused on our careers, and how we're going to eventually make it in the fashion industry. I watched the first episode yesterday, and I was actually quite excited about it, because I think that, for girls, if you're interested in fashion and have goals of being in fashion, I think it's pretty cool that you can kind of see how to navigate your way through it in this way.

On to your fashion line, Whitney Eve, which we saw during Fashion Week in September: You had MTV cameras filming as you were trying to put out a runway show. Did they interfere?

It's been a balance of both. On the one hand it's been a little difficult, because I was worried about how the line was going to be portrayed, and they get every little detail of your process — the design process, the selling process, the presentation process, so not everything always goes smoothly and they're there for all those hiccups. So that can be a little bit daunting, but at the same time, it's also going to have such publicity and visibility because of it, so it's like a double-edged sword.

What do you see as the next step for your line?

The next step is basically starting on my spring collection. I'm continuing to design it, I'm trying to make it a little more accessible and affordable for my customers and my viewership, and just continuing to work on it.

Speaking of making it more accessible, would you consider doing a diffusion line?

Definitely. I first wanted to establish myself and show that I actually had some design sense. It's very easy for people to just put their name on something, especially in this industry — everyone seems to be doing that — and so it was really important to me that people kind of took me seriously at first. But I think I haven’t necessarily gotten to that point where people are taking me seriously yet, but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't be open to doing something on a larger scale.

Designer Adrienne Baravetto recently sued you, claiming she designed Whitney Eve but wasn't paid or acknowledged for her work. Is there any truth to that?

[Publicist intervenes: "I'm sorry, she can't comment on that, it concerns litigation."] I can't comment on that.

You're not represented by People's Revolution. Given Kelly Cutrone's involvement in your career, why did you decide to go with another PR firm?

I've been an employee at People's Revolution and I thought it was weird for me all of a sudden to become a client of theirs. And she was helping me out of the goodness of her heart, and she's got a lot on her plate, so I figured I would just move to something else and keep my relationship with Kelly as kind of a mentor relationship and not a business relationship.

You're writing a book. What can you tell us about it?

I've actually been working on it a lot. I'm coming out with basically a "how-to" guide. It's called True Whit and it covers everything from fashion, beauty, interviewing for a job, just all different elements of your quarterlife crisis. Once you get out of college, what to do and where to go and how to navigate through it. I found that I had so many questions when I graduated college and had a job in L.A. and moved out to New York and had to start a whole new life for myself, so I thought that I would share my experience and anecdotes and kind of help out that same kind of girl.

Last season, we saw Roxy get you into a bit of trouble. Are you still good friends with her? Do you think she's a bad influence on you?

I maintain a really good relationship with Roxy. I don't think that she's a bad influence, I just think that we have a really different way of doing things. Roxy and I still work together, but we're kind of going our own separate ways. She wants to do something different now, which you'll see, and she's definitely trying to stay out of my shadow.

There's been buzz that you're dating Buried Life star Ben Nemtin. Did you meet through MTV?

We met through friends, not through MTV.

So it's just a coincidence that you're both on reality shows?

Yeah, basically.

How has being on a reality show affected your dating life? Do you make an effort to balance a public and private life?

Now I've begun to do that. I think it's really important to maintain that level of privacy. While I would go on little dates here and there this past season, I'm not looking to put the spotlight on a serious relationship, I really want to maintain that the show is career-oriented.

Do you think you were you more willing to put yourself and your relationships in front of the camera in previous seasons?

In The Hills, I never was. I had a boyfriend behind the scenes, and no one knew who he was, and it was just kind of under the radar in that way. But once I moved to New York I lived out a whole relationship in front of the camera, so I totally learned my lesson, and I just don't think I could put myself in that position again.

Dutch fashion designers Viktor & Rolf will present a collection of outfits designed for dolls at the Antwerp gallery of artists Studio Job.

Top: The Fashion Show

Above: Russian Doll

One doll will be presented to represent each collection the designers have created so far.

Above: Ballroom

The dolls will be on show 18 May – 16 July.

Read more about the Studio Job gallery in our earlier story.

Photographs are by Peter Stigter.

Here’s some more information from Studio Job written by Erik Schilp, director Museum of National History of The Netherlands:

Studio Job Gallery presents Dolls by Viktor & Rolf

The true strength of Viktor & Rolf’s work is its genuine modesty. Although from time to time they make grand statements and their output can be astonishing in its proportions, the essence of their work is high-quality simplicity: look around you, take what you see and improve on it. No idealistic aims or wild fantasies – add a golden finish to the lead of daily life. All this is entirely in keeping with the Low Countries tradition that idiosyncrasy and uniqueness are only valued if they are kept at arm’s length, and that a modest attitude is expected. Viktor & Rolf have succeeded precisely because they have not rejected these conventions, yet have developed a wonderful sincerity that tests the boundaries of this sham context and so exposes its falsehood.

Above: NO

They have thus set a new standard for coming generations of artists and designers without ever repudiating their origins. It should therefore come as no surprise that Viktor & Rolf have finally felt the need to put their entire oeuvre in perspective. The result is Dolls – a blend of unparalleled creative power and artistic magnificence, couples with the sincerity and true modesty that typifies their work.

Above: Black Hole

Best of all, Dolls has found a home with Job and Nynke who (as Studio Job) have so much in common with Viktor & Rolf – a highly successful personal relationship that goes back to the 1990’s.

18 May – 16 July 2010 / 14:00 – 18:00

Tuesday – Friday and by appointment

Studio Job Gallery

Begijnenvest 8

2000 Antwerp, Belgium

See also:

.

Let's Make Money

click here to learn more about making money online

Believe it or not, there are people out there who want your money and will do sneaky things to get it. Crazy, right? There are some new and super tricky ways these scammers have come up with to separate you from your hard-earned cash, so let’s read up with a How Not To list from the Chicago Tribune and get prepared.

Census scammers: These con artists will prey on your willingness to be counted. If for some reason your 2010 census form hasn’t been received yet, there’s a possibility that a census worker could ring your doorbell. But make sure they’re who they say they are.

"If you get an e-mail from the Census Bureau that says we want information, that's not us," Kim Hunter, a media specialist for the Census Bureau tells the Chicago Tribune.

They also won’t give you any online forms or ask for your Social Security number. If a real census worker is on your doorstep, they will have a badge with no picture, and you can ask to see their driver’s license. They shouldn’t come in your house or ask for money.

Phone number switcheroos: After Toyota began recalling automobiles, they set up an info line for consumers - 800-331-4331. But some scammers out there set themselves up with a number that was close to that number, says the Better Business Bureau of Eastern Michigan.

Customers who reached that number were directed to call another 800 number and ended up being charged around $6 on their phone bill.


And when it comes to the phone, don't trust Miss Cleo's pals. As if you didn’t know -- psychics can see your money in the future, so if you call one and they ask you to press a number, you’re most likely going to get charged big money for being sent to a 900-number. Check your phone bill and fight charges that shouldn't be there.



There is no money waiting for you in a foreign land: As believable as it is that there are millionaires dying every day with no one to give their money to -- okay, it’s not believable at all, and anyone who emails you to ask for help depositing millions is just going to steal from your bank account. Delete!

Know your family tree: We all like helping a family member in need and scammers know this. If someone calls you and says they’re your long lost third cousin from your Great-Uncle Jack’s side and they need money to get out of a jam, yeah, they’re lying.

Sneaksters will read obituaries to get names of grandchildren to try and bamboozle senior citizens, according to a March report in the AARP Bulletin. Now that is just cold-hearted.

Basically, you should keep count of your grandchildren, don’t wire money to strangers, be wary of anyone taking your money, don’t give out SSN or credit card info to someone calling you out of the blue, and stay away from email heiresses.

Beware of latest scams to separate you from your money [Chicago Tribune]

photo: Philip Jägenstedt

The national debt has been making its way into the headlines a lot as of late. Much of this attention has been underscored by a grumbling, a recession-weary U.S. population forced to re-examine their spending habits even as the government maintains record federal deficits.

One of the latest news flashes to spark public concern is China’s continued dominance as the largest foreign holder of U.S. Treasury debt. According to the U.S. Treasury Department’s annual benchmark revisions, China’s holdings of U.S. Treasury securities stood at $894.8 billion at the end of December 2009, keeping it in its first place position followed by Japan which holds $768.8 billion.

Over the last year or so, there’s been a lot of brouhaha over China’s holdings, its “econo-political” maneuverings, and what this all means for the average American. But all of this is pretty complicated and abstract–especially for those of us who don’t hold a degree in economic policy.

So I set out to make China’s U.S. debt holdings somewhat more tangible. Here’s what I found:

China’s holdings as a percentage of national debt:

Our current national debt is approximately $12.557 trillion. Thus, China’s total treasury holdings represent 14% of America’s total debt obligations and 24.3% of total foreign ownership of U.S. Treasury Securities.

How the money we owe China compares to the federal budget:

Total estimated expenditures for FY 2010 came to $3.552 trillion; while total estimated revenues for FY 2010 were $2.381 trillion. That works out to 25% of total US expenditures and approximately 37.5% of total yearly revenues.

How much we owe China per capita?

The estimated population of the United States is now 307,966,334 (and counting). That works out to approximately $2905 per person. Thus, the average family with two children collectively owes $11,622 to China.

How much interest are we paying China per year? Per Day?

The US treasury offers a range of securities that mature within set time periods (i.e. 1,5, or10 years) with the longest held securities maturing in 30 years. Though yields vary depending on the length of the security, the majority of China’s holdings are long-term. Currently, the interest rate offered on long-term securities is approximately 4.5%. We can therefore calculate a rough estimate of $40.26 billion in interest paid per year or $110.3 million a day. 

How does China’s debt holdings compare to health care industry profits?

The health care industry is one of the biggest industries in the US, constituting a 5th of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The profits of five largest US health insurance companies were a mere $12.2 billion in 2009!

Zaijian, America!

America, Let’s Face It: China Owns Us! provided by fastupfront.com.

Let's Make Money

click here to learn more about making money online

Vancouver startup incubator Bootup Labs is taking heat for abruptly downsizing its portfolio of fledgling companies looking for a bit of financing and mentoring after an apparent snafu in fundraising on their part.

The multiple-sided story has been circulating on Hacker News since last night and covered here and there, but we thought we’d recount what’s happening because there are important lessons to be learned here.

Let’s start with the take of young entrepreneur Jamie Martin, who kicked off things with the announcement that the startup he had co-founded, Statusly, had been cut from Bootup Labs’ Startup Accelerator.

Make sure you read the blog post before continuing.

The gist of his side of the story: he and his co-founder Steven Rogers applied to a good number of seed funds and incubators all over North America and ended up choosing Bootup Labs in Vancouver, relocating to Canada (and everything that comes with it) with practically no money and sleeping on the floor of an apartment while working on Statusly for 2 months.

Then, Bootup Labs co-founder Danny Robinson tells the pair that the incubator was unable to secure as much money as they had originally anticipated. As a result, they had to “reduce their portfolio” of 7 startups to 3, giving Martin and Rogers 3-4 business days to get a job – which proved impossible, ultimately forcing the duo to return to the USA and put up their startup’s assets for sale on Flippa.

It’s important to note that Martin acknowledges that there were good sides to the experience as well, and that he shouldn’t have claimed that Bootup Labs was running out of money (which he did in the original title of his blog post). On the flip side, he was never given a decent explanation of what went wrong, exactly.

Bootup Labs responded to the fuzz that originated from Martin’s blog post, first in comments on his blog and on Hacker News, and ultimately by publishing a blog post. In this post, the incubator announced that it has raised funding from local VC firm Growthworks and Canadian entrepreneur and investor Boris Wertz, and that the latter would be joining the board.

On to the “unfortunate part” of the announcement. Bootup Labs says they had informed its ’2010 cohort’ upon arrival that fund closing would be delayed due to some new Canadian venture regulations, and that one investor backed out unexpectedly when the capital call was made. Robinson writes that the delay was “outside of our control, unintentional, and communicated immediately”. He goes on to say:

“We used every last cent of our personal money to bridge Bootup and close the funding. We supplied a great deal of support and value to the 7 companies over the first 2 months of our 2010 cohort, and we received nothing in return for the 4 companies that were cut. We still count all the companies that we’ve worked with in any capacity as friends of Bootup, and wish them all the best.

Bootup is back on solid ground and ready to continue it’s role as a leading North American Seed Accelerator.”

Personally, the final part of the blog post vexes me, after thinking about both sides of the table in this story. Nobody said being an entrepreneur was going to be easy, but what kind of message is Bootup Labs sending to the 4 startups that were cut in question? That you have to roll with the punches but fortunately Bootup would be alright, thank you very much?

If I were Bootup Labs, I would be going out of my way to amend things with the 4 startups that were abruptly cut. I’d do more than what is strictly necessary, and not for publicity reasons, if only to make my own mission statement ring true for future startups and partners. That would help to avoid getting commentary like that by Ian Bell, founder of another startup that was cut out of the program, who writes:

Note for the record that AppSocial, of which I am founder, was never a Bootup Labs company. While it is true that we had signed a Term Sheet with Bootup it became quite clear to us that Bootup did not have the capital required to fulfill the promised $150K in that Term Sheet. When Bootup floated a significantly lower offer, we withdrew from their offices in early March.

Unfortunately, Boris Mann had announced to the world that we had joined Bootup in January, without consulting us and obtaining our consent. This was premature. In practise it is preferable to wait until all deal documentation is executed prior to such an announcement. And I think we now know why. :)

It is regrettable that I am compelled to address this issue in a public forum. It sucks for everyone involved and I certainly hope that Danny and Boris, and all of the entrepreneurs affected by this, have learned from the experience.

Again, if I were Bootup Labs, I’d apologize a million times, explain in the greatest detail possible what went wrong when, where and how, and what measures I’m going to take to avoid such a situation ever to happen again in the future. (To be fair, the other Bootup Labs founder, Boris Mann, appears to be more apologetic about the whole thing.)

I sure as hell wouldn’t be boasting about the fact that my own company at least got “back on solid ground” and is “continuing to lead” anything.

Update: Robinson responds in comments:

You’re right. We deserve to be lambasted. If you were actually in my shoes, you would have already apologized, in person, many times, and done everything possible to make it right. Which is exactly what we did, and explains why we have not done so in public prior to now. We feel terrible about what happened are are truly sorry. We’re still working to make it right and will always be there for these companies.

The Social Analyst is a weekly column by Mashable Co-Editor Ben Parr, where he digs into social media trends and how they are affecting companies in the space.

It’s undeniable: Foursquareclass="blippr-nobr">Foursquare is on fire in a way that no startup since Twitterclass="blippr-nobr">Twitter has come close to achieving. It’s changing the world and acquiring new users at a rapid place, so perhaps that’s why it doesn’t surprise us to learn that Yahoo is aggressively trying to acquire Foursquare.

According to Kara Swisher of AllThingsD, Foursquare and its founder Dennis Crowley have two options: raise more money from venture capital firms that would value the company at around $100 million, or be acquired by Yahoo for $125 million or more.

These are not small numbers and this is not an easy decision. The payday from Yahoo would be enough for most of the Foursquare team to be very happy for the rest of their lives. Any overtures from the Internet giant should be taken seriously.

However, if Crowley and the Foursquare team want to make the kind of worldwide impact that only a handful of people can claim to have achieved — all while building a company with far greater value than the money Yahoo is offering — then it needs to take venture capital money, forgo the immediate payday and amp up Foursquare’s growth to the Facebook and Twitter level.

The Hit-or-Miss of Acquisitions

When a hot tech start is acquired by a major technology company, the results have historically been all over the charts. For every class='blippr-nobr'>YouTubeclass="blippr-nobr">YouTube success (acquired by class='blippr-nobr'>Googleclass="blippr-nobr">Google in 2006), there is a class='blippr-nobr'>Jaikuclass="blippr-nobr">Jaiku failure (acquired by Google in 2007). Sometimes the additional resources of a major tech company can help spur an acquisition to greater heights, while other times bureaucracy can leave it to languish.

/>

The inner Circle

skip over to Make Money at Home

In a March 21 interview, Kelly Tilghman of The Golf Channel asked Tiger Woods about media reports that indicated members of his “inner circle” knew of “misdoings“.

Woods:

That is not true, it was all me. I’m the one who did it, I’m the one who acted the way I acted, no one knew what was going on. I’m sure if more people would have known in my inner circle they would’ve, they would’ve stopped it…or tried to put a stop to it but I kept it all to myself.

Larry Dorman of the NEW YORK TIMES follows up with Woods about that statement, which based on hard evidence presented by alleged Woods mistresses, appears to be untrue.

In a statement to Dorman, Woods said:

“No one is responsible for my behavior but me. Even though there were times when I deceived various people in my organization, most were simply told little to nothing and kept in the dark. Obviously, I did this to avoid owning up to my actions. I expressed regret for that manipulation because the fault is mine alone and so is the blame.”

So is Woods now intimating that members of his “inner circle” may have unwittingly aided in the execution of his extramarital affairs?

Yes.

It isn’t impossible to believe that Woods childhood friend and president of his golf course design company Bryon Bell didn’t realize what he was doing when he  allegedly booked flights, hotel rooms and other logistics for Josyln James and Rachel Uchitel to meet Woods on the road. (And in the case of Uchitel, actually fly with her to Australia.)

But considering the closeness of Bell’s relationship to Woods, the golfer was to be Bell’s best man at his wedding recently, it is impossible to believe that Bell wouldn’t have at least suspected that an extramarital affair might be going on.

If I was Woods and I actually believed Bell never suspected anything, I’d be rather worried about Bell’s soundness of mind and ability to operate a golf course design company that generates millions for me annually.

I bring up Bell first, over Woods agent Mark Steinberg and caddy Steve Williams, because we have verifiable documents that point to his involvement in setting up the logistics of alleged affairs. Though Steinberg is linked to the alleged deal to prevent a National Enquirer expose about a Woods affair by brokering an interview of Woods with Muscle & Fitness, both properties of American media. (American Media has denied that happened.)

Joslyn James also recently said in an interview that Williams was “aware” of her and knew of the “dynamic” of their relationship.

Williams has repeatedly denied knowledge of Woods affairs, but Steinberg and Bell have said nothing - despite numerous inquiries from the media.

In a perverse sort of way, I admire the relentless defense Woods is providing for his friends and business associates. Though I doubt Woods wife Elin Nordegren is nearly as excited about his unbending loyalty to those who, in my opinion, had to have known that something wasn’t quite right.

Also from Brooks this week:

Greek Pole Vaulter gives Greece’s Dancing With The Stars a lift:

Soccer player blows a boog, wipes it on Olympic hero Lindsey Vonn:

 The secret Tweet life of pro athletes and their groupies on Twitter:

March Madness is going to 96 teams?! What could’ve prevented it.

More from Brooks on Twitter, updated round-the-clock every single day.

Learn more about SPORTSbyBROOKS, the original and most-read independent sports blog. (Since 2001!)

In a famous speech, Barack Obama declared that he could no more disown Rev. Jeremiah Wright than he could disown the black community, or for that matter his white grandmother. Shortly thereafter, following more embarrassing comments by Wright, Obama did manage to disown Wright. However, the earlier message was clear - there is place in Obama's inner circle for a radical black racist, as long as he doesn't behave in too frightful a manner.

The lesson has not been lost on radical black racist Rev. Al Sharpton. As the Washington Post reports, Sharpton has become a "partner to the Obama White House." In fact, "Sharpton has had a voice in some of the most important policy debates affecting the black community." More than that, Obama seems to use him as a moral litmus test for key aspects of his domestic policy. "I know if I'm doing it right, Reverend Sharpton will be right here to let me know," Obama has reportedly said. In short, Sharpton seems to be Obama's moral compass, the role that Wright, the president's former spiritual mentor, might well have played had he been a little more diplomatic.

The Post wants to convey the impression that it's a mellow version of Sharpton that has captured the president's ear. But the only evidence it offers that Sharpton has changed consists of the fact that he has lost weight and now wears business attire instead of track suits. As Sharpton explains, "you have to have core principles and everything else is a tactic." In other words, his core principles remain the same. And they fit seamlessly in the Obama administration.

Joe Biden kicked off his presidential campaign by calling Barack Obama "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy." Biden was, of course, differentiating Obama from Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.

Biden had to apologize for this statement. There's no question, however, that part of Obama's appeal to white voters was the fact that he seemed so different from Sharpton and Jackson. Obama understood this very well. As the Post notes, he persuaded Sharpton to keep his distance from the presidential campaign.

But now that the slimmed-down, well-dressed Sharpton has become an important and visible force in the Obama administration, I wonder what the differences would be between a Sharpton presidency and the one Obama is serving up.

click here to learn about making money