Synopsis:
AVATAR takes us to a spectacular world beyond imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on an epic adventure, ultimately fighting to save the alien world he has learned to call home. James Cameron, the Oscar-winning director of “Titanic,” first conceived the film 15 years ago, when the means to realize his vision did not exist yet. Now, after four years of production, AVATAR, a live action film with a new generation of special effects, delivers a fully immersive cinematic experience of a new kind, where the revolutionary technology invented to make the film disappears into the emotion of the characters and the sweep of the story.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Viktor's Secret
Viktor's Secret
Victor & Rolf's spring 2010 show has left jaws dropping and imaginations soaring. Viktor's secret--how in the world is that hole in the tulle made?? The whimsy yet endless beauty of this collection has me awed. By far the best this season. And those shoes! ( and yes-that is tulle.)
x's & o's,
[teen] fashionista
Sunday, November 22, 2009
iPod
IPod is a brand of portable media players designed and marketed by Apple and launched on October 23, 2001. The product line-up includes the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the video-capable iPod Nano, and the compact iPod Shuffle. The iPhone can function as an iPod but is generally treated as a separate product. Former iPod models include the iPod Mini and the spin-off iPod Photo (since reintegrated into the main iPod Classic line). iPod Classic models store media on an internal hard drive, while all other models use flash memory to enable their smaller size (the discontinued Mini used a Microdrive miniature hard drive). As with many other digital music players, iPods can also serve as external data storage devices. Storage capacity varies by model.
Apple's iTunes software can be used to transfer music to the devices from computers using certain versions of Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows operating systems.[1] For users who choose not to use Apple's software or whose computers cannot run iTunes software, several open source alternatives to iTunes are also available.[2] iTunes and its alternatives may also transfer photos, videos, games, contact information, e-mail settings, Web bookmarks, and calendars to iPod models supporting those features. The Apple iPod is the only device compatible with iTunes, although select devices from Archos are compatible. As of September 9, 2009, more than 220,000,000 iPods had been sold worldwide, making it the best-selling digital audio player series in history.[3]
Apple's iTunes software can be used to transfer music to the devices from computers using certain versions of Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows operating systems.[1] For users who choose not to use Apple's software or whose computers cannot run iTunes software, several open source alternatives to iTunes are also available.[2] iTunes and its alternatives may also transfer photos, videos, games, contact information, e-mail settings, Web bookmarks, and calendars to iPod models supporting those features. The Apple iPod is the only device compatible with iTunes, although select devices from Archos are compatible. As of September 9, 2009, more than 220,000,000 iPods had been sold worldwide, making it the best-selling digital audio player series in history.[3]
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Music lovers who are blind or vision-impaired can now enjoy iTunes and iPod nano in an entirely new way thanks to the latest version of iTunes and the new iPod nano (5th generation).
iTunes 9 is screen-reader friendly. On a Mac using Mac OS X Leopard or Snow Leopard, iTunes is compatible with VoiceOver. On a PC using Windows XP or Windows Vista, Apple recommends Window-Eyes 7.0 by GW Micro. And because iPod nano (4th generation or later) has optional spoken menus, you can easily find and play the music you want to hear.
To take advantage of spoken menus, you need:
When you connect iPod nano (4th generation or later) to your Mac or PC with iTunes 8 or later, you’ll find an option in iTunes to “Enable spoken menus for accessibility.” When you sync, iTunes creates spoken descriptions for the contents of your iPod nano using the text-to-speech engine on your computer (in Mac OS X, Windows XP, and Windows Vista) and then syncs them to your iPod nano along with your music.
Adjusting the speed of the computer’s voice changes the way spoken menus sound on iPod nano. In Mac OS X, you can adjust the speaking rate for Alex and other Mac voices in the Speech pane of System Preferences. In Windows XP and Windows Vista, you can adjust the speaking rate for voices using the Text to Speech Control Panel.
For more information about setting up spoken menus on iPod nano, see “Enabling Spoken Menus on iPod nano (4th generation or later).”
iPod touch features a large, high-resolution 3.5-inch LCD display with adjustable brightness. An Auto-Brightness feature continually adjusts the brightness automatically — using an integrated ambient light sensor — for optimal viewing even in very high and very low lighting conditions.
On a Mac, iTunes 9 works in conjunction with VoiceOver to provide full keyboard control and spoken audio descriptions. iTunes also works with the other built-in Universal Access features of Mac OS X, including Zoom, Sticky Keys, and Mouse Keys. The Universal Access features work in conjunction with VoiceOver to suit your specific needs.
Thanks to its support for Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA), iTunes 9 for Windows can be used with screen readers for Windows, but to take advantage of this support, screen reader manufacturers may have to update their applications. Apple recommends using GW-Micro Window-Eyes 7.0, which is sold separately, on Windows XP (Service Pack 3).
To make browsing with a screen reader easier, the iTunes Store uses headers, links, and form controls, terms and landmarks you’ve already become accustomed to while browsing web pages.
If you can’t immediately find a song, album, or artist you’re interested in, you can use the search feature on the iTunes Store to find and display a matching list of songs, movies, TV shows, and other content based on the criteria you enter. For more complex searches, use Power Search, which lets you enter multiple search criteria at once.
When you find content you like, iTunes 9 makes purchasing that content easy. Use a simple keystroke to purchase and download all media types, including individual songs, complete albums, movies, TV episodes, Season Passes, audiobooks, and podcasts.
Spoken Menus on iPod nano (4th generation or later)
iPod nano (4th generation or later) — the world’s most popular music player — includes spoken menus that let visually impaired users browse and select songs without viewing the screen. Instead, you’ll hear a synthesized voice speaking the names of menus, songs, and artists.To take advantage of spoken menus, you need:
- iPod nano (4th generation or later)
- iTunes 8 or later
- Mac OS X v10.4.11 or later
- Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 3 or later)
Enabling spoken menus
When you connect iPod nano (4th generation or later) to your Mac or PC with iTunes 8 or later, you’ll find an option in iTunes to “Enable spoken menus for accessibility.” When you sync, iTunes creates spoken descriptions for the contents of your iPod nano using the text-to-speech engine on your computer (in Mac OS X, Windows XP, and Windows Vista) and then syncs them to your iPod nano along with your music.iPod nano speaks volumes
In Mac OS X, you can choose from a variety of natural-sounding and novelty voices, including Alex, the amazing English-speaking voice available in Mac OS X Leopard and Snow Leopard. Using patented Apple speech technology, Alex closely matches the nuances of human speech and can deliver natural intonation even at extraordinarily fast speaking rates. You can purchase additional English and non-English voices separately. Contact third-party voice providers for details.
In Windows, iTunes 8 or later uses Microsoft’s Speech API (SAPI) compatible voices to generate spoken menu descriptions. Be sure to enable Text to Speech and choose a voice in the Control Panel in Windows XP or Windows Vista before you enable spoken menus in iTunes, since speech may not be enabled by default.Adjusting the speed of the computer’s voice changes the way spoken menus sound on iPod nano. In Mac OS X, you can adjust the speaking rate for Alex and other Mac voices in the Speech pane of System Preferences. In Windows XP and Windows Vista, you can adjust the speaking rate for voices using the Text to Speech Control Panel.
For more information about setting up spoken menus on iPod nano, see “Enabling Spoken Menus on iPod nano (4th generation or later).”
Large Font on iPod nano (4th generation or later)
iPod nano (4th generation or later) includes a font size setting that lets you choose a standard or large font size. You can enable the large font in the Settings menu.High-Contrast Screen and Backlight
iPod classic and iPod nano feature high-resolution LCD displays with adjustable brightness settings that make them easy to read even in low-light conditions. And the new iPod nano (5th generation) has a larger screen so you can view type even more easily than before.iPod touch features a large, high-resolution 3.5-inch LCD display with adjustable brightness. An Auto-Brightness feature continually adjusts the brightness automatically — using an integrated ambient light sensor — for optimal viewing even in very high and very low lighting conditions.
Accessibility in iTunes 9
iTunes 9 is screen-reader friendly. On a Mac using Mac OS X Leopard or Snow Leopard, it’s compatible with VoiceOver; on a PC using Windows XP or Windows Vista, it’s compatible with GW-Micro Window-Eyes 7.0.Screen-reader technology
For those who are blind or have a vision impairment, screen readers provide spoken descriptions and full keyboard control as an alternative to using a mouse. Screen readers use a speech engine to synthesize spoken descriptions that explain what’s taking place on the computer screen. While customers using Windows PCs typically purchase screen readers separately, Mac computers with Mac OS X v10.4 or later include a full-featured, built-in screen reader called VoiceOver. On a Mac, iTunes 9 works in conjunction with VoiceOver to provide full keyboard control and spoken audio descriptions. iTunes also works with the other built-in Universal Access features of Mac OS X, including Zoom, Sticky Keys, and Mouse Keys. The Universal Access features work in conjunction with VoiceOver to suit your specific needs.Thanks to its support for Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA), iTunes 9 for Windows can be used with screen readers for Windows, but to take advantage of this support, screen reader manufacturers may have to update their applications. Apple recommends using GW-Micro Window-Eyes 7.0, which is sold separately, on Windows XP (Service Pack 3).
iTunes Store
With iTunes 9, you can use a screen reader to browse the iTunes Store and shop for music, movies, TV shows, audiobooks, free podcasts, and other content. A number of areas in the iTunes Store have been enhanced for accessibility, including the iTunes Store home page, iTunes U, Podcasts, Music, Audiobooks, Movies, TV Shows, Music Videos, and iTunes Latino, among others. On the home page, you’ll find links to the Top Movie Rentals, Top Movie Sales, Top Songs, Top Albums, Top Audiobooks, and similar content. And since even the sign-up process is now accessible, you can create an iTunes account without sighted assistance.To make browsing with a screen reader easier, the iTunes Store uses headers, links, and form controls, terms and landmarks you’ve already become accustomed to while browsing web pages.
If you can’t immediately find a song, album, or artist you’re interested in, you can use the search feature on the iTunes Store to find and display a matching list of songs, movies, TV shows, and other content based on the criteria you enter. For more complex searches, use Power Search, which lets you enter multiple search criteria at once.When you find content you like, iTunes 9 makes purchasing that content easy. Use a simple keystroke to purchase and download all media types, including individual songs, complete albums, movies, TV episodes, Season Passes, audiobooks, and podcasts.
iTunes U
iTunes U also features enhanced accessbility for those using screen readers. As a result, everyone with access to the Internet, including those who are blind or vision-impaired, can enjoy great educational content. iTunes hosts content provided by participating colleges, universities, K-12 schools, museums, public radio stations, and other educational organizations. That means the content is always available, easy to find, and even easier to download and play. On iTunes U, you search, download, and play course content just as you do with music, movies, and TV shows.Apple works closely with participating schools and organizations, encouraging them to provide descriptions for images and other information they upload to their web pages to make sure the pages are accessible to those using screen readers.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Complete List of Blogger Tutorials
Here is a complete list of all the tutorials posted on Blogger Buster, organized by category. So please, dive in and read the tutorials which are most useful to you!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Courtney Love, actually
Who is this smart, put-together woman? Why, it's Courtney Love, formerly the shambolic drug-addled widow of a tragic rock legend, now a sleek Givenchy muse, devout Buddhist and doting mother. But has the chaotic hell-raiser been replaced by a boring model citizen? Not quite, as Nigel Farndale discovers when he meets her
For the record, I didn't make Courtney Love cry. She made herself cry, every time she mentioned Frances, her 15-year-old daughter from her marriage to Kurt Cobain, the front man of the grunge band Nirvana. As she raised the subject four times over the course of two hours, this meant she cried four times: real, eye-dabbing, make-up-running, sniffy-nosed tears. But this is to come. For now, if anything, it is she who is bringing me close to tears with her Buddhist chanting. I have to endure 15 minutes of it before the interview can get under way. We are in her hotel suite, one of London's most exclusive. She is in the adjoining bedroom, chanting loudly. I am sitting waiting for her on a sofa surrounded by unruly piles of magazines, a guitar in a case, two full ashtrays, burning joss sticks, property details for a £4 million house in Notting Hill, and racks of her clothes - Givenchy, mostly, as Love is the new muse for that label.
A gong sounds, the chanting stops and she appears smiling in a skimpy black nightie and no make-up. There is a long-haired man with her. 'This is my friend David,' she says. 'We're chanting. Obviously. But he is so much better at explaining it than me.' She disappears to get changed, leaving me with her guru. As he is explaining what the chanting means I reflect on the living (despite the odds) legend that is Courtney Love. This is a woman who seems to have teetered on the edge of mayhem all her life - the heroin addiction, the air-rage incidents, the custody battles, the jail sentences, the star-f-ing, the millions made, the millions lost, the rehab - but she has never been boring. Or predictable. And although she was described as the Yoko Ono to Cobain's John Lennon, she was always a rock star in her own right. Indeed, immediately after her husband killed himself with a shotgun blast to the head in 1994, she set off on a tour with her band Hole, which, according to John Peel, verged on the heroic. 'Swaying wildly and with lipstick smeared on her face, hands and, I think, her back, the singer would have drawn whistles of astonishment in Bedlam,' he wrote.
Back in the hotel room ten minutes have passed and the guru is coming to the end of his explanation. 'I tend to chant with Courtney for two or three hours a day,' he says. 'A lot of celebrity Buddhists don't like to put in the time. But she loves to chant.'
No kidding. It may make for inner harmony for her, but for me the chanting adds to the chaos in the hotel suite. But then there is always a sense of chaos when Love is in town, which is why she has been banned from two of London's finest hotels (on both occasions it was to do with fire alarms being set off). When she reappears she is doing pretend karate chops, I think because she is wearing a Vivienne Westwood outfit that looks as if it came from the props department of Kill Bill. It is a black corset affair with leggings, shoulder pads and buckles. As she talks she keeps adjusting her bra to try and get comfortable. She also tries to work out what to do with a rogue cord that dangles between her legs, gives up and instead gathers her long, bottle-blonde hair over one shoulder - and teases two strands of her fringe down so that they hang dangerously over her eyes.
Courtney Love is 43 and in fine shape. Thanks to Madonna's macrobiotic nutritionist, she is back to a size eight. But her weight yo-yos - 'You have to be thin all the time to make it as an actress,' she says. 'But my rock weight is 20 or 30lb more than my film weight.' She juggles the two careers. 'Performing on stage is like great sex,' she tells me. 'Of course you want to be known for giving the best blowjob in town, but you also want to get yours, too.' She has a new album out in the spring and film projects in the pipeline, trying to regain some of the form she lost since her Golden Globe-nominated role in The People vs Larry Flynt (1996) and her equally good performance in Man on the Moon (1999) opposite Jim Carrey. Actually, it's three careers if you include the fashion thing: 'Givenchy is like me,' she says. 'A legendary brand that has had its ups and downs.'
She lights up a cigarette and holds it between two straight, long fingers with nails varnished vampy black. Although her eyes are large, green and - because slightly divergent - mesmerising, it is her pouty mouth that arrests the attention. She begins applying lipstick with a paintbrush as she is talking. And, boy, can she talk. She has a big mouth in every sense. A 'big dirty rock mouth', as it was once memorably described. I have to say, I like her instantly. I like her goofy grin. I like the crack in her husky voice. I like the fact that she is funny, chatty, animated, boastful, open, vulnerable, name-dropping and unselfconscious. She is also flirty, jiggling her eyebrows up and down when she wants me to look at something on her laptop - some art she is buying. Our opening exchange goes something like this. 'Did you like David?' He seemed very nice. 'I share him with Orlando Bloom.' And how does she feel after a chanting session? 'Sometimes really aggressive. Sometimes really energised and ready for a fight.' I see. Does her chanting fill a vacuum left by heroin? 'I didn't have an addiction when I was 24, which was when I started chanting. I try to focus on gratitude when I chant, because it kills anxiety and depression dead. I play tapes of gratitude in my head. Occasionally, though, a negative thought sneaks through. Lately I've been getting weird visions of Vince Vaughn running around naked in an executioner's mask.'
While one must not make light of mental health issues - especially in relation to someone who has been in and out of therapy all her life - the journalistic devil on my shoulder does whisper into my ear at this point, 'Thank goodness she's still bonkers.' Does she ever fear for her sanity, I ask? 'I am naturally pretty paranoid,' she says. 'And I have a right to be.'
Because? 'Mostly it is about money. What has caused problems for me is not understanding money. I had it and I had it stolen. I've had to rebuild it. It is a powerful thing. It has killed people in my life, the force of greed and covetousness. It has hurt me. I was embezzled.' Love claims that an estimated $20 million of her money was siphoned off in a case that is still being investigated by the FBI. Does she mean the royalties from Nirvana? 'Not just the royalties from Nirvana; it is all the money I have made, too. I'm not a slice of baloney myself. I've sold nine million records.' It's true, it's true. She was known for her grungy guitar playing, as well as for the way she would stage-dive into the crowd wearing charity-shop dresses and no knickers. Her biggest hit, Celebrity Skin, still stands up, in my opinion. 'I had everything stolen,' she continues, 'and so did my daughter, and that is upsetting.'
And so the sobbing starts. When she has recovered her composure I note that she is clearly very protective about her daughter. 'Frances is 15 now. That's a difficult age. She slept with me for the first time in a long time last night.' She starts to well up again. 'Sorry, I hate getting emotional. We get on well most of the time but teenagers are hard. Being a single mother is hard.'
Love's own childhood had no stability whatsoever. A social-services report details the eight different institutions where she was held in care between 1978 and 1980. Her case folder bore the phrase: 'Parents' whereabouts unknown'. Aged 16, she became a stripper.
Does she consciously avoid repeating the mistakes her own parents made? 'Oh my God, so much. We went to Trudie and Sting's the other night, because Trudie has a daughter who is Franny's age, but it was hard. For one thing, they were going to see the film Control and I wanted to show Frances that she could go out in London without a nanny or a bodyguard, so they went by themselves. I wanted to get her a cake because it is the first time she has gone anywhere on her own. She came back so disturbed because - daaa! - I forgot what the movie was about [the suicide of the lead singer of Joy Division]. Anyway, Sting was there and he was reading his book, and there were all their other kids there who had a mom and a dad, and Franny felt the odd one out.' She wipes her tears. 'I'm sorry. I just want things to be good for her, but she's a lot like me and a lot like her dad. I think she got the best of both of us, so there's that.'
Good cheekbones, I imagine. 'Yeah, she is a very good-looking girl. I don't want to put her in a burka. But I want to protect her from your tabloid press. I can take it but she…' Love trails off for a moment. 'It happens to me when I get papped in the UK, in the car. It's like Diana! Diana! Diana! You can't see anything because of the flashbulbs. At least I know how it works now. According to the tabs I'm dating Pete Doherty and we went to a Wetherspoons. Yeah, I get the joke. F- off. I hardly know Pete Doherty. I've talked to him once on the phone about rehab, because I'm a good rehab guide. Rehab worked for me because the judge ordered me to do 90 days, not 28. It was in a house doing one-to-one cognitive therapy, all 12 steps. It's a really good invention, the 12 steps. They gave me this sheet with all these negative attributes - paranoid, self-centred and so on - and told me to circle the ones that applied to me. Man, there were a lot of circles on mine. It was like an inventory. Then I had to write these damn letters to people I had f-ed over. Trouble was, my memory was so f-ed from the heroin I couldn't remember who I had f-ed over.'
No one at all? 'Well some things came back to me. I had to apologise to some guy I'd called a c-. And when I was telling this to my friend [the comedian] Chris Rock he said, "You should apologise to me, too." I said, "Why?" He said, "I remember getting 56 texts from you one morning." I was like, "What?" He said, "I read some of them out on stage and, believe me, you kept a lot of brothers and sisters sober."'
She says she's been clean and sober now since leaving rehab in February 2006. Does she still have memory lapses? 'The other night I was at the V&A and got talking to Vivienne Westwood, Dame Vivienne, and I said, "Great to meet you. I'm a huge fan," and she said, "We've met before. And we talked on the phone for three hours one time." I had zero recollection of it. I said, "Was I horrible? Was I boring?" She said, "No, I would have hung up on you if you had been. You were terribly amusing." Can you smell that?' I test the air. 'Smells like weed.' Not mine. 'Not mine either. Must be coming from the air ducts. Someone is having a smoke. What were we talking about?' Her memory. 'Yeah, I'm afraid I burnt some of my memory cells out. A lot of Courtney stories end in a fire. Usually on a set. But, hey, I'm not a bad person. There were massive gaps in my education: like you are not supposed to sleep with people who are married. I didn't know what to be scared of. I've stepped over the line here and there in my romantic behaviour but I have always been pretty moral.'
And pretty consistent. She likes to stick to front men: the front men of the Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails, to name but two. She has also been consistently, um, high-spirited in her behaviour. Does she feel when she is in a public place that she has to live up to a public version of herself as a hell-raiser? 'No, no, no. There is a disconnect between who I am, and how I live, and how I am perceived. I used to play up to it a bit when I was on drugs because who cares: sex, drugs, rock?'n'roll, waaaah! I always seem to come number two to Keith Richards in lists of greatest hell-raisers of all time. But if I was a guy, I wouldn't even be on the list! I didn't know it was such a guy's job. It's like playing football in high heels and lipstick; no wonder it smears.'
Her appearance in 2004 on The Late Show with David Letterman, the most famous American chat show, is the stuff of YouTube legend. She talked hyperactively, wouldn't leave and kept flashing her breasts. 'That's not art, that's just me not being the greatest celebrity of all time. I'm not 19 any more, so me standing on Letterman's desk is not as acceptable.'
An embarrassment threshold - does she have one? 'God, yes, I get embarrassed all the time. Are you crazy? I don't like things that embarrass my kid… You've got me crying again.'
In 1992 Love admitted to Vanity Fair that she had used heroin while (unknowingly) pregnant. Afterwards she claimed that she had been misquoted. The LA County Child Support Services Department nevertheless took the Cobains to court, claiming that the couple's drug usage made them unfit parents. After months of legal wrangling, they were granted custody of their daughter. There have been other custody battles since. 'I am a good mother, and the proof is in the pudding,' she says. 'I would never, ever put Franny on television. I would never let her do press. She has been offered the lead in four films, and was offered a campaign for [the fashion label] Tommy Hilfiger, and I tell her about these offers, but she wants to be a political journalist anyway, so… I don't think any kid has been more wanted by both her parents and I don't think any parents have ever wanted to f- up less than we did.'
Some of the gaps in her memory must be good for her self-preservation, I suggest. 'I don't have a gap about Kurt,' she says. Does she go through guilt about his death, wondering if there was anything more she could have done to prevent him killing himself? 'It's a horrible thing, but it is harder on a woman because widowers don't get the blame for suicide and widows do. Imagine having to grieve in public. It almost prevents you having your own grief. I went kooky-bananas ten years later because I didn't have a real association to my own grief. I didn't do a bereavement group. I didn't see a psychiatrist. I went on tour. Those shows were cathartic, but I was very defensive about what I would let out. I was swaggering around, all f-ed up on pills, but I wasn't telling the truth.' She lights another cigarette. 'Where were we? Yeah, my album. You're going to love it.'
And that's her. She is shameless. She is droll. She is a survivor, just, lurching from chronic insecurity to raging ego, self-belief and ambition. 'I want to get to the grown-up table once more and leave it with some grace,' she says. The smoke alarm goes off. She crosses the room to open the window. 'It is going to do this for a moment then it will stop,' she says, shouting above the noise. 'I hate this hotel.' On her way back she gets tangled up in the Vivienne Westwood cord dangling between her legs. 'I wonder what this string is for? I'm not sure what it signifies. The Dame sent me a few nice pieces, but this one is just crazy.'
She looks in her packet for another cigarette. 'Shit. Do you smoke?' When I shake my head she picks up the phone. 'Could you get two packs of Marlboro Lights as fast as possible, please.' And so the encounter ends as chaotically as it began.
For the record, I didn't make Courtney Love cry. She made herself cry, every time she mentioned Frances, her 15-year-old daughter from her marriage to Kurt Cobain, the front man of the grunge band Nirvana. As she raised the subject four times over the course of two hours, this meant she cried four times: real, eye-dabbing, make-up-running, sniffy-nosed tears. But this is to come. For now, if anything, it is she who is bringing me close to tears with her Buddhist chanting. I have to endure 15 minutes of it before the interview can get under way. We are in her hotel suite, one of London's most exclusive. She is in the adjoining bedroom, chanting loudly. I am sitting waiting for her on a sofa surrounded by unruly piles of magazines, a guitar in a case, two full ashtrays, burning joss sticks, property details for a £4 million house in Notting Hill, and racks of her clothes - Givenchy, mostly, as Love is the new muse for that label.
A gong sounds, the chanting stops and she appears smiling in a skimpy black nightie and no make-up. There is a long-haired man with her. 'This is my friend David,' she says. 'We're chanting. Obviously. But he is so much better at explaining it than me.' She disappears to get changed, leaving me with her guru. As he is explaining what the chanting means I reflect on the living (despite the odds) legend that is Courtney Love. This is a woman who seems to have teetered on the edge of mayhem all her life - the heroin addiction, the air-rage incidents, the custody battles, the jail sentences, the star-f-ing, the millions made, the millions lost, the rehab - but she has never been boring. Or predictable. And although she was described as the Yoko Ono to Cobain's John Lennon, she was always a rock star in her own right. Indeed, immediately after her husband killed himself with a shotgun blast to the head in 1994, she set off on a tour with her band Hole, which, according to John Peel, verged on the heroic. 'Swaying wildly and with lipstick smeared on her face, hands and, I think, her back, the singer would have drawn whistles of astonishment in Bedlam,' he wrote.
Back in the hotel room ten minutes have passed and the guru is coming to the end of his explanation. 'I tend to chant with Courtney for two or three hours a day,' he says. 'A lot of celebrity Buddhists don't like to put in the time. But she loves to chant.'
No kidding. It may make for inner harmony for her, but for me the chanting adds to the chaos in the hotel suite. But then there is always a sense of chaos when Love is in town, which is why she has been banned from two of London's finest hotels (on both occasions it was to do with fire alarms being set off). When she reappears she is doing pretend karate chops, I think because she is wearing a Vivienne Westwood outfit that looks as if it came from the props department of Kill Bill. It is a black corset affair with leggings, shoulder pads and buckles. As she talks she keeps adjusting her bra to try and get comfortable. She also tries to work out what to do with a rogue cord that dangles between her legs, gives up and instead gathers her long, bottle-blonde hair over one shoulder - and teases two strands of her fringe down so that they hang dangerously over her eyes.
Courtney Love is 43 and in fine shape. Thanks to Madonna's macrobiotic nutritionist, she is back to a size eight. But her weight yo-yos - 'You have to be thin all the time to make it as an actress,' she says. 'But my rock weight is 20 or 30lb more than my film weight.' She juggles the two careers. 'Performing on stage is like great sex,' she tells me. 'Of course you want to be known for giving the best blowjob in town, but you also want to get yours, too.' She has a new album out in the spring and film projects in the pipeline, trying to regain some of the form she lost since her Golden Globe-nominated role in The People vs Larry Flynt (1996) and her equally good performance in Man on the Moon (1999) opposite Jim Carrey. Actually, it's three careers if you include the fashion thing: 'Givenchy is like me,' she says. 'A legendary brand that has had its ups and downs.'
She lights up a cigarette and holds it between two straight, long fingers with nails varnished vampy black. Although her eyes are large, green and - because slightly divergent - mesmerising, it is her pouty mouth that arrests the attention. She begins applying lipstick with a paintbrush as she is talking. And, boy, can she talk. She has a big mouth in every sense. A 'big dirty rock mouth', as it was once memorably described. I have to say, I like her instantly. I like her goofy grin. I like the crack in her husky voice. I like the fact that she is funny, chatty, animated, boastful, open, vulnerable, name-dropping and unselfconscious. She is also flirty, jiggling her eyebrows up and down when she wants me to look at something on her laptop - some art she is buying. Our opening exchange goes something like this. 'Did you like David?' He seemed very nice. 'I share him with Orlando Bloom.' And how does she feel after a chanting session? 'Sometimes really aggressive. Sometimes really energised and ready for a fight.' I see. Does her chanting fill a vacuum left by heroin? 'I didn't have an addiction when I was 24, which was when I started chanting. I try to focus on gratitude when I chant, because it kills anxiety and depression dead. I play tapes of gratitude in my head. Occasionally, though, a negative thought sneaks through. Lately I've been getting weird visions of Vince Vaughn running around naked in an executioner's mask.'
While one must not make light of mental health issues - especially in relation to someone who has been in and out of therapy all her life - the journalistic devil on my shoulder does whisper into my ear at this point, 'Thank goodness she's still bonkers.' Does she ever fear for her sanity, I ask? 'I am naturally pretty paranoid,' she says. 'And I have a right to be.'
Because? 'Mostly it is about money. What has caused problems for me is not understanding money. I had it and I had it stolen. I've had to rebuild it. It is a powerful thing. It has killed people in my life, the force of greed and covetousness. It has hurt me. I was embezzled.' Love claims that an estimated $20 million of her money was siphoned off in a case that is still being investigated by the FBI. Does she mean the royalties from Nirvana? 'Not just the royalties from Nirvana; it is all the money I have made, too. I'm not a slice of baloney myself. I've sold nine million records.' It's true, it's true. She was known for her grungy guitar playing, as well as for the way she would stage-dive into the crowd wearing charity-shop dresses and no knickers. Her biggest hit, Celebrity Skin, still stands up, in my opinion. 'I had everything stolen,' she continues, 'and so did my daughter, and that is upsetting.'
And so the sobbing starts. When she has recovered her composure I note that she is clearly very protective about her daughter. 'Frances is 15 now. That's a difficult age. She slept with me for the first time in a long time last night.' She starts to well up again. 'Sorry, I hate getting emotional. We get on well most of the time but teenagers are hard. Being a single mother is hard.'
Love's own childhood had no stability whatsoever. A social-services report details the eight different institutions where she was held in care between 1978 and 1980. Her case folder bore the phrase: 'Parents' whereabouts unknown'. Aged 16, she became a stripper.
Does she consciously avoid repeating the mistakes her own parents made? 'Oh my God, so much. We went to Trudie and Sting's the other night, because Trudie has a daughter who is Franny's age, but it was hard. For one thing, they were going to see the film Control and I wanted to show Frances that she could go out in London without a nanny or a bodyguard, so they went by themselves. I wanted to get her a cake because it is the first time she has gone anywhere on her own. She came back so disturbed because - daaa! - I forgot what the movie was about [the suicide of the lead singer of Joy Division]. Anyway, Sting was there and he was reading his book, and there were all their other kids there who had a mom and a dad, and Franny felt the odd one out.' She wipes her tears. 'I'm sorry. I just want things to be good for her, but she's a lot like me and a lot like her dad. I think she got the best of both of us, so there's that.'
Good cheekbones, I imagine. 'Yeah, she is a very good-looking girl. I don't want to put her in a burka. But I want to protect her from your tabloid press. I can take it but she…' Love trails off for a moment. 'It happens to me when I get papped in the UK, in the car. It's like Diana! Diana! Diana! You can't see anything because of the flashbulbs. At least I know how it works now. According to the tabs I'm dating Pete Doherty and we went to a Wetherspoons. Yeah, I get the joke. F- off. I hardly know Pete Doherty. I've talked to him once on the phone about rehab, because I'm a good rehab guide. Rehab worked for me because the judge ordered me to do 90 days, not 28. It was in a house doing one-to-one cognitive therapy, all 12 steps. It's a really good invention, the 12 steps. They gave me this sheet with all these negative attributes - paranoid, self-centred and so on - and told me to circle the ones that applied to me. Man, there were a lot of circles on mine. It was like an inventory. Then I had to write these damn letters to people I had f-ed over. Trouble was, my memory was so f-ed from the heroin I couldn't remember who I had f-ed over.'
No one at all? 'Well some things came back to me. I had to apologise to some guy I'd called a c-. And when I was telling this to my friend [the comedian] Chris Rock he said, "You should apologise to me, too." I said, "Why?" He said, "I remember getting 56 texts from you one morning." I was like, "What?" He said, "I read some of them out on stage and, believe me, you kept a lot of brothers and sisters sober."'
She says she's been clean and sober now since leaving rehab in February 2006. Does she still have memory lapses? 'The other night I was at the V&A and got talking to Vivienne Westwood, Dame Vivienne, and I said, "Great to meet you. I'm a huge fan," and she said, "We've met before. And we talked on the phone for three hours one time." I had zero recollection of it. I said, "Was I horrible? Was I boring?" She said, "No, I would have hung up on you if you had been. You were terribly amusing." Can you smell that?' I test the air. 'Smells like weed.' Not mine. 'Not mine either. Must be coming from the air ducts. Someone is having a smoke. What were we talking about?' Her memory. 'Yeah, I'm afraid I burnt some of my memory cells out. A lot of Courtney stories end in a fire. Usually on a set. But, hey, I'm not a bad person. There were massive gaps in my education: like you are not supposed to sleep with people who are married. I didn't know what to be scared of. I've stepped over the line here and there in my romantic behaviour but I have always been pretty moral.'
And pretty consistent. She likes to stick to front men: the front men of the Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails, to name but two. She has also been consistently, um, high-spirited in her behaviour. Does she feel when she is in a public place that she has to live up to a public version of herself as a hell-raiser? 'No, no, no. There is a disconnect between who I am, and how I live, and how I am perceived. I used to play up to it a bit when I was on drugs because who cares: sex, drugs, rock?'n'roll, waaaah! I always seem to come number two to Keith Richards in lists of greatest hell-raisers of all time. But if I was a guy, I wouldn't even be on the list! I didn't know it was such a guy's job. It's like playing football in high heels and lipstick; no wonder it smears.'
Her appearance in 2004 on The Late Show with David Letterman, the most famous American chat show, is the stuff of YouTube legend. She talked hyperactively, wouldn't leave and kept flashing her breasts. 'That's not art, that's just me not being the greatest celebrity of all time. I'm not 19 any more, so me standing on Letterman's desk is not as acceptable.'
An embarrassment threshold - does she have one? 'God, yes, I get embarrassed all the time. Are you crazy? I don't like things that embarrass my kid… You've got me crying again.'
In 1992 Love admitted to Vanity Fair that she had used heroin while (unknowingly) pregnant. Afterwards she claimed that she had been misquoted. The LA County Child Support Services Department nevertheless took the Cobains to court, claiming that the couple's drug usage made them unfit parents. After months of legal wrangling, they were granted custody of their daughter. There have been other custody battles since. 'I am a good mother, and the proof is in the pudding,' she says. 'I would never, ever put Franny on television. I would never let her do press. She has been offered the lead in four films, and was offered a campaign for [the fashion label] Tommy Hilfiger, and I tell her about these offers, but she wants to be a political journalist anyway, so… I don't think any kid has been more wanted by both her parents and I don't think any parents have ever wanted to f- up less than we did.'
Some of the gaps in her memory must be good for her self-preservation, I suggest. 'I don't have a gap about Kurt,' she says. Does she go through guilt about his death, wondering if there was anything more she could have done to prevent him killing himself? 'It's a horrible thing, but it is harder on a woman because widowers don't get the blame for suicide and widows do. Imagine having to grieve in public. It almost prevents you having your own grief. I went kooky-bananas ten years later because I didn't have a real association to my own grief. I didn't do a bereavement group. I didn't see a psychiatrist. I went on tour. Those shows were cathartic, but I was very defensive about what I would let out. I was swaggering around, all f-ed up on pills, but I wasn't telling the truth.' She lights another cigarette. 'Where were we? Yeah, my album. You're going to love it.'
And that's her. She is shameless. She is droll. She is a survivor, just, lurching from chronic insecurity to raging ego, self-belief and ambition. 'I want to get to the grown-up table once more and leave it with some grace,' she says. The smoke alarm goes off. She crosses the room to open the window. 'It is going to do this for a moment then it will stop,' she says, shouting above the noise. 'I hate this hotel.' On her way back she gets tangled up in the Vivienne Westwood cord dangling between her legs. 'I wonder what this string is for? I'm not sure what it signifies. The Dame sent me a few nice pieces, but this one is just crazy.'
She looks in her packet for another cigarette. 'Shit. Do you smoke?' When I shake my head she picks up the phone. 'Could you get two packs of Marlboro Lights as fast as possible, please.' And so the encounter ends as chaotically as it began.
Canonical and Dell deliver Ubuntu Moblin Remix Developer Edition
Canonical, Dell and Intel Team up to deliver Moblin Ubuntu Remix Developer Edition on Inspiron Mini 10v
Sep 23 Intel Developer Forum, San Francisco: Canonical and Dell have collaborated to bring the latest developer edition of the Moblin™ v2 user experience to the developer market. Called 'Ubuntu Moblin Remix Developer Edition' and optimized for the Intel® Atom™ processor-based Dell Inspiron Mini 10v netbook, this release gives developer communities a great platform to develop and test Moblin and associated applications.
The Moblin project is pushing the boundaries of Linux user-experiences with fast boot times, new applications and innovative user-interface. Canonical has worked closely with Dell and Intel to create the Ubuntu Moblin Remix which extends and productizes core Moblin OS features as well as the user interface. The image will also be made available by Dell for download.
The delivery of Ubuntu Moblin Remix on a shipping netbook means that features like power management, wireless networking and suspend/resume are pre-tested. This enables developers to focus on writing value-added software.
“Moblin keeps on getting more exciting as a project with new applications and improved user experiences. It's great to be delivering this release with Dell to developers wanting to participate in Moblin,” said Mark Shuttleworth, founder and CEO, Canonical. “Intel and the Moblin community are bringing tremendous resource and investment into the Linux ecosystem and this product acts as a bridge to Moblin for developers."
“Dell continues to take the lead in offering innovative choices in how individuals interact with their PC,” said John Thode, vice president, small screen devices, Dell Consumer. “By collaborating with Intel and Canonical we can offer early adopters, developers, and Linux enthusiasts, a truly pioneering Moblin development platform, the Inspiron Mini 10v, optimized for overall better performance, quicker boot time, smaller footprint, and longer battery life.”
“Moblin™ v2 takes advantage of the best features of Intel® Atom™ processors and provides outstanding user experience for small form factor devices,” said Doug Fisher, vice president of Intel’s Software and Services Group and general manager of the System Software Division. “It has been scarcely three months since the Moblin v2 beta was released and with the release of Ubuntu Moblin Remix Developer Edition on the Dell Inspiron Mini 10v we see a great example of how quickly the market segment is taking advantage of key technologies from Intel, Canonical and Dell.”
Sep 23 Intel Developer Forum, San Francisco: Canonical and Dell have collaborated to bring the latest developer edition of the Moblin™ v2 user experience to the developer market. Called 'Ubuntu Moblin Remix Developer Edition' and optimized for the Intel® Atom™ processor-based Dell Inspiron Mini 10v netbook, this release gives developer communities a great platform to develop and test Moblin and associated applications.
The Moblin project is pushing the boundaries of Linux user-experiences with fast boot times, new applications and innovative user-interface. Canonical has worked closely with Dell and Intel to create the Ubuntu Moblin Remix which extends and productizes core Moblin OS features as well as the user interface. The image will also be made available by Dell for download.
The delivery of Ubuntu Moblin Remix on a shipping netbook means that features like power management, wireless networking and suspend/resume are pre-tested. This enables developers to focus on writing value-added software.
“Moblin keeps on getting more exciting as a project with new applications and improved user experiences. It's great to be delivering this release with Dell to developers wanting to participate in Moblin,” said Mark Shuttleworth, founder and CEO, Canonical. “Intel and the Moblin community are bringing tremendous resource and investment into the Linux ecosystem and this product acts as a bridge to Moblin for developers."
“Dell continues to take the lead in offering innovative choices in how individuals interact with their PC,” said John Thode, vice president, small screen devices, Dell Consumer. “By collaborating with Intel and Canonical we can offer early adopters, developers, and Linux enthusiasts, a truly pioneering Moblin development platform, the Inspiron Mini 10v, optimized for overall better performance, quicker boot time, smaller footprint, and longer battery life.”
“Moblin™ v2 takes advantage of the best features of Intel® Atom™ processors and provides outstanding user experience for small form factor devices,” said Doug Fisher, vice president of Intel’s Software and Services Group and general manager of the System Software Division. “It has been scarcely three months since the Moblin v2 beta was released and with the release of Ubuntu Moblin Remix Developer Edition on the Dell Inspiron Mini 10v we see a great example of how quickly the market segment is taking advantage of key technologies from Intel, Canonical and Dell.”
Blogging Tutorial, Free Templates and Sites Info
How to make element below of the header
Like what I’ve told you before in my previous post, “Saving widget below of the header”, I said that, there are still a lot of ways to saving widget or element, exactly below the header. Today, I will give you a new technique. With this, you will be able to make a new column, exactly below the header. Want to figure it out? Here we go……In order to make a new column, we only need to put a little ‘spices’ like CSS code and HTML code in your template code. And this won’t be as hard as you imagine. Just follow my instructions below:
Ubuntu 9.10 Desktop Edition puts the user at the heart of its new design
Integrates dozens of new features and improvements to take user experience to next level
LONDON, October 26, 2009: Canonical announced today the upcoming release of Ubuntu 9.10 Desktop Edition, the latest version of the popular Linux desktop distribution. Ubuntu 9.10 will be available for free download on Thursday 29 October. Ubuntu 9.10 brings changes small and large that all have a common purpose - to make Ubuntu the most user-friendly operating system available. Ubuntu 9.10 features a redesigned, faster boot and login experience, a revamped audio framework, and improved 3G broadband connectivity, all of which contribute to a first-class user experience.
Furthermore, the innovative '100 Paper Cuts' initiative organised with the Ubuntu Community allowed users to nominate minor annoyances that impacted their enjoyment of the platform. So far over 50 fixes have been committed, removing minor irritants such as inconsistent naming or poorly organised application choices. Larger scale user experience improvements include a refreshed Ubuntu Software Center, giving users better and more easily understood information about the software they have available - bringing the world of open source applications closer to the user. These improvements, in combination, have a transformative effect on the user experience.
Ubuntu 9.10 also includes the integration of 'Ubuntu One' as a standard component of the desktop. Ubuntu One is an umbrella name for an exciting suite of online services, which were released in beta in May 2009. Ubuntu One provides an enhanced desktop experience, simplifies backup, synchronisation, and sharing of files with an expanded set of features including Tomboy Notes and contacts synchronisation.
Ubuntu 9.10 also welcomes a host of features that make it the best platform for developers, whether professional or casual. Developers interested in writing applications that run on Ubuntu now have a simplified toolset called 'Quickly' which makes it fun and easy by automating many of the mundane tasks involved in programming. Quickly also helps users 'package' the code and distribute it through the Ubuntu software repositories. Ubuntu developers will now find all code hosted in the Bazaar version control system, which is part of the fully open source Launchpad collaboration website. It's never been easier to develop on or for Ubuntu.
Netbook and smartbook users will be delighted by improvements to the Ubuntu 9.10 Netbook Remix (UNR) interface which continues to raise the bar in delivering the easiest, most discoverable and most useful user experience on small form machines. Common with Ubuntu 9.10 for desktops, UNR will integrate the Empathy instant messaging program for text, voice, video, and file transfers which will make communication more enjoyable then ever.
“Ubuntu 9.10 gives users more reasons than ever to seriously consider Linux at a time when many are thinking again about their operating system options. We are delivering a platform for users interested in an easy-to-use, great-looking, web-friendly operating system," says Jane Silber, COO at Canonical. “A faster, more beautiful boot and login sequence, file and contact synchronisation through online services and great experiences on the most popular notebook, desktop and netbook models continue to drive Ubuntu into the mainstream of computing choices."
LONDON, October 26, 2009: Canonical announced today the upcoming release of Ubuntu 9.10 Desktop Edition, the latest version of the popular Linux desktop distribution. Ubuntu 9.10 will be available for free download on Thursday 29 October. Ubuntu 9.10 brings changes small and large that all have a common purpose - to make Ubuntu the most user-friendly operating system available. Ubuntu 9.10 features a redesigned, faster boot and login experience, a revamped audio framework, and improved 3G broadband connectivity, all of which contribute to a first-class user experience.
Furthermore, the innovative '100 Paper Cuts' initiative organised with the Ubuntu Community allowed users to nominate minor annoyances that impacted their enjoyment of the platform. So far over 50 fixes have been committed, removing minor irritants such as inconsistent naming or poorly organised application choices. Larger scale user experience improvements include a refreshed Ubuntu Software Center, giving users better and more easily understood information about the software they have available - bringing the world of open source applications closer to the user. These improvements, in combination, have a transformative effect on the user experience.
Ubuntu 9.10 also includes the integration of 'Ubuntu One' as a standard component of the desktop. Ubuntu One is an umbrella name for an exciting suite of online services, which were released in beta in May 2009. Ubuntu One provides an enhanced desktop experience, simplifies backup, synchronisation, and sharing of files with an expanded set of features including Tomboy Notes and contacts synchronisation.
Ubuntu 9.10 also welcomes a host of features that make it the best platform for developers, whether professional or casual. Developers interested in writing applications that run on Ubuntu now have a simplified toolset called 'Quickly' which makes it fun and easy by automating many of the mundane tasks involved in programming. Quickly also helps users 'package' the code and distribute it through the Ubuntu software repositories. Ubuntu developers will now find all code hosted in the Bazaar version control system, which is part of the fully open source Launchpad collaboration website. It's never been easier to develop on or for Ubuntu.
Netbook and smartbook users will be delighted by improvements to the Ubuntu 9.10 Netbook Remix (UNR) interface which continues to raise the bar in delivering the easiest, most discoverable and most useful user experience on small form machines. Common with Ubuntu 9.10 for desktops, UNR will integrate the Empathy instant messaging program for text, voice, video, and file transfers which will make communication more enjoyable then ever.
“Ubuntu 9.10 gives users more reasons than ever to seriously consider Linux at a time when many are thinking again about their operating system options. We are delivering a platform for users interested in an easy-to-use, great-looking, web-friendly operating system," says Jane Silber, COO at Canonical. “A faster, more beautiful boot and login sequence, file and contact synchronisation through online services and great experiences on the most popular notebook, desktop and netbook models continue to drive Ubuntu into the mainstream of computing choices."
Apps for Everything
Applications for iPhone are like nothing you’ve ever seen on a mobile phone. Explore some of our favorite apps here and see how they allow iPhone to do even more.
Wine Ph.D. is perfect for wine connoisseurs and novices alike. Search wines from all over the world for ratings, winemaker notes, and pairing recommendations. Or stay up to date with articles on the latest trends, winemakers, popular regions, and best value buys. Serious wine enthusiasts can manage their cellars with Velvet Vine Wine Pro. Tap to add or subtract bottles, track purchases, and search new wines. Then organize bottles with detailed descriptions and wine label photos taken with your iPhone camera.
Wine Ph.D. is perfect for wine connoisseurs and novices alike. Search wines from all over the world for ratings, winemaker notes, and pairing recommendations. Or stay up to date with articles on the latest trends, winemakers, popular regions, and best value buys. Serious wine enthusiasts can manage their cellars with Velvet Vine Wine Pro. Tap to add or subtract bottles, track purchases, and search new wines. Then organize bottles with detailed descriptions and wine label photos taken with your iPhone camera.
Monday, November 16, 2009
All Music Loves 2005
A reader asked in the comments section of AllMusic Loves 2004, our previous feature listing our editors' favorite releases from a given year, "What next? AllMusic Loves 2005!?!?" Yes, exactly. As we said when we looked back at 2000, we are covering each year of the decade until we reach the end. Having passed the midpoint, we grapple with a year highlighted album-wise by the apex of record-collector rock (LCD Soundsystem's LCD Soundsystem), thrilling tongue-in-cheek meta-punk (Art Brut's Bang Bang Rock & Roll), and politicized electro-rooted trunk rattlers (M.I.A.'s Arular). Just as significantly, 2005 featured one of the decade's oddest smashes in Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" and, in Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone," a good old-fashioned anthem. In the case of the latter, guilt lies only in the souls of those who think of it as a mere guilty pleasure.
Hot Damn Jamz 34: Heard You Missed Us, We're Back!
Yeah, we were gone. Yeah, we are back. Like LFO. No, we have no excuses. No, we’ll never leave you high and dry again. I know you’ve heard it before, I know we’ve made promises we couldn’t always keep, but things will be different this time. We’ll be stronger, we’ll communicate more, we’ll be honest with ourselves and with you, dear jammerz. It won’t be easy, we know. There will be times we’ll want to give up, to take the easy way out, to turn our backs on the jamz. At those times we’ll think of the lives we changed and the jamz we’ve damned, and we’ll carry on proudly. This is our promise to you.
Weekend Report: ‘2012’ Plagues the Box Office
Detonating atop the weekend box office, 2012 swept in with an estimated $65 million on approximately 6,500 screens at 3,404 sites, ranking as the seventh highest grossing November debut ever. Among fellow disaster movies, it had the second-highest grossing start, behind only director Roland Emmerich's previous disaster, The Day After Tomorrow, which opened to $68.7 million. In terms of initial attendance, though, it trailed Day After Tomorrow by a wide margin, and Emmerich's Independence Day tops all disaster movies. 2012's marketing campaign successfully mimicked its predecessors in story and spectacle, replete with the destruction of the White House and other famous structures. Distributor Sony Pictures' research indicated that 52 percent of 2012's audience was male and 55 percent was 25 years and older.
While the other new nationwide release, Pirate Radio, made less than a ripple, Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire had a robust expansion, grossing an estimated $6.1 million at 174 sites. That's the second-highest grossing weekend on record for a movie playing at less than 200 sites, behind only Paranormal Activity, and its total stands at $8.9 million in ten days. By contrast, Pirate Radio went the way of most rock 'n' roll-themed pictures, pulling an estimated $2.9 million at 882 sites.
After a relatively modest start last weekend, A Christmas Carol (2009) saw a traditionally small drop-off for a Christmas movie in November, although it didn't excel on this front. The thrill ride version of the classic Christmas tale eased 26 percent to an estimated $22.3 million, lifting its tally to $63.3 million in ten days. Fellow Robert Zemeckis-directed motion-capture movie, The Polar Express, dipped 33 percent at the same point with a lower total, but Elf and the two Santa Clause sequels fell only 13-15 percent among comparable titles.
Aside from A Christmas Carol, the other second weekend pictures showed no traction. The Men Who Stare Goats remained in third place for lack of competition, retreating 51 percent to an estimated $6.2 million for a $23.4 million tally in ten days. The Fourth Kind dissipated by 61 percent to an estimated $4.7 million, bringing its total to $20.6 million in ten days. The Box tumbled 58 percent from its disappointing start, earning an estimated $3.2 million for a $13.2 million tally in ten days. Michael Jackson's This Is It also caved following its originally promoted two-week run, down 61 percent to an estimated $5.1 million for a $68.1 million tally in 19 days.
Meanwhile, Paranormal Activity and Couples Retreat each crossed the $100 million milestones. Paranormal hit the mark on Friday, its 50th day of release, and Couples reached it on Saturday, its 37th day of release. Paranormal, though, continued to fade over the weekend, off 49 percent to an estimated $4.2 million, while Couples eased 31 percent to an estimated $4.25 million.
Friday, November 13, 2009
2012 movie the mongolia
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Thursday, November 12, 2009
Drama
What this handout is about
This handout identifies common questions about drama, discusses the elements of drama that are most often discussed in theater classes, provides a few strategies for planning and writing an effective paper, and identifies various resources for research in theater history and dramatic criticism.
What is drama? And how do you write about it?)
Drama is tension. In the context of a play in a theatre, tension often means that the audience is expecting something to happen between the characters on stage. Will they shoot each other? Will they finally confess their undying love for one another? Will Oedipus figure out that he was the one that caused the plague by killing his father and sleeping with his mother?
For instructors in academic departments, whether the classes are about theatrical literature, theater history, performance studies, acting, or technical aspects of a production, writing about drama often means finding reasons why and how the plays we watch are filled with tension and excitement. Of course, one particular production may not be as exciting as it's supposed to be. In fact, it may not be exciting at all. Writing about drama can also involve figuring out why and how a production went horribly, horribly wrong.
Two of our other handouts might be useful if you need to do research in the specialized field of Performance Studies (a branch of Communication Studies) or want to focus especially closely on poetic or powerful language in a play:
* Communication Studies
* Poetry Explications
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Plays, productions, and performances
Talking about these three things can be difficult, especially since there's so much overlap in the uses of the terms. For the most part, plays are what's on the page. There are countless exceptions to this idea, but it's always worthwhile to keep an eye on what you mean by this term. A production of a play is a series of performances, each of which may have its own idiosyncratic features. For example, one production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night might set the play in 1940's Manhattan and another might set the play on an Alpaca farm in New Zealand. Furthermore, in a particular performance (say, Tuesday night) of that production, the actor playing Malvolio might get fed up with playing the role as an Alpaca herder, shout about the indignity of the whole thing, curse Shakespeare for ever writing the play, and stomp off the stage. See how that works?
Be aware that the above terms are sometimes used interchangeably—but the overlapping elements of each are often the most exciting things to talk about. For example, a series of particularly bad performances might distract from excellent production values: If the actor playing Falstaff repeatedly trips over a lance and falls off the stage, the audience may not notice the spectacular set design behind him. In the same way, a particularly dynamic and inventive script may so bedazzle an audience that they never notice the inept lighting scheme.
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A few analyzable elements of plays
This brings us to the wonderful variety of things that you can gawk at, ponder, and write about when you go to see a play. Playwrights are called playwrights because, like cartwrights build carts and shipwrights build ships, playwrights build plays. The reason that the word still has that sense of "builder" or "maker" (even if the playwright actually only scribbles on pages in his or her garret) is because plays, whether considered as literary works or as cultural artifacts, rarely succeed on stage without a certain understanding of the concrete bits and pieces that end up on the planks, under the lights, and in front of an audience. To put it another way: the words of a play have a context.
For the play itself, some important contexts to consider are
* The time period in which the play was written
* The playwright's biography and other works
* Contemporaneous works of theater (plays written or produced by other artists)
* The language of the play
Depending on your assignment, you may want to focus on any one of these elements exclusively or compare and contrast two or more of them. Keep in mind that any one of these elements may be more than enough for a dissertation, let alone a short reaction paper. Since a number of academic assignments ask you to pay attention to the language of the play and since it might be the most complicated thing to work with, it's worth looking at a few of the ways you might be asked to deal with it in more detail.
Language
There are countless ways that you can talk about how language works in a play, a production, or a particular performance. Given a choice, you should probably focus on words, phrases, lines, or scenes that really struck you, things that you still remember weeks after reading the play or seeing the performance. You'll have a much easier time writing about a bit of language that you feel strongly about (love it or hate it).
That said, here are two common ways to talk about the way language works in a play:
1. How characters are constructed by their language
If you have a strong impression of a character, especially if you haven't seen it on stage, you probably remember one line or bit of dialogue that really captures who that character is. Playwrights often distinguish their characters with idiosyncratic or at least individualized manners of speaking. Take this example from Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest:
ALGERNON: Did you hear what I was playing, Lane?
LANE: I didn't think it polite to listen, sir.
ALGERNON: I'm sorry for that, for your sake. I don't play accurately—anyone can play accurately—but I play with wonderful expression. As far as the piano is concerned, sentiment is my forte. I keep science for Life.
LANE: Yes, sir.
ALGERNON: And, speaking of the science of Life, have you got the cucumber sandwiches cut for Lady Bracknell?
This early moment in the play contributes enormously to what the audience thinks about the aristocratic Algernon and his servant, Lane. If you were to talk about language in this scene, you could discuss Lane's reserved replies (Are they funny? Do they indicate familiarity or sarcasm? How do you think of a servant who replies in that way?) or Algernon's witty responses (Does Algernon really care what Lane thinks? Is he talking more to hear himself? What does that say about how the audience is supposed to see Algernon?). Algernon's manner of speech is part of who his character is. If you are analyzing a particular performance, you might want to comment on the actor's delivery of these lines: Was his vocal inflection appropriate? Did it show something about the character?
2. How language contributes to scene and mood
Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance plays often use verbal tricks and nuances to convey the setting and time of the play because they didn't have elaborate special-effects technology to create theatrical illusions. For example, most scenes from Shakespeare's Macbeth take place at night. The play was originally performed in an open-air theatre in the bright and sunny afternoon. How did Shakespeare communicate the fact that it was night-time in the play? Mainly by starting scenes like this:
BANQUO: How goes the night, boy?
FLEANCE: The moon is down; I have not heard the clock.
BANQUO: And she goes down at twelve.
FLEANCE: I take't, 'tis later, sir.
BANQUO: Hold, take my sword. There's husbandry in heaven; Their candles are all out. Take thee that too. A heavy summons lies like lead upon me, And yet I would not sleep: merciful powers, Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature Gives way to in repose!
Enter MACBETH, and a Servant with a torch
Give me my sword.
Who's there?
Characters entering with torches is a pretty big clue, as is having a character say, "It's night." Later in the play, the question, "Who's there?" recurs a number of times, establishing the illusion that the characters can't see each other. The sense of encroaching darkness and the general mysteriousness of night contributes to a number of other themes and motifs in the play.
top
Productions and performances
Productions
For productions as a whole, some important elements to consider are:
* Venue: How big is the theatre? Is this a professional or amateur acting company? What kind of resources do they have? How does this affect the show?
* Costumes: What is everyone wearing? Is it appropriate to the historical period? Modern? Trendy? Old-fashioned? Does it fit the character? What does the costume make you think about the character? How does this affect the show?
* Set design: What does the set look like? Does it try to create a sense of "realism"? Does it set the play in a particular historical period? What impressions does the set create? How does this affect the show?
* Lighting design: Are characters ever in the dark? Are there spotlights? Does light come through windows? From above? From below? Is any tinted or colored light projected? How does this affect the show?
* "Idea" or "concept": Do the set and lighting designs seem to work together to produce a certain interpretation? Do costumes and other elements seem coordinated? How does this affect the show?
You've probably noticed that each of these ends with the question, "How does this affect the show?" That's because you should be connecting everything, every detail that you analyze back to this question. If a particularly weird costume (King Henry in scuba gear) suggests something about the character (King Henry has gone off the deep end, literally and figuratively), then you can ask yourself, "Does this add or detract from the show?" (King Henry having an interest in aquatic mammalia may not have been what Shakespeare had in mind.)
Performances
For individual performances, you can analyze all the items considered above (for plays and performances) in the light of how they might have been different the night before. For example, some important elements to consider are:
* Individual acting performances: Not how brilliant Hamlet was, but how brilliant, say, John Gielgud's Hamlet was? What did the actor playing the part bring to the performance? Was there anything particularly moving about the performance that night that surprised you, that you didn't imagine from reading the play beforehand (if you did so)?
* Mishaps, flubs, and fire alarms: Did the actors mess up? Did the performance grind to a halt or did it continue?
* Audience reactions: Was there applause? At inappropriate points? Did someone fall asleep and snore loudly in the second act? Did anyone cry? Did anyone walk out in utter outrage?
top
Response papers
Instructors in drama classes often want to know what you really think. This can have its advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, you may find it easier to express yourself without the pressure of specific guidelines or restrictions. On the other hand, it may be frustrating not to have anything specific to write about. Hopefully, the elements and topics listed above can also provide you with a jumping-off point for more open-ended responses, ie. How did the lighting make you feel? Nervous? Bored? Distracted?
Most of the time, responses are directed toward individual performances that you go see, so you should feel free to be as specific as possible. One the easiest ways to do this is to remember that most of the time, you can say more about less. You'll have a much more difficult time if you start out writing about "imagery" or "language" in a play than if you start by writing about that ridiculous face Helena made when she found out Lysander didn't love her anymore.
If you're really having trouble getting started, here's a three point plan for responding to a piece of theater.
1. Make a list of five or six specific words, images, or moments that caught your attention while you were sitting in your seat.
2. Answer one of the following questions: Did any of those moments contribute to your enjoyment or loathing of the play? Did any of these moments seem to contribute or detract from any overall theme that the play may have had? Did any of these moments make you think of something completely different and wholly irrelevant to the play?
3. Write a few sentences about how each of the moments you picked out for the second question worked.
top
Works consulted
We consulted these works while writing the original version of this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout's topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find the latest publications on this topic. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial.
Worthen, W.B. The Wadsworth Anthology of Drama. New York: Heinle & Heinle, 1999.
This handout identifies common questions about drama, discusses the elements of drama that are most often discussed in theater classes, provides a few strategies for planning and writing an effective paper, and identifies various resources for research in theater history and dramatic criticism.
What is drama? And how do you write about it?)
Drama is tension. In the context of a play in a theatre, tension often means that the audience is expecting something to happen between the characters on stage. Will they shoot each other? Will they finally confess their undying love for one another? Will Oedipus figure out that he was the one that caused the plague by killing his father and sleeping with his mother?
For instructors in academic departments, whether the classes are about theatrical literature, theater history, performance studies, acting, or technical aspects of a production, writing about drama often means finding reasons why and how the plays we watch are filled with tension and excitement. Of course, one particular production may not be as exciting as it's supposed to be. In fact, it may not be exciting at all. Writing about drama can also involve figuring out why and how a production went horribly, horribly wrong.
Two of our other handouts might be useful if you need to do research in the specialized field of Performance Studies (a branch of Communication Studies) or want to focus especially closely on poetic or powerful language in a play:
* Communication Studies
* Poetry Explications
top
Plays, productions, and performances
Talking about these three things can be difficult, especially since there's so much overlap in the uses of the terms. For the most part, plays are what's on the page. There are countless exceptions to this idea, but it's always worthwhile to keep an eye on what you mean by this term. A production of a play is a series of performances, each of which may have its own idiosyncratic features. For example, one production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night might set the play in 1940's Manhattan and another might set the play on an Alpaca farm in New Zealand. Furthermore, in a particular performance (say, Tuesday night) of that production, the actor playing Malvolio might get fed up with playing the role as an Alpaca herder, shout about the indignity of the whole thing, curse Shakespeare for ever writing the play, and stomp off the stage. See how that works?
Be aware that the above terms are sometimes used interchangeably—but the overlapping elements of each are often the most exciting things to talk about. For example, a series of particularly bad performances might distract from excellent production values: If the actor playing Falstaff repeatedly trips over a lance and falls off the stage, the audience may not notice the spectacular set design behind him. In the same way, a particularly dynamic and inventive script may so bedazzle an audience that they never notice the inept lighting scheme.
top
A few analyzable elements of plays
This brings us to the wonderful variety of things that you can gawk at, ponder, and write about when you go to see a play. Playwrights are called playwrights because, like cartwrights build carts and shipwrights build ships, playwrights build plays. The reason that the word still has that sense of "builder" or "maker" (even if the playwright actually only scribbles on pages in his or her garret) is because plays, whether considered as literary works or as cultural artifacts, rarely succeed on stage without a certain understanding of the concrete bits and pieces that end up on the planks, under the lights, and in front of an audience. To put it another way: the words of a play have a context.
For the play itself, some important contexts to consider are
* The time period in which the play was written
* The playwright's biography and other works
* Contemporaneous works of theater (plays written or produced by other artists)
* The language of the play
Depending on your assignment, you may want to focus on any one of these elements exclusively or compare and contrast two or more of them. Keep in mind that any one of these elements may be more than enough for a dissertation, let alone a short reaction paper. Since a number of academic assignments ask you to pay attention to the language of the play and since it might be the most complicated thing to work with, it's worth looking at a few of the ways you might be asked to deal with it in more detail.
Language
There are countless ways that you can talk about how language works in a play, a production, or a particular performance. Given a choice, you should probably focus on words, phrases, lines, or scenes that really struck you, things that you still remember weeks after reading the play or seeing the performance. You'll have a much easier time writing about a bit of language that you feel strongly about (love it or hate it).
That said, here are two common ways to talk about the way language works in a play:
1. How characters are constructed by their language
If you have a strong impression of a character, especially if you haven't seen it on stage, you probably remember one line or bit of dialogue that really captures who that character is. Playwrights often distinguish their characters with idiosyncratic or at least individualized manners of speaking. Take this example from Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest:
ALGERNON: Did you hear what I was playing, Lane?
LANE: I didn't think it polite to listen, sir.
ALGERNON: I'm sorry for that, for your sake. I don't play accurately—anyone can play accurately—but I play with wonderful expression. As far as the piano is concerned, sentiment is my forte. I keep science for Life.
LANE: Yes, sir.
ALGERNON: And, speaking of the science of Life, have you got the cucumber sandwiches cut for Lady Bracknell?
This early moment in the play contributes enormously to what the audience thinks about the aristocratic Algernon and his servant, Lane. If you were to talk about language in this scene, you could discuss Lane's reserved replies (Are they funny? Do they indicate familiarity or sarcasm? How do you think of a servant who replies in that way?) or Algernon's witty responses (Does Algernon really care what Lane thinks? Is he talking more to hear himself? What does that say about how the audience is supposed to see Algernon?). Algernon's manner of speech is part of who his character is. If you are analyzing a particular performance, you might want to comment on the actor's delivery of these lines: Was his vocal inflection appropriate? Did it show something about the character?
2. How language contributes to scene and mood
Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance plays often use verbal tricks and nuances to convey the setting and time of the play because they didn't have elaborate special-effects technology to create theatrical illusions. For example, most scenes from Shakespeare's Macbeth take place at night. The play was originally performed in an open-air theatre in the bright and sunny afternoon. How did Shakespeare communicate the fact that it was night-time in the play? Mainly by starting scenes like this:
BANQUO: How goes the night, boy?
FLEANCE: The moon is down; I have not heard the clock.
BANQUO: And she goes down at twelve.
FLEANCE: I take't, 'tis later, sir.
BANQUO: Hold, take my sword. There's husbandry in heaven; Their candles are all out. Take thee that too. A heavy summons lies like lead upon me, And yet I would not sleep: merciful powers, Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature Gives way to in repose!
Enter MACBETH, and a Servant with a torch
Give me my sword.
Who's there?
Characters entering with torches is a pretty big clue, as is having a character say, "It's night." Later in the play, the question, "Who's there?" recurs a number of times, establishing the illusion that the characters can't see each other. The sense of encroaching darkness and the general mysteriousness of night contributes to a number of other themes and motifs in the play.
top
Productions and performances
Productions
For productions as a whole, some important elements to consider are:
* Venue: How big is the theatre? Is this a professional or amateur acting company? What kind of resources do they have? How does this affect the show?
* Costumes: What is everyone wearing? Is it appropriate to the historical period? Modern? Trendy? Old-fashioned? Does it fit the character? What does the costume make you think about the character? How does this affect the show?
* Set design: What does the set look like? Does it try to create a sense of "realism"? Does it set the play in a particular historical period? What impressions does the set create? How does this affect the show?
* Lighting design: Are characters ever in the dark? Are there spotlights? Does light come through windows? From above? From below? Is any tinted or colored light projected? How does this affect the show?
* "Idea" or "concept": Do the set and lighting designs seem to work together to produce a certain interpretation? Do costumes and other elements seem coordinated? How does this affect the show?
You've probably noticed that each of these ends with the question, "How does this affect the show?" That's because you should be connecting everything, every detail that you analyze back to this question. If a particularly weird costume (King Henry in scuba gear) suggests something about the character (King Henry has gone off the deep end, literally and figuratively), then you can ask yourself, "Does this add or detract from the show?" (King Henry having an interest in aquatic mammalia may not have been what Shakespeare had in mind.)
Performances
For individual performances, you can analyze all the items considered above (for plays and performances) in the light of how they might have been different the night before. For example, some important elements to consider are:
* Individual acting performances: Not how brilliant Hamlet was, but how brilliant, say, John Gielgud's Hamlet was? What did the actor playing the part bring to the performance? Was there anything particularly moving about the performance that night that surprised you, that you didn't imagine from reading the play beforehand (if you did so)?
* Mishaps, flubs, and fire alarms: Did the actors mess up? Did the performance grind to a halt or did it continue?
* Audience reactions: Was there applause? At inappropriate points? Did someone fall asleep and snore loudly in the second act? Did anyone cry? Did anyone walk out in utter outrage?
top
Response papers
Instructors in drama classes often want to know what you really think. This can have its advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, you may find it easier to express yourself without the pressure of specific guidelines or restrictions. On the other hand, it may be frustrating not to have anything specific to write about. Hopefully, the elements and topics listed above can also provide you with a jumping-off point for more open-ended responses, ie. How did the lighting make you feel? Nervous? Bored? Distracted?
Most of the time, responses are directed toward individual performances that you go see, so you should feel free to be as specific as possible. One the easiest ways to do this is to remember that most of the time, you can say more about less. You'll have a much more difficult time if you start out writing about "imagery" or "language" in a play than if you start by writing about that ridiculous face Helena made when she found out Lysander didn't love her anymore.
If you're really having trouble getting started, here's a three point plan for responding to a piece of theater.
1. Make a list of five or six specific words, images, or moments that caught your attention while you were sitting in your seat.
2. Answer one of the following questions: Did any of those moments contribute to your enjoyment or loathing of the play? Did any of these moments seem to contribute or detract from any overall theme that the play may have had? Did any of these moments make you think of something completely different and wholly irrelevant to the play?
3. Write a few sentences about how each of the moments you picked out for the second question worked.
top
Works consulted
We consulted these works while writing the original version of this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout's topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find the latest publications on this topic. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial.
Worthen, W.B. The Wadsworth Anthology of Drama. New York: Heinle & Heinle, 1999.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Could 'This Is It' win an Oscar?
Sony thinks its new Michael Jackson documentary could be a contender for best picture.
Spokesman Steve Elzer said Thursday that the studio will submit "Michael Jackson's This Is It" for Academy Awards consideration this year.
It missed the deadline to be considered for a 2009 documentary Oscar, but the film about the late King of Pop's preparations for a series of comeback concerts will be eligible in several other categories at the Academy Awards, including sound, film editing, director and best picture.
"This Is It" opened worldwide Wednesday and has already earned $20.1 million at the box office, along with praise from critics and fans who say it restores Jackson's reputation as a world-class entertainer.
Director Kenny Ortega, a longtime Jackson collaborator who was overseeing his concert comeback, crafted the nearly two-hour film from more than 100 hours of footage recorded during rehearsals for the London shows, which were to have begun in July. Jackson died June 25 at age 50.
"What we did here was focus on telling a good story and creating a film for the fans really enabling them to understand what Michael Jackson had dreamed for them," Ortega said Wednesday.
He added it was his hope "the audience for this film will grow and that as many people come to see it as possible because I think that it's a wonderful story about a brilliant man. ... Awards, Oscars, that's all great wishful thinking."
It may be more than wishful, said Steven Gaydos, executive editor of the Hollywood trade paper Variety and a self-described cynic. With the Academy Awards best-picture slate expanded to 10 films this year rather than the traditional five, "This Is It" could find itself among the contenders, he said.
To qualify, the film must complete a seven-day run in Los Angeles County and filmmakers would need to "submit the proper paperwork," said Leslie Unger, spokeswoman for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which puts on the Oscars.
Sony, which paid $60 million for the global film rights, plans to keep "This Is It" in theaters for just over two weeks. Elzer said the studio will submit it for consideration for best picture "and other appropriate categories." He wouldn't specify which ones.
Entering it in the Oscar race this year means "This Is It" cannot be considered in the documentary category next year.
The movie includes plenty of music, but none of it is eligible for Oscar consideration because it wasn't created specifically for the film.
Ortega, a veteran director, producer and choreographer who counts TV's "High School Musical" among his credits, could also find himself in contention for a best-director nod, Gaydos said.
"He did a masterful job putting this whole thing together," he said. "It was so powerful and interesting, so creative and well-done, I think he should be considered... Kenny just won over all these critics like me with Michael Jackson that anything interesting could go on with this guy."
The film can't be considered for a Golden Globe. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which puts on the annual ceremony, doesn't permit feature documentaries to enter, said spokesman Michael Russell.
Ortega said an Oscar nod would be a fitting recognition of Jackson's last work.
"He deserves one," he said. "Come on people."
___
Associated Press writer Marcela Isaza in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
___
AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen is on Twitter: Follow her at http://twitter.com/APSandy
www.movie.com
Spokesman Steve Elzer said Thursday that the studio will submit "Michael Jackson's This Is It" for Academy Awards consideration this year.
It missed the deadline to be considered for a 2009 documentary Oscar, but the film about the late King of Pop's preparations for a series of comeback concerts will be eligible in several other categories at the Academy Awards, including sound, film editing, director and best picture.
"This Is It" opened worldwide Wednesday and has already earned $20.1 million at the box office, along with praise from critics and fans who say it restores Jackson's reputation as a world-class entertainer.
Director Kenny Ortega, a longtime Jackson collaborator who was overseeing his concert comeback, crafted the nearly two-hour film from more than 100 hours of footage recorded during rehearsals for the London shows, which were to have begun in July. Jackson died June 25 at age 50.
"What we did here was focus on telling a good story and creating a film for the fans really enabling them to understand what Michael Jackson had dreamed for them," Ortega said Wednesday.
He added it was his hope "the audience for this film will grow and that as many people come to see it as possible because I think that it's a wonderful story about a brilliant man. ... Awards, Oscars, that's all great wishful thinking."
It may be more than wishful, said Steven Gaydos, executive editor of the Hollywood trade paper Variety and a self-described cynic. With the Academy Awards best-picture slate expanded to 10 films this year rather than the traditional five, "This Is It" could find itself among the contenders, he said.
To qualify, the film must complete a seven-day run in Los Angeles County and filmmakers would need to "submit the proper paperwork," said Leslie Unger, spokeswoman for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which puts on the Oscars.
Sony, which paid $60 million for the global film rights, plans to keep "This Is It" in theaters for just over two weeks. Elzer said the studio will submit it for consideration for best picture "and other appropriate categories." He wouldn't specify which ones.
Entering it in the Oscar race this year means "This Is It" cannot be considered in the documentary category next year.
The movie includes plenty of music, but none of it is eligible for Oscar consideration because it wasn't created specifically for the film.
Ortega, a veteran director, producer and choreographer who counts TV's "High School Musical" among his credits, could also find himself in contention for a best-director nod, Gaydos said.
"He did a masterful job putting this whole thing together," he said. "It was so powerful and interesting, so creative and well-done, I think he should be considered... Kenny just won over all these critics like me with Michael Jackson that anything interesting could go on with this guy."
The film can't be considered for a Golden Globe. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which puts on the annual ceremony, doesn't permit feature documentaries to enter, said spokesman Michael Russell.
Ortega said an Oscar nod would be a fitting recognition of Jackson's last work.
"He deserves one," he said. "Come on people."
___
Associated Press writer Marcela Isaza in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
___
AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen is on Twitter: Follow her at http://twitter.com/APSandy
www.movie.com
Canadian folk singer died doing something she loved, mother says
(CNN) -- Those who knew Canadian folk musician Taylor Mitchell say her passion for her craft was matched by her affinity for nature.
Fresh out of high school, she embarked upon a three-week tour of Eastern Canada earlier this month full of hope over her blossoming career and excited to explore the region with a new car and driver's license.
The 19-year-old rising star was in between gigs when, according to a Nova Scotia Cape Breton Highlands National Park official, she was killed by coyotes during a hike on Tuesday afternoon.
"If there can be any comfort at all, it is knowing that Taylor was doing two of the things she loved most, sharing story and song on the road and spending time in nature's fold," her manager, Lisa Weitz said in an e-mail. "She loved the woods and had a deep affinity for their beauty and serenity."
Mitchell was a "seasoned naturalist" well versed in wilderness camping who wouldn't want the coyotes responsible for her death to be killed, her mother said Thursday.
Map: Cape Breton Highlands National Park
RELATED TOPICS
* Folk Music
* Nova Scotia
* Canada
"When the decision had been made to kill the pack of coyotes, I clearly heard Taylor's voice say, 'please don't, this is their space.' She wouldn't have wanted their demise, especially as a result of her own. She was passionate about animals, was an environmentalist and was also planning to volunteer at the Toronto Wildlife Centre in the coming months," Emily Mitchell said in a statement Thursday.
"Tragically, it was her time to be taken from us so soon," the mother said.
When she was 15, Mitchell began vocal lessons with her future producer, Michael Johnston.
"Taylor inspired and impressed everyone from her musical peers to members of the Canadian roots-music community who were two and three times her age," he said in a statement.
"They saw in her the rarest of the gifts -- an ability to sing not only from the heart, but in a way that transcended her age and experience and became something universal."
The Toronto-based musician's career began to take off earlier this year after the April release of her debut album, "For Your Consideration."
She was nominated for Young Performer of the Year honors by the Canadian Folk Music Awards, which will be awarded in November.
On her Facebook page, she detailed her busy summer performance schedule, describing it as her "craziest summer yet."
In July, she said she took a Greyhound bus to perform in the Young Performers Program at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, her first show west of Ontario, which featured acts including Arlo Guthrie, Neko Case and Elvis Costello.
She played more shows in the Toronto area, relishing the airplay her album was receiving, and worked on songs for her next album, Weitz said.
Yet she managed to return to nature with her aunt, mother and best friend at the family cottage in Owen Sound, Ontario, delighting in its simple joys.
"Our cottage is on the shores of Georgian bay. It's 125 years old with three bedrooms that sleep two and one bedroom that sleeps four, plus a bunkhouse. It's old and creaky and absolutely beautiful. As I sit on my couch in my apartment, I'm homesick for the precariously slanted stairs, tennis courts, lake and wonderful memories," Mitchell said on her Facebook page.
Before she set out eastward for her tour of the Maritimes, she shared her works in progress at the Ontario Council of Folk Music conference in Ottawa, impressing all those in attendance, Weitz said.
"Taylor Mitchell's vocal style and consummate songwriting craft belied her vernal years. Indeed, her songs told the tales of a seeker, a sojourner with a sage wisdom atypical of most, let alone one of such tender years," Weitz said.
On her Facebook page, she had begun counting down the days to her East Coast tour in September, saying in a September 18 status update that she was "feeling the pull of the road."
In her last post on the site, she described playing a show in someone's home, calling it "a welcome dose of normality after a whirlwind weekend" at the Ontario Council of Folk Music.
Those closest to her said they'll derive inspiration from her passion for life.
"Taylor was my shining light, my baby, my confidante and best friend," her mother said. "I don't know how to move forward from here but I know that she would want that for me, and I will try to do that in her memory and celebrate her life in the way she lived it -- with passion, commitment and an unbridled loving heart."
www.cnn.com
Fresh out of high school, she embarked upon a three-week tour of Eastern Canada earlier this month full of hope over her blossoming career and excited to explore the region with a new car and driver's license.
The 19-year-old rising star was in between gigs when, according to a Nova Scotia Cape Breton Highlands National Park official, she was killed by coyotes during a hike on Tuesday afternoon.
"If there can be any comfort at all, it is knowing that Taylor was doing two of the things she loved most, sharing story and song on the road and spending time in nature's fold," her manager, Lisa Weitz said in an e-mail. "She loved the woods and had a deep affinity for their beauty and serenity."
Mitchell was a "seasoned naturalist" well versed in wilderness camping who wouldn't want the coyotes responsible for her death to be killed, her mother said Thursday.
Map: Cape Breton Highlands National Park
RELATED TOPICS
* Folk Music
* Nova Scotia
* Canada
"When the decision had been made to kill the pack of coyotes, I clearly heard Taylor's voice say, 'please don't, this is their space.' She wouldn't have wanted their demise, especially as a result of her own. She was passionate about animals, was an environmentalist and was also planning to volunteer at the Toronto Wildlife Centre in the coming months," Emily Mitchell said in a statement Thursday.
"Tragically, it was her time to be taken from us so soon," the mother said.
When she was 15, Mitchell began vocal lessons with her future producer, Michael Johnston.
"Taylor inspired and impressed everyone from her musical peers to members of the Canadian roots-music community who were two and three times her age," he said in a statement.
"They saw in her the rarest of the gifts -- an ability to sing not only from the heart, but in a way that transcended her age and experience and became something universal."
The Toronto-based musician's career began to take off earlier this year after the April release of her debut album, "For Your Consideration."
She was nominated for Young Performer of the Year honors by the Canadian Folk Music Awards, which will be awarded in November.
On her Facebook page, she detailed her busy summer performance schedule, describing it as her "craziest summer yet."
In July, she said she took a Greyhound bus to perform in the Young Performers Program at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, her first show west of Ontario, which featured acts including Arlo Guthrie, Neko Case and Elvis Costello.
She played more shows in the Toronto area, relishing the airplay her album was receiving, and worked on songs for her next album, Weitz said.
Yet she managed to return to nature with her aunt, mother and best friend at the family cottage in Owen Sound, Ontario, delighting in its simple joys.
"Our cottage is on the shores of Georgian bay. It's 125 years old with three bedrooms that sleep two and one bedroom that sleeps four, plus a bunkhouse. It's old and creaky and absolutely beautiful. As I sit on my couch in my apartment, I'm homesick for the precariously slanted stairs, tennis courts, lake and wonderful memories," Mitchell said on her Facebook page.
Before she set out eastward for her tour of the Maritimes, she shared her works in progress at the Ontario Council of Folk Music conference in Ottawa, impressing all those in attendance, Weitz said.
"Taylor Mitchell's vocal style and consummate songwriting craft belied her vernal years. Indeed, her songs told the tales of a seeker, a sojourner with a sage wisdom atypical of most, let alone one of such tender years," Weitz said.
On her Facebook page, she had begun counting down the days to her East Coast tour in September, saying in a September 18 status update that she was "feeling the pull of the road."
In her last post on the site, she described playing a show in someone's home, calling it "a welcome dose of normality after a whirlwind weekend" at the Ontario Council of Folk Music.
Those closest to her said they'll derive inspiration from her passion for life.
"Taylor was my shining light, my baby, my confidante and best friend," her mother said. "I don't know how to move forward from here but I know that she would want that for me, and I will try to do that in her memory and celebrate her life in the way she lived it -- with passion, commitment and an unbridled loving heart."
www.cnn.com
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Jolie, DiCaprio to Co-Star in Gucci Movie?
Leonardo DiCaprio at the Palm Springs Film Festival Gala. Palm Springs Convention Center, Palm Springs, CA. 01-06-09
Photo Gallery
Ridley Scott is talking to Angelina Jolie about a role in Gucci, the director's drama about murder and decadence in the Gucci fashion dynasty.
Media reports say Jolie would play Patrizia Reggiano, who was sentenced to 29 years in jail for plotting the murder of her ex-husband, Maurizio Gucci. Scott has approached Leonardo DiCaprio to play Maurizio, but he is not attached at this point.
Fox 2000, for which the project is a priority, is eyeing a 2010 start date. Scott Free and Giannina Facio are producing.
The studio is hiring a writer to work from Charles Randolf's current draft of the script, which follows the drama that highlights the glamorous days of the Gucci family dynasty in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Infighting hobbled the clan until Maurizio, the grandson of founder Guccio Gucci, came out on top of a power struggle to run the family business.
In 1995, gearing up to reestablish the brand name via then-newcomer designer Tom Ford, Maurizio was gunned down in front of his Milan apartment.
Jolie is likely to next star in The Tourist, the Spyglass thriller that has Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck in line to direct. Scott is in post-production with Robin Hood for Universal Pictures and Imagine.
Full story: http://www.hollywoodwiretap.com/?module=news&action=story&id=41584
Photo Gallery
Ridley Scott is talking to Angelina Jolie about a role in Gucci, the director's drama about murder and decadence in the Gucci fashion dynasty.
Media reports say Jolie would play Patrizia Reggiano, who was sentenced to 29 years in jail for plotting the murder of her ex-husband, Maurizio Gucci. Scott has approached Leonardo DiCaprio to play Maurizio, but he is not attached at this point.
Fox 2000, for which the project is a priority, is eyeing a 2010 start date. Scott Free and Giannina Facio are producing.
The studio is hiring a writer to work from Charles Randolf's current draft of the script, which follows the drama that highlights the glamorous days of the Gucci family dynasty in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Infighting hobbled the clan until Maurizio, the grandson of founder Guccio Gucci, came out on top of a power struggle to run the family business.
In 1995, gearing up to reestablish the brand name via then-newcomer designer Tom Ford, Maurizio was gunned down in front of his Milan apartment.
Jolie is likely to next star in The Tourist, the Spyglass thriller that has Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck in line to direct. Scott is in post-production with Robin Hood for Universal Pictures and Imagine.
Full story: http://www.hollywoodwiretap.com/?module=news&action=story&id=41584
Box office top10: 20090911 I Can Do Bad All by Myself
1. I Can Do Bad All by Myself. Өнгөрөгч 7 хоногт: $24M, нийт: $24M.
2. 9. Өнгөрөгч 7 хоногт: $10,9M, нийт: $15,3M.
3. Inglourious Basterds. Өнгөрөгч 7 хоногт: $6,55M, нийт: $104M.
4. All About Steve. Өнгөрөгч 7 хоногт: $5,8M, нийт: $21,8M.
5. Final Destination, The. Өнгөрөгч 7 хоногт: $5,5M, нийт: $58,3M.
6. Sorority Row. Өнгөрөгч 7 хоногт: $5,27M, нийт: $5,27M.
7. Whiteout. Өнгөрөгч 7 хоногт: $5,1M, нийт: $5,1M.
8. District 9. Өнгөрөгч 7 хоногт: $3,6M, нийт: $109M.
9. Julie & Julia. Өнгөрөгч 7 хоногт: $3,3M, нийт: $85,4M.
10. Gamer. Өнгөрөгч 7 хоногт: $3,15M, нийт: $16,1M.
Шинэ бокс офист 4 кино нэмэгдлээ.
I Can Do Bad All by Myself. Мадеа маань энэ удаад шөнийн клүбийн дуучин Эприлд түүний үеэлүүд болох өнчин хүүхдүүдийг аваачиж өгнө. Эприл эхэндээ хүүхдүүдэд дургүй байх боловч, мексик цагаач Сандинод сэтгэлтэй болж, гэр бүл, хайр сэтгэлээс эрхэм зүйл үгүй ухаарна.
9. Бяцхан хүн 9 энэ хорвоод мэндлэхэд дэлхийн амьтай бүхэн устаж үгүй болсон байв. 9 маань өөр шигээ бяцхан хүнэнцрүүдийг олж, яагаад энэ дэлхийг аймшигт машинууд сөнөөсөн болохыг олж мэдэхээр аян замдаа гарна.
Sorority Row. Remake кино юм. Оюутны дотуур байрны найз охидууд нэгнийхээ үхлийг нууцалснаас болж цуврал аллагад өртөх болноо.
Whiteout. Алуурчныг мөрдсөөр Антарктидад очсон америкийн маршал Керри Стэткогийн адал явдал.
Бичсэн: Arcus
2. 9. Өнгөрөгч 7 хоногт: $10,9M, нийт: $15,3M.
3. Inglourious Basterds. Өнгөрөгч 7 хоногт: $6,55M, нийт: $104M.
4. All About Steve. Өнгөрөгч 7 хоногт: $5,8M, нийт: $21,8M.
5. Final Destination, The. Өнгөрөгч 7 хоногт: $5,5M, нийт: $58,3M.
6. Sorority Row. Өнгөрөгч 7 хоногт: $5,27M, нийт: $5,27M.
7. Whiteout. Өнгөрөгч 7 хоногт: $5,1M, нийт: $5,1M.
8. District 9. Өнгөрөгч 7 хоногт: $3,6M, нийт: $109M.
9. Julie & Julia. Өнгөрөгч 7 хоногт: $3,3M, нийт: $85,4M.
10. Gamer. Өнгөрөгч 7 хоногт: $3,15M, нийт: $16,1M.
Шинэ бокс офист 4 кино нэмэгдлээ.
I Can Do Bad All by Myself. Мадеа маань энэ удаад шөнийн клүбийн дуучин Эприлд түүний үеэлүүд болох өнчин хүүхдүүдийг аваачиж өгнө. Эприл эхэндээ хүүхдүүдэд дургүй байх боловч, мексик цагаач Сандинод сэтгэлтэй болж, гэр бүл, хайр сэтгэлээс эрхэм зүйл үгүй ухаарна.
9. Бяцхан хүн 9 энэ хорвоод мэндлэхэд дэлхийн амьтай бүхэн устаж үгүй болсон байв. 9 маань өөр шигээ бяцхан хүнэнцрүүдийг олж, яагаад энэ дэлхийг аймшигт машинууд сөнөөсөн болохыг олж мэдэхээр аян замдаа гарна.
Sorority Row. Remake кино юм. Оюутны дотуур байрны найз охидууд нэгнийхээ үхлийг нууцалснаас болж цуврал аллагад өртөх болноо.
Whiteout. Алуурчныг мөрдсөөр Антарктидад очсон америкийн маршал Керри Стэткогийн адал явдал.
Бичсэн: Arcus
Saw VI
Synopsis:
Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) emerges as the next heir to Jigsaw's twisted legacy, but as the FBI closes in, he sets in motion a game that is designed to reveal Jigsaw's grand scheme.
Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) emerges as the next heir to Jigsaw's twisted legacy, but as the FBI closes in, he sets in motion a game that is designed to reveal Jigsaw's grand scheme.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Lyrical interpretation
This song is about climbing back to the top after you've hit totally rock bottom. Steven Tyler and songwriter Richie Supa wrote it for the kids at the Caron Foundation, which is the drug and alcohol rehab center in Pennsylvania where Tyler gained his sobriety in 1986.
The lyrics document the struggles Aerosmith faced and overcame as they were confronted with drug and alcohol problems as well as creative differences that threatened to break up the band. The line, "That one last shot's a permanent vacation" refers to the Aerosmith's comeback album Permanent Vacation, which put them back on top. The line, "How high can you fly with broken wings?" is a reference to their logo, which contains a set of wings.
In the song, Steven Tyler sings about hard times in his life ("I thought I could leave, but couldn't get out the door", "I was wishin' that I would die", "Scratchin' to stay alive") and how he came to grasp reality and escape his hard times ("It's amazing...with the blink of an eye you finally see the light...when the moment arrives that you know you'll be alright") and how he's "sayin' a prayer for the desperate hearts tonight".
The lyrics primarily concern the band's well-documented struggles with drug and alcohol addiction and their subsequent recovery, the musical renaissance of their career in the nineties being a last chance at what they should have always been - "Got one last shot at permanent vacation, and how high can you fly with broken wings? Life's a journey, not a destination, and you just can't tell just what tomorrow brings. You have to learn to crawl, before you learn to walk, but I just couldn't listen to all that righteous talk, oh yeah - I was out on the streets, tryin' to survive, scratchin' to stay alive."
The lyrics document the struggles Aerosmith faced and overcame as they were confronted with drug and alcohol problems as well as creative differences that threatened to break up the band. The line, "That one last shot's a permanent vacation" refers to the Aerosmith's comeback album Permanent Vacation, which put them back on top. The line, "How high can you fly with broken wings?" is a reference to their logo, which contains a set of wings.
In the song, Steven Tyler sings about hard times in his life ("I thought I could leave, but couldn't get out the door", "I was wishin' that I would die", "Scratchin' to stay alive") and how he came to grasp reality and escape his hard times ("It's amazing...with the blink of an eye you finally see the light...when the moment arrives that you know you'll be alright") and how he's "sayin' a prayer for the desperate hearts tonight".
The lyrics primarily concern the band's well-documented struggles with drug and alcohol addiction and their subsequent recovery, the musical renaissance of their career in the nineties being a last chance at what they should have always been - "Got one last shot at permanent vacation, and how high can you fly with broken wings? Life's a journey, not a destination, and you just can't tell just what tomorrow brings. You have to learn to crawl, before you learn to walk, but I just couldn't listen to all that righteous talk, oh yeah - I was out on the streets, tryin' to survive, scratchin' to stay alive."
Rock/heavy metal love songs
Love songs have been present in rock music since the early days of the genre; one of the most common examples of a rock love song is Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender". The 80's saw several rock love songs including "The Promise" by When in Rome. Common newer examples of love songs in rock include "Your Guardian Angel" by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, "Iris" by The Goo Goo Dolls, and "Check Yes Juliet" by We The Kings. Love was a common theme in early hard rock, heavy metal and glam metal bands; like Guns 'N' Roses, Ozzy Osbourne and KISS in power ballads. From the emergence of thrash metal (which would become the standard style for most all metal to come), the genre's lyrical themes became centered around hate, horror and political unrest, leaving little room for sentiments of love. However, Metallica occasionally write what could be considered love songs (particularly "Nothing Else Matters"). Love songs in the primarily hateful genre of extreme metal are extremely uncommon, though "Symbiosis" by Mortification and "Diktat" by Napalm Death both speak of the value of marriage. Trivium's "The World Can't Tear Us Apart", "Mordecai" by Between the Buried and Me, and Zao's "Angel Without Wings" exemplify the most common way that metal bands write about love in a positive manner. "The World Can't Tear Us Apart" uses metal's typical dark imagery to describe life without love, while also pondering why the metal scene is usually so devoid of it. In "Mordecai", a depressed man on the brink of insanity questions the meaning of his existence, and finds comfort in "the lovely laugh from the love of my life". "Angel Without Wings" thanks a female friend for staying close to the singer during a near-death experience. Secondhand Serenade is a rock band whose lyrics almost always center around love. While neither of these bands typically create what could be considered a true "love song", two of the most famous modern rock bands, U2 and Coldplay, frequently write songs about being haunted by love. Gothic bands like Within Temptation, Evanescence, Nightwish and Leaves' Eyes often reflect on love and lost love, sometimes in a rather dreary manner. Another example of this is Demon Hunter's "My Heartstrings Come Undone", a dark expression of unconditional love. While death metal is perhaps the most notorious genre for hateful lyrics, the lead singer of band Novembers Doom wrote a love ballad to his daughter, in the form of "Twilight Innocence". There are many post-hardcore and metalcore songs about love; while Bullet for My Valentine and Bring Me the Horizon are known for writing about love and relationships in a negative light, almost every song by Killswitch Engage, Blessthefall and early As I Lay Dying speaks of the wonder of love. Love occasionally finds its way into the lyrics of the primarily positive genre power metal (Sonata Arctica being a prime example of this). Although the belligerent and restless genre of punk rock rarely yields love-themed lyrics, love songs of sorts are common among pop punk bands like Relient K, Green Day and New Found Glory.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Love
Psychology depicts love as a cognitive and social phenomenon. Psychologist Robert Sternberg formulated a triangular theory of love and argued that love has three different components: intimacy, commitment, and passion. Intimacy is a form in which two people share confidences and various details of their personal lives, and is usually shown in friendships and romantic love affairs. Commitment, on the other hand, is the expectation that the relationship is permanent. The last and most common form of love is sexual attraction and passion. Passionate love is shown in infatuation as well as romantic love. All forms of love are viewed as varying combinations of these three components. American psychologist Zick Rubin seeks to define love by psychometrics. His work states that three factors constitute love: attachment, caring, and intimacy.[11] [12]
Following developments in electrical theories such as Coulomb's law, which showed that positive and negative charges attract, analogs in human life were developed, such as "opposites attract." Over the last century, research on the nature of human mating has generally found this not to be true when it comes to character and personality—people tend to like people similar to themselves. However, in a few unusual and specific domains, such as immune systems, it seems that humans prefer others who are unlike themselves (e.g., with an orthogonal immune system), since this will lead to a baby that has the best of both worlds.[13] In recent years, various human bonding theories have been developed, described in terms of attachments, ties, bonds, and affinities.
Some Western authorities disaggregate into two main components, the altruistic and the narcissistic. This view is represented in the works of Scott Peck, whose work in the field of applied psychology explored the definitions of love and evil. Peck maintains that love is a combination of the "concern for the spiritual growth of another," and simple narcissism.[14] In combination, love is an activity, not simply a feeling.
Comparison of scientific models
Biological models of love tend to see it as a mammalian drive, similar to hunger or thirst.[8] Psychology sees love as more of a social and cultural phenomenon. There are probably elements of truth in both views. Certainly love is influenced by hormones (such as oxytocin), neurotrophins (such as NGF), and pheromones, and how people think and behave in love is influenced by their conceptions of love. The conventional view in biology is that there are two major drives in love: sexual attraction and attachment. Attachment between adults is presumed to work on the same principles that lead an infant to become attached to its mother. The traditional psychological view sees love as being a combination of companionate love and passionate love. Passionate love is intense longing, and is often accompanied by physiological arousal (shortness of breath, rapid heart rate); companionate love is affection and a feeling of intimacy not accompanied by physiological arousal.
Studies have shown that brain scans of those infatuated by love display a resemblance to those with a mental illness. Love creates activity in the same area of the brain where hunger, thirst, and drug cravings create activity. New love, therefore, could possibly be more physical than emotional. Over time, this reaction to love mellows, and different areas of the brain are activated, primarily ones involving long-term commitments.
Following developments in electrical theories such as Coulomb's law, which showed that positive and negative charges attract, analogs in human life were developed, such as "opposites attract." Over the last century, research on the nature of human mating has generally found this not to be true when it comes to character and personality—people tend to like people similar to themselves. However, in a few unusual and specific domains, such as immune systems, it seems that humans prefer others who are unlike themselves (e.g., with an orthogonal immune system), since this will lead to a baby that has the best of both worlds.[13] In recent years, various human bonding theories have been developed, described in terms of attachments, ties, bonds, and affinities.
Some Western authorities disaggregate into two main components, the altruistic and the narcissistic. This view is represented in the works of Scott Peck, whose work in the field of applied psychology explored the definitions of love and evil. Peck maintains that love is a combination of the "concern for the spiritual growth of another," and simple narcissism.[14] In combination, love is an activity, not simply a feeling.
Comparison of scientific models
Biological models of love tend to see it as a mammalian drive, similar to hunger or thirst.[8] Psychology sees love as more of a social and cultural phenomenon. There are probably elements of truth in both views. Certainly love is influenced by hormones (such as oxytocin), neurotrophins (such as NGF), and pheromones, and how people think and behave in love is influenced by their conceptions of love. The conventional view in biology is that there are two major drives in love: sexual attraction and attachment. Attachment between adults is presumed to work on the same principles that lead an infant to become attached to its mother. The traditional psychological view sees love as being a combination of companionate love and passionate love. Passionate love is intense longing, and is often accompanied by physiological arousal (shortness of breath, rapid heart rate); companionate love is affection and a feeling of intimacy not accompanied by physiological arousal.
Studies have shown that brain scans of those infatuated by love display a resemblance to those with a mental illness. Love creates activity in the same area of the brain where hunger, thirst, and drug cravings create activity. New love, therefore, could possibly be more physical than emotional. Over time, this reaction to love mellows, and different areas of the brain are activated, primarily ones involving long-term commitments.
Mongolian People's Republic
Damdin Sükhbaatar, ca 1920-1922
In 1924, after the death of the religious leader and king Bogd Khan, a Mongolian People's Republic was proclaimed with support from the Soviet Union.
In 1928, Khorloogiin Choibalsan rose to power. He instituted collectivisation of livestock, the destruction of Buddhist monasteries and the Mongolia's enemies of the people persecution resulting in the murder of monks and other people. In Mongolia during the 1920s, approximately one third of the male population were monks. By the beginning of the 20th century about 750 monasteries were functioning in Mongolia.[12] The Stalinist purges in Mongolia beginning in 1937, affected the Republic as it left more than 30,000 people dead. Japanese imperialism became even more alarming after the invasion of neighboring Manchuria in 1931. During the Soviet-Japanese Border War of 1939, the Soviet Union successfully defended Mongolia against Japanese expansionism. In August 1945 Mongolian forces also took part in the Soviet Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation in Inner Mongolia. The Soviet threat of seizing parts of Inner Mongolia[citation needed] induced China to recognize Outer Mongolia's independence, provided that a referendum was held. The referendum took place on October 20, 1945, with (according to official numbers) 100% of the electorate voting for independence. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, both countries confirmed their mutual recognition on October 6, 1949.
In January 26, 1952, Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal took power. In 1956 and again in 1962, Choibalsan's personality cult was condemned. Mongolia continued to align itself closely with the Soviet Union, especially after the Sino-Soviet split of the late 1950s. While Tsedenbal was visiting Moscow in August 1984, his severe illness prompted the parliament to announce his retirement and replace him with Jambyn Batmönkh.
In 1924, after the death of the religious leader and king Bogd Khan, a Mongolian People's Republic was proclaimed with support from the Soviet Union.
In 1928, Khorloogiin Choibalsan rose to power. He instituted collectivisation of livestock, the destruction of Buddhist monasteries and the Mongolia's enemies of the people persecution resulting in the murder of monks and other people. In Mongolia during the 1920s, approximately one third of the male population were monks. By the beginning of the 20th century about 750 monasteries were functioning in Mongolia.[12] The Stalinist purges in Mongolia beginning in 1937, affected the Republic as it left more than 30,000 people dead. Japanese imperialism became even more alarming after the invasion of neighboring Manchuria in 1931. During the Soviet-Japanese Border War of 1939, the Soviet Union successfully defended Mongolia against Japanese expansionism. In August 1945 Mongolian forces also took part in the Soviet Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation in Inner Mongolia. The Soviet threat of seizing parts of Inner Mongolia[citation needed] induced China to recognize Outer Mongolia's independence, provided that a referendum was held. The referendum took place on October 20, 1945, with (according to official numbers) 100% of the electorate voting for independence. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, both countries confirmed their mutual recognition on October 6, 1949.
In January 26, 1952, Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal took power. In 1956 and again in 1962, Choibalsan's personality cult was condemned. Mongolia continued to align itself closely with the Soviet Union, especially after the Sino-Soviet split of the late 1950s. While Tsedenbal was visiting Moscow in August 1984, his severe illness prompted the parliament to announce his retirement and replace him with Jambyn Batmönkh.
Geography and climate
At 1,564,116 km2[17] (603,909 mi²), Mongolia is the world's nineteenth-largest country (after Iran). It is significantly larger than the next-largest country, Peru.
The geography of Mongolia is varied with the Gobi Desert to the south and with cold and mountainous regions to the north and west. Much of Mongolia consists of steppes. The highest point in Mongolia is the Khüiten Peak in the Tavan bogd massif in the far west at 4,374 m (14,350 ft). The basin of the lake Uvs Nuur, shared with Tuva Republic in Russia, is a natural World Heritage Site. Most of the country is hot in the summer and extremely cold in the winter, with January averages dropping as low as -30°C (-22°F).[18] The country is also subject to occasional harsh climatic conditions known as zud. Ulan Bator has the lowest average temperature of any national capital in the world. Mongolia is high, cold, and windy. It has an extreme continental climate with long, cold winters and short summers, during which most of its annual precipitation falls. The country averages 257 cloudless days a year, and it is usually at the center of a region of high atmospheric pressure. Precipitation is highest in the north (average of 20 to 35 centimeters per year) and lowest in the south, which receives 10 to 20 centimeters annually. The extreme south is the Gobi, some regions of which receive no precipitation at all in most years.
The name "Gobi" is a Mongol term for a desert steppe, which usually refers to a category of arid rangeland with insufficient vegetation to support marmots but with enough to support camels. Mongols distinguish Gobi from desert proper, although the distinction is not always apparent to outsiders unfamiliar with the Mongolian landscape. Gobi rangelands are fragile and are easily destroyed by overgrazing, which results in expansion of the true desert, a stony waste where not even Bactrian camels can survive.
Administrative divisions
The geography of Mongolia is varied with the Gobi Desert to the south and with cold and mountainous regions to the north and west. Much of Mongolia consists of steppes. The highest point in Mongolia is the Khüiten Peak in the Tavan bogd massif in the far west at 4,374 m (14,350 ft). The basin of the lake Uvs Nuur, shared with Tuva Republic in Russia, is a natural World Heritage Site. Most of the country is hot in the summer and extremely cold in the winter, with January averages dropping as low as -30°C (-22°F).[18] The country is also subject to occasional harsh climatic conditions known as zud. Ulan Bator has the lowest average temperature of any national capital in the world. Mongolia is high, cold, and windy. It has an extreme continental climate with long, cold winters and short summers, during which most of its annual precipitation falls. The country averages 257 cloudless days a year, and it is usually at the center of a region of high atmospheric pressure. Precipitation is highest in the north (average of 20 to 35 centimeters per year) and lowest in the south, which receives 10 to 20 centimeters annually. The extreme south is the Gobi, some regions of which receive no precipitation at all in most years.
The name "Gobi" is a Mongol term for a desert steppe, which usually refers to a category of arid rangeland with insufficient vegetation to support marmots but with enough to support camels. Mongols distinguish Gobi from desert proper, although the distinction is not always apparent to outsiders unfamiliar with the Mongolian landscape. Gobi rangelands are fragile and are easily destroyed by overgrazing, which results in expansion of the true desert, a stony waste where not even Bactrian camels can survive.
Administrative divisions
Sorority Life goes live on hi5
Another popular social game from Playdom, Sorority Life, has gone live on hi5 integrated with hi5 Coins for virtual goods purchases. Sorority Life gives players the chance to live like a sorority sister, from great fashion and friends to non-stop shopping and socializing. The game went live on hi5 Games last week, with integration to hi5 Coins - hi5's global virtual currency, for in-game micro-payments. Sorority Life is the third title from social gaming leader Playdom available on hi5, which already features Mobsters and Poker Palace. The partnership between hi5 and Playdom was initially announced in May. Play Sorority Life today at http://games.hi5.com
Thursday, May 14, 2009
New Jersey University hacked
vvandal submits 'NEWARK Computer hackers were able to gain access to the Social Security numbers and other confidential financial information of almost 2,000 University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey students and alumni, university officials said.
UMDNJ kept the electronic break-in quiet while it investigated if the information -- including the tuition aid and loan information of about 700 students and 1,150 alumni -- could be used by the hackers.
"We know it was hacked into because there were some things on it that did not belong -- pranks and games," UMDNJ interim President Bruce C. Vladeck told The Sunday Star-Ledger.'
UMDNJ kept the electronic break-in quiet while it investigated if the information -- including the tuition aid and loan information of about 700 students and 1,150 alumni -- could be used by the hackers.
"We know it was hacked into because there were some things on it that did not belong -- pranks and games," UMDNJ interim President Bruce C. Vladeck told The Sunday Star-Ledger.'
Mac Anti-Spyware Program MacScan Adds Blacklisted Cookies
SecureMac released MacScan 2.3, the latest version of the company’s anti-spyware package for Macintosh computers. The notable feature in this version in the blacklisted cookie scanner, rather than deleting all your cookies potentially loosing saved usernames and passwords (you don't do that right?) you can scan for tracking cookies and remove them. The blacklist cookie definitions, like the Spyware definitions, come in easy to download updates.
SecureMac releases MacScan 2.3 Anti-Spyware for Mac OS X
January 19, 2006 - Las Vegas, Nevada - SecureMac is pleased to announce the release of MacScan 2.3, the latest version of the company's industry leading anti-spyware package for Macintosh computers.
SecureMac listens to its customers, and adds the features they request to provide them with added peace of mind. Version 2.3 adds a blacklisted cookie scanner. This feature maintains a list of known tracking cookies, and when run, removes them from web browsers in which they are found. Version 2.3 also adds file cleaning support for additional browsers.
The MacScan team has begun to localize the software for languages other than English. As of version 2.3, MacScan comes with US English and Korean localizations.
Upgrades from previous versions of MacScan 2 are free, and can be obtained by either selecting "Upgrade MacScan" under the "MacScan" menu, or downloading the demo version from http://macscan.securemac.com and entering your serial number.
The demo can be registered for $24.95 using Paypal or credit card, either through the built-in registration system, or via the MacScan webstore at http://macscan.securemac.com .
About MacScan
MacScan quickly detects, isolates and removes spyware from Macintosh computers using both real-time spyware definition updating and unique detection methods. The software also manages internet-related clutter on your computer. It is designed for Mac OS X version 10.2.4 and later.
For more information, or to download a demo version of MacScan, visit http://macscan.securemac.com .
About SecureMac
Since 1999, SecureMac.com has been at the forefront of Macintosh system security. The site not only features complete Macintosh Anti-Spyware and Antivirus solutions, but also operates as a clearinghouse for news, reviews and discussion of Apple computer security issues. Users from novice to the most advanced will find useful information at SecureMac that is designed to make their computer experience trouble free.
For more information about SecureMac, visit http://www.securemac.com .
SecureMac releases MacScan 2.3 Anti-Spyware for Mac OS X
January 19, 2006 - Las Vegas, Nevada - SecureMac is pleased to announce the release of MacScan 2.3, the latest version of the company's industry leading anti-spyware package for Macintosh computers.
SecureMac listens to its customers, and adds the features they request to provide them with added peace of mind. Version 2.3 adds a blacklisted cookie scanner. This feature maintains a list of known tracking cookies, and when run, removes them from web browsers in which they are found. Version 2.3 also adds file cleaning support for additional browsers.
The MacScan team has begun to localize the software for languages other than English. As of version 2.3, MacScan comes with US English and Korean localizations.
Upgrades from previous versions of MacScan 2 are free, and can be obtained by either selecting "Upgrade MacScan" under the "MacScan" menu, or downloading the demo version from http://macscan.securemac.com and entering your serial number.
The demo can be registered for $24.95 using Paypal or credit card, either through the built-in registration system, or via the MacScan webstore at http://macscan.securemac.com .
About MacScan
MacScan quickly detects, isolates and removes spyware from Macintosh computers using both real-time spyware definition updating and unique detection methods. The software also manages internet-related clutter on your computer. It is designed for Mac OS X version 10.2.4 and later.
For more information, or to download a demo version of MacScan, visit http://macscan.securemac.com .
About SecureMac
Since 1999, SecureMac.com has been at the forefront of Macintosh system security. The site not only features complete Macintosh Anti-Spyware and Antivirus solutions, but also operates as a clearinghouse for news, reviews and discussion of Apple computer security issues. Users from novice to the most advanced will find useful information at SecureMac that is designed to make their computer experience trouble free.
For more information about SecureMac, visit http://www.securemac.com .
Rendered REPORT: 2011 Nissan Murano Convertible still in the cards?
by Damon Lavrinc on May 13th 2009 at 8:01PM
Last August, InsideLine reported Nissan was working on a convertible variant of the Murano crossover and today, it's released a follow-up, claiming the soft-top SUV will make it to market sometime before next summer and will lose a set of doors (ala Chrysler's PT Cruiser convertible) in the process. This is either the most inane move by Nissan in recent memory or one of the lamest hoaxes ever to spring forth from the interwebs.According to IL, the 2011 Murano convertible will be produced in limited numbers, come equipped with a retractable soft-top and will be packing the same 265-hp, 3.5-liter V6 and CVT to send power to either the front wheels or all four.
If it happens, it could look like this rendering from IL. With all the products being killed in 2010, this one makes the cut? The mind reels.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
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