This unusual and striking photo is by "naxief" on Flickr. For more by "naxief" click on the link below:Friday, February 29, 2008
"Indian Sunset"
This unusual and striking photo is by "naxief" on Flickr. For more by "naxief" click on the link below:
"Mae West Lips"
Spanish artist Salvador Dali's "Mae West lips sofa" is reflected in a mirror on the opening day of "Surreal Things", a 250-piece art exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao February 28, 2008. The exhibition, organized with the Victoria and Albert museum in London, deals with Surrealist objects and their relationship with commercial design. REUTERS/Vincent West (SPAIN)
Someone's watching you . . .
U.S. soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham smiles in front of his portrait composed of his pictures during a promotional event in Seoul February 29, 2008. L.A. Galaxy will hold an exhibition match with South Korean soccer club FC Seoul on Saturday. REUTERS/Jo Yong-Hak (SOUTH KOREA)
A Top Hat That Made An Impression
Arlan Ettinger, President of Guernsey's, points to the derby used by the character "Odd Job" during filming of the James Bond film "Goldfinger" in New York February 28, 2008. The "Pugliese Pop Culture Collection" has hundreds of items related to modern popular culture that will be auctioned in Las Vegas in March. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
Thursday, February 28, 2008
A Neat and Tidy Package
A local farmer leads a row of camels at a tourism resort of the Kumtag Desert in Shanshan county, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region October 4, 2007. Kumtag desert has been developed as a tourist resort where visitors can have a full view of the magnificence of the desert without actually venturing out into it, local media reported. REUTERS/China Daily
And the winner is . . .
A new world record for the rubik cube single solve was set by Edouard Chambon from France at the Murcia Open 2008, with a time of 9.18 seconds.
THE RAVEONETTES
The title of "Aly Walk With Me," the lead track from The Raveonettes recently released, "Lust Lust Lust," sounds so innocent. You might imagine hand holding, star gazing, and maybe a good night kiss between lovers. Instead, there's a murky, mesmerizing bass line, and shards or wrecked guitar piercing through each verse, driving home the point that this isn't a precious moment. Is there jealousy? Maybe. Desire? More likely. Should Aly reconsider going on that walk down the New York streets? All signs point to a yes or a possibly maybe.
The great hot dog giveaway
At Pink's in Hollywood hot dogs are free for the first 500 this Friday and Saturday in honor of the March 2 premiere of "Unhitched," the Fox sitcom from the "wieners" behind "Dumb and Dumber," the Farrelly Brothers.
The 45-minute lines (even at midnight) and popularity among the Leonardo DiCaprio crowd confirm two things: 1) Pink's is a bona-fide L.A. institution, and 2) actors have too much time on their hands. The Polish dogs are a mixed success -- the chewy sausage messily competing with the fragile, chili-soaked bun. But the standard, all-beef Hoffy dogs are a perfect collaboration of tastes and soul-comforting grease. Also for the adventurous: try the giant 12-inch jalapeño dog, the Brooklyn pastrami Swiss cheese dog or the pastrami burrito dog (flour tortilla wrapped around two dogs with grilled pastrami, Swiss cheese). Tip: to avoid the lines, visit on a rainy day.
709 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90038
323-931-4223
http://www.pinkshollywood.com/
Ben Affleck's Baby Brother
Casey Affleck received the best reviews of his career for his turn as coward Robert Ford, a young man with dreams of becoming an outlaw who gains notoriety after he murders Jesse James, the legendary bandit. Affleck received the nomination for best supporting actor for his work in the film, "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford." Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China, one of the greatest wonders of the world, was enlisted in the World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching approximately 6,700 kilometers (4,163 miles ) from east to west of China. With a history of more than 2000 years, some of the sections of the great wall are now in ruins or even entirely disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance.A scene you will probably never get to see
This is the sunset at the North Pole with the moon at its closest point.
You also see the sun below the moon. An amazing photo and not one
easily duplicated. I would provide a link to the photographer if I only knew the URL.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Taekwondo
Spain's Joel Gonzalez fights China's Pei Guangqi in the men's 58kg semifinal of Good Luck Beijing 2008 International Taekwondo Invitational Tournament at the University of Science and Technology Beijing Gymnasium in Beijing February 26, 2008. The gymnasium will hold the judo and taekwondo events in the XXIX Olympic Games in Beijing in August. REUTERS/Claro Cortes IV (CHINA)
The Mystery of the Fabled Amber Room
The fabled Amber Room was a room that was made entirely of amber; a masterpiece of Baroque art. It was an extravagent gift given to Czar Peter the Great of Russia in 1716 by Frederick Wilhelm I, King of Prussia. Czar Peter of Russia was taken with its opulence and it forged a lavish gesture of friendship between Russia and Germany until the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. After remaining in the possession of Russia until 1941, the Amber Room mysteriously disappeared. What happened to it is not fully known. The amber panels were removed from the room and stored in Novosibirsk. Later, the room was crated up and transported to Kaliningrad. The amber panels were again moved in 1945 at the end of World War II and the room's trail was lost. Why are people still searching for the Amber Room? Perhaps it's because the Amber Room was very beautiful (albeit in a kitschy sort of way). Another is that the panels are immensely valuable; estimates put their worth at about $300 million.
Friday, February 22, 2008
New Hotel Casino Planned for Atlantic City
The “Revel” hotel and casino will be on 20 acres and have two separate hotel towers, with 1,900 rooms each, giving the project a total of 3,800 rooms, with 500,000 square feet of dining, retail and entertainment space, including a 5,000 seat theatre, and a full service spa in addition to a “one-acre oceanfront beach”. The project is scheduled to take 36 months for completion and “footing and foundation work will commence shortly”, so it looks as though an opening date is scheduled for late 2010, early 2011.
Rendering of entrance to Revel’s Casino in Atlantic City
El Cid
El Cid,(Rodrigo, or Ruy, Diaz, Count of Bivar), the great popular hero of the chivalrous age of Spain, was born at Burgos c. 1040; and died at Valencia, 1099. He was given the title of seid or cid (lord, chief) by the Moors and that of campeador (champion) by his admiring countrymen.
Tradition and legend have cast a deep shadow over the history of this brave knight, to such an extent that his very existence has been questioned; there is however, no reason to doubt his existence. We must, at the same time regard him as a dual personality, and distinguish between the historical Cid and the legendary Cid. History paints him as a free booter, an unprincipled adventurer, who battled with equal vigour against Christians and Moors; who, to further his own ends, would as soon destroy a Christian church as a Moslem temple; who plundered and slew as much for his own gain as from any patriotic motives. It must be born in mind, however that the facts which discredit him have reached us through hostile Arab historians, and that to do him full justice he should be judged according to the standard of his country in his day. Vastly different indeed is the Cid of romance, legend, and ballad, wherein he is pictured as the tender, loving husband and father; the gentle courageous soldier; the noble, generous conqueror, unswervingly loyal to his country and his king; the man whose name has been an ever-present inspiration to Spanish patriotism. But whatever may have been the real adventures of El Cid Campeador, his name has come down to us in modern times in connection with a long series of heroic achievements in which he stands out as the central figure of the long struggle of Christian Spain against the Moslem hosts.
Century City condo unit sells for a record $15 million
A unit on the 38th floor of a still unfinished luxury condo tower in Century City, California sold recently for a record $15 million, but the new owner still won't get a view from the top.
Four flights up, the asking price for the penthouse is $30 million.
On Thursday, the developer of the Century high-rise said an unidentified local buyer had agreed to pay $2,700 per square foot for a unit filling half of the 38th floor. The 42-story tower is under construction next to the Hyatt Century Plaza Hotel on Avenue of the Stars.
In spite of plunging residential prices across much of the nation, home values in many wealthy enclaves continue to grow
Four flights up, the asking price for the penthouse is $30 million.
On Thursday, the developer of the Century high-rise said an unidentified local buyer had agreed to pay $2,700 per square foot for a unit filling half of the 38th floor. The 42-story tower is under construction next to the Hyatt Century Plaza Hotel on Avenue of the Stars.
In spite of plunging residential prices across much of the nation, home values in many wealthy enclaves continue to grow
Thursday, February 21, 2008
NEW CUBBIE -- WILL THIS BE THE YEAR ???
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Chicago Cubs outfielder Kosuke Fukudome runs the bases during baseball spring training in Mesa, Arizona, February 21, 2008. REUTERS/Michael Fiala (UNITED STATES)
Remembering "LAWRY'S CALIFORNIA CENTER"
This is the ornate entrance to what used to be a Lawry's spice plant which also offered delicious restaurants and patio terrace dining. The gardens and courtyards are still spectacular and the entire facility is now used by the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens. Open to the public. Photo by "casual clicks" on Flickr.
Metamorphosis in Paris
Plans for a vast glass office block that will become the tallest commercial building since the Eiffel tower are underway in Paris. Skyscrapers are banned in the historic centre of Paris with high-rise buildings confined to the La Defense district to the west of the centre. Once described as Paris’s “mini-Manhattan”, La Defense is one of Europe’s biggest purpose built business districts, created under Francois Mitterrand’s direction in 1989. Recently La Defense has begun planning a new generation of high-rises to compete with new urban business quarters in Moscow, Madrid and Amsterdam. Designed by Californian architect Thom Mayne of Morphosis fame, the “Phare” (lighthouse) tower is a gently sloping eco friendly glass construction complete with wind turbines on its roof. At a cost of 900m Euros (£610m) the building, which will offer 130,000 square metres of office space, is due to be completed in 2012.Tuesday, February 19, 2008
"Care to join me for a dip ??"
Australia's Robert Newbery (L) and Scott Robertson compete in the preliminary round of the three-metre synchronised springboard event during the Good Luck Beijing FINA World Cup Diving competition at the National Aquatics Centre in Beijing February 19, 2008. The tournament is a test event for the 2008 Beijing Olympic venue, which is also known as the Water Cube. REUTERS/David Gray (CHINA)
This is what's called "Making an Entrance"
Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva arrives for the Laureus awards ceremony in the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg February 18, 2008. Tennis world number one Roger Federer won the prestigious Laureus Sportsman of the year award for a record fourth year in a row on Monday. REUTERS/Alexander Demianchuk (RUSSIA)Steve Cronin is a Keeper
Steve Cronin is about to experience a few deer-in-the-headlights moments.The Galaxy goalkeeper, who has played only half a dozen Major League Soccer games in his first three seasons, suddenly finds himself as the starter.
On a team that boasts such vastly experienced international players as David Beckham, Landon Donovan, Abel Xavier, Celestine Babayaro and Carlos Ruiz, the last line of defense is a relatively wet-behind-the-ears 24-year-old.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
"Evening Thoughts"
Alone on Hunstanton beach during a beautiful evening sunset (England).Paul Stefan
Camera: Canon EOS 20D
