Woods Scandal Cost Shareholders up to $12 Billion

Sex scandal that engulfed Tiger Woods may have cost shareholders of companies endorsed by the world’s No. 1 golfer up to $12 billion in losses, according to a study by two economics professors from the University of California, Davis.
A study, released on Monday by researchers Victor Stango and Christopher Knittel, gave an estimate for damage to the market value of Woods’ main sponsors caused by revelations of alleged extramarital affairs that surfaced after he was involved in a minor car accident outside his Florida home on Nov. 27.
“We estimate that shareholders of Tiger Woods’ sponsors lost $5-12 billion after his car accident, relative to shareholders of firms that Mr. Woods does not endorse,” the researchers wrote, adding that millions of shareholders were affected.

“Our analysis makes clear that while having a celebrity of Tiger Woods’ stature as an endorser has undeniable upside, the downside risk is substantial, too,” Stango, a professor at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, said in a statement released along with the study.

Woods, believed to be the world’s wealthiest athlete who was estimated to earn about $100 million a year in endorsement deals before his troubles, confessed on Dec. 11 to “infidelity” to his Swedish wife Elin Nordegren. He announced he would take an indefinite break from golf to save his marriage.

Some of the star golfer’s main commercial sponsors have backed away from him as a result of the scandal. Others, while standing by him, have said they are evaluating their future relationship.



Full name  :     Eldrick Tont Woods
Nickname  :     Tiger
Born          :      December 30, 1975 (1975-12-30) (age 34)
                            Cypress, California
Height        :    6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight       :     185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st)
Nationality :     United States
Residence   :  Windermere, Florida
Spouse       :  Elin Nordegren (m.2004)
Children    : Sam Alexis (b. 2007)
                    Charlie Axel (b. 2009)

Demi Moore and The W Magazine Cover

Is it Demi Moore? The actress has been forced to defend her looks in 140-characters or less multiple times in the past month. First when one of her followers said she looked old, she had the applaudable response of: "I'm 47. How am I supposed to look?"; and now she's defending her W cover, swearing it wasn't Photoshopped. Not so applaudable.

Now a photographer (who didn't take the photo, but commented on it) and Boing Boing are facing the actress's team of lawyers. The website reported today that her lawyers "sent a threatening letter to Boing Boing over the holidays which demanded that we remove a post I published in November, or face legal consequences. In the referenced Boing Boing post, I published photographer Anthony Citrano's speculation that a recent W Magazine cover image of the actress may have been crudely manipulated by magazine staff to alter her hip, and appear thinner." (Since they received the letter, photos of the same magazine cover in South Korea have surfaced with Demi's leg is fully in tact.) The site's lawyer retorted noting that Ms. Moore posted about the photo on Twitter, thrusting herself "into the public eye (and into this debate)."
It's a shame Demi isn't shaming the magazine for hacking off parts of her body — even former Ralph Lauren model Filippa Hamilton stood up for her figure after the company distorted her in ads.

"Michael Schumacher" Formula One Legend Returns Soon

Michael Schumacher’s return to Formula One after three years in retirement certainly marks a historic turn in the sport’s history.

The record seven-time world champion, who agreed Wednesday to drive for Mercedes for at least the 2010 season, is F1’s most successful driver with record numbers in all categories: 91 race wins, 68 pole positions and 76 fastest laps.

But will his comeback be a success or another example of an over-the-hill athlete clutching at past glory?

“I never left the racetrack. I kept the motivation and maintained it,” Schumacher said. “I still feel absolutely on the edge. I have to prove it in a real car.”

Schumacher returns in one of the most competitive eras of F1, with four champions on the starting grid. That includes Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and McLaren teammate and defending champion Jenson Button, who won with Brawn in 2009 during a season where rule changes shook up the pecking order.
Is the soon to be 41-year-old Schumacher ready for the new F1?

“Schumacher coming back to F1 is great news for the sport,” Button said recently. “But I don’t know if it will be great news for Michael Schumacher. He will be putting his reputation on the line coming back into the sport.”

Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn is certain that Schumacher can make a smooth transition.

“He is the best judge of what he can do,” said Brawn, who was the architect of each of Schumacher’s seven championships. “I trust him implicitly and he says he can do it.”

Biography :
Name :Michael Schumacher
Nicknames :Schumi, Schuey
Date of Birth :3rd January 1969
Place of Birth :Hürth-Hermülheim, Germany
Height :1.74m
Weight :68kg
Residency :Vufflens-le-Château, Switzerland
Marital Status :Married
Wife :Corinna Schumacher (since Tuesday 1st August 1995)
Children :Gina-Maria, daughter(19/01/97) and son Mick(22/03/99)
Family :Rolf, Father, Elizabeth, Mother and Ralf, Brother
Interests :Soccer, tennis, swimming, skiing

'Avatar' Contain Hidden Meessages

James Cameron's much-anticipated film "Avatar" has won praise from movie critics and been a juggernaut at the box office.

But some who have seen the film say that it contains hidden messages that are anti-war, pro-environment, and perhaps even racist.

The story is set in the year 2154 when Earth's inhabitants, having used up most of their natural resources through decades of living in excess, plan to use military force to conquer Pandora, a moon roughly the same size as Earth. Pandora, inhabited by a wise, peaceful, and nature-respecting people with blue skin called the Na'vi, is rich in a resource that the people of Earth desperately need.

Some prominent members of the media who screened the film certainly took note. In a glowing review for the Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert noted that "Avatar" "has a flat-out Green and anti-war message" that is "predestined to launch a cult." Meanwhile Ben Hoyle, writing in the Times of London, noted that the film "contains heavy implicit criticism of America's conduct in the War on Terror." Further, Will Heaven of the Daily Telegraph said that the plot line involving people of color who wear "tribal" jewelry while sporting deadlocked hair, being saved by a noble white man gave the film a "racist subtext" that he found "nauseatingly patronizing."

But are these hidden messages really all that hidden? James Cameron himself hasn't been shy in publicly proclaiming the fact that he's an environmental activist who believes that humans and "industrial society" are "causing a global climate change" and "destroying species faster than we can classify them." In a recent interview with PBS' Tavis Smiley, Cameron admitted that he made "obvious" references in the film to Iraq, Vietnam and the American colonial period to emphasize the fact that humans have a "terrible history" of "entitlement" in which we "take what we need" from nature and indigenous peoples "and don't give back."

Despite the obvious political undertones in "Avatar," at least one right-leaning critic doesn't think people who disagree with the film's ideology should totally dismiss it.

SCORPIONS New Album sting in the Tail

SCORPION'S The German Hard rock band is going to release there New Album called "Sting in the Tail".And it will released March 2010. The CD is being recorded at a studio in Hannover, Germany."We are working on 12 songs at the moment," guitarist Mathias Jabs recently told. Scopions recently extended their record deal with Ariola, which is part of the international media conglomerate Sony BMG Music Entertainment. 2009 was the year of the SCORPIONS: they received the German lifetime achievement ECHO. The Scorpions will be launching their spectacular world tour with seven concerts in Germany. The performances in Germany will be followed by concerts in the U.S., South America, Asia, Russia and various countries in Europe.

Whitney Houston's Grammy Snub Irks Producers, Friends

Whitney Houston's comeback album, "I Look To You," may have debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, but it wasn't enough of a feat to garner a single Grammy nod this year. In a surprising omission, Houston received no nominations at this week's Grammy Nominations Concert Live! for the highly-rated album, her fourth No. 1 set which sold 305,000 copies in its first week alone (818,000 so far), according to Nielsen Sound Scan.

Producer Danja, who helm ed two tracks for "I Look to You" -- "For The Lovers" and "Nothin' But Love" -- feels let down by the Grammy snub. "I'm a little disappointed because she put together a classic album. Her overall comeback is something to be noted but I'm a believer that great people and great music will always show its head," he told Billboard.com.

In spite of the Houston disappointment, Danja, who worked on Pink and Keri Hilson's albums -- both multiple nominees -- is excited about being acknowledged for those projects this year. "It's always a pleasant surprise to receive a nomination. Of course we want to win, but being recognized is plenty after all the hard work we put into producing great music," he says. "Both Keri and Pink are two very special projects to me and I'm excited for them both."

Pink is in the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album categories for her "Sober" single and "Fun house" album, respectively. Hilson got voted for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("Knock You Down" featuring Kanye West and Ne-Yo) and Best New Artist alongside Zac Brown Band, MGMT, Silversun Pickups and The Ting Tings.


Previous Grammy nominee Ledisi, who is up for "Best R&B Vocal Performance" for her latest single "Goin' Through Changes" and "Best R&B Album" for her 2009 album "Turn Me Loose," says she isn't surprised by Houston's lack of recognition. "I have learned after watching the Grammy s for years and now being a participant to always expect the unexpected," the Bay-area singer told Billboard. "Just when you think you know who will be nominated or win, it turns out to be something else. I am just grateful Ms. Houston is back and singing. I have enjoyed her artistry for years."

As for her own nominations, Ledisi says it feels "Extraordinary! I made a lot of changes for 'Turn Me Loose,' my third major label release, and to be nominated for two Grammy s is amazing. I am eternally grateful to NARA S for this acknowledgment once again, especially for 'Turn Me loose,' because it validates my choice to stretch out."

"I Look To You" marks Houston's best opening sales week since Nielsen Sound Scan began tracking data in 1991 (her previous best opening week since that year came when 2002's "Just Whitney" bowed at No. 9 in the thick of the Christmas holiday shopping season with 205,000.) Singles "I Look To You" and "Million Dollar Bill" both reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Penelope Cruz meeting with designers to create wedding dress for her wedding

Penelope Cruz is shopping for a designer to make her wedding gown.
According to In Touch Weekly,35-year-old actress, who is engaged to actor Javier Bardem.

"Since she and Javier are from Spain, she'd love to have a Spanish designer create her dream gown".

Cruz, 35, and Bardem, 40, have yet to officially announce their engagement, but the actress was spotted wearing a sapphire ring on her engagement finger when she recently appeared on the "Late Show with David Letterman."