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Join the daily Budget Meeting
2008-01-07 19:23:00
Every morning, the Editorial Team here at Voxant issues an internal memo known as the Editorial Budget . Based on the "story budgets" found in newsrooms everywhere, the Editorial Budget is an irreverent look at the best stories found among the thousands of videos, articles and photographs Voxant receives everyday. The daily memo has been a huge success inside Voxant (and with the few friends lucky enough to get on the list outside the company). And starting today, the Budget is going public. Each and every morning, you'll find the best stories inside Voxant right here. The Budget is also your guide to the top stories in the news, thanks to featured links to our newest Editor's Pick content packages. The best stories each day are listed as Homepage Featured Stories, videos that have made it from inside the Newsroom to a starring role on our vaunted Top News playlist. Only the best make the cut. Check in daily for the best content Voxant has to offer or grab our RSS fee...
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Caucus fever: now what?
2008-01-05 00:49:00
So we've had nearly a whole day to digest what happened in Iowa last night. Was Huckabee's come-from-behind victory a bellwether of things to come? Will Barack Obama stick with his new role as The Man To Beat? With this year's crazy primary schedule, it's impossible to say what the next months will bring. But there's no doubt that history was made in the cornfields of Iowa last night. Barack Obama may not be the first African-American to win a Democratic primary election, he's certainly the first minority with a clear shot at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. It's exciting. Especially when you consider that he edged out an equally-viable woman for the win. As for Huckabee, his victory lap could be the shortest. He's no where near the top of the pack in New Hampshire, leaving the door open for another challenger to knock off Mitt Romney's damaged goods. Iowa has a history of creating candidates that burn white hot for a few days and then smolder weakly until through South Carolina...
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New Movie Friday: Atonement
2008-01-04 23:51:00
One of the most sure-fire ways to garner critical acclaim for your film is to set it during World War II. This period in time still captivates and moves the world to this day. For example, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sparks outrage regularly for minimizing the Holocaust. Also, look at the list of critically-acclaimed films set in this era: "Schindler's List, "Saving Private Ryan," "Flags of our Fathers" etc. Just pretend "Pearl Harbor" didn't happen. Besides, "Pearl Harbor" doesn't count because it starred Josh Hartnett and Ben Affleck. What period piece can withstand that? Another tip for movie-makers is when doing a period piece, especially those set in Britain, make sure you grab Keira Knightley. She's all about taking it back to the old school, she did "Pride and Prejudice." "Atonement ," a film based on the book by Ian McEwan, hits theaters today and director Joe Wright made sure to do both of these things. Good jo...
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Have better sex in 2008
2008-01-03 18:26:00
We all have our silly personal New Year's Resolutions - lose weight, be nicer, beat kleptomania once and for all - but shouldn't we all resolve to have better sex this year? Check out these tips and tricks from the Voxant Newsroom and go get it on, people! - Evan
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The year ahead: Entertainment 2008
2008-01-02 22:27:00
It seems like everyone has their psychic caps on and is giving their own 2008 predictions, so I figured I'd join in on the fun as well. 1) Britney's going to keep the crazy train running. As much as I would love to see Britney return to form, I just don't see it happening. The girl is battling some mental illness issues in my opinion. Besides, Britney doesn't seem to be bothered by her behavior in the least, and she's only going to change if she feels like there's something wrong with her life. I also wouldn't be surprised if she has a few more outrageous public episodes, a la her hair-shaving incident last year, especially since her pregnant teenage sister is stealing all the spotlight right now. On a sidenote, I predict K-Fed will win physical custody of the boys permanently and that he'll bag another celebrity soon. Pictures of him and Paris Hilton getting close HAVE been circulating on the net.... 2) Jay-Z WON'T marry Beyonce. The rumor that the two have wedde...
More About: Entertainment , Year , Ahead

Voxant's Best of 2007
2007-12-28 16:50:00
It's been a great year in the news hasn't it? From the trials and tribulations of Britney Spears to the trials and tribulations of Larry Craig 2007 has been chock full of the news junkie's main fix, Schadenfreude. Kidding, but it was a hell of a year in the news wasn't it? Look back with the Editors at Voxant. EntertainmentPoliticsSportsTechWorldOdd

2007: the year in Tech
2007-12-28 16:27:00
From the fall of Vista to the rise of the iPhone, this year in tech has been all about Mac vs. PC. The battle rages beyond the world of of consumer electronics, of course. With hybrids gas-sipping their way into the mainstream and goofy social networks like Facebook pulling in billions, style was the tech buzzword of the year. It doesn't look good for that khaki-suited PC guy. - Evan
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2007: the year in Politics
2007-12-28 16:11:00
It may be hard to imagine, but before 2007 no one knew the significance of a wide stance when it comes to airport bathrooms. No one knew Oprah was going to step off the couch and on to the political stage or that an Arkansan best known for losing 100 lbs would lead the Republican polls heading into Iowa. But not every story in 2007 was a surprise. The Democrats couldn't hold off Bush in Congress and Scooter Libby got a Presidential pass on Plamegate. High hopes dashed on the rocks of cynicism? That's the year in Politics 2007.- Evan
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Top Entertainment Stories of 2007
2007-12-27 22:53:00
Amy Winehouse is (allegedly) on drugs! Paris Hilton in out in out of jail! Scary Spice pregnant with Eddie Murphy's baby! Kanye stomps 50 Cent in album sales! It sure has been an eventful 2007 in the entertainment world. The constant theme for this year has been the celebrity train wreck. Amy Winehouse, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, David Hasslehoff, and so on and so forth. Celebrities just couldn't seem to keep it together in the 07. They were either in jail, in rehab, on the front of a tabloid magazine in an unflattering photo or being dragged to court to fight for custody of their children. Other people, like Eddie Murphy and 50 Cent, had a little diarrhea of the mouth. Eddie Murphy swore up and down that the baby Scary Spice (Mel B.) was carrying was NOT his, despite the fact that a few weeks earlier, there were paparazzi photos of the two together out and about. Poor Scary Spice had her name dragged through the mud by Eddie Murphy making her out to be some...
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Top World News stories of 2007
2007-12-26 20:04:00
They say that the world is a crazy place, but I say they're wrong. The world is a wild, whacked-out, insane place. In 2007, we went through it all. The big, bloated blimp of self-confidence, Hugo Chavez, was dealt a mighty blow to the ego this year when Venezuelans said "NO!" to his proposed amendments to the Venezuelan constitution. One of the proposed amendments would have removed term limits, allowing Chavez to run for president indefinitely. Yikes. Of course the biggest dictator news of the year was the death of Saddam Hussein by hanging in Iraq. This actually happened at the end of December in 2006, but the backlash from his execution was felt throughout the Muslim world in January. By humiliating and executing Saddam in the way that they did, the Iraqi justice system succeeded in making Saddam a martyr. Great job, guys. But that's not all, our other dictator friend, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, had the world on edge for a while in March when Iranian military apprehende...
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MovieFriday: Sweeney Todd
2007-12-21 21:27:00
When I was young, my parents took me to see a musical. As cultured as I already considered myself (yeah, I'm that guy), I had never really dug the musical as a an art form. People breaking out into song in the middle of a normal movie never really made sense to me. Opera is one thing: music and song is used to tell the entire story. But in a movie musical, the song is generally used to emphasize a line of dialog you've already heard: Lead guy: "I think I'm falling in love with that girl."Other guy: "Falling in love?!"Lead guy (music swells): falllllliiiiinnng in lloooooooooooooooooove! Lame. Objectively. But my entire opinion of musicals changed that day with my parents. We saw the touring version of a show called Sweeney Todd , about a barber driven insane with vengeful thoughts. There was nothing lame about this show - blood spurted, terror reigned and there was even a little cannibalism. In Sweeney, the song is the show. The full melancholy and insanity of...

Top Sports stories of 2007
2007-12-21 17:14:00
2007 had to be one of the wildest years in sports history. Sifting through the Voxant video vault to find the top five stories was not an easy task. If nothing else, 2007 will be remembered as the year of the scandal. We saw dog fighting, steroids, ranting coaches, and the collapse of a once proud tradition and that was just the tip of the iceberg. All of this added up to one entertaining year. -Dumont
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The Holiday Bowl Season is here
2007-12-20 15:50:00
The Holiday season can mean any number of things depending on who you are, and what faith or religion one may observe. However, to a college football fan, the holiday season only means one thing, Bowl Season . Beginning on December 20th and continuing through January 7th the top Div IA (yes I’m old school) programs will compete for bragging rights, money for their respective schools, and two teams will face off for a BCS Championship. The majority of fans complain about the bowl system in college football, because it is seen as the reason there is not playoff system in Div I football. In addition, most fans only view the game that their favorite team is playing in as important and all the other games are nothing more than a distraction. However, a large number of fans exist that love college football and will watch every game they can. These are the fans who love everything about the sport. They will watch football as long as it is on, and for them the bowl season is what m...
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TechWednesday: Answering a question no one asked
2007-12-19 23:33:00
The Zipit is a machine that lets you use IM whenever you're in an area with WiFi access. It also does what everything else does (namely, play music, videos etc). Seriously - that's all it does. Do you see a technological breakthrough here worthy of any media attention? Neither do I. Nevertheless, here we are. I suggest we make the most if it. - Evan
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Oddest stories of 2007
2007-12-19 23:22:00
Have you ever been to a booty competition? Did you even know there was a worldwide booty competition? This year, a man and woman were both crowned as having the best rumps in the world in a rear end pageant. Other favorite oddities include the lonely, reclusive Japanese man who has hundreds of dolls. "Love" dolls, that is.  Speaking of sick fetishes, how about the robber who licked the ashy toes of his victim after robbing her? Ol' Dirty Bastard is smiling down on that disturbed individual from the great insane asylum in the sky. Throw some rumbling furry mascots and cat poo cafe, and you've got our Top Five Odd News Stories of 2007. It's just been that kind of year. -Editorial Staff, The Odd Desk

China cleans up its act
2007-12-19 21:06:00
China's toy industry is frantically trying to repair their shattered reputation after millions of products were recalled earlier this year.  This report from CBS goes inside the madness that is a Chinese toy factory. - Mike      
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Music Tuesday: Mary J. Blige talks about her "Growing Pains"
2007-12-19 00:13:00
Forget what you heard, Mary J. Blige is the real survivor. The trail-blazing singer started out on the music scene a troubled soul back in 1992, when she released her classic debut, "What's the 411?" She had an attitude, a chip on her shoulder and she pointedly talked about her disappointments in life. Like on the Hip-Hop Soul gem "Real Love": You see Im searching for a real love/ And I don't know where to go / Been around the world and high and low / And still I'll never know / How it feels to have a real love / Cause it seems it's not around / Gotta end it in this way because it / Seems he can't be found Her sophomore album, "My Life," was even angrier and depressed than her debut. Mary was bitter and she wanted you to know it. Without going into a long overblown history of her personal drama, Mary suffered through a tumultuous relationship with K-Ci of Jodeci, drug addiction and depression. Fast forward some ten years later and Mary J. Blige...
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Britney whines in new "Piece of Me" video
2007-12-18 18:39:00
Poor Britney . She really has had a hard life. She's filthy rich, but inside she's empty and hollow. Britney, of course, is not to blame for her broken life. No, no. It's all the paparazzi's fault. Yeah, and the reason why Aretha Franklin eats so much is because Popeye's keeps having great meal deals. What a way to misplace the blame for your own shortcomings. I'm definitely not a fan of the paparazzi. In fact, I consider them to be parasitic, inhumane and self-serving. But guess what? So are the rest of us in the media, to some level. But Britney definitely courts the paparazzi's attention when it suits her. Why else did she burst into a salon to shave her head, when if she really wanted her privacy, she could've gone all Sinead O'Connor with a set of clippers in the privacy of her own home. She acts out in public and then gets mad when it ends up in a magazine. You never see crazy pictures of celebrities like Beyonce, because the girl has common sense. She stays home a lo...
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Devotion to Saint Lazarus in Cuba
2007-12-17 23:23:00
WWSLD (What Would Saint Lazarus Do)? In Cuba , and in Catholicism in general, it's all about the saints. Catholics love them some Jesus, but the saints, especially his mama, are where it's at. Many protestants accuse Catholics of worshiping idols and consider praying to saints to be a violation of the belief in one God. I say: Mind ya business and loosen up. Chaining heavy stones to your feet and dragging yourself to church doesn't sound like a good time to you? It's religious drama, party pooper. Check out all the self-torture in the name of devotion some faithful Cubans put themselves through in this AFP video. -Ricky
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Broadway Joe Namath says it's better late than never
2007-12-17 22:48:00
Growing up I always heard the expression "better late than never." Well on Sunday, Hall of Fame NFL quarterback Joe Namath put that expression to the test. The aging Namath returned to the University of Alabama where he spent three years as an undergrad 42 years ago. Namath was on campus to attend his own graduation. That’s right - Broad way Joe is officially a college graduate. There is a lot that can be said about Joe Namath, a good portion of which is negative. However, as someone who believes that everyone should attend and complete college I have to commend Namath on his efforts. It took him over forty years, and one Super Bowl appearance, and several botched television interviews but he got the job done.  Congratulations Joe, you made it. -Dumont
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New Movie Friday: I Am Legend
2007-12-14 21:48:00
Will Smith sure has a flair for the heroics. He's been the hero, the good guy in almost every film he's done - from "Independence Day" to "The Pursuit of Happyness." I think Will needs to pull a Denzel and play a true badass, if he wants to break out of his mold. But despite Will staying in his comfort zone, I have to say that his new film "I Am Legend " looks really, really intriguing. The setting of the film is a post-apocalyptic version of New York City after a man-made virus wipes out the majority of the city's population. Will wanders through an abandoned New York City, which in itself is a strong, engaging image.Will plays a brilliant scientist -- aren't they always? --  in search of a cure for this virus, while at the same time having to fight those who have become infected and turned into essentially vampiric zombies. Cool. Well, at least I think so. The film is based on a sci-fi novel so the zombie bit might turn off more "serious...
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Fashion in the Iranian police state
2007-12-13 18:43:00
Iran's notoriety as a police state is well-known and those often hit hardest by the strict authoritarian rules are women. Women in Iran face extremely strict rules on their dress code. Not only must they wear a hijab, or head covering, but there are specifications on how much of the head it must cover and how it should look that must be met. Failure to meet these requirements can result in detention and fines from the Iranian police. AFP gives us an inside look at how women have to worry about their wardrobe in Iran. I try to be respectful of religious rituals and customs, but this is really scary to me. Promoting modesty and humility in women's fashion is fine. We've all seen what happens when you start dressing without class and expose yourself in ways that the public doesn't need to see. But to actually have police scanning and detaining you on sight for "dress code violations" creates a culture of fear and imprisonment. In a way, this reminds me of the attem...
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Music Tuesday: Bow Wow and Omarion "Face Off"
2007-12-12 23:44:00
Two midgets from Snow White's posse of dwarfs, Sleepy and Dopey, have decided to team up and release an album together. The move has shaken the music world to its core. Sleepy and Dopey are of course better known by their stage names Omarion and Bow Wow. Just kidding, y'all. But for real, those two are little guys. Anyway, their joint effort is being led off by the very mediocre lead single "Girlfriend," which so far has only taken the twosome to #46 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is a chirpy "Aye, you my shawty" song. The biggest mistake I see on this song, aside from the uninspired production, is the lack of a good hook! The song is instead anchored by yelps of "Yup! That's my girlfriend!" Come on now, Omarion could've at least tried. And I say Omarion, because of the two he's got more talent, although that's not really saying much. Bow Wow had heads turned for a minute with his verse on the remix to Dem Franchize Boyz' "Oh I Thin...
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Getting naughty on the subway
2007-12-11 22:47:00
Some sweet young ladies in New York decided to take a chance and acted on a dare to vamp it up on New York City's subways. They broke out the sexy scarves, the hot pants and the sex appeal and turned the heat up on New Yorkers' morning commute. The skanky performance paid off, they won $10,000 for doing the stunt, filming it and posting it online. The subway performance was really similar to the Pussycat Dolls "Wait A Minute" video. Art imitating life or life imitating art? Watch the AP video below. Oh, Internet. What would we do without you?-Ricky
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What will your house look like in 500 years?
2007-12-10 16:38:00
Journalist and author Alan Weisman has offered a haunting (and hauntingly beautiful) answer to the question "what would the world look like if human beings suddenly disappeared?" This animation shows what will happen to the average American house after 500 years without human occupants. After seeing the mold problems this house develops, I don't feel so bad about that growing mildew stain in my shower. - Evan
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New Movie Friday: The Golden Compass
2007-12-07 21:41:00
"The Golden Compass " just might be the most controversial, ballyhooed "children's film" in recent history. The fuss surrounding the movie's alleged attempts to subconsciously convert children into atheists has been at the forefront of all discussions about the film. You can read up on my take here. It's funny, "The Golden Compass" and the atheist author of the book on which it is based on, Phillip Pullman, have caused way more fuss than J.K. Rowling's outing of Dumbledore as a gay wizard. Who would've thought but conservative Christians are more terrified of atheism than homosexuality? But putting all the politics aside, the film is supposed to be quite the experience in remarkable storytelling, which has many placing it in the same league as other fantasy films, such as the aforementioned "Potter." So far, the critics seem to be split on the film, with about half loving it and half thinking it's a let down. Aside from the controve...
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Grammy nominations announced, Kanye's in the lead
2007-12-06 23:10:00
While 2007 has certainly been a rough and tumultuous year for Kanye West with the loss of his mother, perhaps he can look forward to 2008 with hope. The hyper , boastful rapper has earned 8 Grammy nods in the 50th annual edition of the awards show, followed by Amy Winehouse with 6 nods. While I applaud Amy's (past) artistic endeavors, I think we can safely say that Amy Winehouse most likely won't be showing up for the Grammys. And even if she's there physically, she's not really there, if you know what I mean. The Grammys are the music industry's gold standard, but they're not my favorite awards show and I often disagree with the winning choices. That's because the Grammys, like the Academy Awards, don't always award based on the actual work being nominated, but sometimes reward artists for their past albums that didn't garner wins or just for plain ol' sympathy. How else do you explain Ray Charles' wins for Album of the Year and Record of the Year in 2004, for an album ...
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Huckabee enters the big leagues
2007-12-06 22:30:00
When no one thinks you're going to win, no one bothers digging into your past (when was the last time you saw an expose of Mike Gravel's senatorial career?) No one knows this better than Mike Huckabee , who's recent surge in the polls has led to the full-on vetting he's avoided up to this point. Watch him manage his first potential scandal in this exclusive video from CBS News. - Evan
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Top 10 Most Awkward Movie Star Interviews of 2007
2007-12-06 20:39:00
Celebrities, and particularly movie stars, usually have to give tons of interviews with press from around the world to promote their latest projects. And as you can imagine, hearing the same questions over and over from 200 different people can drive one over the edge. Plus, movie stars are just crazy people in general. Look at Tom Cruise. No one deals with celebrities more than MTV and they've compiled this awesome feature of the Top 10 Bizarre Movie Star Interviews of 2007. My personal favorite was Jason Bateman's comment about penetration in a dirty version "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium." Check out the Top 10 here. -Ricky

Catholic Church fights sexual abuse with coloring books
2007-12-05 22:39:00
The Catholic Church is really onto something with its latest tactic in fighting the much publicized sexual abuse that has plagued the Church recently. They've decided to give the kids coloring books! Wow! How innovative! How revolutionary! How life-changing! The coloring books are being handed out to good little Catholic boys and girls in schools and at churches in the New York Diocese. The books warn children to avoid being alone with strangers, beware of online predators and that there are certain parts of their body that are no-no zones. Gee, we covered most of that in kindergarten with our "Beware of Strangers" campaign. One criticism I have, and is apparently shared by others, is the vagueness with which they address the entire priest sex abuse issue. Rather than state outright that if a priest touches you, he's not a good priest and you need to tell somebody, the book sidesteps the whole priest scandal. That's a pretty ludicrous move, considering the scandal is...
More About: Abuse , Books , Fights , Catholic Church