George Clooney spent some time in Sardinia this week meeting the parents of his current flame, Italian actress Elisabetta Canalis.  Radar Online is reporting that the couple spent two days visiting the European island, presumably to make sure their syrupy couple goodness was equally spread over the entire geographical area.

Clooney dedicated a good chunk of the trip to Elisabetta’s hometown to bonding with her family, but he wasn’t shy about spending some…ahem, alone time with his beau at the romantic Hotel Villa Las Tronas.

What can we say? A gentleman knows what he wants and how he wants it.

In all seriousness, the experience must have been a little weird for Canalis’ parents. Georgey is probably closer to their age than their daughter’s!  Alas, true love prevails over all, especially in an enduring relationship like this one.

Aww, who are we kidding?! Clooney goes through young, hot women like crazy. At least he treats them well and it’s a mutually understood agreement!

What do you think? Could Clooney meeting the parents mean he’s finally settling down with someone?

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On December 31, 2007, the 10 members of Straight No Chaser were just ordinary guys living their lives in cities all over the world. Then on January 1, 2008, all of that changed because of a video of ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’ that was filmed in 1998 and went ‘viral’ on Youtube that holiday season. The former Indiana University a cappella group was asked to come back together and record a Christmas album for Atlantic Records. The album appropriately titled ‘Holiday Spirits’ went on to become a media sensation all throughout the holiday season.

After a whirlwind of success and development during the 2008 holiday season, Straight No Chaser is currently back in the studio recording their second holiday album titled ‘Christmas Cheers’ including original music such as ” The Christmas Can Can’. Sticking to the formula that made them both a novelty and a sensation, “Christmas Cheers” is a collection of both new and classic holiday songs with smooth harmonies and a comedic twist. With the holiday coming up fast, it’s time to bring on the cheer and get ready for another round of Straight No Chaser!

Check out the video and don’t forget to enter the contest!

We’re giving away a copy of their Christmas CD “Christmas Cheers,” a Straight No Chaser Santa Claus hat and an autographed poster.  Contest ends Dec. 21, 2009. To enter, email contests@andpop.com with your complete mailing address.

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The event was packed with tons of PS3 games

SONY HOLIDAY PRESS EVENT 09: A casual analysis.

Ahsan  says:
So then,  let’s talk about the Sony holiday press event

April  says:
You really don’t care about my well being do you? >. < anyways, What did you think?

Ahsan says:
Where do I begin,  I loved the fact that the entire event was held in such an inconspicuous place and just felt like a modern art gallery.

April  says:
I know! It looked like an empty building and right on the upper floor was the event. Like some secret organization having a meeting or something!!!

sony makes some nice scarves

Ahsan   says:
hahaha true say!!!!!
I loved the ps3 scarves we received.
Check it I got a photo of it

April:
Yeah, I know, We walked in at the same time ;p

Ahsan says:
OMG the hors d’oeuvres

April says:
I ate so much >.< but I`m happy ;p
Loving the scarves <3 I wore mine the moment the event was over.

April was on box number 2..

Ahsan says:
Well I might go ahead and sell mine online. Nah, I`m just kidding
but enough about that, let`s talk about what we saw.

April  says:
I`m still dizzy from all the games we saw there! I saw Avatar, Aliens vs Predator, Tekken 6, Assassins Creed II, Heavy Rain, God of war 3, did I get all of them?

Ahsan. says:
You forgot Where the Wild Things Are, Dj Hero, Guitar hero 5, MAG, Mod Nation racers, Army of two, the New Dead to Rights, Need For Speed Shift, another Sonic game, Tony Hawk ride, the new Katamari
In other words A LOT of games. A LOT

April  says:

YEAH!

Ahsan  says:
Something that I’ll mention right off the bat is what was mysteriously missing from the show floor. Firstly we didn’t get a chance to see Modern Warfare 2.

April says:
And let’s not forget Gran Turismo 5. I honestly thought that would be there or at the very  least some video footage.

Ahsan says:
So very true, I had another gripe about not seeing the PSPgo fully playable, I mean the main rep had it, you just had to schedule a personal time with him in order to see it.

April says:
Yeah, it was pretty difficult to see the hand held. There were no displays, so it wasn’t like we could just reach into his pocket and grab the go to test it out >.<
So were there any sports games at the event?

Ahsan says:
Yes Tony Hawk’s Ride was in full display at Activision’s corner.

April says:
I thought I saw you in the distance trying to balance on something, tell me how was the game?

Ahsan says:
Oh Tony Hawk ride was awesome. ThepPeripheral made it as if you were actually balancing on a skateboard, the game even had a casual mode for those of us who can’t steer with proper precision. With a different take on how they used to approach their skateboarding games, I believe this year they may have set themselves apart from the competition. Despite its hefty price tag, the unit was really sturdy and we got to see a real skateboard legend show us the ropes.

Our legendary Skateboarder tries out Tony Hawks Ride, before going underground

April says:
Oh, it’s Jooooosh!!!! = D lols! Speaking about the stuff of legends, who brought the beat down in Tekken 6? which looked gorgeous and seemed to have the largest roster ever seen in Tekken history.

Tekken 6 looked amazing..despite the fact that I kept losing

Ahsan says:
Indeed! The backgrounds were gorgeous and fully animated, tons of stuff was going on. And according to the reps everything in the game is fully unlockable and if there should be any new downloadable content rest assure it will be free.
As for you bringing the pain in Tekken 6, my controller was messing up. It`s not over yet!

April says:
Okay, whatever you say. Was it sort of like how your drums were busted in Band Hero?

Ahsan says:
Whoa there! Ever wonder if it had something to do with your singing? Band Hero was certainly was fun.

April says:
Thank god for Taylor Swift, as long as they keep Hanna Montana away from any music game I`m happy.

Ahsan. says:
Alright changing gears let’s talk about the high points of the show,
run down your top three games of the event.

April says:
That’s easy as pie
my top three have to be:

King of kings?

Assassins Creed II, Just because there’s so much more freedom than in the first one. The inner history nerd in me really is in love<3 with the historical aspect of the game. First the Crusades now the Renaissance how can I not get excited? Throw in Leonardo Da Vinci into the whole shenanigan and I’m ecstatic. Plus he’s an assassin, a darker aspect of history. It was a time where modern ideas were being born and control was being established. So he`s pretty much a ninja like Ryu Hayabusa lol!

the second
has got to be Uncharted 2: Among thieves

I grew up watching movies like Indiana Jones and I played games like Tomb raider. This is pretty much the best of both worlds! I really loved the interaction between the characters. The dialogue really made me laugh.  While the jungle scenery was so lush that it made me want to just hop on a plane and find that forest!  Explore the land, find treasure and literally become the female Nathan Drake.

My number three without a doubt would be Heavy Rain.

It’s no peaches and cream type of game. But the story line is really mesmerizing. The way it plays even reminds me of Shenmue. Which was one of the best games on the Dreamcast. The interaction like asking questions and looking at objects left me thinking of Ryo Hazuki lol. (Please bring him back!)  This also being a story driven game has many puzzles to solve which made the inner Sherlock Holmes in me want to figure out what in the world was happening.

Ahsan says:
Fan boy alert.. I didn’t know Shenmue was so dear to you

Deciphering Heavy Rains controls

April  says:
First of all I’m a girl and besides Shenmue was an amazing game. Seeing elements of it in this game really made me smile.

Ahsan says:
But  didn’t you find Heavy Rains controls a little archaic? I felt like it was akin to the old tank style controls of resident evil. Also, I wonder how deep this game can actually get since majority of it is spent on story elements and human interactions.. Where is the gameplay at?

April says:
I  hate to admit it but the controls were a bit hard to get used to. I wish that it was easier to move the character from one area to another. As for the gameplay,  it’s all in the interaction, for example when the character is scared it’s really difficult to choose the decision you want because the predominant emotion of the character at that moment was fear.

Ahsan . says:
Ok,  so you mean to tell me that the character interactive moments yielded multiple results? That’s pretty cool.
Moving to your other choice-Assasins creed 2. I did love all the gameplay reveals thanks to the in depth demo we had our hands on.

April says:
>.<  AGREED

Ahsan says:
Having factions work for you, looking for good prices on items, and not drowning is a huge plus.

ACII builds upon the original distraction.(MGS4 pictured above)

April says:
Like the courtesans! You can hire a group of woman to distract the guards which will allow you to pass in an area without being detected. No wonder Kojima-san loved this game! LOL it’s like those books you planted to distract the guards in Metal Gear.

Ahsan says:
Ubi was carefully listening to all the feedback from the first game and its clearly evident in the sequel. Heck the lead creative designer who walked us through the demo was kind enough to inform us that they’ve even managed to cut down on the amount of annoying beggars.

April:
To me it’s a perfect example of pivotal game play improved by careful feedback.
Sooooo, how about you?  What was your top three??
What games made your list?

Ahsan says:
Top three games of the show are: Aliens vs Predator-Rebellion’s pre alpha build was visceral, vicious and seemed like a true successor to the pc version. For a pre alpha build it had some amazing gamplay elements, like the predator leap that sort of solves first person platform problem.
Next on the list is Uncharted 2 for its jaw dropping locations and excellent presentation. Last up I pick God of War 3 with its impressive visuals and insane battles. I honestly could not believe these games were running on a ps3.

April says:
Yeah? Why?

Ahsan says:
Uncharted 2 in particular takes a tried and true formula and adds some small tweaks that create a more streamlined experience. Uncharted 2 is already lighting up high review scores and having some hands on time with it certainly illustrates why.

what happens next is complimented by buckets of blood and gore

GOW 3 was the most primeval experience, I HAVE EVER SEEN. This game was brutal and I loved every moment of it. Combos were easy to pull of and you had some insane encounters throughout the demo. Remember when David Jaffe was quoted as calling the game a literal painting come to life; he was spot on. The third title in the series is definitely the best.

April says:
This was so sick, it was so brutal and gory yo! I’m so stoked for this game.

Ahsan says:
I know, I just said that lol but same!! March 2010 can’t come soon enough.

April says:
We saw a lot of good games but what about the other side of the puddle? What didn’t deliver?

Ahsan says:
It’s rather sad but I was disappointed with Army of Two and its lack of co op display thus crippling the morality system that has been hyped up. Instead we got a closed combat area showcased to us with a warzone surrounding it.
I found the new Dead to Rights not compelling enough to play but that’s just me, it seemed like the game was out of place. It wasn’t visually interesting nor did the gameplay seem to be an evolution of the series. What about you?

April says:
Weeeeelllllll…….

EA

Ahsan:
Well???

April says:
Avatar was what disappointed. It has so much potential but it just didn’t cut it for me. Graphically, they need to bring up their A game to the plate. What also kinda bugged me was that we weren’t given the opportunity to actually play the game ourselves. It was pretty much like watching a demo on the computer screen.

Ahsan says:
Yea, I mean the game is supposed to utilize a 3D Tv and uses Farcry 2s Dunia engine but it’s far from looking remotely close to Farcry 2. There was tons of geometry but having no hands on really hurt

April says:
* Imitates Randy Jackson* KEEPIN’ IT REAL DAWG!

Dj hero brought out the Urban DJ in all of us.

Ahsan says:
Yea, yea brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr bap bap

April says:
=P

Ahsan says:
Alright so this was our first press event and the kids these days wont read anything till it has some sort of rating or grade on it. So then give a grade to this press event.

April says:
B+ It was amazing but there’s always room for improvement.

Ahsan says:
Indeed, I’m with you on that. B plus some big hitters were missing but for the most part we had some pleasant surprises like a robust build of Assassins Creed 2 and Aliens vs Predator. So stay tuned for our pick of the show and a detailed discussion of what we learned.

Assassin Creed II - We just couldn't get enough of it

April says:
*Hand raises up* I call Assassins Creed 2!! haha called it  ;p

Ahsan Khan. says:
VERY WELL.
Till then our loyal readers stay tuned.

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Many people (and by this I mean many single women) have a love-hate thing with romantic comedies; myself included.

We love the dream of a handsome man riding up in his white Mustang and fighting until the credits roll to win our hand. Going home after this blissful fantasy to hug nothing but the extra pillow in your bed usually kills the warm fuzzies pretty quickly though.

Now add to this the backdrop of the Christmas season, and you’d think The Holiday would take home the most depressing rom com ever title. Be prepared to be pleasantly surprised.

In The Holiday, Cameron Diaz and the amazing Kate Winslet star as successful women who have issues with the men in their lives on either side of the pond. In England, Winslet’s Iris finds out the object of her unrequited love has gotten engaged, while in Los Angeles, Diaz’s Amanda discovers her boyfriend has cheated on her and kicks him out of the house.

On a whim, the two connect over a house-trading Internet site and soon are escaping their plights and jetting across the Atlantic to swap homes for two weeks.

Where I usually find Diaz to be an annoying actress who lacks believability, she harnesses her ditzy persona and uses it for the benefit of Amanda’s character. The couture chick who we see struggling through the snow in heels at the beginning of the movie slowly loses her emotional walls when she meets Iris’ brother Graham (Jude Law) and opens up on her own terms, in her own way.

Meanwhile, Iris strikes up a friendship of her own in L.A. with elderly film writer Arthur (Eli Wallach). She also finds romance with film composer Miles (Jack Black), but this story line is delightfully subtle and doesn’t overshadow her endearing and unlikely friendship with Arthur.

Black may seem like an odd choice for a leading male in a romantic movie. Where you wouldn’t think he could take on any role that didn’t play up his Tenacious D character (think his ho-hum “serious” turn in King Kong), he is given the chance to both act and be goofy in The Holiday. Black’s lines are charming and also delivered with fantastic comedic timing.

The Holiday is perhaps so pleasant because the dialogue is fresh and modern, lacking any clichés typical of the romantic genre. But it’s not the only thing that’s fresh. The plot is clever and quirky, weaving two very different stories together seamlessly with humour and understated charm. A couple surprise celeb cameos and unforgettable one-liners keep any scene from getting stale.

It’s the girl power that radiates from Iris and Amanda, though, as they toss out the crappy men in the lives and realize who they are and how to get what they want, that really makes The Holiday different from other movies in the genre.

The Holiday is the best and freshest romantic comedy I’ve seen since Love Actually. Grab a couple of your single friends and make sure you can cross seeing The Holiday off your wish list this season.

Rating: 4.5*/5*

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In our multi-cultural societies today the run up to Christmas is experienced in many different ways. The commercial version pioneered by Coca Cola’s magazine advertisements which established the red suited Santa Claus image, washes over us all through the TV advertisements and the decorations in the High Streets and shopping Malls. They built on and reinforced the Victorian version of Christmas celebrations which was dramatised by Charles Dickens in ‘A Christmas Carol’ which established many of the associated food and garland rituals in the public imagination – and helped Coca Cola promote their winter beverage sales. Much of this is accompanied by ‘seasonal’ music in the form of carols and hymns – often coral arrangements but sometimes instrumental – especially brass bands and the dreaded sentimental Christmas pop songs.

Music is often a subtle way of getting under the radar and evoking emotional responses from our subconscious. The commercial focus on Christmas seeks to convert these feelings into purchases – sometimes in crude direct appeals to consume but often in a more indirect atmospheric ways. While the committed Christians concentrate on re-telling the Christmas story through as many media as possible, including music – using the Advent season to recharge their spiritual batteries and encourage others to join them. Their tunes and some times even the words are often hijacked by those who wish to evoke a warm hearted relaxed atmosphere for the sale of their particular goods.

Much of this activity assumes a common Christian heritage and must strike those who do not share that background very oddly, not to mention the truly seasonal issues for those in the Southern Hemisphere who celebrate Christmas in mid summer rather than the deep mid winter. There is also the rival celebration of New Year which is a predominantly secular affair with a very limited musical repertoire – mostly of Scottish origin for some reason and this eclipses Christmas in many countries. Christians adopted the pagan Winter Solstice celebrations as part of their missionary progress but those ties were loosened by the reformation and the French, American and Russian Revolutions amongst others.

The seasonal hit at Download2MP3.com is Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite with its Sugar Plum Fairy which fits neatly into the Victorian Christmas story telling context. While Debussy’s Children’s Corner with it’s ‘The Snow is Dancing’ (Northern Hemisphere Christmas/Mid Winter associations) is another favourite and forms the backbone of our Children’s Classics Collection which includes several of our shorter and lower priced recordings. Other beneficaiaries include our instrumental versions of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah and Gounod’s Ave Maria

Recordings like these are an ideal way to personalize those iPod or MP3 player gifts for a few dollars more – perhaps introducing children to the classics in an accessible, amusing and memorable way.

About The Author

Tony Wiseman has been involved in music production using computers for more than 20 years and now publishes MP3 recordings of his original percussion arrangements of selected Classical and Ragtime pieces at Download2MP3.com.

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