Oasis Of The Seas Slips Under Bridge

The world's largest cruise ship, bound for Port Everglades, cleared a crucial obstacle Sunday, lowering its smokestacks to squeeze under a bridge in Denmark. The Oasis of the Seas, which rises about 20 stories high, passed below the Great Belt Fixed Link with a slim margin as it left the Baltic Sea on its maiden voyage to Ft. Lauderdale.Bridge operators said that even after lowering its telescopic smokestacks the giant ship had less than a 2 foot gap. Hundreds of people gathered on beaches at both ends of the bridge, waiting for hours to watch the brightly lit behemoth sail by shortly after midnight local time, or about 7 p.m. EDT."It was fantastic to see it glide under the bridge. Boy, it was big," said Kurt Hal, 56.Officials of Miami based Royal Caribbean Cruise Line are banking that its novelty will help guarantee its success. Five times larger than the Titanic, the $1.5 billion ship has seven neighborhoods, an ice rink, a small golf course and a 750-seat outdoor amphitheater. It has 2,700 cabins and can accommodate 6,300 passengers and 2,100 crew members. Oasis of the Sea, nearly 40 percent larger than the industry's next biggest ship, was conceived years before the economic downturn caused desperate cruise lines to slash prices to fill vacant berths. It is due to make its U.S. debut on Nov. 20 at its home port, Port Everglades.It was built by STX Finland for Royal Caribbean International and left the shipyard in Finland on Friday. Officials hadn't expected any problems in passing the Great Belt bridge, but traffic was stopped for about 15 minutes as a precaution when the ship approached, Danish navy spokesman Joergen Brand said.Aboard the Oasis of the Seas, project manager Toivo Ilvonen of STX Finland confirmed that the ship had passed under the bridge without any incidents."Nothing fell off," he said.Accommodations include loft cabins, with floor-to-ceiling windows, and 1,600-square-foot (487-meter) luxury suites with balconies overlooking the sea or promenades. The liner also has four swimming pools, volleyball and basketball courts, and a youth zone with theme parks and nurseries for children.It's inaugural voyage is set for December 5th from Port Everglades, where it will sail to St. Thomas, St Maarten, and Nassau. A particular 4 night preview voyage to Royal Caribbean's resort in Labadee, Haiti will sail December 1. The enormous ship features various "neighborhoods" — parks, squares and arenas with special themes. One of them will be a tropical environment, including palm trees and vines among the total 12,000 plants on board. They will be planted after the ship arrives in Fort Lauderdale. In the stern, a 750-seat outdoor theater — modeled on an ancient Greek amphitheater — doubles as a swimming pool by day and an ocean front theater by night. The pool has a diving tower with spring boards and two 33-foot (10-meter) high-dive platforms. An indoor theater seats 1,300 guests.One of the "neighborhoods," named Central Park, features a square with boutiques, restaurants and bars, including a bar that moves up and down three decks, allowing customers to get on and off at different levels.Once home, the $1.5 billion floating extravaganza will have more, if less visible, obstacles to duck: a sagging U.S. economy, questions about the consumer appetite for luxury cruises and criticism that such sailing behemoths are damaging to the environment and diminish the experience of traveling.

Scenes from a Party, Oasis of the Seas

Oasis tonight big event of the Seas was a gala dinner in the Opus Dining Room, where photographer/reporter Teijo Niemela curses that the lamb chops served were the best he's had in years. Then the party moved out onto the Royal Promenade. What's fun about this series of photographs is that it shows the ship in what presumably will be its more natural state -- lots of people out and about, noshing, drinking, having fun. Since it's dark at this point (and let's be honest, it's fall in Finland, which means it's also a bit cold at night), the events focused on indoor spaces aboard Oasis of the Seas. Stay tuned tomorrow for more of Niemela's shots from his tour of the ship earlier on Thursday.

Expected Oasis split, Liam Gallagher

When Oasis split up Liam Gallagher wasn't shocked.
The future of the pair was left hanging in the balance in August when Liam's brother, guitarist Noel Gallagher, quit the band because of arguments with his sibling.
The singer admits he expected the 'Live Forever' hitmakers to disband but is still struggling to deal with what happened.
He said: "I'd love to talk about it but I can't do this because I haven't after 18 years in Oasis had the time to think about the situation. It's only been just over a month and I have to sit down and work it out because my comments would be on my musical headstone.
"But I'm gutted. I love being in Oasis. When I'm ready, you will hear the story of side. It wasn't a shock to me hat we split."
Despite his unhappy , Liam says he is "proud" of the way the band ended.
He added to Live magazine: "It took the members of Oasis to knock it on the head. All the people who said we wouldn't last? We did and in the end no one got to us except for us. We were the ones who brought Oasis down and not our critics. I'm very proud of that."

Oasis Are Officially “No Longer”

When Noel Gallagher revealed in August that he was leaving Oasis, fans hoped that the Gallagher brothers would reconcile (yet again) and the band would reconnect. However, two months have passed since the contentious siblings reportedly clashed backstage, and this time it’s Liam Gallagher who is proclaiming that Oasis are officially finished in a new interview with the Times U.K.. “Oasis is no longer. I think we all know that. So that’s done,” Liam said. “Without a doubt. And it’s a shame but that’s life. We had a good run at it.”
Check out backstage and live shots from Oasis’ final U.S. tour.
As Rolling Stone reported in August, Noel Gallagher left Oasis before the band’s scheduled concert in France after he and Liam reportedly “had a fight backstage.” After the blowup, Noel released a statement that reads, “It’s with some unhappy and good alleviation to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight. People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer.”
Liam Gallagher says he was relieved that the band ended on its own terms, even if the terms included flailing fists. “We ended Oasis. No one ended it for us, which is kind of cool,” the frontman told the Times U.K., adding that the ride as one of the biggest British bands of the decade was “always a lot of fun,” but “nothing lasts forever.” With Oasis finished although we suspect a large check from Glastonbury will finally give the Gallaghers second thoughts Liam said he’ll next concentrate on his own music. “I’m thinking of what the next step is musically, which is all my mind’s on,” Liam said. “I’ll be doing music to the day I die.”

Oasis Liam’s clothing range, Fans say definitely maybe not

Oasis star Liam Gallagher's brand new clothing range has been slammed by fans, outraged with its expensive prices.
It's been a catchy few months for Gallagher as feuds with his brother Noel have brought about the prostration of their famous band.
When the mouthy rocker announced the launch of the Pretty Green label back in June, interest was so high it crashed his website within seconds.

Desert Oasis defense turns back Spring Valley

Desert Oasis running back C.J. Hunt rushed for three touchdowns on Friday night in a 23-6 victory against visiting Spring Valley.
Desert Oasis (3-3, 3-2 Southwest Division) coach Faron Seibel credits his team’s defense in the win. They only surrendered 29 yards in the first half, he said.
“Our defense played outstanding,” Seibel said. “We came out, they never got going and well played.”
It was the second straight loss for Spring Valley (3-3, 3-2 Southwest).
“We didn’t do anything right on offense,” Spring Valley coach Kelly Murphy said. “We absolutely stunk.”

Nelly Furtado mourned Oasis split

NELLY FURTADO was devastated when NOEL GALLAGHER quit OASIS because she adored the band when she was growing up.

The Maneater hitmaker looked to the British band for stirring when she was starting out in the music business, and even dreamed of dating frontman Liam Gallagher.Furtado was distraught to learn guitarist Noel walked away from the pair after a fight with his brother before a gig in Paris last month (Aug09).She says, 'I was disconsolable when Oasis split up. That band meant the world to me.'As a 16 year old I would write letters to Liam with my photo attached and pray that he would ask me out on a date, but he never did. At college I learned to play guitar to Wonderwall.'Oasis were everything I loved about pop music. They could express emotions with the most simple song structures. They had the kind of brash attitude I could completely relate to.'The Champagne Supernova hitmakers are yet to confirm plans for the future, but reports suggest Liam is auditioning for a replacement for his brother and intends to continue with the band.

Desert Oasis puts up fight but finally bows to Bishop Gorman

Bishop Gorman has a tendency to intimidate its opponents. With its roster full of Division-I prospects and weekly blowout victories, the Gaels usually force the other team to crumble by halftime.
That wasn’t the case against Desert Oasis Thursday night. The Diamondbacks stuck right with the Gales for the first three quarters, until Bishop Gorman pulled away for a 42-11 victory in the final 12 minutes.
“I’ll give them credit for heart,” Bishop Gorman senior running back Victor Belen said. “They had the most heart we’ve played so far, the most heart I’ve seen in four years playing here.”
At the end of the third quarter, the Gaels led only 21-11.
But in the fourth quarter, Belen rushed for two touchdowns to put Desert Oasis away. Overall, Belen carried the ball 17 times for 152 yards and three touchdowns.
“He’s been great since game one,” Bishop Gorman coach Tony Sanchez said. “He’s a heck of a player.”
It was the Gaels’ other star running back, sophomore Shaquille Powell, who struck first. He put Bishop Gorman up 7-0 in the first quarter with a three-yard touchdown run.
Belen followed it with a 24 yard sweep for a score on the team’s next possession. The two touchdown deficit did not deter Desert Oasis.
The Diamondbacks capitalized on the Gaels’ mistakes by recording a safety after a bad snap on a punt attempt and recovered two punts that hit Bishop Gorman players.
With 10 minutes remaining in the second half, Desert Oasis senior quarterback Brennen Stott scored on a 19 yard option run to make the score 14-8.
“They made us grind it out, and I think that’s good for our kids, because we haven’t played past the third quarter the whole season,” Sanchez said.
At halftime, Desert Oasis coach Faron Seibel challenged his players. He told them to win the game, they needed to shut Bishop Gorman out in the third quarter.
The Diamondbacks did exactly that but couldn’t supplement it with points. Stott threw two interceptions in the red zone, one to Belen and the other to Bishop Gorman senior Taylor Spencer, who also had four catches for 87 yards and a touchdown.
“We made a few mistakes there at the end that kind of cost us,” Seibel said. “But we were very proud of how we played.”
Offensively, the Diamondbacks leaned on senior Ronald Hunt. The running back had 21 carries for 57 yards and caught three passes for 55 yards.
“We underestimated them. We did,” Belen said. “They came out swinging and we didn’t play as hard as we do in practice. We came out here and got smacked in the mouth and we smacked them back. That’s all we can do.”

Oasis (Update1), Debenhams Said to Consider Buying Karen Millen

Debenhams Plc is considering buying Karen Millen and Oasis, U.K. fashion brands that were forced into administration when Iceland’s banking system collapsed, a person familiar with the matter said.
Debenhams, the U.K.’s second largest department store chain, is concerned in the Aurora Fashions Ltd. brands, which also include Coast and Warehouse, said the person, who declined to be identified because the talks are private. Aurora, held by Kaupthing Bank Hf and former managers, bought the brands from administrators in March.
“You could get Aurora for not a lot of money, say 100 million pounds ($164 million),” said Nick Bubb, an analyst at Pali International in London who has a “neutral” rating on Debenhams. “They have some nice brands. It would be a useful thing to do.”
A spokesman at Aurora, who declined to be identified, said Kaupthing sees the business as a long term investment and it has no intention of disposing of any assets. The brands are performing ahead of plan, he added.
Officials at Debenhams declined to comment. Debenhams, which makes more money from designer brands that it owns than it does from selling clothes on behalf of third parties, is considering “opportunistic acquisitions,” Chief Executive Officer Rob Templeman said in June.
The owner of the clothing lines before Aurora, Mosaic Fashions Hf, entered bankruptcy protection in March following newspaper reports that it owed creditor Kaupthing 450 million pounds in the wake of Iceland’s financial crisis.
Aurora brands, aside from Karen Millen, are already stocked at Debenhams in retail concessions. In March, Debenhams bought clothing inventory from the failed Principles chain, once also owned by Mosaic.
Baugur Stake
“Switching Debenhams concessions to own bought would be logical and would internalize quite a lot of margin,” UBS AG analyst Andy Hughes said by phone. “It would take Debenhams into new territory, as they would have some standalone stores.”
Failed retail investment firm Baugur Hf, which collapsed in February after talks broke down with its main creditors, had a nonage stake in Mosaic.
Debenhams is interested in buying other brands that have currently been taken private, the person familiar with the retailer’s plans said. The person said brands would be like to, but not include, surfwear maker Fat Face Ltd., the U.K. sports clothing chain acquired by Bridgepoint Capital Ltd. Adding stores from competitors such as department-store chain House of Fraser Plc is also an option, the person said.
House of Fraser Chairman Don McCarthy said last week he would “never rule out” selling underperforming stores at the right price.
Debenhams, which has 144 stores, said today that annual profit rose after it gave more space to its more profitable designer ranges. So-called concession ranges, which include Oasis, Coast and Warehouse, under-performed its “Designers at Debenhams” brands, Templeman said on a conference call today.
The shares, which have more than tripled in value this year, fell 4.1 percent to 81.55 pence in London trading. The company has a market value of 1 billion pounds, less than a fifth that of its larger rival, Marks & Spencer Group Plc.
Templeman, besides considering purchases, has been repaying debt after raising 323 million pounds selling shares. The CEO said he would update the market on acquisition plans at the Oct. 22 earnings announcement.

Daily Gossip, Natalie Appleton say, 'Oasis will never split up'

Lily Allen, Jay Z, Beyonce your music gossip stop.

Welcome to the Daily Gossip: your daily stop off to find out who in the world of music has been up to what.Today’s top gossip:Liam Gallagher's sister in law former All Saints singer Natalie Appleton says Oasis will never split up. She revealed that the band were "destroyed" they had to cancel last Sunday's (August 23) headline appearance at V Festival Chelmsford due to Gallagher being ill, and scoffed rumours that they are on the brink of splitting. "Oasis will die before they split up… they're going to go on eternally until they are old men," she explained. "The rumours are relative scrap. Even in his sick bed Liam was vowing to get back on stage." She added that Gallagher was "so happy" that Snow Patrol and Keane covered Oasis songs at the festival (Daily Mirror).

From the papers:Calvin Harris round Dizzee Rascal at a game of table tennis currently, sending the rapper into a massive sulk (The Sun).Lily Allen says she needs to seem on 'Celebrity Come Dine With Me' (Daily Star).Jay-Z and Beyonce are looking to buy a house in Singapore ahead of the inaugural F1 Rocks event there on September 24-26, at which Beyonce will perform (The Sun).Preston bought The Big Issue in Chiswick, west London (Daily Star).The Killers ate sushi with Chris Martin in Zuma, London (Daily Mirror).Emailed from NME.COM readers:Super Furry Animals' Gruff Rhys looked Arctic Monkeys' London O2 Academy Brixton gig last night (from Paul).

Oasis controversy to go shopping with his missus - see pic

Writing on his blog, he said of the show that he "didn't enjoy it one atom".
He continued: "Don't feel too clever. Outrageous stomach ache. Feel like I'm coming down with summat.
"Might have to get the doctor out in the morning. Hope it came out of the speakers ok. Gutted. Oh well, there's always tomorrow."
But, thousands of fans were saddened when the show was pulled entirely where normally Noel would have filled Liam's shoes to take lead vocals and Snow Patrol stepped in to close the festival at the last minute.
However, whatever Noel had, he seems to have renewed now hopefully enough to complete their world tour for contemporary album Dig Out Your Soul.Noel Gallagher looked as if he didn't have a care in the world as he ambled around the shops in central London yesterday with his girlfriend Sara MacDonald.
The Oasis songwriter and his brother Liam have come under heavy criticism this week for pulling out of their headlining set at the V Festival in Chelmsford on Sunday with only hours to go.
Liam was thought out by doctors not to perform as he had 'viral laryngitis', and Noel said after their V gig in Stafford the night before that he hadn't been well either.

Oasis miss festival Liam sorry

Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher has excused to fans after illness pressured the band to pull out of their headline slot at the V Festival in Essex.
The band performed in Stafford on Saturday but Gallagher was apprised by doctors not to perform again after being diagnosed with viral laryngitis.
"The voice may of [sic] ceased but I'm still here," he said via Twitter.
"First things first, V, I'm gutted, you're gutted. I'm sorry, what can I say?"
Snow Patrol stepped up to fill the headline slot.
Their encore added versions of Oasis classics Wonderwall and Champagne Supernova, while psychedelic US rockers MGMT accomplished a cardboard cut out of Liam on stage as they played Live Forever in his honour.
Liam Gallagher added: "Respect to those bands who covered Oasis last night."

Oasis are performing at the close of V Festival

Brit rockers Oasis are to help bring the V Festival to a close.
The Manchester band headlined the festival's Weston Park venue in Staffordshire on Saturday night, and switch to the twin site in Hylands Park, Chelmsford, on Sunday night.
Fans will be hoping the at internals erratic relationship between the Gallagher brothers holds for another day at least after Noel and Liam recently announced they are not speaking to each other.
Thousands of festival goers have been partying at both sites since Friday night, enjoying gigs from the likes of The Killers, Lily Allen, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga.
Also on the listing are Ska legends The Specials, Elbow and Dizzie Rascal. Artists play each venue over the weekend.
On Saturday, newly converted cricket fan Lily Allen asked fans for the score from the final Ashes Test.
The 24 year old singer wore blue jeans hot pants, a revealing black vest and towering black stilettos to show off her tan and figure, telling festival goers: "Hello England, it's good to see you lot."
Elsewhere at the festival, Jade Goody's widower Jack Tweed was spotted enjoying the hospitality bar in the Completely VIP area with a group of male friends.
TV presenter Myleene Klass was also seen dancing with her two year old daughter Ava in the Virgin Media Louder Lounge VIP Area, while Doctor Who star Billie Piper and husband Lawrence Fox had left nine month old son Winston at home to come and delight the festival.
Amy Winehouse arrived to have put her troubles behind her when she made her come back to live performing by arriveing on stage at the festival with The Specials

Oasis at war

Liam and Noel Gallagher no longer speak to each other, the band's singer has anounced.The Oasis brothers have been at the centre of press speculation in recent months, amid reports that their relationship has failed. The band's singer has now approved these rumours, confessing: "He doesn't like me and I don't like him, that's it. "He hasn't told me what he thinks of anything this year. We've got nothing to say to each other at the moment", Liam told the NME.Explaining what prompted the current situation, which has coincided with Oasis touring the world in support of new album "Dig Out Your Soul", Liam cited a recent "ding-dong".He said: "So we had a f*cking ding dong in the airport and I think he started crying then. That was it doesn't travel with me anymore."For the first time in my life, I haven't got a f*cking clue what's going on with Oasis. It's pretty confusing but I'm not going to freak out about it", commented Gallagher.Oasis are due to headline the V Festival this weekend, in Essex and Staffordshire.

Unite property firm to sell stake to Oasis in UK'S

LONDON, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Unite Group (UTG.L), Britain's biggest developer of student housing, is to sell a superiority stake in its charged future developments to Oasis Capital, a Bahrain-based bank, the Financial Times was message on Wednesday.
The FT said the company, which is anticipate to communicate the deal later on Wednesday, is creating a 200 million pound ($330 mln) joint adventure to hold three schemes, all located in London, that will be delivered in 2010.

Oasis will achieve a 75 percent ante in the new vehicle, and Unite will keep 25 percent, according to the FT report.
The acreage under development will be sold for as much as 90 million pounds ($148.5 mln) to the joint venture, the FT said, and the deal is assumed to help Unite's balance sheet, reducing net debt and freeing cash and unused debt conveniences for expansion. (Reporting by Kate Kelland. Editing by Bernard Orr)