By Gunner Glam

Earthlings have made several discoveries over the years which lead to more answers about with all the mysteries of the universe.

The energy that charges Studio Brow comes from the excitement of exploring the world in a new way. We would like to share some more discoveries of outer space according to Discovery Space News.

PERPETRATOR OF GALACTIC HIT-AND-RUN FOUND

Scientists have discovered why the irregularly shaped and hydrogen-shrouded starburst galaxy known as NCG 4449, located 12.4 million light years away, is so weird. It bears scars from a past close encounter with a newly discovered companion dwarf galaxy.

The evidence exonerates another previously known companion galaxy, DDO 125, which is located about 130,000 light years away from NCG 4449. Instead, new observations of NGC 4449 taken between May 29 and June 1, 2011 (made in the course of commissioning a new 0.7-meter telescope at Saturn Lodge Observatory, Calif.) turned up what scientists call “a profoundly tidally distorted” dwarf galaxy NGC 4449B.

The new companion lies about 29,000 light years from the center of NGC 4449. Computer models show the contorted shapes of the two galaxies fit.

“We speculate that NGC 4449B is on its first encounter with NGC 4449 and experienced a close passage near the nucleus of NGC 4449,” lead researcher Michael Rich, with the University of California, Los Angeles, writes in this week’s Nature.

“This conclusion is supported by the morphology of NGC 4449B, the plume pointing at the nucleus, and the approximate agreement with the structure and timescales of the simulation,” Rich wrote.

Scientists believe the encounter played a role in igniting the present burst of star formation in NGC 4449.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

OUR PLANET, TANGLED IN MAGNETIC SPAGHETTI

OK, so it’s not real spaghetti — it’s a computer visualization of the complex magnetic field that creates Earth’s magnetosphere — but it sure looks tangled.

Using the awesome power of a Cray XT5 Jaguar supercomputer, a team of space physicists are unlocking some of the biggest mysteries surrounding how the sun’s magnetic field interacts with our planet’s magnetosphere. They basically want to understand what happens when global magnetic fields become tangled to the extreme.

Space physicists categorize these interactions under “space weather,” and they are responsible for some of the Earth’s most powerful (and beautiful) atmospheric events.

“When a storm goes off on the sun, we can’t really predict the extent of damage that it will cause here on Earth. It is critical that we develop this predictive capability,” said Homa Karimabadi, a space physicist at the University of California-San Diego (UCSD).

Computer simulations are a critical tool for space weather prediction, and with the help of one of the most powerful supercomputers in the world (that is capable of a peak performance of 2.33 petaFLOPS), the complex magnetohydrodynamics of a geomagnetic storm can be better understood.

Put very simply, the tough physics behind “magnetohydrodynamics” can be split into three parts: magneto = magnetic, hydro = fluid, dynamics = motion. Each part represents complex calculations of how space plasma — from the hot, glowing, turbulent plasma on the solar surface, to the tenuous, wispy, high-energy ions that makes up the solar wind — acts.

So, should the sun unleash a coronal mass ejection (CME) in the direction of Earth, it would be useful to model the impact of this magnetic bubble of high-energy plasma before it hits our magnetosphere. Such an event involves a lot of magnetic-fluid-motion!

“With petascale computing we can now perform 3D global particle simulations of the magnetosphere that treat the ions as particles, but the electrons are kept as a fluid,” said Karimabadi. “It is now possible to address these problems at a resolution that was well out of reach until recently.”

With all this computing power, Karimabadi and his team have been able to simulate the phenomenon of “magnetic reconnection” — a phenomenon that can occur when two magnetic fields are forced together. The physics are hard to interpret, so the plasma needs to be simulated as a fluid and individual particles, all responding to the presence of a magnetic field.

Should the conditions be “just right” during a solar storm, for example, the magnetic field of an incoming CME and the magnetosphere may be aligned — or “geo-effective” — so that the two fields snap and reconnect, creating an entry point for energetic solar particles to flood into the outer layers of the Earth’s magnetic field. Geomagnetic storms are often the result, generating stunning aurorae at high latitudes and powerful electrical currents through the atmosphere.

These electrical currents can cause problems on the ground, especially if we are caught unprepared. Predicting the occurrence of these currents are very useful to power companies, say. Should a “geo-effective” CME thump the magnetosphere, they’ll know a geomagnetic storm is coming and managers may decide to take measures to avoid power outages.

Key to understanding how the plasma and magnetic field from the sun interacts with our magnetosphere is to understand the amount of turbulence generated during a CME impact. “One of the surprising outcomes of our research is the ubiquity and nature of turbulence in the magnetosphere,” said Karimabadi. “This is important since turbulence implies more efficient mixing of the plasma and fields, and after all, space weather arises because the plasma and fields emanating from the sun can penetrate and mix with the plasma and fields of Earth’s magnetosphere.”

And therein lies the power of the supercomputer and its ability to visualize dynamic 3D magnetic structures. “By color coding the magnetic field lines in our visualizations of the solar wind and the magnetosphere, we can track the level of (turbulent) mixing,” he added.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

DO ALIENS GO INVISIBLE BY ‘GOING GREEN’?

As we discover more and more planets around other stars, the Fermi Paradox is becoming, well, more paradoxical.

The Fermi Paradox simply asks the question “where are they?” Our Milky Way galaxy is so big and so old — and we are estimated to be accompanied by at least 100 billion planets — that aliens should have visited us by now.

Instead, when we peruse the heavens, we are faced with the Great Silence, which is one of the biggest challenges to modern astronomy.

There have been numerous solutions to the Fermi paradox, but none of them are satisfactory.

Instead, when we peruse the heavens, we are faced with the Great Silence, which is one of the biggest challenges to modern astronomy.

There have been numerous solutions to the Fermi paradox, but none of them are satisfactory.

Picking up on this idea, Canadian science fiction writer Karl Schroeder has come upon a novel solution to the failure of astronomical observations to solve the Fermi Paradox. He proposes: “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from nature.” (This is a takeoff on Arthur C. Clarke’s posit: “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”)

In other words, smart aliens have “gone green” and generate no waste products that we could detect. They therefore blend into the galaxy. Therefore, “artificial and natural systems are indistinguishable,” writes Schroeder.

This implies that no astronomical observations could offer convincing evidence for the handiwork of E.T. The principle of Occam’s Razor will insist that we stick with a natural explanation for space phenomena.

This undermines an extraterrestrial search strategy called SETT (Search for Extraterrestrial Technology). The idea is that we might pick up the spectral signature of nuclear fission waste that extraterrestrials dump into their star, or the leakage of tritium from alien fusion powerplants.

However, “green aliens” have reached a Utopian state of being in balance with nature. Short of finding a directed message, or a leaked radio signal, we could be surrounded by advanced societies that are camouflaged within our galaxy. Maybe only ecologically-balanced civilizations survive in the long run.

Another Fermi Paradox solution is that intelligent life might be inherently unstable and destroys itself in any number of doomsday scenarios: nuclear war, bioterrorism, or nanotechnology run amok. But even if that is the case, their technological progenies should survive forever.

This is not science fiction, we have already done this. Long after the human race has gone extinct, there will still be five artifacts drifting though the galaxy: NASA’s two Pioneer probes (pictured here), two Voyager probes, and the Pluto-bound New Horizons probe. Imagine, the Pioneer plaque, Voyager record, and Clyde Tombaugh’s (discoverer of Pluto) ashes aboard New Horizons, are the only lasting manifestations of Homo sapiens.

It’s a comparatively small step for a society — say, one only a few hundred years more advanced than us — to pepper the galaxy with interstellar probes. This approach is vastly cheaper that any attempt to send living explorers to other stars.

The probes could easily be mass-produced at a fraction the cost of building a passenger starship. Once launched, they are self-repairing and immortal — a concept proposed by mathematician John von Neumann and astrophysicist Freeman Dyson, among others. For economy this approach would favor small devices that through nanotechnology grow and modify themselves for the mission at hand.

One paradox here is the question of why such probes wouldn’t mutate, mass produce, and take over the galaxy. We can only surmise that their duplication process is perfect, and there is a built-in “circuit breaker” algorithm that instructs the probes not to self-replicate forever — like those walking brooms in Paul Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice from Disney’s 1940 feature-length animation “Fantasia.”And besides, that would be thegreen thing to do.

What is especially sobering is that this means there should have been a lot of robotic alien visits to our solar system. In a recent paper (PDF) astronomer Keith Wiley of the University of Washington estimates there could be innumerable alien Von Neumann machines scattered among the planets and asteroids. And, Earth certainly would be a prime target of interest.

At this point I’d say it would be a bigger shock if we never find such artifacts, than if we actually do someday.

But if the alien robotic visitors were built with “green technology,” finding any trace of them would especially be a needle-in-haystack search. They would blend in with the natural tapestry of the solar system.

I wonder if they like getting their eyebrows done? Do they even have eyebrows?

-More coming soon from Studio Brow-

Starting 2012, fashion sunglasses will become a popular trend. If previous large sunglasses became a fan favorite of fashion, it seems the trend in 2012 is a bit different.

As reported by Teen Vogue, News Maker and Millionlooks.com, Studio Brow would like to share some glasses that became world fashion trends in 2012.

Cat Eye sunglasses have been trendy for a few seasons already and will remain as hot during spring and summer 2012. Eyewear in this shape comes in different colors and décor and can be very playful or more austere. Glasses with frame-shaped cat’s eye had become an idol in the mid-2011 and will again be the trend for summer 2012. These glasses are usually present in full view of color and playful details, such as glasses work Proenza Schouler and Missoni. Specific cat eye colors are purple, red, noir black and white framed.

Gradient lenses are not new to the industry but from time to time designers tend to love them more than other styles. Spring and summer 2012 is just that time. But the most famous designers and brands, some of which are Dolce & Gabbana and Bebe, it seems still like to include this model in sunglasses summer 2012 collection. Colors include yellow, round tortoiseshell, two-tone and ombre.

Colorful Plastic sunglasses always stand out in a crowd. For the coming warm months there will be a high desire to not just blend in. Assortments include lilac, whimsical heart-shaped, orange-and-white, yellow-framed and blue hexagonal.

Sporty sunglasses are always trendy for those people who wear them while doing cycling or running.  But in summer 2012, designers and Cyntia Rowley Rag & Bone makes sports sunglasses can be worn by everyone, not just the athletes. Apart from health reasons, sunglasses for sports always makes a person become more stylish while cycling or jogging. Assortments include sleek and transparent, patterned reflective and rounded reflective.

Quirky shapes are new in vogue but many designers try hard to popularize them. Heart, oval and even diamond-shaped eyewear looks fresh and can be a perfect choice for girls who aren’t afraid to look funny and attract attention.

Round glasses are classic and worn by such big names as Elton John and Lady Gaga. But for Spring and Summer 2012 round sunglasses won’t be that simple. Frames and lens will be in different hues and frames can come with patterns or jewel-encrusting. Round glasses have a timeless nature and could be characterized by top artists.

Love contrasts but feel that color blocking is not the right thing to wear right now? Try contrast sunglasses instead. It’s interesting when frame and lens come in different and often quite contrasting colors.

-More coming soon from Studio Brow-

By Gunner Glam

There is an old saying that good things come in threes. In the case of movies, having a third film in a franchise can make it better or not as much.

Instead of mentioning series where a third addition did not fare as well as the original two, Studio Brow would like to share the most successful trilogies of the past few decades, according to Box Office Mojo.

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS – $566,028,876

Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009) — $219,614,612

Alvin And The Chipmunks (2007) — $ 217,326,974

Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011) — $129,087,240

ICE AGE – $568,080,573

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) – $196,363,405

Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) – $195,329,763

Ice Age (2002) – $176,387,405

THE MATRIX – $592,135,491 

The Matrix Reloaded (2003) – $281,492,479

The Matrix (1999) – $171,383,253

The Matrix Revolutions (2003) – $139,259,759

JURASSIC PARK – $766,989,054

Jurassic Park (1993) – $356,748,415

The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) – $229,074,524

Jurassic Park III (2001) – $181,166,115

TOY STORY – $883,194,478

Toy Story 3 (2010) – $415,004,880

Toy Story 2 (1999) – $245,823,397

Toy Story (1995) – $191,773,049

Toy Story/Toy Story 2 in 3D (2009) – $30,593,152

THE LORD OF THE RINGS – $1,031,169,477

The Return of the King (2003) – $376,853,002

The Two Towers (2002) – $340,478,898

The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) – $313,837,577

STAR WARS: EPISODES IV-VI – $1,060,476,463*

A New Hope (1977) – $460,998,007

Return of the Jedi (1983) – $309,206,384

The Empire Strikes Back (1980) – $290,272,072

*Includes the 1997 “Special Edition” releases.

TRANSFORMERS – $1,073,748,606

Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen (2009) — $402,111,870

Transformers: Dark Of The Moon (2011) — $352,390,543

Transformers (2007) — $319,246,193

 SPIDER-MAN – $1,113,614,571

Spider-Man (2002) – $403,706,375

Spider-Man 2 (2004) – $373,377,893

Spider-Man 3 (2007) – $336,530,303

STAR WARS: EPISODES I-III - $1,122,003,582*

The Phantom Menace (1999) – $431,065,444

Revenge of the Sith (2005) – $380,262,555

Attack of the Clones (2002) – $310,675,583

*Includes IMAX re-releases.

-More coming soon from Studio Brow-

By Gunner Glam

When couples go on a date, outfits define the look but perfume and cologne set the scent. Studio Brow would like to share the top five fragrances for women and men according to Squidoo.

For the gals:

Tommy Girl – Not what you imagined

Even though we have never guessed this is a quality product, because of its extremely low price, we now feel this is the best casual perfume for 2011-2012. It’s cologne, really, but the quality is Eau da parfum-like.

Luca Turin has given it 5 stars – a rare grade from a world-famous perfume expert.

Crisp, Fresh, Flowery and fruity. Not for everyone as this perfume is a little unusual but surprisingly good. You would expect it to be perhaps a childish scent or at most a cologne aimed at teenagers who spend their days on the phone discussing the latest Justin Bieber but it most certainly isn’t. This is a smell for someone who is looking for a young scent indeed, but in noway childish.

It starts off with some sweet rose notes (a floral beginning) then become crispy-citric and ends up in with a winning note of tangerine. Not the usual composition, I would wholeheartedly agree, but interesting, refreshing and well laid perfume in total.

Eternity by CK

It start off strong and stays like that throughout the day, and even the night. It’s an elegant casual which means it can serve as a working-place scent, as well as an evening classy perfume. It is more summery in its essence but, as you probably imagined, can be easily worn at all seasons.

A remarkable package present a lovely piece of work…
The most notable notes of this modern masterpiece are lended grapefruit, ginger, and passionflower that compose a feminine, non-aggressive, scent which is fruity and sweet.

Lolita Lempicka

Lolita Lempicka is one perfume that you can “feel” through its luxurious packing. Through the way the golden leaves gently lay upon it, to a finely detailed bottle that almost seems like artwork, it is easy to grasp the amount of work that has been put into this unique product.

Based on an unusual Anise note, its almost unbearably sweet on the first spray but very soon an overly sweet scent is replaced with a catchy & attractive scent. That attractive aroma that you eventually notice, is spicy wood that lays deep within this perfume’s base-not.
My girlfriend was stunned with how notable this perfume has been, whilst her usage of it was very low (just a few sprays). Licorice and velvet wrap down this incredible product and turn the scent into a silky, sour-sweet heaven for noses of all kinds.

Gucci by Gucci for women

The renewed version of the world-known classic

For an exclusive price of 63 US Dollars Gucci by Gucci for women (2007) is a worthwhile deal.

The sales have been sky rocking last year, in spite of the economical crisis, and this year it should continue selling like crazy. Quite frankly, I think this a rare gem, a one of a kind fragrance that is, perhaps, the best quality fragrance for ladies.

Chamomile, Tahitian Tiare flower, guava, raspberry, pear, spider lily, patchouli, honey, musk and orange blossom compose this elegant fragrance that is suitable mostly (but not only) for dates and business meetings.It start off smelling like tea with Chamomile and Tahitian Tiare flowers, and you think this is another floral aroma, but this is soon replaced with a gentle musk that blends in perfectly. The smell stays on you and does not sour up during the day.

ANGEL – THIERRY MUGLER

Angel, a 1992 fragrance from Thierry mugler, has been extremely popular this year. It was never a household name, until recently it boomed and achieve a wide recognition.

The strong chocolate vanilla ice-cream kind of scent, is a love it or hate it scenario. Some swear by it, while other swear when they lay their nose on it.

Above all, it is crucial to know if you are, or the person who you buy a gift to, can handle excessive sweetness.

For the guys:

Acqua Di Gio – Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani Acqua di Giò Pour Homme (1996) is a perfect mixture between sensuality and masculinity; It is pleasant for almost any nose, and manages to stay fresh and fashionable year after year. Thus, it remains on the #1 spot in the US top sellers list.

The top note, the one that makes first impression, is flowery (jasmine is the most notable one). Shortly afterwards, a pleasant tingling scent of marine hits your nose, and in the long run you can spot both white musk and cedar. The overall result is aquatic, woody and aromatic – sort of an improvement of Issey Miyake’s “aquatic.”

Because of its lightness, it is sometimes defined as a “summertime fragrance.”

Davidoff Hot Water

Davidoff’s Hot water is the antithesis of Davidoff’s popular Cool Water scent (which is also great by itself and feature on this list).
It is a fresh, hip, spicy scent that has been created only recently (2009), and it is renowned as one of the world’s greatest inexpensive perfumes.

Hot water is a perfect choice for a night out, with the lady, or in an attempt to find one. It is well liked by many women, even though the popular reaction from man to this fragrance is mixed (some simply don’t like it).

This oriental masterpiece has caught me with its simplicity. Some might say it resembles them of the all-so-90s Joop! perfume, but for me this is just another reason to feature this one here. If it feels like an improved version of a very popular scent, which is remarkably less financially demanding, I am all for it.

Patchouli, basil and pimento are the among boldest notes this one has to offer, but there is one overpowering ingredient that, for me, hits the jackpot – it has a strong paprika presence in it. This is the thing that makes it smell a little nicer than other similar fragrance like Armani Code, at least in my opinion.

Ungaro iii

It’s a masculine, bold (somewhat dark, but in a sexy kind of way) perfume that lasts for hours and hours (it took between 8 and 9 hours until its effect has worn off).

A more detailed description of what it contains would be a combination of Vodka, Tobacco and ashen rose that together compose a superb blend.

This fragrance is not aligned with the new “metro-sexual” male perfumery; it goes straight to the point. It symbols out “I’m tough, I’m rough but sexy enough.”

It might take you some time until you notice the light sandalwood base-note, but once it kicks in, you can appreciate the innovative brilliance in it.

Obsession By Calvin Klein For Men

Calvin Klein’s Obsession for men is still today one of the most of the most sought after perfume, by both men and women. It has remained popular and relevant from its establishment date in 1986, up until this very moment.

CK Obsession for men offers a pleasing smell, as an old-timers classic should. The warm and fruity sensation will overpower the any negative feelings you might have been carrying with you. This truly is a rejuvenating aroma that sheds light on your appearance and mood.

This is the scent many people still remember vaguely from their childhood: bitter-sweet musk covered by pleasant fruits It contains mandarin and spice, sandalwood and amber, and on top of that musk, that bring back good memories of innocence.

Although it is still a viable fragrance, its target audience is, for the most part, grown adults who have been using it religiously for many years now. This is a smell that conveys class and sophistication, and lasts for almost a whole day.

PACO RABANNE – One Million

Paco Rabanne is doing massive advertising for One Million. This golden fragrance exists from 2008, but this year it has really breached through and made its name as a staple perfume (at least around my whereabouts).

With interesting top notes (the ones you notice first) of Grapefruit and mint, middle notes of rose and base notes of amber, white woods and Patchouli, this result is nose-pleasing and long-lasting.

It is especially popular in the young guy’s audience who want to wear something light that would be attractive for the ladies.

Hope you get a scent of how to smell this year.

-More coming soon from Studio Brow-

By Gunner Glam

A few months back, Studio Brow shared some of the best advice for attaining and saving money since we are always looking for our clients to get the best deal overall.

If there is one thing people are being more conscious and cautious about these days it is money.  Here are some additional pointers on how people can conserve and make decisions with their dough thanks to the Wall Street Journal and Real Simple.

Know how much can be spent on what throughout the week. If there is a tight budget, find out how much money has been earned, what needs to be paid and divide up the remaining amount.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, there are some regular money moves that are better done at the beginning of the year rather than the end.

Tap your flex-spend account early

Opticians routinely urge you to spend your unused medical flexible-spending account in December.

That is backward. Start the year with a trip to the eyeglass store for a new pair of spectacles or two.

Your FSA is provided by your employer but funded with your pretax dollars. You elect an amount for the whole year (say, $2,400), but it’s funded through equal payroll contributions throughout the calendar year ($200 a month).

The bonus is that you get to start spending the whole amount (in this case, $2,400) on Jan. 1 as long as it is for eligible medical expenses, like eyeglasses and prescriptions.

If you spend it all by February, then it’s better than a low-interest loan. It’s a no-interest loan and there’s a chance you may not have to “pay it back.”

If you get fired or quit before year-end, in general your employer has lost out, not you. (That’s the way the government set up the rules.)

Make your charitable donations now

Some people wait until December to make charitable donations. The idea is that you have a better handle on how much money you can spare.

That’s upside down.

If giving to charity is important to you, why wait? Write your check now and feel satisfied.

If you are worried whether you will have enough money to live on during the year, then write a smaller check or cut back on other expenses.

You’ll get the same tax deduction making a donation early in the year as you would later, but the charity benefits by having the money sooner.

Contribute to your IRA in the spring

It can be tempting to wait and see what money you have left after Christmas before committing anything to an individual retirement account. Don’t wait. Do it as soon as possible.

If you fund the account early, you will find a way to make your remaining dollars stretch. What’s more, the funds in the account will grow tax free. Any interest you earn outside the IRA will be taxed, so the sooner you get your contribution done the better.

If, like many people, you wait until mid-April to contribute to last year’s plan, then this year make a change. Double down by contributing to both this year’s and last year’s accounts at the same time. You’ll get an extra year of earnings inside your plan.

Don’t wait for your fitness reimbursement

If your employer is generous enough to reimburse all, or part, of your gym membership (and many do), don’t wait until the end of the year to claim your money. In the first place you might forget, and that’s just throwing away money.

In addition, since everyone else mails claims at year-end, it’s more likely that yours will be lost or delayed.

What you should do instead is start the year with an annual fitness membership. You should pay the full amount upfront rather than monthly, you should then get it all reimbursed.

In the winter gyms often offer sales, so you may get a discount as well. And if you get fired before the membership expires, you’ll still have a (paid for) place to exercise.

Don’t wait to take investment losses

Around Christmas time you often hear people talk of the need to make so-called “tax-loss sales” of stocks. The idea is to lock in the loss before year-end so that it can be used to offset taxable investment gains.

The time to ditch a losing investment is when the reasons you originally got into it are no longer valid. For example: You might feel like you made a bad investment if you bought Tiffany last year. Perhaps at the time you thought shoppers would go nuts for luxury goods. Now you could be thinking another stock makes more sense in these austere times, like Wal-Mart.

Well, if that’s what you think, then get out. Take your loss, and use what’s left to choose a better investment.

What you don’t know about credit cards can hurt you so always have the money before charging it.

Make payments within 24 hours or so to avoid racking up interest monthly because even waiting up to 30 days to pay back can still incur interest if other purchases are made.

Use your credit cards.

Because: Paying in cash and rarely using credit cards may be a point of pride for you, but it isn’t a good move for your credit score. As a result of the credit crisis, companies that once would have left inactive accounts open and tried to lure you back are now quick to close “sock drawer” cards.

“Inactive accounts are unprofitable for credit-card companies,” said Liz Pulliam Weston, the author of Your Credit Score (FT Press, $19, amazon.com) and a personal-finance columnist for MSN Money. “Now it’s use it or lose it.”

While you may not mind losing a seldom-used card, there’s more serious fallout: Because 30 percent of your score is based on your debt-to-credit-limit ratio―the gap between what you owe on all credit cards and your total available credit―having one account closed increases that ratio and thus lowers your score.

So use your cards,  said Weston: “Regular, responsible use will help to maintain and improve your score.”

“If your card is canceled for nonuse, it’s difficult to get your account reopened. You can try by placing a call to the credit-card company and highlighting your stellar payment history,” said Sheri L. Stuart, education manager for Springboard Nonprofit Consumer Credit Management, in Riverside, California. “But you will have to go through the application process again.”

Pay off the lowest-balance credit card first.

Because: If you’re feeling overwhelmed by credit-card debt, you may find it hard to stay motivated to keep up a serious repayment effort. While paying off the highest-interest card first will save you the most money in the end, the boost you get from quickly knocking off the lowest-balance card may be more instrumental in keeping you on track.

Instead of spreading your monthly payments equally among credit cards, “snowball” your debt, advised Lisa Ray, a financial-education specialist at the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Atlanta.

With this method, you pay down the lowest-balance card first and pay minimum balances on the rest; as each card is paid off, apply the money you would have paid on it to the next-lowest-balance card, and so on.

Pay annual fees on a rewards card.

Because: There are plenty of rewards cards out there that don’t charge annual fees, but paying one can make sense.

In the end, a card with a fee and good benefits that suit your lifestyle may save you much more than a no-fee card you’ll use less.

In weighing a card’s merits, try to project which benefits you’re more likely to use in a year.

If the rewards such as free hotel nights, discounted movie tickets or cash back into your child’s college savings account, total more than the card’s annual cost―and more than what you would save with a no-fee card―it is worth the expense.

Don’t consolidate credit-card balances on an introductory interest-free card.

Because: “Balance transfers can work in your favor if the interest you save outweighs the transfer fees,” said Leslie McFadden, a credit columnist for the web site, Bankrate.com. Otherwise, when the low introductory rate goes up, possibly to more than that of the card you’re transferring the debt from, you may end up paying more interest than you would have on the original card.”

She said, “You also have to be careful that you’re not running up so much of the new card’s credit limit that it’s hurting your score.”

“Consolidating multiple balances on a lower-limit card,” Weston explained, “can make it look to the credit bureau like you’re close to maxing out that second card (using most of your available credit limit), which is frowned upon.”

Don’t close cards once they are paid off.

Because: Fifteen percent of your score is determined by the length of time you’ve had credit.

By closing your oldest account, you can shorten the length of your credit history, which can deal a blow to that part of the formula.

Don’t max out one card (say, a rewards card), then pay the full balance every month.

Because: You don’t get any points on your credit score for paying off the balance.

In fact, credit bureaus don’t even consider it. More important, maxing out one card, even if you never carry a balance or pay interest, raises your debt-to-credit-limit ratio as bureaus consider individual cards’ ratios as well as your total ratio.

For example, if you charge $4,000 of your $5,000 limit, you’re using 80 percent of your available credit. “Keep balances as low as possible,” McFadden advises. “Using less than 30 percent of your credit limit is a good goal. The higher your balance climbs, the greater the damage to your score.”

Don’t open retail-card accounts.

Because: Twenty percent off a new pair of jeans isn’t worth the potential damage that opening a store card can do to your credit score.

First, five points are deducted for each new retail or gas card.

Second, you’re lowering the average age of your credit history. Third, these cards tend to have lower limits and higher interest rates―sometimes 20 percent or more.

Finally, running up balances on low-limit store cards affects your credit score more negatively than does using one or two bank cards, since bank cards’ higher credit limits increase your debt-to-credit-limit ratio.

Don’t pay off credit-card debt with a secured loan, such as a home-equity line of credit.

Because: Doing so may seem like a good idea, since the interest rate can be lower and you can consolidate your debts and make just one monthly payment instead of monitoring several cards.

But by rolling credit-card balances into a home-equity loan, you are essentially converting unsecured debt into secured debt, says Ray.

You’ll be putting your house up as collateral for the new television set or laptop that you charged.

If you can’t make your payments for any reason, debt collectors can seize your property.

-More coming soon from Studio Brow-

By Gunner Glam

How did this phrase begin?

When you come into a Studio Brow location, our technicians ensure to provide the best service on your brows and lashes and do not stop until the look is perfect.

We would like to share our thoughts on where this old saying comes from, according to World Wide Words.

Meaning

Nothing is irreversible until the final act is played out.

Origin

Just to get this out of the way before we start: is it ’til, till or until? You can find all of these in print:

It ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings
It ain’t over till the fat lady sings
It ain’t over until the fat lady sings

You might even find versions with isn’t instead of ain’t. Grammarians argue about ’til and till; I’m opting here for till.

Okay; so who was the fat lady?

If we knew that, the origin of this phrase would be easy to determine. Unfortunately, we don’t, so a little more effort is going to be required.

The two areas of endeavour that this expression is most often associated with are the unusual bedfellows, German opera and American sport.

The musical connection is with the familiar operatic role of Brunnhilde in Richard Wagner’sGötterdämmerung, the last of the immensely long, four-opera Ring Cycle.

Brunnhilde is usually depicted as a well-upholstered lady who appears for a ten minute solo to conclude proceedings.

‘When the fat lady sings’ is a reasonable answer to the question ‘when will it be over?’, which must have been asked many times during Ring Cycle performances, lasting as they do upwards of 14 hours.

Apart from the apparent suitability of Brunnhilde as the original ‘fat lady’, there’s nothing to associate this 20th century phrase with Wagner’s opera.

All the early printed references to the phrase come from US sports. Some pundits have suggested that the phrase was coined by the celebrated baseball player and manager, Yogi Berra, while others favour the US sports commentator, Dan Cook.

Berra’s fracturing of the English language was on a par with that of the film producer Sam Goldwyn but, like those of Goldwyn, many of the phrases said to have been coined by him probably weren’t.

Along with “It’s déjà vu all over again” and “The future isn’t what it used to be”, Berra is said to have originated “The game isn’t over till it’s over”.

All of these are what serious quotations dictionaries politely describe as ‘attributed to’ Berra, although he certainly did say “You can observe a lot by watching”, at a press conference in 1963.

In any case, “the game isn’t over till it’s over” isn’t quite what we are looking for, missing as it is the obligatory fat lady.

Dan Cook made a closer stab with “the opera ain’t over till the fat lady sings”, in a televised basketball commentary in 1978. Cook was preceded however by US sports presenter Ralph Carpenter, in a broadcast, reported in The Dallas Morning News, March 1976:

Bill Morgan (Southwest Conference Information Director): “Hey, Ralph, this… is going to be a tight one after all.”

Ralph Carpenter (Texas Tech Sports Information Director): Right. The opera ain’t over until the fat lady sings.”

Another US sporting theory is that the fat lady was the singer Kate Smith, who was besy known for her renditions of “God Bless America”.

The Philadelphia Flyers hockey team played her recording of the song before a game in December 1969. The team won and they began playing it frequently as a good luck token.

Smith later sang live at Flyer’s games and they had a long run of good results in games where the song was used.

Sadly, Ms. Smith sang before games, not at the end. If the phrase were “It ain’t started until the fat lady sings”, her claim would have some validity.

Whilst printed examples of the expression haven’t been found that date from before 1976, there are numerous residents of the southern states of the USA who claim to have known the phrase throughout their lives, as far back as the early 20th century.

“It ain’t over till the fat lady sings the blues” and “Church ain’t out till the fat lady sings” are colloquial versions that have been reported; the second example was listed in Southern Words and Sayings, by Fabia Rue and Charles Rayford Smith in 1976.

Now she is starting to warm up.

Carpenter’s and Cook’s broadcasts did popularise the expression, which became commonplace in the late 1970s, but it appears that we are more likely to have found the first of the mysterious fat ladies in a church in the Deep South than on the opera stage or in a sports stadium.

 It’s Over!

-More coming soon from Studio Brow-

By Gunner Glam

Before going on a date or business luncheon, Studio Brow is about making people look sharp and feel fresh.

There are tips according to New Mexico State University’s career services which could help make the dining experience for any occasion go smoothly. Studio Brow would like to share them with you.

With a significant other or employer, try to find common grounds of interest for conversation (sports, travel) that are not controversial.

1. Do not neglect anyone sitting near you.

2. As the employer will be paying for the meal, order from the mid-priced offerings on the menu.

3. Eat lightly and avoid messy food.  You will be doing more talking than eating and you don’t want to be wearing your lunch.

4. Be cautious about ordering alcohol, as it is important to remain alert during the whole meal.  It is recommended that no alcohol be consumed at lunch and no more than one glass of wine in the evening and then only if others are drinking.  It is always acceptable to substitute mineral water for wine.

5. Always pass the salt and pepper together, even if only one is asked for.  In general, if items are not being passed to a specific person, pass food from left to right.

6. Don’t talk when you have food in your mouth, and don’t wave or point with a utensil.

7. Understand the table setting.  Your bread plate is to the left of your dinner plate and your water glass to the right.  Use your utensils from the outside in.

8. Place your napkin on your lap as soon as you sit down.  If you leave for a few moments during the meal, place your napkin on your chair.  When you leave at the end of the meal, leave your napkin to the left of your dinner plate.

9. Never butter a whole piece of bread.  Take some butter and place it on your plate.  Use the butter knife if one is available.  Break a bite-sized piece off of your bread and hold it on the corner of the bread plate while you butter.

10. Eat soup taking the spoon away from you, then toward you and sip from the side.  When you have finished soup, always place the spoon in the saucer under the soup bowl.

11. Cutting:  fork in left hand, knife in right hand, cut one piece at a time, lay knife across top of plate with blade toward you and move fork to right hand.  When you have completed a meal, place your knife and fork across the plate in a 9 to 3 o’clock fashion.

Meal Etiquette

The dinner or luncheon will usually take place in a fairly nice restaurant that offers a quiet atmosphere.  Plan to arrive twenty minutes early to allow a “freshening-up” visit to the restroom.  A crooked tie, a belt that is not centered, mussed hair, or an open fly is disastrous.

Don’t be surprised to find conversation oriented toward politics, movies or other general issues unrelated to the job.  The person is interested in knowing about you as a human being.

It may be tempting to get overly familiar after you share a few laughs and start hitting it off.  Don’t let your guard down.

Order a light entrée that is easy to eat.  You should be the center of attention, not the plateful of steamed Maryland crabs.  Never order alcoholic beverages.  Forget the glass of wine with dinner or a cocktail at the bar.  Order a glass of Perrier water, soft drink, soda with at twist of lemon, iced tea or coffee.

Use excellent manners. Candidates who do not dine often in fine restaurants should review a basic etiquette book.  Tucking a dinner napkin down one’s pants is just not acceptable.

Even if you are invited to smoke – don’t!  Do not smoke under any circumstances.  Maintain a professional image.  If you are a non-smoker, don’t make a fuss if the other person lights up.  Accommodate his or her habit.

Table Manners

Your social graces and general demeanor at the table can tell as much about you as your answer to a question.

For instance, over-ordering food or drink can signal poor self-discipline.  At the very least, it will call into question your judgement and maturity.

Alcohol:  Soon after being seated, you will be offered a drink – if not by your host, then by the waiter. The most important reason is that alcohol fuzzes your mind, and research proves that stress increases the intoxicating effect of alcohol.

If you order something to drink, try to stick with something nonalcoholic, such as club soda or simply a glass of water.  If pressed, order a white-wine spritzer, a sherry, or a light beer – it depends on the environment and what your host is drinking.

If you do drink, never have more than one.  If there is a bottle of wine on the table, and the waiter offers you another glass, simply place a hand over the top of your glass.  It is a polite way of signifying no.

You may be offered alcohol at the end of the meal.  The rule still holds true – turn it down.

Other helpful hints:

- Never speak with food in your mouth.

- To be on the safe side, eat the same thing, (or close to it,) as the other person.  Of course, while this rule makes sense in theory, the fact is that you probably will be asked to order first, so ordering the same thing can be problematic.

- Solve the problem before you order by complimenting the restaurant during your small talk and then, when the menus arrive, asking, “What do you think you will have today?” or “Have you eaten here before?”  If so, “What would you recommend?”

- Do not change your order once it is made and never send the food back.

- Be polite to your waiters, even when they spill soup in  your lap.

- Do not order expensive food.  Naturally, in our heart of hearts, we all like to eat well, especially on someone else’s tab.  But don’t be tempted.  When you come right down to it, you are there to talk and be seen at your best, not to eat.

- Eat what you know.  Stay away from awkward, mess or exotic foods.  Ignore finger foods, such as lobster or spare ribs.

In fact, you should avoid eating with your fingers altogether, unless you are in a sandwich shop, in which case you should make a point of avoiding the leaky, over-stuffed menu items.

Checks and Goodbyes

Never pick up the check, however long it is left by your plate.  When ready, your host will pick it up, because that is the simple protocol of the occasion.

By the same token, you should never offer to share payment or leave the tip.

When parting company, always thank the host for his or her hospitality and the wonderful meal.

Handling those awkward moments…

You bite into an olive and discover a pit.  Your last bite of fish had a bone in it.  You didn’t realize just how fatty the meat was.

Now, you’re not sure you can swallow what’s in your mouth.

No noise and no faces allowed – but you don’t have to swallow the inedible.

If you need to remove something from your mouth, shift into reverse.  Carefully, and with your hand close to your mouth, drop the olive pit into the palm of your hand and put the pit on your plate.

Remove the fish bone using two fingers like a pair of tweezers.  Set the bone on the edge of your plate.

If you think the sight of your chewed meat is going to make your fellow diners gag, bring your napkin to your lips and remove the meat.

Fingers , spoon or fork?

What is the right way to eat French fries or  Pizza?  Here is a primer on when to use fingers, spoons and forks:

Finger Foods

• Berries, if served with the stem
• Caviar on toast
• Cheese on crackers
• Corn on the cob
• Crisp bacon
• French fries (informal situations only)
• Hamburgers
• Hors d’oeuvres
• Hot dogs
• Olives
• Onion rings
• Pizza Tacos

Spoon Foods

• Berries with sauces
• Ice cream
• Melon
• Peas
• Soup

Fork Foods

• Berries without stems
• Cake
• Clams
• Fish
• French fries (formal situations)
• Fruit
• Ice cream served on cake or pie
• Large chicken pieces
• Oysters
• Pastry
• Pizza

-Hope everyone enjoyed Valentine’s Day!-

-Check back for more coming soon from Studio Brow-

By Gunner Glam

     When Hollywood attempts to bank on adaptations of various forms of media, video game movies seem to catch the most flack for not having good direction or profitability.

There have, however, been exceptions to the rule and Studio Brow would like to share the highest and lowest profitable video game adaptation films according to the web site, Box Office Mojo.

Most

1.) Resident Evil series, 2002-2010, made $675,000,000 collectively (on a collective budget of $183 million)

2.) Tomb Raider films, 2001 and 2003, made $431,208,728 collectively (on a collective budget of $210 million)

3.) Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, 2010, made $335,154,643 (on a $200 million budget)

4.) Mortal Kombat, 1995, made $122,195,920 (on a $20 million budget)

5.) Hitman, 2007, made $99,965,792 (on a $24 million budget)

Least

1.) BloodRayne, 2006, made $3,650,275 (on a $25 million budget)

2.) Alone in the Dark, 2005, made $10,442,808 (on a $30 million budget)

3.) Street Fighter: the Legend of Chun-Li, 2009, made $12,764,201 (on a $50 million budget)

4.) Super Mario Bros., 1993, made $20,915,465 (on a $48 million budget)

5.) Doom, 2005, made $55,000,000 (on a $60 million budget)

In an article posted on Eurogamer.net, Uwe Boll, director of Alone in the Dark and BloodRayne, has gone on record criticizing game companies themselves for providing zero support once the movie licenses are sold.

He cites the cross-promotion and support which comic-book-based properties adapted for the screen receive, whereas video game companies often “sell off the license and then forget about it.”

He argues that this is the reason video game adaptations are not well received by critics and audiences.

-More coming soon from Studio Brow-

By Gunner Glam

Spring time is here, which means it is time to closet the winter coats and put on something trendy to help fight the breeze. With all of the latest trends this spring season has to offer, you will want to grab more than one of these fab styles.

From stripes to bright colors, Studio Brow wants you to look below to see the most coveted coat and jacket trends according to Fashion Trend Seeker.

Bright Hues - Step out in green, orange, and reds to make a huge fashion statement.

Trench Coat - A spring and summer classic.

Blazers -  The perfect fashionable jacket.

Parkas – The go to jacket for all of your springs needs (Perfect for unpredictable weather).

Stripes - The perfect trendy piece to add to your closet.

Raincoats – Always a must for spring season.

The Denim Jacket - It comes and goes between season, and this season it’s definitely in.

Military - The military trend is back – in a big way! Infantry-inspired jackets, cargo pants, you name it. Stars like Beyonce, Jennifer Hudson, Victoria Beckham and Nicole Richie have all been spotted wearing military-inspired jackets.

Leather Bomber - If you don’t already own one, a leather jacket is a great investment! It instantly makes any outfit cooler.

Tweed - Tweed jackets have been fashionable ever since Coco Chanel introduced her boxy tweed jacket in the 1950s. But, you don’t have to wear it with a matching A-line skirt, anymore.

Classic Blazer - Any woman knows, a blazer adds instant polish and sophistication to any outfit! This Ann Taylor Loft blazer puts a spin on the classic blazer you probably already own – it’s made of casual twill and it’s navy blue.

-More coming soon from Studio Brow-

By Gunner Glam

Not all apparel is alike. Fashion professionals generally use these categories to identify different markets. Studio Brow is passionate about people looking and feeling their best all the time.

According to Vault, the career guide to fashion is as follows:

Haute couture

Haute couture is often considered the pinnacle of designer clothing. Its origins can be traced to Paris over 150 years ago. Haute couture involves craftsmanship, the skill of the dressmakers and embellishers (feather makers, embroiderers, milliners) who create the finery of the exceptional. It is tailored and carefully produced for each client. Although couture apparel is seen almost exclusively on the supremely wealthy or on the runway, designers of haute couture influence all levels of the fashion industry. There are only eighteen houses of haute couture in France today since requirements are stringent: Balmain, Pierre Cardin, Carven, Chanel, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Lecoanet Henant, Christian Lacroix, Lapidus, Guy Laroche, Hanae Mori, Paco Rabanne, Nina Ricci, Yves Saint Laurent, Jean-Louis Scherrer, Torrente and Emanuel Ungaro. Prices generally range from $16,000 to $20,000 for a woman’s tailored suit to $60,000 and up for an evening gown.

Designer

Designer is the step down from couture. While not as exorbitantly priced as couture, designer apparel is nevertheless still expensive. Designer clothing is sold in specialty stores, department stores and boutiques — almost everywhere. Some prominent designers are Anna Sui, Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, Hugo Boss and Junya Watanabe.

Bridgewear

Bridge is the step down from designer fashions. This apparel is generally much more affordable and available at better department stores. Although several steps down from fashion’s pinnacle, bridgewear is nevertheless considered more exclusive than “better” clothing. Top designers such as Donna Karan and Calvin Klein knock themselves off to produce very popular bridgewear lines such as DKNY and CK.

Better

Nationally recognized brand names, such as Liz Claiborne, Ann Taylor, or Nordstrom’s private label. Customers usually expect a particular image, quality, or price point from a better brand.

Moderate

Moderate describes many nationally known sportswear brands or lower priced “better” national brands. Examples of moderate brands include Dockers, Limited and The Gap.

Budget

Budget falls into the least expensive category. Many brands include private labels for discount merchants, such as Jaclyn Smith or Kathy Ireland (for K-Mart house brands). Old Navy is one of the most prominent budget brands.

-More coming soon from Studio Brow-