tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20310814078036194002024-02-19T08:12:56.399-08:00Fire Hot Trends NewsThe Hottest Blog in The U.S!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11036602373208523547noreply@blogger.comBlogger371125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-39394663406914813472014-07-15T12:47:00.000-07:002014-07-15T12:47:54.450-07:00Garth Brooks To Kick Off Tour on Sept. 4<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Garth Brooks sure knows how turn up the hype.<br />
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Following the news that he'll be going out on tour and releasing new music and that he kicks off in Chicago, he's added a few more juicy details. The Chicago show will take place on Sept. 4 at 7:30 p.m. at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aGCNQE_BnvLxiuEXVOrNemrO-1XycdfrlcLz4a4LvdZ3U4giL1p4nK0fpgc7l-MV5weNRqSDHb8OxIAIwwRl-ASeR8U-YV5Ff1FFT3PjN8SZkP2P4cteXi7BnQBXxIlnVELeUReHJUM/s1600/Garth+Brooks+to+kick+off+tour+on+Sept.+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aGCNQE_BnvLxiuEXVOrNemrO-1XycdfrlcLz4a4LvdZ3U4giL1p4nK0fpgc7l-MV5weNRqSDHb8OxIAIwwRl-ASeR8U-YV5Ff1FFT3PjN8SZkP2P4cteXi7BnQBXxIlnVELeUReHJUM/s1600/Garth+Brooks+to+kick+off+tour+on+Sept.+4.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
STORY: Garth Brooks announces first stop on tour<br />
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"As an entertainer, you get asked a lot 'what are the best cities to play?' Without hesitation, I rattle five or six of the best places to play and that list ALWAYS includes Chicago. It is the PERFECT city to launch the World Tour!" Brooks said in a news release.<br />
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Tickets ($65.50) go on sale July 25 at 10 a.m. CT at Ticketmaster.com. You won't be able to buy tickets at the venue box office or Ticketmaster outlets that day.<br />
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His Allstate Arena kickoff is bookended by Marco Antonio Solis on Aug. 23 and Ed Sheeran on Sept. 16, giving Garth plenty of room to add more shows after the first night sells out.<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2014/07/15/garth-brooks-chicago-concert-set-for-sept-4/12665225/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Read More</a></span></i></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11036602373208523547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-12402702464659791462014-07-15T08:37:00.000-07:002014-07-15T12:17:14.361-07:00Saturday Night Live Cast Member Brooks Wheelan Says He Was Fired<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
"Had a blast and loved every second of it," he announced on Twitter<br />
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Brooks Wheelan announced that he is will not be returning to Saturday Night Live after one season.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_f3mYRedcx-2K5oFHX4OXdAF_-hTeHED4BkQPzsthtkZaenRfQv5sLDdMIGOgqFrUVhiraYEbWCaoQRdDG2oLMpM2cXWeCvhedLG23kbTVTQA2dmbNbHDe4kO474ZA84Zk5SRjFGkz4/s1600/Brooks+Wheelan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_f3mYRedcx-2K5oFHX4OXdAF_-hTeHED4BkQPzsthtkZaenRfQv5sLDdMIGOgqFrUVhiraYEbWCaoQRdDG2oLMpM2cXWeCvhedLG23kbTVTQA2dmbNbHDe4kO474ZA84Zk5SRjFGkz4/s1600/Brooks+Wheelan.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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“[I] Had a blast and loved every second of it,” the 27-year-old comedian tweeted Monday. Wheelan, who did impressions of Kid Rock and One Direction’s Harry Styles on the show, added, “I’m totally honored to be able to make this next joke… FIRED FROM NEW YORK IT’S SATURDAY NIGHT!”<br />
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A rep for the show said Saturday Night Live does not comment on casting changes, and Wheelan’s management also declined to comment to TIME. The Hollywood Reporter says it confirmed the news with “a source close to Saturday Night Live.”<br />
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Future plans for this season’s SNL freshmen Beck Bennett, John Milhiser, Mike O’Brien, Noel Wells and Sasheer Zamata have not been announced.<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/brooks-wheelan-fired-snl-season-article-1.1867203" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Read More</a></span></i></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11036602373208523547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-43484801035498066952014-07-14T11:50:00.001-07:002014-07-14T11:50:19.277-07:00Sacramento Bastille Day celebrates French Culture<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hundreds of people took to the streets outside the midtown restaurant district Sunday to commemorate the anniversary of the French Revolution, celebrate French culture and sample food and drink in the fifth annual Sacramento Bastille Day.<br />
In one highlight of the fest, about 50 waiters and other restaurant workers donned berets, sported drawn-on mustaches and joined in the Waiter’s Race, which has become a fixture of the celebration.<br />
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Members of the California Stage Theater Company kicked off the celebration by performing monologues “Marat/Sade,” a play about the French Revolution, as a musician strolled along L Street playing traditional French tunes on his accordion.<br />
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“We took it on three years ago,” said Seann Rooney, executive director of midtown’s Handle District, which manages events for the area. “We went from 100, to 200 people, to 400 people and then last year we had about 1,000. I think we might have eclipsed that this year.”<br />
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Bastille Day marks the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789 when a mob of angry Parisians stormed the Bastille prison. In France, the holiday is known as “La Fête Nationale.”<br />
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The food-oriented neighborhood is perfect for celebrating French culture and cuisine, Rooney said.<br />
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“We’ve got 12 restaurants in one square block,” he said. “It’s kind of the hub of food in downtown Sacramento. It’s part French, part food and part restaurants.”<br />
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The restaurants and cafes offered samples of food and beverages.<br />
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F.J. Villalobos, chef at 58 Degrees, called Sacramento’s Bastille Day a celebration of community.<br />
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“For the neighborhood, it’s a good event to bring people in and appreciate what the restaurants, the shops and the people that live here have done to revamp and rebuild the community,” Villalobos said. “I’m here six days out of the week, sometimes seven. I feed the people on the block; it’s what I do.”<br />
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Each restaurant worker who participated in the Waiter’s Race was required to carry a tray balancing two glasses and a bottle of water without spilling water and without relying on the other hand. The race, which originated in Paris, isn’t traditionally linked to Bastille Day, but it has always been a part of Sacramento’s celebration.<br />
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The Waiter’s Race drew about 50 contestants who traveled the equivalent of a four-block stretch at their best walking speed.<br />
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The winner turned out to be a late entry.<br />
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“The bartender at the Grange couldn’t do it because he had to work this morning, so I said I would fill in for him,” said waiter Sam Paris, who also works at the Grange. “I just came here and winged it.”<br />
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Paris beat six other male competitors and collected the top prize of $500. All the top waiters in the men’s final finished the race without spilling a drop. Among the female competitors, two women completed the race without sloshing water onto their trays.<br />
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Paris said he had not planned to join in the footrace – until the bartender called him about 11:30 p.m. the night before.<br />
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Paris said he will participate next year – if he is still in the restaurant business.<br />
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“Hopefully, I will be in some kind of medical school, nursing school at this point next year so I won’t have to worry about it,” he said.<br />
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Gianna Jordan, a waitress at Old Soul Co., won the women’s portion of the race and pocketed $500. She said her previous job as a waitress at Mulvaney’s played into her championship.<br />
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The newest presence at Sacramento’s Bastille Day was the Alliance Française de Sacramento. The organization, which offers language courses as well as cultural and social activities, opened a booth at the event and became one of its beneficiaries.<br />
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“We met so many people who were interested in the French language and culture,” said Kristin Rapinac, a member. “We had a lot of people come up and tell us they were interested in French. We actually ran out of class schedules and promotional material.”<br />
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Rooney said he hopes Bastille Day becomes a larger event for the community in the coming years.<br />
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“Each year, I want to do something a little different to help raise the bar,” Rooney said. “I think next year, we’ll have a big French band on the end and we’ll do more kids stuff. I think it’s just blossomed into a great event for the whole family.”<br />
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This year, Bastille Day benefits the French Film Festival along with the Alliance Française de Sacramento. Donors and participants provide about $20,000 in food, drink and prizes.<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/13/6553992/bastille-day-waiters-race-won.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Read More</a></span></i></b></div>
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Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837630938018200568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-41819395724182162262013-01-14T04:05:00.004-08:002013-01-14T04:05:46.940-08:00Jodie Foster at 2013 Golden Globes: I Came Out "A Thousand Years Ago"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When Jodie Foster accepted the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award on Sunday night at the Golden Globe Awards, she gave a speech that both wowed and confused some viewers -- and also brought audience members to tears.<br />
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Foster, 50, teased the crowd by suggesting she would be coming out as gay at the awards ceremony. She ended up dancing around it -- but acknowledging her sexuality -- in a clever way.<br />
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"While I'm here being all confessional, I just have the sudden urge to say something I've never been able to say in public," she said. "A declaration that I'm a little nervous about. Not quite as nervous as my publicist, huh, Jennifer? But uh, you know, I'm just going to put it out there. Loud and proud. I'm going to need your support. I am -- single."<br />
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"I hope you won't be disappointed that this is not some big coming out speech," Foster added. "I already did my coming-out about a thousand years ago back in the stone age." She said she already came out to family and friends a long time ago.<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-207_162-57563750/jodie-foster-at-2013-golden-globes-i-came-out-a-thousand-years-ago/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Source</a></span></i></b></div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837630938018200568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-28046297583712620202013-01-14T03:43:00.000-08:002013-01-14T03:43:29.000-08:00Golden Globes 2013: Adele Triumphs With Skyfall Theme<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Golden Globes: Adele wins best song prize for the James Bond theme Skyfall, while Damian Lewis (Homeland), Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey) and Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln) also win awards.<br />
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Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837630938018200568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-49037047720853041932012-02-27T14:15:00.003-08:002012-02-27T14:40:55.744-08:00UPDATE 2-Billy Crystal, Jolie's leg boost Oscar audience<span class="focusParagraph" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: medium; "><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.5; ">* Oscar audience up from 2011, retains 18-49 year-olds</p></span><span id="midArticle_0" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: medium; "></span><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">* Host Billy Crystal seen as old-fashioned</p><span id="midArticle_1" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: medium; "></span><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">* Angelina Jolie's leg gets own Twitter account (Adds more Web traffic information, paras 11-12)</p><p style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><p style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">LOS ANGELES, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Billy Crystal, Angelina Jolie's leg and French silent film "The Artist" brought the Oscars bouncing back from recent slack viewership, drawing a larger-than-expected 39 million TV viewers and setting social media abuzz.</span></span></p><p style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; ">Some 39.3 million Americans watched the Oscars ceremony on television on Sunday, up from the 37.6 million audience in 2011, according to preliminary ratings data.</span></p><p style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; ">Broadcaster ABC said it was the second largest TV audience for the Academy Awards since 2007.</span></p><p style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; ">The bigger audience came and stayed tuned-in despite criticism that host Billy Crystal, 63, put on an old-fashioned show, and that the big awards went to "The Artist", a film that few people have seen.</span></p><p style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; ">The Academy Awards also retained all of its 2011 audience in the 18-49 year-old age group prized by advertisers, and drew more women in that viewer category than last year.</span></p><p style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; ">The annual Oscars ceremony show is traditionally one of the most watched events on U.S. television but audiences have fallen away in the past few years, especially when blockbuster films like "Avatar" are not in the running for the biggest honors in the movie industry.</span></p><p style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; ">"The Artist", which has made only about $30 million at the North American box office, was the big winner on Sunday with five Oscars including best picture, best director and best actor for Frenchman Jean Dujardin.</span></p><p style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; ">Crystal, making his 9th appearance as Oscar host, got mixed reviews. Alessandra Stanley at the New York Times said "the whole night looked like an AARP pep rally," while Tim Goodman at the Hollywood Reporter called Crystal's efforts a "safe unfunny retro-disaster."</span></p><p style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; ">But the news was not all bad for Crystal. Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker said it was a "jolly good show," and the New York Daily News said that Crystal "recaptured smartly the formula that worked for him in the past: quick-hit opening monologue, a song-and-dance number, then a sprinkling of jokes that had an edge but never drew blood."</span></p><p style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; ">Despite the jibes from critics about being old-fashioned, the Internet was abuzz with Oscar talk as millions of people watched and chatted online before and after the telecast. ABC said four million people visited website Oscar.com or used an Oscar smartphone app on Sunday alone.</span></p><p style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; ">Social media tracker Trendrr said social activity during the show - ranging from online buzz to Twitter comments and Facebook 'likes' - doubled from 2011 to 4.2 million hits on Sunday. Red Carpet coverage brought 3.9 million hits.</span></p><p style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; ">Meryl Streep, who was a surprise best actress winner over presumed front-runner Viola Davis, attracted the most mentions on social media, Trendrr said. The most-mentioned actor was "The Artist" star Jean Dujardin.</span></p><p style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; ">Angelina Jolie set the online world alight when she thrust her leg out of her thigh-high slit dress while presenting an award. Within minutes, a Twitter account had been set up with the handle "angiesrightleg," and by Monday it had some 17,000 followers.</span></p><p style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; ">Sunday's Academy Awards TV audience was on a par with February's Grammy Awards show, which was watched by a bumper 39.9 million Americans and fueled by the sudden death of singer Whitney Houston.</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; white-space: pre; "> </span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; "> (Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)</span></p><p style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6; "><span ><i><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/27/oscars-ratings-idUSL4E8DR9DG20120227">Source</a></i></span></p><p style="font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; "></p>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837630938018200568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-79757597379205607942012-02-27T14:02:00.002-08:002012-02-27T14:09:42.698-08:00Meryl Streep's Surprise Win: Experts Weigh In 'You can never call a Meryl Streep win a real upset, because she's so beloved in the industry,'<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVgmSCWw0fKOEI-vcqoQz3he9TLMB88YIbAc_Beu1HuKuylarYcXx7Q-jsTXXUhtW3JJI7CjZsWLnggvNBEgvAl1Y9iPry7sbcNFNfuFhA_eH4K5KjPvwKLzYW1T0jXieR4srbJonHJDE/s1600/meryl+streep%2527s.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 281px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVgmSCWw0fKOEI-vcqoQz3he9TLMB88YIbAc_Beu1HuKuylarYcXx7Q-jsTXXUhtW3JJI7CjZsWLnggvNBEgvAl1Y9iPry7sbcNFNfuFhA_eH4K5KjPvwKLzYW1T0jXieR4srbJonHJDE/s320/meryl+streep%2527s.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713940904330639874" /></a><div><span >Heading into Sunday night's Academy Awards, few expected any major surprises in the top categories. "The Artist" was expected to take Best Director, Actor and Picture, while Octavia Spencer and Christopher Plummer had been considered locks in the supporting categories for weeks.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >In the Best Actress category, however, some Oscar analysts (MTV News included) may have been too quick to call the Best Actress category for Viola Davis in "The Help." Such confidence resulted in the biggest surprise of the evening when Meryl Streep won her third Academy Award for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >So what happened to Davis? In the night that belonged so heavily to the odds-on favorite, how was it that Streep pulled off the upset?</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Even Streep had to admit that most people thought the award belonged to Davis. "When they called my name," she said during her acceptance speech, "I had this feeling I could hear half of America going, 'Oh no! Oh come on, why her? Again?' But ... whatever."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Entertainment reporter Jo Piazza said that the crowd's familiarity with Streep may have been her key to Oscar gold. "It wasn't Meryl's performance that gave her the edge," Piazza said. "It was the fact that she hasn't won in 30 years. Her performance was great, but that was what gave her the advantage."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >The perceived disappointment was a direct result of both Davis' status as a favorite and the success of "The Help." When it came to ensemble awards, even "The Artist" couldn't come close to topping the wins for "The Help" this awards season. The cast won at the SAGs, the National Board of Review and the Broadcast Film Critics Association. It also certainly helped to have Octavia Spencer cleaning up the Supporting Actress awards wherever she went.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Because of the awards and nominations close to Davis and her strong performance in the film, many saw her as the favorite for Best Actress, despite splitting many of the key awards with Streep. Davis won over the Broadcast Film Critics Association and took home Best Actress at the SAG Awards, the last major awards show before the Oscars.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >But all of that overlooks the hefty haul of awards Streep took home before last night's Academy Awards. Naturally, Streep won Best Actress at the BAFTAs, a victory undermined by the very British subject matter of "The Iron Lady, but also, more importantly, at the Golden Globes, where Streep's future Oscar seemed the most likely. Though it may have initially been thought of as the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's signature celebrity-love, Streep's Globes win should have been considered more heavily when predicting the Oscars.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Streep, after all, embodied many of the key traits of an Oscar winner. She played a historical figure, donned makeup to transform into her character and is a repeat winner, so perhaps there shouldn't have been as many "Oh, no's" as there were. Phil Contrino of BoxOffice.com told MTV News that Streep's status as a Hollywood legend should have precluded any talk of upsets. "You can never call a Meryl Streep win a real upset, because she's so beloved in the industry," he said. "It's important to remember that she was running very close to Viola Davis for most of the season."</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span ><i><a href="http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1680031/oscars-2012-win-meryl-streep-iron-lady.jhtml">Source</a></i></span></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837630938018200568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-84636454020933785112012-02-27T13:32:00.002-08:002012-02-27T13:44:34.092-08:00Daytona 500 Start Pushed Back to 7 P.m. Monday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0G7Q_gVqxB46zJ2hg8sF01gQgGiC2GL6WrzAj57Ze7vjzEkC0Apkj0xQYLmfCrofoHkEwf2MR8jmYoFBPhNPT5DS53ZWVVEHMZ5li4zTfycgOKq4DPOxBulfRzB15Ma0iKkfOZyceEY/s1600/Daytona+500+delay.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 201px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0G7Q_gVqxB46zJ2hg8sF01gQgGiC2GL6WrzAj57Ze7vjzEkC0Apkj0xQYLmfCrofoHkEwf2MR8jmYoFBPhNPT5DS53ZWVVEHMZ5li4zTfycgOKq4DPOxBulfRzB15Ma0iKkfOZyceEY/s320/Daytona+500+delay.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713934416986333362" /></a><div><span >Are you ready for some racing — some Monday night racing?</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >NASCAR pushed the start of its season-opening Daytona 500 to Monday night, under the lights and in primetime for the first time in its history.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"We hope to have 'Lady and gentlemen, start your engines,' at 7:02 and then warm up and go to green flag," NASCAR President Mike Helton said. "We believe this is a reasonable expectation."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Helton made the announcement Monday morning when it became clear that steady rain at Daytona International Speedway made an evening start the best option for NASCAR's marquee event. Helton also said Tuesday has not been ruled out.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Heavy rain all day Sunday forced NASCAR to postpone the event for the first time in its 54-year history.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Carl Edwards, runner-up to Tony Stewart in last year's championship race, will start from the pole. Former IndyCar star Danica Patrick will make her Daytona 500 debut.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >If NASCAR gets the race in Monday night, aired on Fox, it could produce record ratings for a series that's coming off one of its most compelling seasons. NASCAR also had a strong SpeedWeeks, marked by the return of pack racing, two new winners in the lower series, Patrick winning the pole for the Nationwide Series race and many multi-car accidents.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"Certainly we'd like to think that when we do run the Daytona 500 and the trophy is handed to the winner and there is a Daytona 500 champion for 2012," said Helton, "that that sustains and then launches us into the 2012 season with all the right effort and promotions."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Greg Busch, executive vice president at GMR Marketing, said ratings for a Monday night race will not better what it would have drawn in its regularly scheduled Sunday afternoon slot. But Busch said the primetime showing will be significantly better than a Monday afternoon race.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"This is really the best possible scenario they could have with losing yesterday," Busch said. "It's not ideal in the sense that the perfect scenario would be a scheduled race in a primetime network broadcast where everybody knew that was happening.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"I don't know that you'll get the perfect test, but I think it'll be a great case study to see how it performs, especially versus what was already regularly scheduled at that point."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Ed Goren, vice chairman for Fox Sports Media Group, said the network was unsure what to expect Monday night. He praised Fox's production crew for its coverage during the rain delay Sunday, when Fox drew a 4.5 overnight rating despite no on-track action during nearly four hours of air time.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"The ratings we got yesterday, it really speaks to the anticipation of what is going to be a great Daytona 500 and a great season," Goren said. "The challenge tonight as far as ratings is we are in the middle of February ratings sweeps, and there are significant successful shows on other networks. The question becomes, 'will the loyal NASCAR audience find us?' The casual fan seems to have caught on Sunday for the storylines and the season, but the casual fan who was with us yesterday, now in primetime, has other options.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"So, let them race, and let's find out what happens."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >NASCAR officials spent more than four hours Sunday waiting for a window to dry the famed track, but it never came. When the latest storm cell passed over the speedway around 5 p.m., they had little choice but to call it a day.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >The Sunday postponement was a huge disappointment.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >With several intriguing story lines on tap, NASCAR is hoping to capitalize on the success of last season's down-to-the-wire championship race between Edwards and Stewart.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >The most significant of them all could be Patrick. The Daytona 500 is the first of 10 scheduled Sprint Cup Series events for Patrick, who left IndyCar behind for a full-time move to NASCAR. She will race for the Nationwide Series championship driving for JR Motorsports.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Stewart, the three-time and defending champion, is trying to snap a 0-for-13 losing streak in the Daytona 500. His 17 victories at Daytona include everything but the 500, ranking him second on the all-time list behind Dale Earnhardt's 34 wins. Stewart will start third when the green flag drops.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >And there's Earnhardt Jr., the 2004 Daytona 500 champion. He takes a 129-race losing streak into the event. His last victory was in 2008, his first season with powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Eight previous Daytona 500s have endured rain delays, the latest in 2009. But never before had storms forced NASCAR's premier event to be moved.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"I think that's a pretty good record for NASCAR," Edwards said. "They've been living right to have 53 of these and never have one postponed. That's pretty spectacular. ... I think NASCAR, they're doing the right thing, you know, not dragging this out."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Noontime showers Sunday sent fans scattering for cover and leaving everyone in wait-and-see mode. Puddles of water formed in parts of the infield, and many fans got drenched as they tried to make the best of a less-than-ideal situation.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"I guess I'm gonna have to win the first Monday Daytona 500," said Greg Biffle, who will start second when the race begins.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >The last shortened Daytona 500 was Matt Kenseth's victory three years ago, when rain stopped the event 48 laps from the finish. He was declared the winner while the cars were parked on pit road.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >The 2010 race had more than two hours in delays as NASCAR twice stopped the event to fix a pothole in the surface. McMurray held off Earnhardt Jr. to win that race.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >This time around, drivers didn't even get in their cars.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Daytona president Joie Chitwood said he understood fans were frustrated about the scheduling change that pushed the race back one week later than usual.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >NASCAR and the track made the decision to move the start of the season to address an awkward early off weekend and to avoid potential conflicts with the Super Bowl.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Had the race been run on its traditional Sunday, it would have been completed under a bright, blue sky.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"I'm sure I'm going to have some customers tell me about the date change and the challenges that we have with it," Chitwood said. "But I think weather is unpredictable. I think based on the NASCAR schedule, the TV schedule on whole, this was the right move for the industry. We'll continue to work with the last weekend of February.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"It's unfortunate that this had to happen the first year after we made that change. I'm sure I'll be talking to a number of customers in the next weeks ahead about that situation."</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span ><i><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/daytona-500-now-set-pm-start-15800416?page=2#.T0v3TYfxrNU">Source</a></i></span></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837630938018200568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-79144730231651348432012-02-27T13:09:00.003-08:002012-02-27T13:20:08.145-08:00Sean Young arrested at post-Oscar party<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikT8Ol-CDPAx8bQ-Kf8ezewEKRK_MixK0_E_zdIIVRtE3BmTeQky9ob4MfnibXAEiBywNOpjFBDpY-plTE4ws8d5Q74qgYUh9fvHJuwuIFU0-JGD6DWPiydG904xF77UnXY5XzqU4X0rs/s1600/sEANyOUNG.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 244px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikT8Ol-CDPAx8bQ-Kf8ezewEKRK_MixK0_E_zdIIVRtE3BmTeQky9ob4MfnibXAEiBywNOpjFBDpY-plTE4ws8d5Q74qgYUh9fvHJuwuIFU0-JGD6DWPiydG904xF77UnXY5XzqU4X0rs/s320/sEANyOUNG.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713927846317526578" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">(AP) Actress Sean Young was arrested after a scuffle with a security guard at the official post-Oscars party, police said Monday.</span><br /><span style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">Young, 52, was placed under citizen's arrest at the Governors Ball at 9:25 p.m. Sunday after the dispute, police Cmdr. Andrew Smith said.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">"She was trying to get into the party and couldn't get in," he said.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">Young, who has starred in "Blade Runner" and "Stripes," was booked at the Hollywood police station for investigation of misdemeanor battery. She posted $20,000 bail and was released early Monday.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">The actress was taken into custody quickly, said Tom Januszewski, an Associated Press business executive who witnessed the incident. He said he saw a guard subdue Young by placing his forearm on her neck and head while other guards placed her in handcuffs and led her away.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">"It happened incredibly fast," he said, adding that while the guards were forceful with Young, they didn't use unnecessary force. "I thought it was incredibly well-handled."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">Young was wearing a ball gown but didn't speak as she was being led away, Januszewski said.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">The actress tried to crash the Vanity Fair Oscar party in 2006. She entered rehabilitation for alcohol abuse in 2008 after she was removed from the Directors Guild of America awards.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">A voicemail message left early Monday for Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences publicist Tarrah Lee Curtis wasn't immediately returned. A phone message left for Young's agent, David Shapira, also was not immediately returned.</span><br /><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div><span ><i><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-207_162-57385909/sean-young-arrested-at-post-oscar-party/">Source</a></i></span></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837630938018200568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-67058581185889041912012-02-27T12:47:00.005-08:002012-02-27T13:05:59.791-08:00Ryan Seacrest talks Sacha Baron Cohen stunt: 'I definitely did not know he was going to do that.'<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFROB7Gl7iXKApYJe6FsUWq99ZPQg2yYuAN8pQy5ly3FonoeByibXdjLbGZm6xJxn500BUEkCP4AeeQNNnKpP4eyNSVz-Qjb3kiRqS7KsJHQJl7DLGZ8pP-aooESLaF4DuqBl1-oj7o8/s1600/ryan-seacrest_320.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFROB7Gl7iXKApYJe6FsUWq99ZPQg2yYuAN8pQy5ly3FonoeByibXdjLbGZm6xJxn500BUEkCP4AeeQNNnKpP4eyNSVz-Qjb3kiRqS7KsJHQJl7DLGZ8pP-aooESLaF4DuqBl1-oj7o8/s320/ryan-seacrest_320.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713923016928850210" /></a><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">Ryan Seacrest figured he’d be spending his afternoon on the Oscars’ red carpet asking Hollywood’s elite, “Who are you wearing?” but he probably would have never guessed he’d be answering that question himself with, “The fake ashes of deceased North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, by Sacha Baron Cohen.” (Hey, at least he won’t have to compete with anyone else for “Who Wore It Best?”)</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">This morning, the live comedy victim discussed the talked-about moment on his radio show, when he told his listeners, “I was surprised, but not surprised.” Seacrest said of his instantly viral interaction with Cohen, who fought to bring his outrageous character from his upcoming comedy The Dictator to the Academy Awards, “I definitely did not know he was going to do that.”</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">“He comes over, and I asked him a couple of questions, but… You know that feeling in your gut. You feel like, ‘This is going too normally,’” Seacrest recalled, “I saw the urn coming up. It was getting closer to my chest, and then it tipped over, and it wasn’t the wind. He spilled it on my tuxedo.”</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">Check out video of the American Idol host below, just mere moments after the Cohen incident, in which a seemingly less peeved Seacrest (who tweeted immediately after the mishap “My mom always told me to pack two jackets for red carpets, always wondered why. Now I know”) joked about being covered in pancake mix after living a once carbohydrate-free existence. Seacrest dry cleaner out.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /><iframe width="375" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1u344F6w8_U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /><br /></div><div><span><i><a href="http://popwatch.ew.com/2012/02/27/sacha-baron-cohen-ryan-seacrest/">Source</a></i></span></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837630938018200568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-31772270030959356102012-02-27T10:43:00.003-08:002012-02-27T10:54:18.318-08:00Academy Award winners 2012: Full list led by “The Artist.”<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3scFEEqpaZc3ECKiBtQE38Spu-HVAAj7PDPklTWfDtaQIj7Q9cr2rmZGG1Djf21I8O3ugp-qm85KIuPnaRlb7oEt8NDLtzhrSAgE8JQHA4E-rHaCx3Xzg5k81lMKDgaWGjNFo716k8A/s1600/Academy+Awards.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3scFEEqpaZc3ECKiBtQE38Spu-HVAAj7PDPklTWfDtaQIj7Q9cr2rmZGG1Djf21I8O3ugp-qm85KIuPnaRlb7oEt8NDLtzhrSAgE8JQHA4E-rHaCx3Xzg5k81lMKDgaWGjNFo716k8A/s320/Academy+Awards.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713890397584870034" /></a><div><span><b>Winners</b></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Here is the list of the winners from the 84th annual Academy Awards:</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>Best picture:</b> “The Artist.”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>Actress in a leading role:</b> Meryl Streep, “Iron Lady.”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>Actor in a leading role:</b> Jean Dujardin, “The Artist.”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>Actress in a supporting role:</b> Octavia Spencer, “The Help.”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>Actor in a supporting role:</b> Christopher Plummer, “Beginners.”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>Directing:</b> Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist.”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>Cinematography:</b> “Hugo.”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>Art direction:</b> “Hugo.”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>Costume design:</b> “The Artist.”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>Makeup:</b> “The Iron Lady.”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>Foreign language film:</b> “A Separation,” Iran.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>Film editing:</b> “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>Sound editing:</b> “Hugo.”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>Sound mixing: </b>“Hugo.”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>Documentary feature:</b> “Undefeated.”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>Animated feature film:</b> “Rango.”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>Visual effects:</b> “Hugo.”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>Original score:</b> “The Artist.”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>Original song:</b> “Man or Muppet” from “The Muppets.”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>Adapted screenplay:</b> Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, “The Descendants.”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>Original screenplay:</b> Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris.”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>Live action short film:</b> “The Shore.”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>Documentary (short subject):</b> “Saving Face.”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>Animated short film:</b> “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.”</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span><i><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/academy-award-winners-2012-full-list-led-by-the-artist/2012/02/27/gIQA3hXddR_story.html">Source</a></i></span></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837630938018200568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-69040469035196069192012-02-27T10:35:00.003-08:002012-02-27T10:41:35.864-08:002012 Oscars: The winners of best Academy Awards<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOdiFGUcXP0mugVApXnws0Q5WEd91BJnW9epD8zfbGFdch8t8dP3d6O4NT-I0EfyAuLARGzWeabV6iY_TR-XVeWMb2FGklMJpKx0oNHyHuulsbViQvVm__XP2sno3kb-gFOkej9wnBuBY/s1600/oscar.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOdiFGUcXP0mugVApXnws0Q5WEd91BJnW9epD8zfbGFdch8t8dP3d6O4NT-I0EfyAuLARGzWeabV6iY_TR-XVeWMb2FGklMJpKx0oNHyHuulsbViQvVm__XP2sno3kb-gFOkej9wnBuBY/s320/oscar.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713886411890626322" /></a><br /><div><span>Despite an overriding sense of inevitability, the 84th annual Academy Awards had its share of memorable moments (including a hilarious faux-film of a 1939 "focus group" critiquing "The Wizard of Oz," courtesy of Christopher Guest and company).</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>"I love your country," Dujardin said, holding up his award for his portrayal of fictional silent-film star George Valentin.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>"If George Valentin could speak, he’d say, "Formidable! Merci beaucoup," he said, using French words for "terrific" and "thank you very much."</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Many speeches were heartfelt or moving, but here are five that stood out.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:</b> Alexander Payne, co-writer/director of "The Descendants" - who previously won for 2004's "Sideways" — collected his film's only award of the evening alongside co-writers Nat Faxon and Jim Rush by first thanking "our beautiful Hawaiian flower, Kaui Hart Hemmings, wrote wrote the novel." Payne then pointed out his mom, who came to L.A. from Omaha for the event and who, Payne said, "made me promise that if I ever won another Academy Award, that I'd have to dedicate it to her, just like Javier Bardem did with HIS mother. Thanks for letting me skip nursery school so we could go to the movies."</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:</b> Octavia Spencer, genuinely moved and shaken by her walk to the stage to accept her Oscar, breaks down while thanking her real family "and my 'Help' family." Despite winning at SAG and the Golden Globes, the impact of an Oscar isn't lost on this 39-year-old working actress.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, the first filmmaker from his country to win this award, makes a from-the-gut, eloquent, thoughtful acceptance speech in which he states Iran is "a rich and ancient culture that has been hidden under politics… I kindly offer this award to the people of my country , a people who respect all cultures and civilizations and despise hostility and resentment."</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>BEST ACTOR:</b> Jean Dujardin, the underdog who defeated George Clooney — and the first Frenchman to win the award — gives an ebullient acceptance speech, starting with "I love your country!" and winds up with a sincere, nearly-shouted "Merci! Merci beaucoup!"</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:</b> With his manner as smooth and warm as his velvet tuxedo, the ever-elegant 82-year-old Christopher Plummer — the newly minted oldest Oscar winner ever — takes the stage. "You're only two years older than me — where have you been all my life?" he coos at his statuette. Complimentary, witty and self-effacing, the onetime "Sound of Music" co-star thanks his fellow nominees, his director and co-star, his daughter Amanda Plummer, and his wife, "who deserves a Nobel Peace prize for coming to my rescue every day."</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span><i><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/2012-oscars-winners-best-academy-award-winners-speeches-article-1.1029228">Source</a></i></span></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837630938018200568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-64327014868933603982012-02-27T10:26:00.002-08:002012-02-27T10:31:24.528-08:00One dead, four hurt in Ohio high school shooting<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-T-R_5ekJKnxvtQxw3yAAGunoM7mDA6Ib6beu8tPevCx9B4IzlId_ZCAn9Ego4_nquGdmqGzlbv_Gfpen53WpKa2BobF7iSEV7b7pcVqrsgEkyy1BVKRngzuQvkNd0xqi_Kg8d9uXq8/s1600/ohio-shooting-01-story-top.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-T-R_5ekJKnxvtQxw3yAAGunoM7mDA6Ib6beu8tPevCx9B4IzlId_ZCAn9Ego4_nquGdmqGzlbv_Gfpen53WpKa2BobF7iSEV7b7pcVqrsgEkyy1BVKRngzuQvkNd0xqi_Kg8d9uXq8/s320/ohio-shooting-01-story-top.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713884700027391138" /></a><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">(CNN) -- A gunman wounded five students, one of them fatally, at a suburban Cleveland high school Monday morning before apparently being chased out of the building by a teacher, police said at a news conference.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">The Chardon High School shooting suspect -- believed to be a student, according to a school official -- was in custody after turning himself in to bystanders, police said.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">Two students injured in the shooting, one boy and one girl, were taken to Hillcrest Hospital, spokeswoman Heather Phillips said. One was in serious condition, the other in stable condition, she said.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">Three students were taken by helicopter to MetroHealth Medical Center, hospital representative Shannon Mortland said in a statement. Mortland did not provide details on their conditions.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">It was unclear where the fatally wounded student had been taken.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">A student at Chardon High, Evan Erasmus, told CNN affiliate WEWS that the victims may have been students at a school in nearby Auburn, Ohio, waiting for a bus to take them there.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">He said the suspect may have posted a threatening message on the social networking service Twitter before the shooting.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">"I think he said that he was going to bring a gun to school, and I think that everyone just blew it off like he was joking," Erasmus said.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">Police recovered a handgun and gave it to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for examination, the agency said.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">A law enforcement source said the Geauga County sheriff's office and federal agents were executing search warrants in the case, but the official did not provide locations.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">One student told CNN affiliate WKYC that he heard what he thought at first was firecrackers.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">"Then I saw a bunch of people running out, so I started running," said the student, whose name was not available. "I heard someone yell behind me, 'Get down.' "</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">The boy's mother said she was terrified.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">"I had just dropped him off at the school, and not even 10 minutes later, I got a text from him saying there was a shooting at the school," she said.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">Investigators took over the school Monday morning and were collecting evidence after students had been evacuated to nearby Maple Elementary School, said Lt. John Hiscox of the sheriff's office.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">He declined to say how authorities learned of the shooting.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">School administrators called off school for the day and assured parents that students were safe.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">Still, parents eager to retrieve their children hurried to school buildings, forming long lines as school officials and police checked identification before releasing students. SWAT team members stood guard outside the school, allowing only a few parents inside at a time, enhancing what was a surreal scene for many.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">"This stuff doesn't happen here at Chardon. Everybody's a little upset," said one parent who was preparing to pick up his daughter, a 10th-grader who had been evacuated to Maple Elementary School.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">Parents and children frequently embraced and cried when reunited.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">Teresa Hunt said she exchanged about 50 texts with her 18-year-old daughter, a senior at the high school. They began about 7:45 a.m., minutes after the shooting was reported. Hunt said her daughter hunkered down with her class inside their classroom, staying clear of the door. She said they could hear police officers running down the hall.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">"They're terrified. She was crying. Her anxiety was way up," Hunt said.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">"I did ask her, about the third or fourth text in, if she had any indication that something was going to break out," Hunt said. "She said, 'No, this was sudden. I had heard nothing.' Her friends had heard nothing also."</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">Erasmus said he believed that frequent shooting-situation drills and the quick response of school authorities helped keep the situation from becoming worse.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">"We're not that kind of place where it happens, so it's really shocking," he said.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">Police were not releasing information on the suspect Monday, but Superintendent Joseph Bergant said the suspect is a student.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">There is a long history of deadly violence on school campuses, ranging from incidents in which students stab each other or shoot staff members to mass murders like the ones at Virginia Tech and Columbine High School.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">In April 1999, two teenagers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, killed 12 students and a teacher before they killed themselves in the library at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">Gunman Seung-Hui Cho unleashed one of the deadliest campus attacks in American history at Virginia Tech in April 2007, killing 32 students and staff members. Two handguns were found near his body after the 23-year-old senior finally ended his rampage by killing himself.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">Not all school killings are carried out by students. A 32-year-old man, Charles Roberts IV, took 11 girls hostage at a small Amish school in Pennsylvania in October 2006 and killed five of them. The other six were wounded before Roberts killed himself.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div><span ><i><a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/27/justice/ohio-school-shooting/">Source</a></i></span></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837630938018200568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-2104416788490246192012-02-26T14:21:00.000-08:002012-02-26T14:23:38.582-08:00Patrick Peterson, recruiter and talent scout<div><span >INDIANAPOLIS -- NFL teams can at least partially thank Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson for delivering one of the top prospects at the position to the 2012 draft. </span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Morris Claiborne credits Peterson, his former LSU teammate, for converting him from the enemy ranks: offense. </span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"Growing up, I was mainly an offensive guy," Claiborne said from the scouting combine Sunday. "I didn't play too much defense, just here and there, but I never really played corner til i got to college." </span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Claiborne initially resisted Peterson's recruitment. But Peterson, who developed the moniker "DBU" to describe LSU, won him over. </span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"Patrick kept on pulling me," said Claiborne, projected as a first-round pick. "I tried for a day or two and I ended up liking it." </span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Peterson advised Claiborne to "go up and take over" at the combine. Claiborne has not yet worked out. He'll skip the bench press until his pro day to protect a wrist injury he played with during the season. </span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Claiborne and Peterson, the fifth overall choice in the 2011 draft, differ in their styles. </span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"I'm more of a technician, trying to funnel the guys instead of getting really physical with them at the line all the time," Claiborne said.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span ><i><a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/tag/_/name/2012-nfl-combine">Source</a></i></span></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837630938018200568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-4569349431194261562012-02-26T13:59:00.004-08:002012-02-26T14:18:46.886-08:00Fox to begin contract negotiations with NASCAR<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLcU8dGRjj1RlZZ-gh0H2UwTTrUErQ1FcIhqNqljYE9bZ2I8VcLegmNIk1_BT3xpNyPlwVrp5VT0vFPahUQlhoGEas8E8qkwS1iEeqFsbH3rl7FfAKjCo8GOzi0p4X68zFbDc_-eGT5zc/s1600/Nascar.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLcU8dGRjj1RlZZ-gh0H2UwTTrUErQ1FcIhqNqljYE9bZ2I8VcLegmNIk1_BT3xpNyPlwVrp5VT0vFPahUQlhoGEas8E8qkwS1iEeqFsbH3rl7FfAKjCo8GOzi0p4X68zFbDc_-eGT5zc/s320/Nascar.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713570437990977746" /></a><div><span >The best and the worst of Apple are on display this week. On one side of the coin, its stock cruised through $US500, making Apple the biggest company in the world (but still not the biggest ever). Not bad for an outfit that nearly went broke in the 1990s and was only saved by the good grace (and cynicism) of Microsoft, which desperately needed a viable competitor to ward off antitrust scrutiny at the time.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >In addition to its stock price, here's some other big numbers about Apple : The company's market cap is closing in on half a trillion dollars ($470 billion) and it currently has $100 billion in cash. The cash pile is up another $24 billion since Steve Jobs died late last year.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >On the other side of the coin, Jobs was the CEO who thought nothing of conspiring with his 'gazillionaire' peers in Silicon Valley to suppress the cost of labour for his US workforce. And famously, he was not shy about taking advantage of the far sighted industrial relations policies in the worker's paradise of modern China. Deng Xiaoping called it “socialism with Chinese characteristics” and Jobs evidently approved. Alas for employees of Apple's partners — partners like Foxconn, first world problems like Jobs’ penchant for anti-poaching programmes are simply the stuff such as dreams are made of.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >[ Keep your finger on the pulse with the latest developments in mobile technology—such as phones and tablets—in Computerworld's Mobility & Wireless newsletter ]</span></div><div><span >Now, to overcome the unpleasant stench of its business practices, or at least those of its partners (not that we would ever judge a company by the company it keeps), Apple has appointed an external organisation to monitor and report on conditions.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >These are not the droids you are seeking...</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Apple's choice of external monitors, however, hasn't exactly filled critics with confidence. The Fair Labour Association has represented other companies such as Nike — also well known for its progressive approach to third world employment. The New York Times quotes Jeff Ballinger, who is the director of labour rights group Press for Change, describing the FLA as “largely a fig leaf” .</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Still we should acknowledge that shining a light — even a dim one — into dark places is a step up from Apple's previous behaviour. For a sample of what Grok means, here's a snippet from Wikipedia's entry about Foxconn:“In reaction to a spate of worker suicides where fourteen died in 2010, a report by twenty Chinese universities described Foxconn factories as labour camps and detailed widespread worker abuse and illegal overtime. In response to the suicides, Foxconn installed suicide-prevention netting at some facilities, and it promised to offer substantially higher wages at its Shenzhen production bases. Workers were also forced to sign a legally binding document guaranteeing that they and their descendants would not sue the company as a result of unexpected death, self-injury, or suicide.”</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Apple makes great products. Grok's house is bulging with Apple’s shiny, shiny toys. This column was written on his irreplaceable Mac Book Pro, so we guess that makes him partly complicit. But nobody should cut Apple any slack over its record on these matters just because its indentured labourers made prettier baubles than anyone else's. Still, a little shame never went astray.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >But of course, not everyone agrees. Just as Grok was submitting this story, a story popped up on the radar — 'Apple beats out Google, Amazon for Highest Corporate Reputation Score' . If you didn't laugh, you'd cry.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Creative destruction cuts both ways</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >It's been a good week for the tech sector's latter day Zaibatsu with regulators all over the world rolling over to have their tummies tickled. The big one, of course, was Google clearing the regulatory hurdles in the US and Europe for its $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobile.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >As The New York Times pointed out in this piece , there are still a few minor jurisdictional issues to overcome, but the turkey, as they say, is in the oven.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Now that the US government and those cheese eating surrender monkeys in Europe have acquiesced, all those Android mobile phone manufacturers might like to start ramping up their own personal anxiety levels. Somebody somewhere is going to get crushed.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Separately, the Justice Department in the US decided there was no reason to stop Microsoft, Apple and Research in Motion picking over the bones of Nortel Network's patents, or Apple's purchase of various Novel patents.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Cue the musical score from The Lion King…It’s the 'circle of life'.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Andrew Birmingham is the CEO of Silicon Gully Investment</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >UPTON WATCH: Move over, Danica Patrick. There's a new woman turning heads in the NASCAR garage.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Supermodel Kate Upton was at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, serving as grand marshal for the Daytona 500 along with her "The Three Stooges" co-star Jane Lynch.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Upton grew up in nearby Melbourne riding horses but has come a long way since.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >She landed the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue released earlier this month and has modeled for Guess, Dooney & Bourke and Victoria's Secret.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Not surprisingly, she was a big hit among drivers, crew members and race fans.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >She really could have turned things up a notch had she decided to dance. Last year, a video of Upton dancing the "Dougie" at a Los Angeles Clippers game went viral and increased her popularity.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"I learned a new one, the `Cat Daddy,'" Upton told The Associated Press. "I can't wait to throw that one out. I did it the other day on a shoot in my cover bikini, so who knows."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Upton and Lynch took part in the 500 to help promote their upcoming movie. They play nuns in the movie, which is scheduled to be released April 13. Sean Hayes, Chris Diamantopoulos and Will Sasso star as the Stooges and were selected to drop the green flag.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"It will introduce the Stooges to a new generation," Lynch said. "It's very much like the series, except it's not shot in black and white. All the colors are muted. Even though it takes place today, it looks like it was shot back then."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Lynch also raved about Upton and offered a hint about what moviegoers can expect from Upton's role.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"She's very game," Lynch said. "There's a great shot when she comes out of swimming pool. She plays a nun, but she does emerge from a swimming pool in an interesting get-up."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >------</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >TOUGH TALK: UFC light heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones, the honorary official for the Daytona 500, didn't hold back when asked about his upcoming fight against Rashad Evans.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >When a reporter asked Jones about Evans' calling him fake in a recent interview, Jones lashed out at his former friend and now top rival.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"Yeah, he's been calling me that since the beginning of my career," Jones said. "He's the guy who's the fake really, you know. A lot of his actions really don't add up to the person that he portrays. It's interesting. It's pre-fight drama, and I plan on kicking his butt. That's my only option really."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Jones and Evans are scheduled to fight as the main event during UFC 145 on April 21 in Atlanta.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Jones toured Daytona International Speedway, said he loves cars and was planning to pull for former Daytona 500 champion Kevin Harvick. He added that NASCAR drivers and mixed martial arts fighters have a bond that stems from putting their bodies at risk every time they compete.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"What I think attracts NASCAR drivers to mixed martial arts is just it's as real as it gets," Jones said. "In the cage, it's not really a game, you know. If you mess up, you can get seriously injured. It's live speed, and it's extremely real. I think that's something maybe drivers relate to. When you're on the track, every movement counts, and a mess-up could be really dangerous."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >------</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >GIANT VISITORS: New York Giants defensive ends Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora were on hand for The Great American Race. The Super Bowl champions were introduced at the pre-race drivers' meeting, and the most significant part of their appearance was Tuck's left shoulder.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Tuck's arm was in a sling, evidence of his recent shoulder surgery.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Coach Tom Coughlin revealed the surgery Friday at the NFL Combine.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Tuck battled through a number of injuries during the regular season and missed four games. He was held out of a practice prior to New York's NFC wild-card round game against the Atlanta Falcons because of his ailing shoulder.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >------</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >WAKE-UP CALL: Lenny Kravitz wasn't quite ready for his midday concert.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Kravitz preformed the pre-race event and strolled into Daytona International Speedway wearing dark shades and moving somewhat slowly.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"Once I wake up, we should be OK," he said.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >The seven-time Grammy Award winner eventually got things rolling and played some fan favorites in the rain, including "American Woman" and "Are You Gonna Go My Way."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >He joked about how different his lifestyle is from the normal.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"It's oddball every night," he said. "Nothing normal about this life."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Much different from NASCAR?</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"You guys go fast; we play loud," he said.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span ><i><a href="http://www.boston.com/sports/other_sports/autoracing/articles/2012/02/26/fox_to_begin_contract_negotiations_with_nascar/?page=2">Source</a></i></span></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837630938018200568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-88757080649265076242012-02-26T13:52:00.001-08:002012-02-26T13:56:30.381-08:00Wednesday Grok: Best and worst of Apple on display<div><span >The best and the worst of Apple are on display this week. On one side of the coin, its stock cruised through $US500, making Apple the biggest company in the world (but still not the biggest ever). Not bad for an outfit that nearly went broke in the 1990s and was only saved by the good grace (and cynicism) of Microsoft, which desperately needed a viable competitor to ward off antitrust scrutiny at the time.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >In addition to its stock price, here's some other big numbers about Apple : The company's market cap is closing in on half a trillion dollars ($470 billion) and it currently has $100 billion in cash. The cash pile is up another $24 billion since Steve Jobs died late last year.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >On the other side of the coin, Jobs was the CEO who thought nothing of conspiring with his 'gazillionaire' peers in Silicon Valley to suppress the cost of labour for his US workforce. And famously, he was not shy about taking advantage of the far sighted industrial relations policies in the worker's paradise of modern China. Deng Xiaoping called it “socialism with Chinese characteristics” and Jobs evidently approved. Alas for employees of Apple's partners — partners like Foxconn, first world problems like Jobs’ penchant for anti-poaching programmes are simply the stuff such as dreams are made of.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >[ Keep your finger on the pulse with the latest developments in mobile technology—such as phones and tablets—in Computerworld's Mobility & Wireless newsletter ]</span></div><div><span >Now, to overcome the unpleasant stench of its business practices, or at least those of its partners (not that we would ever judge a company by the company it keeps), Apple has appointed an external organisation to monitor and report on conditions.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >These are not the droids you are seeking...</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Apple's choice of external monitors, however, hasn't exactly filled critics with confidence. The Fair Labour Association has represented other companies such as Nike — also well known for its progressive approach to third world employment. The New York Times quotes Jeff Ballinger, who is the director of labour rights group Press for Change, describing the FLA as “largely a fig leaf” .</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Still we should acknowledge that shining a light — even a dim one — into dark places is a step up from Apple's previous behaviour. For a sample of what Grok means, here's a snippet from Wikipedia's entry about Foxconn:“In reaction to a spate of worker suicides where fourteen died in 2010, a report by twenty Chinese universities described Foxconn factories as labour camps and detailed widespread worker abuse and illegal overtime. In response to the suicides, Foxconn installed suicide-prevention netting at some facilities, and it promised to offer substantially higher wages at its Shenzhen production bases. Workers were also forced to sign a legally binding document guaranteeing that they and their descendants would not sue the company as a result of unexpected death, self-injury, or suicide.”</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Apple makes great products. Grok's house is bulging with Apple’s shiny, shiny toys. This column was written on his irreplaceable Mac Book Pro, so we guess that makes him partly complicit. But nobody should cut Apple any slack over its record on these matters just because its indentured labourers made prettier baubles than anyone else's. Still, a little shame never went astray.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >But of course, not everyone agrees. Just as Grok was submitting this story, a story popped up on the radar — 'Apple beats out Google, Amazon for Highest Corporate Reputation Score' . If you didn't laugh, you'd cry.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Creative destruction cuts both ways</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >It's been a good week for the tech sector's latter day Zaibatsu with regulators all over the world rolling over to have their tummies tickled. The big one, of course, was Google clearing the regulatory hurdles in the US and Europe for its $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobile.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >As The New York Times pointed out in this piece , there are still a few minor jurisdictional issues to overcome, but the turkey, as they say, is in the oven.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Now that the US government and those cheese eating surrender monkeys in Europe have acquiesced, all those Android mobile phone manufacturers might like to start ramping up their own personal anxiety levels. Somebody somewhere is going to get crushed.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Separately, the Justice Department in the US decided there was no reason to stop Microsoft, Apple and Research in Motion picking over the bones of Nortel Network's patents, or Apple's purchase of various Novel patents.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Cue the musical score from The Lion King…It’s the 'circle of life'.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Andrew Birmingham is the CEO of Silicon Gully Investment</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span ><i><a href="http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/415419/wednesday_grok_best_worst_apple_display/">Source</a></i></span></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837630938018200568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-87992272243649586962012-02-26T13:34:00.002-08:002012-02-26T13:48:30.557-08:00JOIN THE KOMBUCHA TEA CRAZE AND SEE HOW IT'S MADE<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQtgNWlSOhoC9kI-8JgcVnRqm_PJ4DcyMFYMw4sVfkJsIhZiITNILu-Pn9hyjtSUX9dLlKnomLYYN-V1w1MaC1u5X24BCKlicCo-cPvOd6v62nqY72SSPIXReYNsMtgvo0oiMYEpPCtQ0/s1600/How-Make-Kombucha-Tea.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQtgNWlSOhoC9kI-8JgcVnRqm_PJ4DcyMFYMw4sVfkJsIhZiITNILu-Pn9hyjtSUX9dLlKnomLYYN-V1w1MaC1u5X24BCKlicCo-cPvOd6v62nqY72SSPIXReYNsMtgvo0oiMYEpPCtQ0/s320/How-Make-Kombucha-Tea.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713564359513248594" /></a><br /><div><span >Have you noticed that your health food markets have stocked fridges full of kombucha tea? In only a few years, kombucha has become king of the healthy beverage craze. Loved for its fizziness and signature sweet and sour flavor, fans of kombucha also love its probiotics, B vitamins, and beneficial acids — kombucha is practically liquid gold with the cost of a 16-ounce bottle averaging $4. It should be noted, however, that this traditional Eastern-originating brew has not undergone Western scientific research to support all of its health claims.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >We met up with brewmaster Otto Thorsen of Three Stone Hearth, a community cooperative kitchen in Berkeley, CA, to learn the basics of brewing a delicious kombucha tea. Stay tuned for a detailed recipe for black tea kombucha and my experience making a home brew.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span ><b>Essential Ingredient</b></span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >A scoby, the first and most important ingredient of kombucha, creates the fermentation process of the tea. Scoby is an acronym for "symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast," and it looks like a multilayered pancake. Otto explains, "We don't know specifically how the scoby began. In order to start a batch of kombucha, you need one of these. Similar to a sourdough starter, the scobys get passed down. You can't just buy tea and make Kombucha. I think it's an incredible connection to community."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >The scoby feeds off of the sugar and the nutrients in the tea and releases carbon dioxide gas, beneficial bacteria, organic acids, and active enzymes, forming kombucha. The scoby is often referred to as the mother, and each week, the scoby grows a new layer on the top called the baby. The growth of a baby is a sign that the scoby is healthy, alive, and active. Eventually the layers can be pulled apart to create new scobys.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span ><b>Scoby in the Starter Liquid</b></span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >The scoby is stored in a starter liquid, which is the leftover kombucha from the previous brew. Scobys can be purchased at a community co-op kitchen, online, or from locals in your area. When you aren't making kombucha, you should refrigerate the scoby in its starter liquid. In terms of storage time, Otto recommends, "The scoby is fine to sit in starter for two to six weeks. It's easy to slip people's minds and have the intention but lose the motivation. As long as it's refrigerated and in the starter, the microorganisms are in a dormant state. Even after a month, it's OK to start it up again. If it develops a new baby, then it's good to go."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span ><b>Brew Your Tea</b></span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >In terms of black, green, or white tea brews, Otto suggests, "Anyone who's beginning a home brew should start with a black tea. Scoby microorganisms really love black tea, and the nutrients from it will infuse a lot of life into your scoby. The babies from black tea scobys are twice the thickness as the babies from white tea scobys." There are endless ratios of water, tea, brewing time, and sugar. It all depends on how strong and sweet you prefer your beverage.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Brewmaster Otto suggests this basic tea recipe for beginner kombucha makers:</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >In a sterilized, glass one-gallon jar, brew two or three teaspoons of black tea in three quarts of filtered water.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >After removing the tea bags, stir in one cup of sugar until dissolved.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Cover top tightly with muslin or several layers of cheesecloth to keep bugs and other contaminates from entering. Cool to room temperature.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span ><b>Primary and Secondary Fermentation</b></span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Once the tea has cooled to room temperature, remove the cloth, add the scoby and two cups of the starter liquid to the gallon jar, then reapply the muslin or cheesecloth. For the primary fermentation, let the kombucha sit out for seven to 10 days, depending on how hot or cold your house is. During very hot days, i.e. 80 degrees, the tea might be ready for bottling by the sixth day.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Strain the liquid. Refrigerate the scoby and about two cups of the brew (the starter for the scoby) or make more tea to start the process again. Bottle the remaining strained liquid in screw-cap glass containers. Otto says, "For black and green tea, leave out on your counter for three to five days to get the secondary fermentation. The more sugar content in the brew, the faster the secondary fermentation will occur. Sometimes, it can be as soon as one day. To test carbonation, twist the top open and listen for the fizzy noise you hear when opening a soda bottle. When you hear that sound, refrigerate the bottles."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span ><b>Spice Up the Flavor</b></span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >At Three Stone Hearth, flavors include the original black tea kombucha, hibiscus, lemon ginger, and grape. After you feel confident creating a standard brew, try fermenting different white and green teas. For different flavors, add two to three ounces of fresh squeezed juice to each bottle when pouring the brew into the bottles for the second fermentation.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >In terms of serving size, Otto notes, "Kombucha is a concentrated food sources of probiotics. We recommend starting with four ounces. See how your body responds to it. Different people have different reactions. Ultimately anything, even yogurt, can be harmful. It just depends on your system and what certain amount is functional for your system."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span ><b>Trial and Error</b></span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Here are some things Otto has warned us about so that you have a great kombucha brew:</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Taste the brew and make sure the sweetness is to your liking. The brew moves toward a vinegar the longer it sits.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >If you refrigerate too soon after the secondary fermentation, your kombucha won't have time to release the carbon dioxide bubbles, which make it a fizzy drink.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >If you let it sit out too long, there will be too much carbonation, which can cause an explosion.</span></div><div><span >Engage in the process. Be inspired by the growth and evolution of your kombucha and check it every day.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Homemade kombucha shouldn't contain a significant source of alcohol, if any. While there are kombucha companies that require an ID to purchase their beverages, Otto claims his method of brewing is not alcoholic.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >When in doubt, toss it out. If it smells or tastes bad, trust your senses. Learn from your mistakes, and try again.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span ><i><a href="http://www.fitsugar.com/How-Make-Kombucha-Tea-18783963?slide=0">Source</a></i></span></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837630938018200568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-25083373373403345902012-02-26T12:59:00.001-08:002012-02-26T13:27:05.455-08:00Rain delays start of NASCAR's Daytona 500<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihem33IdINgpxEC_zE4gYG4xgkwYjLgdu-QqRArXjkekg8QU91KAbrgMJPqQnQciAbCADYSqolK5RNlbyh5k-rnjc3NQd8DNOHpWzsz3cvBUfOhFPlR2sgIK9PvLFSHTuSJfyNdjXP_Oc/s1600/Daytona.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihem33IdINgpxEC_zE4gYG4xgkwYjLgdu-QqRArXjkekg8QU91KAbrgMJPqQnQciAbCADYSqolK5RNlbyh5k-rnjc3NQd8DNOHpWzsz3cvBUfOhFPlR2sgIK9PvLFSHTuSJfyNdjXP_Oc/s320/Daytona.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713558794870336146" /></a><div><span >DAYTONA BEACH — NASCAR’s premier event, the season-opening Daytona 500 is being delayed by rain.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Heavy showers drenched the famed speedway Sunday afternoon, sending fans scattering for cover and leaving everyone in wait-and-see mode.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Radar shows little relief in sight, too.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >“It’s one of those days here in Daytona where it pops up and falls off and pops up and falls off,” NASCAR president Mike Helton said. “But as the day progresses, we think the chances of the pop-ups diminish quite a bit. Hopefully this will be the last big cell we see and things will start falling apart and we can get the track dry and go on and get finish and run the Daytona 500 today.”</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >NASCAR officials pushed back the start of the race shortly before the green flag was scheduled to drop.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >They intend to wait as long as possible in hopes of getting the 500-mile race in Sunday. NASCAR says Fox is committed to broadcast the event, even it means going head to head with the NBA All-Star game and the Oscars.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >It doesn’t look like the Daytona 500 will begin any time soon, though.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >The track takes about two and a half hours to dry, but the process can’t be started until it stops raining. No Daytona 500 has ever been postponed.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >“We are equipped,” Helton said. “The Daytona International Speedway has every drying piece of machinery they got across the country here today, because we know that the fans at home and the fans here in Daytona want to see the race run. We do, too. The sooner, the better.”</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >The forecast calls for intermittent showers most of the afternoon, and even worse weather is on tap for Monday.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >“I got a feeling this is going to be a long day,” driver David Ragan wrote on his Twitter feed. “I really feel bad for the fans that are soaking wet. I am going to make a grocery store run.”</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >NASCAR went ahead with driver introductions and the national anthem, so once the track is dry, racing can commence.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Daytona 500 Preview</span></div><div><span >Three-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart avoids thinking about what it would be like to finally win a Daytona 500.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Stewart just knows it’s got a lofty spot on his bucket list.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >“Very high on it,” he says.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >“Some of the wildest, craziest finishes in our sport have come in the Daytona 500. I don’t know how you could honestly sit here and imagine what that (winning) moment would be like. You just hope you get to live it in real life.”</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Although he’s won three July races at Daytona International Speedway, Stewart will try to snap a 0-for-13 record the Great American Race today.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >“It’s not going to be a good feeling if you end your career and you don’t win Daytona,” Stewart says. “Everybody wants to win that biggest race. I won’t say it’s not a complete career if you don’t win it, but there’s a lot of priority on this.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >“Darrell Waltrip and Dale (Earnhardt) Sr. both had to go a long time before they got it.”</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Stewart is hardly alone. The driver he edged for last year’s series championship, Carl Edwards, is winless in seven Daytona 500 starts (and 14 overall at the superspeedway).</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Mark Martin, 53, a winner of 40 Cup races, has been trying to master Daytona since 1982 but is winless there in 53 Cup starts, including 27 Daytona 500s.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Martin came close in 2007, edged out in a dash to the finish by Kevin Harvick.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >“I have not lost one ounce of sleep over not winning (the Daytona 500) other than the disappointment of being within three feet of it in ’07,” Martin says. “I’ve always said, you don’t get to choose the races you win. If you’re lucky enough, you just get to win some.”</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >But there’s no substitute for the joy of a 500 victory.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >“When you’re standing in victory lane and see that Harley J. Earl Trophy and the list of people you’ve put yourself on there with, it’s something pretty special,” Harvick says. “This is our sport’s biggest race. Everybody puts their biggest effort into this race because you have the most time (to prepare). It has the most hype, pays the most money, has the most prestigious trophy. There’s nothing about the race that’s not the biggest or most prestigious.”</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Yet the nature of Daytona can also make it so elusive.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >A multitude of factors — not the least of which is racing luck — make winning the 500 difficult. That it’s run with restrictor plates, which choke down horsepower to keep speeds in check, levels the playing field between teams, big and small.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Waltrip raced 17 seasons before posting what would be his only Daytona 500 win in 1989.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >It wasn’t until Earnhardt’s 20th 500 in 1998, when he edged Bobby Labonte, that he won NASCAR’s Super Bowl.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Winless in 38 Cup starts at Daytona, Labonte is still trying to win the 500. It would give him bragging rights against brother Terry, winless in 57 Cup races at Daytona.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >“I’ve won at Darlington, Charlotte, the Brickyard — and those are big events,” Bobby Labonte says. “This one has slipped by a few times. If you had the vase and the genie came out and said, ‘You’re going to win one more race in your career. What’s it going to be?’ This would be the one you’d want to win.”</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Clint Bowyer, 0-for-6 in the Daytona 500, isn’t sure what time he’d wake up the next day if he ever won it.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >“They’d better lock me to the grandstand in victory lane, because they may not find me for those Monday morning interviews in New York,” he says.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Kurt Busch, the 2004 Cup champion, is winless in 11 tries but has been a runner-up three times.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >“It’s the race that can define a driver’s career,” says Busch, who could make a splash for his new team, Phoenix Racing, with a win. “It’s a priority (because of) the prestigious value and what it can do long-term and the immediate impact. Like the Super Bowl, this race is our spectacle.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >“In 2005, I looked in my mirror and saw everyone going by me to the inside. I said I just have to block to the inside and take a second-place finish. It eats at me that I (didn’t take) that risk to go to the high side and see what could have happened off Turn 4.”</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span ><i><a href="http://www.news-press.com/article/20120226/SPORTS/302260057/0/NEWS0110/Rain-starts-Daytona-likely-delaying-start?odyssey=nav%7Chead">Source</a></i></span></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837630938018200568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-52130586274455944132012-02-25T15:39:00.003-08:002012-02-25T15:50:05.854-08:00Tyler Perry's Good Deeds' review: Half-baked script<h2 style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Playing a corporate chief who is unfulfilled, Perry resorts to the pious self-satisfaction that often mars his films.</h2><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3y59GMeAvYcgJySs2-V5NZEaLbIuSdpjAycShGF50Dulbbk6YJdps-0QiXQmIf-xoQGW80e2Ysz6Ij3jTOdIMdGl_S3K4336wUg1szSTuFgsmpBI293Sn77QyTD-UoEo59WvvHPGEz9I/s1600/tyler+perry+good+deeds.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 164px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3y59GMeAvYcgJySs2-V5NZEaLbIuSdpjAycShGF50Dulbbk6YJdps-0QiXQmIf-xoQGW80e2Ysz6Ij3jTOdIMdGl_S3K4336wUg1szSTuFgsmpBI293Sn77QyTD-UoEo59WvvHPGEz9I/s200/tyler+perry+good+deeds.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713224272497945682" /></a><br /><span>Even as Tyler Perry the industry grows more and more stable and certain, reliably putting out cost-effective cultural products across a number of platforms, Tyler Perry the filmmaker remains a work in progress. There is still something both oddly thrilling and endlessly frustrating about his work as writer, director and performer.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>When Perry sets films within the universe of broad tones steered by his signature character of Madea, veering madly from comedy to melodrama, he seems more sure-footed than when he makes films set ostensibly in the genuine contemporary here and now. In "Tyler Perry's Good Deeds" he plays, indeed, a character named Wesley Deeds III who learns how to be genuinely good.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Set in San Francisco — though apart from outdoor establishing shots it seems the film was made in Perry's home base of Georgia — the story revolves around Wesley as head of his family's software corporation and how he seems to have his life in order. Except he increasingly feels it's a life thrust upon him and not of his own choosing. Preparing to marry Natalie (Gabrielle Union), he meets a night janitor at his office (Thandie Newton) who turns his life upside down.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>At times it seems Perry wants to flirt with making an income-inequality romance, with Newton's character a struggling single mother recently evicted from her apartment. Yet in constantly re-orienting the story to the self-discovery of Wesley Deeds (you know, his character) Perry undercuts the film's contemporary resonance to fall back on the disconcerting pious self-satisfaction that often mars his work.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Newton seems so full-blooded and alive in her role, utterly compelling with an electric nerviness every moment she is on screen. As well, Union reveals a brittle steeliness that she more commonly masks with a certain sunniness. Here she somehow manages to be both cold and vulnerable at the same time. Both actresses have been wildly underserved by Hollywood and it speaks for itself that the best opportunities for either of them seem to be Tyler Perry movies.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>If only someone could do the same for Perry himself. He comes across as wooden and insincere time and again in the film. Stripped of the broad strokes of his Madea character and tasked with being a real person, he seems to freeze up. Perhaps he simply spreads himself too thin as writer and director and star, but with his "Good Deeds" Tyler Perry seems not to have finished the job.</span></div></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span ><i><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/la-et-0225-good-deeds-20120225,0,4095359.story">Source</a></i></span></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837630938018200568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-19724000914430490582012-02-25T15:28:00.001-08:002012-02-25T15:37:31.770-08:00Berkshire Hathaway says 4Q net income down 30 percent as paper value of derivatives drops<div><span >OMAHA, Neb. — A drop in the paper value of the financial instruments known as derivatives hurt profits at Berkshire Hathaway Inc., the conglomerate run by billionaire investor Warren Buffett.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Some of its subsidiaries performed well enough to offset some of the losses. Buffett detailed the company’s 2011 performance Saturday in his annual letter to shareholders.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Berkshire reported fourth-quarter net income of $3.05 billion, or $1,846 per Class A share. That was down from $4.4 billion net income, or $2,656 per share, a year ago.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Berkshire’s profit fell short of the $1,875 per share expected by the four analysts surveyed by FactSet, a provider of financial data. Quarterly revenue grew 5 percent to $37.96 billion from last year’s $36.17 billion.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >The biggest difference in the quarter was the change in estimated value of Berkshire’s investments and derivative contracts. That fell to $382 million this year from last year’s $1.4 billion.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Derivatives are complex investments that have been blamed in part for the 2008 financial crisis and the recession. Berkshire’s derivatives are designed to operate like insurance policies, with some covering the risk of bond defaults by certain companies and some covering whether certain stock market indexes will be lower 15 or 20 years in the future.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Buffett reiterated Saturday that he believes Berkshire’s derivative contracts will ultimately prove profitable, but he said the company doesn’t plan to write any more major derivative contracts. Buffett said he does not want Berkshire to deal with new requirements for how much collateral companies must post when they hold derivatives.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >For 2011, Berkshire generated $10.3 billion in net income, or $6,215 per Class A share, down from nearly $13 billion, or $7,928 per share, in 2010.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Strength in the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad, MidAmerican Energy, and the Marmon Group helped offset insurance underwriting losses related to catastrophes like the Japan tsunami. Newly acquired chemical maker Lubrizol added $1.7 billion in revenues to Berkshire since September.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Stockbroker Andy Kilpatrick, who wrote “Of Permanent Value: The Story of Warren Buffett,” said Buffett managed to outperform the overall market in a tough year for Berkshire’s insurance and housing-related subsidiaries.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >“It was not a great year, but he still beat the S&P. It’s still an incredible moneymaking machine,” Kilpatrick said.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Buffett’s preferred measure of Berkshire’s performance is the growth in its book value, which is a calculation of the company’s assets minus its liabilities. Buffett said Berkshire’s book value grew 4.6 percent to $99,860 per share in 2011. The S&P 500, which Berkshire is part of, gained 2.1 percent last year when dividends were factored in.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Berkshire owns roughly 80 subsidiaries, including clothing, furniture and jewelry companies, but its insurance and utility businesses typically account for more than half the company’s net income. It also has major investments in such companies as Coca-Cola, IBM and Wells Fargo.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span ><i><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/berkshire-hathaway-says-4q-net-income-down-30-percent-as-paper-value-of-derivatives-drops/2012/02/25/gIQAZwTgZR_story.html">Source</a></i></span></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837630938018200568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-15370388565641589192012-02-25T15:13:00.002-08:002012-02-25T15:25:04.808-08:00NASCAR spotlight shines bright on Danica Patrick<div><span >DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—As her car hurtled out of control toward the inside retaining wall at Daytona International Speedway, Danica Patrick did a split-second survey of her situation.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >With no chance of avoiding a head-on collision at nearly 190 mph, Patrick prepared for the impact. She took her hands off her steering wheel and pulled them close to her body. In her mind, she had clenched her arms tight near her shoulder harnesses.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >In reality, the in-car camera showed her hands were much higher, almost at her face. And just like that the talk shifted from her otherwise clean run in Thursday's qualifying race to a discussion about the pretty girl who covered her eyes right before a big scary accident.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >It didn't matter that it wasn't true.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"In IndyCars, you learn to take your hands off the wheel," Patrick explained Friday. "I was trained when there is no saving it and no hope, you let go. That's what I did.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"No, I wasn't covering my eyes. But, yes, I did close them as I got to the wall. I didn't want my eyes to pop out of my head."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Everything Patrick does this season, her first full year in NASCAR, will be scrutinized. She's one of the most popular athletes on the planet, but her spotty racing resume makes her an easy target for hard-core racing fans who consider her an overhyped driver unworthy of the attention she receives.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >She's found often on ESPN, which broadcasts the bulk of Patrick's races. She has dabbled the last two years in the Nationwide Series and will run the full schedule this year for JR Motorsports. She also will make her Sprint Cup Series debut in Sunday's season-opening Daytona 500, the first of 10 scheduled events this season for Stewart-Haas Racing.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >So, it's easy to understand why the traditional auto racing fan is concerned that ESPN might overwhelm fans with its interest in "Danicamania."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"Our coverage is in balance with what we believe the audience interest is," said Rich Feinberg, ESPN vice president of motorsports.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Former NASCAR champion turned ESPN analyst Dale Jarrett understands the conundrum facing Patrick and her move to NASCAR, which openly admits it hopes she drives ratings and attracts new fans. She'll be heavily featured in Saturday's season-opening Nationwide race at Daytona.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"I think she's a polarizing figure," Jarrett said. "I'll be quite honest. I was very skeptical when she came over. Could she handle these cars, get in and mix it up? I think she can. Is she going to go out and set the world on fire? That's going to be difficult to do, because she's up against the best in the world.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"But she's good for the sport, and I think we do a very nice job of balancing that and giving her enough and giving the fans enough but not going over the top either."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >The hardest thing to overcome is Patrick's statistics.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >In 115 IndyCar starts, she won one race—Japan in 2008. She had seven podium finishes, and two of them came when she began dabbling in NASCAR two seasons ago. Since coming to NASCAR, she has three top-10 finishes in 25 races over two years.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Patrick understands, even accepts, that there are people who find her results unacceptable.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"I know it's somewhat of a product of becoming popular. When you get a lot of attention, the general public expects everything to be at that level," she said. "They expect my results to be at my popularity level. They expect everything to be earned, deserved and on the same level. I get it.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"There's just certain people that are intriguing. I still don't know why I'm intriguing to people, because there have been other girls that have been race car drivers. While I like to think that I have done a good job at times with my driving and with results, people just want to know about me and are curious. It grows, and it snowballs. Do I wish I could have more wins? Yeah, of course I do."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >There always have been mixed feelings about Patrick in IndyCar, where for seven seasons she overshadowed every other driver and was the main storyline even when the focus should have been on others. But her former competitors have always supported her, and few ever criticized her talent.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"She's a good driver, and she's not exceptional," Helio Castroneves said. "But you've got to admit, she's a female, and she broke a barrier that a lot of females before couldn't do. It is a men's sport. People are used to that, and when she succeeded the way she did, you're going to get attention. I always respect her as a driver, and I knew when she had a good car she'd really go for it.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"And when she didn't have a good car, she really knows how to respect the limits."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >At the same time, there's a bit of a relief that she's moved on.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"I think she was great for this series, but man, this series has to stand on its own," Will Power said. "I think it will be good for the series to run free by itself with us."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"Did she add any fans to the sport? No, probably not," added Graham Rahal. "And where it hurt us, is we were never able to develop a personality outside of her, because there was never an opportunity."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >In NASCAR, the competitors recognize that Patrick is the center of the spotlight. At a Nationwide Series event, she teamed with four other series regulars in a game of "Family Feud" vs. the media. The team was captained by reigning Nationwide champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who picked the official team of "Danica and the Other Guys."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >No one seems to be bothered by the attention she receives, and drivers have been kind in their assessment of her skills. Of course, measuring success in NASCAR is far different from the podium-driven open-wheel mentality.</span></div><div><span >A driver can make a very nice living stringing together top-10s, even top-20s, and Stenhouse was crowned champion last year with two victories and 26 top-10 finishes. In the Cup Series, Carl Edwards lost the title on a tiebreaker, and his final statistics showed one win and 26 top-10 finishes.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >So if Patrick can conserve her equipment and take what she can get on the track, she could put together a nice Nationwide season.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"I've always had a hard time trying to be happy about finishing 30th and learning from that experience—that's the thing she's good at," said three-time IndyCar champion Sam Hornish Jr.,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; ">who will race Patrick this season for the Nationwide title.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"She's a good finisher. She's very good at taking care of the car and making sure she gets the most out of her time at the track. And she has less pressure. She's a tremendous marketing machine, so she wants to be successful because she has to live with herself. But the success she has on the track isn't necessarily going to be what determines whether or not she has a job."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Her job security, with backing from longtime sponsor GoDaddy.com, is not in jeopardy. But there's pressure on Stewart, the three-time NASCAR champion, to field a competitive team for Patrick and ready her for her full-time move to the Sprint Cup Series in 2013.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"You can't sit there and smother her," Stewart said. "She still has to figure a lot of this out on her own. I just need to be there, be available, when she does have a question. She's really good at picking up information. She has unbelievable feedback. She's really good at being able to understand what's going on and how to get that feedback to the crew chief. There's so much sensory overload of new things to learn here, that it's so hard to get it all and be able to do something with that.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"She is really, really good at that."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Patrick, who is married, has developed a strong rapport with Stewart— a bit of a brother-sister relationship. They've known each other a long time, and for any chance of long-term success, Patrick believed Stewart was her best bet.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"It's important that I am working with and driving for someone that has respect for me and someone that's willing to help me, because Lord knows I need help," she said. "I want to figure it out as quickly as possible. Tony strikes me as someone that is confident enough in himself that he can volunteer information and want to see me get better."</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span ><i><a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_20044786">Source</a></i></span></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837630938018200568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-37738204817463085102012-02-25T15:03:00.002-08:002012-02-25T15:10:52.512-08:00Comedian Kevin Hart Wins MVP in Celebrity Game<script src="http://player.espn.com/player.js?pcode=1kNG061cgaoolOncv54OAO1ceO-I&width=380&height=320&externalId=espn:7613408&thruParam_espn-ui[autoPlay]=false&thruParam_espn-ui[playRelatedExternally]=true"></script><div><span >ORLANDO, Fla. -- Somebody was determined to have a Bieber moment.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Remember last year when the Canadian teen singing sensation Justin Bieber was named MVP of the All-Star celebrity game? It was clear from the first toss of the ball at the Friday night game that one of the celebrities playing in this year's game wanted to usurp the pop singer and claim the crowd this year.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >By a landslide, it was funnyman -- and little guy (5 feet 2) -- Kevin Hart, who got ejected from the game minutes before it ended, tossed a shoe and ripped his shorts off.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >The crowd laughed at the mere look at the petite Hart standing next to guys like Dwight Howard. Even during a fan moment, Hart was aiding a young fan with a dance and he barely stood a few inches above him. During the game, he would yell at his fans in the crowd in the middle of the game, laugh with them and entertained the TV audience with his antics.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >He was a clear at-home favorite, too: For much of the game, he dominated social media trending.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Before Hart hoisted his MVP trophy in the air, he said to ESPN's Stuart Scott "sometimes being MVP isn't about points, Stuart. It's about what you do for your team."</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >But he added that he wanted to share his trophy with the man that Twitter -- and hilarious cat-calls from fans inside of the arena -- thought should have grabbed the trophy, the un-celebrity-like Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Duncan said that Hart should get an invitation to play hoops with President Barack Obama.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >"Anytime. He'd love to play with him. He's a good man," Duncan laughed.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Hart and Duncan's team, the East, beat the West 86-54.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span ><i><a href="http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=7614037">Source</a></i></span></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837630938018200568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-63577525603760608682012-02-25T14:57:00.001-08:002012-02-25T15:00:57.602-08:00Howard Hughes Corp. taps Bishop Street Commercial for leasing<div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">The Howard Hughes Corp. said Friday it has retained Honolulu-based Bishop Street Commercial to handle new leasing for 600,000 square feet of office and industrial space.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">This includes space at the IBM Building, Ward Plaza, Ward Centers and additional commercial space in Kakaako bounded by Kapiolani Boulevard and Ala Moana Boulevard.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">“Important criteria in making this decision were Bishop Street Commercial’s solid property leasing credentials and history of success in the market,” Howard Hughes Corp. (NYSE: HHC) senior vice president David Striph said in a statement.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">Bishop Street Commercial President and CEO Matthew Bittick said that in addition to himself, the leasing team will be led by Alika Cosner and Dennis Park.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">“The Howard Hughes Corp.’s property portfolio is at the epicenter of positive change and development in Kakaako and we are very pleased to be a part of that,” Bittick said in a statement.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; ">According to PBN research, Bishop Street Commercial, which also has an office in Kona on the Big Island, is the 10th largest commercial real estate firm in the state, based on transactions.</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-size: 100%; "><br /></div><div><span ><i><a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2012/02/24/howard-hughes-corp-taps-bishop-street.html">Source</a></i></span></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837630938018200568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-8458178670582506952012-02-24T17:14:00.005-08:002012-02-24T17:22:10.418-08:00Chris Meledandri Talks DR. SEUSS’ THE LORAX, Dr. Seuss Biopic with Johnny Depp, and DESPICABLE ME 2<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEn98_h1Rzu-wzcg6DtmiL_02E_Ov0nJlDoJzXY9V2JE0iW5XNqm0L652xyhWW4iW-oI00JMTzPyHv3Agb0LEefm0T7anPe2kaRMK1zoHZx0DJXXgNPMPzgJAB_BwK4Y0QgBv-uH2leRo/s1600/chris-meledandri-the-lorax-slice.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 230px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEn98_h1Rzu-wzcg6DtmiL_02E_Ov0nJlDoJzXY9V2JE0iW5XNqm0L652xyhWW4iW-oI00JMTzPyHv3Agb0LEefm0T7anPe2kaRMK1zoHZx0DJXXgNPMPzgJAB_BwK4Y0QgBv-uH2leRo/s200/chris-meledandri-the-lorax-slice.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712876175198273874" /></a><div><span>Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax (opening in theaters on March 2nd), is the beloved children’s story that’s also its author’s favorite work. The 3D-CG animated adaptation is an adventure that follows the journey of idealistic 12-year-old Ted (voiced by Zac Efron) while he searches for a real Truffula Tree for Audrey (voiced by Taylor Swift), in order to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find one, he must learn the story of the Lorax (voiced by Danny DeVito) from the enigmatic and bitter old hermit, known as the Once-ler (voiced by Ed Helms), who let the temptation of greed and success get the better of him.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>At the film’s press day, producer Chris Meledandri (founder and CEO of Illumination Entertainment) spoke to Collider for this exclusive interview about how and when he first became aware of the work of Dr. Seuss, the challenge of adding original songs to The Lorax, and how much he’s enjoyed working with Audrey Geisel to protect the Dr. Seuss legacy. He also talked about the development of the live-action film Illumination is doing on the life of Theodor Geisel, the man behind the work of Dr. Seuss, that is being produced by Johnny Depp (who will possibly star in the lead role), the plan to do a mix of live-action with the animated characters of his creation, and how they are currently working on the animation for Despicable Me 2, with Al Pacino making his animated feature debut as the villain. Check out what he had to say after the jump:</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Collider: How and when did you first become aware of the work of Dr. Seuss?</span></div><div><span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhms24zSN7X81fVGW7R7W6DFOF5g6omvqsv3zPmt8SW3AkIGJ-sNs1JL4Qayb_W-Srf5Tbi1bGFmOemJQ2AUrDO_2fFaoWeDoGfpXtXiAezsRhISLwz680c9dak0TDNkfxwHlvpoB6Xxc0/s1600/The-Lorax-movie-image-4-600x323.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 108px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhms24zSN7X81fVGW7R7W6DFOF5g6omvqsv3zPmt8SW3AkIGJ-sNs1JL4Qayb_W-Srf5Tbi1bGFmOemJQ2AUrDO_2fFaoWeDoGfpXtXiAezsRhISLwz680c9dak0TDNkfxwHlvpoB6Xxc0/s200/The-Lorax-movie-image-4-600x323.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712876441421741554" /></a></span></div><div><span>CHRIS MELEDANDRI: I grew up with probably three different authors having a seminal influence on my childhood, Dr. Seuss being one and Maurice Sendak being another. That was my parents, who exposed me to their stories. That’s how I was introduced to the whole idea of not just reading, but storytelling in general. I’ve carried on, in that same tradition, with my kids. Aside from just his brilliance, in my estimation, I think he had one of the great imaginations of the 20th century. One of the reasons why the tradition carries on, all these years later, is because, as a parent, those are the books that you go to and pull off the shelf because they never stop delighting you.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Does it give you extra pressure, knowing that The Lorax was his favorite work that he wrote?</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>MELEDANDRI: I wouldn’t say extra pressure because taking on Horton Hears a Who had its pressure, too. Anytime you adapt work of somebody who you respect, as much as I respect him, it’s an enormous responsibility. In honoring that responsibility, what we try to do is to continually use his work, and the writing that he did about his life and his work, as our guide. That starts with his intent for what he was trying to express when he wrote it, and it extends to his intent overall. Why did Ted Geisel end up writing and illustrating for young minds? He has specific imagery in the book, and we never would have moved beyond the discussion phase, if we couldn’t have found an expression for The Lorax, dimensionally, that was true to the soul of what comes through in his simple line drawings, on the page. We have a process that continually looks back to him for guidance, but it also combines that with a tremendous amount of discovery and invention, as well, because of the demands of the medium and the opportunities of the medium.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Did it help that you assembled so much of the Despicable Me team, so that they already knew how to do this kind of thing in a way that was successful?</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>MELEDANDRI: Absolutely, you rise and fall based on your creative team. I have continuity across different films that I’ve done. I was even fortunate enough to reach back and include people that had worked on Horton with me, as well. People as gifted as Chris Renaud directing, and as Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio writing, and Yarrow Cheney, who was our production designer on Despicable and this film, and hundreds of other artists are what determines whether or not you have a shot at living up to the task that was laid before us.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>What were the challenges of adding songs to it and making sure they stay true to the tone?</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>MELEDANDRI: Tone is an interesting question because part of the inspiration of looking to song is that Geisel himself – when you think about his animated version of The Grinch – embraced the idea of using songs in unconventional ways, as part of conveying a narrative. The use of music, in this film, is very unconventional, which I love. When you listen to the music in this film, it’s working on the level of melody, but the other key element is lyrics. There are a number of songs in the film where the lyrics themselves are very much speaking to the essence of what Ted Geisel was setting out to do. Songs give you incredible opportunity to convey a tremendous amount in a relatively short period of time. The first thing that John Powell, our composer, says is, “Is the song engaging you to tap your toe?” If you’re not tapping your toe, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing in the song, it’s not going to work. But, if you can get the audience to be engaged by the song, then it gives you the opportunity to accomplish so much, in a very concise way. I think John wrote some great melodies, and Cinco Paul, who’s also one of our screenwriters, as well as one of the screenwriters on Horton and Despicable, really was able to craft lyrics that conveyed a very important thematic element to the movie, as well as just being fun.</span></div><div><span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbTkJoipvqzZheVKS5yzECkldA2nQMjqrsdpsjnoG8ZD3Ev2-FVqXwqsuH5KgYSCuZsivuaDFRcmJPFY6OS3Mrx6GYWaCLN4Z7k-Jy7VXPrnQUus7PNFhuRhPfv84Q44qHmyVPigZC3o/s1600/The-Lorax-movie-image-3-600x323.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 108px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbTkJoipvqzZheVKS5yzECkldA2nQMjqrsdpsjnoG8ZD3Ev2-FVqXwqsuH5KgYSCuZsivuaDFRcmJPFY6OS3Mrx6GYWaCLN4Z7k-Jy7VXPrnQUus7PNFhuRhPfv84Q44qHmyVPigZC3o/s200/The-Lorax-movie-image-3-600x323.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712876946391638978" /></a></span></div><div><span>Having done Horton Hears a Who and The Lorax now, and presumably bringing more Dr. Seuss stories to life, in the future, is there anything you wish you could talk to him or ask him about, as far as his work goes? Are there times you wish you could have spoken to him?</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>MELEDANDRI: Oh, absolutely! There are countless times where you’re trying to channel somebody who’s not there, but that’s what you have to do. But Audrey Geisel, who has executive produced this film and Horton, and who works remarkably close with me, is a great source of information. (The Simpsons creator) Matt Groening once told me that one of the most important roles that he fulfills on The Simpsons is being the keeper of the integrity of the original vision. I think that every enduring story that has expressions over multiple periods, that role of being the keeper of the integrity of the vision is a very important role. Audrey takes that very seriously, especially with a book like The Lorax, where she was so involved with Ted’s creation of the book. We get a lot of input from her, and it’s a really fun but challenging process. She is very forthright. It’s going back almost eight or nine years now, since I started working on Horton. One of the great parts of my life is going down to San Diego, every four to six weeks, and showing her the progress on designs and the film and story, and getting her input.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Is it extra daunting to take on a live-action story about Theodor Geisel’s life, knowing that you’re representing him, as well as these characters?</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>MELEDANDRI: It is incredibly daunting to take on a live-action story. I think that it adds a level of complexity to the responsibility that goes beyond what I’ve experienced on these two films (The Lorax and Horton Hears a Who). I take his legacy very, very seriously. I know others may disagree because he’s made such an impact on so many people that response to work becomes very personal, so people will have different points of view. But, at the core of this, I take the protection and the extension of his legacy very, very seriously. It’s a very important part of my life. When you take that to the next level of guiding a group of filmmakers to actually depict him, it’s even more challenging. The one that that I think everybody involved believes is that we won’t move forward with this until we believe it’s right. There’s no deadline that a movie has to be made by. We have to believe that we have served the responsibility, however long it takes us to get to that point.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Is it going to be a mix of live-action with the animated characters?</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>MELEDANDRI: Yes. The idea right now – and it may evolve – would be a live-action movie where some of his characters would be animated. To me, this movie is very much about the creative process. One of the things that fascinates me, endlessly, about him is the act of creation. As part of the expression of that creative process, we want to have some of these characters of his creations come to life. That’s the idea now. But, as it evolves and develops, I’m sure we’ll discover things that we just don’t know right now, in terms of the ultimate expression of it.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Along with Johnny Depp being a producer, there’s also the possibility that he may star in the lead role. What is it about him that assured you that you were both on the same page with what you want to do with this film?</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>MELEDANDRI: Well, the truth of how this started was that it actually started with Johnny. We were brought together through Audrey Geisel. I was the beneficiary of hearing their interest and their ideas, and I was quite taken with their ideas</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>How far along are you in the process for Despicable Me 2?</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>MELEDANDRI: We just started animation.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Does it give you an added level of pressure to live up to the success of the first one?</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>MELEDANDRI: You know, I find that making these films is all pressure. Making the first one is pressure, and living up to the first one is pressure. It’s all just different forms of pressure. But, absolutely, we all, collectively, are united in our hopes [for the film]. It’s very hard to set your sights on, “Will we live up to it?,” rather than, “Will we continually push ourselves to take what audiences loved about the first one and then go beyond it, so that we never feel like we’re playing it safe?”</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>How exciting is it that Al Pacino will be making his animation debut, voicing the villain?</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>MELEDANDRI: So exciting! That’s a highlight of one’s career. That’s crazy, wonderful and incredible.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Finally, look for exclusive video interviews with the cast of The Lorax next week. </span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span ><a href="http://collider.com/chris-meledandri-the-lorax-despicable-me-2-interview/147854/"><i>Source</i></a></span></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837630938018200568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031081407803619400.post-62886015633525131402012-02-24T17:08:00.002-08:002012-02-24T17:11:41.628-08:00Daytona 500 winner needs sponsor backing<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5k1cRlp-eUFuCAaE3DoU7bCUqQ2onWiQb-97F8bmzW65iIDZ37-W8r1S__z1dMvJsTB0o-Dfo9-DDy2n9S5VPh-ccXZx_3XHFOrqu1v55c1Y7HCKGZpzeHzNHXRb1w7izQv21t4dXYyE/s1600/Daytona+500.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 151px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5k1cRlp-eUFuCAaE3DoU7bCUqQ2onWiQb-97F8bmzW65iIDZ37-W8r1S__z1dMvJsTB0o-Dfo9-DDy2n9S5VPh-ccXZx_3XHFOrqu1v55c1Y7HCKGZpzeHzNHXRb1w7izQv21t4dXYyE/s200/Daytona+500.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712874497428961234" /></a><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Never had a 20-year-old kid won the Great American Race — until last year.</span><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span style="color: rgb(37, 37, 37); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 18px; "><span><div style="font-size: 14px; ">Understandably, Bayne became an overnight sensation. He made the rounds on the talk-show circuit. Rubbed elbows with Ellen DeGeneres and George Lopez. He chatted by phone with Vice President Joe Biden and Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow. And there was even the moment when Pamela Anderson compared Bayne to one of her sons.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">Yes, Bayne’s astonishing win in the 2011 Daytona 500 should have been a springboard to stardom. But in the past year, there have been times it appeared the now-21-year-old was just spinning his wheels.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">How can a driver so fresh, engaging and talented not attract the necessary sponsorship to provide the seat time to advance to the next level?</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">“Trevor is a good enough race car driver — at the very least, he should be driving a Nationwide car full time and running for that championship,” said Carl Edwards, Bayne's Roush Fenway Racing teammate and former NNS champion. “I think if we had to do it all over again, it would be done a lot differently.”</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">Certainly, sponsorship is problematic, particularly for Nationwide Series programs right now. Defending series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr., another Roush teammate, also lacks a full complement of support for the No. 16 team.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">For Wood Brothers Racing, Bayne’s Sprint Cup team, sponsorship also stands between the driver and a full-time ride. While the Wood Brothers reinvested Daytona 500 winnings into the team to expand Bayne’s schedule to 17 races in 2011, there’s only a 12-race budget this season.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">Bayne is all too aware of the sponsorship reality. Most parents can carry a driver only so far financially in racing. By the time drivers reach the Sprint Cup Series, the budgets well exceed seven figures.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">Still, last season, Bayne’s Nationwide Series owner, Jack Roush, ran the team out of his own pocket. While Bayne will start on the front row for Saturday’s DRIVE4COPD 300, the car will be named the “RFR 25th Ford.”</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">Bayne's biggest challenge right now isn’t performance; it’s finding a partner to subsidize his racing.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">“For me, it’s just convincing guys that I can help their brand and be their race car driver and be their representative,” Bayne said. “That’s what I’m trying to do. That’s the hardest part of our sport right now. It’s not (just) driving . . . ”</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">Bayne is grateful for the opportunities he’s had. His career appeared to be on the right path last spring after winning the 500 and running for the title in the Nationwide Series. Then Bayne became seriously ill after he was bitten by an insect. The symptoms were so severe he ended up at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Bayne was fourth in the Nationwide standings before he sat out five races in an effort to get well.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">“I don't know if it took me off my game necessarily, but you never know what could have happened,” Bayne said. “We could have been Nationwide champions. I say that not taking anything away from (champion) Ricky and (crew chief) Mike Kelley, because they deserved it. But you never know how it could have played out. We were four points out of the lead at the time — not that it really matters, because it didn't happen.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">“I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now. For some reason, I'm supposed to be right here where I'm at. But, having won a championship, it could have changed things a little bit. But I would think that after winning the 500, as well, and it hasn't really. So I've just got to work really hard and stay after it and make the best of what we've got. You can't really look back and change anything.”</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">Team owner Eddie Wood has worked with legends in the sport. Yet he remembers vividly the day Bayne came buzzing into his shop to have his seat fitted for his Sprint Cup debut in November 2010.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">Perhaps what Wood admired most about Bayne was how upbeat and genuine he was that day. And that demeanor didn’t change after the title Daytona 500 champion was placed next to Bayne’s name.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">“With everything he’s gone through, from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, he handled it really, really well,” Wood said. “He was already a very grown-up 20-year-old, but after winning the 500 and then getting sick and being forced out of the car, I think that was a real eye-opening experience that no one would want to go through or wish on anyone. But he worked his way through it and got healthy.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">“I think he’s a more mature driver now, from having to deal with the adversity. There was a period last year when we didn’t run real well, but then it started to click again. And down here this week he has been real focused and ready to go.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">“He told me just a little while ago, ‘I can win this race again. I’m going to win this race.’ So the confidence is there. The maturity is there. It just all has to fall into place.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">"That’s how this race has always been. It’s historic. It’s always has been that way here — when</div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">it’s your day, it’s your day."</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">Bayne had a miscue during the first Gatorade Duel on Thursday, getting in a wreck on Lap 9 while drafting with Michael McDowell that damaged the right rear quarter panel. Then, on the last lap, Bayne drove over a coil spring from Danica Patrick’s mangled machine, relegating the No. 21 Ford to the No. 40 starting spot for the Daytona 500.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">Still, Bayne is confident he can use what he learned during the qualifier to run up front on Sunday and defend his Daytona 500 title. But nothing will replace that first win.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">“So coming back here and being called the champion, I still don’t think right now that I understand it,” Bayne said. “I can honestly say that in five years I’ll look back at it and appreciate it more than I do right now. And I already feel like I appreciate it to the max, but I’m sure later on it’ll mean even more to me.”</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">For now, though, nothing would mean more to Bayne than finding a sponsor.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">“I just have to make the most of all the opportunities that I have and show everybody that I’m not going to sit around and complain about it,” Bayne said. “I’m fortunate to be the age that I am and have the opportunity that I have.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">“I’ve raced against thousands of kids along the way that don’t even get this chance. But I want to be around for a long time and stay around, so that requires having sponsorship, that requires running for championships and running for race wins, and that’s what we want to do.”</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br /></div><div><span><i><a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/Defending-Daytona-500-winner-Trevor-Bayne-needs-sponsors-to-run-full-time-022412">Source</a></i></span></div></span></span></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837630938018200568noreply@blogger.com0