MTV Europe Music Awards

Announced the official candidates of this year's MTV Europe Music Awards (the European Music Awards MTV). The award ceremony will take place in the Liverpool Echo Arena, Thursday November 6 2008, from where they broadcast live from 21 channels in over 40 European countries.

In the award ceremony, the famous singer, Beyonce Knowles, who is among the candidates in this year's MTV Europe Music Awards, will interpret a number of successes.

On Monday September 29 to Sunday November 2 viewers will have the opportunity to vote at www.mtevema.com to declare the winner of each category. Noted, the vote for the emergence of the best Greek act continues until Sunday October 12. Interested parties may psifiosyn either through www.mtvema.com and www.mtv.gr, or via sms to 54010 in order to highlight the Greek participation in the MTV Europe Music Awards, among: Cyanna, Matisse, Michael Hadjiyiannis, Stavento and Stereo Mike.

The official candidates are:

Album of the Year:

-Alicia Keys - As I Am

-Britney Spears - Blackout

-Coldplay - Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends

-Duffy - Rockferry

-Leona Lewis - Spirit

Best Live Artist:

-Foo Fighters

-Linkin Park

-Metallica

-The Cure

-Tokio Hotel

Favorite Song of the Year:

-Coldplay - «Viva La Vida»

-Duffy - «Mercy»

-Katy Perry - «I Kissed a Girl»

-Kid Rock - «All Summer Long»

-Pink - «So What»

New Commer Artist:

-Duffy

-Jonas Brothers

-Katy Perry

-Miley Cyrus

-OneRepublic

Best Artist for 2008:

-Amy Winehouse

-Britney Spears

-Coldplay

-Leona Lewis

-Rihanna

Best Urban:

-Alicia Keys

-Beyoncé

-Chris Brown

-Kanye West

-Lil Wayne


Best Rock Artist:

-30 Seconds to Mars

-Linkin Park

-Metallica

-Paramore

-Slipknot

Sources:

http://www.mtv.gr/Default.aspx?pid=6&la=1&newid=159

Centurion Best Credit Card by American Express

Centurion Best Credit Card by American Express

In the 1980s a rumour circulated in the urban classes of America, about a black card that offered to celebrities unlimited spending power and access to high-end stores -after- hours.

In October 1999, American Express launched the Centurion Card. According to Wikipedia “the Centurion Card, popularly known as the Black Card, is American Express' most exclusive charge card” since “it is one of the most sought-after charge cards in the world”.

The Card was initially available by invitation only, to a small number of selected holders of the bank’s Platinum Card. The Centurion’s original annual fee was appointed to $1,000, but in the beginning of 2007, the fee was raised to $2,500. At the same time the invitation for the card stopped. Now in order to be approved for the Centurion, you must first make a request and then meet the strict criteria applied from American Express. For instance, from the 1st of June, one of the requirements is a spending limit set to $250,000 .

The most popular myth is that the card has no limits! Unfortunately the Centurion does have limits, which are not pre-set but based on the history of the cardholder. Every year the spending history and habits of all credit cards owners are reviewed by the bank’s credit department, which sets the spending limits for the following year.

According to card users, the benefits of the card is the fact that it covers all insurances when purchasing tickets with it, and of course that it is considered a major status symbol. On the other hand the fee and the minimum spending requirement are considered very high.
Therefore, the elegant black titanium card causes excitement and offers great purchasing power, still it does not worth the annual $2,500 fee, nor the spending limit of $250,000.





Centurion American Express Card Features and benefits
By Wikipedia

The card, available for both personal and business use, offers numerous exclusive privileges, including a dedicated concierge and travel agent, complementary companion airline tickets on International flights on selected airlines with the purchase of a full fare ticket, personal shoppers at retailers such as Escada, Gucci and Saks Fifth Avenue, access to airport clubs, first class flight upgrades, membership in Sony's Cierge personal shopping program, and dozens of other elite club memberships. Hotel benefits include a free one-night stay in every Mandarin Oriental hotel worldwide once a year (except for the New York City property), and privileges at hotel chains like Ritz-Carlton, Leading Hotels of the World, and Amanresorts. The card has recently added new amenities, including access into the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold, as well as US Airways Platinum Preferred status as of June 1, 2007.

A new Centurion card crafted from anodized titanium was issued as a replacement for all plastic U.S. Centurion cards in the first half of 2006, with the titanium version being rolled out to certain other countries as well.

American Express has removed certain benefits from the card in the years since it was introduced. For example, Hyatt Diamond Elite status was included up until January 2005, and Starwood Preferred Guest Platinum status was included up until January 2006. UK members had access to Virgin Upper Class lounges, but this privilege has been removed.

All of the benefits mentioned above are for United States-issued cards. American Express Centurion cards issued in other countries may include different benefits.

Mystery Masterpiece by Montblanc Pens and VanCleef

On February the 8th, 2007, the houses of Van Cleef & Arpels and Montblanc, celebrated their centennials with the presentation of a unique de lux item. Both executive firms reached the 100 years of expertise, in two very different fields.

The CEOs Stanislas de Quercize and Lutz Bethge, in a simple and very elegant ceremony presented the “Mystery Masterpiece”.

The “Mystery Masterpiece”, according to the press release of the two houses, is a “fascinating expression of the finest craftsmanship and exquisite jewellery”. A pen with the body made of white gold, adorned with gemstones and diamonds. The pen will be released in three versions: one with rubies, one with sapphires and one with emeralds.

According to the press release of the luxury houses, the pen is designed and manufactured with “the legendary Mystery Setting, a technique patented in 1933 by Van Cleef & Arpels, that magically conceals the gemstone setting and perfects the illusion of vivid blossoms – while Montblanc’s meticulously crafted skeleton body enables the delicate white gold ornaments to float on the background of transparent resin”.

The piece, which took more than a year and a half to be created, seems to be destined to be part of history. The gemstones forming leaves and blosoms, seem to float on a surface of liquid resin, while the cap is literally crowned by a Montblanc star made of diamonds.

Some may say that what we see is luxury for sale. Yet the price of $730.000 makes it available only for those that belong to the premium club. Besides, this exquisite piece of magic will be in limited edition, only nine items in total -having three pieces of each version- will be available in the Montblanc and Van Cleef & Arpels boutiques.