Madonna's highest grossing tour of 2012

Los Angeles - Madonna's MDNA Tour has been named the highest grossing of 2012.

The Material Girl singer's 72 shows in the year from 9 November 2011, to 13 November 2012 were all sell outs, making $228 406 085 according to Billboard magazine.

The world tour - which started in Israel in May and ends on Saturday in Argentina - has been seen by over 1.6 million people.

The MDNA tour has proved controversial, with Madonna baring her buttocks to raise money for victims of Hurricane Sandy at one date and writing a message of support for US President Barack Obama on her back at another.

Criticism

Her decision to brandish imitation weapons has also been controversial, attracting criticism from anti-weapons campaigners, although she insists they were only used metaphorically.

She said: "It's true there is a lot of violence in the beginning of the show and sometimes the use of fake guns - but they are used as metaphors.

"I do not condone violence or the use of guns. Rather they are symbols of wanting to appear strong and wanting to find a way to stop feelings that I find hurtful or damaging."

Behind Madonna on the highest grossing list was Bruce Springsteen, who grossed $199 371 791 from 72 shows, 54 of which were sold out. Third on the list was former Pink Floyd musician Roger Waters, who made $186 466 703 from 72 dates of his The Wall Live tour.

Madonna's arch rival, Lady Gaga, came in sixth with her Born This Way Ball grossing $124 879 545 from 65 sold out shows.

Billboard list of 20 highest grossing tours 2012:

1. Madonna ($228m )
2. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band ($199m)
3. Roger Waters ($186m)
4. Michael Jackson: THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque Du Soleil ($147m)
5. Coldplay ($147m)
6. Lady Gaga ($124m)
7. Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw ($96m)
8. Van Halen ($54m)
9. Jay-Z & Kanye West ($46m)
10. Andre Rieu ($46m)
11. Dave Matthews Band ($41m)
12. Barbra Streisand ($40m)
13. Jason Aldean ($39m)
14. Lady Antebellum ($38m)
15. Red Hot Chili Peppers ($33m)
16. Brad Paisley ($33m)
17. Nickelback ($33m)
18. Trans-Siberian Orchestra ($33m)
19. Elton John ($32m)
20. Justin Bieber ($30m)

Katie Holmes spends $30k on Xmas gifts

Los Angeles - Katie Holmes has spent £30 000 on Christmas presents for her daughter Suri Cruise.

The Mad Money star wants to try and make this holiday season the best ever for the six year old following her divorce from the tot's father Tom Cruise and has spared no expense fulfilling her letter to Santa Claus.

Katie has splashed out £15 000 on a Victorian playhouse, which has its own running water and electricity and will be erected in the garden of their New York home.

Suri will also awake on Christmas morning to find an iPad mini, a Ralph Lauren dress, a Chloe fur coat and a £6 000 mini kids Mercedes car underneath the tree, according to The Sun newspaper.

Best dressed celebrity child

Katie and Tom have always enjoyed treating their daughter to the finer things in life and Suri's wardrobe at one point was estimated to be worth $3m because of the amount of designer garments she owned.

Earlier this year, Suri was named the best dressed celebrity child beating the likes of David and Victoria Beckham's children Harper Seven and Brooklyn and Madonna's stylish teenage daughter Lourdes Leon to take the title.

Tom is expected to fly into New York to see his daughter over the festive season after spending the last several weeks in London shooting his new film All You Need Is Kill.

- BangShowBiz

Could seaweed be more effective than your toothpaste?

Brushing may not be the only thing that you need to do in order to protect yourself from tooth decay,Nicholas Jakubovics of the university’s School of Dental Sciences said, better products offering more effective dental treatment can be made using the enzyme. A British study found, brushing teeth with an enzyme extracted from a bacteria, found in seaweed, could be more effective than toothpaste in the fight against tooth decay.

Scientists from Newcastle University used an enzyme isolated from marine bacterium Bacillus licheniformis, which they were originally researching for its use in cleaning ship hulls.The scientists say the enzyme can “cut through” plaque on teeth and clean hard-to-reach areas.”This enzyme can cut through the plaque or layer of bacteria and we want to harness this power into a paste, mouthwash or denture cleaning solution,” Jakubovics said.Plaque on your teeth is made up of bacteria which join together to colonise an area in a bid to push out any potential competitors. Traditional toothpastes work by scrubbing off the plaque containing the bacteria, but that’s not always effective, which is why people who religiously clean their teeth can still develop cavities.

When threatened, bacteria shield themselves in a slimy protective barrier known as a biofilm. It is made up of bacteria held together by a web of extracellular DNA which binds the bacteria to each other and to a solid surface, around the teeth and gums.The biofilm protects the bacteria from attack by brushing, chemicals or even antibiotics. The organism, Bacillus licheniformis, release an enzyme which breaks down the external DNA. That breaks up the biofilm and releases the bacteria from the web.

Monsoon skin care tips

After a hot and sweaty summer, the monsoon comes as a relief but the humid and damp weather takes a toll on the skin and eyes. Experts advise how small changes in the skin care routine during the season can keep the skin glowing and eyes fresh.

Monsoon brings humidity and it’s bad news for all type of skins:

Oily Skin: The skin type is mainly the result of genetically determined hormonal changes. To treat oily skin one needs to remove excess oil by cleansing it twice or thrice a day, but not more than that.

“Limit washing your face to two or three times a day as too much washing will stimulate your skin to produce more oil. Avoid heavy cleansing creams. Scrub your face on a regular basis. This will help unclog the pores and remove the layer of dead cells from your skin,” cosmetic surgeon Anup Dhir told IANS.

It is advised to use warm water while washing face as it dissolves skin oil better than lukewarm or cold water. Other than that, one also uses mud-pack. Homemade pack made with “Chane ka atta and raw milk” can help in keeping skin refreshing and glowing.

Dry Skin

Dryness is a sign of dehydration and lack of skin repairing vitamins. During monsoon the problem worsens. One requires cream based cleanser, says Dr. Geetika Mittal, medical director of the International Skin and Anti-Aging Centre (ISAAC). ”A moisturizer increases the water content of the outer layers of the skin and gives it a soft, moist look and it is always advised one with dry skin opt for alcohol free toner,” said Mittal. Also, apply glycerin and rose water mixture to keep skin soft.

Combination Skin

This type of skin is characterised with the T-portion as oily and the cheeks are usually normal or dry in condition. Since it combines both the oily and dry skin it should be treated as if it were two different types of skin, said Dhir. ”The dry area requires gentle cleansing and regular moisturizing. The oily part needs to be deeply cleansed and toned with regular scrubbing,” Dhir told IANS.

Monsoon also brings skin infections

Fungal and bacterial infections are common during rainy season. Moist and damp skin leads to these infections. Also, one can get rashes and ringworm and even skin gets discoloured.

Dhir advises keeping the body dry is the basic tip to tackle the infections.

“Switch to cotton clothes as they allow your body to breathe. Allow damp hair to dry before you tie them again. To circumvent allergies from mosquito bites, wear full-sleeved clothes and use a mosquito repellent cream and head for air-conditioned rooms. Bathe twice a day to keep the problems at bay,” he added.

Eye Infection

With rains come puddles of dirty water and eye infections soar. But, with a bit of prevention, you could stay safe, says Mahipal Sachdev, chairman and medical director, centre for Sight group of Eye Hospitals.

“Close your eyes when you decide to get soaked in the rain as it screens off atmospheric pollutants. While the rain water is reasonably clean, but you need to be wary of the rain water if you stand under a tree or a building, as it can be contaminated with pollutants, which could increase eye infections,” said Sachdev.

Emphasizing on hygienic practices, Sachdev advises how conjunctivitis and stye could be avoided.

"These infections are contagious and can be easily transmitted via towels, handkerchiefs, lenses, glasses and other articles handled during the course of daily activities. To avoid infection, you need to ensure that you do not share articles of personal use with anyone else," he said.

Eye infections result in redness of eyes and watery discharge. One should use an antibiotic eye drop to treat eye infections, but only after it has been prescribed by an ophthalmologist. Use of contact lenses should be avoided during any kind of infection in the eye.

How to Divorce Someone

Divorcing someone is never easy, but Taylor Law AZ is one office that you can trust to really help you get through these tough times. There are quite a few different divorce attorney lawyers within the great state of Arizona. Arizona itself is beautiful, and although not one of the most populated states, it's capital of Phoenix deserves a round of applause for the people that it puts up with. When searching for a new divorce attorney you must keep a few things in mind. First of all, what is your price range? Are you going to be able to afford this attorneys help? How close is the law office to you? Will you ex be able to make it there alright (not that you really care)? What about the people? Has the office received good reviews? There are a tons of questions to ponder before making that final decision to hire a specific divorce lawyer. One should always keep in mind whether they want a female or male. Although the attorneys try not to be biased, some are and it may work for or against you. Keep in mind if you yourself are biased, because this could cause issues for your case. If you are a male and think that [because of your ex] all women are evil, and end up having a woman divorce attorney, well you could be in for a pretty tough ride. Just realize that not all people are evil, not everyone cheats and lies, and to give people a chance. You were with one person out of the billions of people on this Earth, you cannot subject them all to the same judgement. Anyways, try to keep a relatively clear head when going in to talk with your attorney. Try and keep emotion out of the conversation as much as possible and you will be greatly rewarded by common sense. Make sure that all the paperwork is in order and concentrate on the most important aspects of the whole divorce, rather than just how much you hate your ex. Although at some point in the conversation that bit will probably still make it out, try to restrain yourself as much as possible. These people are trying to help you move on, not be your weekly therapist.

How to take care of your Oily Hair

How to take care of your Oily Hair

Oily hair is a common complaint among teenagers. Because of excess sebum production our hair is oily. This leaves the hair greasy and unattractive.

If you have oily hair, it is essential to wash your hair on a daily basis. This is for the reason that oily hair has a tendency to accumulate dirt as compared to other hair types.

For oily hair do not use conditioners use only shampoos, make sure while choosing a shampoo that it does not contain conditioner in it. Such kind of shampoo is available easily in the market and is cheap compared to shampoos with conditioners.

If you think that you need a conditioner, and then use a conditioner which is very mild. Apply the conditioner only at the tips and in the middle do not apply at the roots and scalp and take care that you rinse it completely. Do not select products, which have silicone, oils, or lanolin.

Massaging the hair is essential for oily hair. Instead of applying lotions or oils, you can use a toning lotion (which removes dead cells) to massage oily hair with regular brushing. This helps hair growth. A regular massage habit is necessary. Avoid applying oil to the hair as possible.

You can also try the following remedies:

Mix 4 tablespoons of lemon juice with 1 cup water and apply to your hair for 15 min and rinse with warm water.

Mix 1/4 cup of cider vinegar with a basin of water and apply to your hair for 15 min and rinse with warm water.

Try to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day and eat fresh fruits and vegetables to keep your self hydrated.

How to take care of your Dry Hair

How to take care of your Dry Hair

Hair on the whole has a moisture content of about 10%. If your hair's moisture content drops lower than this level the key is to raise the hair's capability of draw and retain moisture. This is accomplished by means of moisturizers.

Good ones include "humectants" that not simply restore lost moisture but actually catch the attention of moisture and keep hold of it in the cortex of the hair. Essential fatty aids (EFA's) are great moisturizers. One of the top and most cost effectual essential fatty acids is safflower oil. It is the type you can buy to cook with and it is very rich in EFA's. The scalp produces the top EFA's called sebum. The problems is once the hair grows past the neck line or does not have straight contact with the scalp the scalps natural oils can not be used right through the hair shaft.

You can manually restore the lost EFA's by:

* Placing 1 or 2 drops of safflower oil in your palms and massage them together.

* There should only be enough to make your hands "shine" in the light.

* Cautiously take your hair (while dry) and "scrunch" the small amount of oil to the ENDS first and work toward the scalp.

* Leave this in your hair.

* 1-2 drops of safflower oil on dry hair is as a result small, you won't see it is there. 

By doing the above as often as essential will make sure your dry hair will have the proper amount of humectants to pull towards you and retain moisture. The key is to facilitate a small amount will go a long way.