Dating
Dating is any social activity undertaken by, typically, two people with the aim of each assessing the other's suitability as their partner in an intimate relationship or as a spouse. The word refers to the act of meeting and engaging in some mutually agreed upon social activity. Traditional dating activities include entertainment or a meal. In many cultural traditions, a date may be arranged by a third party, who may be a family member, acquaintance, or professional matchmaker. Recently internet dating has become popular. Although dating etiquette in Western culture has become more relaxed during the twentieth century, there are considerable differences between social and personal values. For example, when an activity costs money (for example, a meal), traditionally the man was expected to pay; but in recent times the practice of "going Dutch" (splitting the expenses) has become more common and more acceptable.
Systems for organizing dates * Online dating: Instead of using a traditional matchmaker, online dating uses specifically targeted websites to meet new people.
* Speed dating: Where a group of people get together for several hours in public; you are given a set amount of time to sit and talk to each person before you move on to the next person.
* Mobile dating/cell phone dating: Where text messages to and from a mobile/cell phone carrier are used to show interest in others on the system. Can be web-based or online dating as well depending on the company.
* Virtual dating: A combination of video game playing and dating, where users create avatars and spend time in virtual worlds in an attempt to meet other avatars with the purpose of meeting for potential dates.
* Singles events: Where a group of singles are brought together to take part in various events for the purposes of meeting new people. Events can include such things as parties, workshops and games.
Online dating or Internet dating is a dating system which allows individuals, couples and groups to make contact and communicate with each other over the Internet, usually with the objective of developing a personal romantic or sexual relationship. Online dating services usually provide unmoderated matchmaking over the Internet, through the use of personal computers or cell phones.
Online dating services generally require a prospective member to provide personal information, before they can search the service provider's database for other individuals using criteria they set, such as age range, gender and location. Most sites allow members to upload photos of themselves and browse the photos of others. Sites may offer additional services, such as webcasts, online chat, telephone chat (VOIP), and message boards. Some sites provide free registration, but may offer services which require a monthly fee. Other sites depend on advertising for their revenue.
Many sites are broad-based, with members coming from a variety of backgrounds looking for different types of relationships. Other sites are more specific, based on the type of members, interests, location, or relationship desired.
Zodiac
Zodiac denotes an annual cycle of twelve stations or "signs" along the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the heavens, dividing the ecliptic into twelve equal zones of celestial longitude. As such, the zodiac is a celestial coordinate system, more precisely an ecliptic coordinate system, taking the ecliptic as the origin of latitude, and the position of the sun at vernal equinox as the origin of longitude.
It is known to have been in use by the Roman era, based on concepts inherited by Hellenistic astronomy from Babylonian astronomy of the Chaldean period (mid 1st millennium BC), which in turn derived from an earlier system of lists of stars along the ecliptic.[1] The construction of the zodiac is described in Ptolemy's Almagest (2nd century AD).
The term zodiac may also refer to the region of the celestial sphere encompassing the paths of the Moon and the naked eye planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn), corresponding to the band of about eight arc degrees above and below the ecliptic. The zodiac of a given planet is the band which contains the path of that particular body, e.g. the "zodiac of the Moon" is the band of five degrees above and below the ecliptic. By extension, the "zodiac of the comets" may refer to the band encompassing most short-period comets [2]
The term zodiac derives from Latin diacus, in turn from the Greek uklos), meaning "circle of animals", derived from , the diminutive of animal". The name is motivated by the fact that many of the signs of the classical Greek zodiac are represented as animals (six out of twelve, plus two mythological hybrids).
Although the zodiac remains the basis of the ecliptic coordinate system in use in astronomy besides the equatorial one, the term and the names of the twelve signs are today mostly associated with horoscopic astrology.
49th Annual Grammy Awards Winner List
Record Of The Year
(Award to the Artist and to the Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s) and/or Mixer(s), if other than the artist.)
- Be Without You
Mary J. Blige
Bryan-Michael Cox & Ron Fair producers; Danny Cheung, Tal Herzberg, Dave "Hard-Drive" Pensado & Allen Sides, engineers/mixers
Track from: The Breakthrough
[Geffen Records]
- You're Beautiful
James Blunt
Tom Rothrock, producer; Tom Rothrock & Mike Tarantino, engineers/mixers
Track from: Back To Bedlam
[Custard/Atlantic]
- Not Ready To Make Nice
Dixie Chicks
Rick Rubin, producer; Richard Dodd, Jim Scott & Chris Testa, engineers/mixers
Track from: Taking The Long Way
[Open Wide/Columbia]
- Crazy
Gnarls Barkley
Danger Mouse, producer; Ben H. Allen, Danger Mouse & Kennie Takahashi, engineers/mixers
Track from: St. Elsewhere
[Downtown/Atlantic]
- Put Your Records On
Corinne Bailey Rae
Steve Chrisanthou, producer; Steve Chrisanthou & Jeremy Wheatley, engineers/mixers
Track from: Corinne Bailey Rae
[Capitol]
Album Of The Year
(Award to the Artist(s) and to the Album Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s)/Mixer(s) & Mastering Engineer(s), if other than the artist.)
- Taking The Long Way
Dixie Chicks
Rick Rubin, producer; Richard Dodd, Jim Scott & Chris Testa, engineers/mixers; Richard Dodd, mastering engineer
[Open Wide/Columbia]
- St. Elsewhere
Gnarls Barkley
Danger Mouse, producer; Ben H. Allen, Danger Mouse & Kennie Takahashi, engineers/mixers; Mike Lazer, mastering engineer
[Downtown/Atlantic]
- Continuum
John Mayer
Steve Jordan & John Mayer, producers; John Alagia, Michael Brauer, Joe Ferla, Chad Franscoviak, Manny Marroquin & Dave O'Donnell, engineers/mixers; Greg Calbi, mastering engineer
[Aware/Columbia]
- Stadium Arcadium
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Rick Rubin, producer; Ryan Hewitt, Mark Linett & Andrew Scheps, engineers/mixers; Vlado Meller, mastering engineer
[Warner Bros.]
- FutureSex/LoveSounds
Justin Timberlake
Nate (Danja) Hills, Jawbreakers, Rick Rubin, Timbaland & Justin Timberlake, producers; Jimmy Douglass, Serban Ghenea, Padraic Kerin, Jason Lader, Andrew Scheps, Timbaland & Ethan Willoughby, engineers/mixers; Herb Powers, Jr., mastering engineer
[Jive Records/Zomba Label Group]
Song Of The Year
(A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parenthesis.) Singles or Tracks only.)
- Be Without You
Johnta Austin, Mary J. Blige, Bryan-Michael Cox & Jason Perry, songwriters (Mary J. Blige)
Track from: The Breakthrough
[Geffen Records; Publishers: Chrysalis Music, Mary J. Blige Music, Naked Under My Clothes Music, Universal Music Corp., Babyboy's Little Publishing, Jason's Lyrics, Noontime South, Reach Global Tunes, WB Music.]
- Jesus, Take The Wheel
Brett James, Hillary Lindsey & Gordie Sampson, songwriters (Carrie Underwood)
Track from: Some Hearts
[Arista/Arista Nashville/19; Publishers: Dimensional Music of 1091/Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing, Raylene Music/BPJ Administration, No Such Music, Passing Stranger Music/1609 Songs/Music of Windswept.]
- Not Ready To Make Nice
Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Emily Robison & Dan Wilson, songwriters (Dixie Chicks)
Track from: Taking The Long Way
[Open Wide/Columbia; Publishers: Scrapin' Toast Music, Woolly Puddin' Music, Chrysalis Music, Sugar Lake Music.]
- Put Your Records On
John Beck, Steve Chrisanthou & Corinne Bailey Rae, songwriters (Corinne Bailey Rae)
Track from: Corinne Bailey Rae
[Capitol; Publisher: Global Talent Publishing.]
- You're Beautiful
James Blunt, Amanda Ghost & Sacha Skarbek, songwriters (James Blunt)
Track from: Back To Bedlam
[Custard/Atlantic; Publishers: EMI Blackwood Music, David Platz Music.]
Best New Artist
(For a new artist who releases, during the Eligibility Year, the first recording which establishes the public identity of that artist.)
- James Blunt
- Chris Brown
- Imogen Heap
- Corinne Bailey Rae
- Carrie Underwood
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)
- Ain't No Other Man
Christina Aguilera
Track from: Back To Basics
[RCA Records]
- Unwritten
Natasha Bedingfield
Track from: Unwritten
[Epic/Phonogenic]
- You Can Close Your Eyes
Sheryl Crow
Track from: Sheryl Crow Artist's Choice Deluxe Edition
[Hear Music/Universal Music]
- Stupid Girls
Pink
Track from: I'm Not Dead
[LaFace/Zomba Label Group]
- Black Horse And The Cherry Tree
KT Tunstall
[Relentless/Virgin]
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)
- You're Beautiful
James Blunt
Track from: Back To Bedlam
[Custard/Atlantic]
- Save Room
John Legend
Track from: Once Again
[Columbia/GOOD/Sony Urban]
- Waiting On The World To Change
John Mayer
Track from: Continuum
[Aware/Columbia]
- Jenny Wren
Paul McCartney
Track from: Chaos And Creation In The Backyard
[Capitol]
- Bad Day
Daniel Powter
Track from: Daniel Powter
[Warner Bros.]
Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
(For established duos or groups, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)
- My Humps
The Black Eyed Peas
Track from: Monkey Business
[A&M Records]
- I Will Follow You Into The Dark
Death Cab For Cutie
Track from: Plans
[Atlantic Records]
- Over My Head (Cable Car)
The Fray
Track from: How To Save A Life
[Epic]
- Is It Any Wonder?
Keane
Track from: Under The Iron Sea
[Interscope Records]
- Stickwitu
The Pussycat Dolls
Track from: PCD
[A&M Records]
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
(For a collaborative performance, with vocals, by artists who do not normally perform together. Singles or Tracks only.)
- For Once In My Life
Tony Bennett & Stevie Wonder
Track from: Duets: An American Classic
[RPM Records/Columbia]
- One
Mary J. Blige & U2
Track from: The Breakthrough
[Geffen/Matriarch Records]
- Always On Your Side
Sheryl Crow & Sting
Track from: Wildflower
[A&M Records]
- Promiscuous
Nelly Furtado & Timbaland
Track from: Loose
[Geffen/Mosley Music Group]
- Hips Don't Lie
Shakira & Wyclef Jean
Track from: Oral Fixation Vol. 2
[Epic]
Best Pop Instrumental Performance
(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, without vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)
- Mornin'
George Benson (& Al Jarreau)
Track from: Givin' It Up
[Concord Records/Monster Music]
- Drifting
Enya
Track from: Amarantine
[Reprise]
- Subterfuge
Béla Fleck & The Flecktones
Track from: The Hidden Land
[Columbia/Legacy]
- Song H
Bruce Hornsby
Track from: Intersections: 1985 - 2005
[RCA Legacy]
- My Favorite Things
The Brian Setzer Orchestra
Track from: Dig That Crazy Christmas
[Surfdog Records]
Best Pop Instrumental Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of INSTRUMENTAL tracks.)
- New Beginnings
Gerald Albright
[Peak Records]
- Fire Wire
Larry Carlton
[Bluebird/RCA Victor]
- X
Fourplay
[Bluebird/RCA Victor]
- Fingerprints
Peter Frampton
[A&M Records/New Door Records]
- Wrapped In A Dream
Spyro Gyra
[Heads Up International]
Best Pop Vocal Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)
- Back To Basics
Christina Aguilera
[RCA Records]
- Back To Bedlam
James Blunt
[Custard/Atlantic]
- The River In Reverse
Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint
[Verve Forecast]
- Continuum
John Mayer
[Aware/Columbia]
- FutureSex/LoveSounds
Justin Timberlake
[Jive Records/Zomba Label Group]