Friday, March 08, 2013

Music Friday: The Black Keys Rock Out to 'Gold on the Ceiling'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you terrific tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today we have The Black Keys performing their 2012 hit, "Gold on the Ceiling," from the band's Grammy Award-winning album, El Camino.

image

Offering high praise to The Black Keys' retro stylings, a Los Angeles Times critic said the song "sounds as if it's existed forever." Other pundits alternately described the song as "a serrated organ growl backed up with a SWAT team of hand claps" and "a paranoid rant that makes you shiver while you shimmy."

The truth is that since its release in February of 2012 "Gold on the Ceiling" has become a critical and commercial success. It zoomed to number one on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart while infiltrating the world of sports entertainment. 

image

It was used in a TV ad campaign for the 2012 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, the video game "MLB 12: The Show," and video montages during NBC's coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympics. Currently, "Gold on the Ceiling" is the theme song for NASCAR: Race Day on SPEED.

With Dan Auerbach on guitar and lead vocals, and Patrick Carney on the drums, The Black Keys are at the top of their game. The official video at the bottom of this post has been viewed more than 11 million times. The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along. Enjoy!

"Gold on the Ceiling"

Written by Dan Auerbach, Patrick Carney and Brian Burton. Performed by The Black Keys.

Down in the waves
She screams again
Roar at the door
My mind can't take much more

I could never drown

They wanna get my
They wanna get my
Gold on the ceiling
I ain't blind 
It's just a matter of time
Before you steal it
It's alright
Ain't no guard in my house

Clouds cover love
Barbed wire snarl
Strung up, strung out
I just can't go without

I could never drown

They wanna get my
They wanna get my
Gold on the ceiling
I ain't blind 
It's just a matter of time
Before you steal it
It's alright
Aint no guard in' my house

They wanna get my
They wanna get my
Gold on the ceiling
I ain't blind 
It's just a matter of time
Before you steal it
It's alright
Ain't no guard in my house
Gold on the ceiling
I ain't blind 
It's just a matter of time
Before you steal it
It's alright
Ain't no guard in my house



Thursday, March 07, 2013

Weather Channel Hopes 'Prospectors' Will Be a Ratings Gem; Premiere Set for March 26

Hoping to match the formula that generated a ratings bonanza for Discovery Channel's Gold Rush, Jungle Gold and Bering Sea Gold, The Weather Channel is entering the testosterone-laced, strike-it-rich genre with the March 26 premiere of Prospectors.

image

Like its gritty competition, the nine-episode Prospectors follows the real lives of hardscrabble, blue-collar miners in their relentless pursuit of the mother lode. 

image

image

But, unlike the gold-obsessed characters on the competing network, these miners will be searching for gemstones, such as topaz, aquamarine and rhodochrosite, at an altitude of 14,000 feet in Colorado's Rocky Mountains. The prospectors risk life and limb as they face vicious storms, falling rocks, thin air and other perilous conditions in every step of their pursuit.

image

They use picks, sledgehammers and dynamite to send Volkswagen-sized boulders spinning out of control down the 60 percent grade mountainside. They open holes, looking for veins of brilliant red, blue and green crystals. And the right pocket, extracted correctly, can bring a million dollar payday or more.

image

The Discover Channel's series of top-rated prospecting shows have confounded some critics, who find it hard to believe that they consistently draw more male viewers in their time slots than anything else on television — and that includes the broadcast networks.

image

The Weather Channel's Prospectors features nine 30-minute episodes, with back-to-back episodes on premiere night, Tuesday, March 26 at 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET.



Wednesday, March 06, 2013

Jamie Lynn Spears Posts Instagram Pic of Her New Engagement Ring... And It's a Beauty!

Former Nickelodeon star Jamie Lynn Spears is back in the spotlight this week as she announced her engagement to longtime boyfriend Jamie Watson with an Instagram pic of her dazzling new diamond ring.

image

Spears hashtagged the pic “#hedidgood”!

On Saturday, the 21-year-old uploaded a picture of her and her fiancé, along with a beautifully shot close-up of the ring. Although she didn't reveal the actual carat weight, the round center stone looked massive, brilliant and nearly flawless. Small round diamonds encircling the white-metal band (likely platinum) completed the pretty, understated look.

image

Jamie Lynn is the little sister of singer Britney Spears, who tweeted her congratulations on Monday morning: "So excited and happy for my sister, congrats @jamielynnspears — love you." 

As a teenager, the younger Spears starred in hit show Zoey 101, but left show business to focus on motherhood. Her daughter, Maddie Briann Aldridge was born in June of 2008. More recently, Spears has been trying to reboot a country-music career. She lives in both her hometown of Kentwood, La. — at Britney’s mansion — and Nashville, Tenn.



Tuesday, March 05, 2013

Quiz: Who Is Martha Rocha and Why Is Her Name Forever Linked With March's Birthstone — The Aquamarine?

Today's Quiz: Who is Martha Rocha and why is her name forever linked with March's brilliant blue birthstone — the aquamarine?

Back in 1954, Maria Martha Hacker Rocha was a statuesque 18-year-old Brazilian beauty queen. After winning the title of Miss Bahia in her home state, she went on to become the first Miss Brazil and was the runaway favorite to win the Miss Universe pageant.

image

Although she eventually earned runner-up status to American Miriam Stevenson, Rocha won the hearts of fans all over the world. They were taken by her beauty, class and captivating blue eyes.

Back in Brazil, gemstone merchants were trying to come up with names to describe the various color nuances of aquamarine, the blue member of the beryl family. The rare, intense blue aquamarines from the Santa Maria de Itabira mine in Brazil were called "Santa Maria." Similar-color aquamarines from Mozambique and other countries in Africa were named "Santa Maria Africana." Lighter hues were named after the Brazilian state where they were mined, specifically "Espirito Santo."

image

Right about the same time as Rocha was competing on the world stage, an incredible aquamarine crystal was found on a farm near Teofilo Otoni, Brazil. It weighed approximately 74.5 pounds and the color was so rich, so intense that the Brazilian gem dealers needed to distinguish it from the rest. They named it "Martha Rocha" as a special tribute to the Brazilian beauty queen with the captivating clear blue eyes.

image

Even today, gem experts use "Martha Rocha" as a classification of tone and intensity when rating the finest-color aquamarines. Aquamarines are mined in many countries, including Nigeria, Madagascar, Zambia, Pakistan, Mozambique and the U.S., but most of the finest-quality gemstones still come from Brazil.



Monday, March 04, 2013

GIA Releases Interactive Diamond 4Cs App for Android Phones and Tablets

Owners of Android phones and tablets, such as the Samsung Galaxy and Kindle Fire, can easily access information about the 4Cs of diamond quality, thanks to a slick new app released by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). 

image

The free app, called "GIA 4Cs," engages the user with interactive features, video content and information on the GIA-created 4Cs (color, clarity, cut and carat weight) of diamond quality.

“Bringing objective information about gems and jewelry to people when and where they want it is central to GIA’s public-benefit mission,” said Kathryn Kimmel, GIA vice president and chief marketing officer. “The Android 4Cs app puts GIA’s 82 years of innovation and research right on the screens of the most widely used smart phones in the world.”  

image

The simple-to-use app allows users to explore diamond color across the GIA D-to-Z color scale, see typical inclusions on the GIA clarity scale, and learn how the cut can significantly affect the look of a diamond. 

The new social feature in “My Diamond Wish List” encourages users to keep a record of the diamonds they’ve seen and considered while using the app, and then email, tweet, or share on Facebook the diamonds they’ve saved to their personal wish list.

The new "GIA 4Cs" app for Android devices is downloadable for free at Google Play. It is offered in English or Simplified Chinese. The version for the iPhone and iPad, which had been released about a year ago, is also available for free at iTunes.