CNN poll: Perry in 2nd place?

posted at 3:10 pm on July 22, 2011 by Ed Morrissey
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CNN’s latest look at the Republican primary fight shows a big move being made by the man who hasn’t made his big move yet.  Mitt Romney remains in first place at 16%, but only within the margin of error, as a group of speculative candidates have crowded right behind him.  Texas Governor Rick Perry finishes second with 14%, and that’s not all:

    As Texas Gov. Rick Perry comes closer to jumping into the race for the White House, he’s also close to the top of a new national survey in the battle for the GOP presidential nomination.

    A CNN/ORC International Poll released Friday indicates that 14% of Republicans and independents who lean toward the GOP pick Perry as their first choice for their party’s nomination, just two points behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who’s making his second bid for the White House.

    Romney’s two point margin over Perry is within the survey’s sampling error.

Right behind Perry come Sarah Palin and Rudy Giuliani, both at 13% and both within the MOE, too.  None of these close finishers have actually declared a candidacy, which means that 40% of survey respondents not only are dissatisfied with the current lineup, they’ve picked non-candidates in their stead.  That’s not good news for Romney, whose high profile from the 2007-8 campaign means that the problem isn’t a lack of familiarity with the electorate. Only 14% declare themselves “very satisfied” with the field, less than half of those who are either not very satisfied or not satisfied at all with the field (34%).

Bachmann finishes at 12%, the last candidate in double digits.  Tim Pawlenty only gets 3% of the survey respondents’ endorsement, falling behind Ron Paul, Herman Cain, and Newt Gingrich, which puts a lot of pressure on Pawlenty to score big in next month’s Ames straw poll.  Curiously, when Rick Perry gets removed from the list of choices, Bachmann scores best, picking up three points to finish tied for second with Palin at 15%.

Among independents, there are some surprising results.  Mitt Romney finishes third at 12%, where Giuliani and Perry tie for second at 14% — and Bachmann wins at 15%.  Bachmann comes in third among self-professed conservatives at 13%, with Romney beating her at 16%, but getting edged by Perry at 17%.  Among both groups, Palin comes in fourth place.   Not surprisingly, Perry wins the South handily, 21% to the 13% for Romney and, er, Giuliani? Romney and Giuliani also tie for first in the suburban demographic at 14%, with Perry close behind at 13%.

Clearly, Perry will be a force if and when he enters the race.  If he’s the last person in, he may find even wider support, because right now it appears that Republicans are still holding their breath.

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Why one GOP freshman exited the House whip team

posted at 7:40 pm on July 22, 2011 by Tina Korbe
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This morning, Politico reported in its mass “Huddle” e-mail that House Republican leadership kicked one freshman Congressman — Arizona Rep. David Schweikert — off the whip team for supposedly switching his vote on an unspecified piece of legislation. Actually, a source close to Schweikert’s office says, that’s not quite accurate.

This is what the Politico e-mail said:

    HUDDLE SCOOP: FROSH KICKED OFF WHIP TEAM – Rep. David Schweikert, a freshman from Arizona, was removed from the Republican whip team — the group of lawmakers who help round up votes for the leadership — for what sources say is a violation of the first rule of the whip club. The rule: Don’t promise to vote one way and then vote the other way. Sources declined to specify which vote cost Schweikert his seat at the table, but he did vote ‘no’ on the Energy and Water Appropriations bill last Friday. Chief Deputy Whip Peter Roskam pointed Huddle to Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy’s office when asked about the episode. ‘This is a whip team family issue,” McCarthy spokeswoman Erica Elliott said.

It’s true Schweikert — ranked one of the most conservative freshmen in the House — has disagreed with leadership on various issues. And he did feel unwelcome on the whip team, the source says, but the decision to leave was ultimately his.

“He’s been pretty clear and pretty adamant that nobody can buy his vote, so he was a little frustrated with the way leadership asked him to vote on certain occasions,” the source said. “So, he decided it would be best for him to step out and leave the whip team because he couldn’t align with them in certain areas. In no way, shape or form did leadership kick him out, but they made it a pretty inhospitable environment for him to actually vote his conscience and not buy his vote on the whip team. He still supports top leadership.”

Schweikert will also still remain an involved freshman. He’s the vice chairman of the Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises Subcommittee of Financial Services and he’s been “working night and day on reforming GNCs,” as well as on efforts to reform the Dodd-Frank financial regulation legislation (itself supposedly a reform bill!).

He’s also focused on ensuring the best possible outcome of the debt negotiations. Even after the Senate failed Cut, Cap and Balance, Schweikert supports it as the House plan.

“He is focused solely on Cut, Cap and Balance,” the source said. “He hopes he can still play a role in working with leadership and other freshmen that want to get the message out that the Democrats have misled the American people and the president has no plan for the country.”

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CNN poll: Perry in 2nd place?

posted at 3:10 pm on July 22, 2011 by Ed Morrissey
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CNN’s latest look at the Republican primary fight shows a big move being made by the man who hasn’t made his big move yet.  Mitt Romney remains in first place at 16%, but only within the margin of error, as a group of speculative candidates have crowded right behind him.  Texas Governor Rick Perry finishes second with 14%, and that’s not all:

    As Texas Gov. Rick Perry comes closer to jumping into the race for the White House, he’s also close to the top of a new national survey in the battle for the GOP presidential nomination.

    A CNN/ORC International Poll released Friday indicates that 14% of Republicans and independents who lean toward the GOP pick Perry as their first choice for their party’s nomination, just two points behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who’s making his second bid for the White House.

    Romney’s two point margin over Perry is within the survey’s sampling error.

Right behind Perry come Sarah Palin and Rudy Giuliani, both at 13% and both within the MOE, too.  None of these close finishers have actually declared a candidacy, which means that 40% of survey respondents not only are dissatisfied with the current lineup, they’ve picked non-candidates in their stead.  That’s not good news for Romney, whose high profile from the 2007-8 campaign means that the problem isn’t a lack of familiarity with the electorate. Only 14% declare themselves “very satisfied” with the field, less than half of those who are either not very satisfied or not satisfied at all with the field (34%).

Bachmann finishes at 12%, the last candidate in double digits.  Tim Pawlenty only gets 3% of the survey respondents’ endorsement, falling behind Ron Paul, Herman Cain, and Newt Gingrich, which puts a lot of pressure on Pawlenty to score big in next month’s Ames straw poll.  Curiously, when Rick Perry gets removed from the list of choices, Bachmann scores best, picking up three points to finish tied for second with Palin at 15%.

Among independents, there are some surprising results.  Mitt Romney finishes third at 12%, where Giuliani and Perry tie for second at 14% — and Bachmann wins at 15%.  Bachmann comes in third among self-professed conservatives at 13%, with Romney beating her at 16%, but getting edged by Perry at 17%.  Among both groups, Palin comes in fourth place.   Not surprisingly, Perry wins the South handily, 21% to the 13% for Romney and, er, Giuliani? Romney and Giuliani also tie for first in the suburban demographic at 14%, with Perry close behind at 13%.

Clearly, Perry will be a force if and when he enters the race.  If he’s the last person in, he may find even wider support, because right now it appears that Republicans are still holding their breat

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Obama: It’s that gosh-darned divided government that has kept us from a budget solution, or something

posted at 1:50 pm on July 22, 2011 by Ed Morrissey
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I swear, you just can’t make this stuff up. Responding to a question at his town-hall meeting today that expressed frustration at the slow process in the debt-ceiling negotiations, Barack Obama put the blame on voters for the divided government. If Democrats had the town all to themselves, Obama says, he’d be able to spend more time this summer with his daughters:


Say, didn’t Democrats have the town to themselves in 2010? Didn’t they have an opportunity to raise the debt ceiling at that time, and pass a budget for FY2011 as well? In fact, Democrats still control the Senate in 2011. Where is their plan to deal with the issues? For that matter, where is Obama’s?

After all, the House has now passed two of their own plans, the Ryan budget plan that would have (slowly) brought the federal government’s budgets into balance, and the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act that would have forced Washington to do it a lot more quickly. Where the Democrats still have control, they have produced … nothing. Except, of course, whining about how presidenting is kinda tough.

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[News] G-Dragon gets paid more than composer Jo Yeong Soo for copyright of his songs

On the July 13 episode of MBC’s Goldfish- Radio Star, B2ST’s Jun Hyung was revealed to be the highest-income member of his group. When asked about the pay he gets for composing a song, Jun Hyung said, “It’s more than enough.”

But it turns out that Big Bang’s G-Dragon gets paid more than Jun Hyung.

In April, Big Bang’s youngest member Seungri mentioned that his group’s lasting life on TV is due to its high income. He said, “I strongly believe that it’s more stable for a group to live a long life on TV if it gets extra income other than simply giving performances on the stage. G-Dragon gets paid for copyright of songs he has composed, T.O.P does movies or drama series, and Taeyang releases his solo album and does concerts. I also wanted to have a fixed income other than Big Bang to keep my career stable, so I’m managing ‘Seungri Academy’ for would-be singers.”

Seungri’s saying made viewers curious of how much it would cost for G-Dragon to compose a song. Soon enough, Seungri revealed G-Dragon’s income in a specific number.

On May 12, Seungri said on M. net’s Beatles Code, “G-Dragon gets paid the highest in the field of composing songs. He even gets paid more than composer Jo Yeong Soo. There are about 120 songs listed in G-Dragon’s name. He has written songs for Big Bang, as well as his own solo album, Taeyang, 2NE1 and Uhm Jung Hwa.”

Source Daum

Translated by Hanna

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[News] Emcee Eunjung cries when T-ara gets first place

On the 14th T-ara placed first place on M. net’s M Count Down with its song “Roly Poly.”

T-ara’s Eunjung was emcee of the day and said, “I had to announce first place because I was emcee that day. I couldn’t help but break in tears when I announced the name of my group, T-ara, the top ranking. We’ll definitely work harder to live up to this prize.”

Boram said, “I couldn’t believe that we got first place. I’m so happy.”

Qri added, “I really wanted to be on first place with “Roly Poly,” and I’m so excited that it really came true.”

The song “Roly Poly” is about just what it sounds like. It’s about bouncing back up when things are difficult, never giving up.

T-ara has successfully closed its first show case in Japan and is to release first single on September 5.

Source Nate by Hanna@Korea.com

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[News] Boyfriend making viewer forget the heat, with their smile

National Pet-dol','National Boyfriend-dol' as nickname for Boyfriend who make Noonas heart go thump thump.

On KBS2 'Music Bank' today episode Boyfriend perform with remix version of their first mini-album tittle track 'Boyfriend'.

Today, Boyfriend showed unique and youthful choreography and the cute eye-smile. Fans shouting with chic stage presence. Especially when Boyfriend own heat energy of the fans it was a drug that hard to forget.

Boyfriend's debut song 'Boyfriend' is the work of Brave Brother and Urban R&B works as sophisticated rhythms.

Credits,
Source : Yahoo! Korea News
Translations : young___a♥ @ B-NATION!

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[News/Photos] Meet After School Boys!

Earlier today pictures revealing members of the upcoming group After School Boys were uploaded to online communities. These pictures gained a lot of interest from netizens since there is only a small amount of information available about the group.

In the pictures we can see five boys in Pledis’ practice room posing cutely with their manager/trainer. Pledis has stated they are thinking of debuting with a “5-6 Member Group” and then the After School Boys will follow After School’s ‘Admission/Graduation’ system and ‘enroll’ more members.

The already known members of the group Jonghyun who previously rapped for U-ie’s solo song “SokSokSok” and Dongho who was feaured in After School’s Music Video for “Play Ur Love” can be seen along with three fresh new faces.

The Group is Set To Debut at the end of the year

Source: Elite Rebels

Edited blurb: ASD

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[News] Girls' Generation Release First Japanese Album in South Korea

Girls’ Generation’s self-titled first Japanese album was recently launched in South Korea. On July 13th, various music sites like Bugs and MelOn participated in the releasing of songs from the album, leading to increasing interest from fans in the country.

The album was initially introduced in Japan on June 1st. Not long after, the girls earned the title of having the bestselling album for an international artist in the first week of its release. They also charted first in Oricon’s Weekly chart and subsequently second in Oricon’s Monthly chart for June. Their explosive popularity was further highlighted when their album was recognized as "Double Platinum" by the Recording Industry Association of Japan, also known as RIAJ, after the album sold more than 500,000 copies.

The first Japanese album consists of twelve different tracks, including the Japanese versions of hit singles “Gee”, “Run Devil Run” and “Hoot”, as well as popular tracks like “MR. TAXI” and “THE GREAT ESCAPE”. Girls’ Generation will also finally embark on a domestic tour this year in South Korea on July 23rd and 24th at the Seoul Olympic Stadium.

Source: Newsen
Written by: shizzles9@soshified.com

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[News] Kim Jaejoong talking about JYJ’s new Korean album

Regarding their new Korean album, Kim Jaejoong says that they’re “still in the midst of preparing”.

However, he doesn’t give a definite answer for the album, “If there are good songs, we want to release the album soon, but I’m not sure if the release date is going to be within this year. We’re working on it at times.

” Moreover, he also says that they still haven’t had any plan of participating in “Protecting the Boss” OST yet.

Source: @kaojj64126
Translation: linhkawaii @ ONETVXQ.com
Shared By: JYJ3

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[News] Jaejoong Falls Deep Into Directing; On Hyunjoong and Future Directing

JYJ’s Kim Jaejoong who has recently finished the world tour of two months has fallen deeply into the attractiveness of directing.

Kim Jaejoong relayed his thoughts at having finished the JYJ World Tour. About the past two months, Kim Jaejoong expressed in one sentence: “It was fun.”

Kim Jaejoong expressed his pride, saying: “After finishing (the world Tour) I was so thankful to the family of the company and the members and the staff and proud (of them). The songs that went on the concert were also mostly self-composed songs. As for the Asia Tour I had even taken charge of directing. Such a tour concert went even to the USA. Even though there were difficulties and troubles I felt that it was amazing and I was proud that such a large tour was accomplished without anyone’s help but with one’s own strength only.”

Through this World Tour Kim Jaejoong also debuted as a director. When asked which he prefers between acting and directing, he laughed, saying “When I am performing, it feels better to be directing.” Kim Jaejoong revealed: “The director (of Protect the Boss) is so amazing that I am learning the qualities of a director even in the drama. It seems that he takes himself to filing after he finishes all of his considerations. Even so, drama is drama and performing is performing and so I think each as its own appeal.”

Kim Jaejoong picked Bangkok, Thailand where he performed past April as the country that stayed the most in his mind among the JYJ World Tour Concert locations. Kim Jaejoong explained “I think it is that Bangkok is the place of the first concert after I took charge of directing. The responses of the fans were also positive and so I was extremely thankful.”

Director Kim Jaejoong also has desires/hopes to direct concerts and performances of other singers. Kim Jaejoong laughed it off, saying: “I do have interest in directing the concerts of idol groups similar to us. There was a time in which Kim Hyunjoong – he and I are of very close friendship – and I talked lightly in a private setting about releasing an album together and doing activities together. But Kim Hyunjoong also has a lot of desires/hopes on his own music and so I feel that he will say that he will direct it himself.”

He also recalled that he found the directing of Sohn Yeonjae’s rhythmic gymnastics gala show to be very pleasant. Kim Jaejoong said: “Miss Sohn Yeonjae was able to express even better what I intended to porrtay through directing.” Continuing, he expressed his pride, saying: “I think directing is a field that is more interesting and attractive the more you do it, truly. Of course I am at the level in which I am learning but I feel that my perspective upon the entirety of the performance is becoming larger. During JYJ concert rehearsals, I feel that I am standing on the stage not merely as a singer but that I, who is doing the stage directing behind the sight of the audience, am also becoming a part of our team, and that has been a source of pride.”

At the same time, Artist Kim Jaejoong did not give a definite answer as to a Korean-language album, saying that it is “currently being prepared” but also “I have doubts as to whether it will be possible to release it within this year even though I desire to immediately release songs when good songs come out. I am preparing it from time to time.” Further, as to whether he plans to participate in the OST of Protect the Boss he said that there are none “yet.” Kim Jaejoong left a pregnant but exponentially-increasing anticipation for the fans by saying: “There are no self-composed songs that I made for drama purposes and so it is difficult to participate right away. However if there is a suggestion (for me to participate) I will accept. If it is for the good of the drama.”

Source: Newsen

Translation Credit: JYJ3

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[News] TVXQ appears on Japanese music shows in five months

According to TVXQ’s official Japanese fan club, TVXQ appears on Japanese music show Music Station.

TVXQ is returning to Japanese media in five months with the performance of their song “Superstar.”

TVXQ’s agency SM Entertainment says, “On July 20 TVXQ sings “Superstar” in Japan. The group has been focusing on activities in Korea for the first half of the year, so it couldn’t be seen in Japan for five months.”

TVXQ also appears on KBS 2TV’s K-Pop Festival- Music Bank on the 13th, which is held at Tokyo Dome, Japan.

Source Nate by Hanna@Korea.com

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[News] T-ara’s Eunjung reveals her diet menu

T-ara’s Eunjung reveals her diet menu: Two eggs and a piece of toast

On the 12th, T-ara’s Eunjung tweeted two pictures with a comment, “I became interested in cooking recently. Well, breakfast is ready!”

In the pictures, Eunjung is winking with a piece of toast in one hand, and two eggs and some bananas are seen in the background.

Netizens comment: “Is it for Jang Woo?” “You look beautiful. You can cook, too?”

Eunjung appears on MBC’s We Got Married with actor Jang Woo as a married couple.

Source Nate by Hanna@Korea.com

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[News] MBLAQ’s G.O expresses his desire to sing Yoo Young Jin’s “Ji Ae” on Immortal Song 2

In an interview, MBLAQ’s G.O. expressed his desire to sing the old song “Ji Ae,” written by Yoo Young Jin and released in 2001, when he appeared on the KBS singing competition show Immortal Song 2.

He said, “I think that the song is like a hidden treasure. If given a chance, I’ll try to sing the song on the stage.” When asked whether it’s hard to conduct new album-related activities and attend the competition together, he said, “It’s never a heavy burden on me. It’s actually not an easy challenge, but I also believe that there couldn’t be a better chance for me to meet fans this much close”

G.O also expressed his satisfaction in being involved in the competition: “I sometimes feel uncomfortable to think of the singing legends’ responses when they listened to their songs represented and sung by me, but I know the tension acts as a powerful stimulus for me. Thanks to the show, I seem to become a new singer equipped with a rapid reaction to changing situations and a high-level of confidence and experiences.”

On July 12, MBLAQ released its second mini-album, entitled the Mona Lisa, via major music-download sites.

By Pyo Jae-min (jmpyo@tvreport.co.kr)

Source: TVreport (Original article in Korean)
Photo from TVreport
Translated by Geum Jae / Korea.com

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'Rizzoli & Isles' Second Season Premieres Tonight

Should be starting in a few minutes on the East Coast.

See Atlanta Journal Constitution, "‘Rizzoli & Isles’ Angie Harmon, Sasha Alexander riding high as second season starts." And New York Daily News, "'Rizzoli & Isles' review: Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander have great female friend chemistry."

And a great Angie Harmon interview from last year:

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[News] Dara as Chun Li!!

On July 10, 2NE1’s Sandara Park performed “I Am The Best” in SBS’s Inkigayo with another special hairstyle, now Chun-Li’s, the character from Japanese fighting game Street Fighter.

In previous show, Park has already grabbed attention by her hairstyle similar to Vegeta’s from Dragon Ball.

To fit in their very distinctive song “I Am The Best,” 2NE1 members add their unusual taste in choreography, fashion and hairstyle to make the performance perfect.

Source Daum by Hanna@Korea.com

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Impressions: The Beatles LOVE Cirque du Soleil

I mentioned previously how moved I was by the show in Las Vegas. Charles Spencer, writing at The Telegraph UK in 2006, really captures the feeling:

Everything that was bold and beautiful, fresh and funny, sad and just plain silly about the Beatles comes together in this ravishing and almost indecently spectacular show. It's what old hippies call a head-trip, a constant 90-minute rush of dazzling sights and sounds.

But for those of us who grew up with the Beatles - and the first record I ever bought was She Loves You, aged eight, in 1963 - this latest piece from Cirque du Soleil is also overpoweringly moving. For it achieves the apparently impossible, allowing you to hear the Beatles with fresh ears. At times you seem to be listening to the music of your childhood and youth as if for the first time.

Spencer's a progressive, but folks might put aside ideological reservations and just enjoy the show. We were kids once. "Let It Be" is my most powerful Beatles memory as a child (and "Hey Jude" is right up there), and sometimes nostalgia is overpowering. And recall that recently I've been moved by George Harrison's songs, and it turns out that the one entirely original song at LOVE is Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." It's just so impressive all around.

I'm taking my kids to see LOVE next time we're in Las Vegas. They'll have to listen to some of the CDs, but they're already familiar with a whole lot of The Beatles from hanging out with me, my musical tastes, and from just the radio environment.

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[News] Rainbow, “We also became ambassadors"

Girl group Rainbow became the mascots of <2011 Seoul Character Licensing Fair>.

The Rainbow members met up with the representative Lee Jae Woong on the 7th at Samyang-dong, and Rainbow was inaugurated as the mascots of the <2011 Seoul Character Licensing Fair>.

Till the celebration ended, Rainbow attended the opening and they will try their best in promoting South Korea’s characters.

Lee In Sook stated “Rainbow’s approach towards South Korean characters are different to ours, they also have the qualification to be ambassadors because of the new hallyu wave.” and “We think that they will play a big role for this through this big national event.”

Rainbow’s leader Jaekyung said “We will promote this to build up upon Korea’s culture image in Asia” and “Since it’s the 10th year for this festival, we will try to make this year more exciting”.

Source: Nate News
Translations: suniizerlove @ Prismatic7

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[News] Kim Hyun Joong, known as a “Perfect Guy,” turns out to be a guy with lots of vulnerable points

On SBS’s E!TV variety show Star Q10, Kim Hyun Joong was invited as a guest, revealing his weak points by himself.

He confides that he had had an interiority complex about the dark circles under his eyes, which even makes him consider having plastic surgery.

He also opens his heart about the hurtful rumor of SS501’s breaking up, and about the humiliating nickname he got when he was hospitalized for the H1N1 virus: “H1N1-seized Celebrity Number One.”

He was once carried to the hospital by ambulance when he passed out because of a hot jjamppong, or a Chinese-style hot noodle. What’s more, the film Jaws made him reluctant to visit the sea.

Among all the things, however, he has the worst vulnerable point he has long kept secret. The June 9 episode of Star Q10 will reveal the worst weak point of him. It will air at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.

By Entertainment Team (osenstar@osen.co.kr)

Source: Osen (Original article in Korean)
Photo from Osen
Translated by Geum Jae / Korea.com

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[News] anan, with Tohoshinki on its front cover, is running out of stock

2011.7.7 05:03

The official goodies for the Korean popular groups Tohoshinki and SNSD are scheduled to be on sale from Jul 7 in the nationwide Seven-Eleven stores. There are 50 items including rice balls and breads in Korean style, and it is the first time that the two groups are selling authorized goodies excluding their official ones.

Tohoshinki appears in anan's front cover (released on Jul 6), and their interview appears in the opening special pages, with a 10 pages' interview, in the issue’s special article "We cannot help loving them. All-star cast of Korean Stars!!!" The magazine’s March 23 issue has had Jang Keunsuk (23 years old) on its front pages, and sold 280 thousand copies. According to the editorial section, the current issue is running out of stock at a faster pace in many book stores. The editorial section is crying of joy “It is creating a sensation even before the release, and the number of orders has increased. There is even a possibility of reprinting the issue.”

　(from the newspaper article)



Source: SANSPO.COM
Translation: smiley @ OneTVXQ.com
Credits: OneTVXQ.com { One World. One Red Ocean. One TVXQ! }

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