Health, Love and Entertainment: Mei 2009

I’ve long advised that bloggers seeking to make money from blogging spread their interests across multiple revenue streams so as not to put all their eggs in one basket.

The wonderful thing is that this is becoming easier and easier to do 2005 has seen many options opening up. I thought I’d take a look at some of the methods that bloggers are currently using to make money through blogs.

Income Streams for Bloggers - How to Make Money Blogging

Advertising Programs - Perhaps the most obvious changes in the past few months have been with the addition of a variety of viable advertising options for bloggers looking to make money from their blogs. The most common way bloggers seem to earn money online is via the contextual ad program from Google - Adsense. A more recent addition that many are using successfully are Chitika’s eMiniMalls and WidgetBucks, Text Link Ads.

Azoogle Ads, Intelli Txt, DoubleClick, Tribal Fusion, Adbrite, Clicksor, AdHearUs, Kanoodle, Pheedo, TextAds, Bidvertiser, Fastclick and Value Click (to name just some of the options) and there is a smorgasbord of options. Of course there is more to come with MSN Adcenter and YPN both in beta testing and with a variety of other advertising system currently in development (YPN is only available to US publishers).

Lastly there’s BlogAds - one of the first blog specific ad networks.

RSS Advertising - The past 12 months have seen some advances in RSS Advertising also. I’m yet to hear of any bloggers making big money blogging through it to this point - but as improvements are made to the ad programs exploring this I’m sure we’ll start to see examples of it being profitable.

Sponsorship - In addition to the array of advertising programs that are available to join there is a growing awareness in the business of the value and opportunity that exists for them to advertise directly on blogs. I’m hearing more and more examples of this and have been fortunately to have a couple of ad campaigns of my own in the past month - one with Adobe a couple of weeks ago and another just completed with Ricoh for a new digicam over at my Digital Camera Blog. These are not isolated cases - as I say I know of many blogs exploring sponsorship with advertisers at present and suspect we’ll see more of it in the year ahead. Sponsorship is also happening on a post by post basis with some bloggers being paid to write on certain topics by companies - either in one off or a regular fashion - and they are able to make big money from their blogs doing so.

Affiliate Programs - There are larger affiliate programs like Amazon, Linkshare, Clickbank and Commission Junction but also literally thousands of others from the large to the very small.

Digital Assets - Increasing numbers of bloggers have been developing other digital assets to support and add revenue streams to their blogs. By this I mean that I’m increasingly seeing e-books, courses and tele-seminars being run by bloggers. My recent foray into this with the first series of the six figure blogging course that Andy and I ran a few weeks ago and have just released the study version of. This type of activity will only increase in future - in fact this week I’ve seen numerous examples of bloggers running courses.

Blog Network Opportunities - with the rise in popularity of Blog Networks - bloggers are also being presented with more places to earn an income from their blogging - by writing for and with others. While it might be difficult to get a writing gig with one of the bigger networks - there are plenty who are always asking for new bloggers to join and who are willing to pay bloggers using a variety of payment models. While there are distinct advantages of blogging for yourself - blogging for an established network who will handle a lot of the set up/promotion/admin/SEO etc has it’s advantages also. More and more bloggers are combining writing for themselves on their own blogs with taking on blog network blogs as additional income streams.

Business Blog Writing Opportunities - as blogging has risen in it’s profile as a medium more and more businesses are starting blogs. Many of these companies have internal staff take on blogging duties - but an increasing number of them are hiring specialist bloggers to come on and run their blogs. I know of a number of bloggers who in the past month or two have been approached for such paid work. Check out Bloggers for Hire if you’re looking for this type of work.

Non Blogging Writing Opportunities - Also becoming more common are bloggers being hired to write in non blogging mediums. Manolo’s recent coup of a column in the Washington Post is just one example of this as bloggers are increasingly being approached to write for newspapers, magazines and other non blog websites. Along side this is the rise of bloggers as published book authors - this is to the extent that one blogger I spoke with this week complained to me that they were one of the few bloggers than they knew who didn’t have a book deal!

Donations - Tip Jars and donation buttons have been a part of blogging for years now but this last year saw a number of bloggers go full time after fund raising drives. Perhaps the most high profile of these was Jason Kottke of kottke.org who through the generosity of his readership was able to quit his job and become a full time blogger.

Flipping Blogs - Also more common in 2005 was the practice of ‘Blog Flipping’ - or selling of blogs. This has happened both on an individual blog level (I can think of about 20 blogs that sold this year) but also on a network level (the most obvious of these being the 8 figure sale of Weblogs Inc to AOL).

Merchandising - My recent attempt to sell ProBlogger.net T-shirts wasn’t a raging success, but it is an example of how an increasing number of bloggers are attempting to make a few extra dollars from their blogs by selling branded products through programs like Cafepress. While I didn’t have a lot of success with merchandising - quite a few larger blogs are seeing significant sales - especially blogs with a cult following. I’m not at liberty to discuss details - but I know of one largish blog which will see sales over $20,000 in merchandise for the calendar year of 2005.

Consulting and Speaking - While it has been popular for established consultants to add blogs to their businesses we’re also starting to see bloggers with no consulting background able to make money by charging readers for their time in consulting scenarios BECAUSE of the profile that their blogs have built them. Blogging has the ability to establish people as experts on niche topics and we all know the value of being perceived as an expert. I spoke to one blogger last month who charges himself out at over $200 an hour for speaking and consulting work - his area of expertise was something that he knew little about 18 months ago - but through his blog he’s become a leader in his field and a minor celebrity in his industry.

As time rolls on there are more and more ways that bloggers make money from their blogs opening up. Feel free to suggest your own ideas and experiences in comments below.

How Much Money Do I Make from Blogging

How Much Money Do I Make from Blogging?

by problogger

I get asked how much money my blogging makes me on a regular basis. These days I don’t go into specifics about it - all I will say is that it continues to be well over six figures per year (but less than seven figures). What you’ll find below are my top income streams - ranked from highest earnings to lowest.

Keep in mind that this is a summary of all of my blogs. It does not include any income that I earn from b5media where I’m paid a salary as VP Training.

I hope you find it useful to see the mix and variety of ways that I earn a living from blogging.

1. AdSense

Google AdSense is a free program that enables website publishers of all sizes to display relevant Google ads and earn.

Google uses its Internet search technology to serve advertisements based on website content, the user's geographical location, and other factors. Those wanting to advertise with Google's targeted advertisement system may enroll through AdWords. AdSense has become a popular method of placing advertising on a website because the advertisements are less intrusive than most banners, and the content of the advertisements is often relevant to the website.

Despite not using it here at ProBlogger any more I continue to use AdSense with real effect on my other blogs. While I do use AdSense Referrals and their search feature it is their normal ads that work best for me. I have them all set to show image and text based ads and find that 250×300 pixel ads work best (usually with a blended design).

2. Chitika

ChitikaLast time I did this sort of summary Chitika ranked #1. This time around it has been overtaken by AdSense - not because Chitika slipped in how much it earned but because AdSense went up and because I also replaced a few Chitika ad units with WidgetBucks ones. Chitika offers a range of ad units that I experiment with. I find their eMiniMalls work best and that Related Product Units are also good. Their Shoplincs product isn’t performing as well as it once did for me - mainly because I’ve been promoting it less and have driven less traffic to it. Over the time I’ve been using Chitika they’ve now earned me over a quarter of a million dollars!

3. Amazon Associates

This has been one of my big movers in the last 12 months. I used to make a few odd dollars from it - however in recent times it has become a significant earner for me (as I’ve shared previously). This quarter it overtook TLA as my third biggest earner - largely on the back of me directing traffic to Amazon from my product related sites - mainly digital cameras. While the commission on cameras is only 4% this adds up when those that you refer buy higher ticket items.

4. Private Ad Sales/Sponsorships

private-ad-salesThis includes ad sales of the 125 x 125 ads here at ProBlogger as well as a couple of private ad deals that I did with sponsors on my camera blog (including sponsorships with Canon, Kodak and Adobe). This area has jumped up since last time also as a result of the new design here at ProBlogger and our expanded sales team at b5 who now sell ProBlogger’s ads for me.

5. Text Link Ads

TlaThe income from TLA has dipped slightly over the last few months simply because I took the decision to stop selling them here at ProBlogger and most of my other blogs. This was because I wanted to focus more upon selling the 125 pixel ads instead and felt that the ads I was attracting were not as relevant to this site as they could have been. As it turns out this might have been a good move because it seems Google has been penalizing blogs that run them lately.

6. ProBlogger Job Boards

Jobboardheader The job boards here at ProBlogger continue to grow each month in the number of advertisements that are being bought. This enabled me to invest most of the money that they’d earned a while back into getting a new back end for the boards and to redesign them. It hit me today that the boards are now bringing in around $1000 a month in revenue which is pretty nice considering that they are now so low maintenance to run! I’ve just given a development team a new brief to expand the job boards in the coming month so stay tuned for some new features coming soon which could see this revenue increase and more importantly for it to become an even more useful resource to readers.

7. Miscellaneous Affiliate Programs

miscellaneous affiliate programsI run a variety of affiliate programs on my blogs - most of which bring in smaller amounts of money that don’t really justify a category of their own. These include - - Digital Photography Secrets (a camera technique series), Pro Photo Secrets (a great photoshop product) , Yaro’s Blog Mastermind Mentoring Program, SEO Book (Aaron’s legendary resource). This area is set to continue to grow in the current quarter with me having had reasonable conversions from the promotion of the excellent Teaching Sells course.

8. Miscellaneous Advertising Programs

miscellaneous ad networksI also play with a number of other ad networks. Some I run as tests to see if I should review them here - and some are just advertising that run in the background on some of my smaller blogs. These include AuctionAds, Feedburner RSS ads, Vizu (a poll advertising system), Kontera and Bidvertiser. Together these don’t add up to major earnings for me - not because they are not good, but because I don’t use them heavily (a blog can only run so many ads on it).

I think that that covers most of it. Since last quarter I’ve also been experimenting with WidgetBucks as well as one other ad system that is still in a closed beta test. I’m certain that WidgetBucks will feature in next quarter’s list because I am getting good returns on that so far. In fact at it’s current earnings it’ll debut at at least number 4 on the list and perhaps even at number 3.

How Much do I Spend?

As mentioned last time - I don’t spend a lot of money in order to bring in my income. I do have some basic blogging costs (hosting etc) and play around with a limited amount of advertising (AdWords and StumbleUpon) but rely more heavily upon word of mouth and organic ways of drawing income into my blogs. I also have some costs in paying writers on a couple of blogs - but these don’t make up a massive part of the overall earnings each quarter.

Five Ways to Drive Traffic to your Blog

When you blog for money you need to create your own content (and lots of it!), implement advertisement programs like Google AdSense and WidgetBucks, and last but not least – you need traffic.

In our offline lives we dread it, but online we embrace it. I want to give you 5 ways to start driving traffic to your blog today. With a little time and patience, you will slowly start to increase your viewer ship.

(In no particular order)

5.) Post comments on other blogs.

Blogs are everywhere – there’s certainly not a shortage of them. You should have no problem finding other bloggers in your niche that are popular and interesting. Bookmark those that you like, follow their topics daily, and if you find something that sparks your interest – comment.

Become a participating voice in the community. The more interesting your comments are, the more likely your peers will follow you to your blog. And who knows – you might stand out among the crowd and be recognized by the author, which can spin off into better opportunities.

4.) Register with blog networks like: Technorati, BlogCatalog, and MyBlogLog

It’s important that you get your blog out there for others to see. You can start the process by submitting to search engines, but that’s just the beginning. Technorati, BlogCatalog, and MyBlogLog are just a few of the high profile blog networks on the web. Register with them, network with other people in your releated area, and get your word out.

When you register with these services remember a couple of things:

1.) Create a detailed profile. Let people know a little bit about you and draw them in. Without that personal interaction people may flee quickly.

2.) Tag your blog properly. Tags are very important – they’re usually one or two word descriptions of your blog. So for example my blog would fall under categories like: Money, Business, and Finance. Dig around the specific service and look for popular tags and try to use those for your blog. It allows people who are interested in these topics to easily find your site.

3.) Register with several forums.

Do a Google search for forums that are related to your niche and register. Try to be an active voice in the community. People will flock to you if you’re interesting. Not only that but it allows you to find out what others are doing and what makes them appealing.

When you register with a forum, make sure to fill out the profile, similar to the blogging services. And equally as important – make a signature that is a direct link to your blog. Your signature is shown in every post that you make – helping you gain visibility. This is all the more reason to create thought provoking discussions.

2.) Social Bookmarking and Article Submission.

Social networking, bookmarking, and article submissions are all the rage today – don’t let it pass you by. Some of the major networks include delicious, Furl, and of course, Digg. These sites will allow you to tag, bookmark, and submit articles that you think are interesting. What’s more interesting than your own work? People should know about it so go spread the word.

1.) StumbleUpon

StumbleUpon really falls into tip #2, but I decided to break it away from the pack because it provides quicker results. Like the rest of the social networking sites, you create a profile and network with others. But what makes StumbleUpon so darn unique, is that you can “stumble” thousands of sites that you’re interested in by the click of a button. So what does that mean for you? Well, you can stumble your own site. By doing this you get into the Stumble rotation, and any people that you network with can stumble across it as well.

In my experience StumbleUpon can bring great surges of traffic for short periods of time. Due to the nature of the service, you’re likely to get overlooked more than not; however, those that do stop – tend to stay. And if they like the site, they can rate it and review it for all the friends in their network to see. Are you getting the picture here? Your viewer ship has the potential to explode!

As with most things in life, there’s no silver bullet for getting traffic. It takes a lot of research, careful planning, networking, patience, and time. If you have what it takes and start using my recommendations, you will definitely start to see an increase. Hopefully that increase in traffic will help you blog for money.

How to earn money with blogs?

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Maricar Reyes moves from modeling to acting

She’s the newest girl in town and her name is Maricar Reyes. A model by profession, Reyes finally found her way to enter showbiz through ABS-CBN’s hit television series “I Love Betty La Fea” with actor John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo.

Reyes, a member of Star Magic, plays Candy, Armando's first love in the series. It is her most important role to date.

In an interview with abs-cbnnews.com, Reyes said that working for “I Love Betty La Fea” has been challenging activity for her because of the emotions she has to express.

“Pero nakatulong po talaga yung workshops, because sinabi sa amin what to expect and how to deliver,” explained Reyes.

She said that the difference between acting and modeling is the range of emotion you have to give in every project.

“With commercials, it’s usually [just] smile, feel nice and feel good. That’s the biggest difference I think,” Reyes said.

Reyes, who finished BS Biology in Ateneo de Manila, said that she will never forget the first scene she shot with Nicolas, played by actor Vhong Navarro.

“It was a very light moment, we were just in the Inter-Nick Café yung story ni Nicolas. That was fun, and he was very funny guy,” she said.

The model said that aside from the funny scenes, she has already finished shooting heavy drama scenes, and these will be aired soon.

She also told abs-cbnNEWS.com, that she likes working with the humble cast of “I Love Betty La Fea."

“Akala mo nga hindi sila star, they are really nice. When I first got there, yun nag-hi sila. They are always smiling kahit alam mong puyat na sila,” she said.

Reyes shared that the cast really give their support since they know that it was her first time to act.

“All of them (were supportive). They understood na since it’s my first time to act, baka hindi ko makuha agad. Okay lang naman sa akin,” she said.

Reyes also admitted that compared to modeling she’s definitely having fun acting for the series.

“I must admit yung past few days ko sa Betty, fun siya. It’s fun to work in this setup, although admittedly parang -- well, there’s more time involved than commercial. Sa commercials, two days tapos ka na pero masaya. Dito may waiting time, pero masaya, masaya ang tao,” explains Reyes.

She also said that acting was not part of her dream but admitted that she always wanted to see what it would be like to work in showbiz.

Reyes, 24, disclosed that it was Mr. Johnny Manahan of Star Magic who saw her television commercial and asked her to join the network’s elite group of Stars.

“They asked me to come in, punta naman ako, pinaaral muna ako,” she said.

Aside from her latest commercial for a brand of sanitary napkin, Reyes has also done commercials for a beauty product, fast food restaurant, and a coffee brand.

To catch Maricar Reyes, don’t fail to watch “I Love Betty La Fea” on Primetime Bida only on ABS-CBN.

Unlikely UK sensation Boyle sings rousing 'Memory'

Surprise singing sensation Susan Boyle made a new television appearance Sunday, showcasing once again her soaring voice — but refusing to compromise on the frumpy look that made her an Internet sensation.

The shy church volunteer gave a rousing, but occasionally nervous, performance on the "American Idol"-style show "Britain's Got Talent," with a version of the song "Memory" from the musical "Cats."

Members of the public voting in a telephone poll picked her as the best of eight performers who appeared Sunday, meaning she will sing again in the contest's final next Saturday.

Flashing a broad smile, Boyle danced in delight as results were announced and said had relished the chance to perform. "Fantastic, absolutely fantastic," she said. "What pressure? I've really enjoyed myself tonight."

Wearing a plum colored beaded dress — and a touch more makeup than during her last performance — but with the same unruly shock of hair, Boyle overcame early jitters to deliver a powerful vocal.

Producers said the 47-year-old's appearance was being posted on the Internet almost immediately, after about 60 million people watched her last performance via YouTube.

In her first performance last month, judges who'd raised eyebrows at Boyle's dowdy image were won over by her bold voice and surprisingly confident performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical "Les Miserables." The sometimes awkward looking Scot won praise from celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey and Demi Moore, and even won a name check in her favorite cartoon "The Simpsons."

On Sunday, the show's judges and audience rose to their feet to applaud, but those posting comments to the Twitter Web site appeared divided. While some hailed her performance, others appeared underwhelmed.

Bookmaker William Hill has made her a runaway favorite to win on May 30.

Contestants are competing to perform at Britain's annual Royal Variety Show — attended by members of the royal family — and win a 100,000 pound ($159,000) prize.

The singer, who lives alone with her cat Pebbles in one of Scotland's poorest regions, said before Sunday's performance that she wouldn't transform her appearance. "I just want people to see me for who I am, and do my best at singing the song, that's what I am focusing on," she said.

Boyle, who says she's never been kissed, grew up the youngest of nine children in Blackburn, a community of 4,750 people 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of Edinburgh, in Scotland, and a district blighted by unemployment and crime. She suffered learning difficulties as a child and was bullied by other children.

As an adult, she's struggled for work but had been a regular on her local karaoke circuit and performed in church choirs.

In an interview with The Associated Press at her home last month, she said the death of her mother had inspired her to enter the TV talent show.

"I wanted to show her I could do something with my life," Boyle said.

Katrina Halili - Personal Life

Highlight

Katrina Halili (born Maria Katrina Irene Pe Halili on January 4, 1986) is a Filipina actress,and a commercial model. She made her screen debut via StarStruck, but did not gain popularity until playing the antagonist roles in Darna, Majika, Atlantika, and MariMar and becoming the protagonist in One Night Only and Magdusa Ka.

Personal Life
Katrina Halili is an alumna of the StarStruck talent search and the cover girl of leading magazines such as FHM and Maxim Philippines. She was voted as FHM Philippines' sexiest woman for the year 2006 and bagged the title yet again in 2007. She is the first StarStruck contestant to top the FHM Philippines' 100 Sexiest list and the only Filipina celebrity to have won the title twice in a row. She is a three-time FHM Philippines covergirl. With 123,000 votes, she placed 2nd in 2008 next to Marian Rivera.

In May 2009, videos that shows compromising encounters between Halili and Dr. Hayden Kho were distributed over the internet without her consent. It was supposed that the person behind the leak of the videos to Internet was a certain Eric Chua, a close friend of Hayden Kho. Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr., in his privilege speech, denounced Kho's acts and would file a case for the removal of Dr. Kho's license. She is also consulting with the women's rights group GABRIELA regarding the legal actions that will be placed against Kho.

Mary Cassatt - Personal Life

Highlight

Mary Stevenson Cassatt (May 22, 1844 – June 14, 1926) was an American painter and printmaker.
Cassatt was born in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, which is now part of Pittsburgh. She was born into favorable circumstances: her father, Robert Simpson Cassat (later Cassatt), was a successful stockbroker and land speculator, and her mother, Katherine Kelso Johnston, came from a banking family. The ancestral name had been Cossart. Cassatt was a distant cousin of artist Robert Henri. Cassatt was one of seven children, of which two died in infancy. Her family moved eastward, first to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, then to the Philadelphia area, where she began schooling at age six.
She lived much of her adult life in France, where she first befriended Edgar Degas and later exhibited among the Impressionists.
Cassatt often created images of the social and private lives of women, with particular emphasis on the intimate bonds between mothers and children.

The Child's Bath (The Bath) by Mary Cassatt, 1893, oil on canvas, Art Institute of Chicago

Personal Life

Cassatt's popular reputation is based on an extensive series of rigorously drawn, tenderly observed, yet largely unsentimental paintings and prints on the theme of the mother and child. The earliest dated work on this subject is the drypoint Gardner Held by His Mother (an impression inscribed "Jan/88" is in the New York Public Library), although she had painted a few earlier works on the theme. Some of these works depict her own relatives, friends, or clients, although in her later years she generally used professional models in compositions that are often reminiscent of Italian Renaissance depictions of the Madonna and Child. After 1900, she concentrated almost exclusively on mother-and-child subjects.

Self-portrait by Mary Cassatt, c. 1878, gouache on paper, 23 5/8 x 16 3/16 in., Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

In 1891, she exhibited a series of highly original colored drypoint and aquatint prints, including Woman Bathing and The Coiffure, inspired by the Japanese masters shown in Paris the year before. (See Japonism) Cassatt was attracted to the simplicity and clarity of Japanese design, and the skillful use of blocks of color. In her intrepretation, she used primarily light, delicate pastel colors and avoided black (a “forbidden” color among the Impressionists). A. Breeskin, of the Smithsonian Institution, notes that these colored prints, “now stand as her most original contribution… adding a new chapter to the history of graphic arts…technically, as color prints, they have never been surpassed”.
The Child's Bath (The Bath) by Mary Cassatt, 1893, oil on canvas, Art Institute of Chicago

The 1890s were Cassatt's busiest and most creative time. She had matured considerably and became more diplomatic and less blunt in her opinions. She also became a role model for young American artists who sought her advice. Among them was Lucy A. Bacon, whom Cassatt introduced to Camille Pissarro. Though the Impressionist group disbanded, Cassatt still had contact with some of the members, including Renoir, Monet, and Pissarro. As the new century arrived, she served as an advisor to several major art collectors and stipulated that they eventually donate their purchases to American art museums. Although instrumental in advising the American collectors, recognition of her art came more slowly in the United States. Even among her family members back in America, she received little recognition and was totally overshadowed by her famous brother.

Mary Cassatt's brother, Alexander Cassatt, (president of the Pennsylvania Railroad from 1899 until his death) died in 1906. She was shaken, as they had been close, but she continued to be very productive in the years leading up to 1910. An increasing sentimentality is apparent in her work of the 1900s; her work was popular with the public and the critics, but she was no longer breaking new ground, and her Impressionist colleagues who once provided stimulation and criticism were dying off. She was hostile to such new developments in art as post-Impressionism, Fauvism and Cubism.

A trip to Egypt in 1910 impressed Cassatt with the beauty of its ancient art, but was followed by a crisis of creativity; not only had the trip exhausted her, but she declared herself "crushed by the strength of this Art", saying, "I fought against it but it conquered, it is surely the greatest Art the past has left us ... how are my feeble hands to ever paint the effect on me." Diagnosed with diabetes, rheumatism, neuralgia, and cataracts in 1911, she did not slow down, but after 1914 she was forced to stop painting as she became almost blind. Nonetheless, she took up the cause of women's suffrage, and in 1915, she showed eighteen works in an exhibition supporting the movement.

In recognition of her contributions to the arts, France awarded her the Légion d'honneur in 1904.

She died on June 14, 1926 at Château de Beaufresne, near Paris, and was buried in the family vault at Mesnil-Théribus, France.

As of 2005, her paintings have sold for as much as $2.87 million.

On May 22, 2009, google.com (Google) featured a Google Doodle for Mary Cassatt, in celebration of the 155th anniversary of her birthday.

'Idol' Upset: Did The Evangelical Christian Vote Push Kris Allen Over The Edge?

Kris Allen, the new "American Idol."

Kris Allen was indeed the underdog going into the "American Idol" finale on Wednesday evening, and the vibe inside the Nokia Theater was definitely in favor of the more controversial, theatrical and incredibly "out there" California native Adam Lambert.

"Adam has the potential to be a star so overall you could say he deserves to win," Simon Cowell told Tarts on Wednesday afternoon. "But this is 'American Idol,' anything could happen and we could have an upset."

And an upset for Cowell it clearly was -- the outspoken judge was the only one not to give Allen a standing ovation when he was announced the 2009 winner as determined by a record-breaking 100 million votes.

So was it the Christian vote that prevailed in Allen's favor?

The 23-year-old UCA student has been on the worship team at New Life Church for years and helps with their outreach programs, but unlike previous winners such as Jordin Sparks and Carrie Underwood who made their faith very well known, Allen consciously refrained from making mention of his virtuous values throughout the competition.

"This is a singing competition, not a church thing," Allen told Tarts earlier this week while Lambert added that the "vote is based on talent and performing, not religion."

With Allen having shied away from the sectarian spotlight, his local church made up for it. The New Life Church in Greater Little Rock, Arkansas urged churchgoers to prayer and vote for the 'Idol' finalist, created a Facebook link on the church Web site in support of their hometown hero and his proud Pastor, Rick Bezet, flew to Los Angeles for the momentous finale.

"Kris has a personality type that is shown best in small groups and the public may not hear talking points about his faith, about himself, or his gifts," Pastor Bezet told Tarts on Wednesday. "He wins people over with authentic care and then he will share his faith at the right time, he tends to hold back on comments regarding himself. Some may think he is not confident in his humility, but Kris simply thinks more about others, but somehow not less about himself."

According to an 'Idol' insider, support for Kris most likely surged over the last week when Danny Gokey (who was extremely open about his involvement with the church) was voted off and thus Christians turned their full devotion to Allen who epitomizes the all-American, talented and moralistic role model.

Allen's surprise win may have also been a reflection of the growing market for Christian music. The Gospel Music Association recently reported that Christian/Gospel recorded music sales stand at almost half a billion annually and digital album sales were up 38 percent in 2008, while digital tracks were up over 37 percent.

"Churches go crazy with support! Thousands of churches twittering and facebooking! It's been a blast," Bezet also told us.

But when it comes to finding their 'Idol,' is America happiest without the bells and whistles?

"America had a grass roots campaign for a 'good ole boy!' There was just too much hype with Lambert. Everyone likes a person who just does the work," said Michael Sands, leading Hollywood Media Image Consultant. "I think the viewers would have been turned off if Kris pitched religion. The media picked up on Kris' Christian background so his handlers did not have to "force feed" the worldwide audience. The Christian belief is there sublimally, no over sell needed."

And even after conquering the biggest musical hurdle in television history, Allen was careful to play it cool.

"Everyone's really proud because not a lot happens in Arkansas so this is just one of the things they were really clinging onto," the reigning Idol told Tarts backstage after the announcement. "Hopefully I can celebrate by hanging out with friends and family, that would be great and college? I don't think I'll be going back anytime soon."

But Christian votes aside, Allen most likely scored alot of love from tweens and teens with his wholesome musical approach and good looks, and is already being marketed as a Zac Efron-type heart-throb. However, this 23-year-old student is newly married and looked particularly anxious backstage when his gorgeous blonde wife (who was excitedly trying to take pics with her hubby) was "conveniently" escorted away and needless to say, she didn't look too pleased about that either ...

Kris Allen to win 'American Idol,' but Adam Lambert has best career?

Virtually all of the alleged "American Idol" "experts" have consistently underestimated Kris Allen while ballyhooing Adam Lambert as the inevitable champ. What if Kris Allen surprises again?

Romantically speaking, Allen is more of a heartthrob type. He may have a much bigger, secret fan base among the gum-snapping girls who set off tsunamis of text and phone votes that decide winners each week. Furthermore, Lambert likes to jump off cliffs, creatively speaking. What if he goes splat during the final face-off?

When Gold Derby polled readers, asking who -- Lambert or Allen -- will end up winning the most showbiz awards during their future careers, regardless of who wins "American Idol," Lambert stomped. He scored 73% of the votes. But will that prove to be true?

Again, that view may just be a reflection of bossy assumptions pushed by the "Idol" judges and producers. Lambert's mysterious sexuality may be a turn-off among music-buyers, who may gobble up more CDs from the more macho Allen. That could give Allen a vastly larger fan base and a much bigger, longer career during which he could win lots more industry awards.

Allen, for example, seems to have a lot in common with Rob Thomas and John Mayer: clean, rugged good looks and solid singing chops. Thomas and Mayer have won gads of top kudos, including two of Grammy's highest honors. Thomas won record and song of the year with Santana for "Smooth" (1999) and Mayer won best song for "Daughters" (2004).

Kris Allen wins 'American idol': Results show crowns new winner

Kris Allen is the winner of this season's 'American Idol.' He was crowned Wednesday night in the results show.

Kris Allen is your new "American Idol." Who'd have thunk it?

Certainly not the "Idol" producers. They couldn't be bothered to show Kris at all before this season's semi-finals began, which is usually the kiss of death to all but the most compelling singers (Kelly Clarkson in season one, Bo Bice in season four). And they shamelessly, even by their standards, tried to stage-manage a victory for pet contestant Adam Lambert, giving him an abundance of screen time, better production values (special lighting and other effects) than any past finalist, and multiple chances to close the show near the end of the season.

Certainly not the "Idol" judges. They had trouble hiding their love -- or, in the case of Paula Abdul, worship -- of Adam throughout the finals. On Judges' Choice night last week, Simon went to the trouble to get U2's "One" cleared for him to sing, and talked about how pleased Bono was to have Adam singing one of his songs. At the end of last week's performance show, Simon Cowell all but begged the audience to vote for Adam so he wouldn't be a surprise elimination before the finale. And at the end of Tuesday night's show, after Kris had struggled through the embarrassingly mawkish "Idol" coronation song co-written by new judge Kara DioGuardi, all four judges were so condescending in the way they each told Kris that he should be proud of making it this far, the only way he could have been more insulted was if Paula had patted him on the head while Randy Jackson gave him a trophy for participation.

Certainly not me, for that matter, since going into the finals I ranked Kris dead last on a list of finalists with a chance to win.

Not even Kris himself, who moments after winning told Ryan Seacrest, "It feels good, man, but Adam deserves this."

But here we are at the end of another sometimes exhausting, sometimes thrilling, constantly frustrating season of "American Idol," and our champion isn't the guy that the show, the judges, and the media have been saying should and would win, but the quiet, unassuming guy with the acoustic guitar.

How did that happen?

Really, you have to look at it from two angles: why Kris won, and why Adam didn't. I fear the former is going to be lost in all the hue and cry over the latter, so let's start there.

Kris appeared to slip into the finals, after a mediocre semi-finals performance of Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror," on the basis of his smile and non-threatening good looks. (Remember: one of the largest, most passionate voting blocs on "Idol" is made up of tween girls.) But once the show moved to the bigger stage -- and, more importantly, once Kris was allowed to play an instrument, whether it was his trusty guitar or the occasional piano -- he proved himself to be one of this season's most likable, and, yes, talented contestants.

Yes, Adam (and several other finalists) could likely sing rings around Kris' limited range. But Kris, like David Cook last season, had an uncanny ability to bend the weekly themes to his skill set, coming up with arrangements that went well with his smooth, charming style and his skill with both the guitar and the piano. He turned Donna Summer's "She Works Hard for the Money" and Kanye West's "Heartless" into energetic coffee house jams, re-arranged Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" to make it sound more intimate and modern (then came up with yet another arrangement for Tuesday night's reprise), and was the only "Idol" contestant on Rat Pack Night to grasp that the key to those songs was in the phrasing and storytelling, not the ability to drill through solid concrete with the power of your voice.

Where the fun in the early part of the finals was in seeing just what song Adam might pick, and what crazy thing he might do to it (his re-arrangements were dicier, notably his sitar-inflected take on "Ring of Fire"), our frontrunner seemed to stagnate after a certain point. Viewers often like an Idol who grows over the course of the season (Kelly, Jordin, Cook), where Adam arrived as a finished product, and suddenly the growth story became Kris.

But while Kris' victory was deserved, some of his support at the end no doubt came from people who just didn't like Adam, who's one of the more talented contestants the show has ever had, but also one of the most polarizing. People either adored the versatility of Adam's voice, or cringed at the way he liked to wail at the top of his upper register. His fans compared him to Elvis; his detractors called him too flamboyant, or theatrical, and said he belonged on Broadway (where a number of past "Idol" finalists have found careers) rather than the pop charts. And as the show's cheerleading for Adam rose -- a few weeks ago, Katy Perry showed up on the results show wearing a cape with Adam's name on it that the show treated to a loving, dramatic close-up -- his detractors' resentment for him only grew. And the fans of the cast-off contestants, none of whom were treated as lovingly by the show, likely gravitated towards the guy going up against him.

Being polarizing isn't a problem in the earlier rounds of "American Idol." You want people to be passionate, because the ones who love you will vote for you like crazy. But at the end, when it's a one-on-one situation, the ones who hate you finally have a chance to vote against you.

And so we don't have the Idol we expected. But we also have one who earned his unlikely victory.

Kris Allen Crowned 'American Idol'

LOS ANGELES - Kris Allen's smooth vocals and boy-next-door image propelled him to "American Idol" victory Wednesday, turning the theatrical powerhouse Adam Lambert into the most unlikely of also-rans.

"I'm sorry, I don't even know what to feel right now. This is crazy," said a stunned Allen, 23, of Conway, Ark.

As host Ryan Seacrestsaid in announcing the result of the viewer vote, "The underdog, the dark horse, comes back and wins the nation over."

Lambert's commanding vocal range and stage presence -- and the judges' adoration of him -- at times turned "Idol" into "The Adam Lambert Show," with the other contestants mere guests. But it turned out that "Idol" viewers could embrace a gifted performer like Lambert, one who sported black nail polish and bold self-assurance, only to a point.

Simon Cowell tipped his hat to both contestants Wednesday.

"To both of you, and I don't normally mean this, I thought you were both brilliant. .... The future's all yours," the judge said.

Before the results were announced, Lambert and Allen had a moment of musical camaraderie: They joined together with Queen on the rock anthem "We Are the Champions."

"Adam did win. So did Kris. Nobody lost tonight. These are two champions," said Paul Stanley from Kiss backstage.

The outcome echoed last year's contest, when Cowell all but crowned David Archuleta after the performance finale -- but the victory went to David Cook.

Lambert's triumph was never inevitable. When Allen and Lambert were declared the finalists last week, just 1 million viewer votes separated the pair out of 88 million cast.

Allen bloomed during the season, gaining more assurance onstage and winning viewers over with his smooth, heartfelt vocals, modest demeanor and well-scrubbed good looks.

There was also the Danny Gokey factor. Gokey made it to the top three before he fell out of the contest, leaving his supporters up for grabs.

"After the third one leaves, you wonder where do the votes go from that third contestant," Paula Abdul said backstage after Tuesday's singing showdown.

Allen seemed the likely candidate for those viewers' affections, for on- and offstage reasons. Allen and Gokey, 29, of Milwaukee, were downright conservative when compared to Lambert's elaborate staging and wardrobe choices. Allen is a married college student and has worked as a church worship leader. Gokey, a widower, is a church music director.

Lambert, 27, of Los Angeles, brought measured rock flashiness -- daring, not freaky -- with songs including "Whole Lotta Love," the first-ever Led Zeppelin tune on "Idol." He's largely kept his personal life under wraps, saying "I know who I am" when asked about it.

Earlier this week, Allen said he hoped the outcome wouldn't be decided by "having the Christian vote."

"I hope it has to do with your talent and the performance that you give and the package that you have. It's not about religion and all that kind of stuff," he said.

Added Lambert: "It's about music. That's really important to keep in mind."

The finale Wednesday included the usual bag of tricks for extending the show to two hours and delaying the result until the final minutes. There were group numbers, the Golden Idol Award -- semifinalist funnyman Nick "Norman Gentle" Mitchell among the contenders -- and celebrity-contestant combos.

Allen was joined by Keith Urban on "Kiss a Girl," while Lambert performed with Kiss. The female finalists, including Allison Iraheta, opened up for Fergie, who sang "Big Girls Don't Cry" and then was joined by her group, the Black Eyed Peas.

Iraheta later dueted with Cyndi Lauper on "Time After Time" and Danny Gokey joined Lionel Richie for two tunes.

Rod Stewart sang "Maggie May" after the male finalists opened for him with "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy."

An offbeat guest was Steve Martin, the actor-comedian who also specializes in the banjo. He played his song "Pretty Flowers" with finalists Megan Joy and Michael Sarver on vocals.

Asked by Seacrest to guess who might win "American Idol," Martin replied: "I know it's a long shot, but I'm hoping I do."

Allen rose to the occasion during Tuesday's performance show, especially with his soulful version of "Ain't No Sunshine." But he was tripped up by "No Boundaries," a song co-written by judge Kara DioGuardi and ill-suited to his voice.

Lambert did a better job with "No Boundaries" and excelled on his reprise of "Mad World" and on "A Change is Gonna Come."

"That was the best I've ever heard you sing -- ever!" exclaimed Abdul.

Times Money's top 10 investment gurus

Genuine stock market experts are a rare breed, and their investment thinking is never more valuable than when the financial world is in turmoil, as it is today.

So here at Times Money we have come up with a list of our top ten stock market gurus of all time.

1. Benjamin Graham

He is generally regarded as one of the most influential thinkers on investment management. His book, the Intelligent Investor, is still selling more than 50 years after he wrote it.

Mr Graham’s basic idea was that you should be looking to buy companies worth ten dollars a share for five dollars a share. The way you determined which companies were selling at way below their book value was to make a detailed study of their balance sheets. He believed in cautious investment following thorough analysis and abhorred ill-informed speculation.

2. Warren Buffett.

The ‘sage of Omaha’ has put his investment skills to good use and is now the world’s richest man. In the process he has made millionaires out of many of the shareholders in Berkshire Hathaway, his main investment vehicle.

Mr Buffett’s basic idea is that there are a handful of truly outstanding businesses around - and a lot of mediocre ones. The investor’s skill comes in identifying the rare great businesses and then in waiting for the moment when a great business is selling at a really attractive price. He is down to earth - he won’t invest in a business he doesn’t understand - and very patient. He is prepared to wait a long time for the right sort of company to turn up. As he would put it, he is like a baseball player who is ready to stand at the plate for ball after ball until he finds one he can hit into the stands.

3. Philip Fisher

Mr Fisher, the father of Ken Fisher, was a renowned growth investor who was a passionate exemplar of the "buy and hold" approach.

His main idea was that the best way to invest is to buy a limited number of outstanding stocks and simply hold them for years and years. If you have chosen the right stocks in the first place - and that’s obviously a big if - then their real quality will shine through over the long term.
He was very definitely not an in and out trader. As he put it: “If the job has been done correctly when a common stock is purchased, the time to sell it is - almost never.”

4. T Rowe Price

Mr Price shared the long-term perspective of investors such as Philip Fisher. He, too, believed in the virtues of "buy and hold" and practised them with a vengeance. In 1972, looking back at a portfolio he had started in the 1930s, he found that he had held a number of stocks, such as Merck, the pharmaceutical company, and Black & Decker, the household tool company, for more than 30 years. Over that time they had made him a lot of money.

5. John Templeton

Sir John, who died earlier this year, was a classic contrarian investor. He embodied the dictum : "Buy when others are frantically selling and sell when others are greedily buying". While others were looking for gems in a jewel shop, he would be looking for diamonds in a dustbin. He was quite happy to buy what others were throwing away and believed that the stocks offering the best value would be those that other investors had completely neglected.

His most celebrated coup came in 1939, just after war had broken out in Europe. He reasoned, correctly, that although the immediate outlook was bleak, the war would provide a massive boost to US industry. He instructed his broker to buy 100 dollars’ worth of every single Wall Street stock that was priced at a dollar or less. Within four years he had sold his unusual portfolio of stocks for four times its original value.

6. Mark Mobius

Dr Mobius is from the Templeton stable of investment managers and has become a specialist in emerging markets. He shares something of Mr Templeton’s contrarian style. As he puts it: “We seek out shares that other investors have rejected. We go where others fear to tread.”

But above all he is a value-based stockpicker. He focuses on putting together a portfolio of good quality stocks, irrespective of which country they are from. One of his great strengths is that he immerses himself in his subject, travelling tens of thousands of miles each year to visit companies and meet their managements. He says:, “At Templeton we like to get out from behind our desks. We are also active investors, ready to get alongside management and take a seat on the board.”

7. Anthony Bolton

Mr Bolton is perhaps the best known UK fund manager of recent years, though he has now stepped back from the hands on running of funds. Like Mark Mobius he is a contrarian investor, as he demonstrated recently by indicating that he was putting some of his own money into bank shares just when everyone else was seeking to make a rapid exit from the sector.

One of his great skills is correctly anticipating market trends. He foresaw the end of the most recent bull run some months before the market peaked in the summer of 2007 and had already battened down the hatches before the market storms set in.

8. Neil Woodford.

Mr Woodford has taken over Mr Bolton’s mantle of best known UK fund manager and one of his great skills is being able to achieve very good performance with enormous sums of money that would weigh down a lesser investor. His two principal funds contain more than £13 billion of investors’ money.

Mr Woodford, like Mr Bolton, is something of a contrarian investor, and he shows considerable skill in keeping ahead of the investment pack. He had been warning about the excessive levels of debt in the UK and US long before the credit crunch struck and had sold all his bank and property shares before those two sectors collapsed.

He takes a top-down view of the economy and is not afraid to make big sector bets. In the past few years he has invested heavily in tobacco and utilities at a time when they were distinctly unfashionable areas to put your money.

9. Nils Taube.

Mr Taube, who died earlier this year, was Britain’s longest-serving fund manager. Like John Templeton he was fond of buying stocks that had been overlooked by other investors. He made a name for himself by keeping a cool head during the stock market slump of 1973-74 and was investing when most other people had despaired of shares ever recovering.

He called the market right again in 1987, when he anticipated the October crash of that year and was selling stocks short in the months running up to the dramatic drop in share prices.

10. Robin Geffen.

Mr Geffen might be viewed as something of a "new boy" because his company, Neptune Investment Management, was launched only in 2002. But Mr Geffen has nearly 30 years of investment management experience under his belt and it is now showing in the outstanding performance of his Neptune stable of funds.

Mr Geffen takes a thematic approach to investment and, like Mr Woodford, is prepared to take big sector bets. He is not constrained by index weightings and will seek out value wherever he finds it. He is quite prepared to go against the trend where he thinks this makes sense. For example while energy companies make up 60 per cent of the Russian stock market Mr Geffen’s Russian fund has just 22 per cent of its portfolio in energy.

The 10 people most responsible for the recession

The global financial crisis has evolved into a worldwide recession of epic proportions. Analysts fear the sudden slump which has followed the credit crunch could even rival the Great Depression of the early 1930s and lead to global stagnation.

But who is responsible?

The bursting of the housing bubble and the collapse in confidence throughout financial markets was not caused by one individual or a single decision, so pointing the finger of blame is a near-impossible task. But Times Money has given it a shot anyway. Here are ten suggestions for the nine men and one woman responsible for the mess we're in. Once you have read our notes, vote in our poll and make your own suggestions in the comment box at the end of the piece.

1. Dick Fuld

Multi-billionaire and US squash all-star Dick Fuld, 62, was CEO of Lehman Brothers when it went bust in September last year. Dubbed the “scariest man on Wall Street”, Dick Fuld is blamed for a litany of mistakes that include leaving Lehman Brothers heavily exposed to toxic US sub-prime mortgage debt and other assets that collapsed in value in the wake of the credit crunch.

His secretive work ethic, which rewarded loyalty over all else, has been criticised for silencing potential whistleblowers. In its final months a series of interested buyers surfaced to save Lehmans, but Mr Fuld would not sell at the prices offered. Had he acted sooner, he would have been able to avoid bankruptcy. Institutional Investor magazine named Dick “America’s top chief executive” in 2006. The collapse of Lehmans triggered the second destructive phase in the credit crunch and laid the foundations for a full blown global recession.

2. Hank Paulson

If Dick Fuld is responsible for the collapse of Lehman Brothers, Henry Paulson, the former US Treasury Secretary, is the man who let it happen. Anatole Kaletsky, of The Times, says: “The global banking collapse could perhaps be described as a bullet in the head, since its proximate cause was a conscious decision by the US Treasury to jeopardise the stability of the world economy in pursuit of an essentially political objective - to show that the Bush Administration was willing to act ruthlessly against at least one big Wall Street investment bank. Until that point, savers and investors around the world had assumed that financial institutions such as Lehman were “too big to fail” and would always be supported by their governments. By shattering this belief Henry Paulson triggered a run on every important bank in the world and caused the sudden implosion of consumer and business confidence seen in the past two months.”

Hank didn’t just let Lehmans fail. He made a series of mistakes in the run up to the Lehmans collapse. He also proposed a £700 billion package to boost the US banking system. And how did Hank come up with a figure of £700 billion? “It’s not based on any particular data point,” a Treasury spokeswoman told Forbes.com, the US financial website. “We just wanted to choose a really large number.”

3. Alan Greenspan

Alan Greenspan was feted for his management of the US economy while he stood in charge of the US Treasury, but has since been put under the spotlight. He was responsible for cutting interest rates to near zero in the US in the aftermath of September 11, flooding the world with cheap and easily available money. Did this pave the way for a “once-in-a-century credit tsunami"? In October last year he said: “I made a mistake in presuming that the self-interest of organisations, specifically banks and others, was such that they were best capable of protecting their own shareholders.”

Allan Meltzer is a professor of political economy at the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, said: “Alan Greenspan was much too afraid of a slowdown or other recession…he allowed the credit to expand too rapidly."

4. John Tiner/Hector Sants

John Tiner was in charge of the Financial Services Authority, the watchdog that polices the UK ’s complex financial services industry until 2007, when it was taken over by Hector Sants. The FSA failed to keep a close eye on Northern Rock, the Newcastle-based ex-mutual which gorged on wholesale mortgage securitisation and came a cropper as a result. A key parliamentary committee has said that the FSA was guilty of a "systematic failure". Mr Sants accepted that the organisation under Mr Tiner failed to stress-test the business model of Northern Rock and spot signs that the bank was dangerously dependent on interbank funding to remain in business. "We should have been in more intense dialogue earlier", he has said.

5. Fred “the shred” Goodwin

The "world's worst banker" has brought the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), Britain's second biggest bank, to its knees. Last week it announced humiliating losses of £28 billion, the biggest in British corporate history, and economists and analysts have concluded that it could soon be fully-nationalised. In mid-January, taxpayers saw their stake in the banking giant increase from 58 per cent to 70 per cent.

Sir Fred joined RBS in 2000 and promptly embarked on a spending spree, acquiring 26 banks in seven years for more than £35 billion. These included NatWest and stakes in America and the Bank of China. In 2006, its share price stood at £13. But at the close of trading on January 28, RBS shares were trading at a near-worthless 15.9p.

In 2000, after the takeover of NatWest, RBS’s board rewarded Sir with a £2.1 million annual salary, including a bonus of £814,000 for the takeover — more than any other UK bank chief received that year. It paled in comparison with his £2.86 million bonus in 2007. Three months ago, in October, Sir Fred left the bank under a dark cloud that has now mushroomed into a thunderstorm. On the day his departure was announced, Sir Fred said he was "sad", adding: "Nobody will ever tell you that they feel good the day they have to step down.” The Prince's Trust recently dumped Fred The Shred and the campaign to strip him of his knighthood is gathering pace.

6. Gordon Brown

Apparently Gordon Brown predicted the global financial crisis ten years ago, in a speech he made to Harvard students. Sadly he did little to prevent it. James Gordon Brown was Chancellor of the Exchequer during “the longest period of growth” in the UK ’s history, but economists blame Mr Brown for encouraging soaring house price inflation and the spread of credit which fuelled the years of boom and led eventually to the current bust.

In a recent speech to the London School of Economics, George Osbourne, the Shadow Chancellor, said: "Our competitors used the fat years to prepare for the lean years. Britain did not. We are the least prepared country in the developed world to cope with the current financial turbulence. Our financial reputation has been badly damaged by the only run on a retail bank in the world. Our double deficits - external and fiscal - are worse than any other European economy. Taken together, they are worse than the United States." The blame "lies squarely and fairly with Gordon Brown", he concluded.

7. George Bush

The former President was in charge during the boom years when the seeds of the sub-prime implosion were sown, but has failed to take any responsibility for the financial disaster which occurred on his watch. In a speech last year he blamed the bankers in New York for the problems facing his country's economy. “Wall Street got drunk…The question is, how long will it [take to] sober up and not try to do all these fancy financial instruments?”

8. Kathleen Corbet

The credit rating agencies have been blamed for failing to ask tough questions about the collateralised debt products containing so many toxic sub-prime mortgages, which investors traded for millions of dollars during the booming housing years. The three biggest agencies have been accused of taking the word of investors and not properly assessing the risks involved in securitisation. Mrs Corbet was head of the biggest credit rating agency, Standard & Poors, before she quit amidst heavy criticism in 2007. Critics argue that S&P and its main rival Moody's, as well as other agencies, face an inherent conflict of interest, in that many of their clients issue securities that are rated by its analysts.

9. "Hank" Greenberg

Another Hank. This one was head of AIG, the insurance giant that had to be rescued in an £47 billion US government bailout just days after Lehman Brothers was allowed to go bust. Hank was in charge between 1967 until 2005, during which time the insurer got heavily involved in the murky world of credit default swaps. Mr Greenberg appealed to the US Government to save the company last September, saying: "It's a healthy company financially except for liquidity. No organisation around the world has the spread of risk that AIG does. It's a company that opens markets - letting it go down would be a dramatic mistake."

10. Angelo Mozilo

Mr Mozilo was head of the largest sub-prime mortgage lender in the US, Countrywide, until July 2008. Sub-prime lenders in the US have been accused of using misleading marketing to push unsuitable mortgages on sub-prime homeowners who could not afford to service the debt, the root cause of the credit crunch. During the housing boom, Mr Mozilo reportedly earned $470 million in salary and other income. Mr Mozilo has also been under the spotlight for a VIP programme in which politicians and senior officials in the Government were offered favourable mortgage deals. Earlier this month Bank of America agreed to buy Countrywide for about $4 billion (£2 billion). Meanwhile, Mozilo unloaded $141m in stock options before the company's share price collapsed

The Best Cities for Riding Out a Recession

By Prashant Gopal

Where the Jobs Are

Worried about the future? You're not alone but it doesn't mean you're going to have start loading the family up in a truck and go pick grapes in California like John Steinbeck's Joad family in The Grapes of Wrath. What it does mean, though, is that even in a recession some communities will fare better than others. And it's not necessarily just the rich ones. What will be most important will be to find communities where the local economy will be relatively unscathed. That means that in the near term people who work in critical fields such as health care and education are likely to enjoy greater job security than those who work in sectors such as financial services or construction. That does not mean these communities will be recession-proof, but it does mean they may be hurt less than others. So where are these communities? Read on to find out.

Editor's Note: The job data for each town was provided by Claritas using U.S. Census Bureau employment categories. Towns that had populations of less than 200,000 and unemployment rates of more than 6.1%, such as Bakersfield, Sacramento, Fresno, and San Diego, were not included in the list. The metro area unemployment rate is a preliminary estimate for August from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Professional, Scientific and Technical Services" includes legal services, accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll. Data for some strong sectors such as energy were not available, or were part of broader categories that included significantly weak sectors. The weak economy is expected to damage all sectors, but the list is meant to highlight places that are buffered by relatively strong industries.

wfyurasko: Flickr

Arlington, Va.

Share of jobs in strong industries: 49.4%
Number of workers: 119,222
Metro area unemployment rate: 4.3%
Agriculture jobs: 0.16%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical jobs (legal, accounting etc.): 20.25%
Education jobs: 6.91%
Health-care jobs: 5.53%
Public Administration (Government) jobs: 16.6%

Arlington, located across the Potomac River from Washington, has a highly educated populace, many of whom work for the federal government or in lobbying and legal jobs. Only 7% of the residents are in the vulnerable financial, real estate, and insurance sector—about half the percentage in financial centers such as Jersey City, N.J., (outside Manhattan) and Charlotte, N.C., home of Wachovia and Bank of America.

Getty Images

District of Columbia

Share of jobs in strong industries: 46.9%
Number of workers: 265,059
Metro area unemployment rate: 4.3%
Agriculture jobs: 0.08%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical jobs (legal, accounting etc.): 14.02%
Education jobs: 9.35%
Health-care jobs: 8.57%
Public Administration (Government) jobs: 14.92%

Government is the dominant industry in the nation's capital, which fills up each day with lawyers, lobbyists, legislative aides, and journalists. D.C. could feel the impact of shrinking tax revenues in a weakened economy, but the damage likely won't be as severe as it might be in cities dependent on retail, banking, and other industries. The city could also benefit by being home to major educational institutions such as Georgetown University and American University. It's also a major tourist destination and might continue to draw foreign tourists attracted by the weak dollar.

turover

Durham, N.C.

Share of jobs in strong industries: 45.5%
Number of workers: 103,331
Metro area unemployment rate: 5.4%
Agriculture jobs: 0.23%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical jobs (legal, accounting etc.): 9.09%
Education jobs: 14.11%
Health-care jobs: 17.96%
Public Administration (Government) jobs: 4.16%

Durham, home of Duke University, is part of the world-famous Research Triangle, along with Raleigh, the site of North Carolina State University and Chapel Hill, home of the University of North Carolina. The residents of Durham will have significant protection in a recession. It's a college town that's close to other economically vibrant college towns and is commuting distance to state government jobs in Raleigh, the state capital. The Durham area also has six hospitals and the Research Triangle Park, the largest research park in the world.

Dori

Madison, Wis.

Share of jobs in strong industries: 44.8%
Number of workers: 131,165
Metro area unemployment rate: 3.6%
Agriculture jobs: 0.47%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical jobs (legal, accounting etc.): 8.10%
Education jobs: 17.32%
Health-care jobs: 12.39%
Public Administration (Government) jobs: 6.60%

Madison, the Wisconsin state capital, is dependent on two strong employers: the University of Wisconsin at Madison and the state government. The city's economy has remained strong despite the economic downturn. Many of the city's other employees are involved in biotech and the medical fields: two industries that will likely bear up well in a recession.

Ripto3000

Boston

Share of jobs in strong industries: 42.5%
Number of workers: 263,097
Metro area unemployment rate: 4.5%
Agriculture jobs: 0.10%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical jobs (legal, accounting etc.): 10.49%
Education jobs: 11.11%
Health-care jobs: 15.70%
Public Administration (Government) jobs: 5.13%

Boston's residents work in a variety of resilient industries, including education, health, and law. The Boston area is home to world-class universities with massive endowments, including Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It also has many large hospitals. The city, however, has plenty of finance, retail, and hospitality jobs that could get hit in a downturn.

Derek.cashman

Pittsburgh

Share of jobs in strong industries: 41.8%
Number of workers: 136,529
Metro area unemployment rate: 5.6%
Agriculture jobs: 0.17%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical jobs (legal, accounting etc.): 7.18%
Education jobs: 13.80%
Health-care jobs: 16.17%
Public Administration (Government) jobs: 4.52%

Residents of Pittsburgh, once a steel town, are now employed in fields such as biomedical, health, and education. Two of the major employers: University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The city does have some vulnerable industries, especially manufacturing, which makes up 6% of jobs.

Steelplug

Baltimore

Share of jobs in strong industries: 41.8%
Number of workers: 249,688
Metro area unemployment rate: 4.8%
Agriculture jobs: 0.11%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical jobs (legal, accounting etc.): 5.59%
Education jobs: 11.12%
Health-care jobs: 15.71%
Public Administration (Government) jobs: 9.31%

Baltimore, once a major port and manufacturing center, has developed more sturdy industries such as medicine, law, and health. Major employers include Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Hospital. The city, however, still struggles with poverty and crime and could face challenges, especially with its financial sector and tourism-related jobs, if the economy continues to worsen.

UrbanPlanet BR

Baton Rouge, La.

Share of jobs in strong industries: 40.5%
Number of workers: 103,320
Metro area unemployment rate: 5%
Agriculture jobs: 0.63%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical jobs (legal, accounting etc.): 7.30%
Education jobs: 13.83%
Health-care jobs: 11.31%
Public Administration (Government) jobs: 7.44%

Baton Rouge, the state capital and home to Louisiana State University and Southern University at Baton Rouge, is thriving. Firms are rushing to use special financing for post-Katrina hurricane recovery work. About $6.5 billion in construction activity is underway (compared with about $750 million in a typical year), including a new refinery, chemical plant, and road projects. And like many Louisiana cities, it isn't dependent on the weak durable goods sector. LSU economics professor Loren C. Scott projects the city will see an increase of 2,400 jobs next year or about .06% of the workforce.

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New Orleans, La.

Share of jobs in strong industries: 40%
Number of workers: 101,752
Metro area unemployment rate: 4.7%
Agriculture jobs: 1.21%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical jobs (legal, accounting etc.): 7.17%
Education jobs: 12.23%
Health-care jobs: 13.50%
Public Administration (Government) jobs: 5.85%

New Orleans has plenty of challenges as it recovers from 2005's Hurricane Katrina. The population has shrunk, putting pressure on university enrollments and hospitals. And tourism is way down. But the unemployment rate remains low. The city's banks, which did not make a large number of risky loans during the housing boom, are relatively healthy. And firms are investing heavily in construction projects in the city, rebuilding levees and building a new refinery.

Ed Yakovich

Philadelphia

Share of jobs in strong industries: 39.8%
Number of workers: 560,390
Metro area unemployment rate: 6.1%
Agriculture jobs: 0.13%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical jobs (legal, accounting etc.): 6.32%
Education jobs: 9.99%
Health-care jobs: 15.99%
Public Administration (Government) jobs: 7.33%

The city has plenty of large hospitals and educational institutions, including the University of Pennsylvania, Jefferson Medical School, and Temple University. It also has a large number of lawyers. Tourism could do fine in a downturn if Northeasterners decide to travel locally and foreigners continue to stream in to take advantage of the weak dollar. But Philadelphia has many stores and restaurants, which might get hit hard in a downturn.

Brad Johnson

Lubbock, Tex.

Share of jobs in strong industries: 39.4%
Number of workers: 100,523
Metro area unemployment rate: 4.1%
Agriculture jobs: 1.32%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical jobs (legal, accounting etc.): 4.01%
Education jobs: 14.81%
Health-care jobs: 14.81%
Public Administration (Government) jobs: 4.42%

Lubbock is home to Texas Tech University and hospitals including Covenant Medical Center, and it could benefit from resilience in the higher-education, agriculture, health-care, and energy sectors.

Frank K.

Anchorage, Alaska

Share of jobs in strong industries: 39.3%
Number of workers: 138,768
Metro area unemployment rate: 5.6%
Agriculture jobs: 3.21%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical jobs (legal, accounting etc.): 6.79%
Education jobs: 8.26%
Health-care jobs: 11.36%
Public Administration (Government) jobs: 9.71%

Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, has a strong economy that feeds off the state's rich oil and natural gas supplies, U.S. military presence, and tourism.

Censusdata

Lexington-Fayette, Ky.

Share of jobs in strong industries: 38.8%
Number of workers: 145,485
Metro area unemployment rate: 5.3%
Agriculture jobs: 2.13%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical jobs (legal, accounting etc.): 6.39%
Education jobs: 12.42%
Health-care jobs: 14.20%
Public Administration (Government) jobs: 3.62%

Lexington, home to dozens of major companies, the University of Kentucky, and horse farms, is a diverse economy with a mix of agriculture, government, health care, and education. It does have some vulnerability, especially when it comes to manufacturing, which employs 12% of the workforce.

John Shillabeer

Buffalo

Share of jobs in strong industries: 38.2%
Number of workers: 110,741
Metro area unemployment rate: 6%
Agriculture jobs: 0.15%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical jobs (legal, accounting etc.): 4.33%
Education jobs: 10.76%
Health-care jobs: 17.64%
Public Administration (Government) jobs: 5.32%

Buffalo is known for its blue-collar roots and its low cost of living. But it also has a diverse employment base, which is less and less dependent on manufacturing. It is home to banks and other financial institutions. But it also has become a hub for debt collection—a lucrative industry in this economic climate. Education and health care play a big part in the economy. The city is home to the University at Buffalo and the Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

Stack

Lincoln, Neb.

Share of jobs in strong industries: 38.1%
Number of workers: 135,647
Metro area unemployment rate: 3%
Agriculture jobs: 0.62%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical jobs (legal, accounting etc.): 6.45%
Education jobs: 12.14%
Health-care jobs: 12.02%
Public Administration (Government) jobs: 6.82%

Lincoln is the state capital and is home to the University of Nebraska. It's located in an area known for its cattle and grain production. Among the city's largest employers are hospitals such as the BryanLGH medical center.

Kevin Zollman

Irvine, Calif.

Share of jobs in strong industries: 37.8%
Number of workers: 106,358
Metro area unemployment rate: 5.8%
Agriculture jobs: 0.18%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical jobs (legal, accounting etc.): 13.87%
Education jobs: 12.46%
Health-care jobs: 8.58%
Public Administration (Government) jobs: 2.72%

Irvine is home to the University of California at Irvine and—like much of Orange County—hasn't been hit as hard by the subprime crisis as other parts of California.

Steve Wiseman

Seattle

Share of jobs in strong industries: 37.6%
Number of workers: 331,186
Metro area unemployment rate: 5%
Agriculture jobs: 0.34%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical jobs (legal, accounting etc.): 12.24%
Education jobs: 10.02%
Health-care jobs: 11.49%
Public Administration (Government) jobs: 3.48%

Seattle was hit by the collapse of Washington Mutual, which was based in Seattle. And technology companies are likely to suffer in the economic downturn. But Seattle, a major port, will continue to benefit from robust international trade as long as the dollar is weak. And its largest employer is the University of Washington. The health-care and biotech sectors are also strong.

visitchesapeake.com

Chesapeake, Va.

Share of jobs in strong industries: 36.9%
Number of workers: 106,626
Metro area unemployment rate: 4.6%
Agriculture jobs: 0.48%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical jobs (legal, accounting etc.): 5.99%
Education jobs: 10.57%
Health-care jobs: 10.95%
Public Administration (Government) jobs: 8.94%

Chesapeake could be somewhat protected from the downturn because of its location just 15 minutes from Norfolk, the home of the world's largest U.S. naval base and Old Dominion University.

Debernardi

Albuquerque, N.M.

Share of jobs in strong industries: 36.9%
Number of workers: 249,449
Metro area unemployment rate: 4.8%
Agriculture jobs: 0.35%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical jobs (legal, accounting etc.): 9.45%
Education jobs: 9.43%
Health-care jobs: 11.67%
Public Administration (Government) jobs: 5.96%

Albuquerque's major employers include the University of New Mexico, the Kirtland Air Force Base, and Intel.

Lejflo

Corpus Christi, Tex.

Share of jobs in strong industries: 36.9%
Number of workers: 123,835
Metro area unemployment rate: 5%
Agriculture jobs: 1.73%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical jobs (legal, accounting etc.): 4.70%
Education jobs: 10.36%
Health-care jobs: 13.13%
Public Administration (Government) jobs: 6.67%

Corpus Christi, a coastal city that is home to military bases, energy, and agriculture jobs, could do relatively well in a downturn as long as energy prices stay high and it isn't hit by more Ike-like hurricanes.