This and That and More of the Same

Frozen River Thames ???

2012-01-29T12:38:00.000-08:00

A painting, dated 1684, by Abraham Hondius depicts one of many frost fairs on the River Thames during the mini ice age

Shwedagon Pagoda

2012-01-29T12:25:00.000-08:00

Yangon, formerly Rangoon, was the capital of Myanmar until it was superseded by Naypyidaw in November 2005. Today, with a population of over 5 million people, it remains the largest city and main economic hub of Myanmar. Above, the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon.

Mount Aspiring National Park

2012-01-29T12:03:00.000-08:00

New Zealand's Mount Aspiring National Park (established in 1964) is a wonderful mixture of remote wilderness, high mountains and beautiful river valleys. It is a walker's paradise and a must for mountaineers. The views are endless and unforgettable.

Sierra Winter

2012-01-28T16:52:00.000-08:00

On a frosty winter morning, Upper Yosemite Fall is just a trickle.

Yosemite in Winter

2012-01-28T16:41:00.000-08:00

In Yosemite National Park, the wooden footpath in Sentinel Meadow is covered with snow on a cold January afternoon.

"Ahwahnee Hotel"

2012-01-28T16:29:00.000-08:00

With a fresh blanket of snow from an overnight storm, a new morning dawns at the venerable Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park.

The "Actor"

2012-01-28T16:23:00.000-08:00

The statuette is called the Actor for a reason; the Screen Actors Guild Awards are all about the performance. But that doesn’t mean the setting will be bare bones.

The 18th annual awards ceremony takes place Sunday at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall near downtown Los Angeles. In the week leading up to the ceremony, the hall has been the center of frenetic work to complete the transformation.

Massive lighting trusses already have been raised into place. A temporary stage, with a distinctively Art Deco feel, has been erected. And, of course, large-scale versions of the Actor himself — chiseled, if tastefully neutered — are on the floor.

"Love Never Dies"

2012-01-28T16:18:00.000-08:00

Andrew Lloyd Webber doesn't mince words when talking about the poorly received London production of "Love Never Dies," his long-awaited sequel to "The Phantom of the Opera."

"It just didn't work in London," said Webber in a phone interview Wednesday from New York. His blunt assessment was in line with the critics, who cruelly dubbed the show "Paint Never Dries." A Broadway transfer was put on indefinite hold and the London version closed with a thud in August.

But last year, a different production of the musical, with some revisions, opened in Melbourne, Australia, and received positive notices. Spurred by its success, Lloyd Webber is resuscitating the musical's Broadway prospects. He said he is in New York this week to screen the Australian version of the musical for the Broadway community and select members of the press.

"I don't want to second-guess it now, but I think there's a strong probability that we do have a chance," said the composer.
"It's a deeply personal piece to me. The fact that it has been got right, that the Australians have got it right ... could make the difference."

Lloyd Webber added that the Australian production, directed by Simon Phillips, "is extremely expensive." The show has since traveled to Sydney.

"Love Never Dies" was captured in HD for broadcast to cinemas and a DVD release. The cinema version is scheduled for late February, said Webber. The DVD is scheduled for a U.S. release on May 29.

The musical picks up 10 years after the conclusion of "Phantom." The action is set in New York's Coney Island, where the Phantom has created a carnivalesque show. The score is by Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Glenn Slater and Charles Hart. The book is by Slater, Ben Elton and Frederick Forsyth.

U-2 to keep flying

2012-01-28T16:08:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- The spy plane U-2, once slated to be replaced in 2015, may continue flying into the next decade under a U.S. Defense Department proposal, officials say.

The fleet of 33 U-2s was supposed to be replaced with RQ-4 Global Hawks, high-tech drones used by the Air Force since 2001.

But the U.S. Defense Department this week proposed delaying the retirement of the U-2s as a result of Pentagon spending cutbacks, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The Global Hawk, with a price tag of $176 million apiece, had "priced itself out of the niche, in terms of taking pictures in the air," Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said at a news conference Thursday. "That's a disappointment for us, but that's the fate of things that become too expensive in a resource-constrained environment.

"a classic tale of the individual subjugated to the will of art and expectation"

2012-01-27T22:38:00.000-08:00

It's a story that could have been written if Noel Streatfield went over to the dark side. Sergei Polunin was a young Ukrainian dancer of striking talent. He is 21, and was billed as the next Nureyev. And he resigned: the ballet world is stumped, since as the youngest ever principal at the Royal Ballet, he had already achieved more than wonderful dancers, throughout history, could ever dream of.

And the reasons … well, they were split between the completely daft and the terribly poignant. On his Twitter feed, he said things like "as long as you have a beer in your hand by morning" and "does any body sell heroin??"; but in an interview, he said: "I would have liked to behave badly … But all my family were working for me to succeed. My mother had moved to Kiev to be with me. There was no chance of me failing." He'd been in England since he was 13, his story a classic tale of the individual subjugated to the will of art and expectation.

"into the shoes of J. Pierrepont Finch"

2012-01-27T13:56:00.000-08:00

HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING bids goodbye to Darren Criss today, following a strictly limited three week engagement. Criss will return to his role as 'Blaine' on GLEE, and next to step into the shoes of J. Pierrepont Finch will be singer Nick Jonas. Jonas, who began his career on stage at age 8, returns to Broadway for the first time since the launch of the international sensation The Jonas Brothers starting this Tuesday, January 24, through July 1.

"Frank Gehry-designed off- Broadway complex"

2012-01-27T13:49:00.000-08:00

Hedge fund manager William Ackman donated $25 million to New York’s nonprofit Signature Theatre, which said it will rename its new, Frank Gehry-designed off- Broadway complex after his foundation.

The “Pershing Square Signature Center” is scheduled to open on Tuesday with three theaters, two rehearsal studios and public space on W. 42nd Street, between Ninth and Tenth Avenues. Ackman, 45, is chief executive and founder of Pershing Square Capital Management LP.

"Golden Key Hotel checks out"

2012-01-27T13:32:00.000-08:00

There will be no wrecking ball — much less dynamite — as the Golden Key Hotel checks out of Glendale to make way for a new Nordstrom department store at the Americana at Brand shopping center.

Workers started cautiously taking apart the three-story, 55-room hotel on Colorado Street on Thursday, said Paul Kurzawa, chief operating officer of mall owner Caruso Affiliated.

Workers are using an excavator and hand tools on the hotel; a vacant brick building next door will be dismantled entirely by hand. The goal is to avoid creating a lot of dust and racket, or accidentally whacking any of the Americana's existing buildings, which neighbor the hotel on three sides.

"We are taking out anything not permanently affixed, and then certain walls and then the roof and the rest of the walls," Kurzawa said. "It will be very orderly."

The Golden Key, which was built in 1968, closed at the end of December.

Going grey

2012-01-27T13:26:00.000-08:00

Liam Neeson, who has emerged as a formidable middle-aged action star over the last few years, is expected to take the top spot at the box office this weekend, with his latest movie, "The Grey," projected to take in as much as $14 million. The other major releases this weekend are the Katherine Heigl comedy "One for the Money" and the thriller "Man on a Ledge." Neither are expected to top the $10-million mark. Looks like I'll be a man on a couch this weekend. Box-office previews from the Los Angeles Times and Hollywood Reporter.

The strong pull of COFFEE !!

2012-01-27T13:18:00.000-08:00

Starbucks Corp.'s quarterly profit rose after the summer's economic jitters failed to dilute the coffee buying habits of the world's largest coffee chain's customers.

The stock, which closed at $41.40, rose 2.8 percent to $42.56 in after-hours trade.

Fourth-quarter net income hit $358.5 million, or 47 cents per share, including gains of 10 cents per share, the company said Thursday. In the year-earlier quarter, Starbucks made a profit of $278.9 million, or 37 cents per share.

Total revenue rose almost 7 percent to $3.03 billion for the quarter ended Oct 2.

Disco Party Silhouettes is available for your party

2012-01-26T21:50:00.000-08:00

Golden Dragon Parade

2012-01-26T21:42:00.000-08:00

http://www.lagoldendragonparade.com/
In celebrating over one hundred years of tradition, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles presents the 113th Annual Golden Dragon Parade. With over thousands and thousands of individuals lining the parade route and thousands viewing the telecast each year, this colorful celebration along North Broadway in Chinatown has become the premiere cultural event in the Southern California Asian-American Community.

Since the mid-1980’s, the Golden Dragon Parade has expanded to include almost two dozen floats, multiple marching bands, government officials, various dignitaries, entertainers, local business leaders and cultural groups. The parade’s theme emphasizes ethnic diversity, Chinese Culture and exposure to Chinese-American businesses. The parade continues to be a rich and diverse experience for Angelenos of all ages and ethnicities.

The day of the Lunar New Year is the most celebrated holiday of the year for nearly 1.5 million persons of Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese descent in Southern California. It is celebrated with colorful festivals, parades, and most importantly, large family gatherings. It is also a time when ancestors are fondly remembered and families give thanks for their blessings. Red packets of money (“Lai See” or “Hung Bao”) and firecrackers add fun and excitement to the Chinese New Year celebration.

Hornblower Cruises

2012-01-26T21:39:00.000-08:00

Hornblower offers dinner cruises, charter cruises, harbor cruises, corporate events, whale watching, birthday parties, and weddings. It currently owns the largest fleet of private yachts in California, with cruises from San Diego, San Francisco, Berkeley, Old Sacramento, Marina Del Rey, Newport Beach, and Long Beach.

"The X-47B is designed to land on the deck of an aircraft carrier"

2012-01-26T21:31:00.000-08:00

The Navy's new drone being tested near Chesapeake Bay stretches the boundaries of technology: It's designed to land on the deck of an aircraft carrier, one of aviation's most difficult maneuvers.

What's even more remarkable is that it will do that not only without a pilot in the cockpit, but without a pilot at all.

The X-47B marks a paradigm shift in warfare, one that is likely to have far-reaching consequences. With the drone's ability to be flown autonomously by onboard computers, it could usher in an era when death and destruction can be dealt by machines operating semi-independently.

Ten Cents a cup No More!

2012-01-26T21:14:00.000-08:00

Philippe’s is best known for its legendary French dip sandwiches. But for regulars, nothing speaks to the eatery's historic L.A. feel than the 9-cent coffee on the menu. And the one extra cent of tax.

Since 1977, the legion of longtime customers at the Alameda Street restaurant had grown accustomed to putting a dime on the counter and getting a hot cup of coffee in return.

But on Wednesday, management posted a sign on the door that came as a surprise: Starting Feb. 2, the price of an eight-ounce brew is going up 400% — to 45 cents.

They say the price of coffee is such that the restaurant no longer can keep the price so low.

The Red Tree by Pip Gerard

2012-01-26T21:08:00.000-08:00

The living tree root bridges of Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, India

2012-01-26T20:56:00.000-08:00

Vines and roots of trees are trained to stretch across rivers and streams, to create a sturdy structure strong enough to be used as a bridge for up to 50 people at a time. Villagers create these living bridges – which take 10-15 years to grow – as a solution to the high annual rainfall, which would cause ordinary wooden bridges to rot

"Capturing the Beauty of Life"

2012-01-26T20:52:00.000-08:00

"Put your lips together and blow"

2012-01-26T20:46:00.000-08:00

Quoted from: http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/design/eight-photography-effects/

Lunar eclipse time lapse

2012-01-25T23:38:00.000-08:00

Staircase To Nowhere...

2012-01-25T22:38:00.000-08:00

What do you suppose this guy's thinking ????

2012-01-25T22:31:00.000-08:00

Amazing Chalk Art

2012-01-25T22:30:00.000-08:00

Art Imitates Life

2012-01-25T21:31:00.000-08:00

“lifting of the veil”

2012-01-25T16:17:00.000-08:00

An Apocalypse (Greek: Apokálypsis; “lifting of the veil” or “revelation”) is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The term also can refer to the eschatological final battle, the Armageddon, and the idea of an end of the world. These perceptions may better be related to the phrase “apokalypsis eschaton”, literally “revelation at ( or of ) the end of the eon, or age”. In Christianity The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the Christian Bible.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse – War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death – are described in the last book of the New Testament of the Bible, called the Book of Revelation of Saint John the Evangelist at 6:1-8. The chapter tells of a scroll in God’s right hand that is sealed with seven seals. Jesus Christ opens the first four of the seven seals, which summons forth the four beasts that ride on white, red, black, and pale horses which each symbolize War, Famine, Conquest (or Pestilence) and Death, respectively. The Christian apocalyptic vision is that the four horsemen are to set a divine apocalypse upon the world as harbingers of the Last Judgment.

Rudolph Valentino Busts

2012-01-25T15:39:00.000-08:00

This is a wonderful collection depicting Valentino from The Four Horsemen, The Son of the Sheik, and possibly The Sheik. Some appear to have been mass produced while other could have been privately made.

Click below for the Rudolph Valentino Collectible Blog:

http://rudolph-valentino.blogspot.com/2012/01/assorted-rudolph-valentino-busts.html

"It was the tango that changed the world"

2012-01-25T15:12:00.000-08:00

Flash back to 1921. Female moviegoers were entranced with such handsome athletic actors as Douglas Fairbanks, Richard Barthlemess and Wallace Reid. But nothing prepared them for Rudolph Valentino's performance that year in Rex Ingram's acclaimed "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse."

As Julio, the charming wastrel grandson of a wealthy Argentine landowner before World War I, the smoldering Italian actor commands the screen, especially when he is in a local Buenos Aires dive watching a man and woman tango. Dressed in gaucho pants and bolero hat, he catches the eye of the woman dancing. Julio swaggers over to the dancing couple and asks to break into the dance. The man brushes Julio off, only to have Julio strike the man and take over in the woman's arms. Valentino's intensity and ardor still permeate the screen nearly 90 years later.

"This film really put him on the map, so to speak," says Donna L. Hill, who runs a Valentino website (www.rudolph-valentino.com) and is author of the new book "Rudolph Valentino: The Silent Idol."

" 'The Sheik' that followed only compounded that and increased his star appeal," she says. "But this is one of the few cases in any Hollywood film where you literally watch a star being born on film. The minute he starts dancing the tango, the whole film changes."

"a wonderfully silly excuse to dress up"

2012-01-25T13:54:00.000-08:00

Ron Paul stars in Astros rainbow uniform at ’76 Congressional ballgame

Almost nobody likes Congress. The polls say so. But I'll say this for the federal legislature: Republicans and Democrats play each other in a baseball game every year, and that partly makes up for whatever it is they do the rest of the time.

Back in December, Summer Anne Burton of NotGraphs published a wonderful post called "GOP Presidential Candidates and Baseball" that explored how each of the hopefuls has been affiliated with the national pastime. The runaway winner was Ron Paul, simply because he happened to be photographed wearing a customized Houston Astros uniform while playing for the Republicans in the 1976 game at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. Many of the politicos who play today still wear the uniform of their local club. What a wonderfully silly excuse to dress up.

But Paul really did it right: Rainbow, star, stirrups. The only thing missing is white cleats. (I'm not sure what I think of putting his entire name on the back of the jersey. That's a violation.) Still, he'd fit right in with Jose Cruz, Enos Cabell and J.R. Richard. And check out those forearms. Nice to meet you, Mr. Garvey, err, Dr. Paul. With guns like those, it might not surprise you to realize that Paul reportedly hit the only home run over the fence in the history of the Congressional series — so says his son Sen. Rand Paul.

Worth Preserving

2012-01-25T13:46:00.001-08:00

January 24, 2012|By Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times

A downtown Los Angeles theater and office complex built by silent film stars will be converted to a hotel.

Ace Hotel, a Portland, Ore., chain of boutique inns catering to the young and hip, will develop a new outpost in the historic United Artists building at Broadway and 9th Street. The 180-room hotel will occupy the office building's 13 floors, Ace said. It will have a pool, restaurant, bar and 1,600-seat theater when it opens in summer 2013.

"The United Artists building has an intriguing history and is an outstanding example of 1920s gothic architecture," said Alex Calderwood, a co-founder of Ace Hotel. "We look forward to being a part of the ongoing effort to revitalize South Broadway."

The complex at 927 S. Broadway was built in 1927 in part to provide a theater for the movie production company founded by film luminaries Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin and D.W. Griffith.

The Spanish Gothic theater was designed by C. Howard Crane and the office tower by Walker & Eisen, the team behind other local landmarks including the Fine Arts Building downtown and the Beverly Wilshire hotel in Beverly Hills.

Greenfield Partners, a hotel investor based in South Norwalk, Conn., bought the United Artists building for $11 million in October from Wescott Christian Center Inc. One of the founders of Wescott was Gene Scott, a flamboyant preacher whose broadcasts were heard nationally. He died in 2005.

Hold that Tiger!

2012-01-25T13:33:00.000-08:00

In this image dated Tuesday Jan. 24, 2012 and made available by Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, Lee Westwood from England, 2nd left, U.S. golf star,Tiger Woods, 4th left, and Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland, 2nd right, beat drums with members of a traditional Emirati Ayala dance group two days before the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/ David Cannon/Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship).

Photography that is Exciting !

2012-01-24T16:20:00.000-08:00

Photo by Ian Shive who says: "I have a lot to be thankful for in 2011. It was a great year for making photographs as well as sharing them but of all the great accomplishments and memories, being the recipient of the Sierra Club’s prestigious 2011 Ansel Adams Award for Conservation Photography takes the cake."

To visit Ian's website, click on the heading above.

Sierra Club

2012-01-24T16:08:00.000-08:00

Full of reasons why the Sierra Club warrants your support. For many years I enjoyed membership in the Sierra Club. I should send them a check . . .

I remember doing this once but then I came to my senses.

2012-01-24T15:58:00.000-08:00

RUNNING THE RAPIDS will give you a thrill

Only trouble is -- I'm terrified still

ARCH ROCK -- but where ???

2012-01-24T15:40:00.000-08:00

If anyone has more information on where this is located -- please leave a comment. According to the Sierra Club it's somewhere in the Great Lakes region. Yeah, I realize, that's a pretty large region.

http://sierraclubgreatlakes.blogspot.com/2011_06_01_archive.html

The Little Tramp returns

2012-01-24T15:26:00.000-08:00

After a 20-year exile in Europe, Charlie Chaplin returned to Hollywood to receive an honorary Oscar on April 10, 1972, for such comedies as "The Kid," "The Gold Rush," "City Lights," "Modern Times" and "The Great Dictator." Chaplin, then 82, received probably the longest standing ovation in the history of the Oscar telecast as he walked slowly to the podium to pick up his Academy Award for his "incalculable effect in making motion pictures the art form of the century." Chaplin was quite literally speechless as he looked at the throng of stars whose cheers kept getting louder. He finally uttered "thank you so much," referring to the audience as "sweet people." And there wasn't a dry eye in the house when Jack Lemmon gave him his famous Little Tramp hat and cane.

A Match Made in Heaven

2012-01-24T14:29:00.000-08:00

Annie Hall (1977) is one of the truest, most bittersweet romances on film. In it, Allen plays a thinly disguised version of himself: Alvy Singer, a successful--if neurotic--television comedian living in Manhattan. Annie (the wholesomely luminous Dianne Keaton) is a Midwestern transplant who dabbles in photography and sings in small clubs. When the two meet, the sparks are immediate--if repressed. Alone in her apartment for the first time, Alvy and Annie navigate a minefield of self-conscious "is-this-person-someone-I'd-want-to-get-involved-with?" conversation. As they speak, subtitles flash their unspoken thoughts: the likes of "I'm not smart enough for him" and "I sound like a jerk." Despite all their caution, they connect, and we're swept up in the flush of their new romance. Allen's antic sensibility shines here in a series of flashbacks to Alvy's childhood, growing up, quite literally, under a rumbling roller coaster. His boisterous Jewish family's dinner table shares a split screen with the WASP-y Hall's tight-lipped holiday table, one Alvy has joined for the first time. His position as outsider is uncontestable he looks down the table and sizes up Annie's "Grammy Hall" as "a classic Jew-hater."

The relationship arcs, as does Annie's growing desire for independence. It quickly becomes clear that the two are on separate tracks, as what was once endearing becomes annoying. Annie Hall embraces Allen's central themes--his love affair with New York (and hatred of Los Angeles), how impossible relationships are, and his fear of death. But their balance is just right, the chemistry between Allen's worry-wart Alvy and Keaton's gangly, loopy Annie is one of the screen's best pairings. It couldn't be more engaging. --Susan Benson

Alan Alda by Murphy Art. Elliott

2012-01-24T14:10:00.000-08:00

Alan Alda by Murphy Art. Elliott Drawing - Alan Alda by Murphy Art. Elliott Fine Art Print - Murphy Elliott

Milestone Drama

2012-01-24T14:01:00.000-08:00

Hal Holbrook and Martin Sheen (pictured) played longtime companions in the milestone drama, That Certain Summer, penned by Richard Levinson and William Link. (MGM)

Jean Dujardin

2012-01-24T13:46:00.000-08:00

Jean Dujardin has taken the critics by storm for his portrayal of a silent film actor in the French film 'The Artist,' and it was no surprise to see the actor at the forefront of the nominations as the Academy Awards nominees were revealed today, January 24th 2012.

Star Portrait by Marc Jean Louis at stars-portraits.com

The Iron Lady

2012-01-24T13:35:00.000-08:00

David Cameron praised Meryl Streep's performance in The Iron Lady as "fantastic", but questioned the decision to make the film while Baroness Thatcher is alive.

The film portrays the former prime minister's premiership, and then her suffering with dementia in later life.

Mr Cameron told Radio Four: "You can't help wondering, why do we have to have this film now?

"It's really a film about ageing, dementia, rather than a wonderful prime minister."

"My sense was a great piece of acting, a really staggering piece of acting, but a film I wish they could have made another day."

Beauty and Mystery

2012-01-24T13:18:00.000-08:00

Majestic Mt. Shasta, a 14,162-foot dormant volcano on the southern edge of the Cascade Range, "has always had a spiritual drawing, but it’s getting more and more popular,” said a supervisor in the visitors bureau of the nearby town of Mount Shasta.

(For The L A Times, Tim Shisler / January 24, 2012)

Fresh Powder

2012-01-24T13:12:00.000-08:00

Today was the third winter storm that hit the San Bernardino mountains this season. Snow levels dropped to 3,000 feet as we've had more than 2 feet of fresh powder. Snow Summit and Bear Mountain welcome the snow along with many skiers and snowborders!!

Capilano Suspension Bridge – Vancouver, British Columbia

2012-01-23T22:42:00.000-08:00

Keukenhof Tulip Gardens – Lisse,Holland

2012-01-23T22:32:00.000-08:00

Are you one of 'em ???

2012-01-23T22:19:00.000-08:00

Simple but Exciting . . .

2012-01-23T21:55:00.000-08:00

"Hot Leaves"

What good advice . . .

2012-01-23T21:50:00.000-08:00

One of Life's Lessons . . .

2012-01-23T21:24:00.000-08:00

Mediterranean Scene

2012-01-23T17:52:00.000-08:00

What a splendid image -- colorful and exciting.

Rare, Striking Beauty -- That's Oregon's Crater Lake National Park

2012-01-23T17:38:00.000-08:00

Dragonflies

2012-01-23T16:51:00.000-08:00

Nancy A. Henry's Favorite Pictures -- http://vi.sualize.us/nancyahenry/

The Ghost Ship -- Desktop Nexus

2012-01-23T16:46:00.000-08:00

Quoted from: http://www.google.com/reader/view/?tab=my

Stonehenge

2012-01-23T16:41:00.000-08:00

stonehenge wallpaper II by =night-fate on deviantART

Autumn Grandeur, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

2012-01-23T16:35:00.000-08:00

Falltuer By 5letters in Showcase of Beautiful Photography

2012-01-23T16:17:00.000-08:00

Quoted from: http://caramiaaway.stumbleupon.com/

"SHE LEFT" by *Leonidafremov on deviantART

2012-01-23T16:09:00.000-08:00

Quoted from: http://leonidafremov.deviantart.com/art/quot-SHE-LEFT-q....715171

Who said, "If you've seen one rose, you've seen 'em all" ???

2012-01-23T16:01:00.000-08:00

Some people have no fear and some people have no sense!

2012-01-23T15:57:00.000-08:00

I'd go 'round again if I could!

2012-01-23T15:52:00.000-08:00

Truc du soleil

2012-01-23T15:49:00.000-08:00

Having an Otherworldly Experience

2012-01-23T15:47:00.000-08:00

Have you noticed the traffic getting heavier lately ??

2012-01-23T15:38:00.000-08:00

"Scary Storm"

2012-01-23T15:28:00.000-08:00

Enraged clouds start to spin trying to escape

by Outside Perception on Wordpress.com

Nature as Art

2012-01-23T15:18:00.000-08:00

Sunset Sea by Grace Aisha

"marine cloud whitening"

2012-01-23T15:13:00.000-08:00

Special ships that create clouds by spraying seawater into the air could be the most cost effective way of tackling climate change, new research has found.

The technique, known as marine cloud whitening, would create clouds above the Pacific Ocean that would have a cooling effect by reflecting sunlight away from Earth.

A wind-powered fleet of nearly 2,000 ships would criss-cross the sea, sucking up sea water and spraying it upwards through tall funnels.

'When you spray saltwater into the air, you create nuclei that cloud condenses around, creating bigger and whiter clouds, thus bouncing more sunlight back into space,' said David Young from the think-tank that commissioned the study.

Sunlight breaks through the clouds just off of Scituate Harbor.

2012-01-23T13:45:00.000-08:00

This photo was taken on July 3, 2008 in Scituate, Massachusetts, U. S., by Edward O Connor using a Nikon D50.

Part of the Arab Spring

2012-01-23T13:42:00.000-08:00

Yemeni army soldiers hold flowers they received from anti-government protesters demanding the ouster of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Goldfinger Valentine

2012-01-22T16:33:00.000-08:00

You've got the haute couture outfit and designer jewelry. So, what's next?

How about gold bullion bars designed by the enfant terrible of French haute couture, Jean Paul Gaultier?

The fashion industry bad boy has been in vogue for decades — he designed Madonna's much-ballyhooed cone-shaped bra, a line of skirts for men and outfits for rocker Marilyn Manson.

Now he's reworking one-ounce bars of gold, charging about $1,830 (along with a $25 handling fee) for each. The going rate will change to reflect the spot price of the precious metal, which at the moment is about $1,660 an ounce.

$7.9 million for Audubon's 'Birds'

2012-01-22T14:34:00.000-08:00

A rare first edition of John James Audubon's illustrated "The Birds of America" depicting more than 400 life-size North American species in four monumental volumes was purchased at auction Friday for $7.9 million.

Christie's auction house identified the buyer as an American collector who bid by phone.

The winning bid was within the presale estimate of $7 million to $10 million for the work, considered a masterpiece of ornithology art.

Another complete first edition of "The Birds of America" sold at Sotheby's in London in December 2010 for $11.5 million, a record for the most expensive printed book sold at auction.

Mario Lopez set for L.A. radio

2012-01-22T14:33:00.000-08:00

As if he didn't have plenty to do already, Mario Lopez is adding another job to a résumé that includes TV host, author and actor: radio DJ. Starting Monday, he'll be heard weekdays from 7 to 11 p.m. on KBIG-FM (104.3).

Lopez hosts the syndicated TV show "Extra" and MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew." He is also a former contestant on "Dancing With the Stars" and appeared on Broadway in "A Chorus Line."

Other TV celebrities heard on L.A. radio include Ryan Seacrest, morning host at KIIS-FM (102.7), Carson Daly, morning host at KAMP (97.1) and, starting Jan. 30, Geraldo Rivera, who will host a talk radio show from 10 a.m. to noon on KABC-AM (790).

—Lee Margulies

What will Broadway be like in 20 years?

2012-01-22T14:28:00.000-08:00

A future vision of Broadway -- What will Broadway be like in 20 years?

Will people still come to see shows in 2032? Will actors still be performing live? Will Times Square still be the crossroads of the world? Will "The Phantom of the Opera" still be open?

Those and many other questions will likely be mulled over Monday at the inaugural TEDxBroadway, a one-day conference bringing together producers, marketers, entrepreneurs, economists and artists. All will try to imagine what Broadway will be like in two decades.

The conference speakers include Jujamcyn Theaters president Jordan Roth, "Sleep No More" producer Randy Weiner, former Lincoln Center Director Gregory Mosher, Tony-winning choreographer Bill T. Jones, Citibank's social media strategy head Frank Eliason and author Juan Enriquez.

—Associated Press

"Keynesian Moment"

2012-01-22T14:19:00.000-08:00

“Keynes is back.” It is a familiar cliché, but also an enigma. Enigmatic, first, because Keynes, the most influential economist of the twentieth century, never really left. Like it or not, we live in a macroeconomic world elucidated by Keynes and those who followed in his footsteps. Even Robert Lucas, who won a Nobel Prize for his criticisms of conventional Keynesianism, said in response to the financial crisis: “I guess everyone is a Keynesian in a foxhole.”

But enigmatic also because Keynes himself was never with us. From his vast writings, a few ideas were quickly distilled into analytical tools and policy prescriptions that became known as “Keynesianism.”

Apple's Cocoon

2012-01-22T13:55:00.000-08:00

Cupertino.org has posted a bunch of PDF files pertaining to Appleâ€™s very Pixar-flying-saucer-esque new headquarters, planned for the old HP lot they acquired. The building, formed like a giant ring with apricot orchards, massive underground parking, and room for 20,000 employees, will make use of the same kind of leading edge design and manufacturing Apple has used for everything from their products to their Apple Stores, especially in constructing those huge, rounded glass panels.

How the Tam O' Shanter came to be . . .

2012-01-22T13:46:00.000-08:00

“in june, 1922, walter van de kamp and his son-in-law, lawrence l. frank partnered with restaurateur joe montgomery to co-found a quaint restaurant and roadside stop. initially called ‘montgomery’s country inn’ the name was changed to the tam o’shanter in 1925.”

Location: Los Angeles

"It's bound to rile you up"

2012-01-22T13:28:00.000-08:00

The silent film Birth of a Nation (1915) quells discussion. It is such a piece of bluntly racist propaganda; so relentlessly bigoted, particularly in its second hour, that it’s impossible for anyone to discuss the film’s artistic and technical merits in isolation, though many try. They talk about director D.W. Griffith’s ground-breaking editing techniques, which give the film its dramatic potency. They talk about its unprecedented popular appeal. True, true. Even at 180 minutes, Birth of a Nation absolutely flies by.

And then there’s its star, Lillian Gish (above); the supreme queen of pantomime, weaving her tale with minimal intertitles and no histrionics. She’s perfect for Griffith, who relies on old-fashioned prescriptive intertitles to get his point across. He merely sets Gish up, and she goes to work.

Windmills Kinderdijk Netherlands

2012-01-22T13:14:00.000-08:00

"Looking for a spectrum of viewpoints"

2012-01-20T15:34:00.000-08:00

In an effort to expand both its ratings and its spectrum of viewpoints, talk station KABC-AM (790) is turning to an award-winning journalist, a personality better known to television viewers than radio listeners over the last 40 years: Geraldo Rivera.

Rivera will debut a 10 a.m. weekday talk show on Jan. 30 in which he'll take calls, interview guests and discuss the day's news, with an emphasis on Southern California.

"I think I represent a big swath of the middle, and it's kind of drowned out, or nonexistent," said Rivera, who calls himself a liberal Republican with a far different stance on issues such as abortion and immigration than party orthodoxy. "It's almost as if talk radio is setting the agenda politically, and that agenda is extremely partisan. It's carving up the country, it has a strong racial undertone, and I don't think that's good for anybody."

"Like a rock" NOT !!

2012-01-20T15:31:00.000-08:00

Russia in 2006 accused British diplomats of using communications equipment in this fake rock, found at a Moscow park, to exchange secret information with Russian sources. (Rossiya Television)

"Giants in their fields"

2012-01-20T15:25:00.000-08:00

Eastman Kodak Co. founder George Eastman, left, and Thomas Edison pose with their inventions in the 1920s. Edison invented motion picture equipment and Kodak invented roll-film and the camera box, which helped to create the motion picture industry. Kodak has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, raising the specter that the 132-year-old trailblazer could become the most storied casualty of the digital age.

(Associated Press / December 30, 2019)

Apple rolls out digital textbook service iBooks

2012-01-20T15:09:00.000-08:00

The company says its new or updated iBooks 2, iBooks Author and iTunes U apps are intended to uproot the traditional learning experience.

You want "scary" ??

2012-01-20T14:55:00.000-08:00

In Hell Night (1981) the legendary Linda Blair stars as ‘Marti’, a young sorority “pledge”, who agrees to sleep over in a haunted mansion, along with three other pledges, as part of their “hazing”. They run, they scream, they fight, yadda, yadda. We find two attractive young couples allowing themselves to be locked into dark, scary places, and deciding to have a little party, presuming that they’ll be released, all safe and sound in the morning… in both cases, of course, things go horribly, horribly wrong.

"top seller in the automotive industry"

2012-01-20T14:53:00.000-08:00

Mark Reuss, president of GM North America, standing with three concept cars at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. GM reported global vehicle sales of more than 9 million last year, a tally that returned the U.S. automaker to the top seller in the automotive industry.

(Stan Honda / Getty Images)

Costa Concordia capsizing spotlights cruise ship safety

2012-01-20T14:38:00.000-08:00

Members of the Italian Carabinieri Police Divers unit dive near the bell of the cruise ship Costa Concordia, which ran aground last week off the Italian island of Giglio.

(Ufficio Stampa Gruppo Carabinieri, EPA / January 19, 2012)

El Capitan

2012-01-20T14:35:00.000-08:00

With 35 years of experience as a news photographer, Mark Boster found himself in unfamiliar yet exciting territory when he was asked to capture the essence of
one of his favorite destinations, Yosemite National Park, during all four seasons. However, he jumped at the chance to return to such a memorable place – one he’d begun visiting with his family some 50 years ago.

Accustomed to chasing fires, floods, accidents and occupy protestors for the LA Times, Boster called the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to photograph so much of Yosemite “a dream come true.”

"her biggest fear is children"

2012-01-19T16:55:00.000-08:00

Lionel Shriver, the author of the literary (and now cinematographic) blockbuster We Need To Talk About Kevin is an American. And, like many Americans in the post 9/11 era, she is fearful. In the afterword to the book which was first published in America in 2003, she admits that her biggest fear is children, or rather, parenthood. Reflecting on pregnancy, she remarks: ‘Since just about any stranger could come knocking nine months later, coitus without contraception is, as Eva [her central character] observes “like leaving your front door unlocked.”’ The novel is a testament to this, and what many people would describe as a seemingly irrational, immature, or specifically female response to what should be the most natural thing in the world. But, as with all texts, there is a subtext. This review will try to argue that what seem to be irrational fears such as Shriver’s are largely the offspring of a system that is corrupted, broken and fundamentally in decline.

"Risking life in a time of war"

2012-01-19T16:48:00.000-08:00

A Westerner finds refuge with a group of women in a church during Japan's rape of Nanking in 1937. Posing as a priest, he attempts to lead the women to safety.

The LEGEND keeps going . . .

2012-01-19T16:39:00.000-08:00

Carol Channing is such an endearing, sharp, funny personality that director Dori Berinstein could easily have just thrown her camera on a tripod, have the 90-year-old musical theater legend spin anecdotes for an hour and a half, and had a great documentary. Thankfully, what she made is even better. Sure, Channing still tells those stories about her life and stage career in her paradoxically inimitable-yet-oft-imitated style. But there are also heartfelt testimonies from fellow actors and personalities, most legends in their own right, about how talented and genuine she is.

From Hello, Dolly composer Jerry Herman to Debbie Reynolds to Chita Rivera to a professional Carol Channing impersonator, the film paints an affectionate portrait of a performer who so loves and embodies musical comedy, that if it hadn’t existed before she did, surely her elemental talent would have summoned and created it for her out of pixie dust, brass, feathers, plywood, and of course, diamonds.

“Chasing Ice”

2012-01-19T16:28:00.000-08:00

“Chasing Ice” Noted for its dazzling cinematography, this is the visually majestic answer to “An Inconvenient Truth”: the film focuses on the issue of climate change through time-lapse footage captured by photographer James Balog, whose Extreme Ice Survey is presenting evidence of melting glaciers around the world.

‘Terry Fator: Ventriloquism in Concert’ at Mirage Las Vegas is the BEST Comedy Act on the Strip

2012-01-19T16:25:00.000-08:00

LAS VEGAS – Entertainment executives at The Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas may have been a little skeptical at first signing on ventriloquist, Terry Fator, to headline their operations, but after 500 plus performances, The Terry Fator: Ventriloquism in Concert show is a runaway smash hit on the Vegas scene.

Terry Fator, who was the 2007 $1 million grand prizewinner of the NBC hit variety show, America’s Got Talent, stuck to his convictions and followed his dreams all the way to the Las Vegas Strip. And what a trip it has been. Since his success on the TV show, Fator has created some of the most memorable characters that have their own personalities which highlights his exceptional ventriloquism skills; which is why San Diego County News has dubbed his act as the BEST Comedy/Variety Show on the Vegas Strip!

"Reappearing in my mind"

2012-01-18T15:57:00.000-08:00

The regeneration project, aimed at encouraging families to stay longer in the resort, is part of a £20m investment for the tower and promenade.

The observation platform at the top of the Grade I-listed structure becomes the Blackpool Tower Eye and features a skywalk.

It has floor-to-ceiling glass and overlooks the coastline.

Other new features include a dungeon attraction, a new entrance and a "4D" cinema with a vibrating floor.

A "mysterious demise"

2012-01-18T15:53:00.000-08:00

Throughout January, the world is Edgar Allan Poe's stage, 200 years after his birth on Jan. 19, 1809, and more than a century and a half after his mysterious demise in a Baltimore gutter. He's credited as the founding father of detective fiction, a master of the macabre, the namesake inspiration for the mystery world's premier annual award, and perhaps the first proper full-time freelance writer. This second son of an acting couple might well feel a mix of puffed-up pride and mystification at the celebratory atmosphere if he were alive to witness it. He spent most of his life cobbling together a living out of the scraps of poetic and prose publication, sporadically climbing the mountain of literary acclaim (as with "The Raven" in 1845) only to plunge anew into penury, a state he remained in until his death.

Our Country could be in a lotta trouble

2012-01-18T00:04:00.000-08:00

Make way for the old and the new

2012-01-17T23:13:00.000-08:00

With a sputtering economy and local governments mired in financial crisis, the Chicago Cubs can't afford to renovate Wrigley Field like they want to — or like they really need to. It's simply not a good time for the Ricketts ownership to be asking the city of Chicago, or heaven forbid the state of Illinois, for assistance with bonds and whatnot.

So the Cubs are doing a little bit here and there to nudge Wrigley into the 21st century as she approaches her 100th birthday in 2014. During the team's fan convention over the weekend, the Cubs announced they would be converting seating in right field into a premium patio area that will resemble neighborhood rooftops. They're also putting in a 75-foot long LED scoreboard just above the ivy, though not one big enough for video.

Newfangled stuff in Wrigley Field? Say it ain't so!In all honesty, it needs to be so, to maximize revenue streams (i.e., make as much money as possible.) The team rebuilt the iconic bleachers before the 2006 season, and this time they're removing a section of seats near the right-field foul pole. So, the new patio won't be for the common folk. Cubs team president Crane Kenney used the word "client" when describing who he expects to use the new section, which will hold 150 fans.

"[It will be] a place where you can bring clients, move around in the space and not just be fixed," Kenney said. "If I'm in seat [No. 1] and my clients are in seats two through eight, I don't get to talk to the person in seat [No. 8]. It's a chance to circulate.

"What we're finding both for our suites as well as other parts of the ballpark is that people want to be able to circulate — you see it on the rooftops."

Back in the 1980s, when Wrigley's neighbors started transforming the rooftop experience into something beyond lawn chairs, a Smoky Joe grill and a cooler full of Budweiser, the Cubs should have purchased some — if not all — of the buildings along Waveland and Sheffield avenues. That way, they could have been a part of growing an experience outside of the ballpark that was actually cooler than what was going on inside much of the time.

Instead, team ownership just let Wrigley get older while the neighborhood gentrified and became some of the hottest property in Chicago. Nowadays, the Cubs are playing catch-up. Just like Theo Epstein is playing catch-up with the team's computer system, its minor leagues and its major league roster. The Cubs makeover really is top to bottom.

Way Out West -- Mae West

2012-01-17T19:37:00.000-08:00

Kay Martin would require a good number of body guards

2012-01-17T19:29:00.000-08:00